novelhk Chapter 68 The Battle Between the Chief Agent and the Cadres!
Chapter 68 The Battle Between the Chief Agent and the Cadres!
Chapter 68 The Battle Between the Chief Agent and the Cadres!
At midnight in Youcaihua Port, waves crashed against the pier, and a few scattered windproof lamps emitted a faint glow.
The Norton Pirates' fleet was quietly anchored deep in the harbor. Most of the ships had turned off their lights, with only the White Pearl and a few guard ships still lit.
Five figures appeared silently in the shadows of the harbor.
Mr.1 Daz Bonis raised his hand to signal, and the five men quickly dispersed.
Mr. 1 himself walked directly to the bow of the White Pearl.
Two pirates were patrolling the bow deck. They were yawning and chatting as they leaned against the ship's side.
"You mean the Admiral is really going to recruit that Shichibukai?"
"Who knows—but since even Admiral Kizaru was driven away, maybe it really is possible—"
Before he could finish speaking, a flash of light appeared.
The two pirates didn't even see what happened; they only felt a chill on their necks before losing consciousness.
Mr. 1 retracted his arm, which had transformed into a blade, and drops of blood dripped down its sharp edge. He stepped over the fallen pirates and headed towards the captain's cabin.
Just as he pushed open the captain's cabin door, "whoosh!"
Three kunai shot from the shadow of the gun barrel diagonally above, aiming straight for the back of his neck, his heart, and his knees.
Mr. 1's back instantly transformed into blades, and with three crisp clangs, the kunai was deflected. He turned around and looked in the direction from which the kunai had been shot.
Sanosuke crouched on the mast's crossbeam, his all-black attire almost blending into the night. He gripped a ninja sword in his right hand and held several more kunai in his left.
"Intruders." Sanosuke's voice was cold.
Mr. 1 looked up at Sanosuke, his expression unchanged: "Get out of the way."
"Get past me first." Sanosuke leaped down from the mast, drifting like a falling leaf.
In the air, a pair of black wings unfurled behind him. With a flap of his wings, his speed suddenly increased, and his ninja sword drew an arc, slashing towards Mr. 1's neck.
Mr. 1 raised his hand to block.
Arm clashed with blade, producing a sharp, metallic clang. Sparks flew in the darkness.
The two parted ways immediately upon touching.
Sanosuke landed and folded his wings.
Mr. 1 glanced at his arm—a faint white mark remained on it.
"Interesting." Mr. 1's arms transformed into blades simultaneously, and he charged towards Sanosuke.
Blades clashed rapidly in the darkness, the clanging sounds echoing throughout.
Sasuke is fast, but Mr. 1's blade is harder.
With each collision, Sanosuke felt a tingling sensation in his wrist. He leaped backward, throwing five kunai with his left hand, followed closely by his ninja sword in his right.
Mr. 1 neither dodged nor evaded, letting the kunai bounce off his body, which had transformed into blades. He charged forward towards the ninja sword, his right arm blade aimed straight for Sanosuke's chest.
Sanosuke dodged to the side, the blade grazing his ribs and tearing his clothes. He spun around, his wings unfurling, black feathers shooting like darts toward Mr. 1's face.
Mr. 1 closed his eyes, and his eyelids turned metal. Feathers brushed against his face, making a soft tinkling sound.
Just then, Sanosuke's true form appeared behind Mr. 1. With extreme speed and the gliding of his wings, he crossed his twin swords and slashed at the back of Mr. 1's neck.
"Clang!"
As the blades collided, Mr. 1's nape turned to metal.
"It's no use! Your attack can't break my defense!" Mr. 1 turned around, his double blades twisting like scissors toward Sasuke's neck.
Sanosuke leaned back, his wings bracing against the ground as he slid backward, stood up, and was breathing heavily.
He realized, thanks to Crow's warning, that someone would attack the fleet that night, so he remained on guard near the captain's cabin. Although Norton didn't need anyone's protection, as a ninja, he had a duty to protect his master.
The intruder in front of us is also a Devil Fruit user!
Mr. 1 closed in step by step. His entire body could turn into blades, making him a perfect blend of offense and defense, with virtually no weaknesses.
But Sanosuke noticed that there was a momentary delay at the joints every time Mr.1 transformed. Although it was only a fraction of a second, it was enough.
Sanosuke took a deep breath and fully spread his wings. The black feathers gleamed in the moonlight.
"Raven Feathers: Chaos".
Dozens of feathers detached from his wings and floated in the air. With a wave of his hands, Sanosuke sent all the feathers flying toward Mr. 1, covering every joint of his body.
Mr. 1 frowned, his body spun, and the blade drew a circle, deflecting most of the feathers, but three pierced his elbow and knee joints, getting stuck in the joint gaps.
The deformation was delayed by 0.3 seconds.
That's enough! Sanosuke thought, his figure disappearing, blending into the shadows, appearing directly above Mr. 1, head down and feet up, his two swords coming together, spinning and stabbing down like a drill.
"Ninja Kill: Raven's Beak!"
This attack was aimed at the top of Mr. 1's head!
Mr. 1 looked up and crossed his arms to block, but his joints were stuck, making his movements a beat too slow!
The twin blades pierced Mr. 1's crossed arms, and the immense impact shattered the deck beneath his feet! He knelt on one knee, his parrying arm bent under the pressure.
As Sanosuke landed, he unleashed another slash with his twin swords! This time it was a horizontal slash, aimed at Mr. 1's waist.
Mr. 1 gritted his teeth, his waist instantly transforming into a blade, but Sanosuke's sword changed direction midway, slashing upwards and grazing Mr. 1's right shoulder!
Blood splattered! Mr. 1 groaned, the blade on his right shoulder turning back into flesh and blood, a deep, bone-revealing wound bleeding. He took two steps back, looking at Sanosuke, his eyes changing for the first time.
"you----"
He opened his mouth, but before he could finish speaking, Sanosuke charged forward again. This time, it was a series of slashes, each faster than the last, targeting Mr. 1's injured right shoulder and joints. Feathers continued to dodge in the air, blocking every opportunity for him to transform!
Three minutes later.
Mr. 1 lay on the deck, bearing thirteen wounds all over his body, the most severe being on his right shoulder, where the bone was exposed. He struggled to stand, but Sanosuke's knife was already pressed against his throat!
"You lost," Sanosuke said.
Mr. 1 looked at him, then closed his eyes and said, "Kill me."
If the mission fails, the assassin has no right to live.
"The captain said to leave them alive." Sanosuke sheathed his sword and handcuffed Mr. 1's hands and feet.
At the same time, inside the cabin of the White Pearl.
Pora moved silently down the corridor like a cat. Her target was the room at the stern of the ship; according to intelligence, it might be the navigator Nami's room.
She stopped at the corner of the corridor and peered out. Two pirates were playing cards in front of her, their backs to her.
Paula's fingers transformed into sharp spikes, ready to finish off the two men from behind.
But the moment she raised her hand, she thought, "Who's there?"
A steady voice came from behind her.
Paula turned around abruptly and saw a burly man standing at the other end of the corridor.
It's Dalton.
Without a word, Paula charged straight at Dalton, her ten fingers transforming into half-meter-long spikes that pierced Dalton's chest.
Dalton's expression hardened, and he pulled out the snow shovel from behind him!
Paula was incredibly fast, the spikes coming from all directions. Dalton's snow shovel was large and not very maneuverable, allowing him only a weak parry. The spikes left several bloody gashes on his arms and shoulders.
"You're too slow," Paula sneered, aiming a stab straight for Dalton's eye.
Dalton tilted his head back, the spikes grazing his cheek. He then kicked Paula in the stomach.
Paula dodged to the side, and the spike aimed at Dalton's calf.
But Dalton took the hit head-on; the spike pierced his calf muscle.
At the same time, his snow shovel slashed at Bora's neck!
Paula quickly retreated, pulling the spike from Dalton's leg, drawing out a string of blood beads.
Dalton knelt on one knee, but his expression remained unchanged. He glanced at the wound on his leg, then looked at Paula.
"You stabbed me," Dalton suddenly grinned.
Then, Dalton's body began to swell!
Fur sprouted, bones deformed, and its height increased dramatically to three meters. Horns grew from its forehead, and its nose became a cow's nose.
Pora's eyes widened: "Zoan type—"
Dalton charged forward; the three-meter-tall Bison was like a chariot. The corridor was narrow, and Paula had nowhere to hide!
The kitchen of the floating restaurant was brightly lit.
Zeff was checking the ingredients for tomorrow when a young chef suddenly walked in carrying a tray.
"Chef, these are the leftover breads from tonight. Should we throw them away?"
Zeff didn't even turn his head: "Put it on the table. We can make bread pudding tomorrow morning."
The chef put down the tray but did not leave.
Zeff turned around: "Is there anything else?"
The chef smiled: "Head Chef, I'd like to ask you about the spice recipe for desert roasted lamb—"
He stopped talking.
Because Zeff's leg suddenly kicked out, the tray flew up, and bread scattered all over the floor. The chef jumped back, his movements unusually agile.
“You’re not Carl,” Zeff stared at him. “Carl would never ask me for spice recipes.”
The chef's smile changed, becoming alluring and exaggerated. Then his body began to transform, his face becoming Mr. 2 von Clay's face, and his clothes becoming a ballet tutu.
"We've been spotted!" Mr. 2 spun around. "As expected of Red-Leg Zeff, he has such sharp eyes!"
Zeff assumed a fighting stance, guessing what was going on: "You're from Baroque Works?"
"You got it right!" Mr. 2 jumped up, his ballet shoe kicking towards Zeff's face, "Ladyboy Boxing—Swan Lake!"
Zeff neither dodged nor avoided the impact; their legs collided, producing a dull thud.
Mr. 2 was thrown backward by the shock and crashed into the stove, while Zeff only swayed slightly.
"It's clearly legwork, why call it boxing!" Zeff muttered.
"Not bad strength, old man!" Mr. 2 rubbed his numb legs. "But I'm capable of much more than that!"
He charged again, this time unleashing a barrage of kicks so fast they left afterimages. Zeff parried them all, each collision sending the pots and pans in the kitchen trembling.
The two clashed in the cramped kitchen. Mr. 2 was agile, but Zeff's legwork was more solid.
After thirty moves, Mr. 2 was already panting.
"Damn it—are your legs made of iron, old man?"
Zeff didn't say anything, but seized an opening and lashed out with his single leg like a whip, striking Mr. 2 squarely in the chest!
Mr. 2 coughed up blood and flew backward, knocking over a shelf full of knives.
Kitchen knives, cleavers, and boning knives clattered to the floor. He struggled to stand up, but Zeff was already in front of him, stepping on his chest.
"Tell me, how many more people did you send?"
Mr. 2 grinned, his mouth full of blood: "Guess!"
Zeff frowned. He tore off a piece of the rope used to tie the meat and bound Mr. 2 up like a dumpling.
"Paddy! Sanji!" Zeff called out towards the door.
Paddy and Sanji ran in and were stunned by the mess in the kitchen and Mr. 2 tied up.
"Keep an eye on him," Zeff said. "I'll go check out the other ships."
Port and wharf.
Mr. 4 Beb, carrying his four-ton baseball bat, slowly walked toward a medium-sized sailboat. That was the ship where the Ivanki warriors were stationed.
At the bow, El was on watch. He heard a commotion on deck, stood up, and gripped his bone spear.
Mr. 4 walked onto the deck, saw El, and stopped.
"Make way," Mr. 4 said. "I need to find the officers of this ship."
There was no photo of El on the bounty poster, so El was not the target.
El didn't say anything.
Mr.4 swung his baseball bat.
The baseball bat came crashing down with a whoosh, powerful enough to shatter rocks.
El parried with his bone spear.
"Snap!"
The bone spear broke, and El was jolted back three steps, his arm going numb.
He looked at the broken bone spear—made from Luhan's hardest leg bone—and it broke with a single blow. Mr. 4 swung the bat again. This time it was a sweeping attack, covering half the deck.
Al roared and slammed into the baseball bat.
The baseball bat was knocked askew! Mr. 4 was astonished to discover that this person's strength was actually comparable to his four-ton baseball bat!
El seized the opportunity and punched Mr. 4 in the face.
Mr. 4 blocked with the handle of his baseball bat, but was still knocked back by the impact.
The two began a pure clash of strength.
Five minutes later, the deck was riddled with holes, and Mr. 4's baseball bat had cracked!
Mr. 4 was panting; he hadn't expected this caveman-like guy to be so difficult to deal with.
El was also panting, but his eyes remained sharp. He drew two short spears from his waist, his spare bone spears.
"Again."
Mr. 4 gritted his teeth and grabbed the bat with all his might. This was the final blow.
Al suddenly ducked just as the bat was about to hit him, and the bat swept over his head.
At the same time, he thrust out two short spears, one piercing Mr. 4's instep and the other piercing his wrist!
Mr. 4 screamed as the baseball bat slipped from his hand.
Al stood up and punched him in the chin!
Mr. 4 collapsed to the ground and passed out.
Al sat down, panting heavily, tore off Mr. 4's clothes, and tied him up.
Port warehouse area.
Akin is checking the fresh water and food that will be loaded onto the ship tomorrow.
When Akin checked the fifth warehouse, he heard a strange sound—like someone digging a hole.
He gripped the iron rod tightly and walked toward the source of the sound.
In the corner of the warehouse, the ground suddenly rose up, and a small woman emerged from the soil. She patted the dirt off her body, looked up, and met Ah Jin's eyes.
Both of them were stunned for a moment.
Miss Christmas reacted quickly; she put on mole gloves, turned her hands into digging claws, and grabbed directly at Akin's throat.
Ajin retreated, then swept his iron rod across!
Miss Christmas is short and agile, slipping into Akin's blind spot and clawing at his waist.
A Jin turned to the side, his claws only tearing the clothes!
The two exchanged blows quickly in the warehouse!
Miss Christmas is skilled in underground raids and close-quarters claw attacks, while Akin's iron rod is used in wide, sweeping attacks.
The warehouse was filled with boxes, and space was limited, so Ajin's iron rod was not very effective.
Miss Christmas seizes the opportunity and scrambles for Ah Jin's eye with her claws.
Ajin looked down and scratched his shoulder with his claws, leaving four bloody marks.
Ajin grunted and smashed the iron rod down on Miss's head, wishing her a Merry Christmas.
Miss Christmas jumped backward, the iron rod crashed to the ground, and the stone slab shattered.
"Not bad strength!" Miss Christmas smiled. "But it's useless if you can't hit!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared back into the ground.
Akin cautiously looked around. The ground was trembling slightly, and Miss Christmas was moving underground.
Suddenly, the stone slab beneath Akin's feet shattered, and Miss Christmas Merry attacked from below, her claws aimed straight for his groin.
Akin leaped up and slammed the iron rod down, but Miss Christmas missed and burrowed back into the ground.
This can't go on... Ah Jin pondered a solution.
When the ground shook again, Ajin did not dodge, but instead stuck the iron rod into the ground and stirred it vigorously.
A muffled groan came from underground! Miss Christmas, dizzy from being stirred by the iron rod, was forced to crawl out of the ground.
As soon as she came out, Ah Jin's iron rod came crashing down.
Miss Christmas tried to block with her claws, but Akin used all his strength in the attack. Her claws went numb from the impact, and Miss Christmas fell to her knees.
Ajin didn't stop; he struck her on the back with the second stick.
Miss Christmas tried to burrow underground to escape, but Ah Jin's iron rod struck her shoulder first. The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.
Miss screamed "Merry Christmas!" and lost her fighting ability.
Ajin tied her up with a rope and dragged her out of the warehouse.
Three o'clock in the morning, on the deck of the White Pearl.
Five Baroque Works chief agents were tied up and left in a row in the middle of the deck. Mr. 1 was seriously injured and unconscious, Paula had broken ribs, Mr. 2 was covered in wounds, Mr. 4 had his jaw shattered, and Miss Christmas had her shoulder crushed.
Norton stood before them, with the officers who had participated in the war—Sanosuke, Dalton, Zeff, El, and Akin—behind him.