"Observation Haki!"
Chaos's voice trembled as he looked at Zebra Killer like he was a priceless treasure.
"Not bad. You know your stuff."
Zebra Killer was quite proud of himself. After all, not just anyone could wield Observation Haki. In the world of pirates, no matter how powerful a Devil Fruit ability was, it would still have weaknesses without Haki.
That was all well and good in the Grand Line, but in the New World, Haki was a must-have for any strong fighter. Without it, you were a nobody.
But awakening Haki was incredibly difficult.
Chaos had trained for three years and five months. Even with his talent and physical abilities enhanced by his transmigration, he still hadn't awakened Haki.
That showed just how difficult it was to master.
It was an all-purpose tool. If you wanted to make a name for yourself on the seas, you had to master Haki.
Since Zebra Killer had mastered Observation Haki, he clearly had plenty of talent.
There was a good reason he had an 81-million-berry bounty.
Chaos had always hoped to meet a pirate who could use Haki. He hadn't expected that opportunity to come so soon.
I have to take him alive!
The sudden greed in Chaos's eyes made Zebra Killer frown in displeasure.
He was the hunter, so why did he suddenly feel like the prey?
"Cling-clang!"
Fifteen Golden Longswords shot into the air and swiftly closed in around Chaos. He transformed from head to toe into Golden Armor, which fit him like a second skin and gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
At the same time, the body beneath his armor turned entirely to gold, giving him two layers of defense, inside and out. The thickest armor, the hardest hits!
He had already used up a lot of stamina, so he had to take his opponent down as quickly as possible.
Chaos wanted to trade blows and catch Zebra Killer off guard, inflicting a grievous wound.
It was a vicious strategy, to say the least!
Chaos vanished from where he stood, appearing again and again in quick succession until he was right in front of Zebra Killer. His golden foot swept forward with a gale, carrying overwhelming force.
His speed and agility weren't hindered in the slightest. That was the truly terrifying part.
Zebra Killer's expression shifted at the lightning-fast attack. His right arm barely made it in front of him before an immense force struck. His arm couldn't withstand it and slammed back into his face. The ground burst beneath his feet, and he shot away like a cannonball, kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust.
"Whoosh!"
Five ten-centimeter Golden Longswords detached from Chaos and shot after him like arrows. At the same time, Chaos kept blinking forward, closing in on him.
Zebra Killer moved quickly. He braced one hand against the ground and leaped up, his body changing as he did. Blood spilled from his mouth as he staggered backward. The five Golden Daggers pierced the ground before him as if it were tofu, disappearing into the earth.
Bang!
A golden fist collided with a black-and-white-striped hoof. A gust of wind burst forth, and the ground beneath them cracked and split like a spiderweb. The clash was deafening.
At point-blank range, Chaos stared at the humanoid zebra in front of him. This really was Zebra Killer.
It was obvious at a glance: Zoan Type: Horse-Horse Fruit: Zebra Form.
"Kid, you're dead!"
Anger filled Zebra Killer's egg-sized horse eyes. He'd been caught off guard and made to spit blood. It was humiliating.
Chaos answered with a merciless, brutal left hook of gold.
Boom! Boom!
Shockwaves from their punches churned up the ground around them. Both men's arms blurred as they attacked, and their strength seemed evenly matched.
Dull explosions rang out again and again. A hoof-shaped dent appeared on Chaos's left cheek, while a wound opened on Zebra Killer's chest, trickling with blood.
Chaos's Golden Armor swiftly shifted into a Golden Javelin. He grabbed it and thrust it forward with brute force, but Zebra Killer easily dodged, his face twisted in a vicious grimace.
Chaos's attack wasn't over. Five Golden Daggers shot up from the ground, aimed straight at Zebra Killer's vulnerable spots: his eyes, his crotch, and other vital areas.
At the last moment, Zebra Killer leaped backward, dodging them one after another. His expression grew dark.
"You despicable, shameless bastard!"
He was furious. His opponent's ability was too troublesome.
In close-quarters combat, Chaos was like steel. Zebra Killer was a Zoan user, but he didn't have any ranged attacks—and his opponent did!
With close combat and ranged attacks working together, Chaos seemed to have no weaknesses.
He'd badly underestimated him. Now that he was in the fight himself, he finally knew what Lion King Gappa had faced.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The Golden Daggers kept him at bay as Chaos charged like a tiger descending from the mountain. Spikes sprouted across his Golden Armor. He didn't bother dodging at all; he just kept attacking.
"Damn it!"
Even with Observation Haki, Zebra Killer was struggling to keep up. He had to watch out for the Golden Daggers while also preventing Chaos from getting close.
The guy was covered in spikes. There was no way to bite him.
Pfft!
The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh rang out. Zebra Killer slammed a hoof into Chaos's forehead, but Chaos hadn't even tried to dodge. Half-meter-long golden spikes extended from his right fist and plunged straight into Zebra Killer's chest.
But Zebra Killer's hide was thick. The spikes only pierced about five centimeters, and he'd managed to avoid the vital areas at the last moment.
That defense alone showed the difference between Zebra Killer and Lion King Gappa.
After all, carnivorous Zoans were stronger than herbivorous ones.
"You little brat!"
The sight of his own blood sent Zebra Killer into a roar of rage. But five spikes suddenly jutted from Chaos's chest, leaving Zebra Killer no time to retreat. They gouged a series of bloody holes into his chest.
But none of them hit a vital spot.
Chaos needed Zebra Killer alive, not dead!
"Chains of Heaven!"
Four Golden Daggers intertwined and transformed into chains. At the same time, all of Chaos's Golden Armor flowed over Zebra Killer's body like liquid, merging into golden chains that wound around him like a Giant Python and bound him up like a dumpling.
The chains were lined with tiny barbs that rotated into the flesh like gears. It took only a moment for blood to seep out through the gaps.
As the Golden Armor left his body, Chaos also reverted his body from gold to normal.
Zebra Killer struggled, unable even to scream.
But the gold was all painstakingly refined by Chaos. Zebra Killer wasn't strong enough to break it. Worse, the chains' internal barbs meant that the more he struggled, the more pain he suffered.
It was a vicious move.
But it worked.
The last Golden Dagger split into two blades, hovering about a foot off the ground. Chaos leaped onto them, grabbed the golden chains with one hand, and shot straight into the sky. In an instant, he vanished from everyone's sight.
The pirates watching the fight were all dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, the two had seemed evenly matched. How had it ended so quickly?
And the one who'd lost was Zebra Killer Barnkes, the pirate with an 81-million-berry bounty!
"How can this be? That was Zebra Killer, with an 81-million-berry bounty!"
Many of the pirates couldn't believe it.
"Remember, you owe me those berries."
Reaper Tesys turned his gaze back from the distant sky and looked at Blood Thorn and Camel Tepieru. There was no joy in his expression at winning the bet. Instead, he looked troubled.
He hadn't expected Zebra Killer to lose so quickly!
Though Gild Tesoro had taken advantage of a surprise opening, a loss was still a loss.
Besides, Gild Tesoro's ability was a real nuisance.
Without his Devil Fruit ability, Gild Tesoro would never have been a match for Zebra Killer.
Zebra Killer had lost because of his opponent's Devil Fruit ability, and nothing else!
There was no doubt that Gild Tesoro's name would soon spread through Demon Valley Town. After all, he'd risen to fame by defeating Lion King Gappa and Zebra Killer...
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