Actor-Level Acting

"Swish, swish, swish!!!"

In the blink of an eye.

The Fifth Division's vice-captain unleashed three slashes in rapid succession.

Those three slashes carried his boundless fury.

They vented the rage in his heart.

As they hacked viciously toward Lin Yan.

However.

In Lin Yan's eyes.

The three slashes moved as slowly as snails.

Slow.

Far too slow!

So slow that he only needed to take a single step.

To evade them with ease.

But...

Lin Yan's eyes shifted, and a crooked idea sprang to mind.

Two hundred thousand Beli was two hundred thousand Beli—why not take it for free?

Since they were willing to pay.

If he did not play along.

He would feel bad about it.

Lin Yan shifted to the side.

Dodging the first two slashes.

"Bang!!"

The third slash struck him directly.

Sending him flying!

"What the hell???"

The first one to leap to his feet upon seeing Lin Yan get hit was Izo.

He had personally experienced Lin Yan's speed.

Thinking of that speed, which was close to the speed of light.

A presence that even Observation Haki could not catch a trace of.

How could he possibly be struck by a slash this slow?

It was as shocking as Tathagata pressing Monkey King down with one hand, only for Monkey King to smash open Five-Finger Mountain with a single strike of his staff and then step on Tathagata's head.

"This..."

It was not just Izo. Marco, Jozu, Vista, and the others were equally dumbfounded.

They could not understand what was going on either.

Before they had time to think any further.

The surrounding Whitebeard Pirates crew members began clapping and cheering.

"Good!!!"

"As expected of the Whitebeard Pirates' vice-captain."

"That strength is beyond question!"

"This is the price of acting arrogant aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' ship."

"Kick him off the ship and let him learn how harsh the world can be."

"Tsk, tsk. On our Moby Dick, I don't care whether you're a dragon or a phoenix—you'd better lie down obediently."

Seeing Lin Yan suffer a setback.

The crew members could not have been happier.

They all clenched their fists.

It was like seeing the China national football team make it into the World Cup. They were ecstatic, dancing with joy.

"So this is your strength?"

The Fifth Division's vice-captain looked down at him. Even someone as cold as him could not help feeling rather pleased with himself.

"The Whitebeard Pirates truly deserve to be one of the Four Emperors of the New World, leaders of this era, and the strongest pirate crew in the world!"

"With Whitebeard, the world's strongest man, holding the fort, standing atop the peak, invincible beneath heaven, looking down upon these seas and sweeping across the entire world, there is not a single person around who can contend with you."

"This strength is truly incredible!"

Lin Yan put on an ugly expression.

Clutching his chest, he crouched halfway to the ground as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Though he had never won an acting award, he vividly displayed the skill of a top-tier actor.

Even his flattering lines came out with effortless ease.

Hearing Lin Yan's praises.

The Whitebeard Pirates crew members felt unbelievably good.

Like Japanese adult-film actresses.

Their hearts were filled to the brim with "happiness."

[No evidence, just a dirty joke]

"Don't think I'll let you off just because you said a few nice things!"

The vice-captain's smugness was nearly written all over his face.

Yet he still forced it down, speaking coldly to Lin Yan.

Next.

A great battle was on the verge of breaking out.

But the vice-captain basically held the upper hand throughout.

Blade flashes and sword shadows filled the air as slashes rained down without end.

He stylishly brought out all kinds of abilities for the grand stage.

Meanwhile.

Lin Yan kept retreating step by step.

He looked as though his life hung by a thread.

It even seemed that one final blow would be enough to send him to the grave.

Yet.

He stubbornly clung to his last breath.

He did not fall.

He did not retreat.

Nor did he lose!

"Damn it, just one more step."

"Finish off that shameless bastard already."

"Damn, how is he still holding on?"

"Go, Vice-Captain!"

"He's like chewing gum, clinging on no matter what!"

"Fall down! Get the hell down already!"

"Fuck, I'm about to jump in myself."

The Fifth Division's vice-captain was anxious because he had yet to defeat Lin Yan, who was clearly on the verge of death.

But he was anxious.

And the crew members watching around him were even more anxious.

They practically wanted to step in themselves.

Lin Yan had exposed so many openings.

Yet they still could not take him down.

"Gurararara—!"

Whitebeard sat in the center of the Moby Dick, the corners of his mouth beneath his crescent-shaped mustache lifting slightly.

At first, he had been puzzled as well.

But as time passed.

Lin Yan had shown his cloven hoof~~~!

Whitebeard did not expose him.

He merely fixed his sharp gaze on Lin Yan.

This brat.

He sure had plenty of crooked ideas.

Forget Jozu, Vista, and Izo.

Most likely.

Even the calmest Marco would probably get tricked if he faced him!

After a long battle.

One hundred moves passed...

Two hundred moves passed...

Five hundred moves passed...

Finally.

On the nine hundred and fourth move.

The two determined the victor.

"Bang!"

The Fifth Division's vice-captain finally could not hold on any longer. Sweat had soaked through his clothes, he was utterly exhausted, and he fainted on the spot, collapsing face-first onto the ground.

Lin Yan rubbed his hands together and said with a highly punchable expression:

"Just luck, just luck. In the end, I was only slightly better!"

"Actually, the Whitebeard Pirates do not seem all that impressive. The title of strongest pirate crew in the world feels a little overrated."

"Next! Next!"

The crew members frowned.

????

What did he mean by "not that impressive" and "overrated"????

He had only beaten one vice-captain.

And he was already acting so high and mighty?

Already looking down on everyone?

Already flying up to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun?

Did he really beat him?

I was too embarrassed to even call that a win for you!

Anyone with eyes could see that he had exhausted the vice-captain to the point of collapse.

He had only barely won.

And now he was already pushing his luck, huh!

They had lived for most of their lives.

Yet they had never seen anyone so shameless!

However.

The vice-captain's defeat was an undeniable fact.

Everyone's indignation.

Burned even hotter than before.

"I'll be next!!"

"Me!!"

"Let me do it!"

"Move aside! I'm the one fighting him!"

Earlier, they had hesitated over the two hundred thousand Beli and cursed Lin Yan as a profiteering bastard.

Now, they all fought desperately for the chance to challenge Lin Yan.

Even if it cost them every last coin they owned!

For no other reason.

They simply wanted to fight for the Whitebeard Pirates' honor!

Wasn't that one breath of pride what people lived for?

The Moby Dick erupted into noise.

Their shouts shook the heavens!