Betrayal

"Dad! I searched the back mountain for ages, but I couldn't find him anywhere. That bastard Leiyin has already escaped!" Verdan shouted coquettishly from far away on the battlefield.

The villagers locked in fierce combat did not react much. Everyone had probably expected this outcome long ago.

Farmer, the village chief, was on the verge of breaking down. He was filled with regret, frustration, and fury. He had trusted that boy so much, yet the bastard had actually run away. Back then, he had solemnly guaranteed to everyone that the boy would protect the village. It was all because he had been blind and misjudged the man. Now, Farmer hated Leiyin so much that he wished he could kill him!

But there was no use thinking about it now. Farmer shouted at Verdan in the distance, "Little Wei! Run! Run as far away as you can! Don't come back!"

Verdan began to cry when she heard him. "Then what about you, Dad?"

Farmer's expression was solemn. "Don't worry about me! A father's natural duty is to protect his daughter. Run!"

Tears filled Verdan's eyes. She followed Farmer's words and ran into the distance.

Anderson had heard those words as well. How could he let go of the little beauty he had longed for day and night?

At that moment, Anderson was locked in battle with Miller, but he still said to several pirates fighting nearby, "Go. Bring Verdan back to me, no matter what. Otherwise, I'll execute you!"

The pirates received their orders and ran in Verdan's direction.

Miller continued to entangle Anderson.

"Six Powers—Finger Pistol!"

Miller shouted softly. Power gathered on his index finger before it shot out abruptly. Anderson, however, casually shifted aside and dodged the attack.

"Six Powers—Tempest Kick!"

Miller attacked him again, sending out a slashing shock wave wrapped in a whirlwind from his foot. Anderson easily dodged it once more.

Anderson was simply too fast.

"It's been a year, but your strength hasn't improved at all." Anderson sneered at Miller.

Immediately afterward, Anderson's hands transformed into the claws of jackals. Sharp as razors, they viciously slashed toward Miller's chest. Miller could not dodge in time, and a web of bloody scratches appeared across his chest.

Jackal claws?

That was right. They were jackal claws.

Anderson, captain of the Evil Wolf Pirates, had a bounty of ten million Beli and was a Devil Fruit user with the Zoan-type Jackal form!

In fact, a year ago, when the Evil Wolf Pirates had first invaded the village, Anderson had already fought Miller. At that time, the two of them had barely been evenly matched. Even then, Anderson had been slightly stronger than Miller.

Over the past year, Miller had relied on his talent for making a name for himself and earned the villagers' trust, but his body had long since been hollowed out by alcohol and women. Anderson, meanwhile, had constantly fought people from other islands to expand his power, so his combat ability had naturally continued to increase.

Anderson had already been a Devil Fruit user, making him slightly stronger than Miller to begin with. Miller's physical condition had deteriorated, while Anderson's combat strength had grown. The difference between them was obvious.

"Six Powers—Iron Body!"

Seeing Anderson's jackal claws clench into fists, Miller activated the defensive technique Iron Body from the Six Powers to withstand the blow head-on.

The result was that Anderson punched Miller hard enough to make him vomit blood and roll his eyes back.

"Your Iron Body is truly weak, Miller." Anderson, half-transformed into a beast, mocked Miller as he lay on the ground.

Then Anderson's expression changed. "You actually stopped me from chasing Verdan. I'll make sure you die in agony!"

As he spoke, his jackal claws reached toward Miller. The claws were like razors, slicing the flesh from Miller's body. Miller immediately let out a pained howl.

The claws struck toward Miller a second time, and he screamed even more miserably.

By the third strike, Miller could not take it anymore. "L-Lord Anderson, please spare me!"

Hearing Miller's plea, Anderson wore an even more smug and excited expression. "Ahahaha! What a damn 'Guardian.' You're nothing special after all!"

The villagers nearby, still struggling in battle, heard Miller's words and could hardly believe their ears.

He was the village's guardian deity. How could he say something like that? He had even addressed Anderson as "Lord"! The villagers could not help but be shocked.

It was easy to paint a tiger's skin but difficult to paint its bones; you could know a person's face but not his heart!

What shocked them even more was still to come.

"Lord Anderson, as long as you spare me, I'm willing to do anything for you!" Miller said.

Hearing this, Anderson became even more ecstatic. "Really? Then I want you to turn your spear against these ignorant, worthless peasants. Can you do that?"

Miller thought for a moment. "That... won't be a problem!"

Farmer was fighting bitterly nearby with a sword in hand. He had heard the entire conversation between Miller and Anderson. After cutting down a pirate, he shouted toward them, "Miller, do you even know what you're saying?"

Although Farmer disliked Miller, deep down, he could not believe Miller would betray everyone.

But the truth was completely different from what Farmer had imagined.

Hearing Farmer shout at him, Miller shouted back, "Shut up! You old fossil, I've put up with you for long enough. You walk around all day with that arrogant look on your face, pissing people off just by looking at you. You act as if you're some kind of savior. You should know that I'm the one protecting this village!"

"You haven't protected a damn thing!" Farmer roared furiously. "Look at yourself! How dare you spout such nonsense here?"

The villagers fighting nearby also could not help condemning him one after another. "Miller, I never thought you were this kind of person!"

"We really misjudged you!"

"Miller, you're nothing but a beast!"

Hearing the villagers' words, Miller's face darkened. "Since you say I'm a beast, then I'll show you just how much of a beast I am!"

As he spoke, Miller charged into the crowd and used the Six Powers against the villagers. Three villagers were knocked down in an instant.

Miller had already submitted to absolute power and become a slave to the devil, turning against his own side to slaughter the villagers.

Only today did the people finally see Miller's true face.

Calling him a "Guardian" was simply a slap in the villagers' faces.

Miller's betrayal further lowered the people's morale. They felt that everything was lost and that the end of the world had arrived.

Even in his excitement, Anderson did not give up pursuing Verdan. He did not believe that a powerless fifteen-year-old girl could escape his grasp. In his eyes, both Verdan and the village were already his possessions.

As expected, it did not take long for two pirates to bring Verdan back.

Seeing Verdan, Anderson's blood surged with excitement. "Little darling, you can't escape my grasp."

Verdan's face was ashen.

What good could come from a lamb entering a tiger's den?

Farmer saw what was happening and shouted, "Bastard, let go of my daughter!"

Just as the two pirates were about to drag Verdan onto the ship, two concealed weapons flew over and stabbed both pirates to the ground.