Wiping Out Bandits

Thirty Million Volts: Thunderstorm!!

Using his bouncing ability to reach high altitudes, Ron spread his hands, unleashing thousands of electric eels that painted the night sky with fireworks. The current Thunderstorm was far more powerful than the one tested at the New Recruit Camp; not only had its power doubled, but its coverage area was now boundless!

Dull thunderclaps sounded one after another, and within a few breaths, the entire night sky was illuminated as if it were day.

Above, the sky was densely covered with lightning bolts shaped like arrows! The crackling of electricity was incessant, making one's scalp tingle!

Mr. 3 looked back and saw this scene, completely stunned. It wasn't until the lightning arrows began to rain down on the ground, and the sense of impending death grew stronger, that he screamed, "Watch out!!! Enemy attack!!!"

At the same time, he slightly bent over, placing his hands on the ground. Masses of wax oil rolled and wove like white waves, forming a sturdy candle wall three meters high and one meter thick in front of him.

Doru Doru no Mi: Candle Wall!

"Candles? Mr. 3, Galdino?"

High in the sky, illuminated by the lightning filling the heavens, Ron could clearly see the white shield on the ground.

This person had some skill in the original story. Because no one could counter him in the early stages, the protagonist Straw Hat Pirates suffered quite a bit at his hands.

The candle formed by the Doru Doru no Mi was as hard as iron, highly malleable, and unpredictable. It could be considered both offensive and defensive.

However, it had a fatal weakness: wax was extremely afraid of high temperatures.

And now, he had encountered him...

One must remember that the destructive power of lightning primarily manifested in the terrifyingly high temperatures that could instantly cause air to vibrate and produce thunder!

"For a top executive... I can spare you for a moment..."

High in the sky, Ron was like a deity judging the mortal world, passing sentence on each member of Baroque Works below. With a thought, the lightning arrows filling the sky gently parted, leaving a blank area.

A few lightning arrows still flew towards Galdino, but if he couldn't even block these few, then there would be no point in holding back...

Boom... Crackle!!

The lightning arrows moved at extreme speed, striking the candle shield in an instant.

The sturdy candle, which could withstand three seconds even in flames, was instantly pierced by the lightning. Simultaneously, the remaining arrows attacked relentlessly, leaving no room for escape. The entire shield didn't last even a second before it crumbled into countless scalding hot wax oil droplets, scattering in all directions.

"Nani?!"

Such a terrifying attack sent Galdino into a panic. Without time to think of anything else, he coated himself in wax oil and, using the shockwave from the lightning's explosion, was sent flying high into the air.

If even the top executive Mr. 3 was so helpless, then the other ordinary members were even less able to withstand the attack of Thunderstorm! With each bolt of lightning that struck, one person was scorched into charcoal!

The deafening thunder lasted for less than three seconds, but after those three seconds, the entire camp was engulfed in raging infernos, branches blackened and smoking, and the earth cracked and dried.

Screams, wails, and the crackling of burning branches filled the air, along with the smell of ozone and the unique scent of scorched protein that permeated the night sky.

The members who remained standing were terrified, looking at the camp that had instantly turned into a living hell, utterly lost. They could stand not because of their overwhelming strength, but merely because they had luckily avoided being hit by Thunderstorm.

Crash...

Amidst the ruins of a house, Mr. 1 lifted a slab of stone from himself, looking up at the sky with a grim expression.

Through the moonlight, firelight, and smoke, high in the sky, a figure's lower body was entwined with lightning. Leaning against the bright moon, he calmly surveyed the scene. The air was filled with the foul smell of roasted human flesh; the entire scene was like the end of the world!

"Who is he? Can control lightning? A Logia user?!"

Ron's existence had not been widely publicized by the Marines. Due to their BOSS's orders, they dared not venture out, which was why Daz Bones had no idea that a person named Ron had appeared in the world over the past six months.

But this did not prevent him from deducing from Ron's attack that the newcomer was a Logia user, and... an opponent they couldn't defeat!

Trouble!

Daz Bones sighed inwardly. His countless life-or-death experiences had given him a good mindset. He glanced at the surrounding ruined camp and the heavily wounded subordinates, took a deep breath, and said, "Mr. 3! If you're not dead, break through quickly!"

Crackle... Crackle...

Not far from him, a mostly melted wax ball dissolved, revealing Galdino inside, his body suffering extensive burns.

He had indeed used wax to block the terrifying heat from the lightning, but the melted wax oil was also not low in temperature. Trapped inside the ball, he had nowhere to escape and was almost cooked alive, becoming a roasted chicken.

Knowing the power of lightning, Galdino wasted no words, nodded, and shouted.

"Everyone scatter and break through! He's only one person, save who you can!"

Immediately, the surviving Baroque Works members' spirits lifted. Without further ado, they sprinted towards the jungle.

Facing a monster that had wiped out more than half of them with a single move, these people had no thought of resistance. At this moment, they only wished they had had more legs to run faster!

However, they didn't know that Ron's goal was clearly to capture them all and would never allow anyone to escape. Now that they were scattering, Ron would inevitably pursue them. This, in turn, would give Galdino and Daz Bones an opportunity to escape. They were merely bait, cannon fodder to attract Ron's attention.

This was the style of Baroque Works: as long as I can survive, I don't care if you live or die!

Moreover, the opponent was only one person; no matter what, he couldn't possibly capture all of them at once... right?

Suddenly, Daz Bones's ears twitched, and his face turned extremely grim.

"Criminals cannot be allowed to escape! Everyone, attack!!!"

"Yes!"

This shout did not come from their own men, but from someone else.

As Ron watched indifferently, as expected, those who had just entered the jungle began to scream in the next moment. Sword light and sword shadows flashed and intertwined, gunshots rang out continuously, and the stench of blood and gunpowder quickly filled the air.

This was a one-sided slaughter!

Facing an elite squad under Garp, let alone less than 300 Baroque Works grunts, they could calmly handle an entire regular army of a kingdom!

Before long, Traine emerged from the jungle, covered in blood, his Good Fast Sword dripping scarlet liquid. The dark clouds had just dispersed, casting half of him in moonlight, making him look like a demon!

Seeing the enemy's attire, Daz Bones' heart sank further.

"Ma...rines...!!"

At the same time, Ron descended gracefully, stepping into the hell on earth he had created.

Noticing the white rose on his chest, Daz Bones suddenly understood, "So that's it! Fred betrayed us!"

Ron's attire was standard for a Flower Capital Guard, and wearing a rose on his chest was a privilege only reserved for the Queen's Guard. Now, with the Queen of the Flower Capital's Guard and the Marines joining forces here and crippling them, their objective was clear.

They had been betrayed!

Fred not only didn't intend to pay their reward but also used them as a contribution to the Marines!

In the Flower Capital, there was no one else capable of tracking them besides Fred!

"Bastard!!!"

Gal Dino's hair was partially ripped off by scalding hot wax, and large patches of his body were red. Seeing who the enemy was, the ruthlessness inherent in his killer's nature erupted.

Traine drew his sword and advanced, a potent killing intent directed at his opponent.

"I advise you to behave! Resist and you will be killed!"

"You think I'm afraid of you!"

The stinging pain from the burns robbed Gal Dino of his usual composure. He raised his hands, and torrents of wax gushed out, piling up on the ground. In an instant, a giant wax puppet appeared in the center of the field, about ten meters tall.

"Going all out?"

Ron narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Gal Dino, whose forehead was covered in cold sweat but not a drop of wax.

"Fine, with Daz Bones here, you're already meaningless..."

"Die, Marines!!"

Gal Dino roared, commanding the wax giant to stride forward and slash down at the densest concentration of Marines.

Bang!!

The wax giant wielded two long swords. With the power of the Doru Doru no Mi, they were not only as hard as iron but also incredibly sharp. Combined with the terrifying weight of its massive body, the ground trembled with each downward slash.

However, the targeted soldiers showed no panic. As elites under Garp, they were accustomed to fighting all sorts of powerful enemies. Almost the moment the greatsword descended, a group of them scattered, using Geppo and Soru to evade.

"Hmph! Stubborn fools!"

The wax giant wouldn't cause substantial damage to the soldiers, but its immense size gave it an extremely wide attack range. The soldiers couldn't get close while ensuring their safety and could only flee from the pursuit. Annoyed, Traine was about to draw his sword to attack it when he noticed a flash of lightning behind Gal Dino.

That was the unique movement method of a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user: teleportation!

It was even superior to "Tyrant" Bear's air-based teleportation, a miracle with no trace whatsoever!

Putting down his sword, Traine's expression remained unchanged as he stared at the sole remaining Daz Bones.

"This is the end. Surrender now!"

At the same time, accompanied by a piercing crackling noise, Ron held a ball of lightning and thrust it upwards.

Squelch!!

"Waaah!!"

The wax puppet's movement halted. Gal Dino stared in disbelief at the hand piercing through his chest.

"When... did you..."

"Guess?"

Splash!

As Ron pulled his hand out of his chest cavity, large amounts of blood and organ fragments spewed out like a fountain, quickly dyeing the ground red.

Until his death, Gal Dino never realized when Ron had appeared behind him. Techniques like teleportation were impossible to counter without Observation Haki or combat intuition like Luffy's.

Rumble!!!

Without its master, the wax giant began to collapse, quickly turning into harmless ordinary wax. At this moment, Ron and Traine's gazes locked onto Daz Bones, who began to approach, holding Seastone handcuffs.

"Resist, and you will be killed!!"

"Kill!"

The soldiers' synchronized roar echoed through the mountains. The remaining Baroque Works members looked ashen, dropping their weapons.

These Marines were too terrifying!

They were utterly outmatched!