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But the colorful shapes darting and calling through the sky seemed to be struck by an invisible hammer. They stiffened as one and fell.
Bright feathers mingled with drops of blood, pattering onto the deck in a brief, bizarre rain.
"My birds-!!"
A roar erupted from the center of the melee.
The half-man, half-beast whipped his head around. His fiery-red and golden wings spread abruptly, taking on a metallic black sheen.
Those parrots were the eyes and voices he had spent years raising. Now they were all slowly cooling decorations on the deck.
He had no time for anger.
The scorched smell of lightning reached his nose first.
A boot wrapped in electricity was already closing on the back of his neck! A tall figure left afterimages beneath the moonlight, long silver hair streaming as she raced forward. "Where are you looking?"
The amused female voice mingled with the crackling current. A ball of lightning gathered beneath her sole was already pressing toward his spine.
The man spun, crossing his wings into a shield.
Boom-!!
The explosive collision of lightning and Armament Haki tore through the nearest sail.
The shock wave sent three grappling sailors flying.
The colors of those splendid wings rapidly dulled beneath the lightning's scorching heat. The man clenched his teeth, forcing a muffled grunt through them.
What a nuisance.
Ye Zong's fists left afterimages beneath the moonlight. Every block knocked aside the claws of two Mink Tribe warriors.
His breathing remained steady. Not even a bead of sweat marked his brow.
Across from him, however, Oguri Cap's chest heaved violently, while Rody snorted scalding white vapor.
The glow of their Sulong forms flickered through their fur like candles guttering in the wind.
The Mink Tribe's explosive strength was indeed astonishing, but its price was equally