“Destroyer” Alton

Kotahan's Single Hammer was a technique that turned one of his fists into a massive, heavy black iron hammer, which he swung after building up momentum.

Even if it did not hit anyone and merely smashed into the ground, the resulting shock and rebound sent a violent impact through every enemy within ten meters. They lost their balance and fell to the ground, while some were even blasted into the air by the force.

Kotahan then transformed his fists into normally sized hammers—about as large as his hands—and fought with a hammer in each hand. The power was even greater.

"Bang! Bang!"

Kotahan threw a left hook and a straight right, sending several minions who had flown into the air even farther away.

If one ignored that childish, milky voice, Aeneas would definitely have applauded. But because the voice sounded so effeminate, no matter how fiercely Kotahan tried to act, he could only make people feel that he was incredibly cute and adorably ferocious.

Of course, that required closing one's eyes first.

Otherwise, even someone as composed as Aeneas could barely keep from laughing.

If he had not been bombarded by all kinds of internet celebrities and dubbed videos in his previous life, Aeneas might really have fallen for it!

Watching the comical scene in the arena, Aeneas managed to hold himself back, but Amos did not.

"Pfft!"

Amos covered his mouth, his entire body nearly shaking itself apart from laughter.

"This is bad!" Emondi's expression suddenly changed. "Kotahan will kill anyone who dares mock him without hesitation. Amos, you're up!"

"Huh?" Amos looked at Kotahan, who had suddenly turned his head toward him with a vicious expression, and swallowed with difficulty. "Boss, don't mess with me! Second Boss, save me!"

Amos looked toward Aeneas, who merely shrugged.

"You were mocking me just now, weren't you?" Kotahan looked ferocious, but his mouth kept producing that childish voice. Amos, who was standing right in front of him, could no longer hold back.

"Wahahahahahaha—"

Amos burst out laughing. His laughter was deafening, and he completely ignored Kotahan's expression, which had turned icy cold.

"What an idiot!" Emondi rubbed his forehead helplessly. "We're doomed!"

"Because Kotahan had a grudge against Orton, our group originally wanted to recruit this powerhouse, but Kotahan refused," Emondi told Aeneas. "He's a lone powerhouse who would never submit to any faction."

"He had a grudge against Orton?" Aeneas asked curiously.

"Orton had the same idea as us!" Emondi said gravely. "But they used coercion and threats. In the end, they still brutally murdered Kotahan's family!"

"Damn!" Aeneas was somewhat shocked. "That's not just a grudge. That's a blood feud!"

While Aeneas and Emondi were chatting, Amos could no longer laugh. Fists winds howled, and a heavy hammer was on its way. Amos laughed until he cried—anyone unaware of the situation might have thought he was weeping tears of joy.

At this point, Emondi and Aeneas naturally could not just sit around and wait for death.

This time, Emondi attacked first!

Aeneas wore an interested expression. He only knew that Emondi was the captain of the combat team, and that among the subordinates of the Scusen Group, his status was second only to Scusen.

In fact, when Scusen was not around, they would directly call Emondi "Boss."

That was the status Emondi had earned through his own strength.

But Aeneas still had no idea where Emondi's strength truly lay.

Emondi actually pulled a pair of sharp Tiger Knuckles from inside his clothes and put them on.

"Soru!"

Emondi shot away from his original position at astonishing speed, instantly reaching the flank of Kotahan's burly body.

"Tiger Knuckle Blade!" The spikes on the knuckles protruded as he slashed down toward the left side of Kotahan's waist and abdomen.

"Swish!"

Blood sprayed through the air in a scarlet line, connecting to the Tiger Knuckle Blade on Emondi's hand.

"Argh!" Kotahan cried out. The wound across his waist and abdomen looked as though it had been inflicted by a sword.

He clearly had the Hammer-Hammer Human Paramecia Devil Fruit, so why could Emondi's knuckles inflict such serious damage on him?

The moment Aeneas voiced this doubt, he immediately realized the answer.

"Seastone!" Aeneas did not consider Haki, because even Obi-Wan had not mastered Haki, let alone Emondi, who had stayed in Tinos for so long.

However, there were quite a few dark dealings in the North Blue, and Seastone weapons were extremely common among them.

After all, rather than painstakingly mastering Haki, one could simply use a more convenient and efficient weapon. That allowed people confident in their own strength to counter Devil Fruit users whose abilities seemed impossible to overcome.

"Damn it!" Kotahan clutched his wound. Fortunately, it was not very deep. His sturdy build had saved him; if he had been a frail, pretty boy, that blow would have been enough to kill him!

Kotahan's carelessness had played a part, but Emondi had merely issued a slight punishment. They shared a common enemy, and internal conflict was not wise at present.

"Kotahan, I apologize to you on behalf of my subordinate. We have no reason to fight!" Emondi had just slashed Kotahan, yet he now adopted a perfectly proper negotiating posture.

Kotahan's expression darkened.

"So the Underground Syndicate all have the same face!" Kotahan did not believe switching to another syndicate would bring his family any better fate. "Since there's no reason to fight, then get lost. Cooperation is impossible!"

Emondi's expression did not change at all. He knew Kotahan would never obediently act together with them, but he had done this merely to provoke Kotahan. After all, they still needed him to oppose Orton.

Aeneas narrowed his eyes as he watched everything.

Emondi has given me quite a surprise. And was that just now actually Soru? Aeneas admitted that he had not mastered the technique. Perhaps I can ask him for some pointers.

Emondi was a master of martial arts, and so was Aeneas. Both had considerable attainment in fist techniques, but the mysteries of Aeneas's Fighting Technique were clearly more profound.

Therefore, Aeneas did not believe he would lose to Emondi. He might even have a slight edge.

But when it came to speed, Emondi had Soru, while Aeneas was still exploring the technique.

This was a weakness. Yet Aeneas was only nine years old, while Emondi was already in his thirties—that was the most important, and most terrifying, part!

Just as the group was sizing one another up, a "boom! boom!" sounded in the distance.

Everyone turned to look and saw a bold, rugged man three meters tall dragging a colossal battle-axe larger than himself as he came toward them.

When Orton saw several people he knew gathered there, he directly abandoned the subordinates behind him and began running forward. Despite his huge body, his speed was not slow at all, and his swings of the massive axe were swift and decisive.

His fluid, exhilarating swings and cleaving strikes instantly cleared out a "Death Zone" dozens of meters wide around him!

Anyone or anything that entered this area would suffer the consequences!

"Big Cleaver and Broad Axe" might have been widely known, but everyone living in Tinos knew Orton by another title!

"Destroyer!"