Gunfight!

Click! Clunk! …

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from the upper floor of the cabin, growing closer and closer, as if someone were about to descend the stairs.

The sudden change stunned the four people standing in the corridor.

Hancock was the first to react among them. She quickly gestured for the others to lean against the wall at the entrance of the stairs.

It was evident that she was preparing to launch a sneak attack on the approaching visitor.

Soon, a bald man, standing at a height of 2.4 meters, appeared before the four people. He held a mop in one hand and a wooden bucket in the other, seemingly ready to descend for cleaning.

As soon as the bald man stepped down, Hancock raised her right foot and delivered a sharp kick to his crotch.

The hearing capability of bats is six times that of ordinary people. The silver-haired boy, who consumed the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, also possesses this animal characteristic...

Bang! Crack!

Sephiroth heard the sound of breaking eggs distinctly, causing a chill to run through his body, prompting him to quickly close his legs.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

The girl with long black hair's fatal strike proved highly effective. The bald man fell to the ground instantly, emitting a high-pitched scream as he clutched his crotch in agony.

Yet, Hancock didn't give him a chance. She delivered another hard kick to the man's temple, rendering him unconscious.

"Something's happening down there, go check it out!"

"Hurry! Move quickly! Grab weapons."

…

Noisy footsteps echoed from the upper level of the cabin, and Sephiroth could hear the sound of guns being loaded and swords being unsheathed.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary person living in a peaceful era, and the original owner of this body had never been in a fight.

Confronted with the upcoming battle, the silver-haired boy felt extremely nervous. He could even feel his heartbeat quickening.

On the other hand, the three women displayed the fighting spirit expected of a skilled Kuja warrior from Amazon Lily.

Hancock dashed up the stairs first, engaging with the first wave of enemies. Sandersonia wielded the mop like a staff, while Marigold grabbed a nearby barrel.

The three women displayed a fearless attitude in the face of the impending battle!

Upon hearing the gunshots from the upper level, Sephiroth clenched his teeth, preparing to charge forward.

The idea of hiding behind women, seeking their protection, and letting them fight while he did nothing did not sit well with his pride as a man!

As the young man was about to pass the fallen body of the bald man and ascend the stairs, his steps suddenly faltered.

Ever since Sephiroth woke up, his body had developed an insatiable thirst for blood, compelling him to give in to the urge to feed.

He knew he needed to drink blood to fully awaken the abilities of the vampire devil fruit!

With this in mind, Sephiroth, in desperate need of increased combat prowess, wasted no time. He opened his mouth, revealing two sharp fangs protruding from his upper teeth.

Grabbing the fallen bald man's right arm, he sunk his fangs into the flesh.

Suck!

The blood-sucking fangs pierced the skin and muscles, enveloping him in a ball of bloody light as he drew in the life force.

Instantly, his body shape and appearance began to change!

The silver-haired boy's height increased by nearly 30 centimeters, transforming him from about 1.6 meters to approximately two meters. His eyes turned blood-red, his ears elongated and narrowed, and sharp, elongated nails emerged from his fingers. A pair of fleshy wings sprouted from his back, equipped with tiny joints that, with a slight vibration, could generate a buoyant force, enabling him to take flight.

The narrow confines of the cabin rendered the fleshy wings useless, and he had no use for them at that moment.

With this thought in mind, he retracted the wings, leaving no trace of their existence.

Having fed on the blood, all the weakness and powerlessness brought on by fatigue and hunger vanished in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming surge of strength, fueling his urge to unleash his rage.

On the other side, as the young man sucked the life force and vitality from the bald man, the latter's body shriveled up, skin wrinkling, and face aging by more than thirty years, transforming him into a frail, elderly figure on the brink of death.

This was the horror of the vampire devil fruit, granting its user the ability to siphon the life force of others to maintain eternal peak physical condition.

Whoosh!

In his vampire state, his strength and speed were heightened further, enabling him to rush to the upper level in the blink of an eye.

Sephiroth glanced upwards and saw a spacious room cluttered with water, food, and supplies. Two corpses lay in a pool of blood.

The three women had taken up swords and guns from the fallen bodies and were concealed behind a stack of crates.

Just as Sephiroth emerged from the stairs, on the other side of the cabin, four black gun muzzles were pointed at him, the triggers being pulled.

Bang! Bang! Bang! ...

Swiftly, the silver-haired boy dodged sideways and sought refuge behind a pile of crates.

While evading, a bullet grazed his left arm, causing a burning, tingling sensation that dissipated within seconds, leaving no trace of injury.

Sephiroth raised his right hand and wiped his left arm. Though his palm was now stained with blood, the wound on his left arm had completely healed.

The vampire devil fruit consumed the life force it absorbed from others, enabling his body to regenerate at an extraordinary rate.

With ample life force, he could continually heal any physical wounds!

This unparalleled resilience was incomparable, even to those who had mastered the Life Return technique to its utmost extent.

As the gunfire gradually subsided, Hancock tossed a pistol to him from the other side of the room.

After hastily catching the pistol, Sephiroth examined its design. It resembled a flintlock pistol but had a fixed-loading mechanism at the handle, capable of holding six bullets.

Checking the magazine, he noted five bullets remained.

With two men dead and one unconscious below, there were still four enemies outside the door, and two appeared to be missing.

Sephiroth listened intently for any movement outside the door but detected no sign of the other two individuals.

Faintly, he perceived the sound of a magazine being unloaded—they were reloading their weapons!

Realizing this, the silver-haired boy swiftly extended his hand and took a quick peek. He spotted two adversaries still aiming their guns into the room.

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger twice in succession.

Bang! Bang!

Boom!

Almost simultaneously, three shots rang out.

Immediately, a thud resounded outside the door, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground.

"Kevin!...Kevin!...That damn guy, I'll kill him!"

"Stay calm!"

"Don't act recklessly!"

"The captain will be here soon. Stay composed!"

Meanwhile, Sephiroth remained hidden behind the crates, his eyes flickering as he inspected the wound on his wrist.

During the exchange of gunfire, the opposing side had also managed to land a shot on him.

Observing the situation, Boa Hancock furrowed her brow, voicing her concern:

"How bad are your injuries?"

"It's not too serious...just hurts!...Hiss~!"

Gritting his teeth, Sephiroth extended his left index finger and thumb, digging his slender nails into his wrist to extract the bullet.

As the blood-stained projectile fell to the deck, he leaned back against the crate, his back slumping wearily.

With his life force depleting rapidly, the wound on his left wrist had completely healed within a matter of seconds. The pallor in his face, caused by the pain, quickly gave way to a rosy complexion.

Though he could regenerate swiftly, it still hurt! Sephiroth murmured inwardly, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.