"Damn it, damn it!"
Seeing Aeridar easily dodge his Rankyaku and approach with a mocking smile, Paradi began to panic. He knew all too well that Aeridar's Observation Haki far outclassed his own — there was no way he could predict the other's movents or attacks.
As Aeridar closed in, sneering contemptuously, Paradi's expression twisted with frustration. With a sharp buzz, his hands hardened under a thick coating of Armant Haki, and he roared almost hysterically as he swung a brutal punch toward the approaching Aeridar.
"You're just a damn rookie! Don't get cocky!"
"Finger Pistol—Steel Fist Shot!"
Aeridar, still sneering, tilted his body slightly—effortlessly slipping past the incoming punch.
"What?!" Paradi's eyes widened in horror.
Buzz!
Aeridar shot him a disdainful glance. His entire right arm suddenly bulged, growing noticeably larger as a dense, black tallic sheen spread from his fist to his shoulder—his Armant Haki so intense it glead like polished steel. He drove his fist straight into Paradi's face with devastating force.
"You're way too noisy, bastard. Get lost!"
Armant Hardening—Bear Pillar!
THUD!
The sound echoed like a hamr striking a giant bell.
Paradi's face deford grotesquely under the blow—his nose shattered, teeth flying in all directions, blood spraying out in a mist. A visible shockwave burst out from the two of them, rippling through the air.
Whoosh—
Bang!
RUMBLE—!
A black silhouette shot through the air at incredible speed. It moved so fast that even the air itself beca an obstacle, trailing a white sonic boom behind it.
In a blink, the figure crashed into the Saint Florent's superstructure. A series of loud crashes followed as it punched through layer after layer of deck, blasting all the way from the top of the ship to the bottom hold, even rupturing the watertight bulkheads.
Thick smoke and dust imdiately enveloped half the ship.
The impact was so violent that the Saint Florent's entire stern sagged almost ten ters, causing seawater to pour into the cannon ports and flood the lower decks.
"...Oh, damn it all..."
The ship's sudden tilt sent most of the crew sprawling onto the floor. Even Elver standing on the deck barely managed to stay upright by grabbing the railing. He could hardly believe his own eyes — Paradi had been blown away after just one exchange, and the resulting shockwave nearly tore the entire ship apart.
Tap, tap... tap, tap, tap...
Elver hurried toward one of the ship's rooms near the superstructure. Frowning, he peered through the thick smoke and dust at the massive gaping hole that had all but swallowed the room.
The walls were spiderwebbed with cracks, as if they could collapse at any mont.
Elver's pudgy face scrunched up, his body quivering slightly. He muttered in disbelief,
"That brat with the golden ring... Is he so kind of monster?! This is insane!"
Using his Observation Haki, Elver quickly sensed that Paradi was still alive down in the shattered depths of the ship. His life force was faint but steady — severely injured but not in imdiate danger.
"Tch—talk about stubborn... like a cockroach."
Suddenly, a mocking voice drifted from behind him.
Elver's entire body froze, his pupils contracting into pinpricks.
"Eh? Eh?! Who's that?!"
"That back... it looks so familiar!"
"It's—it's that monster who punched Paradi-sama!"
"H-He's aboard our ship!"
Screams and frantic footsteps broke out behind him. His crew scattered in all directions, shouting in terror.
Elver was so furious he nearly coughed up blood, but cold sweat drenched his forehead and trickled down his back.
Since when... Since when did my Observation Haki fail ?!
Turning around stiffly, Elver finally got a clear look:
Just five ters away stood a man, a little shorter than himself—about 1.9 ters tall. His face was ordinary, unremarkable even, but golden earrings dangled from both ears. He wore a long black coat patterned with white waves, his chest bare, black pointed boots clicking against the deck.
He radiated a dangerous, oppressive aura.
"Heh heh—stop kidding yourself. If soone that easy to beat is a 'monster,' then monsters aren't worth much these days," Elver chuckled awkwardly, forcing a smile onto his chubby face.
Aeridar sized him up, then grinned, flashing sharp teeth.
"I was wondering which governnt fool was dumb enough to attack a pirate crew... Turns out it's just the infamous 'Crimson Man-Eating Flower' and their fat bear. Took a while to recognize you."
"Eh? You know ?" Elver blinked, surprised that this pirate captain knew his na.
"You still rember the Chris Syndicate from Shiga Island?" Aeridar asked coldly, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Shiga Island? Chris Syndicate? Chris Pirates?!"
Elver's eyes widened as the realization hit him.
"You guys... you're the Chris Syndicate's descendants?!"
Aeridar sneered,
"Heh... we're old enemies, alright."
"Uh-oh..."
Elver's tiny eyes darted about frantically, cold sweat pouring down his face and soaking through his clothes.
The Crimson Man-Eating Flower had long been infamous in the slave-trading world, enjoying the backing of the Celestial Dragons and collaborating with several major pirates from the New World. They attracted all manner of bounty hunters, failed swordsn, and third-rate pirates into their ranks, offering them shelter or employnt.
A year and a half ago, when Aeridar hadn't yet set sail, the Chris Pirates were still known as the Chris Syndicate — the underground rulers of Shiga Island. Anyone who ca to the island had to strike deals with them.
At that ti, a ship flying the Crimson Man-Eating Flower's flag arrived from the Grand Line.
They looked down on the so-called "locals" of the East Blue—and worse, they secretly abducted young girls from the island for slave trade.
This act infuriated Aeridar and the Chris Syndicate's leadership. Arlan personally led his n to annihilate them, igniting a blood feud between the two sides.
Back then, Elver and Paradi, busy on the Grand Line, didn't bother taking the Chris Syndicate seriously. A re local syndicate wasn't worth their ti. They just sent so minor underlings to Shiga Island to "deal" with Aeridar.
But those lackeys were no match for the Chris Syndicat. After repeated defeats, the Crimson Man-Eating Flower's influence was completely wiped out from East Blue.
Enraged, Elver had planned to personally lead Paradi to the East Blue for revenge.
However, an even bigger opportunity appeared:
A Kuja Pirates transport ship loaded with billions of Berries worth of treasure—and dozens of Amazon warrior won.
Thanks to Boa Hancock's influence, slaves from Amazon Lily were unimaginably valuable.
Six major slave-trading organizations, including the Crimson Man-Eating Flower, ford a coalition of over 2,000 elite mbers to raid the ship.
What they hadn't expected was that Boa Hancock herself was aboard.
To her, a bunch of human traffickers were nothing but insects.
The battle wasn't even fierce—it was a massacre. Three of the six organizations were utterly annihilated.
The remaining three—including Elver's Crimson Man-Eating Flower—escaped, but with over 80% casualties.
Devastated, they had spent the past year and a half licking their wounds, unable to pursue their grudges in East Blue.
And now, by sheer coincidence, the old enemies had t again here on the Grand Line.
Fate truly has a cruel sense of humor.
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