A plume of ink-green mist drifted from the shadows, rapidly spraying over the eight stone-golem knights. There was a sickening, high-pitched hiss, like boiling water hitting a scorching iron pan, as the liquid began to liquefy their stone bodies.
The golems reacted with lightning speed, instantly shifting into a defensive formation. But in that heartbeat, the mist had already corroded half of their forms; they couldn't even manage a sound before they collapsed into piles of slag.
Moments later, the floor was empty, save for a few shallow, pockmarked pits etched into the marble.
The carnage continued in complete silence. Whether it was the eight-man patrol or the metal sculptures perched on twenty-meter pillars, everything caught in the path of the ink-green mist was dissolved in seconds.
Half an hour passed. Daren and Catarina Devon regrouped at the entrance of the Treasure Zone. This gateway, though lacking a physical door, was heavily fortified. Ten surveillance Den Den Mushi and ten red-eyed owls monitored every angle, and blocking the center stood a massive metal beast.
It was five meters long and three meters tall, its dark-red, lion-like body shimmering with a metallic luster. It possessed a human-like face and ears, eyes that glowed like sapphires, and three rows of razor-sharp teeth lining its upper and lower jaws. A tail tipped with a lethal, scorpion-like stinger whipped behind it, effectively sealing the path.
Hidden in a corner not far from the entrance, Daren and Catarina Devon leaned out, carefully observing the dark-red metallic Manticore.
As they ducked back into the shadows, Catarina Devon whispered in astonishment, "Is that a lion? Why does it look so... wrong?"
Daren's expression was grave, his voice tight. "It's called a 'Manticore.' It's modeled after the legendary beast of the same name."
"'Manticore'? It has its own name?" Catarina Devon was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She knew these living constructs were products of Golden Ring Aeridar's ability, similar to the Homies created by Big Mom. The difference was that one bestowed life upon inanimate objects, while the other imbued them with souls. She had assumed these creatures were nothing more than disposable cannon fodder, yet here stood one with a literal identity.
"That's right," Daren said, his tone heavy as he recalled the events from three years ago. "It's said that the Manticore's body was forged from the same special metal used for the 'Dragonian' skeletons, mixed with a shape-memory alloy. Not only is its body incredibly durable, but it can even automatically repair most superficial damage."
Three years prior, Daren had infiltrated the vault to scout for traps and guards, only to cross paths with another intruder: the former Whitebeard Pirates crew member and ex-Second Division Commander, the Lizardman Chameleone.
Chameleone had somehow tracked down the vault's location. Using his own Copy-Copy Fruit ability, he had replicated a Chameleon Fruit's power to blend into the environment and sneak in. However, when Chameleone reached the treasure zone, he was so blinded by the unimaginable wealth that his excitement caused him to lose focus, dropping his invisibility just as a patrol of stone-golem knights spotted him.
When Chameleone tried to flee, he was cut off by this very Manticore. No matter how he attacked, he couldn't leave more than useless, shallow scratches on the beast's hide. If he hadn't managed to re-activate his camouflage at the last second, he would have been cornered and crushed by Gorbo, who was already on his way.
Catarina Devon's face changed. A massive construct of special metal that could self-repair was not a foe to be trifled with.
"Life gives birth to a 'soul,' and from the soul, 'life' itself is born. The intelligence of these standard constructs is inferior to the soul-imbued Homies created by Big Mom," Daren said, his tone filled with a rare edge of wariness. "However, Aeridar has poured immense effort into creating certain extraordinary constructs whose intelligence rivals high-level Homies. For example, that fireball at his side, the Fire God Zhurong, who ate the Flame-Flame Fruit, and this legendary Manticore."
It seemed to be some kind of obsession. Many of the statues and metal sculptures the man chose to animate were legendary beasts. Stone gargoyles, griffins, golems, and dragons frequently appeared within his living legion.
"Damn it! Then do you have any way to deal with it?" Catarina Devon asked, visibly frustrated.
The primary forces of the Chris Pirates were away, but if they failed now, all their efforts would be for nothing.
"Relax. We don't need to engage the Manticore," Daren said, waving his hand dismissively as he glanced at her. "The guards inside the Treasure Zone have already been cleared. We can just empty the place from the back first, then move on."
Catarina Devon's eyes lit up in realization. Right. There's no need to fight this monster at all!
Suddenly, a righteous, booming voice echoed through the hall: "What do I see? Two despicable intruders!"
The sudden sound made Daren and Catarina Devon's hearts skip a beat. They jumped, eyes wide with horror, and whipped their heads toward the source of the noise.
Hovering about a dozen meters away, flapping its wings, was a small, silver angel about thirty centimeters tall.
"Fuck!"
Daren let out a gasp of genuine terror. "The Holy Angel!!! That's the treasure that's been passed down in the Nafa Kingdom for centuries, the Holy Angel!!!"
"Dammit! That usurper actually turned the 'Holy Angel' into a living construct!"
Daren roared in anger, no longer caring about the noise. He knew the creature's voice had already alerted the beast at the door.
"Dirty thieves! The Lord shall punish you!" The Holy Angel flapped its wings, soaring toward the ceiling. "Manticore! Kill these intruders at once!"
"ROAR—!"
The giant metal Manticore at the entrance shook itself to its feet, let out a thunderous, roar-like bellow, and began charging with a deafening thrum-thrum-thrum.
Daren and Catarina Devon were both livid and terrified. Their perfect plan was falling apart because of this tiny, obnoxious thing.
"You bastard! Soru…!"
In a fit of pure, impulsive rage, Daren stomped the ground a dozen times in a single second. He vanished, reappearing mid-air like a phantom, and slammed a fist into the small body of the Holy Angel.
BOOM—!
The Holy Angel went flying, crashing into the marble floor like a silver streak. Stones shattered, dust billowed, and the tiles cracked into pieces.
"How dare you, you despicable wretch, to launch a sneak attack on me!"
From within the cloud of dust came the Holy Angel's righteous, unwavering voice. Daren squinted; its tiny body hadn't sustained a single scratch.
"ROAR—! ROAR—!"
At that moment, the Manticore finished its charge, standing directly before a stunned Catarina Devon.