Bang!
A glass slammed heavily onto the bar counter, followed by an unmistakably irritated voice:
"It's been ten days! Where the hell could that damned Child of the Devil be hiding?!"
The bartender remained silent, quietly wiping the counter while serving another drink to the short, stocky Gunpowder.
Gunpowder didn't expect answers from a mute anyway, turning instead to his right-hand man, Boren.
In stark contrast to Gunpowder's build, Boren was tall and slender, dressed in a pink suit like a gentleman holding a glass of red wine.
He drained his wine in one gulp before advising:
"If we can't find her, we should just give up. With our strength, joining Bullet shouldn't be difficult anyway."
Gunpowder shook his head, lighting a cigar and exhaling smoke as he said:
"I don't wanna start as a grunt. The Child of the Devil is our ticket to the higher-ups."
He knew his limitations well—no management skills, no combat talent, nothing to offer except his indestructible Gunpowder Physique.
Joining Bullet directly would at best make him a squad leader. Becoming an executive would take who knows how many years.
But capturing Robin would be a major achievement, making promotion much easier.
Unfortunately, his target remained elusive. After ten days of intense searching, even his subordinates were growing discontent.
The empty bar was proof—usually packed with drunkards at this hour, now only four remained: himself, Boren, Peak, and the mute bartender.
"Boss!!"
Brandon burst into the bar, his clothes ragged, shouting:
"We've found the Child of the Devil!!"
"What!?"
Moving with surprising speed for his size, Gunpowder rushed to Brandon demanding: "Where is she?!"
"Near the forest warehouse! Captain Geno's leading the assault now."
"That bastard's an excellent shot—we've taken heavy casualties. The captain's Den Den Mushi got shot too, so he sent me for reinforcements."
"Useless! Can't even handle a kid."
Gunpowder spat his cigar to the ground, grabbing Brandon's shoulder as they charged out:
"Which location? I'm going myself!"
As their figures receded, Boren instructed his own right-hand man:
"I'll follow the boss. You gather everyone—off-duty, patrols, all of them. Now that we've found her, she can't escape."
With that, he rushed out, pausing briefly to glance at the night sky.
Clear, no rain in sight.
Relieved, he hurried after Gunpowder and Brandon.
Only Peak and the mute bartender remained in the bar. Peak pulled out a Den Den Mushi to make a call, then knocked out the bartender with a liquor bottle.
Purupurupuru~
Click~
When the call connected, Peak spoke respectfully:
"Boss, Gunpowder and Boren have left."
"Good, received."
Click~
...
Moonlight illuminated the scene before the warehouse, where eight suited gang members lay fallen, their blood staining small patches of earth beneath them.
Seeing his fallen men, Gunpowder's urgency burned hotter with rage.
These were his foundation—his trusted men for joining Bullet.
Gunshots continued to echo from inside the warehouse. Gunpowder threw Brandon aside, grinding his teeth in frustration:
"That damned Child of the Devil! Once we catch him, I'll make sure to torture him properly before handing him over to Bullet."
He pulled out a lighter from his pocket, flicked it open, and ignited his own clothes. Flames gradually spread from his chest across his entire body. Instead of feeling pain, a sinister grin crept across his face.
As a Paramecia-type Gunpowder Fruit user, he possessed extreme fire resistance. His gunpowder-transformed body also rendered him immune to ordinary physical attacks.
Boom!
Gunpowder burst through the warehouse door with Boren close behind. Both men paused upon seeing the scene inside, a flicker of confusion crossing their minds.
Completely empty.
No Child of the Devil, no Geno—even the gunfire had stopped.
Exchanging glances, they instantly arrived at the same conclusion.
An ambush!
Splash~
Before they could react, a drizzle of water droplets fell, extinguishing the flames on Gunpowder's body.
Gunpowder's expression darkened further. Wet gunpowder couldn't ignite, and blunt weapons dampened by water could now harm him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Gunfire erupted as countless bullets tore through the water curtain. They passed harmlessly through Gunpowder's head before embedding themselves in the ground.
While vulnerable to blunt weapons, small projectiles like bullets couldn't hurt him even when wet.
Boren beside him lacked such protection.
Three bullets found their mark, leaving bloody holes in his body.
The barrage continued, driving Boren deeper into the warehouse with a dense curtain of fire. With no other options, he cursed inwardly and rolled into the warehouse interior.
"Boren!!!"
Gunpowder moved to assist, only to be suddenly struck from behind and knocked to the ground.
Turning around, he saw Brandon.
"What the hell are you doing, Brandon?!" Gunpowder rose to his feet, snarling threats. "You think these petty tricks can defeat me?"
Brandon remained silent, simply continuing to throw punches.
Forced to retaliate, Gunpowder found Brandon's water-dampened fists could now reach him.
Even without his Devil Fruit advantage, he still held the upper hand. Within three punches, he'd forced Brandon back.
Unexpectedly, Geno and others rushed in, immediately joining the fray with relentless punches.
Under this rain of blows, Gunpowder gritted his teeth, defending awkwardly.
The intense gunfire had now ceased—while this world's flintlock pistols could rapid-fire, they weren't infinite ammo weapons.
Looking up, Boren saw twenty arms growing from the walls, each holding an empty flintlock.
Higher up, the ceiling was lined with dense rows of rubber hoses, now dripping water steadily downward.
This was Dier's preparation over recent days—the ceiling pipes connected to rooftop water tanks. Opening the valve caused the perforated hoses to leak, creating artificial rainfall.
The twenty flintlocks had been acquired through Brandon's connections. Robin lay outside by the window, observing the interior to activate her ability for remote shooting.
Geno, using his squad leader status, gathered gang members only to eliminate them at the warehouse entrance. Robin's gunfire then created the illusion of fierce combat to lure Gunpowder inside.
Unfortunately, Gunpowder proved more formidable than expected. Single-handedly holding off Brandon's group, he left no one available to deal with Boren.
"Wow, this Boren really has some skills. Only took five bullets, and all non-fatal wounds at that."
Dier pressed against the window, admiring the scene inside the warehouse while marveling:
"Robin, your marksmanship is seriously lacking."
Robin, standing nearby, couldn't help but roll her eyes. The arms she'd divided shared her sense of touch, and withstanding the recoil from twenty guns simultaneously was impressive enough just to keep firing. Yet here this guy was nitpicking:
"How could I possibly compare to the great Hypnotist? If I can't handle twenty guns' recoil and still shoot accurately, surely the Hypnotist could manage even more?"
"I can't, but I have special combat techniques!"
Dier ruffled the hair of the person beside him, smashed through the window, and leaped inside.
The heavy thud of his landing immediately drew hostile glares from Gunpowder and Boren—this brat was clearly the mastermind behind everything.
Ignoring Gunpowder, who was currently getting pummeled, Dier swiftly charged toward Boren.
Boren's lips were smeared with blood, his pink suit in tatters. The five bleeding wounds on his body were sapping his strength.
Escape first—regroup, then return for revenge.
With that thought, he tried to flee but accidentally locked eyes with Dier.
Damn it, how dare he look down on me?!
A surge of inexplicable fury rose in Boren's chest. Gritting his teeth, he swung a fist at Dier.
Zzzzt~
Electricity crackled as Dier ducked under the attack. His right fist crackled with lightning, and using his height advantage, he delivered a devastating low blow.
"AAAAAHHH!!!"
Boren screamed in agony, his face contorted as he clutched his groin and staggered back two steps. His eyes, filled with rage and pain, met Dier's again.
This bastard... I'll kill him today!!
The fury in his heart burned hotter. Boren forced himself to endure the pain and swung another fist, this time aiming for Dier's head.
Dier raised a palm to block the punch. Electricity flared, coursing from his hand through Boren's entire body.
With his other hand, Dier formed a sword-finger gesture and pointed at Boren's eyes. Flames ignited at his fingertips, shooting straight for the enemy's face.
The pain from the five gunshot wounds and the numbing sensation of the continuous Electrification left Boren powerless to dodge. He could only watch in horror as the flames rushed toward him.
Whoosh~
The flames brushed past his cheeks, filling his vision with red before quickly dissipating. Instead of the searing heat he'd expected, Boren only felt a warm gust—strangely comforting.
"Tch, damn rain. Always a nuisance."
Dier flicked his hand in mild annoyance. Rainwater weakened Gunpowder's Flame Power, and it dampened his own flames too.
Fortunately, Electrification and Hypnosis alone would suffice.
His right hand still gripping Boren's electrified fist, Dier used his free left hand to pull a pistol from his pocket. He casually cocked it and aimed at Boren.
Boren's face twisted with resentment as he struggled to mutter:
"You..."
"Old man, times have changed."
Bang!