In the distance, gods clashed, cracking the earth and tearing down the sky. Closer, the land was a field of ruins, filled with the cries of the wounded and dying. This place, once called the "Holy Land of the Gods," had become the ultimate hunting ground, and Kyle, the top hunter, was back in his element.
"Now this feels familiar," Kyle murmured to himself, a nostalgic smile on his lips as he moved silently through the scorched forests and shattered buildings. "I can't let the hunting skills I perfected during three years of island survival get rusty."
The Hunting King was back online.
His primary targets were, of course, the Celestial Dragons—the so-called World Nobles who held themselves above all others and treated human lives like worthless weeds. As for treasure, he could pick some up along the way, but what was the fun in that compared to hunting the world's most arrogant nobles? Hunting was a thrill.
To avoid drawing too much attention from the World Government in the future, Kyle even decided to add a bit of cosplay to his work.
Inside a relatively intact manor, several CP agents in black suits were escorting a fat Celestial Dragon, who was fleeing in a panic with half a roasted chicken leg still in his mouth.
"Quick! Protect me, you useless fools!" the Celestial Dragon shrieked, his spit splattering against the inside of his bubble helmet.
Suddenly, a bizarre figure blocked their path. It was a yellow, square, porous creature wearing a white shirt and brown square pants. It had two large buck teeth and a strangely innocent smile on its face.
"Ah ha ha ha ha, hello there!" the creature said in a sharp, ear-piercing voice. "Would you like to eat a delicious Krabby Patty?"
The CP agents were completely stunned. What in the world was this thing? Was it some unknown rare animal? Or the mascot for a pirate crew?
"Stop it!" the lead agent shouted, recovering first and drawing the longsword from his waist.
However, before any of them could charge, "SpongeBob" simply puffed out his cheeks and gently blew a few colorful bubbles. The bubbles looked light and harmless, but they shot forward with a speed the naked eye couldn't track. One of the agents instinctively swung his sword to pop one, but the moment his blade touched the bubble—
Boom!
An invisible shockwave exploded outward. The agent didn't even have time to scream before he was sent flying backward as if he'd been hit by a cannonball. He crashed through three walls before finally coming to a stop, already unconscious.
The remaining agents were terrified, but Kyle's attacks kept coming. While letting out a strange "giggle, giggle" laugh, he playfully blew out more "bubbles." He had mastered the compressed air cannon, and each shot precisely hit an agent's joints or chest, instantly disabling them but leaving them conscious enough to feel their own despair.
With the guards taken care of, Kyle, still hidden within his "SpongeBob" illusion, walked step by step toward the Celestial Dragon, who was now slumped on the ground, terrified and covered in snot and tears.
This one doesn't look very smart, Kyle thought. Kill him.
He passed his judgment silently. With a flick of his finger, an invisible ripple of force pulsed through the air and pulverized the man's brain. After looting the manor of its valuables, Kyle hummed a happy tune and continued his hunt.
Soon, he locked onto another group of targets, and this time, he switched to a new disguise. A giant pink starfish wearing green patterned shorts stood before them, drooling and staring with dull, vacant eyes. It was "Patrick Star."
This one looks brutal, Kyle judged, his eyes on the female Celestial Dragon who was amusing herself by whipping her slaves. Kill her.
He controlled the "Patrick Star" illusion, making it walk forward with a clumsy, foolish gait. As the CP agents watched him warily, he raised a hand and pointed to the sky.
"Look, it's a starfish!"
The agents instinctively looked up, but they saw nothing. Just as they lowered their heads in confusion, a scorching hot ray of light burst forth from "Patrick Star's" belly button.
Heatwave Breath!
The focused infrared wave instantly pierced through the bodies of several agents. Without losing any momentum, it melted right through the female Celestial Dragon and the decorative rockery behind her, leaving only a clean, red-edged hole. Kyle nodded in satisfaction at his work. This feeling of a precise, clean elimination was much more satisfying than simply overwhelming his enemies with Haki.
But his playful attitude vanished when he encountered a truly tough opponent. In a leveled plaza, another Celestial Dragon in a bubble helmet was being protected by several powerful individuals.
God's Knights.
Kyle's expression turned serious. Each of these guards possessed considerable strength, and their auras were as steady as mountains. They were far superior to any CP agent.
Looks like I need to change my style for this one.
He silently slipped into the shadows. With a slight distortion of light, a slender, long-nosed octopus with a huge head slowly emerged. It was Squidward.
He didn't rush to attack. Instead, he carefully observed the God's Knights' defensive formation. It was flawless, perfectly combining offense and defense.
This one looks… a bit tricky.
Kyle decided to attempt an assassination. He quietly gripped his naginata, aiming its tip at the knight who seemed to be the weakest link in the defensive circle.
Silent Cloud Piercer!
There was no sound of tearing air, no fluctuation of energy. Even his killing intent was perfectly contained. The tip of the naginata shot forward like a venomous snake's fang, silently stabbing toward the knight's back.
Pfft!
The blade pierced its target, and a flicker of victory sparked in Kyle's heart. But in the next second, his expression changed. The sensation from the blade was wrong. It didn't feel like piercing flesh and blood; it felt like stabbing into a tough block of rubber.
The knight he had stabbed suddenly turned around, a frown on his face. He quickly retreated, but the wound on his back was already healing at a visible rate.
"Found you, little spy," the God's Knight said, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Tsk, so this is their so-called immortal body? How disgusting."
Kyle made his decision instantly. With a tremor of his blade, he unleashed several slashes of sword qi, using the recoil to pull his weapon free and retreat. At the same time, he fully activated his Light Illusion Mirage, and dozens of "Squidward" illusions scattered and fled in all directions. His real body had already vanished into another shadow.
The God's Knights truly lived up to their name. A head-on fight would not end well for him. Kyle abandoned the target and continued his search for the next "lucky winner."
Passing through a devastated residential area, he discovered another protected Celestial Dragon family: a man, a woman, and two young children. Kyle habitually narrowed his eyes, preparing to begin his judgment process.
This one looks… huh, wait a minute!
His gaze fell on the adult male Celestial Dragon, and the words "kill him," which had been about to form on his lips, got stuck in his throat. This man didn't have the arrogance or cruelty of the other Celestial Dragons. His face was filled with fear and worry. He wasn't hiding behind his guards; he was standing in front of his family with his arms spread wide, using his own body to shield his wife and two children. One of the children, a young boy with blonde hair, was even staring defiantly at the chaos outside.
Kyle recognized that man's face all too well.
Donquixote Homing.
The only anomaly among the Celestial Dragons; the "good man" who would one day voluntarily give up his divine status and descend to the mortal world with his family. The naginata in Kyle's hand suddenly felt very heavy. He killed Celestial Dragons because they were scum, the cancer of the world. But the man before him was a respectable father, an innocent and foolish man who still possessed a conscience.
Everyone has the right to choose their own path, for good or for evil. Homing's end would be a tragedy, and his son Doflamingo's future was one of sin, but those were their own choices to make. He could punish sin, but he had no right to judge a future that had not yet happened.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion