Chapter 519: Atostana Is Afraid
Seeing the faintly tearful look on Atostana's face, Ryuunosuke could not help feeling a little strange.
For existences like Atostana and his kind, things should not look like this at all.
They were beings who had crawled their way up the river of time, one step at a time, accumulating power over countless years.
At the very least, they should have some dignity.
Yet the ones he had met so far either flew into a rage at the slightest provocation, or turned around and tried to run as soon as things went badly.
This kind of attitude was not what he associated with true strength.
"Mr Atostana, you say you only came to gather information."
Ryuunosuke's tone turned cold.
"Then why did you try to kill me?"
"If my Dragon Hunter Pirates were weaker than you, do you really think you would be letting us walk away now?"
His words were dripping with mockery.
The situation was actually very simple.
The law of the jungle, the strong devouring the weak, had always been the core rule behind how life survived and evolved.
Do not talk about so called civilized times.
Even in a peaceful city, if a person had no ambition, no drive, and could not keep up, society would simply eliminate them in a different way.
No one would want to be with them.
Their bloodline would quietly disappear.
For a living being, a dead bloodline was just another kind of natural selection.
"It seems Captain Ryuunosuke has no intention of letting me leave peacefully today."
Atostana lowered his gaze, his voice becoming gloomy.
"In that case, allow me to experience Captain Ryuunosuke's strength properly."
As he spoke, the aura around his body began to twist and swell. The oppressive pressure spreading out across the sea clearly indicated he was finally preparing to fight seriously.
Which was exactly what Ryuunosuke wanted to see.
"Everyone, fall back."
Ryuunosuke raised the Dragon Hunting Token and gave his order.
Meliodas and the others had been ready to rush in the moment Atostana's aura spiked. Even they felt a chill from that presence.
But once they heard the captain's voice, they immediately pulled their people back, retreating far from the battlefield.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates withdrew in an orderly wave.
Seeing that, the remaining pirates and Supernovas who were still alive also scattered in all directions.
Even the remaining Seven Warlords of the Sea who had been here to watch the spectacle chose to pull away from the center.
Atostana was finally about to unleash his full might.
"This is going to be interesting."
On Thriller Bark, Krul Bussurd watched the scene unfold, eyes shining with interest.
He gazed at the projected image of Atostana stepping forward to face Ryuunosuke and could not hide his excitement.
For him, this was the perfect opportunity to gather information.
No matter who won, whether it was Ryuunosuke or Atostana, the result would be a gain for him.
Of course, he could not ignore the fact that the Dragon Hunter Pirates were still nearby.
If any of those troublesome monsters decided to turn their attention his way, things would become very annoying very quickly.
Just look at Atostana.
He had initially come here to test the waters and see if he could take his people back.
Now he was locked in by Ryuunosuke and being systematically crushed.
From the way Atostana was reacting, Ryuunosuke represented a genuine threat even to him.
Krul Bussurd sat down atop Thriller Bark, raised his violin, and began to play. The eerie melody drifted across the sea like a quiet requiem for what was to come.
"What is that brat Ryuunosuke trying to do?"
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard frowned slightly as he watched the live projection of Ryuunosuke and Atostana facing off.
From his point of view, matters on the high seas did not always need to be pushed to this extent.
Since Atostana had already backed down, there was no need to keep dragging things out.
Leaving a path for others was also leaving a path for yourself.
But Whitebeard did not voice his thoughts.
He respected Ryuunosuke's judgment and chose to simply watch.
…
Back on the battlefield, Ryuunosuke's lips curled into a faint smile.
Even a beast with its back against a cliff would still bare its fangs.
Right now, those words suited Atostana perfectly.
He clearly knew what the result would be if he continued, yet he still did not want to simply admit defeat.
If that was how he wanted it, then Ryuunosuke had no reason to hold back.
"Captain Ryuunosuke, you really should not get distracted when fighting an enemy."
A calm voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
At some point, Atostana had already appeared at his back.
The Heavenly Cloud Flowing Fire Blade in his hand pierced straight through Ryuunosuke's body.
A heartbeat later, terrifying flames erupted from inside Ryuunosuke, bursting out through the wound.
"Ultimate Thousand Will Flowing Sword."
Atostana exhaled slowly.
He had no thought of continuing to press the attack.
Instead, his first thought was to leave as soon as possible.
Because he knew better than anyone that Ryuunosuke was not someone who could be killed so easily.
That was right.
He had already lost his confidence in his own strength.
A so called powerhouse who wanted to run at the first opportunity.
As soon as he saw a chance, his instinct was to escape.
At that moment, Ryuunosuke's voice sounded from behind him.
"Did no one tell you that turning your back on an enemy is very dangerous?"
The sound of blade light tearing the air rang out one after another.
Hissing arcs of sword energy rained down on Atostana like a storm.
The primordial energy within his body was shredded and scattered under the blows.
By the time Atostana managed to react, Ryuunosuke had already unleashed dozens of slashes.
In that single barrage, twenty percent of Atostana's original foundation was carved away.
One attack.
One fifth of his essence gone.
Four more exchanges like that, and everything he was would be erased.
"Captain Ryuunosuke, what do you want to know?"
"I will tell you everything I know."
Atostana's voice was rough and tight.
This was no longer simple panic.
He was afraid.
He had clearly sensed his death just now.
That body he had pierced, the soul he had felt dim and collapse, were utterly real.
Yet another Ryuunosuke had calmly appeared behind him the next instant and cut him down.
That meant Ryuunosuke had already mastered the method of creating physical clones.
And Atostana had no idea how many of those bodies he could produce.
What he did know was that he absolutely could not withstand another series of attacks like that.
Once his essence was lost, there was no method in existence that could restore it.
"Tell me everything you know about Lilith."
Ryuunosuke's gaze was ice cold.
The moment those words came out, many of the onlookers were stunned.
On Whitebeard's ship, Roy's face went pale.
Because his cooperation with Ryuunosuke up to now had all been built around dealing with Lilith.
Ryuunosuke's question was proof that he did not fully trust Roy's information.
At the very least, he was beginning to doubt the accuracy of what Roy had provided.
Roy had stayed aboard this man's ship for so long and still had not noticed when Ryuunosuke began to see through him.
It was hard not to feel a cold shiver down his spine.
Roy let out a quiet breath and slowly raised his hand.
A faint marking appeared on the skin of his wrist, shaped like a spreading tree.
"Lord Roy…"
At his side, Imu stared at him, eyes full of worry.
She knew very well that once Ryuunosuke discovered what Roy was hiding, he would be walking on the edge of a knife.
"It is fine."
Roy shook his head.
"Everything I said before was the truth."
"As for the rest, whether Captain Ryuunosuke can uncover it himself this time or not, I will tell him everything."
"What he chooses to think afterward is his decision."
His voice was calm.
There was no point in resisting anymore.
The situation had already reached a point where there was no way to turn back.
Since it was something he could not change, there was no need to struggle pointlessly.
Once Ryuunosuke finished settling matters here, he would come to Roy on his own.
And when that time came, everything would finally be dragged into the light.
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