Slaughter in the Rain

The rain poured without end, and a cold, gloomy air blanketed the entire island.

Van carried his sword and walked unhurriedly into the open space between the dock and the buildings.

A sentry spotted him but could not make out his face, so he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Who's there?"

Van did not answer. His body darted beneath the eaves like a ghost, and the long blade in his hand swept out cleanly.

"Splurt!"

The blade flashed. The sentry staggered back clutching his throat, crashing through the half-open door.

The four men drinking inside froze for a moment. When they saw blood gushing from their companion's neck, they finally let out shrill cries.

"Enemy attack! Notify Brother Bareno now!"

"Boss is on the ship drinking with Lord Diamante! Call him, quick!"

A fat man hurriedly searched for the Den Den Mushi, while the other three picked up their guns and cautiously stepped outside.

No one?

The three swallowed hard and exchanged glances, urging one another to check the situation in the rain.

But none of them were fools. Knowing there was danger outside, who would willingly go?

Just as they reached a stalemate, the Den Den Mushi suddenly rang behind them. Their remaining companion was contacting Bareno.

The three relaxed slightly, thinking they would not have to take the risk once their boss arrived. To their surprise, the muddy ground before them suddenly exploded.

"Crack!"

Lightning flashed at that very moment. They had only just made out the figure that appeared when a slash of light tore open their chests.

Blinding pain struck. One of them pulled the trigger and roared, "Die!"

"Guns aren't fast enough!"

A cold voice sounded behind the three men. Before they could turn around, a chill was already closing in on the backs of their necks.

"Slash!"

The long sword carved an arc through the air. Heads flew high, and blood sprayed forth like fountains.

The next second, the three collapsed stiffly. The mud beneath the eaves was instantly dyed red.

"My current martial arts strength is only a little better than a CP9 agent like Kalifa. Killing people isn't as easy as using my ability, but being able to vent my emotions directly does feel damn good!"

"I'll eventually face situations that abilities can't easily solve, so close-combat methods can't be neglected either. I need to practice and use them more from now on."

Entering the building, Van stomped down hard with his right foot, crushing the throat-slashed lackey who had not yet breathed his last.

Seeing this, the only remaining fat man finally snapped out of his daze. He backed away in terror, clutching the Den Den Mushi.

"Y-you... don't come any closer. Brother Bareno and Lord Diamante will be here soon. They won't let you go."

"I just hope they don't run away!"

Van rushed forward. His right hand thrust out like lightning, and the blade pierced the fat man's heart.

The Den Den Mushi fell to the ground, transmitting a drunken voice. "W-what is it?"

"Tell Diamante that once he's eaten and drunk his fill, it's time for him to hit the road."

With that, Van turned and left the building, heading toward the mine not far away.

Most of the island's people were gathered there. If he wanted to destroy this place, he had to kill every guard.

On the transport ship.

"Bang!"

Hearing the arrogant words coming through the Den Den Mushi, Diamante crushed the cup in his hand in fury.

He glared at the tattooed burly man across the table and demanded, "Bareno, was that one of your men?"

"N-no!"

Bareno sobered up instantly from fright. He immediately stood and swore, "I am utterly loyal to the Family. My men would never dare disrespect Lord Diamante."

Diamante snapped, "There are no outsiders in this godforsaken place. If it wasn't one of your men, then was it a slave from the mine?"

"M-maybe something happened on the island." Bareno forced himself to speculate. "Hasn't that guy named Van been sabotaging the Family's business lately? Maybe he snuck over here."

Van?

Diamante's expression stiffened. The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

After a moment, he rose and left the cabin, frowning at the dark sky and the torrential rain.

In weather like this, he really did not want to suffer on that island. But if something had truly gone wrong, he would have a hard time explaining it to Doflamingo.

"I'll lead the way!"

Bareno followed him out and hurried ahead to the gangplank.

"You'd better pray nothing happened on that island. Otherwise, I'll throw you into the mine and make you dig ore for the rest of your life."

With that, Diamante called over his men and ordered them to hold umbrellas and lead the way.

More than a dozen people went ashore. Their pace was slow at first, but the muddy water flowing toward them quickly put them on alert.

Blood? Someone was dead?

Bareno's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately rushed toward the sentries' resting room.

The corpses came into view, and his heart sank completely. Diamante's expression darkened as well.

Just then, Van came walking from the direction of the mine with his sword in hand. The blood on its blade had not yet been washed clean by the rain.

"If you'd come any later, I was about to board your ship and look for you."

"So it really was you?" Diamante laughed in extreme anger. "I don't know how you found this place, but since you delivered yourself right to my door, don't even think about leaving."

"Die, damn you!"

Without another word, Bareno removed the spiked club from his waist and charged Van like a raging bull.

Only by dealing with the enemy first could he make up for his mistake, but he had overestimated his own strength.

ROOM!

Operation Room spread out with Van at its center, rapidly expanding in all directions.

The rain falling from the sky was unaffected, but the instant Bareno rushed into the space, his limbs separated from his body.

The next second, the severed pieces crossed space and appeared behind Van.

Through the curtain of rain, a group of raggedly dressed people could be seen there. The fires of hatred blazed in their eyes as though they wanted to devour someone alive.

"Idiot!"

Diamante cursed inwardly and activated his Paramecia Ripple-Ripple Fruit ability where he stood.

Army Flag!

The ground swiftly softened, becoming like a huge curtain blown by the wind as it began to rise and fall.

In terms of area of effect alone, his ability far surpassed Van's. Yet the ripples vanished as soon as they entered Operation Room.

"Just as Doffy and Vergo said, this guy has unimaginable control within his own ability space."

"Fortunately, its range is limited. As long as I keep my distance and stay out of his ability space, I can wear him down until he dies."

Remembering Doflamingo's repeated warnings before he came, Diamante suppressed the urge to rush into Operation Room.

He waved a hand and shouted, "Fire! Don't let him get close!"

Hearing the order, the Donquixote Family members who had accompanied him did not hesitate. They raised their guns and decisively pulled the triggers.

"Rat-a-tat-tat..."

Bullets poured into Operation Room as if they were free. Though they could not hurt anyone, they did serve to drain him.

Unfortunately, the drain was minimal. The ammunition they had brought was nowhere near enough to make Van feel threatened.

But Diamante was not idle either. He raised his hand and flung out several fireworks, launching a mass of fluttering "paper scraps" into the air.

Death Enjambre!

The instant they fell, every scrap reverted into a thorny iron ball and smashed down behind Operation Room.

His target was not Van, but the slave miners who were tormenting Bareno.

"Get out of the way!"

The crowd quickly scattered and hid inside the buildings on both sides. Only a few unlucky people were struck by the iron balls.

Van ignored their screams. Instead, he flashed to the edge of the space and waited for the gunfire to stop.