Chapter 44

"You little pest, you've successfully angered me!"

Rekdu spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his face grim.

Who could have thought that the fledgling he didn't take seriously would turn out to be a young eagle with sharpened claws!

But even if it were an eagle, the consent of the adult crocodile would still be required to hunt it.

"Rampage Assault!"

Rekdu picked up the two halves of the severed crescent blade axe, stomped heavily on the ground, and like a loosed arrow, lunged out.

Twisting his body in mid-air, Rekdu engaged in high-speed rotation with his weapon above his head.

From a distance, it looked like a 'rotary drill' with a weapon attached.

Abel didn't think about taking the attack head-on, instead, with a swift leap, he successfully evaded the blow.

With a thunderous boom, Rekdu plunged into the ground and astonishingly, continued to burrow into the soft earth, disappearing into a nearby mud pit.

This left Abel somewhat dumbfounded.

Subsequently, his face darkened!

Was the guy's display of killing intent just a ruse?

No, it could also be a tactic to draw him into unfavorable terrain.

Abel composed himself, refraining from recklessly following Rekdu into the pit.

If he were to get stuck in the mud, he would become an easy target for Rekdu. At that point, it wouldn't be him hunting Rekdu but Rekdu hunting him!

But if he didn't pursue, was he just supposed to let Rekdu escape?

Abel found himself in a difficult position, and it served as a valuable lesson – he would certainly pay more attention to his surroundings next time.

Noticing his predicament, Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh, "Ehehehehe, seems like our 'Great Swordsman' has been outmaneuvered."

"Baby-5, Buffalo, you two get that runaway out in the open from above. Then leave him for Abel to deal with."

"Anyway, I want to see you guys bring him back later, dead or alive, it doesn't matter."

"Yes, Young Master!"

The bomber duo excitedly ascended into the sky. This time, Baby-5 had brought a lot of good stuff.

Seeing this, Abel immediately followed.

Obviously, this was an opportunity for practice that Doflamingo specifically left for them.

Law also wanted to follow, but after only a few steps, he was stopped by Corazon.

At this moment, Corazon didn't speak, but through eye contact alone, Law understood his intention.

"You must not leave my field of vision, absolutely not!"

The two locked eyes fiercely, but in the end, it was Law who conceded. He turned his head and vented all his anger onto the remaining small fries.

Honestly, with Law's current strength, he could barely handle these small fries.

So, Corazon's intention was genuinely for his good, not allowing him to overextend!

Law understood this, but he still felt frustrated.

"One day, I'll be able to fight alongside Abel, without holding anyone back!"

...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Bombs were dropped from the sky, causing mud to splatter everywhere!

As there were no obstacles, the bombs flying in...

Buffalo, hovering in the sky, quickly noticed the alligator's movements.

"There it is! I see it!"

Buffalo dived sharply, and Baby-5 excitedly detached several hand grenades from her body, executing precise throws.

Rekdu, admiring his own cleverness, was suddenly showered by a dozen bombs falling from the sky.

"Holy shi—"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The intense explosion drowned out Rekdu's swearing.

The shallow mud pit was blasted into a massive crater, revealing a very disheveled alligator within.

But it wasn't over yet.

Just as Rekdu was blown into a daze, losing all sense of direction, Abel, who had caught up, was only ten meters away from him.

Without hesitation, he drew his sword and slashed!

Asura Aurora Slash!

Although the same move might not work on a saint, it was still incredibly effective against this alligator, who was not a saint!

Thump!

This time, Rekdu was directly hit in the back by the swift flying slash, causing blood to spurt everywhere!

"Bastards, I'll fight you all!"

Rekdu, his eyes burning red with anger, roared and prepared to turn around to fight Abel.

But just as he took his first step, several green 'dove eggs' dropped at his feet.

A violent burst of fire once again swallowed him.

Frustration!

Unimaginable frustration!

Rekdu wanted to flee, but couldn't.

And this time, it was Abel who didn't give his enemy a chance to get close.

Pointing two gun barrels at his opponent, he opened fire!

Gustavus Adolphus - Twin Eagle - Abel, online!

Rekdu, who had no Armament Haki and was wounded, saw a significant drop in his defensive power.

Even though most of the bullets were stopped by his muscles, it didn't change much.

Click, click.

"Damn!"

After emptying the bullets, Abel put the guns away casually, drew his short sword again, and walked over.

By now, Rekdu had returned to his human form, lying on the ground, covered in blood.

After the wild bombing, he was fortunate to be a Zoan Devil Fruit user; otherwise, he'd hardly have a complete corpse by now.

"Hey, are you dead?"

Abel gave him a kick to turn him over, face up. There was no reaction throughout the process, it seemed like he was truly dead.

But Abel was not reassured. He muttered to himself, "Dragging the whole body back is too troublesome. It's better to just bring back the head."

While he spoke, Abel prepared to use his short sword to sever the opponent's head.

At this, Rekdu, barely holding onto life, could no longer stand it. With a sudden jolt reminiscent of a dying gasp, his upper body sprung up, his head undergoing a dramatic transformation in the process.

The ferocious alligator's head opened its mouth wide, attempting to bite off Abel's neck with its sharp teeth.

But from start to finish, Abel's expression remained calm.

One could even say he had anticipated this scene.

Swoosh!

A sharp short sword pierced from the bottom up through Rekdu's lower jaw, then into his head. With a hard stir—

The color in Rekdu's eyes instantly vanished, and his gaping mouth never closed again.

Abel withdrew his short sword, forcefully flicking off the remaining blood, then grabbed the corpse's ankle and dragged it all the way back.

From this battle, he had gained a new understanding.

Before meeting a truly strong opponent or one proficient in Armament Haki, especially in the four seas, the role of firearms and artillery, these modern weapons, was not to be underestimated!

"Perhaps I should devote more time to firearms training?"

Abel wasn't sure whether he should follow this course.

When Abel returned with Rekdu's body, it was clear that Doflamingo was very satisfied.

"Well done, you didn't disappoint me."

"When I arrived, this guy was nearly blasted to death by Baby-5, I just delivered the final blow. Anyone else in my place could have done the same."

Abel showed no sign of pride, just calmly narrated the fact.

Without the 'bomber duo' intercepting, in this environment full of mud pits and marshes, he would have had no effective means to deal with the situation.

"Heh, heh, heh, not being overwhelmed by victory is good. When facing an enemy, never misjudge your own strength."

Doflamingo was even more satisfied and said, "I've already promised to reserve this devil fruit for Law, but your performance in this operation was superior. So, what reward would you like?"

Honestly, Abel had many desires, such as a new lethal toxin, or sea-stone weapons, or an ultimate great sword.

However, in order to hide his true ambition, he chose a different answer.

"Berries! The more, the better!"

This response was undoubtedly surprising to Doflamingo.

He had speculated about Abel's answer but didn't expect it to be something as utilitarian yet inconsequential as money.

"Such a simple request, of course, it can be fulfilled. But I'm curious, why do you need so many Berries?"

Abel's response was straightforward, "I don't like owing people money."

"Who do you owe money to?"

"A while ago, I borrowed a lot of money from Baby-5 for shopping, and I also promised to buy ice cream for Buffalo, and I owe Senoir Pink a few boxes of cigarettes."

"Alright, I understand now."

Doflamingo, increasingly speechless, quickly interrupted Abel.

"From now on, the family will provide you with a certain amount of operation funds every month. Besides, I allow you to pick spoils of war inside later. As long as you can carry it, you can take as much as you want."

Doflamingo was quite generous in this regard, or rather, he was generous with other people's money!

After all, the wealth in the cave was unexpected gains, how much could Abel take even if he tried his best?

Not to mention in the end, everything rots in the pot, there was nothing to feel sorry about.

Moreover, after finding out that Abel had a 'love for money,' Doflamingo felt even more relaxed in controlling him.

Even with 'family,' you have to cater to their preferences to deepen the 'bond,' right?

Over the years, this was how Doflamingo operated.

This ensured that almost everyone around him was utterly devoted and loyal.

So, after seeing Baby-5 and Buffalo also looking envious, he simply waved his hand and allowed them to pick some spoils of war later.

Baby-5 and Buffalo immediately jumped for joy.

Soon, every member of the Crocodile Pirates was dealt with.

Only the first mate was left, trembling, silent, fearing that he might also be taken care of.

In fact, nobody cared about him, whether he lived or died was simply

A thought from Doflamingo.

Abel then deliberately walked into the cave with an excited look on his face.

At the end of the cave was all the gold, silver, treasures, and a large amount of Berries that the Crocodile Pirates had plundered these days.

Abel was not shy and began by pulling out two sacks, choosing to fill them with expensive-looking jewelry, not just for their high value but also for their small size.

After filling two sacks, he tried carrying them on his shoulders.

It was manageable; they weren't crushing him!

Thanks to his daily training carrying a hundred-kilogram shell, he might not have been able to carry the sacks otherwise.

However, as he prepared to leave, his eyes were drawn to several black boxes against the wall.

Should he make it look more realistic?

Each box contained Berries in the denomination of a thousand, roughly ten thousand bills in each box, amounting to ten million Berries, weighing over thirty pounds.

But he had no hands free to carry any more.

At this point, he was reminded of Zoro.

So, he gritted his teeth, literally, attempting to bite the box's handle to lift it.

Then his teeth started to ache.

Damn it, Zoro was truly uniquely gifted, he had trained since childhood by carrying dumbbells in his teeth and had not ended up like a '90-year-old lady', truly miraculous!

Abel did not want to lose his teeth, so he took out a large portion of the money from the box, leaving about ten pounds left, which he easily carried in his mouth. Then he hoisted up the two sacks of treasure and walked out looking 'majestic and spirited.'

Seeing him in this state, everyone was flabbergasted!

Did he really have to go to such lengths?

Doflamingo twitched the corner of his mouth twice, deliberately turned his gaze elsewhere, preferring to keep it out of sight.

"Excellent, that's the effect I wanted!"

Abel was very pleased with everyone's reaction. It hadn't been in vain that he had cosplayed as Zoro.

Then, Baby-5 and Buffalo rushed excitedly into the cave.

For some reason, Doflamingo suddenly had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, when the two came out, Doflamingo only had to take one look before he couldn't help but cover his forehead.

I really shouldn't have agreed so quickly!

With Abel as a good example, Baby-5 and Buffalo felt as if a new door had been opened to them.

So, they too, carried bulging sacks on their backs and had money boxes laboriously clenched in their mouths, unsure of how much money was actually inside.

The three of them had almost swept clean all the treasures inside, leaving only a small amount of less valuable or bulky items that were hard to carry.

Doflamingo could only feel his blood pressure rising rapidly!

Finally calming down, Doflamingo then spotted the deputy of the Crocodile Pirates lingering nearby, wanting to say something but hesitating.

How he wished he could just shoot him!

"It's your turn now, go get your share," said Doflamingo with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The deputy hesitated for a moment, then took a few tentative steps toward the cave. He immediately noticed someone preparing to draw a gun from the corner of his eye and promptly halted.

"No...I think I'll pass, I... I don't want it."

"Are you sure you don't want it? I'm not forcing you."

"I don't want it, really, I don't!"

"Such a shame," Doflamingo lamented, not specifying what he found regrettable, and withdrew his hand.

The deputy was drenched in cold sweat, feeling as though he'd just walked a circle around the gates of the underworld.

Captain Rekd had been right, dealing with the Donquixote Family was akin to courting a tiger for its skin. But out of revenge, he had no other choice.

The expedition was nothing short of triumphant!

At least for Abel and his companions, they had struck it rich.

Since the Donquixote Family had channels to sell off the loot in the underground black market, Baby-5 and Buffalo decided to convert all their earnings into Berries.

Somehow they were persuaded, and all the money went straight into the Family's account.

They were told it was unsafe to keep that much money on them. It was 'stored' with the Family and could be withdrawn at any time.

Upon hearing this, a very classic line sprang into Abel's mind: "Let's keep this money with mom for safekeeping until you're grown up."

It was strikingly similar to how parents would take their children's New Year's money, promising to save it for them!

Of course, Doflamingo wouldn't go to such extremes, and the money wouldn't just 'disappear' mysteriously.

Under persuasion, Abel only exchanged a portion of the jewelry for money and had no intention of 'depositing' it into the Family's account.

A joke, right? He had long since become immune to such 'New Year's money' scams!

His money was his to spend as he pleased, without anyone else's interference.

Seeing that he had his own ideas and wasn't easily deceived like Baby-5 and Buffalo, Doflamingo let him be.

As for the jewelry he hadn't converted into money, Abel made sure to plan ahead.

Just in case he ran into more 'payable' orders, he couldn't possibly pay with Berries; he wouldn't be able to spend them!

Instead, gold, silver, and jewelry could be exchanged for money in most parts of the world.

With the demise of the Crocodile Pirates and the disappearance of the Devil Fruit, the underground black market finally returned to its usual 'peace.'