"Baroque Sith, captain of the Money Pirates and a user of the Swap-Swap Fruit, with a bounty of 253.69 million Beli. He was killed six years ago in Water 7 on the Grand Line by Marine Rear Admiral Sakazuki?"
Noah spoke calmly. "It looks like the Swap-Swap Fruit also lets you obtain other people's bodies or organs."
Barton lowered his head, his gaze hidden in shadow. Suddenly, his body began to tremble slightly. "That's right, that's right. I appreciate you more and more. I'll give you one last choice: join my pirate crew, or die here."
"You're awfully confident! You've swapped for a lot of things in the Rum Kingdom over the past few years, haven't you?"
Barton attacked without hesitation. "Die!"
More than a dozen crescent-shaped Rankyaku swept toward him.
"Attack!" Flames burst from Noah's soles, propelling him into the air as more than a dozen cards shot out.
Release: Surging Waves!
Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of seawater erupted, crashing down from above at Barton and his men.
"Nani?" Barton's expression changed drastically. He stomped down, kicking against the air repeatedly as he clenched both fists and channeled the Armament Haki covering his body into them.
"Ha! Hasshoken: Piercing Shattering Wave!"
Two shockwaves struck the waterfall of seawater rushing toward him through the air.
The five officers of the Money Pirates reacted quickly as well, fleeing in all directions.
Still in the air, Noah continued drawing cards.
"The field's clear. Time to change the terrain."
Dozens of cards shot into the air in every direction.
Soon, the cards exploded one after another in midair, scattering hundreds of tons of graphite powder across the sky. It covered the entire deserted island like clouds of black fog.
Barton had just broken through the waterfall of seawater when he saw the scene before him. His expression turned grim.
Meanwhile.
The burly bald man watching the warship from its deck as it lay moored off the coast also saw the black fog above the deserted island. He immediately drew his greatsword, on guard against developments on the island.
But in the next instant.
Violent explosions came from beneath the warship. The continuous blasts completely destroyed the vessel.
The bald man had no time to react before the shockwaves swept him into the sea.
Just as he was gritting through the pain in his internal organs and swimming desperately toward the surface.
A figure like a sharp sword suddenly appeared behind him.
Before the bald man could react, a short sword pierced his kidney.
"Ah... blub, blub... glug, glug..." The bald man struggled in pain.
But the figure gave him no time to catch his breath. Another lightning-fast attack suddenly came at him from behind.
The bald man turned vicious, immediately raising his greatsword and swinging it behind him, fighting as though he meant to take his attacker down with him.
But the short sword coming at him did not pause in the slightest.
The next moment.
The short sword plunged into the bald man's chest.
The bald man's greatsword, however, seemed to strike empty air, sliding straight across his opponent's body.
"Blub, blub... glug, glug..." The bald man could no longer control his mouth. Seawater rushed into his throat and lungs. He stared unwillingly at the girl before him, but his body grew heavier and heavier.
His opponent was none other than Mary, who had eaten the Smooth-Smooth Fruit.
Mary was breathing through the mouthpiece of a small oxygen tank, with four short swords on her back, maintaining her smooth mode at full strength.
Without hesitation, Mary drew another short sword and cut off the bald man's head.
Greatsword Grom, eighth division commander of the Money Pirates, with a bounty of 87.26 million Beli, had fallen!
After being scattered by Noah's seawater.
The other five officers of the Money Pirates were now separated.
The sniper Trick Gun Troy held his pistols, watching warily for movement in the forest.
Especially after the strange black fog descended, he activated his Observation Haki with all his strength.
Suddenly, he dodged behind a large tree to his left.
Boom! A fireball struck the spot where he had just been standing.
Damn it! Another Devil Fruit User? Could these guys be from the World Government? Troy's expression was extremely grim. Gripping his pistols tightly, he quickly jumped toward another large tree.
Suddenly, his Observation Haki screamed a warning.
But it was already too late.
Hundreds of blue fire crows descended from the sky.
Mimicry Hydrogen-Oxygen: Falling Flock of Crows!
The blue fire crows, mimicking the combustion of hydrogen and oxygen, blanketed Troy's position indiscriminately.
"No... Aah!" The trick marksmanship Troy prided himself on was useless. Faced with the Flame-Flame Fruit's wide-area attack, he was burned to ashes by the blue flames in moments.
Trick Gun Troy, sniper of the Money Pirates, with a bounty of 132 million Beli, had fallen.
Cat Claws Brian, fifth division commander of the Money Pirates, had entered his hybrid form and was running wildly toward the coast.
"Damn it! A Devil Fruit User who can control seawater! I have to run. I won't stand a chance if I stay."
As these thoughts raced through his mind.
The ground shook violently, then split apart as a great volume of seawater gushed up from underground.
"Nani?" His face changed drastically. He immediately used Geppo to rise into the air, avoiding the seawater surging up from below. "Damn it, it's getting more and more dangerous here. I have to get back to the ship immediately."
But he had celebrated too soon.
High in the air, Lilith was gripping the special strap on Ray's back.
Ray formed a hollow circle with the palms of both hands!
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
A huge wormhole formed in midair, and the other end of it opened onto the nearby seabed.
As though the sky had been punctured, a vast torrent of seawater, mixed with fish, shrimp, and sea beasts, crashed down on Brian as he used Geppo.
Brian's beastly instincts kicked in at once, making every hair on his body stand on end. Then everything around him went dark, and the seawater struck him.
I'm finished... That was his last thought.
As a Devil Fruit User, Brian had been hit by seawater-and such a massive amount of it, with such terrifying force, that he did not even have a chance to struggle.
Brian was also to blame for being too conspicuous. If he had not used his hybrid form while fleeing, Lilith and Ray would not have specifically targeted him.
Lilith picked up a Den Den Mushi. "Anthony, Tomani, the Devil Fruit User who was knocked into the sea-work with Mary to bring him back. Alive or dead, I want to see him."
Although his prey had been taken from him, Anthony understood the priorities. "Leave it to us."
On the other side of the island.
The two Money Pirates officers fleeing toward the mountains encountered Joseph and Vic, who were lying in ambush.
The two officers were both swordsmen of the Money Pirates, and they were brothers.
"So you're the enemies?" The one-eyed swordsman immediately swung his great tachi at Joseph.
Joseph had already entered his hybrid form, and his entire body was clad in steel armor. The battle-axes in both his hands were also coated in Armament Haki.
Clang, clang, clang...
Axe blades and sword blade clashed fiercely.
"A Zoan user? And Armament Haki?" One-Eye was astounded. He had not expected to encounter a monster like this in the East Blue.
His younger brother Hook Sword was equally shocked.