Boarding the Ship
With a heavy stomp, Yang Ning led Esdeath and Willie onto the shattered bow of the massive ship. Despite the destruction, its luxury was still evident—gold trim, fine wood, opulent fixtures.
On the deck ahead, a large group of black-suited men stood ready, armed with knives and firearms.
"So many CP8s?"
Even Yang Ning, familiar with pirate crews and bounty hunters, was stunned. At a glance, there were **two or three hundred** agents lined up before them.
"When did CP8 become so worthless?"
"No—look closer at their clothes," Esdeath said quietly.
Yang Ning squinted. She was right. Only about a dozen wore the refined uniforms of true CP8 agents. The rest—over two hundred—wore simpler, lower-grade black attire. They were likely lower-tier CP operatives, not the elite.
On the upper deck, a snotty-nosed man with bubbles floating around his head was throwing a tantrum.
"A bunch of pigs! Arrogant! Why should I retreat? I am a noble Celestial Dragon—**Saint Charmaz**!"
"You useless slaves—go seize those lowly wretches! I'll hang them all! Just like that ship!"
The so-called Celestial Dragon stomped and screamed. His attendants stood frozen, arms outstretched in obedient service, not daring to speak or intervene.
These were trained assassins—yet they trembled like servants before a tyrant. To defy him would be worse than death.
Charmaz waddled to the window, beer belly jiggling, and pointed a dainty pistol down at Yang Ning.
"You lowly wretch who knows no respect—I command you to **die now**!"
Then his bubble-encased eyes landed on Esdeath.
"Hey? That silver-haired commoner over there… looks pretty good."
His greedy stare made no attempt to hide his intent.
Esdeath lowered her gaze.
*So this appearance only brings trouble, huh?*
Yang Ning's teeth clenched. Rage burned in his chest. No wonder the world feared the Celestial Dragons. This man bullied everyone—men, women, pirates, nobles—without restraint. He was even more monstrous than the manga suggested.
But what came next chilled Yang Ning to the bone.
"I really like this hair… and um, the skin is nice too."
"This lowly commoner doesn't deserve these things. **Hang him up and skin him alive! I want him whole!**"
…
Yang Ning stared, dumbfounded, at the bubbly-headed noble smiling innocently.
Esdeath and Willie looked up sharply, jaws slack.
They'd expected abduction. Maybe ransom.
But **skinning someone alive for their hair and skin**?
This wasn't cruelty—it was **dehumanization**. To Charmaz, they weren't even people.
And yet—not a single agent flinched. No one questioned the order. Their faces remained cold, indifferent.
To them, this was as routine as eating breakfast.
"Hahaha… hahahaha…"
Yang Ning began to laugh—softly at first, then louder, unrestrained.
Now he understood why the CP0 agent had offered to "replace" Sylvester.
If the masters are beasts, the servants become beasts too.
When he first boarded, he'd wanted answers—why attack without provocation?
Now? He didn't care.
He only wanted to **erase every last one of them**.
Under the surge of fury, something shifted inside him.
His internal energy flowed unconsciously.
Black markings of **Armament Haki** spread across his skin—without him even realizing it.
His strength, speed, durability—all surged.
"Bang!"
Yang Ning slammed Kotetsu into the deck, cracking the wood, and used the recoil to launch forward.
Hundreds of black-clad agents scrambled, raising guns and blades.
"Open fire! Don't let him get closer!"
An older CP8 barked the order. Gunpowder roared—hundreds of bullets formed a dense steel net, aimed to shred Yang Ning.
But in the One Piece world, bullets were useless against fighters of his caliber.
His Soul Furnace Shield and high armor rendered the shots harmless. He deflected a few aimed at his eyes with Kotetsu; the rest bounced off like pebbles on rubber.
In an instant, he closed the distance.
No taunts. No warnings.
He drew his blade—and began to cut.
These lower-tier CP agents were skilled—sharp with knives, precise with fists—but they lacked Haki, lacked Rokushiki. Against Yang Ning's layered defenses, they were paper before steel.
Blades flashed. Men fell.
"Esdeath—leave her to me."
Esdeath understood. The "her" wasn't just Charmaz—it was the entire system that produced him.
"Hm."
As for Willie, Yang Ning could only hope the enemy was durable enough to survive his rage.
Just as Yang Ning finished a sweeping slash, the deck beneath him **exploded**.
He leapt back instantly.
"Boom!"
Debris flew—and from the wreckage, **Fangsi Ge** emerged, alive, X-shaped wound still raw across his chest.
"You're not dead?" Yang Ning muttered, surprised.
Fangsi Ge took a ragged breath, locked eyes with Yang Ning, and snarled:
"You lowly pirates—what are you doing to the noble Saint Charmaz?!"
Yang Ning's face twisted in disgust. *A loyal dog to the end.*
"Finger Razor – Explosive Kill!"
No more words. Fangsi Ge lunged—combining Shave and Finger Gun into a single, blinding thrust.
If this man had boarded the *New Windbreaker* first, Yang Ning's crew might have been wiped out.
But there are no second chances in battle.
Yang Ning's Observation Haki tracked every micro-movement. He sidestepped effortlessly.
"Iron Fist Technique: Mighty Hammer!"
Fangsi Ge pivoted mid-air, swinging a crushing punch as they passed.
"Clang!"
Kotetsu met the fist—steel on hardened flesh—echoing across the deck.
Fangsi Ge widened his stance and unleashed his next move:
"Finger Gun Meteor Shower!"
Faster and sharper than the CP0's earlier version, this barrage abandoned all defense for pure offensive speed.
"Give up your defenses and try to fight me head-on?"
Yang Ning glanced at his status panel:
[Health Points: 1224/2660]
*My health is low… but—*
He licked his dry lips and looked across the deck—at the two or three hundred black-clad agents packed like cattle.
*—isn't this all just walking health potions?*