"Damn it! That woman Milan already escaped! We can't waste any more time—we have to leave now! If we stay, we're dead!"
Clyde, still in his kangaroo form, cursed with a dark expression when he realized Milan had fled.
Ignoring Ant, he slammed his feet against the ground. The immense strength granted by the Kangaroo Fruit propelled him forward at lightning speed.
But after only a few steps—
An ANBU member appeared in front of him, forming hand seals.
"Seeking death!"
Clyde glanced around quickly.
Seeing only one enemy, a cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he charged forward without hesitation.
In his mind, these masked warriors were powerful—but alone?
With the speed and strength granted by his Devil Fruit, he believed he could win.
"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"
Suddenly the ANBU spoke a phrase Clyde couldn't understand.
And in the next instant—
The world flipped.
Flames engulfed everything.
Cannons roared.
Limbs and bodies were torn apart in the air.
Screams and twisted laughter echoed everywhere.
This…
This was his hometown.
Clyde froze mid-stride, staring blankly at the hellish scene before him.
Fear slowly spread across his face.
The most painful memory of his life resurfaced.
"Clyde! Run!!!"
A beautiful young girl ran toward him.
But behind her—
A pirate with a vicious grin raised his blade and struck.
Blood splattered across the ground as the girl collapsed, despair etched across her face.
"No!!!"
Clyde's eyes turned bloodshot as he rushed forward in madness.
…
Thud.
Clyde suddenly collapsed while running.
His kangaroo form faded, reverting him to human.
His eyes stared blankly into space.
His body twitched violently, his throat producing choking sounds.
The ANBU who cast the genjutsu approached slowly.
Behind the mask, his eyes were cold and indifferent.
With a casual motion—
His kunai sliced across Clyde's throat.
Slash!
Blood gushed out.
Clyde stopped struggling.
Silence.
…
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Another ANBU raised his hand to his masked mouth and unleashed a massive blazing fireball toward Ant.
Whoosh!
Ant, who had also been trying to escape before another ANBU blocked his path, vanished instantly.
In a blink, he appeared behind the attacker.
Leaping into the air, he spun and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick.
Bam!
The ANBU raised his arm to block, but the force still sent him flying.
Yet even as he spun through the air—
The ninja flicked his wrist.
Three kunai shot toward Ant in a triangular formation.
At the same time, he twisted midair, landing and sliding backward before pushing forward again.
Another kunai appeared in his hand.
Ant's vision blurred as the figure rushed toward him.
"Such petty tricks…"
Ant sneered.
His arms moved in a blur.
Incredibly, he caught all three incoming kunai in his hand.
"Do you know who I am?" he said coldly. "I am the supreme leader of the Gambino Family—Gambino Ant! Do you think I'm comparable to those weaklings you slaughtered?"
His gaze flicked toward Clyde's corpse in the distance before returning to the charging ANBU.
"I admit it—my family has been destroyed tonight by your forty-odd men."
"But one-on-one?"
His smile twisted.
"I fear no one."
"One day, I will make you repay this blood debt."
"But before that…"
His arm rose.
A dark, invisible force wrapped around it.
"Witness the power only the strongest possess—even in the Grand Line!"
"Armament Haki!"
Confidence radiated from his face as he prepared to strike.
Then—
He heard a faint sound.
"What?"
Ant frowned and glanced down.
A strange paper tag had somehow attached itself to his ankle.
It was already burning.
"What is this—?"
Before he could finish—
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion engulfed him.
Rocks and debris blasted outward.
"AAAAH!!!"
Ant screamed as his body was thrown into the air like a rag doll.
His right leg was shredded by the blast, blood spraying through the air.
Whoosh—
The ANBU charging toward him didn't slow down for even a moment.
The moment Ant was blasted upward—
The ninja kicked off the ground and leapt into the air.
As their paths crossed midair—
A flash of steel streaked through the darkness.
Slash!
Blood sprayed.
Ant's scream cut off instantly.
His body crashed lifelessly to the ground.
Thud.
The ANBU landed smoothly.
He glanced once at the corpse, tightened his grip on the bloodstained kunai, and disappeared again—chasing the fleeing mafia members.
…
Rustle… rustle…
Footsteps echoed through the dark forest.
Under the moonlight, Milan's beautiful face was filled with tension and lingering fear.
"These people are monsters…"
"They're all Devil Fruit users… Who exactly are they?!"
The distant screams continued to echo through the night.
Terror gripped her heart.
She had never imagined that she—one of the Gambino Family's top executives and second strongest member—would one day be fleeing like this.
"The Gambino Family is finished…"
"What should I do now?"
Suddenly, a thought appeared in her mind.
"Zephir Kingdom!"
"Their legion commander was already killed by Clyde. Their army is heavily weakened. If I seize control of that kingdom, I could rebuild my power there!"
While racing toward the hidden escape ship, Milan began calculating her next move.
Suddenly—
A sharp blade flashed from the shadows.
Milan's expression changed instantly.
She drew the sword at her waist and raised it to block.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.