Chapter 336: Chapter 337: Experts Within the Base
"Shigan: Claw!!!"
Beck roared, his hands forming claws that simultaneously struck the chests of two guards on either side.
Splurt~
As his fingers withdrew, drops of blood fell. Beck followed with a sweeping kick that snapped a guard’s neck, sending the man collapsing without a sound.
"Huff... Damn it, there are more and more of them!" Beck panted lightly, a corner of his red-faced, black-haired mask chipped away.
Fitch dodged a sword strike, then delivered a knee strike directly to a guard’s chest. The immense force slammed the man against the metal wall, his sternum cracking as it caved in. Pulling back his leg, Fitch adjusted his mask. "And they’re getting stronger," he added. "Their experts are gradually arriving."
Fitch’s eyes were grave as he fixed them on a sturdy, brown-haired man in front of him. This man wore a black coat, his chest bare, and wielded a palm-wide knight’s greatsword. He was the one who had chipped Beck’s mask.
In the corridor, dozens of bodies lay scattered on the ground. Most were dead on impact, while the surviving ones lay wailing, their limbs broken.
Clang~ Clang~ Clang~ Clang~
A faint metallic clanking sound, like metal lightly hitting the ground, grew steadily closer.
Suddenly, the sound stopped, and another person appeared in the corridor.
"What a blunder! To think two mere ruffians could actually infiltrate the base! This truly betrays the captain’s trust!"
A deep, angry voice resonated.
A tall, slender man with shoulder-length black hair appeared in the corridor, his eyes filled with malice as he glared at the two beleaguered infiltrators.
This thin man had a cold expression, clad in a black greatcoat over a white-and-red checkered shirt. He wore loose black pants, long on the left and short on the right, exposing his left leg. Crucially, from the knee down, his right leg was a gleaming silver metal prosthesis. The prosthesis was exceptionally well-crafted, even featuring five metallic toes—no wonder the "clang-clang" sound had emanated earlier.
The sturdy, brown-haired man glanced at the newcomer behind him and quipped, "Sriya, is your toy leg fixed?"
"Edmond, do you want to die too?!" The tall, slender man, identified as Sriya, swept a cold glare at him.
"No, I haven’t lived enough!" Edmond retorted.
Abruptly, a black blur shot towards Edmond’s face. He quickly raised his greatsword to block.
Clang!
A tremendous force surged through him, making Edmond tremble. He slid backward, his feet leaving two distinct trails on the floor.
"Damn it, you ambushed me!" Edmond fumed, glaring at Fitch, who had retracted his fist.
Clang~ Clang~ Clang~ Clang~
At this moment, Sriya started with a swift walk, then a jog, finally breaking into a full sprint. The metallic clanking grew faster and louder. He suddenly stopped in front of Fitch, planting his left foot, and swept his metallic right leg forward with terrifying power and speed, almost tearing the air.
"Tekkai: Steel!"
Fitch was startled. His muscles instantly tensed, reflecting a faint sheen under the light.
Thump!
The metallic prosthetic right leg slammed into Fitch’s chest with a dull thud. Fitch flew backward as if struck by an iron hammer, crashing violently.
Boom!
Fitch flew back over ten meters, smashing heavily onto the ground. The hard marble floor cracked into a large crater, surrounded by a dense web of fissures.
"Armament Haki: Shigan!!!"
Beck, seeing his comrade kicked away, coated his index finger in a deep black. With a whoosh, he thrust it at Sriya.
Clang!
Sriya raised his metallic right leg to block. The spot where Beck’s finger struck clearly dented the limb. Immediately, Sriya pushed off his left foot, launching himself into the air, and with a dull thump, kicked Beck in the neck with his left foot. The powerful kick twisted Beck’s neck.
Crack!
"Good strength."
Beck straightened his neck, flexing it left and right.
At this moment, the downed Fitch also stood up again. "Cough, cough~ That kick really packed a punch. It almost knocked the wind out of me." He rubbed the spot on his chest where he’d been kicked.
"Nani?!" Sriya, who had regained his stance, watched his pupils suddenly constrict.
"Soru: Fist!!"
Beck’s body flashed, instantly closing the distance to Sriya, and he unleashed three rapid blows to his abdomen.
Thump!
Sriya’s body bent forward, grunting, and he flew backward.
"Sriya!" Edmond shouted in alarm.
Thump!
Suddenly, a black blur flashed before him. A dark fist slammed into Edmond’s face. He felt a sharp pain in his left cheek, and he was sent flying by the immense force, instantly crashing against the opposite metal wall.
"That lunatic Sriya and Edmond both got knocked away!"
"Damn it, they’re actually this strong!"
"Don’t be afraid! His Majesty is here, and Commander Oliver has arrived too!"
"That’s right! Hold them off! The main force will be here soon!"
"Commander Otto will be here shortly! We can’t disgrace the Fifth Division!"
Seeing two prominent figures in the base successively sent flying, the nearly hundred guards blocking the corridor were greatly astonished, but immediately became even more ferocious.
Many of them were hunters from the town who had witnessed Aeridar’s overwhelming power firsthand, marveling at his incredible strength. After joining, they regarded Aeridar as an idol and naturally didn’t want to lose face in front of him.
"Everyone, stand down!"
Suddenly, a booming shout echoed through the corridor. Everyone froze, stopping their actions, and looked in the direction of the voice.
Thump-thump-thump... Thump-thump-thump...
Despite the piercing alarm, faint footsteps could still be heard. Three figures were seen approaching. One had an ugly face and wore a grey-brown fur coat. Another had white hair, several scars on his chest, and a sword at his waist. The third was lean and dark-skinned, with a black eye patch over his left eye.
"Commander Otto!!"
"Commander Enrod!!"
"Galan-sama!!"
Gasps of surprise erupted. These guards had rarely seen these three high-ranking executives act together. Normally, it was difficult enough to see even one of them in action.
"Former captain of the Dorot Pirates, now Commander of the Chris Pirates’ Fifth Division, former bounty of 190 million Berries, the Orc—Dorot Otto!!" Fitch immediately recognized Otto’s ugly face.
"Under the command of the Chris Pirates, Captain of the White Mane Pirates, with a new bounty of 330 million Berries, the White Mane Swordsman—Gerald Enrod!! And his first mate, the Black Ghost—Morris Galan, with a new bounty of 240 million Berries!!" Beck also recognized Enrod and Galan’s identities, his voice and eyes filled with gravity.
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