Chapter 59

The Tower symbolizes destruction!

A towering skyscraper was struck and demolished by lightning, causing two individuals to plummet from its height to the ground.

Even the proudest of mankind cannot compare with the might of nature; challenging it would only invoke divine wrath.

The blond-haired youth furrowed his eyebrows, looking at the departing figure of the boy who was even younger than him. His intuition told him that he seemed to have missed something.

"Hawkins, I knew you'd wander off to a place like this. Come on, let's go. Your mom will be back soon!"

A freckled-faced girl hurriedly pulled away the blond-haired boy. Of course, before leaving, the boy didn't forget to take his beloved tarot cards with him.

As for the booth…

That wasn't originally his; he just saw that it was unattended and borrowed it temporarily.

"Those deadpan eyes and those strange eyebrows... always pique my curiosity."

After leaving, Abel thought it over and over. Suddenly, he recalled a person whose image gradually overlapped with the young boy he had just seen.

"Could that guy be the future supernova who nearly became a slave of the three great families?"

Abel indeed remembered, but not entirely.

He had even forgotten that guy's name!

All he remembered was that the guy seemed to have had a string of bad luck, and in the end, he was defeated by Kid's 'buddy' Kira.

From what he could recall, the guy was indeed from the North Blue.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway."

After recalling who it was, Abel lost all interest in him and immediately dismissed the thought.

Meanwhile, the latest performance of the musical 'Princess Orlan and the Ten Knights' ended to thunderous applause!

After the audience had gradually left, a dwarf, standing only a meter tall, with a sharp nose and a shady face, was busy cleaning the venue.

The people around completely ignored his existence, only showing expressions of disgust when they accidentally caught sight of him.

"Hey, freak dwarf, the boss wants you to clean the restrooms!"

"I'm on it, no... I'll go now, right away!"

Seeing the other person's glare, Sini quickly changed his response and hurried off with his mop and bucket.

As Abel walked by the other individual, he was intentionally tripped by the man's outstretched foot, causing him to take a nasty fall. The bucket full of dirty water he was carrying spilled over him, soaking him completely.

However, it was the man who tripped him that was first to explode with anger.

"Damn it! Are you blind? The dirty water on the ground has soiled my shoes!"

As he spoke, the man disdainfully stepped on Abel's back and proceeded to wipe his shoes clean in this contemptuous manner.

Throughout this ordeal, Abel didn't dare lift his head and kept muttering apologies until the man finally lost interest and left.

But no one noticed that the 'freak dwarf', who was usually subject to ridicule and bullying, now had a murderous gleam in his eyes!

"Just wait a little longer, Sini. Once you find it, you can tear them apart yourself!"

The murderous intent in Sini's eyes quickly faded, and when he stood up, he was back to his timid self.

When Sini arrived outside the restroom, the theater owner was walking out with a smug look on his face, traces of lipstick smeared across his cheek.

Inside, a very beautiful young woman was applying her makeup in front of the mirror.

Outside the theater was a massive poster featuring her; she was the lead actress playing Princess Orlan in the musical!

She glanced at Sini as if he were an insect, then left with her head held high, leaving Sini to clean up after their earlier mess.

Nightfall.

Sini, now in a different attire, reappeared in the theater, tirelessly searching for something.

"Why can't I find it?!"

After a whole night of relentless searching that yielded nothing, Sini's patience was nearing its limit.

Sini clenched the treasure map in his hand.

The intelligence officers of the Donquixote family thought Sini had fled to this island out of desperation.

But in reality, he had already deciphered the stolen treasure map, setting his sights on the theater on the island of Serpent's Cesius.

According to the original deciphered map, the treasure should have been located in the cellar of a tavern that used to be here. But much to his dismay, the tavern had since been demolished and replaced by the grand theater that stood there today.

The cellar that held the 'treasure' was either already discovered or remained hidden beneath the current theater.

This was the real reason why Sini chose to endure humiliation and remain hidden here!

If he couldn't secure the 'treasure,' then all the risks he had taken, including defying the Donquixote family, would be for naught.

But now, the constant pressure of being discovered, the humiliation he faced during his day job, and the frustration from lack of progress were gradually eroding his sanity.

All it would take was a small spark, and he would explode like a barrel of gunpowder!

Just then, the theater door swung open, and an unpleasant conversation ensued.

"Ew, why do we have to be here at this hour? Isn't my place good enough?"

"Darling, coming to the theater is far more exciting! I want to see you in Princess Orlan's dress."

"So, are you aiming to be my knight in shining armor tonight?"

"Or perhaps I could dress up as that 'freak dwarf' you loathe."

"No, that would make me sick. I really don't understand why you keep that guy around. If I saw him at night, I'm sure I'd have nightmares!"

"Alright, alright, as you wish. I'll find an excuse to get rid of him tomorrow. That way, I'll even save on his wages."

"You're such a devil, darling~"

"Hehe, the worst is yet to come."

Sini, hiding in the shadows, overheard every word, his eyes bloodshot and filled with undeniable murderous intent.

If it were mere insults, he could perhaps endure a bit longer.

But they were planning to kick him out, disrupting his plan!

In that case, he had no choice but to deal with them!

Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across.

The woman in the middle of a passionate kiss seemed to have seen something terrifying, but before she could let out a piercing scream, everything plunged back into darkness.

In the morning, all the actors in the theater arrived one after another.

Sini went about his usual routine, not speaking to anyone, obediently cleaning up.

Everything seemed so ordinary.

Until noon, when the theater owner and the currently most popular female actor hadn't shown up yet.

Whispers began to circulate among the theater crowd.

In a space as small as a theater, almost everyone knew how that actress had climbed the ranks. But her being absent until noon after a wild night was a first.

And when evening arrived, the pair still hadn't appeared!

Some started to sense that something was amiss.

Risking potential dismissal from their boss, they dispersed to the houses of the boss and the actress, only to come back empty-handed.

All they knew was that the pair was last seen at a secluded pub. After a night of heavy drinking, they left together and were never seen again.

Everyone started to panic!

Whether the pair had eloped or if something untoward had happened, neither scenario was desirable.

Without the theater owner and the lead actress, how could the show go on? How could tickets be sold?

Left with no choice, they had to halt all operations!

A day or two would be manageable, but any longer, and everyone would scatter.

All they could hope for now was that the boss and lead actress had merely taken an extended vacation and would return soon.

Otherwise, they would have to sell whatever was of value in the theater, split the money, and each go their separate ways.

Their wishes were granted rather soon, though not in the way they had hoped.

Due to heavy rainfall the previous day, two mutilated bodies were washed up by the river.

Being the leading lady of the current hit musical and playing Princess Orlan, one body was immediately recognized.

The unfortunate other corpse was confirmed to be the owner of the Goethe Theater!

Both were well-known figures locally, yet they had been brutally murdered, dismembered, and discarded by the riverside.

The gruesome discovery ignited a widespread debate.

Speculation about the killer was rampant.

Even those within the theater began suspecting one another.

Yet, nobody pointed a finger at the 'freak dwarf' who never fought back nor retorted.

"Who's this brat? This isn't a place for you."

Bang!

A gunshot answered him.

Only when the man finally quieted down did Abel holster his firearm and demand straightforwardly, "Where are the dismembered bodies? Take me to them."

The middle-aged man, apparently terrified, stammered as he led the way.

The heat from the bullet whizzing past his ear served as a constant reminder for him to cooperate.

It didn't take long for Abel to arrive at the scene.

Since both victims were renowned figures on the island, their bodies had been collected and hastily pieced back together for examination.

Before the bodies could be fully stitched up, Abel barged in.

The sight of such a terrifying spectacle almost made the middle-aged man wet himself. But a stolen glance revealed that the youth maintained an unwavering expression.

Abel had witnessed hellish scenes far more horrifying a thousand times over.

The terror before him could barely qualify as an appetizer.

He even approached and meticulously examined the wounds and cause of death, hypothesizing about the murder weapon and method used by the killer.

The middle-aged man, observing Abel comparing two severed heads in his hands, was on the brink of madness!

With a loud gulp, he fainted outright.

"The man was first stabbed through the heart from behind, beheaded, then dismembered."

"The woman was subjected to inhumane torture while alive, forced to watch herself being slowly dismembered, and finally died in agony."

"This suggests the killer held a greater hatred for this woman."

"Judging by the lethal injuries, the weapon used to commit the murder and the tool used to dismember the bodies are not the same."

"These marks resemble wounds cut by some kind of metal claw... something like Wolverine's claws?"

By the time the middle-aged man woke up, Abel, having obtained the information he sought, had already left.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

A peculiar thudding echoed within the theater.

The Goethe Theater, usually bustling, was eerily desolate today. Nearly everyone had kept their distance, fearing suspicion as the murderer.

But one person didn't leave - Sini!

He was like a madman, wielding a heavy hammer and striking the ground relentlessly.

It looked like a form of venting his anger.

In reality, he was utilizing every second, searching for the 'treasure' mentioned in the treasure map!

He was already aware of the discovery of the bodies.

He could only say luck had never been on his side.

His time was running out.

"Nothing, nothing, still nothing! Could it be that the thing has long been taken by someone else?"

Sini was utterly unwilling to accept this, yet he had almost turned the entire theater upside down.

Was it time to give up?

Sini, gasping for breath, couldn't help but gaze at the stage. Just the previous night, he had become a knight for the princess and it had all happened right here, on this stage.

If it wasn't for the 'treasure' he was still searching for, why would he let her escape so easily?

The stage?

Wait a minute!

A sudden realization hit Sini, causing him to dash onto the stage and begin a wild spree of destruction. In a short span of time, he managed to completely demolish the stage, revealing the ground underneath.

Where he got the strength from, he had no idea. But he continued to hack away.

Finally, upon striking a certain section of the ground, the stone slab shattered, revealing a dark void underneath.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Found it, I've finally found it!"

Sini tossed the hammer aside, both laughing and crying at once, like a man driven mad.

Then a voice echoed from behind him.

"I've finally found you too, Black Rat Sini. Hand over what you found and come with me."

Abel exhaled a puff of smoke, pointing a flintlock directly at Sini's head.

He had initially come merely suspecting something, and then witnessed the scene unfold. If he couldn't figure out who the person in front of him was at this point, he'd have been terribly naive.

Sini, startled at first, swiftly turned ruthless upon identifying his pursuer. "I didn't expect the Donquixote family to look down on me this much, sending a brat like you to capture me."

"No need to be suspicious. It's just me. It seems you're prepared to resist to the end. It's fine, bringing back your corpse would be just as acceptable."

Bang!

Abel fired his gun!

Sini was already on full alert. The moment Abel pulled the trigger, Sini darted away with a peculiar four-limbed gait, taking cover behind a column.

He wanted to go down and retrieve the item.

However, he feared that once he descended, he wouldn't be able to ascend again. The brat only needed to block the entrance to trap him down there.

So, his choice was to first take out this audacious youngster, then take the treasure and escape the island.

He didn't believe that the vast North Sea and the Donquixote family could continue to pursue him relentlessly!

If they really pushed him to the brink, he'd risk taking his chances on the Grand Line!

Bang, bang, bang!

As Abel neared, he fired his gun rhythmically, preventing Sini from even peeking out from behind the column.

However, the bullets in Abel's possession were finite. The moment he first pulled the trigger on an empty chamber, a dark silhouette burst out from behind the pillar with an astonishing speed.

Whoosh!

Clang!

To Abel's surprise, his flintlock was swiftly sliced into pieces by his adversary and fell to the ground.

Upon a closer look, a pair of chilling metallic claws were seen on the hands of Black Rat Sini.

Abel instantly recalled the lethal wounds he'd observed on the two bodies he'd discovered earlier. It was indeed this man's doing.

"Blame the person who sent you to die, kid. Once upon a time, I, who had a bounty of 28 million Berries on my head, defeated Firefox Fox. Black Rat Sini is just an alias I used, which unexpectedly turned out to be quite useful!"

Abel was somewhat taken aback by this revelation. This unremarkable-looking man was not a pirate but a bounty hunter?

None of this was mentioned in the information that Doflamingo had given him.

This character had been plotting all along, it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea.

He knew he would be pursued afterward, so he used a fake identity to mislead all those who were watching him, deliberately allowing them to underestimate him.

It can't be denied that he had already accomplished half of his objective.

Otherwise, the one dispatched would not have been Abel but another higher-ranking member of the family.

However, the reason why only half of his objective was achieved was that the end result would remain unchanged!

Sini, swinging his claws rapidly, seemed determined to shred the young boy before him.

At this juncture, the combat experience Abel had obtained from the White Night Demon proved invaluable, enabling him to respond with utmost calm. Every stroke of his short sword perfectly intercepted the opponent's line of attack.

It was clear that Sini favored an aggressive and rapid attack strategy. Not only were his movements incredibly agile, but his attack speed was also extremely fast.

Furthermore, having just a single short sword to defend against attacks from two claws, Abel soon started feeling the strain of matching Sini's attack frequency.

This stirred a sense of excitement in Abel.

"This guy's not weak at all!"

Constantly overpowering weaker opponents became a bit monotonous, facing stronger adversaries was indeed more thrilling.

"Die!"

Sini seized an opening as Abel struggled to guard, his left claw pinned Abel's sword while his right claw aimed a brutal strike straight at Abel's heart.

Whoosh!

However, the seemingly lethal strike was met with nothing but air!

In the nick of time, Abel unleashed a burst of speed twice his normal, giving up the pinned short sword as a cost, and swiftly put some distance between them.

Sini raised his head to behold the sight of Abel, causing his pupils to contract in a mixture of shock and uncertainty.

"A Devil Fruit user?!"

As Abel's heart began to throb furiously, a vast amount of terrifying toxins coursed through his blood to all parts of his body.

In a blink, his entire skin transformed into a sickly pale color, akin to his usual vitiligo spreading over his entire body.

His eyes looked as if they were flooded with blood, shimmering with a peculiar fiery red hue.

Even his previously short hair began to grow wildly, cascading to his waist and turned entirely white.

His eerie appearance misled Sini into thinking Abel was a Devil Fruit user.

Abel didn't feel the need to explain to a soon-to-be-dead man. He simply grinned with this dreadful appearance, his pale teeth sending shivers down one's spine!

The next instant, he was in front of Sini with the speed that had surprised him just moments ago.

Thump!

Sini only felt an intense pain radiating from his abdomen, followed by his body being catapulted against the wall behind.

"Cough...cough..."

Sini, upon hitting the ground, began to dry heave, as if attempting to vomit everything he had eaten.

"Damn it! Not only is this brat twice as fast as before, but his strength has also become horrifying. If I take a few more hits, I might get killed."

"A Devil Fruit, Devil Fruit... If only I were a Devil Fruit user, then it would be that brat kneeling on the ground now!"

Abel picked up his fallen short sword and held the blade with his other hand. He then swiftly swept his palm across the blade, performing an 'enchantment'.

"Stop thinking about escape, show me what you've got."

"As a return favor, I'll make it quick for you, ensuring a less painful death."

"Arrogant brat! You really think eating a Devil Fruit ensures victory?!"

Before Sini could finish speaking, he noticed Abel casually waving his hand.

In an instant, a dazzlingly brilliant rainbow-colored sword energy swept across the ground, heading straight towards him!

A flying slash attack?!

Sini's eyes widened as he leaped to the side with the fastest speed he could muster.

The Shura Aurora Slash passed through the spot he'd just occupied, slicing through the wall as if it were tofu, and flew out.

What the hell!

Sini couldn't help but swallow, understanding that if he were hit, there would be no chance of survival.

He had initially been smug about his successful scheme, almost laughing at the sight of the Donquixote Family only sending such a young boy to deal with him.

But now, he thought differently.

Rather, Sini felt that the Donquixote Family must really hold him in high regard!

Across the entire North Sea, there were barely a handful of individuals capable of executing the Flying Slash Attack. Yet here stood one right in front of him - a seeming preteen!

A ten-year-old Devil Fruit user plus a presumed swordsman equals...???

Sini couldn't come up with an answer. He felt numb, as if on the verge of tears.

But Abel showed no intention of letting him go.

"If you won't come to me, I'll come to you."

If Abel's original speed was indeed slower, that changed with his transformation. His speed doubled, and the tables were turned.

By the time Sini sensed danger, Abel was already behind him.

Clang!

Sini had to summon every ounce of strength to spin around and use his claws to block Abel's short sword.