Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Like a torrential rain, golden light bullets poured down from the Sun Disc, striking Gecko Moria relentlessly.
At his massive size, dodging was impossible. He had sacrificed all speed and agility to maximize his raw power.
All he could do was take the hits head-on.
A series of deafening explosions rang out. His enormous head was completely engulfed in smoke and flames.
Roaring in pain, Moria's expression twisted into pure brutality. Gritting his teeth, he raised his other massive hand and slammed it down toward Vladimir.
"Die!"
Facing an attack capable of shattering the island, Vladimir remained utterly calm. He stood motionless, holding his staff, seemingly waiting for the blow to land.
Just as the giant hand was about to crush him—
"Hahaha! Lord Nine will play with you!"
BOOM!
A flash of crimson and gold light. In the next instant, a Nine-Tailed Fox nearly a hundred meters long appeared in a flash.
Moving with incredible speed, it crossed the distance in mere steps, positioning itself directly in front of Vladimir.
It stood on its hind legs, its front paws acting like arms, and met Moria's descending fist head-on.
CRASH!!
The island shook violently again. The ground beneath the fox's feet cracked instantly, but Moria's punch was stopped dead in its tracks.
"What?! You damned fox... how can you have such strength?!"
Moria's face changed in shock. The distraction cost him dearly as another wave of light bullets slammed into him, tearing through his body repeatedly.
Amidst the explosions, Moria was covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds.
"Heh. If you had called me 'Lord Nine', I might have gone easy on you."
The Nine-Tailed Fox grinned. As it opened its mouth, dense, evil energy converged, forming a small sphere of pure power.
"Take this from Lord Nine! Tailed Beast B cannon!!"
Whoosh!
The small energy ball drifted lazily toward Moria. But the moment it neared him, it suddenly expanded hundreds of times in size.
"Wha—!!"
Gecko Moria only had time to raise his arms to protect his head before—
BOOOOOM!!
A massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky, instantly devouring everything within hundreds of meters.
At the epicenter, Moria was battered by the violent energy. The shockwave tore at his flesh, leaving him bleeding profusely and barely conscious.
High above, Shiki watched with wide eyes, murmuring inwardly, "Such destructive power... Even if he survives, he'll be crippled for life."
The Nine-Tailed Fox. An Officer. Power comparable to an Admiral!
He had known the rank before, but until he saw it with his own eyes, he couldn't truly comprehend it. Now he understood—the Officers of Phantom were just as terrifying.
"But their strength is still within the realm of understanding... even that Tsar Azir. The truly horrifying ones... are the Vice Captain and the Captain..."
Shiki sighed inwardly. He held little hope for Moria's survival.
...
Meanwhile, on the north side of the island, far from the main gate.
A group of six men were crouching low, covering their ears, their faces pale with panic.
"Captain, the fighting over there is intense! It must be Phantom battling other intruders," a short man whispered.
"I say we call it off. This mission was too reckless. We should have made a proper plan. Sneaking in like this, we're bound to get caught."
"Hmph, this is a rare opportunity! Someone else is drawing the fire for us!"
The captain was a hairy man with a beard covering most of his face. He wore an open vest, revealing a chest thick with hair.
He looked to be around forty, with missing teeth and a string of prayer beads around his neck.
"If we get those blueprints, we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams!"
His expression turned serious. "Move! Stay sharp, don't get detected. There are patrols everywhere. Suppress your aura."
Leading the way, he stepped carefully through the snow under the cover of night, heading toward the main mansion.
However, at that very moment, in a dark corner of the mansion grounds, a man disguised as a guard quietly climbed onto the roof.
"Someone there!" The captain lowered his voice instantly. "Weird... why would he climb onto the roof like that? Is he a guard? Or another intruder?"
The moment he spoke—
A cold wind swept past.
"Wolf Fang Wind!"
Swish!
A figure shot out from beneath the snow like lightning. Before the six pirates could even react, blood sprayed simultaneously from their chests. They fell straight to the ground, lifeless.
In front of them stood a massive chained dog, chewing contentedly on a piece of flesh.
"Ptooey... Men's meat tastes terrible! So dry and bitter!"
The dog spat out the blood and bones, then leaped effortlessly onto the roof.
"Shh! Keep it down! I told you to take care of them, who said you could kill them?!" Big Mark scolded angrily.
"We could have used them as decoys to draw attention! But you idiot had to go and kill them all!"
"If you have the guts, take off this collar! The first person I kill is YOU!"
The dog glared at him furiously, canine eyes burning with pure killing intent.
"Hmph, we'll settle that score later. Right now, getting the blueprints is what matters."
Big Mark snorted coldly, then shifted his gaze out over the roof.
From this high vantage point, the layout of the entire mansion was clearly visible.
____________________
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