INIIDF-Chapter 82 Apologies

"How is this possible? How do you have any strength left?!"

Laffitte couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken so out of character. The boy was infuriating!

Ignoring him, Liam, clad in the black Stand armor of 'B.I.B.', gathered his strength and sprinted towards the shore.

Compared to him, 'B.I.B.' was in much better shape. After all, he hadn't been hit by Laffitte and hadn't lost most of his strength due to injuries.

"Trying to run?"

Laffitte grinned wildly, his face covered in blood.

"Monster! We won't let you chase him!" Despite their fear, the villagers rushed forward.

"Get out of my way!" With a sweep of his wings, Laffitte knocked the villagers to the ground.

"Is he even human?" The villagers were horrified.

The demon sheriff, his face cold, flew to the wooden road at the foot of the mountain. His bird-like claws ripped it from the ground.

"A mere child, forcing me into such a miserable state, you should be proud..."

Clutching the road with his claws, Laffitte spread his wings and took off. His pupils constricted as he quickly spotted Liam fleeing into the night towards the coast.

"I'm going to chop your head off with this!"

Laffitte flew after him.

---

Robin stumbled as she ran with her head bowed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks in the wind; she was too exhausted to wipe them away.

Just as she was feeling heartbroken and desperate, a gust of wind and Liam's voice reached her ears, "Why are you running so slowly?"

Robin was completely shocked. Before she could turn around, Liam had scooped her up and was sprinting towards the sea at full speed.

"Liam, you..." Robin wiped away her tears, laughing and crying at the same time. But when she saw Liam's bloodied body in the moonlight, she choked up, unable to speak.

A shadow fell from the sky, chasing them.

On the ground, villagers shouted curses and threw things at the bird-like shadow.

---

Smack!

Laffitte, flying through the air, was hit by a frying pan.

He looked angry, but he had no time for these insignificant villagers.

Under the moonlight, Liam, clutching Robin, ran closer and closer to the shore...

"It's no use... Die now!"

Laffitte, holding the wooden stick in his claws, aimed the sharp end at Liam's head as he ran.

Suddenly, delicate arms sprouted from his flapping wings, trying to rip out his feathers.

"Not that thing again..." Laffitte's eyes were bloodshot as he saw this. The pain was intense, but his expression grew colder and darker. "It's useless!"

Robin cried out in pain as Laffitte, ignoring the pain of his feathers being pulled, ripped off several of her Flower-Flower-Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) arms...

"You're out of options!"

Under the moonlit night, Laffitte spread his wide wings and dove down, holding the street like a giant axe.

Unstoppable!

His killing intent was clear!

Liam dashed to the shore.

The black sea ahead rose and fell like mountains in the night.

Thud, Thud, Thud!

Liam was running and he didn't stop. He leaped powerfully from the shore, still holding Robin!

Liam ran in the air, high in the moonlight...

Ahead was the vast, dark sea.

The wind lifted her short hair as Robin closed her eyes tightly, clinging to Liam.

In this moment of life and death, Liam looked back slightly...

His gaze met Laffitte's surprised eyes as he dived down.

Shua! 

The sharp path under Laffitte's claws brushed past Liam.

Splash! 

Liam and Robin plunged into the ocean.

The black waves rolled.

---

Flap, flap, flap... Hovering above the sea, Laffitte flapped his wings and looked confused.

"Is he trying to escape? Is he mad? He's a Devil Fruit Ability user!"

Laffitte circled the rolling black sea a few times, then threw the road into the water and flew back to shore, frowning.

...

Gurgling sounds, like something sinking underwater, echoed...

...

Laffitte folded his wings, his claws returning to his feet as he landed on the ground.

"What a crazy kid..."

The Demon Sheriff wiped the blood from his face in frustration.

It was annoying enough to see the little criminal he had thought dead reappear. Seeing him again, he wanted to kill him on the spot... but the battle was full of unexpected twists and turns!

What made him even more angry was that the child who had aroused his endless desire to kill had apparently... committed suicide!

...

Gurgling...

The black armor with glowing white eyes detached itself from the drowning boy.

It turned and slashed at the boy's chest, pulling out a triangular chip.

The boy's eyes snapped open and he regained consciousness.

...

"Over there!"

The disorderly villagers finally arrived and rushed forward.

But all they saw was Laffitte alone by the sea, and they demanded angrily, "Where's Liam? Where are the two children?"

Liam? Laffitte frowned, looked at the villagers coldly, and licked the blood from his lips, "You want to see him? I'll send you to him then..."

Laffitte took a step forward but stopped abruptly, his expression tense as he looked around the dimly lit surroundings.

He remembered the strange, seemingly omnipresent, invisible "ghost" from earlier... Laffitte now had the time to think and recall the long-ago rumors from West Blue about the resurrection of the Pirate King's ghost... Could these rumors have something to do with this boy?

For all intents and purposes, the boy was a troublemaker!

But it didn't matter. The boy was an Ability user. Jumping into the ocean was suicidal. He was probably overly paranoid, thinking that the pesky ghost might still be around...

Laffitte thought calmly, with a touch of self-mockery.

Facing the ragtag group of villagers, he drew his pistol.

The villagers, who had rushed forward, were at first startled to see him draw the gun. Then they saw Laffitte suddenly drop to his knees with a thud.

What's going on? Everyone was stunned.

"..."

Laffitte's eyes bulged, bloodshot, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

A sudden wave of pain coursed through his entire body and he was completely immobilised...

Spitting blood uncontrollably, Laffitte managed to utter a few words in disbelief: "How... is... this... possible..."

Tears of blood also streamed from his eyes.

The villagers were terrified. What had happened?

Laffitte tried to look back but saw no one.

Why... The boy was clearly an Ability user... Laffitte's mind was filled with deep confusion and resentment!

He couldn't understand how a Devil Fruit Ability user could fall into the sea and survive. Even a Fish-Man Devil Fruit Ability user would be powerless in the water... Why? Why!

How could he die here... How could he die here?

"Why... no... killing... intent..."

Laffitte's voice was barely audible as blood continued to gush from his mouth.

Blood droplets also oozed from all over his body.

In his blurred vision, a figure in black armor stood behind him, eyes glowing faintly white.

"B.I.B.'s" right hand, adorned with a pattern of red flames, slowly withdrew from Laffitte's back.

"Very sorry..." From inside （B.I.B.）'s helmet came a voice similar to Liam's, "This time the killing intent was delayed by network latency!"

...

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