Unethical?

Luo Ya hurried toward the central castle, casually igniting any buildings he passed with a flick of his hand.

Scarface, you'd better hold on. Don't let anyone else pick the peaches before I get back. Luo Ya thought, involuntarily quickening his pace.

Upon reaching the castle gates, two guards still stood watch, dressed in black suits, holding flintlock pistols and with long blades tucked into their waistbands.

"Halt! Who goes there!" The guards hurriedly raised their guns, aiming at Luo Ya.

Unfortunately, the guns in this world of One Piece were pathetic. Aside from a few famous marksmen like Yasopp, everyone else using a gun was just a small-time thug.

Support Slash! Luo Ya sheathed his blade. A thin, scorching line of fire cut diagonally upward from the left, slicing through the guards and the gate. Luo Ya stepped past them and kicked the wooden doors. The two guards collapsed, split in half, the flames from their wounds crackling as they burned.

Luo Ya entered the castle, where several Camorra Family thugs swarmed out, brandishing blades and guns, launching a fierce assault on him.

The bang-bang of gunfire filled the air with thick white smoke.

"What a pity. You lot don't understand the 'no smoke, no damage' rule." Before Luo Ya even finished speaking, a circular sword aura erupted from him. A derivative of Support Slash: Ring Cut! As the name implied, it was a circular draw-cut. With the dual enhancement of Ryujin Jakka and Scorching Cloud, it was exceptionally effective for clearing out fodder, especially when surrounded.

"Ah! My hand! Waaaah!" As the smoke cleared, it was accompanied by the miserable wails of the thugs, leaving a pile of "corpses" with severed limbs and waists that hadn't quite died yet.

Luo Ya appeared among them, holding his blade in one hand, his eyes glowing with a bloodthirsty red light. "Principle! Come out and die! Someone has bought your life."

Before his voice faded, a gust of wind struck. Luo Ya barely had time to mobilize his Armament Haki to cover himself.

Bang! With a dull thud, Luo Ya used the force to slide back, his feet carving long furrows into the ground.

Standing in his original spot was a muscular brute with a chest covered in black fur and a head of short, white, bristly hair. He was nearly as tall as Luo Ya, around 1.9 meters, and looked incredibly thick and sturdy. Perhaps because of his large head, his ears were barely visible, and his eyes bore a striking resemblance to a deceased acquaintance of Luo Ya's from his past life, surnamed Li.

"Fire Ghost Luo Ya, you've got some nerve coming here to run wild. Just because you got lucky and killed a few Marines, you've forgotten your place, haven't you?" Honey Badger said.

"Damn it, can you open your eyes when you talk!" Luo Ya laughed.

"I've already opened them as wide as they go, damn it!" Honey Badger's eyes widened a fraction, turning bloodshot, and he roared as he threw a fierce punch at Luo Ya.

Clang! Luo Ya blocked it with his blade, but he couldn't stop himself from sliding backward.

Zoan-type Devil Fruit abilities inherently strengthened the user's physique. Honey Badger had been a hot-tempered martial arts expert even before eating the fruit; it was a match made in heaven.

Combined, while he lacked any one-hit-kill special abilities, his speed, strength, and stamina were all-around enhanced.

Besides, anyone with small-eyed brothers knew that the thing they hated most was being told to open their eyes when they spoke!

The enraged Honey Badger saw his heavy punch blocked by Luo Ya, and with a tacit understanding, both men simultaneously launched a straight kick.

With a bang, they separated. Luo Ya let out a muffled groan; even with his protagonist halo, his physical stats were still more than a little behind Honey Badger's.

I can't fall into his rhythm. I have to use the reach of my weapon. Luo Ya thought, his eyes locked on Honey Badger's "closed" eyes.

After regaining his footing, Honey Badger raised his right fist. "Heh, your weapon isn't bad. It seems the bounty the Marines put on you is becoming less and less valuable. After I snap your neck, I'll be sure to keep this blade as a souvenir."

Before he finished, Luo Ya pushed off the ground. Support Slash! A scorching flame sword aura slashed diagonally from the lower left. Just as Honey Badger dodged and his momentum faltered, Luo Ya unleashed, "Castle Wall Flame!"

Luo Ya seized the opportunity to follow up with a horizontal slash to the left, a fan-shaped wave of fire engulfing Honey Badger's upper body.

Even a tough guy like Honey Badger couldn't help but scream under the searing heat of Ryujin Jakka.

Just as Luo Ya prepared to press the attack and finish him off, a gust of wind from the side aimed directly at his temple.

Bang! Luo Ya only had time to coat himself in a thin layer of Armament Haki before he was sent flying, smashing through the castle wall and kicking up a sky full of dust.

Step! Step! As the footsteps approached and the smoke cleared, Luo Ya knelt on one knee, propping himself up with his blade. He covered his left eye with one hand, bright red blood streaming through his fingers.

"Fire Ghost Luo Ya, not bad. Your reflexes are fast enough; I thought I could finish you in one hit. Looks like this will take a bit more effort." The speaker was none other than the boss of the Camorra Family, Principle. He maintained his half-beast form, his head resembling a lion's, his right palm stained with a touch of crimson.

Damn it, novels lied to me. Who said villains always attack one by one? He was clearly hiding in the shadows waiting for this exact moment to ambush me. I was too eager to finish off Honey Badger. My right eye is completely bloodshot and blind. My head is spinning like crazy. Luo Ya thought, panting heavily while half-kneeling.

Although everyone in the One Piece world had a physique like a monster—like Whitebeard, who could still fight Akainu half to death after having half his head blown off—that didn't apply to swordsmen.

Swordsmen were always glass cannons with high attack and high speed. Even Zoro in the original story was left crippled after taking a few hits. After all, you can't be both incredibly tanky and deal massive damage! That would be playing God!

Principle looked toward Honey Badger. "Finish this brat and hurry to the docks. Things are getting rowdy over there. It seems it's not just this kid; others are causing trouble too. I've been quiet for too long, and now every stray cat and dog thinks they can jump out."

Honey Badger stood up. This time, he looked less strange, his entire body charred black and smelling of burnt hair. He gritted his teeth. "Boss, don't let him die too easily. I'm going to crush every bone in his body!"

With that, the two of them lunged at Luo Ya together.