Chapter 23: Walking Into a Trap

"The captain of the Money Pirates—Baroque Siss. A user of the Exchange Fruit, with a bounty of 253.69 million Berries. Six years ago, he was killed by Vice Admiral Sakazuki at Water 7 on the Grand Line?"

Noah spoke calmly, "It seems the Exchange Fruit can let you take over someone else's body or organs."

Barton lowered his head, his eyes hidden by shadows. His body trembled slightly before he broke into a sinister grin. "Not bad, not bad. I'm starting to admire you. Here's your final choice: join my pirate crew, or die here."

"Oh, you sound so sure of yourself! Over the years, I bet you've traded for quite a few things in the Rum Kingdom, huh?"

Without warning, Barton attacked. "Die!"

A dozen crescent-shaped slashes cut through the air.

"Move!" Flames burst from Noah's shoes, launching him into the air as a flurry of cards shot out.

"Release—Raging Tides!"

A massive surge of seawater, enough to fill a small ocean, exploded from above, crashing down on Barton and his crew.

"What the—?!" Barton's face twisted in shock. He immediately kicked off the air with powerful stomps, his fists charging with Armament Haki.

"Ha! Eight-Pulse Fist—Wave Piercer!"

Two shockwaves shot out from his fists, tearing through the incoming wall of water.

The five officers of the Money Pirates scattered in all directions, trying to escape.

Noah remained in midair, drawing more cards.

"Clearing the field. Changing the terrain."

Dozens of cards exploded into the sky, releasing clouds of graphite powder that spread like black smoke, covering the entire island.

Barton, just having escaped the waterfall of seawater, saw the black clouds rolling in. His face turned grim.

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At the same time...

On the warship docked at the coast, a bald man stood guard on the deck. He spotted the dark smoke rising from the island and quickly drew his massive sword, ready for anything.

But in the next moment—

Boom! Explosions erupted beneath the ship, one after another, destroying it in a matter of seconds.

The bald man didn't even have time to react before the shockwave hurled him into the ocean.

As he struggled through the pain in his chest and swam desperately toward the surface—

A shadow, sharp like a blade, appeared behind him.

Before he could even turn around, a short sword pierced his kidney.

"Gah… ahh...!" He writhed in agony, thrashing helplessly.

But the shadow gave him no time to recover. Another quick, brutal strike hit him from behind.

Enraged, the bald man swung his massive sword, aiming to take his enemy down with him.

But his opponent's short sword didn't stop.

In the blink of an eye—

The short sword plunged into his chest. The bald man's own massive sword missed its target entirely, slicing through nothing but air.

"Ah... no…!" Water flooded his mouth and lungs. As he sank deeper into the ocean, his gaze locked onto the girl before him, but his body grew heavier with each second.

His opponent was Mary, the user of the Slip-Slip Fruit.

Mary, with a small oxygen mask in her mouth and four short swords strapped to her back, moved with deadly precision, her entire body in slippery mode.

Without hesitation, she drew another sword and decapitated the bald man.

The eighth squad captain of the Money Pirates, Greatsword Grom, with a bounty of 87.26 million Berries, was dead.

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Meanwhile, after Noah's tidal wave scattered them...

The remaining five officers of the Money Pirates were now separated.

Sniper Trick Gun Troy gripped his pistol tightly, staying alert in the forest. Ever since that strange black fog rolled in, he had activated his Observation Haki at full power.

Suddenly, he dodged to the side of a tree.

Boom! A fireball hit the spot where he'd been standing just moments ago.

'Damn it! Another ability user? Could these guys be from the World Government?' Troy's face darkened. With both hands on his pistol, he quickly jumped to another tree.

But his Observation Haki screamed in warning.

It was already too late.

From the sky, hundreds of blue fire ravens swooped down.

'Simulated Hydrogen Flame—Ravenfall!'

The blue flames, burning like hydrogen and oxygen, engulfed the entire area where Troy was hiding.

"No... aaagh!" Troy's prized gun tricks were useless. Against the overwhelming fire from the Burn-Burn Fruit, he stood no chance. Within moments, he was consumed by the blue flames, turning to ash.

Money Pirates' sniper, Trick Gun Troy, with a bounty of 132 million Berries, was dead.

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Elsewhere, Money Pirates' fifth squad captain, Cat Claw Brian, had entered his half-beast form and was running wildly towards the coast.

"Damn it! Someone can control seawater? We're screwed! I have to escape. Staying here means death."

As he panicked, the ground suddenly trembled. The earth cracked open, and massive amounts of seawater gushed out from below.

"What the—?!" His eyes widened in terror. He kicked off the ground, using Moonwalk to avoid the rising water. "This place is getting more dangerous by the second! I need to get back to the ship!"

But he was celebrating too soon.

Above him, Lilith clung to a harness on Ari's back.

Ari extended his palms, forming a circular opening.

"Explosive Water Surge!"

A massive wormhole appeared in the sky, connecting to the ocean below.

It was as if the sky had torn open. A torrent of seawater, filled with fish and sea creatures, poured down on Brian, who was still using Moonwalk.

Brian's beast instincts screamed in warning. Every hair on his body stood on end. The next moment, everything went dark as the water smashed into him.

'I'm done for…' That was his final thought.

As a Devil Fruit user, being hit by seawater was already a death sentence. The sheer volume, combined with the force of impact, gave Brian no chance to struggle.

It was his own arrogance that sealed his fate. If he hadn't used his half-beast form, Lilith and Ari wouldn't have singled him out.

Lilith grabbed the Den Den Mushi. "Anthony, Tommy, the Devil Fruit user knocked into the sea. Team up with Mary and bring him back—alive or dead."

Though Anthony missed his chance to claim the kill, he knew the mission was more important. "Leave it to us."

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On the other side of the island...

Two more officers of the Money Pirates, fleeing toward the hills, ran into Joseph and Vic, who were lying in wait.

Both officers were swordsmen—and brothers.

"So, you're the ones after us?" The one-eyed swordsman swung his massive blade at Joseph.

Joseph had already shifted into his half-beast form, his body covered in steel armor, with his twin axes coated in Armament Haki.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their weapons clashed violently.

"An animal-type Devil Fruit user? And Armament Haki too?" The one-eyed swordsman was stunned. He hadn't expected to encounter such a monster in the East Blue.

His brother, Hook Sword, looked just as shocked.