Treasure found his opponent's answer so matter-of-fact that he gave up on asking any more questions.
But he had no intention of kneeling and surrendering, either. His hands trembled slightly as he slowly raised them.
He was clearly still trying to fight back.
Seeing this, Will decided not to waste any more time. He raised his leg and unleashed an ultra-fast kick!
Rankyaku: Instant Slash!
Treasure, barely holding himself up, couldn't react at all.
He only saw a pale blue blur flash before his eyes before a crescent slash struck him squarely in the chest.
The tremendous impact made his eyes bulge. Even his sturdy Chain Armor was cleaved apart, exposing more gaps in its defense.
Will didn't stop attacking. He moved in close, following through with his momentum.
He raised both hands and began jabbing repeatedly with his index fingers!
Shigan: Stardust!
The next moment,
Will's arms became a flurry of afterimages.
His two fingers were like a hail of bullets, repeatedly slipping through the gaps in the chain armor and striking Treasure with pinpoint accuracy.
As he was hit by a barrage of attacks, Treasure's whole body trembled and jerked in place as if he were being electrocuted. Blood kept spilling from the corners of his mouth.
At that moment, he was like a puppet at someone else's mercy, utterly unable to fight back.
After launching dozens of attacks in just a few seconds,
Will suddenly stopped, lowered his hands, and stood to one side, calmly looking at the battered body before him.
Treasure stood rigidly in place.
Countless bloody holes covered his body, blood continuously flowing from them.
He lasted less than two seconds before his knees buckled and he fell helplessly to the ground.
Trembling, he struggled to lift his head.
Treasure looked up at the man who was about to end his life. His lips quivered, as if he still had something to say.
Finger Pistol—!
But Will had no patience for last words. He thrust out two fingers together, leaving an afterimage as he swiftly jabbed Treasure in the throat.
The movement was clean and decisive.
"You looked like you still had something to say, but forget it. I can't be bothered to listen."
"Go in peace. I'll make good use of all the treasure you own."
Treasure instinctively used the last of his strength to clutch his throat.
His bloodshot eyes widened as he tilted his head back and stared fixedly at Will, his expression twisted with rage.
"Damn it... I just... can't accept this..."
"Out at sea... there's still... so much... treasure... I haven't... got..."
As he teetered on the brink of death, all kinds of thoughts began to surface in Treasure's mind. More than anything, he couldn't let go of his obsession with treasure.
Unfortunately, his hands couldn't plug the wound. Blood continued to seep through the gaps between his fingers.
At last, Treasure collapsed onto the ground.
His eyes were wide open, his expression full of resentment, but he didn't move again.
After taking care of Treasure,
Will felt not a moment's regret for him. He immediately began analyzing and reviewing the battle.
"Without using the Three Colors of Armament Haki, and relying only on the Six Powers,"
"a Devil Fruit User around Treasure's level poses absolutely no threat to me."
"It seems my overall strength is more than enough to handle anything in the East Blue."
Nami and Carina, watching Treasure fall in defeat, secretly breathed sighs of relief.
They turned their attention to Will.
They saw him standing there without a word, seemingly lost in thought.
Carina and Nami exchanged a glance, then turned around in perfect unison and tried to sneak away as quietly as they could.
From the way he spoke,
the man who had saved them didn't seem like he could be a Marine.
And he didn't have the air of a pirate, either, so he was most likely a lone Bounty Hunter.
But the way he killed without hesitation
made Nami and Carina doubt that he was simply a kind soul who liked helping people.
He might have saved them for some other reason.
So when they realized they had a chance to get away,
neither of them hesitated to take it.
Will had been about to check his system panel, but he immediately noticed their movements. He turned around and said sternly,
"You think you can run after I saved you? Not so fast!"
As soon as the words left his mouth,
Will vanished from where he stood and appeared behind the two women, who had just turned and taken a few steps, trying to slip away.
He placed both hands on their shoulders.
Feeling the warm hands resting on their shoulders,
Nami and Carina broke out in a cold sweat. Their cautious expressions instantly froze.
Seeing the enormous shadow cast behind them, they stood motionless.
After a few seconds,
the two women realized they had no way to resist. They could only abandon their escape plans for the moment, turn their heads sideways, and put on their sweetest smiles.
Seeing how sensible they were, Will stopped trying to intimidate them and slowly withdrew his hands.
Seeing that Will didn't seem particularly hostile,
Carina gradually calmed down and asked curiously,
"Um, benefactor, may I ask why?"
"Now that you know who we are, why did you still choose to save us?"
"Who you are?" Will looked puzzled. "You mean thieves?"
Carina nodded slightly, and Nami looked over with a hint of curiosity, too.
Neither of them tried to deny it again.
Will clearly didn't look like the sort of gullible fool who was easy to deceive.
To treat him like an idiot now would be like gambling with their lives.
Carina and Nami had been making their way across the sea for years. Neither of them would do something so foolish.
"Why..."
Will thought for a moment, then answered bluntly,
"Because you two don't feel like pirates to me."
"And you managed to escape to this island while so many people were chasing you, so I imagine you're both pretty experienced at sailing."
"That happens to suit my needs."
"I'm going to set sail on a long voyage, so I need to find a reliable navigator."
Hearing this answer,
Carina's eyes lit up. She immediately took a step back and placed her hands on Nami's shoulders from behind, wearing a sweet smile.
"Ehehe~ Then you've found the right person! Nami's a very professional navigator!"
"At least, of all the people I've met, no one has more sailing experience than her!"
Nami's eye twitched at those words. She gritted her teeth, thoroughly annoyed.
"Damn you, you Female Fox..."
"Ehehehe." Carina covered her mouth and giggled, then took two steps backward with her hands behind her back.
"Since you've already found a navigator, benefactor, I'll be on my way."
"Thanks for saving us. I hope you have a pleasant journey~"
With that, she immediately prepared to turn and leave, afraid Will would make her stay, too.
Before you continue