Chapter 93

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Just as Senor Pink was about to be beheaded, a flying slash attack several meters long suddenly assailed from behind!

The Navy Lieutenant clearly had no intention of going down with a pirate, so he immediately gave up the attack and jumped aside.

When he turned around again, he saw a handsome young man, holding a short sword, carrying a girl on his back, slowly approaching with an air of murderous intent.

"You know, whether it's pirates or the Navy, it doesn't really matter to me."

"The only reason I want to kill you is that you shouldn't have touched him!"

Abel gently placed Baby-5 beside Senor Pink, then looked directly at his opponent, uttering these words word by word.

"Interesting, you want to avenge him?"

The Navy Lieutenant looked at Abel with interest, clearly not believing that a kid his age could pose any threat to him.

But at this moment, other Navy personnel recognized Abel!

"He's the boy who defeated Lieutenant Hina!"

"Yes, exactly! It's him!"

"But how come I remember the one who defeated Lieutenant Hina as a white-haired, red-eyed monster?"

"Didn't he have a massive scythe in his hand?"

"Right, right, right!"

"What are you talking about, it's definitely this guy, I could recognize him even if he turned to ashes."

"I think those pirates were shouting this kid's name... something like Abel?"

…

"Seems like I underestimated you."

Hearing the chaotic discussions of the nearby Navy personnel, the Lieutenant also put away his previous contempt and began to take his opponent seriously.

But since he was unclear about Hina's strength, seeing her only as a golden child sent from the Navy Headquarters, he had always been somewhat resentful.

He believed that it was only due to his own bad luck that he was stuck in the North Sea, unable to be promoted to the headquarters.

Deep down, he didn't think that Navy officers from the headquarters were anything special.

Look, a commanding officer was defeated by a young boy.

Even if there were many objective reasons leading to this result, losing was still losing.

This 'humiliation', he decided, would be washed away by his own hands!

"Come on, kid. Let's see what you've got."

The Lieutenant raised his long sword, pointing directly at Abel.

And Abel simply nodded, "You'll see soon enough, I hope you won't regret it then."

As his words trailed off, he immediately activated his talent [Heart of the Other], transforming into a terrifying Other!

"That's the terrifying form! It's definitely him!"

There were immediate cries of surprise from among the Navy personnel.

"Transforming? Devil Fruit user?"

The Lieutenant subconsciously made such a judgement. Facing an unknown Devil Fruit power, he did not dare to be complacent and immediately went on high alert.

Even the other members of the family were seeing Abel in this strange state for the first time.

Whoosh!

With his strength doubled, Abel dashed straight towards the enemy.

"Nice speed, but not to the point where I can't react."

"At his age, I would probably have been killed on sight. I wonder where the Donquixote family finds such talents."

The Lieutenant made such an evaluation in his mind, then swung his sword to parry.

With a clang, it was as if sparks erupted at the point of collision between the two weapons!

"Surprisingly, not only is his speed high, but his power is also..."

Just after the initial clash, the Lieutenant was visibly taken aback.

But while he was surprised, there was no sign of him holding back in his movements.

In just a few seconds, the two exchanged over a dozen blows.

Parrying, dodging, counterattacking, attacking, and attacking again.

Striking, stabbing, slashing, cutting, hanging, lifting, slicing, provoking.

Abel exhibited everything he'd learned, launching an unceasing storm of offense.

The solidity of his swordsmanship fundamentals was enough to make many in the crowd feel embarrassed!

Moreover, his fighting style was not rigid, his experience in combat mature, his swordplay varied, truly astonishing!

In just a short moment, the Lieutenant's expression changed from relaxed to serious.

Because he realized an extremely uncomfortable truth: if it came down to purely swordsmanship, he might not be a match for the young man before him!

But at the same time, he also identified his own advantage.

Although it felt somewhat shameful, he had no choice but to use it.

Clang!

Abel, holding his short sword, aimed for the enemy's lower abdomen, but saw the Lieutenant's long sword descending, aiming for his head.

The saying goes "an inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch riskier."

With the speed being more or less the same, the result would inevitably be the Lieutenant's long sword hitting him first.

So instinctively, Abel immediately retracted his short sword, barely blocking the Lieutenant's forceful slash.

His defense was hasty, and he failed to properly deflect the blow, forcing him to step back.

With that retreat, he completely lost the initiative!

Relying on his adult physique advantage, with longer arms and a longer sword, controlling the distance well, the Lieutenant forced Abel into constant parrying.

While this tactic could be seen as bullying the weaker, its effect was remarkably good.

And this was a battlefield after all. Once weapons were drawn, there was no distinction between adults and children.

Abel wasn't angry, he simply defended calmly, then suddenly unleashed a flying slash attack.

Shura Aurora Slash!

The timing of the release was so abrupt that the Lieutenant, though always wary of this move, couldn't completely dodge it in the end, resulting in a deep bone-exposing wound on his left arm.

The muscles on the Lieutenant's face twitched momentarily, then he forcefully endured the pain and slashed down again.

However, this time, Abel, contrary to his usual style, did not dodge or parry, but strangely gripped the blade of the short sword with his left hand, using it as if it were a sheath, and executed a draw-and-cut!

Thud!

At the last moment, Abel tilted his head aside, and the long sword cut directly into his shoulder, getting stuck in the bone.

It was fortunate that the gourmet cells in his body had undergone two evolutions, significantly strengthening the density of his bones, otherwise, he might have been cut in half.

In contrast, the injury-for-injury outcome he chose didn't seem to go as planned.

The short sword in his hand only left a shallow wound on the opponent's abdomen.

"You're too impulsive, but having such strength at this age indeed gives you the right to be proud. Too bad..."

The Lieutenant, thinking he already had the victory in his grasp, couldn't help but reveal a victorious smile. He also feigned regret for Abel, just to maintain his own image, just as he did with Senior earlier!

Although he verbally acknowledged Senior as a 'real man,' he wouldn't give up the chance to strike from behind.

To put it bluntly, that phrase of praise for being a 'real man' sounded more like a victor's pity and charity towards the loser.

At this moment, it was the same.

But Abel was ready to tear apart the Lieutenant's script!

"Regret? Yes, it is regrettable. Regrettable that you're about to die."

Abel retorted disdainfully, then, bracing himself against the blade in his shoulder, he lunged at the Lieutenant again.

The Lieutenant didn't expect Abel to become so reckless all of a sudden. Although he tried to hold down the long sword in his hand, he couldn't stop Abel's advance.

Imagine the teeth-grinding sound of a blade cutting into bone; even just hearing it is unbearably painful!

But Abel seemed completely unaffected, stepping forward expressionlessly and thrusting his short sword!

That's because in his transformed state, pain perception was reduced by 90%.

Reduced by nine-tenths, leaving just a tenth, naturally he didn't feel much.

Seeing Abel's fierce counterattack, the Lieutenants quickly drew back his blade and attempted to launch another assault, hoping to repeat his earlier success.

But Abel, as if he had transformed into a different person, didn't dodge or avoid any attacks that weren't deadly enough. He engaged in a ruthless injury-for-injury combat, like a man possessed.

If he was slashed, he'd return the favor!

If you can't kill me, then I'll kill you!

This ferocity was terrifying. In just a short while, the Lieutenant, who now bore several bloody holes and wounds on his body, was slightly taken aback.

Even though the Lieutenant was always at an advantage in each injury-for-injury exchange, he couldn't help but feel a trace of fear towards the young man in front of him.

That's because he could see, this young man wasn't bluffing, he wanted to see who would give in first, who would fall first.

"I'll win if we continue this way! Do you think I fear you?"

Perhaps the underlying fear made the Lieutenant somewhat frustrated, causing him to lose his rationality. He glared, ready to fight Abel to the end.

After all, compared to him, Abel's wounds were far more severe.

But suddenly, he started feeling unbearable intense pain all over his body. This pain even distorted his facial expressions and deformed his attacking movements.

Seizing this opportunity, Abel easily deflected the Lieutenant's long sword and swiftly retreated.

"It's time. It's time for you to depart."

Abel flicked the blood off his short sword. The blood was his own and the Lieutenant's.

The poison of the plague had, through the wounds, spread throughout the Lieutenant's body.

This meant that as early as when Abel first wounded the Lieutenant, the outcome had been determined.

His decision to engage in a prolonged mutual combat was to avoid any unpredictability, while also laying the groundwork for possible future battles.

"Ah! You actually smeared poison on your weapon!"

The Lieutenant screamed out in extreme pain, while horrifying white spots unknowingly began to appear on his skin and continued to spread. In no time, they would connect into one large patch.

When that happened, it would be his time of death!

"Poison? I merely smeared my own blood on my weapon."

"It hurts a lot, right? Many people in Freyvance died just like you're dying now - after experiencing endless pain."

"So, you should feel honored to experience the sensations of Amber Lead disease onset!"

As Abel, bloodied and looking like a demon, calmly uttered these words, the many people present were utterly astonished.

Anyone who wasn't an utter fool could grasp the true implications of Abel's words.

Even many of the female navy officers, when they looked again at Abel's dreadful state, no longer displayed disgust or aversion in their eyes, but rather sympathy and pity.

Of course, Abel had no need for any of that.

"Impossible! Flevance has been burnt to the ground, everyone is dead, how could you be from Flevance?!"

"Moreover, Amber Lead disease isn't contagious, you can't fool me, give me the antidote!"

Facing death, the Lieutenants had obviously lost his composure, unable to maintain his previous calm, he loudly rebuked and refuted Abel's words.

By the time he realized the foolishness of his actions, it was already too late.

Because some truths, though universally understood, are not meant to be explicitly stated.

Especially not by someone in the navy!

A scornful smile crept onto Abel's face, "Ha, so Amber Lead disease isn't infectious after all."

"Don't you navy people always advocate justice?"

"When Freyvance was quarantined, when so many people were left to die, to fend for themselves, why didn't you stand up and reveal the truth to everyone, just like you did a moment ago?"

"When the people of Freyvance, desperate to live, took up arms to resist, when everyone was being slaughtered, homes being burned, where were you? Why didn't anyone protect them?"

None of the navy officers could answer Abel's challenging questions.

"Heh, justice."

Abel's words left many navy officers speechless, even ashamed.

Particularly that final sarcastic chuckle, it was immensely damaging.

Many people's faith was shaken!

Amidst this eerie atmosphere, the Lieutenants didn't receive any so-called 'antidote', and died amidst endless pain.

"I'm sorry, I truly don't have any antidote, I didn't lie to you."

"Amber Lead disease, in its original form, indeed doesn't have the ability to spread. But it seems to have mutated after I injected other lethal toxins into my body."

Abel explained to the dead man, while also speaking to the other members of his family, concocting a backstory for the abilities he had just displayed.

His current ghastly appearance served as the best evidence.

Even the witness, he had already prepared.

Senor, who had once helped him acquire the toxins, could verify that everything Abel was saying at this moment, was the truth.

"My deepest condolences for the tragedy of the white town, Fravence. We in the Navy learned too late that the lead disease wasn't contagious, but by then it was too late."

With these calm words, the navy woman with black hair and blue clothes took the stage, brushing aside the 'mistake' of the Lieutenant with a few words.

As for truth or fiction, it no longer mattered.

Now, what mattered was to restore morale, and the reputation of the Navy couldn't be tarnished, especially as this matter involved the World Government.

"All Navy personnel, carry on executing Vice Admiral Tsuru's orders. Today, we must eradicate the tumor that is the Donquixote family!"

Vice Admiral Tsuru's reputation was unquestionable, and the issues of Fravence and the suppression of the Donquixote family were separate matters. So, all Navy personnel shook off their wild thoughts and raised their weapons once more, ready for another attack.

Meanwhile, when Abel had finished off the Navy sub-branch Lieutenant, Machvise also fell prey to the enemy, who, using Geppo, struck him down from the sky, even shattering his shield.

With his shield gone, Machvise crashed into the ground, passing out immediately.

The Donquixote family was one man down once again!

Currently, the situation was not favorable for the Donquixote family.

The outcome of the battle between Doflamingo and Tsuru was still undecided.

The family had suffered consecutive losses with Senor and Machvise, and although their lives were temporarily out of danger, they were incapable of fighting.

Koala, Law, and Bartolomeo were still unaccounted for.

Trebol and Jora were tussling with the other two warships on the Flamingo, only intending to land when the time was right, to evacuate everyone.

As for the family's external pirate flunkies, their casualties were innumerable!

The only good news was that the three warships docked at the port had been destroyed, so as long as they found a way to break the stalemate, they might have a chance to retreat intact.

Despite the loss of a massive amount of wealth and manpower, as long as the core members were still present, they could always earn it back tenfold, or even a hundredfold.

Boom!

Pica, a stone giant unopposed, had started a rampage. Each punch landed resulted in several Navy soldiers being crushed to a pulp, and attracted a great deal of attack.

On such a battlefield, the destructive power Pica could exert was indeed staggering!

And the Navy really had no effective countermeasures against him.

On the other hand, Gladius, who had fallen into a rage due to Pica's fall in his effort to save him, held his ground even in a two-to-one fight.

Everything around him turned into terrifying bombs when it reached his hands, including himself.

He was like a barrel of gunpowder that would explode on contact, making everyone hesitate to approach him, let alone ambush him as before.

However, such a berserk mode wouldn't last long. Once he ran out of energy, he would be like a lamb to the slaughter.

Gladius gave his all, constantly haunted by the sight of Pica falling into a pool of blood in an attempt to save him.

It goes without saying that Diamante and Lao G also gave their all in a do-or-die manner.

The former took advantage of the steel clothes he was wearing, suddenly gave up defense, and launched an all-out attack.

The blonde and purple-clad woman in the Navy

When Leo G's most formidable attack, the Mark of G, impacted her squarely, it obliterated her defenses and blasted her away with the destructive power of a hammer shattering rotten wood.

The female marine with green hair spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, her consciousness fading before her body even hit the ground. All that was left were her eyes rolled back, and the burnt mark of G imprinted on her.

"Huff, huff."

"Finally done, G~"

Steam steadily wafted from Leo G's body, his size rapidly shrinking back to normal. His breathing was sharp and hurried; the short-lived burst of energy had clearly taken a toll on his physical strength and drained him of the energy he usually stored.

But at his weakest moment after releasing his ultimate move, a figure silently made its way behind him.

It was the black-haired, blue-clothed female marine again!

She seized the opportunity for another ambush!

However, she had underestimated the explosion of power from Leo G, thinking her comrade could have withstood it. As a result, she acted one step too late.

Such a mistake needed rectification.

How to rectify it?

By defeating Leo G, of course, avenging her fallen comrade, and tipping the scales back in the Marines' favor!

"Damn you, G!"

Leo G, of course, was aware of the killing intent looming behind him, but he was caught at such a perfect moment that he could do nothing.

Just as the black-haired, blue-clothed female marine was about to land her lethal finger-gun strike on Leo G's heart from behind, Abel arrived in the nick of time, knocking Leo G out of the way.

Whoosh!

Her finger-gun penetrated Abel's chest instead, causing blood to burst out.

It was a close shave. Any closer and his neck would have been punctured.

This was all thanks to Leo G's height.

"You sneaky one, I knew you were up to no good from the start."

From the get-go, Abel had been keeping a close eye on this woman, who was roaming around the battlefield, watching the marines being slaughtered by Serka without intervening.

His intuition told him she was planning another sneak attack from behind.

As expected, the moment Leo G transformed and used the Mark of G, she sprung into action.

Abel, of course, rushed over to Leo G immediately, but was a step behind due to her use of Shave.

In the end, he could only save Leo G in this manner.

Naturally, all of this was within his plan, including taking this injury on Leo G's behalf!

"Good, let's deal with you first."

The black-haired, blue-clothed female marine stated expressionlessly.

However, she was immediately shocked to find she couldn't pull out her hand?!

"You think you can leave without leaving anything behind?"

Abel firmly gripped her arm with both hands, showing his blood-stained teeth in a grim smile.

After being impaled by the finger-gun, Abel had finally entered a "critical injury" state!

The talent "Soul of the Warrior" was instantly activated, exploding with 300% of his combat power!

This surge of strength was in addition to the enhancements from his "Heart of the Ghoul"!

With this, Abel at this moment was finally worthy to compete against his adversary.

With Abel's terrifying grip strength erupting, the black-haired, blue-clothed female marine whose arm was caught instantly wore an expression of pain. She felt like her arm was about to be crushed by Abel.

She quickly lifted her right foot backward, readying an attack stance for a Rankyaku.

Her intention was clear.

Either release her, or die!

Facing this deadly threat, Abel was still laughing, with no intention of releasing his grip.

This was because the "Soul of the Warrior" talent gave him a chance to resist death once, and he could even fully recover by completing three sit-ups.

So, there was nothing to fear.

He could even summon the "Ice Dragon Armor" to take the blow, but he had already revealed enough for today. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to expose any more trump cards.

But the main reason was, he believed he wouldn't die!

"Young man, this old man owes you a life. G!"

Thump!

The black-haired, blue-clothed female marine couldn't release her Rankyaku attack as she was caught from behind!

When she turned her head, she realized it was the old man who had narrowly escaped death earlier.

Obviously, the delay had allowed him to catch his breath and regain his ability to act.

This instantly caused her to feel anxious.

In contrast, although Leo G had spent a lot of energy to defeat the enemy before, his heart was exceptionally fervent at this moment!

The one thing he regretted the least right now was probably teaching Abel the "Combat Boxing".

At the same time, he felt a bit ashamed. Despite living such a long life, he ended up needing Abel to save him.

And now, he would not allow anyone to harm Abel in front of him again!

Even if it meant risking his own life!

"Let go!"

The black-haired, blue-clothed female marine shouted out loudly. Then she turned her left hand into a finger-gun, aiming for Abel's head this time.

She had to take out one of them first. Otherwise, with her hands and feet controlled, she would be nothing but a target waiting to be hit!

"Arm wrestling!"

Leo G called out directly, and Abel instantly grasped his intention. He immediately tightened his grip on 'Old Six's' arm, exerting force outward.

Simultaneously, Leo G expended the rest of his strength, gripping the opponent's leg and twisting in the opposite direction!

Crack! Snap!

With the perfectly synchronized cooperation of the two, the black-haired, blue-clothed female marine's arm and leg were instantaneously broken.

The unbearable, excruciating pain that pierced straight into her mind caused her finger-gun shot to graze past Abel's head and miss its target, striking into the void.