Chapter 20: What Exactly Made You Think I'm Bad at Underwater Combat?
"The same joke isn't funny the second time. Big Bro, let me go and 'deliver' him."
Haki began to swirl around Babel's body, eventually forming a visual effect like transparent flames. This was extremely dense Armament Haki—an advanced application of the technique.
Simply put, it involved projecting Haki outside the body, allowing it to flow and form an invisible armor that could inflict internal destruction upon impact.
Because of the flowing nature of this Haki, the people of Wano Country called it "Ryou." In this regard, Babel was quite accomplished.
"No. This guy is a bit interesting. I'll handle him myself."
"Big Bro, if you personally deal with such an ignorant fool, Sebastian will definitely laugh at me later."
"Babel, your strength is more than enough to handle him. But this guy seems to have some tricks up his sleeve; it would take you some time to finish him.
We're almost at God Valley. I figured I'd stretch my legs a bit. You go ahead with Rocks and the others; I'll catch up shortly."
Hearing Nereus say this, Babel didn't insist. He just glared viciously at Valentine, muttering something under his breath.
If Sebastian were here, he would definitely say that this monk Babel was cursing the opponent again instead of performing a proper prayer for the dead.
Then, with a light leap, Nereus landed on Valentine's ship. Seeing this, some members of the Rocks Pirates even tried to start a betting pool on the spot.
However, the pool never formed and disbanded halfway through.
Everyone bet on Nereus to win, making gambling impossible.
On Valentine's ship, seeing Nereus board alone, Valentine didn't order his men to attack immediately. Instead, he took two steps back and bowed to Nereus.
Then, with feigned concern, he asked:
"Mr. Nereus, you jumped onto our ship all alone just like that? Are you that confident?
Oh, wait. No, precisely because it is you, such confidence is expected.
This is exactly what the person I admire should do. I hope the person I admire won't run away in fear at the end and show an unsightly appearance."
"Don't worry. I won't run, and I won't hide. Many pirates in the New World fear me. It's been a long time since I met someone as 'interesting' as you, so I was a bit impatient.
You'd better show me something that interests me."
"Do it!"
As Valentine waved his hand forward, the other pirates on the ship pulled out various weapons. Unlike the common flintlock pistols on the sea, the weapons on Valentine's ship were all automatic firearms.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
"Die! As long as we kill you, we'll make a name for ourselves!"
"This is the price of arrogance! Be good little stepping stones for us!"
In terms of firepower intensity, these people far surpassed ordinary pirate crews. It seemed Valentine hadn't spared any expense in this regard.
Under the dense net of firepower, Nereus's body was torn to shreds. Even the deck where he stood was destroyed by the hail of bullets. Massive amounts of blood dripped and spread through the cracks in the deck.
Medically speaking, this amount of blood loss was far beyond normal, staining a whole section of the deck red.
What the pirates didn't notice was that this blood was spreading in a bizarre manner, gradually reaching beneath their feet.
However, this attack had no practical effect. When the smoke cleared, Nereus stood aside completely unharmed, holding a bullethead in his hand.
"Silver bullets. A thoughtful idea, but practically meaningless."
As soon as his voice fell, the blood flowing on the ground seemed to come under control, transforming into a thicket of blood thorns, turning Valentine's ship into a crimson forest.
The spikes on the thorns morphed into countless blood spears. In an instant, they pierced through the bodies of the pirates on deck. Only Valentine remained outside the attack range.
The moment the blood spears pierced the pirates, the blood within their bodies seemed drawn by a mysterious force, ultimately being absorbed by the blood thorns.
"As expected, this won't kill you at all. It's said the Vampire Fruit can steal the lifespan of others, allowing the user to break free from the shackles of time.
Coupled with this regeneration, I suppose the rumors in the Underworld about you being an 'Undying Creature' are true?
This powerful form... is exactly the target I must kill!"
Valentine's tone carried a morbid admiration. Despite wanting to kill the other party, his posture was more like that of a devout servant.
"Hmph. Boring fellow. True immortal creatures don't exist; you just haven't found the right method.
It seems I expected too much. As entertainment, you don't make the cut."
Valentine didn't respond this time. instead, he observed the corpses on the deck. Their pale complexions were enough to show that no blood remained in their bodies.
[Unleashing a technique of this scale must consume some stamina no matter what. His loss should be greater. Plus, he's looking down on me... I have a chance!]
Valentine didn't care about the lives of his crew; he saw them merely as tools to achieve his goal. If their lives could make Nereus lower his guard, he felt it was entirely worth it.
From the moment Nereus boarded, Valentine had been preparing.
He suddenly noticed that Nereus wasn't paying attention to him but had turned to look in the direction the Rocks' ship had left. Valentine immediately launched himself forward, charging toward Nereus.
[At this distance, even if his Observation Haki senses it, he can't dodge!]
Valentine didn't launch an attack. Instead, he tackled Nereus, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist and plunging them both into the sea.
Only when the cold seawater soaked his clothes did a surge of ecstasy well up in Valentine's heart.
"Hahaha! Mr. Nereus, no matter how powerful you are, you are ultimately a Devil Fruit user! Even a Fish-man will become weak and helpless after falling into the sea if they've eaten a Devil Fruit!
Although I am human, I was born in the Freezing Port of Swallow Island in the North Blue! Many people there excel at swimming, and I am no exception!
As a Fish-man, to be defeated by a human in the sea—how does that feel?!"
"Swallow Island. I remember that place. It's also called Pleasure Island, right?"
Nereus had his own impressions of certain islands, and Swallow Island was one of them. In the original timeline, it was the island where Law's crewmates, Shachi and Penguin, lived.
Although they were only human, they could function like human submarines and high-pressure water guns underwater.
Nereus's tone was incredibly flat, showing no fear of the current situation. After his brief ecstasy, Valentine also realized something was wrong.
Logically, Nereus should only be able to float with Valentine's help right now. But Valentine had already let go, yet Nereus was still floating in the water on his own.
"H... How is this possible?!"