Diamante

Loguetown. The rain had stopped, but dark clouds still hung in the sky. Carlos had basically finished purchasing supplies, leaving only the town's specialty liquor. The factory producing that liquor was on the outskirts of Loguetown, so Carlos still had to head over there.

It wasn't far, and Carlos had no intention of using Kamui to get there—that would be overkill. Activating Kamui consumed a fair amount of Pupil Power and drained considerable stamina. Walking there used only a hundredth of that energy.

Logically, the further you went toward the edge of town, the fewer people there should be. But with the Great Age of Pirates underway, many men from Loguetown were rushing to set sail in groups, and pirates were gathering as well. The outskirts weren't much less crowded than the town center, and it was somewhat chaotic, with fights breaking out every now and then.

Carlos had no interest in meddling. He let them fight to the death as they pleased. But sometimes, trouble finds you when you least expect it...

Carlos was walking along the main road, in a decent mood, when suddenly three figures burst out of a small alley—no, to be precise, they were flung out, sent flying by a kick. The three men hurtled through the air, crashing toward Carlos.

That wasn't the end of it. A white, whip-like sword shot out like a serpent, piercing through the air with precision and ruthlessness, skewering the three men mid-flight like candied fruit on a stick. Blood sprayed through the air.

Carlos's face darkened. I'm just walking down the street, and this happens?

Annoyed as he was, to avoid being collateral damage—getting hit or splattered with blood—Carlos moved fast. The moment the white serpent sword pierced the three men, he acted. Before the blood could even fall, Carlos's figure had already shot into the air. He kicked out in rapid succession, sending all three men back into the alley.

Slap, slap!

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed as Carlos stepped on the air itself, shifting his position to dodge the spraying blood, then landed steadily on the ground.

"Bastard, you're the one who kicked those three wastes back, aren't you?" A man stormed out of the alley, furious. He wore a brimmed hat, had two face tattoos, a red cloak stained with blood, and dressed like a tribal native. He looked down at Carlos and demanded loudly.

This "looking down" wasn't about attitude—it was about height. The man was at least two meters twenty, towering over Carlos by a fair margin.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. Oh, an old acquaintance. Isn't this Diamante, one of the top executives of the Donquixote Family?

Interesting...

"So what if I did? So what if I didn't?" Carlos said with amusement.

He wasn't one to start trouble, but he never backed down from it either. He hadn't actually fought anyone seriously since arriving here. Doflamingo would be a decent opponent.

Doflamingo might have a stronger organization right now, but he was still just starting out, still making a name for himself in the North Blue. Carlos had no fear of him. Once he returned, his own forces would catch up in no time—that was the confidence his own strength gave him.

"If not, get lost."

"If so, you have two choices. One, I kill you. Two, pay up." Diamante crossed his arms, the limp white sword in his hand transforming into a straight, sharp rapier as he spoke coldly.

"Tsk tsk... As expected of a Donquixote Family executive. Quite the bully..."

"I was just returning the favor. You're not hurt."

"You want my life? My money? Heh heh... Fine. Beat me, and you can have whatever you want."

"You don't know when you're well off. Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!" Diamante sneered, swinging his sharp rapier down at Carlos's head.

He was confident in his own strength, and with the Donquixote Family backing him, Carlos was a nobody he'd never heard of—clearly not important. So Diamante acted without fear.

Carlos smiled faintly. His left hand formed an eagle's claw, glowing with golden energy, and he grabbed directly for the rapier descending toward his head.

Diamante sneered and put more force into the swing. Let's see me slice that claw off...

Clang!

A metallic ring echoed. To Diamante's shock, Carlos's left hand caught the sharp rapier firmly. His right claw shot out like lightning, aiming straight for Diamante's heart.

He'd originally aimed for Diamante's neck, but with the height difference, he couldn't reach it without jumping, so he settled for the heart.

Diamante quickly yanked his cloak in front of him. The cloak looked flimsy, but it was actually made of steel, crafted using his Hana Hana no Mi ability.

Screech, screech, screech...

Carlos's eagle claw dug into the steel cloak, sparks flying. Diamante's face showed a hint of a smile—but the next moment, the claw blazed with golden light. With a crack, the steel was torn apart, reaching straight for his heart.

Diamante hastily let go of his sword and leaped back. He managed to avoid having his heart ripped out, but five bloody gashes were left across his chest.

In just one exchange, Diamante was already injured. He realized he'd run into a tough opponent today. He was wary, but not afraid—after all, he wasn't alone. He had a family that had already made a name for itself in the North Blue!

"Call for backup now, or you won't be escaping from me today."

Carlos grinned, his eyes transforming into a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Both claws erupted with force, twisting the rapier into scrap metal before tossing it aside.

"Devil Fruit ability?" Diamante felt a chill run down his spine as he saw Carlos's eyes turn into those eerie pupils. He spoke with a mix of surprise and caution.

"That's right... Hope you're still alive by the time your Boss gets here."

Soru!

The moment the words left his mouth, Carlos's figure blurred, shooting forward at astonishing speed. He was using one of the Rokushiki techniques he'd just learned.

Against Diamante, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan combined with his own strength was more than enough. There was no need to activate the Mangekyo—that would be giving Diamante too much credit. Besides, the Mangekyo could be activated with a thought, ready at any moment, so there was no risk of being caught off guard.

"So fast!"

Diamante's heart jolted. He instinctively dodged to the side while pulling a spare rapier from his pocket and flinging it out. The rapier shot through the air, twisting like a snake, aimed at Carlos's heart.

Diamante felt a surge of hope—then suddenly saw Carlos's figure vanish with a poof, transforming into over a dozen pitch-black crows scattering in all directions. His heart sank. The next moment, his body was sent flying, crashing into a house. Several cracks spread across the wall.

Ptoo...

Diamante slumped to the ground, unable to hold back a mouthful of blood. Taking a solid heavy kick from Carlos wasn't easy to endure. Only because Diamante's strength was decent would he survive—an ordinary pirate would have been long dead.

Army Flag!

Diamante knew he'd been unlucky enough to provoke a true expert. He didn't dare hold back. He slammed both hands onto the ground, and the earth began to tremble violently. The tremors were so intense that standing was impossible.

Seizing the moment Carlos was caught off guard, Diamante quickly fired off the Donquixote Family's personal signal flare. Then he looked back at Carlos—and his soul nearly fled his body. Carlos was already using Geppo, stepping through the air toward him. The trembling ground and the swaying terrain no longer affected him at all.