Chapter 9: Slaying the Level 11 Bandit
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Bloodblade, worthy of being a Level 11 bandit who lived by plunder and violence, reacted swiftly. He snorted coldly, throwing a punch with his left fist while his right hand shot towards the sword on his back.
Yet, at that very moment, his left wrist was already locked in Kaizen's grip. With a shing as the sword was half-drawn, the combat power in his left arm surged uncontrollably, then instantly drained away. His body went limp, collapsing without even the strength to lift a finger.
The sword he had just drawn clattered loudly to the floor.
"You... what have you done to me?!" Bloodblade was horrified, staring at Kaizen with sheer terror, as if he had seen a ghost. Then, his eyes rapidly sank, his face wrinkled, aging fifty or sixty years in a flash. His body shriveled, his skin wrinkling like a dead, old tree, all vitality utterly gone.
The abruptness of it all left Makino, the six village elders, and the Mayor utterly shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"This is... did the bandit fall ill?" The Mayor's eyes were like saucers. "No... it was you who made him sick!"
"Mayor, you're not too slow on the uptake. Yes, the reason those bandits met their misfortune is that they ran into me. I'm the bane of bandits."
Kaizen smiled at him.
"So... so that's why my subordinates suddenly collapsed in the street for no reason. It was all you! You... you're a demon!"
Bloodblade, writhing in pain on the ground, heard this and let out a scream of horror.
"Since I said I would kill you, I keep my word. Now, just wait to die."
Kaizen retracted his gaze, looking coldly at Bloodblade convulsing on the floor, his voice icy.
"You dare kill me?! Boss Higuma will slaughter you all! Every last one of you will die! Our bandits and our Devil Fruit user will never let you go! Your whole village will be massacred!"
"Useless threats, and you're still blabbering." Kaizen stomped down on his head. With a sickening crunch, his skull was crushed like a watermelon.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for obtaining the complete combat power of the Level 11 Bandit, Bloodblade.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 3 Player.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 4 Player.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 5 Player.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 6 Player.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 7 Player.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for advancing to Level 8 Player.
After draining the Level 11 Bandit Bloodblade, Kaizen felt power surge within him like a mountain torrent, rushing through his blood vessels. Many previously blocked meridians were instantly cleared, and his entire body felt immensely comfortable.
His cultivation soared, breaking through relentlessly all the way to Level 8.
With a single step, his strength had increased tenfold, and the head of the vile bandit Bloodblade was shattered.
"Heh. Lying there like a dead dog, and you still talk about Higuma destroying the village? My time is precious. Why wait for tomorrow? Today, right now, all of Higuma's bandits will die."
Kaizen looked down at the gruesome corpse of Bloodblade, his expression cold.
"Today, every last one of Higuma's bandits must be exterminated!"
Kaizen's indifferent voice echoed in the meeting hall, sending shivers down the spines of the six elders, the Mayor, and Makino.
They were all familiar with the Higuma Bandits. They were one of the most notorious and powerful bandit groups in the region, numbering twenty to thirty thousand, and even included a Devil Fruit user.
But Kaizen was just one man, repeatedly declaring he would wipe out the Higuma Bandits.
"This fellow, he just killed a Level 11 Third Commander and he's this inflated... Ah, the youth of today..."
The Mayor couldn't help but sigh. It was good for the young to be brave, but too much arrogance and no self-awareness was bad.
Who was Higuma? He was one of the few Level 20 bandits in the area, not to mention the Level 30-plus Devil Fruit user backing him... even Luffy had been injured by his hand...
Silence filled the meeting hall.
Makino stared blankly at Kaizen, her lovely face full of shock and worry. Looking at the blood-spattered Kaizen, she couldn't help but ask with unease in her heart, "Sir... the Higuma Bandits..."
Kaizen didn't answer. Instead, he searched the dead bandit Bloodblade.
Ding. Congratulations, Master. Obtained one hundred and sixty-eight silver coins.
Kaizen was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then burst out laughing. "This thief was quite the fat cat. And now it's all mine."
What was the concept of over a hundred silver coins? One thousand copper coins equaled one silver coin. That meant Kaizen had just obtained over one hundred and sixty-eight thousand copper coins from Bandit Bloodblade.
All the copper coins he had scavenged with the Calm Sea Key's radar detection function amounted to only five or six thousand.
"This time, I've really hit the jackpot." Kaizen trembled with excitement, holding the purse.
"And this blood-red sword... its grade shouldn't be low."
He picked it up and examined it.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for obtaining a Bronze-grade Blood-Soaked Blade.
"AHAHA! As expected! On the very first day, I obtained a Bronze-grade sword! This is a first for the entire new One Piece world since the starter villages appeared!"
Kaizen danced with exhilaration. This was something he hadn't even dared to dream of in his previous life. On his first day back then, he hadn't even managed to get a single Grey-Stone tool—the lowest tier.
But this life, on the very first day, he had made history. It was incredibly thrilling.
"Sir, are you alright?!" Makino couldn't help but worry, seeing him act like a madman.
"Heh, I'm fine. Today is a good day, worth celebrating. As for a mere bandit like Higuma, it's a trivial matter, not even worth mentioning. Just wait for me to go and wrench his dog head off."
Kaizen smiled at Makino's bewildered expression.
Seeing his smile, Makino felt a stir in her heart. She always felt she had seen him somewhere before and asked doubtfully, "Sir... have we met before?"
This girl, is she infatuated? Trying to use such a cliché line to pick up a handsome guy? The Mayor shook his head.
"More than just knowing each other. If not for Ding Mingjun in my past life... if Makino hadn't been forced to suicide again... there was no doubt that he and Makino would have ended up together."
"All of it was due to regrets born from his lack of strength in his previous life. In this life, no matter what, he would not let such a woman slip away again."
"My name is Kaizen Reiya." Kaizen reached out his hand to her with a smile.
Damn, so cliché. And it might actually work on a handsome guy? The Mayor staggered, almost falling over in surprise.
"Alright, Mayor, don't get too excited. There's an important task for you now."
Kaizen looked at the Mayor, his emotions surging. It was time to slay Higuma, defy the heavens, and change his fate. He needed to discuss the plan to attack the bandits with the Mayor.