"Not good, Blade Wolf and the others have taken the lead!" The Butcher Demon muttered, accelerating his pace.
He paid no mind to the subordinates who couldn't keep up; soon, he and his followers pulled ahead.
Without the Butcher Demon bearing the brunt of the attack, most of his subordinates fell under the hail of bullets, leaving only a few madmen who managed to survive and follow him.
"These lunatics, ignore them. We move at our own pace!" the Oni Warrior said coldly.
"Yes!" the Oni Warrior Mercenary Corps replied in unison.
"Hmph!" The Grim Reaper snorted, speeding up as well.
His scythe swung violently, cutting arcs of black energy across the battlefield!
The massive slashes obliterated everything in their path; anything struck by the black energy withered instantly.
Several nearby portals were struck and the weapons inside disintegrated into ash.
A few members of the Bloodsworn Guard who brushed against this black mist instantly had their arms turn gray and lifeless, collapsing in agony.
Anyone caught in the Grim Reaper's sweeping strikes lost their life immediately.
Enel, monitoring the battlefield, noticed this phenomenon instantly.
He relayed all data about this mysterious power to Laki, whose eyes sparkled with analytical intensity as she examined it.
Even Borsalino and the others were visibly impressed by the strength of the Dark World mercenaries, especially the Grim Reaper's slashes. Even Garp's eyes widened in surprise.
"Haha! Some tricky opponents have arrived!" Garp chuckled, though a trace of seriousness lingered in his gaze.
"They're all sinners that deserve immediate eradication," Sakazuki said coldly.
"The power of the Dark World… incredible! They've withstood such a fierce attack. Truly terrifying!" Borsalino remarked.
"The Dark World's strength was never weak. Many of its top figures rival New World pirates. Some of them were once New World pirates, failed in the struggle for dominance, and retreated to the shadows. For example, this Oni Warrior was once a captain of the Oni Warrior Pirates, with a bounty over 500 million Berries. Blade Wolf and Butcher Demon were similar—once major figures in the New World," Tsuru explained.
"Oni Warrior isn't the issue. It's the Grim Reaper's power that's peculiar. What's his background? A New World pirate? I've never heard of this ability," Garp said, astonished by the Grim Reaper's display.
"The Grim Reaper isn't a New World pirate. He seemingly appeared in the Dark World out of nowhere. His ability is extremely unusual. The Grim Reaper Mercenary Corps is small but legendary in the mercenary world. It's said there's no mission they can't complete. The CP Organization tried infiltrating them several times to investigate his power but vanished without a trace. One thing is certain: he's a Paramecia-type user!" Tsuru explained.
"Paramecia? I thought he might be a Logia. That black mist… I assumed it was a Death Fruit ability!" Borusalino commented.
"Yes, it's Paramecia. It's not a Zoan or Logia. But the power does involve death energy," Tsuru affirmed.
"This is a very dangerous ability!" Garp said sternly.
Hearing Garp speak like this shocked Borusalino and the others. If Garp, the Marine Hero, calls it dangerous, the Grim Reaper must be an extremely formidable opponent—even capable of threatening someone of their caliber.
"This power contains deathly withering energy, resembling the legendary Death Aura. According to the All-Knowing Tree Library, he should be an extremely rare Death-Soul Devil Fruit user. This energy, called Death-Soul Death Aura, is extracted from the souls of the dead," Laki explained.
"Quickly, sever the infected area! This power bypasses all healing restrictions. If the Death Aura spreads, only the Death-Soul Devil Fruit user can save the victim!" Laki warned.
Bins' expression darkened at Laki's words.
"…We need more support…"
"Death-Soul power… intriguing!" Enel said, visibly fascinated.
"This is a highly dangerous ability. I advise caution. Even your lightning could be corrupted by the Death-Soul power. And what you see now probably isn't his true body," Laki cautioned.
"Not his true body? What do you mean?" Enel asked, puzzled.
"The Death-Soul Fruit is incredibly rare. Historically, it's only appeared three times. The rarity isn't just in obtaining it—activating its power requires facing death itself. Only those who confront death directly can awaken its abilities," Laki explained.
"Interesting… facing death directly. Not something ordinary people could achieve. Requires immense courage," Enel said.
"According to the All-Knowing Tree Library, the Death-Soul Fruit can control deathly souls, essentially reanimating the dead. But in reality, it only manipulates the corpse. Unlike ordinary puppets, these Death-Soul controlled corpses retain all their former power and can wield Death-Soul energy. The Grim Reaper we see at Sabaody isn't the actual Death-Soul user—it's a Death-Soul puppet!" Laki clarified.
"Why not just say 'puppet'?" Enel muttered, tugging at his ear.
"Not an ordinary puppet—a Death-Soul puppet. Undying, capable of wielding Death-Soul energy!" Laki emphasized.
"Enough talk. Regardless, this is a troublesome power. Do not let him near His Majesty. Shaxia, deploy the cloud and assist Enel with the Lightning Strike!" Bins ordered.
"Understood!" Shaxia replied.
"Finally, time for my Lightning Strike to shine! Hahaha, feel the power of the Thunder God!" Enel exclaimed, visibly excited.