With the dust settling, Takero's figure became perfectly clear. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a playful and dangerous smile on his lips.
Time seemed to freeze in the back alley.
Baro's hand, which had been reaching for Robin, was frozen in mid-air. The sinister smiles on the faces of the other criminals solidified, replaced by utter confusion and a hint of absurdity. The very person they had been boasting about hunting down had just delivered himself to their doorstep.
Nico Robin's blue eyes widened in astonishment. She stared at the black-haired boy, who looked to be about her age, and then at the massive, crumbling hole in the wall behind him, momentarily forgetting the danger she was in.
"You… who are you?!" Baro was the first to snap out of it, his roar loud but laced with a fear he was trying to hide.
"Me?" Takero tilted his head and stepped out of the hole, his tail swishing casually behind him. "I'm Takero. I heard you were looking for me?" He paused, then grinned, showing a mouthful of perfectly white teeth. "By the way, as of today, I'm also your new master."
This arrogant declaration, delivered like a king's decree, instantly struck a nerve with the criminals. After a moment of shock, a twisted, ecstatic grin spread across Baro's face.
"Hahahaha! They say there's a path to heaven you refuse to take, but you'll barge right through the gates of hell!" Baro burst into manic laughter. "Kid! We were planning on paying you a visit tonight, but you saved us the trouble by coming here yourself!"
"That's right! You've got guts, brat!" Domino added with a sneer. "This is perfect. If you know what's good for you, hand over all the treasure and the women you took from Gollier, get on your knees, and get the hell off Ambri Island! We might just spare your life for the Red Hair Pirates' sake."
"Oh?" Takero raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely interested. "So, you're not going to submit to me?"
"Submit to you?!" Baro laughed so hard he bent backward, tears welling in his eyes. "You little bastard, are you dreaming?! You?! A kid?!"
"It seems we have nothing to talk about." Takero's smile slowly widened, losing all its playfulness and becoming purely malicious. He stretched his neck, producing a series of sharp cracking sounds. "I guess I'm not very good at reasoning. Since you don't seem to understand words…" He slowly raised a fist as a dark-red aura, like simmering heat, began to rise from his body. "...I'll have to use the only language you understand."
"Attack! Get him!" A fierce glint flashed in Baro's eyes as he let out a furious roar.
Nearly a hundred criminals in the alley brandished their weapons and charged, a chaotic sea of bodies surging toward the lone, slender boy.
Nico Robin's heart leaped into her throat. Even if this boy was strong, how could he face so many enemies at once? But the brutal battle she expected never happened.
What unfolded before her was a one-sided, utterly predictable slaughter.
"Time for some after-dinner exercise."
Takero's figure vanished, leaving a faint afterimage as he moved into the crowd like a ghost. He didn't use any fancy techniques—just simple, direct punches and kicks.
Bang!
A large man at the front of the charge didn't even have a chance to swing his machete before a fist punched straight through his chest. Blood and bone fragments erupted from his back, his vicious smile frozen on his face forever.
Takero used the man's corpse as a weapon, swinging it in a wide arc. The heavy body, propelled with terrifying force, crashed into seven or eight other pirates, sending them flying like bowling pins. He was a tiger unleashed on a flock of sheep. Every punch was met with the sickening crunch of breaking bones; every kick erased another criminal from the world.
Blood splattered across the dirty alley like cheap paint, quickly forming thick, viscous puddles on the ground. A symphony of death played out in screams, wails, and the clang of weapons falling from lifeless hands. These men, who prided themselves on their ferocity, were as fragile as paper dolls before Takero. Their wild attacks couldn't even touch his shadow.
Nico Robin stood frozen, her blue eyes, which had seen so much of the world's darkness, now filled with pure, uncomprehending shock. What… what is this terrifying power?! This wasn't a fight. It was a complete annihilation. It was a game between a dragon and a swarm of ants.
In less than a minute, the narrow back alley had become a living hell. The ground was littered with twisted corpses and severed limbs, and the air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood.
The only ones left standing were Baro, Domino, Maria, and a few other gang leaders, along with a dozen of their men who were trembling too hard to hold their weapons properly. The greed and arrogance on their faces had been replaced by a bone-deep, haunting terror.
Takero slowly came to a stop and brushed some non-existent dust off his hands. His calm gaze swept over them, his tone tinged with disappointment. "That's it? That wasn't even a warm-up. So, are the rest of you coming at me all at once, or one by one?"
"You… you bastard… what kind of monster are you?!" Baro's voice trembled, his famed "Iron Fists" now shaking uncontrollably.
"I'll say it again," Takero's eyes grew cold. "As of today, I'm the one who calls the shots on Ambri Island. Now, I'm giving you one last chance—kneel, or die."
Faced with a direct threat of death, the criminals' survival instincts finally kicked in.
"Don't… don't get too arrogant, kid!" Domino stammered, playing their last card. "Don't forget! This is Donquixote Family territory! Even if you have some connection to the Red Hair Pirates, you can't just do whatever you want here! If you kill us, you'll be making an enemy of Lord Doflamingo! He will never forgive you!"
"That's right!" Baro latched onto this last hope. "Lord Doffy will be back soon! When he gets here, you're dead!"
"Oh? That pink-feathered birdman again?" Hearing the name, Takero wasn't scared in the least; in fact, he looked amused. "You know, you're right. For something like this, I probably should give him a heads-up."
He casually beckoned to Domino with one finger, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"You. Call him. Now. Tell him I'm taking Ambri Island. Then ask him if he has any objections."
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