Dice-Dice Fruit User

Crocodile was one of the Shichibukai. The Shichibukai were pirates hired by the Marines to capture other pirates, bound by agreements with the Marines. Under normal circumstances, the Marines would not move against a Shichibukai, so long as they did not violate those agreements.

Crocodile's method was to join a country, incite civil war within it, and ultimately replace its rulers. It was much the same as Doflamingo's operation to steal a kingdom.

That way, he would not draw the Marines' attention.

That was precisely what Vivi was worried about. She had only her instincts, not evidence.

Without evidence, the Marines would not act against a Shichibukai.

"You're Alabasta's missing princess, Vivi, aren't you?" Nami suddenly asked.

"Huh? Eh, how did you know..." Lost in her worries, Vivi covered her face and gaped.

"It's because you look too much alike. Your age might still be a coincidence, but you care far too much about Alabasta. You definitely can't be from an ordinary Alabastan family, so that only leaves the royal family, right? Hehe..." Nami said with a smile.

Although Vivi had tried to disguise herself, she was still far too inexperienced.

"Shh... Don't let anyone else know..." Vivi covered Nami's mouth, looking around nervously like a guilty thief.

"It's fine, we're very strong. Though I was just testing you. I didn't expect you not to deny it. If you go out into the world with so little experience, you'll suffer a lot."

When Nami looked at Vivi, she seemed to see another version of herself. Their starting circumstances, however, had been completely different.

"Save the chatter for later. The bounty hunters here seem to have come up with a plan to deal with me. They're closing in from all directions."

The poorly simulated electric waves echoed down, and Ling Donglai had no choice but to interrupt the friendly conversation between the two girls.

"Good afternoon, ladies, and to the great pirate with a thirty-million bounty—the martial artist of the seas, the Electro Man who specializes in lightning?"

"I am Daz Bones, a bounty hunter from the West Blue. I ate the Dice-Dice Fruit and became a Dice Man. Before I retire from bounty hunting to become an assassin, I'd like to hunt down a Devil Fruit user."

A strange gleam resembling steel flickered over Daz Bones's body. He was also a Devil Fruit user, and a Paramecia user at that!

"So you've made me the final target of your bounty-hunting career? Since you're raising a flag like that, I suggest you don't make a move unless you can win."

Ling Donglai sat atop the carriage, coldly watching Daz Bones approach with a group of bounty hunters.

"I don't dislike such arrogance, provided the person has the strength to back it up. A martial artist from the weakest sea—let me see what you're made of!"

A metallic sheen appeared over Bones's fists, transforming them into sharp blades.

"Go get him, Boss Bones!"

Behind Bones, a group of bounty hunters cheered.

"Take pride in being our boss's final battle before retirement, pirate from the East Blue!"

Vivi: "We're surrounded? When did that happen?"

Nami: "Even if the East Blue is called the weakest sea, aren't these bounty hunters looking down on us a little too much? Do they have no judgment at all?"

"What do we do, Nami? There are only three of us!" Vivi panicked.

"It's fine. The captain will never lose!" Nami climbed onto the carriage.

"All we need to do is sit back and watch them lose!" Nami reached out and pulled Vivi onto the carriage.

Why... did she trust that man so much...? Vivi mechanically climbed aboard. There were over fifty bounty hunters surrounding them. Could three people really handle them?

"First, let's clear the field... Lightning Chain." Ling Donglai snapped his fingers.

A blinding flash of lightning streaked past.

"So fast. He really is something else!" Bones's pupils contracted. He had caught the dense lightning's movements, but before his body could react, he could only watch the arcs leap continuously through the crowd.

The fodder... had all lost their ability to fight.

"The speed of lightning... You really did eat an incredible fruit. But I'm not famous for nothing!" Bones withstood the Lightning Chain head-on without a scratch.

"The way Paramecia transform the body really is incredible. Your entire body has become like steel, and you've even lost your sense of pain? Even your internal structure has changed."

Ling Donglai closed the book in his hand and handed it to Nami.

Vivi looked at the book. "The Origin of Sea Kings?"

"Mm. The captain really likes marine life," Nami said with a nod.

Vivi: "Eh, really? There are sea cats in the waters around Alabasta. They're sacred creatures of Alabasta, and we like marine life too!"

Nami: "Uh... The way our captain likes them is that he can't go a meal without them..."

Vivi: "?"

"You're not coming at me? Then I'll make the first move." Ling Donglai flexed his fingers. Bones was obviously a close-range fighter, yet he was not taking the opportunity to press the attack.

Sweat dripped from Bones's brow. It was not that he did not want to attack. The high temperature carried by that lightning strike had made him uncomfortable, and he had instinctively stood still to cool off.

"I was merely giving you time to prepare. Since that's the case, then witness a slash that can catch up to lightning!"

"Is that so? Then let me see it." Ling Donglai extended a finger, and a beam of light shot forth.

Bones instinctively raised his foot. A finger-width hole appeared in the ground beneath it.

"It is pretty fast." Ling Donglai nodded, then all five of his fingers fired lightning. Bones retreated again and again, even tumbling through the air.

"You bastard, are you humiliating me?" Bones flew into a rage. Every lightning strike had landed just right, forcing him to dodge as though it had all been rehearsed.

Bones knew he was not afraid of lightning like that. It was only the instant burst of heat that made him instinctively evade, and Ling Donglai seemed to be deliberately making him dodge, aiming each time at places that were easy to evade.

"Is that so? You think I'm humiliating you?" Ling Donglai rested his head on his hand.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure I could gain something from every battle. If an opponent has no value, then I create value for them. That's all."

The longer his winning streak became, the harder it would be to maintain. Therefore, he had to ensure that every battle made him stronger and gave him something to gain, rather than having him stagnate.

For example, this time, Ling Donglai was trying to use electromagnetic force to sense the other party's biological magnetic field, just like a Den Den Mushi.

If he succeeded, then after recording someone's biological magnetic field, Ling Donglai would be able to lock onto them from afar and blast them apart, just as a Den Den Mushi made a call!

An extra chapter for reaching the investment limit.