Accident

"Who I am isn't important. What matters is... this Devil Fruit is mine now. Thanks!" As he spoke, he gave the Devil Fruit in his hand a little shake.

Bartolomeo: "..." It was already in his hand... At first, he thought he had hit the jackpot! But instead...

Colonel Wild Dog: "..."

He was gritting his teeth in fury. This was the key he had planned to use to open doors higher up. If he hadn't been wary of Moke's ability, he would have made his move long ago.

But since the other party already knew it was a Devil Fruit, there was no way he would give it back. In other words, a battle between them was inevitable.

"Shave."

Colonel Wild Dog was also a decisive man. Once he made up his mind, he stopped wasting words.

His entire body vanished from everyone's sight once more. By the time he reappeared, he was already in front of Moke.

"Finger Pistol~!"

His index finger shot forward like a gun barrel, stabbing toward Moke's brow.

"Clang..."

Moke did not dodge. Relying on his ability, he prepared to counterattack. The instant Colonel Wild Dog's finger struck Moke's brow—

Sandai Kitetsu flew from Moke's hand, carving a cold gleam through the air. But just as it was about to cut Colonel Wild Dog, he used Shave again and entered a state of high-speed movement.

Thus avoiding Moke's strike. When he reappeared, he was already ten meters away.

At that moment, the look in his eyes changed again. With a mixture of shock and confusion, he said, "You really are a Logia user. But... Admiral Kizaru is still alive and well, so how did you get the Glint-Glint Fruit?"

He had never heard of another Logia Devil Fruit similar to the Glint-Glint Fruit. Originally, he had thought Moke possessed merely a Paramecia Devil Fruit resembling the Glint-Glint Fruit.

At most, it would grant him movement and attack methods similar to the Glint-Glint Fruit.

But after that exchange, he had tested it out. The guy opposite him really was a Logia user, or else Elementalization would have been impossible.

Moke grinned. "That's none of your business. By the way, have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"

As soon as he finished speaking, light elements gathered around Moke's foot, causing his entire right leg to shine.

"Not good..."

Colonel Wild Dog's expression changed drastically.

"Shave..."

At the same time, Moke's right leg lashed out, firing a beam of light.

"Boom—boom—boom..."

Colonel Wild Dog, who had dodged first, watched as the beam passed through the spot where he had just been standing and struck a warship at the harbor. Its immense power pierced straight through the entire hull.

Then, amid a roaring blast, the warship snapped in two at the middle and rapidly sank.

"Gasp..."

Colonel Wild Dog could not help sucking in a cold breath. If that had hit him, he would have been crippled even if it didn't kill him!

The thought made his scalp tingle.

Still, he was someone taught by Zephyr. Even if his character was lacking, his strength was real, and his courage was even greater.

The pressure Moke gave him did not make him retreat. Instead, it stirred his fighting spirit. He stared fixedly at Moke. "Ever since I was assigned to East Blue as its deputy commander, it has been a long time since I've had a truly satisfying fight."

As soon as he finished speaking, Colonel Wild Dog's body began to change. Gray fur grew all over him, and his hands began turning into claws.

Now Moke finally understood why this guy was called Colonel Wild Dog.

Because this guy was a Zoan-type Wild Dog Fruit user.

"Shave..."

The next instant, Colonel Wild Dog vanished again.

"Damn..."

He had to admit, Shave felt great when he used it himself. But when an opponent used it, it was incredibly troublesome. Moke could only remain completely on guard...

When Colonel Wild Dog reappeared, he was already behind Moke.

"Finger Pistol!"

"Clang..."

This time, Moke did not choose Elementalization. The moment Wild Dog used his ability, Moke had felt a vague sense of unease.

So he swung Sandai Kitetsu backward with his backhand. The blade struck Colonel Wild Dog's finger with perfect accuracy...

What Moke had not expected was the terrifying force coming from Colonel Wild Dog's finger, making his hand tremble.

He had to admit, Zoan Devil Fruits were truly perfect for martial arts experts. Forget anything else—just the boost in strength alone was frightening.

But what truly alarmed Moke was not merely that.

Because when he turned his head, he saw that Colonel Wild Dog's finger was actually coated in Armament Haki.

"Damn it, this is East Blue! Armament Haki Coating? Isn't that ridiculously overpowered?"

Moke cursed wildly in his heart, while also feeling immensely relieved. More importantly, he kept reminding himself that he could never underestimate anyone again, much less rely too heavily on Elementalization.

Otherwise, he might end up trapped in an "Iron Body Illusion" situation, and that would be a tragedy.

Moke instantly turned into a beam of light, opening up some distance between them. At that moment, the way he looked at Colonel Wild Dog was somewhat different.

The corners of Wild Dog's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a trace of smugness. This was his final trump card.

Not long ago, he had awakened Armament Haki.

Though it was only at the most rudimentary level. He could barely even coat both fists with it... but that was enough. This was also one of the trump cards giving him confidence that he could rise to the rank of rear admiral at Headquarters.

And at that moment, Moke's fighting spirit was also stirred.

"Shine..."

The next second, light elements gathered around Moke, making him look like a tiny sun. The blinding light made everyone unable—and unwilling—to look directly at him.

Because just one glance made their eyes feel as if they were burning, hurting so badly that they could not open them.

"One Sword Style—Demon Flame Flash!"

Seizing this opportunity, the Ghost Aura from Moke and Sandai Kitetsu surged forth, finally merging into one.

"Whoosh..."

Moke's figure flashed away. When he appeared again, he was already behind Colonel Wild Dog, slowly sheathing Sandai Kitetsu.

"Splurt..."

When the light surrounding Moke faded, a wound burst open on Colonel Wild Dog's body, and blood sprayed out wildly.

Colonel Wild Dog's face was full of disbelief. In East Blue, he had always possessed absolute confidence in his own strength. Yet he had never expected...

"Bastard..."

Colonel Wild Dog cursed under his breath. Moke's move was truly a headache. It made people unable to see, and he had awakened Armament Haki, not Observation Haki.

How could he dodge the other party's attacks when he could not see?

"Tempest Kick..."

Colonel Wild Dog spun around and unleashed a Tempest Kick Slash.

"Clang..."

Moke's reaction was not slow either. Sandai Kitetsu instantly left its sheath and slashed out, forcibly blocking the attack. But the powerful impact drove him back four or five meters.

"Shave..."

And how could Colonel Wild Dog possibly miss such a good opportunity?

With one Shave, he appeared directly behind Moke. "Finger Pistol..."

His index finger stabbed straight toward the back of Moke's head...