Above the Chris, a majestic eagle soared through the skies, casting a shadow over the deck. Its metallic talons glinted in the sunlight, ready to tear apart any enemy at a moment's notice.
That voice just now—it had come from the eagle itself!
Weiss, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them slowly. His gaze was cold and devoid of emotion. He never showed mercy to those who brought trouble to his doorstep.
Well, except for saps like Theodore.
"This is what you meant by 'no one would dare mess with me'?"
Weiss shot Theodore a sidelong glance. The man was whistling nonchalantly and looking up at the sky.
"Bring out all of your people," Weiss said calmly. "Ambushes don't work on me."
With his Observation Haki sweeping the area, he could sense at least five hidden presences nearby.
Sure enough, following a piercing eagle's cry, figures leapt from the ship, the shoreline, and even the sea.
"Quite the welcoming party." A trace of mockery flickered in Weiss's eyes. Did they really think numbers would make a difference?
Above them, the eagle flapped its wings and spoke, "Sword Demon, I respect your strength. Let's make a deal. Hand over that technology, and we'll leave immediately. We'll even pay ten billion Berries as compensation. What do you say?"
…
…
"A deal?" Weiss sneered. "Is that what you call hovering in the air, talking down without even daring to show your real face? Is that how you negotiate?"
The eagle fell silent.
These were powerful figures hidden within the underworld. The people backing them had grown impatient, unwilling to wait for the auction. No one knew how many parties would show up then, and frankly, their current strength wouldn't be enough to compete.
Then came the news: the Sword Demon had seen the full version of the technology. That was all they needed—they jumped into action.
They hadn't believed Weiss truly possessed it. But this morning, a Warlord of the Sea had boarded his ship and been swiftly repelled. That cast serious doubt over their assumptions.
As far as their intel showed, the Warlords had no connection to the Sword Demon. Aside from that technology, there was nothing else that would draw someone all the way from the New World.
And it wasn't like they didn't know that Heavenly Yaksha was Joker himself.
He was the kind who never made a move without profit. If he was involved, he was probably already hiding somewhere close.
Even the strongest member of the Carmeline Family had shown up. If they didn't believe it before, they sure did now.
They also knew the kidnapped victim was Theodore's brother—another fact others might miss, but not them.
They understood how terrifying Weiss's strength was. No single group could take him on alone. So after a brief, urgent discussion, they agreed to cooperate. If they couldn't devour him individually, they'd share the spoils together.
Whoever killed the most would get the most Devil Fruits in the end.
Each group sent one fighter. Six in total. With a rotating barrage of attacks, they believed the Sword Demon would fall. Then they'd have plenty of ways to force him to talk.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Weiss mocked.
"Why waste time talking?" one woman snapped, already impatient to strike. She lunged forward, making the first move.
Some people always assume others' reputations are exaggerated.
She removed her black gloves, revealing pale, slender hands, and reached out toward the Chris's deck.
Weiss frowned. In a blink, he vanished from his lounge chair. The next instant, a small, gleaming sword hovered inches from the woman's exposed neck.
"And what, exactly, are you trying to do to my ship?"
The woman's heart nearly stopped at the sudden voice. She instinctively twisted away with impossible agility, narrowly dodging the blade.
Weiss had held back. After all, Karina had just refurbished the ship. Breaking it again would cost a fortune.
If she hadn't targeted the ship, Weiss wouldn't even have moved. Let them throw all they want—he'd just lie back and enjoy the show.
"Are the rest of you dead? What are you waiting for, a formal invitation?" the woman barked. One exchange had been enough—she knew she couldn't handle Weiss alone.
The other four glanced at each other. Clearly, there was no walking away from this now. They all charged at once.
"Wait," Weiss raised a hand to halt them.
"What, Sword Demon, have you changed your mind and want to negotiate now?" asked the eagle from above.
"No. I just want to fight on the shore. If you break my ship, you're paying for it," Weiss said casually.
The Chris was precious.
Even if Weiss could wipe them out instantly, cleaning up the corpses would be a hassle.
"You arrogant bastard!"
All five attackers, plus the eagle, were now fuming. They were here to kill him, and he was worried about his ship?
Weiss leapt lightly onto the shore. Though still fuming, the others followed. No point venting their anger on a boat.
Weiss didn't summon Jack or the others. He wanted to stretch a little.
Judging by her strength, the woman was at least supernova-level in terms of bounty.
Most powerful fighters became pirates, but that didn't mean the underworld lacked monsters of its own. After all, these were the kind of people who'd attend Big Mom's tea parties.
As he reached the beach, Weiss stretched lazily. He hadn't fought in over half a month. His bones were practically rusting.
"You bastard!" the woman shouted, furious. Did he really have to stretch in front of her like that?
"Slip Zone!"
She slammed both palms onto the sand. Clear handprints formed on the beach, and visible ripples spread outward, like water soaking into dry riverbeds.
"Slip-Slip Fruit?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. That explained the beauty—too bad she was already a dead woman walking.
As the rippling wave touched his boots, he felt the ground become slick beneath him. Still, it wasn't enough to affect his stance.
The others weren't so lucky.
Unaware she'd activated her Devil Fruit, the rest jumped onto the shore—only to immediately slip and crash to the ground. One of them had to stab his broadsword into the sand to stand back up.
"Damn, this is slippery!"
"Belle, are you nuts? How are we supposed to fight like this?!"
"Sorry! Got a little carried away! Too excited!" With a wave of her hand, Belle dispersed the effect, returning the beach to normal.
The five now surrounded Weiss in a tight formation. The eagle still hovered above, flapping its wings and kicking up a swirl of sand and dust.
Somehow, the wet sand still flew.
"Sword Demon," the eagle said again, "If you surrender the technology now, our offer still stands. We'll even add another three hundred million Berries—to show our sincerity."
"Fight me. Talk afterwards."
1.3 billion was a tempting offer. Kaido's top officers barely fetched more.
A thought flashed through Weiss's mind—what if he captured all six alive? Would their backers pay 1.3 billion in ransom?
He slowly unsheathed his twin blades from his waist. Sword intent condensed along the edge, and with a flick of his wrist, a crimson arc of energy slashed upward—straight toward the eagle in the sky.
For some reason, Weiss had recently developed a deep dislike for eagles.
Every time he saw one, he was reminded of that guy.
The one who still owed him money.