Not Charlos's Men

Dense clusters of cannonballs bounced back from the green Vine Net.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Forget what's going on, Big Bro! Run!"

Spiky Head watched his big brother stand there in a daze and wanted nothing more than to go up and slap him twice.

Was this really the time to stand around in a daze?

The leader finally came to his senses as well and smacked Spiky Head hard on the head.

"Run where? The ship's only so big—where are you going to run? Did you eat the weapon in your hands?"

"Right, right."

Spiky Head's little face flushed. He hurriedly hoisted the cannon in his hands onto his shoulder and fired at the incoming cannonballs.

The cannonballs were struck in midair and fell into the sea.

That finally spared their ship from being blown up.

"You people actually dared to come after me? Did the person who hired you have no brains?"

In barely any time at all, Moyun's ship had reached the bounty hunters' vessel, stopping less than two meters away.

The mockery on Moyun's face made the other bounty hunters feel uncomfortable.

This brat was far too arrogant!

The leader, meanwhile, furrowed his brows tightly. Why did he feel as though this young man already knew who had hired them?

Or was it merely his imagination?

"Forget all that. Fire!"

The leader directly hoisted the cannon on his shoulder and fired it at Moyun and the others.

The weapon did not fire cannonballs. It fired steam.

The steam's high temperature was enough to scald people. Against pirates, it could be a devastating weapon.

Though sometimes it was useless against Logia ability users.

"Interesting. I didn't expect you to be able to use steam as a weapon. Looks like I underestimated you."

Moyun pulled Hisoka back a few steps, then teleported behind the leader with Kuina.

"But in my eyes, it's still not enough."

His voice came from behind the leader. None of them had expected this person to possess the ability to teleport.

"Big Bro, watch out!"

Seeing his big brother in danger, Spiky Head grabbed his pistol without a second thought and fired several shots at Moyun.

Kuina deflected every one of them with her sword.

"Were you sent by Charlos to kill me? Is that all you've got? Did Charlos underestimate me too much?"

Moyun dusted off his clothes nonchalantly. He even found a spot and sat down casually. His lordly manner made Spiky Head burn with rage.

"Get up! That's a seat only my big brother can use! Don't you know that?"

"Did you come here to climb the mountain with me?"

They had actually chosen to intercept him here at Reverse Mountain. It seemed they did not want him entering the Grand Line.

But Charlos should have known about his abilities. How could he possibly have sent people this weak?

"What Charlos? We don't know him. Anyway, we're taking your head back with us today."

How could people like them know their employer's detailed information?

Whether it was really Charlos or not, the employer was paying them enough. Besides, the man clearly was not someone they could afford to provoke.

Alex—the leader—turned around and continued firing at Moyun.

Moyun dodged quickly, but some of the steam still swept across him.

The back of his hand immediately swelled red. Moyun looked at it with a dark expression but said nothing.

Across from him, Alex's hair suddenly stood on end. A bad feeling abruptly welled up inside him.

"Kuina, go take care of the others. I'll handle this one."

"Yes!"

"Damn it! Do you people even listen to a word I say?"

Spiky Head roared and tried to charge forward, but Kuina stopped him.

"Fight me."

Kuina exerted a little force with her hand, only to be shoved aside by Spiky Head, who then joined the other bounty hunters.

In Moyun's eyes, all these people were cannon fodder, so he left them all to Kuina.

Alex glanced at Spiky Head worriedly, then fixed a serious gaze on Moyun.

His instincts, honed over many years, told him that this man was extremely dangerous.

"Soru!"

Moyun's foot moved, and he flashed in front of Alex, punching toward the steam gun in his hands.

"How can you be that fast?"

"You don't even know what the enemy's moves are, yet you still want to take my head. What were you thinking?"

Moyun had no intention of wasting words with him. After smashing Alex's steam gun, he turned his attention back to Alex.

"Shigan!"

Moyun had been practicing the Rokushiki these past few days. He had already basically mastered them back when he was at Mary Geoise.

He just was not particularly proficient yet.

"How do you know those Marines' techniques?"

Alex rolled away and dodged the attack, looking at Moyun in terror.

"Has no one ever told you that talking too much can get you killed?"

"Rankyaku!"

A vicious kick slammed into Alex's abdomen.

"Whoa."

Alex vomited mouthfuls of blood. Spiky Head had already been defeated, and when he saw his injured leader, he grew anxious. Ignoring his own wounds, he crawled over to Alex.

"Please, let our boss go. We know we were wrong. We'll never come looking for trouble again."

"Shut up! Who told you to come over here?"

Alex's face was pale as he glared fiercely at Spiky Head.

Who told this brat to run his mouth? What did he mean, "let him go"? He had not lost yet!

He tried to stand several times, but the pain in his abdomen left him with no strength to get up.

"Tell me, were you sent here by Saint Charlos, that Celestial Dragon?"

"Celestial Dragon!"

Spiky Head cried out in shock. How could they possibly know a Celestial Dragon? Being able to stay alive was already fortunate enough.

Moyun looked at Spiky Head and Alex in confusion. Judging from their reactions, could it really not have been them?

But if it had been the Marines, they would have simply come in warships and attacked them directly.

Why would they hire bounty hunters in secret?

"How could we possibly know a Celestial Dragon? Wait, did you offend one? Big Bro, let's run! A Marine admiral is coming!"

Spiky Head screamed at Alex as though the world would end the next moment.

Alex: What a disgrace.

Moyun: ""

He was a Celestial Dragon too. Why would a Marine admiral possibly attack him?

"Forget it. You can leave. Since you don't know anything, I'll let it go. I hope you'll at least maintain some basic professional ethics in the future and properly investigate your opponent's abilities."

Moyun felt that he was being far too kind.

Still, he would have to be more careful from now on. Someone besides the Marines had already set their sights on them.

The enemy was hidden, while they were exposed.

Moyun felt rather uncomfortable. He looked at Reverse Mountain before him, his thoughts heavy.