Drop Some power stones! If you like the chapter! It helps to keep me motivated to upload more!đź’Žđź’Žđź’ŽÂ
------
"What in the world happened to them inside that underground pharmaceutical plant? They came out looking like they'd lost their minds."
Aaron watched Douglas and the others behaving strangely, and his curiosity about that small drug factory grew even stronger. But his hands didn't stop moving—he instantly aimed at a pirate and fired.
He had no intention of letting Douglas and his men run off to start another fight elsewhere and complicate things.
Besides, this was the perfect opportunity. Douglas and his crew were distracted, which made it easier to ambush them.
Bang!
Aaron's revolver spat fire, the bullet whizzing through the air and striking a pirate right beside Douglas with pinpoint accuracy.
"Not just some ordinary pirate, huh."
Aaron's eyes narrowed in surprise. The pirate had actually sensed the danger beforehand, shoving a companion in the way as a human shield to escape death.
Meanwhile, Shuma and Victor followed his lead and opened fire as well. But compared to Aaron—whose night vision was excellent and whose marksmanship was superb—their accuracy in the dark alley was much worse. Several shots went wide, failing to hit anyone.
Douglas and his men were veterans of the seas. The moment they were attacked from behind, they reacted instantly—splitting up and using the alley's obstacles for cover.
Even so, two were still struck down by Aaron's bullets. One of them, already wounded, was a step too slow and took a fatal headshot, dying on the spot.
But something about Douglas and his men was clearly off. As soon as Aaron and the others emptied their guns, they charged forward in a frenzy. Douglas led the assault, wielding a spiked club as thick as a barrel and moving with astonishing speed.
"Good. You two, fall back. I'll handle this."
Aaron's lips curved in anticipation. He drew the katana at his waist, dashed forward, and met Douglas head-on. His blade clashed with the pirate's massive club.
Clang!
A dazzling spark burst out, followed by a shockwave that blasted the dust and trash from the alley, even knocking two other pirates off their feet.
"Impossible!"
Douglas's feral face twisted in shock. He was over two meters tall, yet this kid—barely 1.8 meters and still carrying a trace of youth on his face—had blocked his full-force swing with a single hand, completely halting him in place.
"So this is the level of a pirate worth twenty million berries? Honestly, not that impressive."
Aaron narrowed his eyes, feeling the force from that clash.
Two months of brutal Kuja-style body training and sword drills had drastically improved his physique—especially strength and stamina, both now at 25. His speed had also broken through to 21.
His power had grown so fast he wasn't sure of his current level. Since he didn't want to reveal too much strength too early within the Akio Gang, he figured testing himself against a decently strong pirate would be the best way to gauge it.
A pirate worth twenty million berries was no pushover—on the Grand Line, such a bounty meant some reputation. Even lower-ranked Marines from Headquarters often struggled with pirates of that level.
Aaron had assumed that without Observation Haki, he'd be about equal to someone of that caliber. But now, he realized he had underestimated himself.
This so-called powerhouse pirate was weaker in raw strength than him. Judging from the clash, Douglas's strength was only around 23 to 24.
At that level, Aaron figured he could beat him using only half his strength.
His training with the Kuja body arts had also given him fine control over his muscles. He could now concentrate bursts of strength into a single point, raising his power output to at least 35.
"Don't underestimate me, you brat!"
Infuriated, Douglas gripped his spiked club with both hands, forcing Aaron back a step before raising it high overhead and smashing down again.
But Aaron had no intention of playing strength-for-strength anymore. With 21 points of agility, his speed and reflexes were razor sharp. He sidestepped easily, dodging the massive swing.
Boom!
The club slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater and spiderweb cracks spreading outward.
Aaron's blade flashed, slashing toward Douglas's neck in a killing stroke.
But Douglas was no ordinary man. Years of bloodshed at sea had honed his instincts. He instantly abandoned his club, pulling a dagger to parry just in time.
Clash! Sparks flew once again.
"Damn it!"
The force behind Aaron's strike pressed the dagger closer to Douglas's throat. His face reddened, straining with every ounce of strength, but he couldn't move Aaron's katana at all.
"Die."
Aaron was about to finish it when nearby pirates rushed in, weapons ready to strike.
But Shuma and Victor, having reloaded, opened fire again. At this close distance, their shots found their marks.
Still, the crazed pirates refused to fall. Unless shot in the head, they kept charging with blades in hand, desperate to save Douglas.
Aaron kicked Douglas hard in the gut, sending him flying, then turned to face three wounded pirates charging at him.
Having witnessed Aaron's strength, the three quickly stopped and swallowed strange pills.
A second later, they screamed as their muscles bulged grotesquely, tearing their clothes apart. Their eyes turned blood-red, whites swallowed by crimson, and their hair streaked with gray as their faces aged.
Aaron instantly sensed their auras doubling in intensity.
"This… feels bad."
His expression hardened. A sharp instinctive warning rang in his mind. His eyes flashed red—he activated Observation Haki.
The three pirates were already upon him, moving at twice their previous speed and attacking from all sides.
"One-Sword Style: Iai Slash!"
In a blur, Aaron sheathed and drew his sword, unleashing a half-moon arc of blade light.
All three pirates were struck and sent flying, deep gashes torn across their abdomens, blood spraying.
But then, Aaron sensed another aura—far more violent than theirs.
Douglas. He too had swallowed one of those mysterious pills.
---
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!