"Glutton—Jewelry Bonney!"
Zala stared at the pink-haired woman on the rooftop, her pupils slightly contracting.
When they first arrived on the island, she had specifically gathered intelligence on wanted criminals in Sabaody Archipelago. She naturally knew this woman's background—a super-criminal with a bounty as high as 140 million Belly, exceeding the bounties of both her bosses.
"An Ability User..." Daz Bones swept his cold gaze over the elderly and children, murmuring to himself as he quickly assessed the situation. "This ability... does it turn people into elders or children upon contact?"
"Oh... More people have arrived. How reckless." Bonney also noticed Daz and his group at the alley entrance. She took a fierce bite of roasted meat, grease dripping from the corner of her mouth, her eyes filled with utter disdain as if they were beneath her notice.
The other pirates on the rooftop burst into mocking laughter, their gazes toward Daz and the others resembling predators eyeing delivered prey.
Zala, Mikita, and the others instantly grew vigilant. Mikita tightened her grip on her umbrella handle, Porche twirled her baton twice, BABE hoisted his baseball bat over his shoulder, and Daz Bones furrowed his brow, the muscles in his arms tensing immediately—clearly prepared for battle.
"Daz Bones, the assassin from the West Sea!"At that moment, the Marine lieutenant clutching his wound suddenly brightened, staring at Daz Bones with surprise as he exclaimed, "You're one of Lord Ryan's subordinates, one of the Seven Warlords!" Are you here to reinforce us?"
In the eyes of lower-ranking Marines, although the Seven Warlords were pirates, they were also "combat forces" recognized by the World Government, effectively on the same side as the Marines. Seeing a subordinate of a Warlord now was like spotting a savior.
Or perhaps, in such moments, they desperately hoped for reinforcements.
"Seven Warlords?" Bonney paused mid-bite, slightly furrowing her brow. Her gaze returned to Daz, a cold smirk curling at her lips. "So you're with the Seven Warlords... That makes it even more imperative not to let you go."
What kind of lowlifes dare compare themselves to Father.
Daz Bones raised an eyebrow, his face devoid of any extra expression. His knees bent slightly, his body coiling like a leopard ready to strike. In the next instant, he transformed into a blur, charging toward the rooftop with his blade-armed hands crossed over his chest.
"Dust Slash!"
Facing a super-criminal with a bounty over a hundred million, he had no room to hold back.
With Daz Bones' low shout, his arms slashed downward fiercely. Two sharp blade energies instantly converged into an "X" shape mid-air, hurtling toward Bonney.
Bonney snorted coldly, her body tilting slightly. Though it seemed slow, she evaded the slash with precise timing while extending her right hand toward the charging Daz, her palm glowing faintly.
Daz's heart tightened abruptly, a intense sense of dread suddenly surging within him. Every hair on his body stood on end. He wanted to retract his arms to defend, but the momentum of the X-shaped slash was too fierce, and Bonney's movement exceeded his expectations. In the end, he was a step too late.
"..."
Bonney's hand lightly brushed against Daz Bones' arm. A strange energy instantly spread throughout Daz Bones' body. In that moment, he felt his body suddenly become weightless, the blades on his hands vanishing instantly, replaced by chubby, childlike hands.
The next second, Daz Bones crashed down from mid-air, slamming heavily onto the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, everyone was stunned.
The once tall and menacing Daz Bones had now transformed into a bald child of about five or six years old. His clothes hung loosely on his small frame, his blade-covered hands had turned into chubby little fists, and his face bore a dazed expression, clearly not yet accustomed to this sudden change.
"Mr. 1!" Mikita was the first to cry out, her hand trembling as she held the green umbrella, her eyes filled with shock and panic.
After all, Daz Bones was their most reliable combatant—the strongest among them back in Baroque Works. Yet now, he had been turned into a child with a single move. This ability was truly bizarre!
Zala's face instantly turned pale. She never imagined Bonney's power could be so terrifying.
Bonney stuffed the last piece of grilled meat into her mouth, swallowed it hastily, and casually tossed the greasy paper into the alley, where it landed right at Daz's feet. She then put her hands on her hips and shouted loudly and sharply, "I thought the Seven Warlords' subordinates were supposed to be tough fighters, but it turns out you're just a softie who shrinks at the slightest touch!"
On the streets of Sabaody Archipelago, chaos was spreading everywhere. Ryan, with a lit cigar in his mouth, strolled leisurely through the disorderly crowd, paying no attention to the nearby scuffle. His mind was still replaying his earlier encounter with Law.
Though Trafalgar Law had been cautious, he had still complied with Ryan's request and used his surgical ability to scan Ryan's body. The conclusion was that the vitality of Ryan's cells was far beyond what a normal human could possess.
With such intense cell proliferation and metabolism, his body tissues should have burst long ago under normal circumstances. How could he still be alive and well?
Hearing this conclusion, Ryan felt reassured. The injected IQ Killer Drug was a potent substance that forcibly stimulated human potential but accelerated cellular decay. However, the Artificial Dragon Fruit inside him, derived from the "Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form," provided abnormal cell proliferation capabilities.
This "frantic regeneration" perfectly counteracted the "rapid cellular decay" caused by the Ferocious Medicine, allowing Ryan to survive.
But while the effects canceled each other out, the cellular damage from the drug was irreversible. The Ope Ope no Mi could cut through flesh and reorganize organs, but it couldn't repair cells that were fundamentally rotten. Unless… he used the legendary ultimate ability—the "Eternal Youth Surgery."
Eternal life was tempting, but it would cost the user their life. How could Law willingly die for him? Even if Ryan captured Law, forced him to stay, or even stole the Ope Ope no Mi to train a new Ability User—could he trust the person he trained?
If someone held a knife to Ryan's throat and forced him to sacrifice his life, no matter who they were, he would seize the first chance to kill them.
Spending time and effort only to plant a ticking time bomb—Ryan wasn't foolish enough to do such a thing.
Besides, this wasn't the only solution. In these vast seas, Ryan knew of another thing that could slow aging and extend life—the legendary "Pure Gold" from the movie specials, said to grant eternal youth.
Now that he had a clear understanding of his physical condition from Law, there was no point in lingering any longer, so Ryan let Trafalgar Law go.
As for the World Government's mandatory summons... Why bother with it? Did they really think they could order him around? It was just mutual exploitation—keeping up appearances was enough. Who would actually take those commands seriously?
For now, Ryan's top priority was waiting for Hogback to finish the special drug. That thing could unlock the latent power within his body, far more reliable than some elusive "Eternal Youth Surgery."
You say getting stronger relies on training?
What a joke. This was a world of Pirates created by island nations. Of course, training was useful, but without a naturally gifted foundation, relying solely on hard work would take forever to catch up to those born with silver spoons in their mouths.
Luffy had the destiny halo of the D. clan, Sanji concealed the modified human bloodline of Germa 66, and even Zoro—originally an inspiring story of a commoner's rise—had to be tied to the Shimotsuki Clan's bloodline, born with a higher starting point than others, making his training twice as effective.
But what about Ryan? No bloodline, no background. Relying solely on daily punches and honing his Devil Fruit ability, how could he ever act as he pleased?
Relying on self-cultivation wasn't impossible—it was just too slow. Those with bloodlines were already far ahead. Without such innate advantages, Ryan would rely on technology to mutate!
Once Hogback's drug forced out his latent power, he could slowly refine his combat skills. When his body reached a perfect state, he would make up for his training foundation. By then, with the explosive power of his Devil Fruit ability, the endurance from technological modification, and the skills honed in actual combat, he could truly stand at the pinnacle of these seas—more deserving of the title "Strongest Creature" than Kaido, becoming the undisputed "Land, Sea, and Sky" overlord.
Brin Brin...
Just as Ryan was planning, a rapid Den Den Mushi ringtone suddenly came from his pocket, interrupting his thoughts. It was the one he had kept specifically for communication. Ryan exhaled a puff of smoke before leisurely taking out the Den Den Mushi and pressing the call button.
"Captain." Zala's urgent voice came through as soon as the call connected, clearly flustered. "We've run into a tough opponent on Fifth Street. Now Mr.1—" Before she could finish, a sharp scream erupted from the other end, followed by a dull thud as if someone had been struck by a heavy object.
Then, a young girl's sobbing voice mixed into the call, trembling with fear: "Waa... Don't touch me!"
Ryan's eyebrows shot up, and his expression instantly darkened.