Slaughter

"Ah!"

"Watch out behind you, I... Ugh!"

While dawn should have been a beautiful time for all things to awaken, here in Arlong's Territory, it had turned into a damn nightmare.

One by one, frenzied and rampaging zombies, driven by their deathless instincts, completely surrounded the Fishmen.

In the distance, Nojiko and Kensuke, noticing this scene, were pale with disbelief, trembling as they hid beneath the bushes.

The terrifying beings they remembered as powerful and inhuman were now like weak, helpless chicks, easily slaughtered by the corpses.

The sheer horror of this horde of bodies sent chills down their spines.

"Back up further, don't let them see us."

Kensuke swallowed hard and crawled backward along the bushes.

However, at that moment, he noticed Nojiko moving forward instead of retreating, crawling toward the other end with her body low. His pupils contracted sharply.

"Nojiko, what are you doing?!"

Kensuke whispered urgently.

"They're all at the main entrance, so the back door should be empty."

A hint of fear crossed Nojiko's face, but it was overshadowed by determination.

"While we have the chance, I'm going to get Nami out."

Anyone could see that the black-robed youth with an extraordinary aura intended to destroy the Arlong Pirates. Nami had been forced to join to protect them, but would the other party even consider that? If she didn't rescue Nami now, by the time Arlong was defeated or fled, Nami wouldn't be able to escape at all.

"You..."

Too reckless!

Kensuke couldn't speak. The dead and the Fishmen alone were terrifying enough, and now she wanted to risk going to save someone? This was suicide!

Her wrist was grabbed, and Nojiko turned back in surprise.

Kensuke took a deep breath and said, "I'll go ahead... You don't want Nami to lose her last remaining family, do you?"

"But..."

Nojiko opened her mouth anxiously.

"Listen to me. There's no need to discuss this."

With that, ignoring Nojiko's struggles, Kensuke lowered himself, doing his best to avoid the ongoing battle, and began to crawl stealthily toward the back door of Arlong's Territory.

"Bellemere, I promised you I'd protect them!"

Looking at the brutal slaughter ahead, Kensuke's limbs felt weak, but he pressed forward resolutely.

Fish-Man Karate - Collarbone Break!

BANG!!

The steel cat claws stabbed forward. Both of them tensed their muscles, unleashing immense strength.

Seeing Kuroobi's arm twisted at an impossible angle, locking itself beneath his abdomen, the Black Knight's dull intellect was puzzled. Was this guy also an undead creature? Outwardly, the Black Knight merely tilted its head calmly.

"Heh! Never seen this before? I'm a soft-boned Fishman!"

Kuroobi mistook the Black Knight's reaction as a provocation and roared. He raised his hands level and sent it flying high into the air.

"Finally got you, monster!"

With that, Kuroobi leaped into the air himself. His sturdy arm passed under the Black Knight's armpit, locking its shoulder joint. Their heads butted together as they spun rapidly, falling downward.

Fish-Man Karate - Omote Renge!

Oh, he wants to break my bones!

At this, the Black Knight immediately understood. Its intelligence might have been lacking, but its combat instincts remained. With a Fishman's explosive power, if this move landed, it would be enough to shatter its bones. Once its bones were damaged and its speed decreased, it would enter a vicious cycle.

It tried to move its arm but couldn't break free. The power difference between it and Kuroobi wasn't significant; it simply lacked explosive strength. The existence of technique was to control every ounce of one's strength. Kuroobi, who had mastered Fish-Man Karate, clearly had a considerable advantage over the Black Knight.

So...

Just as they were about to hit the ground, two uneven, fleshy lumps suddenly protruded from the Black Knight's left and right shoulder blades, launching outward abruptly.

RIIIP!

A piercing pain shot through Kuroobi, and his tensed muscles involuntarily trembled.

He twisted his head, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Kōbi, Moro!"

Two skulls opened their mouths, biting into his shoulders from left and right. Kuroobi wouldn't forget his companions, even if their faces were just skin and bone.

He had expected his kin to meet misfortune, but he hadn't anticipated that their very corpses would be used by the enemy.

"You... you all will die!"

With bloodshot eyes, Kuroobi gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the Black Knight, his fingers digging into flesh, veins bulging.

But his shoulder muscles were torn, and his strength was no match for what it had been.

Crash!

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Black Knight extended more bones from its back.

Pale bones wove together, forming two massive, hooked bone wings that dug into the tree trunk.

Screech!!

With a piercing tearing sound, their speed plummeted, gouging through the tree trunk until they stopped.

"They actually stopped?"

Kuroobi's eyes widened in disbelief. They had been stopped by the opponent despite the momentum of their fall!

The Black Knight was also in bad shape. Cracks appeared on the radius bones of its bone wings, and the relatively fragile wrist and finger bones were flung off as they scraped against the wood chips.

Any living creature would have lost the ability to fight from such injuries.

But he was dead.

The dead felt no pain and could push their bodies beyond limits, unleashing power that the living could not.

Creak, creak!

The flesh on its ribcage peeled back, and eight ribs extended, embedding into the tree trunk like spider legs, four on each side, to support its body.

Kuroobi was utterly horrified. The Black Knight had contorted into a monstrous, spider-like human face clinging to the treetop.

Its ferocious, absurd, and bizarre form exuded a unique killing intent, making one's scalp tingle.

"Mon... monster!"

Splat!!

The search for the title didn't yield results. You could try searching for the author; perhaps the title was changed!

Two arms suddenly shot out, sending blood splattering.

"Interesting! You've forced out a new modified form?"

Sensing the Black Knight's transformation through his mental power, Lowett's expression remained calm.

After understanding the Fishman's body structure, he had used all four corpses as material for the Black Knight. It would be strange if its form didn't undergo a monstrous modification.

Undead creatures had their advantages; they could use any parts available and were not picky eaters, making them much easier to manage than pets.

"Arlong's physical data has been collected almost entirely, so... let's end this."

As he thought this, on the top floor of Arlong's Territory, Arlong leaped high, smashing through the roof tiles, leaving a trail of blood.

He was interested in running, but Lowett wasn't interested in chasing.

The Soul Chasing Beast, an undead beast that existed between reality and illusion, loved to strip souls from living beings. Once it fixed on a soul's aura, it couldn't be shaken off, even in the New World.

"Finally caught you, little thing!"

Gritting his teeth, Arlong ripped the black beast from his thigh. His eyes glinted with ferocity as he opened his mouth and bit down hard.

"You wanted to eat me, didn't you?! Huh?!"

"Now let's see who eats who?!"

His eyes filled with savage fury, Arlong tore the Soul Chasing Beast apart bit by bit, chewing and swallowing it.

"Sss... Sss!!"

Being eaten alive, the Soul Chasing Beast let out screams as its limbs flailed.

The taste wasn't disgusting; it was bland, like chewing wax.

Lowett recalled the past and raised his palm.

Curse Magic: Curse of Pain!

The Curse of Pain, as the name suggested, inflicted pain.

Another spell that was often overpowered by brute force.

Although Lowett disliked the slow effect of Curse Magic, he had to admit that among the five specializations of Necromancy, Curse Magic was the most convenient type.

Noticing Lowett's action, Arlong's pupils constricted.

"Damn it!"

He had been too focused on his battle of wits with this little beast and had let his guard down.

"But at this distance, it shouldn't be able to hit me, right?"

Before, they were less than ten meters apart and still had an attack delay. Now, with the height of an entire building between them, could the opponent really attack through solid objects?

In fact, he guessed correctly.

Spellcasting is not only limited by the mage's knowledge and mental power, but more importantly, by the spell circuits.

Different spells have different "combinations" of arranged patterns. The circuits woven by these "combinations" determine the spell's mana cost, casting distance, and even the target's resistance to magic.

The Blood Plague Raven couldn't hit him from nearly a hundred meters away.

But "Pain Curse" could.

The effective range of this spell is determined by how far the mage's mental power can extend, which is the norm for most Curse Magic.

And... it had no spell trajectory.

"Not good!"

Mid-air, Arlong's pupils constricted. He felt that heart-pounding sensation again, but this time the threat wasn't from Lowett's direction, but from all directions!

In other words, he couldn't dodge!

"Ah!!!"

What felt like a long time, but was actually very quick, passed. A second later, Arlong let out a heart-wrenching scream and fell freely.

Thump!

His body slammed heavily onto the roof of a tall building, tumbling all the way down before finally hitting the ground with a "thud," kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Ugh!!!"

The impact left him dizzy, but the intense pain brought him back to his senses immediately.

Spitting blood, Arlong knelt on the ground, his arms pulled in and tensed at his sides. Veins bulged all over his body as if he were suffering some indescribable torture, his muscles spasming.

"Impressive willpower."

Lowett stood beside a stone pillar, applauding softly. "An ordinary person would at least fall unconscious from this, or even die on the spot."

"You actually endured it?"

"I..."

Arlong glared with bloodshot eyes and looked back.

"Go to hell!!!"

Consumed by the drilling pain, Arlong stood up in a frenzy and charged forward again.

"This is the power of magic!"

Lowett remained unfazed by Arlong's sudden attack, calmly asking, "Now, do you think I'm qualified to discuss this topic with you?"

"Die!!!"

Arlong's answer was a roar filled with killing intent.

His dagger-like sharp nose easily pierced through clothing and emerged from his back.

But Arlong felt no joy, because he realized that not a single drop of blood flowed from the wound.

"This is a fake!"

"Correct."

The "Lowett" who had been impaled through the chest smiled casually. Then, starting from the wound, his body slowly began to decompose, and ravens struggled out one by one, flapping their wings and taking flight.

With a "poof," he scattered into a flock of crows filling the sky.

Crack!

The immense impact continued unabated, splitting the cement pillar at that spot in two. Arlong stumbled and suddenly turned his head.

"Bone Melting, Blood Coagulation, Corruption, Erosion!"

Lowett appeared behind Arlong, raising his right hand.

Arlong had managed to evade his pursuit for so long thanks to his beast-like instincts.

But no matter how strong the instincts, they still needed a body to support them.

If that's the case, why not destroy the body?!

"Combination Magic: Limb Dissolution!"

Thanks to book friend ~Three Kingdoms Strategist Jia Xu 2~ for the 500 reward, thank you for your support!

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