Zoan Ability User, Unexpected Gains

The moment they declared the advantage was theirs, they had already lost it.

The pirates on the dock sneered as they closed in on Dunn, paying no mind to Torff, who lay gasping for air on the ground.

From the crowd, a sturdy figure lunged forward. With claw-like weapons on both hands, he moved with the agility of a feline, leaping straight toward Dunn.

His cold, glinting claws swiped toward Dunn's face.

BOOM!

Even without activating Observation Haki, such speed was nothing more than a crawl in Dunn's eyes.

He raised his leg, coated it in Armament Haki, and delivered a direct kick, sending the charging pirate flying.

Dunn did not hold back his strength.

The kicked pirate shot out like a cannonball, carving a straight line through the surrounding group of pirates.

Every pirate in that path was sent flying.

Those who were struck, and even those merely caught in the collision, were unable to stand back up.

This sight made the surrounding pirates falter, their sneers freezing on their faces as they stood rooted to the spot.

It wasn't until a massive crashing sound echoed from behind that the silence broke.

The pirate Dunn had kicked had smashed directly into the town on the island, collapsing a string of buildings before finally falling still.

Gulp.

The silence was absolute, until someone suddenly swallowed hard.

In the current atmosphere, even that small sound was heard by many.

"He's just one guy, and there are so many of us!"

With a roar, a towering figure charged out, gripping a giant axe in both hands like a wild bull.

He raised the giant axe high and brought it down toward Dunn's head.

Dunn raised Flame, his sword coated in Haki, and calmly blocked the strike without even swaying.

However, the force of the blow pushed the ship beneath them down significantly, causing the stern to lift into the air.

Another figure darted out, his sword thrusting silently toward Dunn's side.

Dunn raised his left hand and caught the treacherous blade between his fingers.

"Ah~"

Seeing others take the lead, the rest of the pirates shouted and charged in with their weapons drawn.

Bang! Bang!

Pirates with flintlocks opened fire on Dunn.

Clang! Clang!

The bullets struck Dunn, producing crisp metallic sounds as they shattered into pieces upon impact.

After his sword was caught, Lone Wolf Asong decisively released the hilt and retreated, backing away rapidly.

One contact was all it took to realize whether an opponent was out of his league.

The earlier display had been shocking but lacked a sense of reality; now that he had engaged personally, he realized the massive gap between them.

"Running?"

Dunn flicked his wrist, throwing the sword he had caught by the tip.

Like a meteor streaking through space, the blade pierced Lone Wolf Asong's right chest, pinning him directly to the stone ground of the dock.

Following this, Dunn grabbed the giant axe with his left hand.

Giant Axe Onwa refused to let go of his weapon, so Dunn gripped the blade and swung him through the air. He used the man like a massive weapon, smashing the surrounding pirates away.

Only when Giant Axe Onwa lost his grip and was sent flying did Dunn hurl the giant axe after him.

The moment Onwa landed, still reeling from the dizziness, the giant axe crashed into him.

Crack.

The sound of shattering bones echoed through the air.

A wide circle had cleared around Dunn. The pirates retreated with dazed expressions, colliding with those behind them in a scene of utter chaos.

On the ground around Dunn, many pirates lay affected; some had already stopped breathing, while others wailed in agony.

Dunn jumped off the ship, walking through the sea of bodies toward the remaining pirates.

The surrounding pirates scrambled backward in a panic.

Seeing this, Dunn gripped the hilt of Flame and slowly drew the exceptionally long blade.

He then cast his gaze toward the one or two hundred pirates remaining.

Kill them all?

The thought crossed Dunn's mind.

He felt no aversion to killing now.

On his return trip this time, any pirates he encountered at sea who lacked value were sent to the bottom of the ocean.

"Who are you, you bastard?"

Just as Dunn was considering whether to kill them all, a figure charged over from the direction of the town.

Upon landing, it revealed a man wearing a suit—except, this guy was a bipedal black panther.

Wait, a Devil Fruit user?

A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?

Dunn's expression shifted; he didn't swing his long blade, his gaze locking onto the newcomer instead.

"Ah!"

A pirate suddenly let out a cry and turned to run.

But after taking only two steps, a Flying Slash swept past, and the shouting came to an abrupt end.

Dunn's eyes remained fixed on the arriving Devil Fruit user.

"A master swordsman?"

Seeing Dunn's slash, the Zoan user's expression turned ugly in an instant, then grew incredibly grave.

"Do you not know whose territory this is?"

The man attempted to use his backing to intimidate Dunn.

After all, a master swordsman was not easy to deal with.

While these people might lack the speed, stamina, or defense of a Devil Fruit user, their lethality was top-tier.

Unless necessary, it was best not to have a direct confrontation with a master swordsman.

"Territory? Let's hear it."

Dunn's expression flickered as he tilted his chin upward.

The surrounding pirates dared not make a move.

From this brief contact alone, these pirates had already realized one thing.

This pretty boy... no, this handsome man, was definitely not someone they could handle.

More accurately, they might be killed offhand by him.

Now, it all depended on whether this guy could stop him.

"It seems you really don't know. In that case, leave now, and I can pretend this never happened. Otherwise, if the master behind me finds out, even if you are a master swordsman, you won't be able to withstand the wrath of the master I serve."

Upon hearing Dunn's words, the Zoan user retorted with a warning and a threat.

"I told you to speak."

Dunn frowned, emphasizing his demand once more.

"The name of that master is not something you are qualified to..."

Hearing Dunn's tone, the user immediately snapped back, perhaps accustomed to throwing his weight around here.

Dunn was naturally pleased to have stumbled upon an unexpected gain.

However, he did not like the tone this guy was using.

BOOM!

The stone slabs beneath Dunn's feet shattered. The next moment, his left hand, coated in Armament Haki, clamped onto the user's face.

BOOM!

The man was slammed heavily into the ground by Dunn.

Cracks spread in every direction from the head pinned beneath Dunn's left hand.

The pier fell deathly silent; one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stared at Dunn in horror, not even daring to breathe, holding their breath for dear life.

Some of the more timid ones were on the verge of tears.

"I said, speak!"

Dunn pressed his left hand against the guy's head and spoke once more.