NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 6: Unleashing the Beast
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"Phew…" Killer breathed a sigh of relief, watching Ian, in his Ulquiorra form, approach the center stage. As long as it wasn't them acquiring Gecko Moria's Vivre Card and the map to Thriller Bark, he was content.
Ian, however, had no such reservations. Whether his plan succeeded or failed, Impel Down, Marine Headquarters, or the territories of powerful pirates were not places Gecko Moria would venture lightly.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea varied greatly in strength. Some, like Bartholomew Kuma and Dracule Mihawk, rivaled the Admirals in power, while others, like Buggy the Clown, were significantly weaker. Gecko Moria fell into a similar category, possessing a formidable Devil Fruit yet failing to utilize it to its full potential.
His solo confrontation with Kaido, from which he emerged relatively unscathed, had occurred twenty years ago in Wano Country. Both their powers were still developing, and the gap between them was not as significant as it was now.
Gecko Moria's bounty was 320 million berries, but that was after he became a Warlord and was granted the right to plunder by the World Government. His bounty had stagnated, similar to Crocodile and Kuma, whose bounties were 81 million and 296 million berries, respectively. However, were they truly weaker than Moria?
His overall strength was likely around 400-500 million berries, comparable to a Supernova. With his current 20% fusion rate, Ian was confident in his ability to defeat him.
"There's always a fool who seeks death…" The pirates seated in the auction house erupted in laughter.
"Kid, are you crazy? You want to challenge a Warlord? Why not go to Marine Headquarters or the New World and take on an Admiral or a Yonko while you're at it?"
They wouldn't mock Kid directly. While this newcomer didn't seem like a good person either, he was likely no stronger than Kid, so there was no need to fear him.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a sword pierced through the chest of the taunting pirate. Kid had the Iane thought.
They were mocking his conceit?
"Think before you speak…" Some pirates thought to themselves, witnessing the swift retribution.
If they wanted to regain their lost face, they shouldn't use the Iane taunts that had just resulted in someone's death, especially with the target still present.
"So, esteemed guest, how much are you willing to pay for this?" The gray-haired auctioneer addressed Ian, who now held Gecko Moria's Vivre Card and the map to Thriller Bark.
He likely belonged to the Iane category as Kid and the lizardman pirate captain, a newcomer intoxicated by his Devil Fruit powers and brimming with conceit.
The auctioneer hoped to exploit this conceit and extract a hefty sum. Ian, however, seemed to see through his intentions and replied, "How about… 5 million berries?"
"… Hahaha!" The auction house fell silent, followed by an eruption of laughter. The auctioneer and the pirates were stunned. Was this guy truly an idiot?
While this item might fetch a high price in the Grand Line, here in the South Blue, it was worth a few thousand berries at most, and that was solely due to Gecko Moria's notoriety. It was a hot potato, and he was offering 5 million berries?
"Excellent…" The auctioneer nearly shrieked with delight. Not only was this newcomer conceited, but he was also a fool. His own bounty was around that amount!
Bounty? In the next instant, the auctioneer understood. Ian's fingertips glowed with green energy, and a Cero pierced through his chest, sending him collapsing onto the stage in a pool of blood. He had become the fool.
"..." He died with his eyes wide open, staring at Ian in disbelief. He had meant his own life as the price. Now, not only would he receive 5 million berries, but he wouldn't have to pay for the item either.
A simple concept, the very essence of the pirate world. If you couldn't afford it, you took it.
"Hey…" Chaos erupted in the auction house.
They hadn't expected Ian to resort to violence here. While pirates disregarded rules and laws, there were still certain boundaries that were generally respected.
"You bastard! Do you want to become the enemy of all pirates?" A pirate captain roared, rising from his seat.
While they could fight and kill as they pleased on the open sea, such blatant disregard for order in a place where pirates gathered would not be tolerated.
"The enemy of all pirates? That sounds appealing… And I have a message for all of you. I'm not targeting anyone specific, but everyone present… is garbage!" Ian's pale green eyes glinted with mockery.
Words were meaningless to these ruthless killers. Only overwhelming force could subdue them.
"conceited! Let's kill this rule-breaker!" The pirates roared, charging towards Ian, enraged by his insults.
"Rules? From a bunch of failures who couldn't even conquer the Grand Line?" Ian scoffed.
Whoosh! A wave of spiritual pressure, a terrifying aura, erupted from Ian, sending over half the pirates crashing to the ground.
His current power was still limited, affecting only those within a 30-40 meter radius. He had deliberately provoked them to charge, but a few remained unaffected, still standing.
Soul Absorption. Twenty to thirty transparent souls surged towards him, merging with his body.
As expected, absorbing souls from unconscious individuals was easier.
His spiritual pressure, unlike Conqueror's Haki, also inflicted minor damage to the mind. While pirates were physically stronger than ordinary humans, their souls were not necessarily more resilient.
Their brutality manifested in physical strength, not mental fortitude. What powerful individual lacked composure and control?
His fusion rate with the Ulquiorra template increased to 20%!
"It seems I can try combining soul-sensing, Soul Absorption, and spiritual pressure." Ian muttered, as if he had discovered a new frontier.
"What kind of power is this?" The pirates were panicking, witnessing the sheer number of individuals incapacitated by his aura alone. "Is that Conqueror's Haki?"
"The legendary power possessed by one in a million individuals with the qualities of a king! The ability to overwhelm and subdue opponents with sheer willpower!"
Someone recognized the power and exclaimed in astonishment.
"While rare in the Four Blues, it's not uncommon in the Grand Line and the New World, where powerful individuals gather. To witness it here… what a sight! This trip was worth it!"
"What are we waiting for? Let's attack him together! Wouldn't it be thrilling to kill a future king?" Another pirate shouted.
No wonder he was so conceited. He possessed such a formidable power. But today, his reign of terror would end. It seemed Conqueror's Haki did indeed come with a certain risk, inflating one's ego and leading to a premature demise in the battle for supremacy.
Clang! Green claws clashed against a katana, sparks flying like fireflies. Ian effortlessly parried the attack, the blades locked in a stalemate.
The first to attack was the lizardman pirate captain, seeking revenge for his earlier humiliation at the hands of Kid.
Slaying a potential future king would be a tale worth boasting about. His green reptilian face met Ian's pale, tear-streaked visage, their pale green eyes locked in a fierce gaze.
But he had underestimated Ian. A green glow emanated from Ian's left hand as a Cero charged. The lizardman didn't flinch, believing its power to be comparable to a mere bullet.
In the next instant, blood splattered as his head was obliterated, his body collapsing backward.
"Ignorant fool." Ian declared coldly.