Great Revenge Achieved**
The pirates' cowardice was inversely proportional to their numbers.
Before earning a fearsome reputation capable of intimidating others, pirates always carried a strange, inflated sense of self-confidence—much like the rabble in this black-market bar right now.
The moment the dreadlocked pirates split into two groups, the drunkards flinched—but only briefly. Fueled by alcohol and wounded pride, they soon roared and hurled insults at Yang Ning.
The noise was deafening in the cramped space.
Yang Ning reached up and flicked at his ear, casting Esdeath a rueful glance.
"This is really troublesome. Looks like we'll have to clean this place up."
Esdeath wasn't fooled for a second. "Please. That smirk of yours is practically scraping the ceiling."
Sword already drawn and held level, she didn't bother asking why. Whatever Yang Ning wanted done—she'd do it.
Among the small-time pirates stranded in Loguetown were a few with actual tricks up their sleeves—like Sonic Ajax, Bearman Bauer, and others boasting bounties exceeding ten million berries. Accustomed to running wild in the **East Blue**, they naturally didn't take Yang Ning seriously.
"Sonic Impact!"
"The power of the bear!"
"Die!"
In an instant, the black bar became a battlefield—with Yang Ning and Esdeath at its stormy center.
Yang Ning deliberately distanced himself from Esdeath. He intended to use these fools to sharpen his swordsmanship.
Esdeath, meanwhile, moved with terrifying ease—her greatsword flashing up and down, cutting down every pirate who dared cross her path. Yet by silent understanding, she steered the stronger-looking foes toward Yang Ning.
Soon, he stood alone against five bounty hunters and thirty-odd pirate grunts.
Kotetsu let out a low, hungry groan—as if anticipating a blood-soaked feast.
*Clang!*
Yang Ning swung, only to have his blade blocked by a burly, one-eyed pirate wielding a broad knife. Before he could react, the tip of Sonic Ajax's sword was already at his feet.
**"Soul Furnace."**
A shield—already exceeding 300 strength—flared to life, halting Ajax's strike dead in its tracks. The sword trembled, unable to push another inch forward.
True to his experience, Ajax didn't hesitate after his opening move failed. He unleashed his full speed, raining down a dazzling storm of slashes—bright as starlight—upon Yang Ning.
Unfortunately, for all its speed, his technique lacked real power. It felt less like a sword strike and more like an aggressive *gua sha* session.
The other bounty hunters joined in without delay. Bearman Boal spread his massive arms and slammed both palms toward Yang Ning's head—his bear-paw hands whistling through the air.
The one-eyed pirate sneered, slicing upward from below, clearly targeting Yang Ning's legs.
The remaining two struck from either flank, their blades slipping through the gaps in the assault.
Faced with such a coordinated onslaught, even Yang Ning's shield wouldn't last forever—yet he still held back his strongest skills: *Soul Drain Strike* and *Starfire Blade*.
He wanted to test his armor's true limits.
Thanks to the *Hellfire Curse*, his armor now stood at 242. He could calculate theoretical durability—but nothing beat real combat for intuition.
*Pfft—*
He spat out a mouthful of blood and grimaced. *Stupid.* The damage wasn't high—but gods, it *hurt*. Had he lost his mind? This was no different from those Marine grunts who proudly slammed iron blocks into their own skulls.
A quick mental check:
**[HP: 2017/2144]**
Five solid hits—and he'd lost barely over a hundred health.
*Strength test: passed. Pain tolerance: epic fail.*
What Yang Ning didn't realize was that the pirates were already frozen in terror.
Bearman Bauer stared at his trembling hands, eyes darting between them and Yang Ning's head.
"Is that… even a human skull? Are you sure there's not a steel ingot welded to his neck?"
The one-eyed pirate and his two companions gaped at their blades. Their full-force strikes had barely pierced the skin—then stuck fast in flesh, unable to go deeper.
Ajax, the highest-bounty and sharpest-minded among them, went pale. He stepped back, shielding his allies in one practiced motion.
He'd just unleashed over a hundred stabs—enough to dent iron—and this man stood there with nothing but a few drops of blood on his shirt.
The bounty hunters exchanged silent glances. *Time to run.* And really—what pirate ever felt shame in fleeing a lost battle?
But did Yang Ning care about pirate honor?
Not one bit.
"You trash," he sneered. "Did you really think you could just walk away after taking swings at me?"
Before the last word left his lips, Yang Ning—now satisfied with his data—spun and delivered a reverse *kasaya* slash.
Still stunned, Bearman Bauer instinctively raised his arms to block.
Kotetsu sliced through them like a hot knife through tofu.
The severed forearms hit the floor before Bauer even registered the pain. Then came the scream—raw, bloodcurdling, and utterly helpless.
"Tsk. Using your arms to block a blade?" Yang Ning smirked, watching the hulking man collapse, wailing. "Is your brain made of muscle too?"
Then, in a rare moment of "mercy," the kind-hearted Yang Ning silenced him with a clean horizontal cut.
He turned—only to find the other bounty hunters had already vanished into the mob of pirate grunts.
"Run?" He chuckled. "You think that'll save you?"
With a roar, he charged into the sea of henchmen, Kotetsu blazing like a comet.
The pirates were trapped. They knew they stood no chance—yet Yang Ning gave them no quarter.
Swing your sword? *Dead.*
Drop your weapon and beg? *Still dead.*
Driven to despair, they let out one final, tragic war cry—and charged as one.
**"One-Sword Style: Convergence—Air Slash Dance!"**
A ring of blinding light erupted in the dim bar, cutting through flesh, bone, and steel alike.
When the flash faded, only severed limbs and shattered blades remained within a few meters of Yang Ning. The hardiest pirates still twitched and howled; the weaker ones were already still.
The one-eyed pirate and his two companions? Cut cleanly into thirds—far messier than Bauer's end.
Only Sonic Ajax remained—pressed against the wall, sword clutched to his chest, shaking like a leaf. He looked like he wished he could melt into the floorboards.
"Tsk tsk tsk… Ajax," Yang Ning said, voice dripping with mock sorrow. "Do you still remember me?"
"W-what?"
Ajax's blood ran cold. *Him?* But when—how—had he ever crossed this monster?
He forced a sickly smile. "I… don't believe we've met, sir. Had I seen you before, I'd surely remember."
"Heh."
Yang Ning didn't bother explaining. After all, being mistaken for Brother Ni and stuffed into a cabin like cargo wasn't exactly a proud memory.
Instead, he raised his hand and unleashed a fully charged, ranged **Starfire Blade**.
A blazing white crescent surged forward—swelling rapidly in Ajax's wide, despairing eyes. He couldn't dodge. Couldn't block. Could only watch as death carved its path toward him.
*Pfft—*
A whisper-thin cut.
And just like that, the so-called "legendary pirate" Sonic Ajax of the East Blue was sliced into four neat pieces on the bar's grimy floor.
After the slaughter, Yang Ning turned—and nearly teared up.
Esdeath, ever thoughtful, had taken down the remaining twenty-odd henchmen… *without killing a single one*. Broken limbs, shattered bones—but all still breathing.
Clearly, she'd left them alive for *his* benefit.
"Esdeath, you bastard~" he muttered, voice thick with emotion.
He quickly finished off the injured pirates and the bar staff, then yanked Esdeath out the door. "Come on. I'm treating you to something nice."
But the moment they stepped outside—**his Observation Haki screamed a warning.**