Laffitte let out a long breath of relief when he saw Van Augur still standing. The sky had turned into a killing field thanks to that sharpshooter, so he veered away from open air and dropped to the ground, slipping into cover as quietly as a shadow.
Masolin and Legate tensed the moment the flying ability user vanished from sight. The disappearance only sharpened their caution.
Laffitte's jaw tightened. Against that gunman, every approach felt like suicide. The moment he drew close, bullets cut through the air faster than instinct could follow. Keeping distance was the only way to dodge, but he could not counter at range.
If only his Observation Haki had awakened. With speed and foresight, he could close in and dismantle them in seconds with precise swordsmanship. The problem was the gunman's uncanny accuracy and terrifying intuition. His Devil Fruit ability only made him more lethal.
Laffitte crouched beside Van Augur. "How is it? Any bright ideas?"
Van Augur nodded. "We need to separate them. Not far. Just a few meters. Once they're apart, I can deal with that gunman."
"Truly?" Laffitte raised a brow. He had witnessed the marksman's power firsthand. Van Augur's skill was superb, but the enemy's fruit ability gave him a frightening edge.
"Trust me. I've got this." Van Augur spoke with confidence, eyes steady.
Laffitte studied him for three long seconds. Then he sighed. "Alright. I'll draw them apart."
He already had a plan, and subtlety was something he excelled at.
But danger struck before either of them could move.
A sharp gunshot cracked through the air. A bullet ripped toward them. Both men reacted immediately, dodging in opposite directions. The shot passed between them, but two more followed, both aimed at Van Augur.
The gunman understood the threat. This was a duel between sharpshooters, and Van Augur was the more dangerous opponent.
Van Augur twisted aside to avoid one bullet, but the second came screaming toward him.
Laffitte drew his cane sword in a flash. Steel hummed with force as he intercepted the bullet midair, deflecting it with a sharp clang.
"Move. Change position," Van Augur said, tension rising in his voice.
Laffitte nodded. He felt it too, a prickling sensation on his skin, like unseen eyes staring directly at them. Even after they switched places, the feeling never faded.
The next gunshot came before they could even catch their breath, striking precisely at their new hiding spot.
"Twice in a row," Van Augur muttered. "Even with cover, they still found us."
"They don't have Observation Haki," Laffitte said, "but they can still pinpoint our location. It must be Masolin's ability."
Van Augur nodded. "We can feel his gaze. The Pierce-Pierce Fruit is more versatile than I expected."
They no longer feared the unknown. If Masolin could track them, they could also determine the general direction of his sight. And at this distance, Masolin's bullets might not pierce every wall in their path.
On the rooftop across the battlefield, Masolin's eyes glowed silver as he used his Pierce ability. He could peer straight through obstacles, his gaze slicing through stone like glass. Legate hovered nearby, uneasy.
"How is it, Masolin?" he asked.
Masolin smirked. "Everything is under control."
Laffitte whispered to Van Augur, "Let's test his limits."
Van Augur agreed and began counterattacking. But the gunfight favored Masolin. Van Augur's Observation Haki sensed presence, not detail. Masolin's vision, however, was an outright cheat.
Every time Van Augur prepared to shoot, Masolin fired first.
Van Augur moved constantly, retreating and repositioning, trying to locate the edge of Masolin's field of view.
A faint heat burned in his chest at the thought of the Pierce-Pierce Fruit. As a gunman, talent and technique had limits. He trained relentlessly in close combat and gun-fighting to compensate. But a fruit that enhanced long-range and close quarters alike could raise him far beyond those limits.
Teach had encouraged him to consider Devil Fruits. He even recommended the Clear-Clear Fruit.
However, Teach's strange insistence that they should capture the ability users alive made Van Augur feel that something promising waited for him.
But first, these two needed to be handled.
Van Augur finally found an advantageous shooting spot. Masolin did not fire immediately. That meant Van Augur had reached the very edge of his x-ray vision.
Van Augur fired.
Masolin sensed it the moment the shot left the barrel and returned fire. Van Augur dodged, while Legate blocked Van Augur's bullet.
Van Augur shifted positions again and again. At certain distances, Masolin could not track him. The field of vision was roughly five hundred meters.
Van Augur closed in slowly. Another shot revealed he had stepped back into Masolin's range. Good. Now he understood the boundaries.
And Laffitte had vanished.
Van Augur relayed the information through quick signals. Somewhere unseen, Laffitte circled wide, slipping into the blind spot above Masolin's team.
Masolin remained focused on Van Augur. Despite searching briefly for Laffitte, he never looked up.
The moment Van Augur prepared another shot, Laffitte dove from above.
Van Augur noticed the movement instantly.
Gunshots thundered. Van Augur did not vanish or retreat. He used Soru, his body flickering as he dodged a bullet and simultaneously fired at Masolin, drawing all attention toward himself.
Laffitte streaked downward, closing a hundred meters in seconds.
Masolin sensed danger at the last possible instant. He looked up and saw Laffitte descending with a calm smile.
He had fallen into a trap.
Laffitte's sword came down. A deadly slash howled toward him. Legate reacted fast, kicking Masolin aside. Masolin staggered back three steps, while Legate retreated two to avoid the blade.
Laffitte turned into a streak of crimson, appearing behind Legate and pinning him in place with relentless sword strikes. Legate had no room to counter. Masolin lacked any angle to assist without risking hitting his ally.
At that exact moment, Van Augur fired again.
Masolin's right shoulder erupted in blood.
Masolin roared and fired back, striking Van Augur's left arm and tearing through flesh, but not bone.
Van Augur gritted his teeth and fired again.
His bullet hit Masolin's left wrist. The hand went limp. Masolin shrieked.
Van Augur fired once more. Masolin's return shot grazed past Van Augur's head as Van Augur twisted aside. His bullet struck Masolin's right forearm.
Both hands disabled.
Masolin's situation collapsed in seconds. Even with his fruit ability, he was helpless.
Laffitte kept Legate busy, preventing any intervention. The sudden shift in battle left Legate stunned.
Laffitte's expression twisted into something darkly delighted. His blade flashed and he swept past Legate. Legate braced for death, but the attack was aimed elsewhere.
Masolin struggled to point a gun with trembling arms. Laffitte was already on him.
One sword stab pierced Masolin's hand. His gun clattered to the ground. Another slice split the pistol in half.
Masolin groaned as Laffitte delivered a sharp blow to his neck, knocking him out cold.
Only Legate remained.
As soon as Laffitte turned away, Legate drew his flintlock with lightning reflexes. But a gunshot rang out first.
Not his.
A bullet tore through Legate's hand before he could fire.
Van Augur had not forgotten him.
Laffitte glanced at the wounded man and smiled in a way that made Legate's blood freeze.
He moved. A sword pierced Legate's right arm. In the same motion, Laffitte passed him with a gleeful, almost manic glint in his eyes.
Van Augur saw it from afar and sighed. "Here he goes again."
Laffitte's battle style always involved tormenting opponents once the advantage was secured. Their final moments were never pleasant.
Van Augur wrapped his wounded arm with a strip of cloth and tied it tight.
Legate tried to fight back, swinging blindly to his right, but hit nothing. His body shook. His legs nearly buckled.
Laffitte had already stabbed both of his legs.