chapter 17

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Sachis couldn't help but kneel on the ground, his clothes soaked with sweat. His mind had been completely seen through.

He desperately wanted to use the power of the Don Quixote family to rescue Bellamy. While there might have been some friendship involved, his true motivation was self-interest.

Sachis knew his own worth. He was just an ordinary person with some strength, and even if he could join the Don Quixote family by chance, he would only be a low-ranking member. But Bellamy was different. He had shown extraordinary strength since childhood and was a Devil Fruit user. If Bellamy successfully joined the Don Quixote family, he would quickly rise through the ranks.

As Bellamy's childhood friend, Sachis hoped to ride on his coattails. He had helped Bellamy, and if Bellamy became powerful, Sachis imagined he could live well too.

But...

Manudo's voice interrupted his thoughts, making Sachis tremble.

This was the pressure of the Don Quixote family. And Manudo was just a reserve cadre.

Through his lowered gaze, Sachis could see Manudo's shadow looming over him. The shadow stretched unnaturally as Manudo's outstretched finger suddenly lengthened.

"Die!" Manudo's cold voice echoed. Sachis caught a glint of cold steel from the corner of his eye.

Bang!

Suddenly, the door flew open, and several of Manudo's subordinates rushed in with panic-stricken faces.

"What's going on?" Manudo asked coldly.

Ignoring the fear in their eyes, one of the subordinates pointed outside. His face was pale.

"The family flag was destroyed!"

Bang!

A deep crack appeared beneath Manudo's feet as he dashed into the courtyard, abandoning Sachis on the floor. He stopped when he saw the broken flagpole—the family's symbol had fallen to the ground.

"Who did this?" Manudo growled. He grabbed a nearby subordinate, transforming into his human-beast form. His sharp canine teeth were dangerously close to the subordinate's face.

"I-I don't know!" the subordinate stammered, trembling. "It was a bullet… it came from a long distance."

Manudo tightened his grip, crushing the man's shoulder. "You don't know?"

His eyes flashed with fury, and his nails dug into the subordinate's skin, causing him to scream in pain.

"Out of my way, dog!"

Manudo shoved the subordinate aside and took a deep breath before letting out a thunderous roar.

Bang!

A bullet shot through the air, heading straight for Manudo. His long claws quickly deflected it, and he turned towards the source of the attack.

"You called me a dog, didn't you?" a voice called out.

"Look at this! A scrawny dog," Nia teased as she approached.

Manudo, now in his half-beast form, glared at her. "I'm a dog, yes. I ate the Dog-Dog Fruit, Dachshund Model. But it was you who destroyed our flag! I'll tear you to pieces!"

Manudo lunged at Rhodes, his claws gleaming as they slashed through the air. But Rhodes stepped back, dodging the blow. Manudo's claws struck the stone floor, leaving deep gashes.

Bang!

Nia's long leg swung out, smashing into Manudo's waist with such force that it bent his body in half and sent him flying.

Pei Jin and Xia Qi exchanged shocked glances. They hadn't expected Nia, with her seductive appearance, to possess such strength.

When the "scrawny dog" had charged at them earlier, they hadn't even had time to react. If it had been them, they would have been dead. Nia had once killed a pirate with a bounty over 40 million berries.

Were they really the weakest on the crew? They glanced at Gray, who stood silently behind them, his presence barely noticeable.

"Leave this dog to me," Nia said, excitement flashing in her eyes. Her earlier attack had barely harmed him. "He's tough."

As Manudo rose from the ground, he smirked, brushing off the dirt. "You've got some skills, but that attack was nothing."

With a burst of speed, Manudo appeared before Nia, his claws slashing wildly in all directions.

"You know nothing of a cat's speed," Nia taunted as she effortlessly dodged every strike.

Despite her taunting, Nia was fully aware of how dangerous her opponent was. The moment the battle began, she had shifted into her own half-beast form. Black cat ears twitched atop her head, and she moved with feline grace.

In a flash, Nia was behind Manudo. Her sharp cat claws struck with precision, piercing his body. Blood sprayed into the air.

"Got you!" Nia said triumphantly.

But Manudo grinned, his muscles clamping down on her claws. Trapped, Nia couldn't escape. With a quick flip, Manudo twisted his body, his face inches from hers as his claws slashed toward her.

While Nia was locked in combat with Manudo, the other members of the Don Quixote family attacked Rhodes and his crew.

ROOM!

A blue light enveloped the battlefield as Law prepared to activate his ability.

But before he could, a white figure leapt into the fray, followed closely by two others. They quickly knocked down the incoming attackers.

"Leave these guys to us!" Pekin and Xia Qi grinned at Rhodes. Bepo stood beside them, ready for a fight, while Gray followed quietly, his presence so faint he was almost forgotten.

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