As the countless bloodshadow bats returned to his body, Ignis felt the rich life force within him.
"A master with Conqueror's Haki, such pure energy!"
Ignis licked his lips excitedly, feeling every cell in his body cheering with joy.
A surging power emerged from within, as if his body had broken through its shackles and entered some kind of virtuous cycle.
His physique now seemed able to drive the Gravity Fruit and Moonlight Fruit abilities without the need for feedback from his Vampire ability.
'So this is the unscientific physique of this world!'
Ignis felt that his body had undergone some kind of transformation.
It turned out that 'devouring people' really could make you stronger!
The stronger a person was, the more talented, the more useful they were to him!
"The Guru is dead!!"
A cadre of the Wang Zhi Pirates, sensing with Observation Haki that Wang Zhi's life force had completely disappeared, shouted in terror.
As the bloodshadow bats fully dispersed, Wang Zhi's pale, shrunken face still held a hideous, terrified expression.
Ignis expressionlessly withdrew the Shichiseiken and casually kicked Wang Zhi's desiccated corpse aside, looking every bit the cold-blooded demon.
"Vohahaha! Ignis, you've gotten stronger again!"
Rocks accurately detected the earth-shattering change in Ignis's body. This mysterious little guy was full of strangeness and the unknown.
But Rocks was still confident he could keep Ignis in check and make him a powerful ally in overthrowing Im.
"Jehahaha! Congratulations, Ignis!"
Shiki was the second to offer his congratulations, the desire to obtain Ignis reaching its peak in his eyes.
"He still relies on his Devil Fruit abilities and demon sword!"
Kyo once again affirmed how important a powerful Devil Fruit ability was.
Take Ignis, for example, without any of the three types of Haki, just relying on his Devil Fruit abilities and demon sword, he had killed Wang Zhi.
Even though the 'Pirate Guru' had been worn down by their consecutive fights, there was no denying that Ignis, as a three-ability user, was very powerful!
Kyo also eyed his own famous giant axe, considering whether he should replace it with an even more powerful one.
The strange abilities of the Shichiseiken were truly enviable.
It not only had the evil ability to control the minds of the weak but also enhanced the strength and penetration of sword slashes.
Even an ordinary swordsman could unleash a terrifying slash spanning half an island with it.
In Kyo's eyes, Ignis's Shichiseiken seemed even more powerful than the Supreme Grade Blade Murakumogiri that Newgate held, or the Xebec's Sword that Rocks wielded.
At this moment, Kyo suddenly felt that, besides a powerful Devil Fruit ability, he also needed a powerful weapon.
That bastard Shiki was already searching for famous swords and blades. He would add that to his own goals as well.
"Ignis! You're amazing! You're truly my friend!"
Charlotte Linlin danced excitedly on the thundercloud Zeus, cheering loudly.
"The Vice Captain!! Mighty!!"
The two sturdy fish-men, Barbel and Sunbell, cheered.
"Gotten stronger again!"
Newgate noticed Ignis's increase in strength. He had been about 60-70% confident he could beat Ignis, but now it seemed like a 50-50 proposition again.
Beating this three-ability user wouldn't be easy.
But Newgate felt a surge of fighting spirit instead.
Defeating Ignis, his friend, and chasing Rocks, the nominal captain, were his next goals.
...
Among the panicking onlooking pirates,
Kuroki was in turmoil. Ignis had killed Wang Zhi, completely disrupting their expectations and plans.
'Wasn't the Rocks Pirates expanding and recruiting?'
'Why would they kill Wang Zhi instead of recruiting him?'
'This was completely against Rocks's usual style of stealing people!'
'And those bloodshadow bats that had attacked him earlier...'
Cold sweat broke out on Kuroki's forehead.
'Should I abandon the mission immediately and flee?'
Just then, the cadres and pirates of the Wang Zhi Pirates suddenly began to flee.
They neither sought revenge for Wang Zhi nor begged to join the Rocks Pirates. They just wanted to escape.
If Wang Zhi and the Rocks executives hadn't destroyed the Wang Zhi Pirates' headquarters with their battle, they could have looted the treasure and made off with it.
Now, they could only try to seize the main ship of the Wang Zhi Pirates, the 'Guru's' vessel, which still held considerable treasure and supplies.
In the chaos, Kuroki hesitated. He didn't know if Ignis had discovered his identity.
But he thought of this undercover mission personally ordered by Saint Saturn.
Even if he had an 80% chance of dying, he had to see it through!
Having made his decision, Kuroki suppressed his panic and fear and fully transformed into 'Kuroki'.
For now, he was a pirate!
If Ignis killed him, he would die a defiant pirate!
Kuroki drew his sword and killed a minor cadre of the Wang Zhi Pirates, slipping into the persona of a brutal pirate.
He had fought the 'Pirate Guru' Wang Zhi before; now taking out his anger on the Wang Zhi Pirates was perfectly reasonable.
"Gehahaha! It's all mine! No one else can take it!"
Shiki immediately joined the looting at the port. All the pirate crews were his prey.
Especially Wang Zhi's legacy, no one else could touch it!
Kyo, Barbel, Sunbell, and Streusen all joined the frenzied looting.
Nobody got to take advantage of the Rocks Pirates.
"Ignis! Does that guy have any issues? Can we recruit him?"
As Ignis flew back, Rocks pointed at Kuroki, who was cutting a bloody swath through the enemy.
This great pirate, with a bounty of 444 million, fought ruthlessly and efficiently, just the way Rocks liked.
If he was clean, Rocks would go down and take him.
Newgate also observed Kuroki. His fighting style was indeed cleaner and more efficient than any of their executives.
Even more than Kyo, a former assassin, he fought with lethal precision.
"A guy who's mastered the Six Powers, what do you think?"
"Look at him kill with that long sword, but I doubt his calluses are thicker than mine!"
Ignis spoke calmly, looking at Kuroki like a predator sizing up its prey.
Having reaped the benefits from Wang Zhi, Ignis now seemed like an insatiable demon, eager to devour this guy too.
"The Six Powers? The Marine and CP agents' Six Powers?"
Rocks's eyes narrowed, his appreciative gaze instantly transforming into intense killing intent.
His Davy Clan had been hunted by the World Government for 800 years, reduced to fleeing like rats.
Only by changing their name had one bloodline survived.
Those CP agents were the fiercest hounds in hunting the Donquixote family.
His resentment and hatred for them ran far deeper than for the Marines, which still maintained a facade of justice.
"That Kuroki is a CP agent of the World Government?"
Newgate gripped Murakumogiri tighter, his narrowed eyes looking down with killing intent, as if possessed by a vengeful warrior.