God Buggy, bruised and swollen, hid in the ruins of the town, watching this scene with fear in his eyes.
He stared at Shizuku's wretched state with horror, his mouth agape.
"Good thing... good thing I escaped!"
"Captain Buggy, let's slip away quickly!" The few remaining subordinates behind him who could still move said with lingering fear.
A look of doubt towards Buggy had appeared on their faces; Buggy's great image seemed to have shattered all over the floor.
"Indeed! Now is not the time to be brave!"
Buggy turned to flee, his upper body already leaning far forward, but his feet remained rooted to the spot.
A look of hesitation appeared on his face.
It was precisely because of the appearance of Shizuku and the others that he was saved from Burgess.
Plus, so many of his subordinates had fallen behind him... was he going to abandon them?
Could he escape now...
Wait...
Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly thought of something, turned around, and looked in Shizuku's direction with surprise in his eyes.
"This woman... I seem to have seen her before."
In a flash of inspiration, he suddenly remembered:
"Isn't she that man's subordinate!"
Could it be... that man is also on the island?!!
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shudder...
That man was even more terrifying than this group of people in front of him!
---
"Captain?" Burgess looked back at Machi and said contemptuously:
"So that's it..."
"Counting on your captain to save you?... What a naive thought~" Burgess showed a mocking expression.
"Maybe your captain is pissing his pants in some corner right now~ Jahahaha—"
Then he turned his head and looked at Shizuku again.
After multiple battles, Shizuku's clothes had burst, leaving her barely covered.
Her curvaceous figure was faintly visible, especially the spectacular scenery on her chest, which was almost completely exposed.
Burgess looked in surprise, then revealed a lewd expression.
"So well-endowed~ Wihahahaha—"
"Captain, as long as she's alive, it's fine, right?~ It doesn't matter how much I ravage her, does it?" Burgess looked at Blackbeard.
Blackbeard spread his hands and said, "Naturally... do as you please—"
Then he burst into tacit laughter—
Burgess turned back to Shizuku, a wretched look on his face. He slowly reached out his right hand, grabbed her remaining tattered clothes, and was about to tear them off.
Just then—
Several incredibly fierce sounds of breaking air cut across the horizon—
Six long white trails were plowed through the wind and snow.
Burgess's hand movements stopped completely. All expressions on his face vanished in an instant, becoming incredibly grave. He raised his head and looked in a certain direction in the sky.
Not just him, almost everyone in the Blackbeard Pirates felt that thick killing intent.
That killing intent, almost condensed into substance, dyed the entire distant sky a heavy dark purple.
The greedy and ambitious smile on Blackbeard's face disappeared abruptly, becoming incredibly gloomy as he looked into the distance.
"Something... is coming—"
"This killing intent, just how many people has he killed to dye it like that?!!"
Burgess revealed an expression of unparalleled horror, followed by excitement so intense his body trembled uncontrollably.
Van Augur gripped the rifle in his hand tightly, a grave expression appearing on his face for the first time.
Laffitte, affected by this killing intent, had to land on the ground, looking stunned.
Even the half-dead Doc Q sat up straight on his sick horse, his face heavy, losing even the mood to feign illness!
A depressing atmosphere instantly shrouded everyone in the Blackbeard Pirates present, except... Hisoka.
Hisoka finally made a move.
He raised his head, twisting his body, revealing a weird and perverted smile. He licked his lips,
Feeling that incredibly familiar killing intent, he murmured to himself:
"Finally meeting again~ Chrollo!!!"
---
The figures finally appeared on the horizon.
The leader was dressed in black, his face cold as ice, killing intent boiling.
Black hair danced wildly in the wind, the inverted cross on his forehead striking. He stood on an icicle, as if flying on a sword.
It was none other than Chrollo!
Behind him, Bonney, Uvogin, Nobunaga, Phinks, and Feitan also stood on icicles, lined up in a row.
It was the effect of the Float-Float Fruit.
Even the usually lively Bonney felt the serious atmosphere at this moment, keeping her mouth shut tight, understanding that trouble comes from the mouth.
She had been on the ship for a while, but this was the first time she had seen Chrollo like this.
That killing intent that dyed the sky purple made Bonney's small face pale, her legs weak, gaining a new understanding of Chrollo's terror.
"How many people did he have to kill for this..."
Leading the way, Chrollo was expressionless. Through the cold wind,
He saw the tear stains on Machi's face,
He saw Kortopi's hands turned purple from being bound,
He saw Nami lying on the ground unconscious,
His gaze finally moved up and saw Shizuku, held in Burgess's hand, looking miserable...
How long has it been...
How long has it been since anyone made us suffer such a big loss...
The Troupe's reputation isn't big enough... the bounties are still too low...
People in this world haven't realized just how terrifying they are yet,
That's why these ambitious people dare to reach out to them.
"Are my methods still too gentle?" Chrollo asked himself.
"Why can't it be like in the Hunter world, where people's legs tremble upon hearing our name, consciously making way? That would be convenient for everyone, wouldn't it..."
He raised his head and looked at Burgess, his gaze colder than ever before.
"Why... did you provoke me—"
He raised his arm, pointing remotely at Shizuku.
Both conditions of "seeing" and "having placed a marker" were met.
[Instant Displacement] ability activated.
With a whoosh,
Shizuku and Chrollo's positions were instantly swapped. Shizuku returned to the center of the Troupe members,
And before anyone in the Blackbeard Pirates could react,
Chrollo's figure... had quietly appeared in front of Burgess.
"Like torturing the strong, do you?"
Chrollo looked indifferently at the future Captain of the First Ship of the Blackbeard Grand Fleet. His arm tightened, compressed to the limit, the poisoned dagger quietly held in his hand.
Then, a pitch-black color climbed up his arm, dyeing the entire arm black bit by bit, then covering the blade of the dagger.
[Armament Haki · Winding Flow]
When Armament Haki is cultivated to a certain level, it can not only wrap around muscles to increase physical defense and attack power,
But can even be attached to weapons to increase their power!
Those supreme grade swords in One Piece that shine with black light are constantly nurtured through this technique until the blade gradually turns black.
And right now, Chrollo used this technique to strengthen the power of the dagger.
"Remember in your next life... some people are existences you cannot touch."
Squelch—
Amidst Burgess's expression of absolute horror, the poisoned dagger pierced through his chest,
Blood splattered,
Cooling his heart completely!
"!!!"
...