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The sun sank into the mountain ridges, casting a deeper gloom over the world.
…
In the small village, the villagers couldn’t help but look towards the base of the mountain in small groups.
The village chief and Liam, why haven’t they returned yet?
…
A man wearing a semi-high silk ceremonial robe and a J-shaped stick at his waist slowly folded his broad white wings and stood on the tombstone, his silhouette both clear and indistinct.
“Is he… that person…?” The old village chief, not far away, widened his eyes. “Is he the ‘Demon Sheriff’?!”
“Heh heh heh heh…” Laffitte ignored the shocked old man, turned the stick in his hand, and looked down at Liam with a slight smile. “I’m not coming down, so what are you going to do?”
Liam’s answer was a fist straight into Laffitte’s pale face.
Laffitte’s slight smile didn’t change as he lightly stepped aside on the tombstone, dodging Liam’s jumping punch with a graceful move like a dance.
Liam twisted awkwardly in the air, avoiding a collision with the tombstone.
Supporting himself with his hands on the ground, Liam’s muscles bulged as he sprang back and delivered a whip kick aimed at the back of Laffitte’s head.
Laffitte, adjusting his semi-high silk ceremonial, crouched gracefully on the tombstone, once again dodging Liam’s attack.
Swish, Swish, Swish…
Liam surrounded the tombstone, repeatedly lunging at Laffitte, but he dodged all of Liam’s attempts with his strange footwork and body movements, not even a corner of his clothes being touched.
“Heh heh heh… Who would have thought that a former lowly pirate’s skills had improved so much!”
Laffitte let out a soft laugh, stepping lightly to avoid Liam’s lunge, and with a casual flick of his J-shaped cane, hooked it around Liam’s neck.
Liam grabbed the cane around his neck, his face turning red from the choke –
This is the moment!
Go, ‘B.I.B.’!
Liam had no idea what Laffitte’s current strength was.
Did he know Haki?
What was the nature of his Devil Fruit ability?
Liam didn’t know, he knew nothing.
The only way to win was with his Stand!
If the Stand was still invincible, it didn’t matter if he acted sooner or later.
But if it was ineffective against Laffitte… Liam had to seize the moment with the greatest chance of success.
That was the moment when Laffitte attacked.
Even if he had Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), that was the moment he was most likely to be caught off guard…
From the moment Laffitte appeared, without any prior communication, the Stand armor, hidden and lurking in the shadows… flew toward the birdman on the tombstone at the moment Liam was attacked.
The eyes on its faceplate glowed with a cold white light. Its flame-patterned hand formed a claw and reached for Laffitte’s chest…
Laffitte’s smiling face suddenly changed.
For the first time, he truly lost his composure.
In a hurry, Laffitte only had time to twist his body in a strange way, his arms instantly turning into white wings, flapping vigorously to gain some height.
The flame-patterned armored hand brushed past the Demon Sheriff’s body.
“…?!”
『…?!』
Both Liam and the Stand armor were shocked, their hearts sinking.
Splat… a spray of blood bloomed in the air.
B.I.B.’ barely had time to materialize his fingertips before they intersected with Laffitte’s chest, ripping three bloody wounds in just half a second.
Grabbing the cane around his neck, Liam was lifted into the air by Laffitte.
Using his abs, Liam flipped up and kicked recklessly at Laffitte’s temple, his single wing flapping to stay airborne.
“…”
Laffitte’s wingtip hooked the stick, and with a grim face, he threw Liam violently to the ground.
# Bang!
Liam hit the ground hard, his back arching in pain.
“Jolyne!!”
Liam shouted as he struggled to his feet amidst the flying dust.
“…?!” Robin, standing not far from the old village chief, was startled by the call. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, ready to use the power of her Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) to deal with the birdman in mid-air and help Liam.
Liam shook his head slightly at her.
Using the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) in front of Laffitte could very likely reveal Robin’s identity. This time was different. The effectiveness of the Stand was greatly reduced, and Liam had no confidence that he could defeat the Demon Sheriff in front of him…
“What was that just now… such incredible killing intent!”
Laffitte fluttered his wings in the air, still feeling a lingering fear.
For a moment, he felt a chill of death, a sense of danger gripping his heart.
Killing intent?
Killing intent?
Liam looked up at him, his eye twitching involuntarily. What the hell, is there even such a setting?!
Did ‘B.I.B.’ release some kind of killing intent when using a lethal move? I didn’t know I had that skill!
Liam’s face was grim. Is my killing intent really that strong, or is this dead-faced birdman overly sensitive?!
“When I read in the newspapers that this brat, who should have been dead, had become a so-called young hunter, I was quite surprised…”
Laffitte folded his wings and landed back on the gravestone.
His white shirt was ripped open with three slashes across the chest, blood stained half of his body.
His wings turned back into hands, and Laffitte touched the blood on his chest, licked it off his fingertips, and showed a perverted smile, “Now it seems that you, the resurrected one, have indeed become somewhat different… Let me guess, did you luckily eat some kind of devil fruit?”
“Get down here!!”
The old village chief could no longer hold back. He roared in rage, lunged with his cane, and swung it at Laffitte on the tombstone.
The cane swung through empty air and the old man fell to the ground.
Laffitte’s ghostly figure appeared on the ground, completely ignoring the old village chief as he walked straight toward Liam.
“This makes me want to kill you even more…” Laffitte’s crimson lips curled into a cold, bloodthirsty smile. He casually swung his cane, “Killing such an interesting criminal bit by bit would surely be more enjoyable…”
The flame-patterned armored hand reached out and aimed for Laffitte’s head.
Laffitte’s pupils constricted, the intense killing intent felt like thousands of needles stabbing into his temples, making his pulse race.
He twisted his head to avoid another attack from ‘B.I.B.’.
Liam seized the opportunity and lunged forward.
Whoosh-
A heavy gust of wind from the stick, Laffitte dodged and struck the incoming Liam at the same time.
Damn it!
The difference in fighting experience is too great… Liam took the blow squarely, groaning in pain as blood flowed.
Laffitte swung his fist at the source of the killing intent, but it hit nothing but air. Instead, it brought back the familiar icy killing intent… His pupils constricted and his body twisted in a bizarre manner, narrowly avoiding the killing intent once again.
A shallow cut appeared on his pale cheek.
“How strange…” Laffitte furrowed his non-existent eyebrows, “What kind of ability is this? Something too small for me to see, or…”
Before he could think any further, the bloodied Liam attacked again.
‘B.I.B.’ joined him, both launching an attack on Laffitte.
“Heh heh heh… truly a strange ability!”
However, Laffitte seemed to be getting better at dodging their relentless attacks.
“But now I’m getting used to it…”
Laffitte moved with the agility of a bird, effortlessly dodging the omnipresent icy killing intent. He kicked Liam hard in the stomach, sending him flying far away.
So evil!
Killing intent, killing intent, what the hell is killing intent?!
Liam, covered in wounds and in immense pain, panted heavily. It took him several attempts to stand up.
How can I kill this guy while suppressing ‘B.I.B.’s killing intent?
Liam lifted his swollen eyelids and watched as ‘B.I.B.’ launched another attack that Laffitte dodged more easily.
Tap, tap, tap… Laffitte walked slowly toward the battered Liam, swinging his cane lightly, “Looks like you’ve run out of tricks?”
Suddenly, Laffitte’s leg was grabbed from behind.
“Is it you who almost killed this child?” The old village chief clung to Laffitte’s leg and shouted, “I won’t let you…”
“Old man, please don’t interfere.” Laffitte kicked the old man aside.
As Laffitte continued forward, his steps were suddenly impeded. Several hands grew out of his leg, holding him back.
Robin, arms crossed and biting her lip hard, used her ability decisively.
……
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