Boom!
A violent explosion occurred.
Accompanied by a burst of intense firelight.
Demon Man and Ghost Hand were blasted away together in an instant.
A few seconds later.
Rolling a few times on the ground and getting up, Demon Man's eyes were filled with disdain. He tore off the tattered clothes on his chest; only a few pieces of shrapnel were embedded in his chest. "Pah!" He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "Tch! My naturally strong body cannot be destroyed by a mere grenade of yours.
"Besides, the physical enhancement from my Zoan fruit ability is not just a simple one-plus-one increase."
Saying this, he moved to Ghost Hand, who was lying on the ground not far away. Looking at his bloody and mangled chest, blood spilling from his mouth and nose, already in a dying state with more air going out than coming in, Demon Man stepped on his chest and ground his foot down hard. Watching Ghost Hand's eyes widen in a terminal lucidity stimulated by pain, he grinned hideously: "I will inherit all your wealth. It will become the cornerstone for me to conquer the Grand Line. Feel proud from the bottom of your heart for this!
"You damn scumbag!"
As his voice fell, his right foot stomped down forcefully. Accompanied by a crack, Ghost Hand widened his eyes and breathed his last.
The malice in his eyes also froze.
Demon Man sneered looking at his eyes, then raised his foot and stomped down again. With a crack, Ghost Hand's head collapsed instantly.
Then he turned and walked towards the building. Arriving in front of it, he bent his knees slightly and leaped up, jumping into the hole instantly.
Immediately after, frequent screams appeared. Demon Man was clearing out the opponents inside.
And at this moment, Merlin watched the end of this battle with calm eyes, his gaze thoughtful: "Demon Man's physical fitness is very strong. Unknown Zoan ability, physical strength is very tough."
However, at this time, Merlin noticed several women in ragged clothes running out of the main entrance on the first floor of the building in panic one after another.
And they were running towards his side.
The distance of two hundred meters was quickly covered by these women. At this time, Merlin heard Demon Man's angry roar coming from the second floor of the building not far away: "Four of you go, catch all those who ran away for me. Since they can't be sold, I'll keep them for my own use."
"Hehe, okay Boss, we're going right now."
"You, you, you, come with me."
Listening to the vague voices coming from there subsequently.
However, at this time, Merlin looked at two half-grown girls among the six women running panic-stricken through the alley below his building at this moment. A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes: "A strange sense of familiarity."
Messy green hair.
However, looking at the sky here which had already turned dark, Merlin watched the four pirates running out of that building.
Watching them chasing from the building towards here, a glint flashed in Merlin's eyes: "Hunting time!"
This was an opportunity.
And just as the pirates below rushed into the alley under the building where Merlin was.
Merlin jumped down from the roof.
The timing was exactly when the four were passing by. At this moment, Merlin suddenly appearing in front of them from above startled the four, and their movements halted.
"Motherf..."
"Holy sh..."
Just as the cursing voices came out.
At this moment, Merlin's gaze was calm.
The hilt gripped in his right hand was pulled out abruptly. Clang! With a crisp sword cry, immediately followed by four dark red sword glints slashing through the air in the blink of an eye.
Merlin stepped back lightly at this time to distance himself from them. Immediately after, a line of blood seeped out from their necks.
The four stared at Merlin with bloodshot eyes, and at this moment reached out to cover their necks which started spurting blood. Just as they gasped "Heh...", Bang, bang, bang, bang! They collapsed on the ground one after another.
Merlin exhaled a breath of stale air from his mouth. The combination of dynamic and static force in his body instantly burst out terrifying sword swinging speed, which allowed him to kill these four minions instantly.
"Let's call this move Flash Shadow!"
Merlin entertained himself alone.
At this time, looking at the blade of Night Earl, it was still dry and clean. The residual blood on it had been absorbed completely.
"Blood-sucking characteristic."
Merlin sheathed his sword, glanced at the direction those women fled just now, then turned and walked towards that six-story building.
Before long, arriving at the main entrance on the first floor, Merlin leaned against the wall. At this moment, screams were still coming from inside the building.
"Still clearing out those subordinates belonging to Ghost Hand inside this building."
Merlin thought of those auras located on the third and fourth floors perceived just now.
Soon, the auras inside the whole building became few. Only the auras of Demon Man Ibuki and six subordinates existed: "Except for those six who ran away, the ordinary people are all gone!"
Merlin's eyes were calm. This was this era, this world. Human lives were like grass. Alive one moment, and might lose their lives the next.
Calming his mind, perceiving the seven people inside the building, listening to the sounds of smashing items coming from inside: "Looting, right! Then I'll wait for them here quietly.
"Since someone is doing the looting for me, I won't go up to join in the fun."
After thinking of this, the aura on Merlin's body began to become peaceful. He leaned motionless against the wall, just like a lynx lying in ambush for its target.
With the passage of time, the movement inside the building was also disappearing continuously, until a burst of footsteps and cursing came from inside the door: "That cunning bastard, the Berries in his own stronghold are actually so few."
"Tell me about it. The money in this broken stronghold adds up to only thirty million Berries."
"Boss lost big this time. But I heard Ghost Hand has another stronghold in the Safe Zone? How about we go look for it."
"Look for a hammer. The damn guy is dead, who knows where that damn place is?"
Ibuki spat unhappily, then walked out of the main entrance.
Immediately after, the six people behind him walked out together, more or less bearing injuries.
"Fck! Who the hell are you? Standing here scaring people?"
At this time, a pirate who just walked out of the door glimpsed Merlin, shuddered suddenly from fright, pointed at Merlin and cursed.
The next second, Merlin's figure appeared in front of him. Night Earl in his hand, Clang! unsheathed. A cold flash, the hand raised and the sword fell.
Squelch! A sound, a line of blood slashed across his neck. Immediately after, amidst the dazedness of the remaining five, Merlin closed in with extremely agile movements. Several dark red sword glints burst from around his body, sharp blades cutting through human bodies like cutting paper.
Three seconds later.
Merlin stopped his figure, looking calmly at Demon Man Ibuki who only turned around to look at this time.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
"It hurts so much, ughhh!!"
Six people fell to the ground, blood flowing out to converge into a small pool of blood. The pirates who were not dead yet let out miserable wails from their mouths.
"Crack! Crack!" Ibuki's teeth ground loudly at this moment, creepy words squeezing out from his throat: "Seeking death!"
But before his voice fell, he had already thrown away the suitcase in his hand, stomped the ground with both feet, and rushed towards Merlin gripping the machete like a mad wild bull.
At this moment, Merlin's pupils constricted sharply. Gripping the hilt tightly, the blade in his hand slashed upwards at extreme speed.
In the blink of an eye, Merlin's blade collided fiercely with his machete.
Clang! A sound.
A dull sound of metal collision resounded abruptly in the open space around.
Creak, creak, creak!
Two blades were striving against each other with all strength, dazzling sparks splashing from the collision point.
At this moment, Merlin narrowed his eyes, teeth clenched tight, feeling the continuous immense force assaulting his body.
Ibuki's eyes flashed with a crazy look, looking at this guy in front of him: "Dare to kill my men, then you go die! Hah—"
Ibuki inhaled while speaking, muscles on his arms knotting up. Immediately after letting out a shout, an even more terrifying brute force was transmitted to Merlin along the weapon.
At the same time, Merlin was knocked back by this immense force.
And at this time, Ibuki chased straight up with thick killing intent in his eyes.
The machete in his hand slashed out afterimages, enveloping Merlin's whole body from the front.
At this moment, Merlin's gaze was cold and condensed. Looking at the cold sword glints appearing before his eyes, his heart was calm, his figure shuttling and moving through the sword glints with incomparable agility.
Layman in swordsmanship.
This was the evaluation Merlin gave him in his heart at this moment. Only having brute strength.
Swinging the sword completely without rhyme or reason.
Ibuki's eyes suddenly widened. He found that he actually couldn't hit Merlin. The Mad Bull Sword Style that was unmatched in the past all failed. And at this time, Merlin suddenly took a half step forward amidst the sword glints. Immediately after, a dark red arc slashed out from bottom to top.
Clang—
Amidst this ear-piercing sound of metal and iron, Merlin's precise upward slash hit the blade Ibuki was chopping down.
Feeling this sudden burst of brute force completely not inferior to his own on this slash, Ibuki's eyes bulged.
And under this suddenly erupted brute force, Ibuki's sword along with his arm was bounced up instantly. Merlin looked into his eyes at this moment: "What is your ability?"
But while speaking, the raised Night Earl by Merlin had already chopped down naturally.
Squelch!
A narrow and long blood mark instantly slashed from Ibuki's left shoulder to his right hip.
But Merlin didn't stop after the slash ended. His left foot stepped forward, then his right leg lifted and kicked heavily on Ibuki's abdomen.
Bang! Amidst a dull sound.
Ibuki let out a muffled groan directly, then retreated backwards continuously.
Merlin's figure chased relentlessly, kicking his abdomen again and again. Dull vibrations like beating a drum rang out constantly.
Eyes wide open, trying his best to suppress the retching feeling surging up from his stomach.
Wanting to roar, but couldn't catch his breath. His figure retreated backwards continuously under this rapid offensive.
Seeing he didn't speak, Merlin didn't hold back anymore. With a stomp under his foot, amidst the crisp sound of shoe soles, his figure suddenly turned into a black shadow and sprinted over at extreme speed.
At this moment, Ibuki only felt an instinctive sense of crisis attacking. He hurriedly raised his right hand and swung a horizontal slash forward by instinct.
And at this time.
Merlin, who had already closed in, had long predicted the trajectory of this slash in advance.
Footwork changing, dodging with a retreat while simultaneously flashing easily to his right side. At this moment, black flames wound towards the blade along his right hand.
A wisp of black flame ignited in his eyes at the same time. Then Night Earl in his hand slashed horizontally towards his waist at extreme speed.
Squelch! A line of blood splashed.
Ibuki cried out in pain and lifted his right leg to kick, but at this time, Merlin had already dodged away.
Whoosh~
Pitch-black flames ignited on Ibuki's body. At this moment, Ibuki, who wanted to turn around, froze.
Fractured and penetrating cuts suddenly appeared on his neck, chest, abdomen, and limb ligaments.
At the same time, his whole body quickly turned white with splotches.
Red of Pain + White Platinum Lead.
Ibuki clutched his neck, severe pain sweeping through his whole body. His bloodshot eyes bulged, staring deathly at Merlin: "You are also... an ability user?"
Thump!
Ibuki fell to his knees, his consciousness blurring immediately.