CLANG!
Feitan's blade met Mr. 1's arm with a sound like two swords crashing together, sending bright sparks flying.
Mr. 1 (Daz Bones) possessed the powers of the Dice-Dice Fruit.
[Paramecia Type · Dice-Dice Fruit]
[The user can turn any part of their body into a blade at will, giving ordinary punches and kicks the cutting power of a sword.
His entire body has the properties of a blade—even his internal organs are as hard as steel. Most physical attacks are completely ineffective against him.]
"A swordsman cannot defeat me—I am the living embodiment of a blade!"
Mr. 1 made the first move. His fingers transformed into blades, which he crossed over his chest before slashing forward violently in an X-shape.
Countless flashes of cold steel sliced through the air.
SLASH!
CRACK...
Feitan, along with the entire building behind him, was diced into countless pieces by the attack. The structure collapsed with a deafening roar, kicking up a cloud of dust and sand.
"Boring..."
"Opponents like this are just dull."
With the enemy seemingly dispatched, Mr. 1 stood up, dusted off his clothes with a look of indifference. Looked scary, but turns out he was only at that level...
Someone who is all show and no substance can never defeat me.
Mr. 1 turned around, intending to head toward the other side where Phinks was tearing through the Millions agents like a dragon swimming through water.
Looks like I can wrap things up quickly here and go help the Boss...
"Where are you looking?"
A faint, mocking voice came from behind him.
Mr. 1 froze mid-step, spinning around in shock.
From the pile of rubble, a heap of white clay was slowly reforming into a human shape. Feitan stood there holding his longsword, looking cold and completely unharmed.
"Is that... Mr. 3's ability?" Mr. 1 looked stunned, but then immediately noticed something wrong. "No! The color is darker than wax, and... Mr. 3 can't turn his whole body into wax!"
Feitan flicked his sword and walked slowly, step by step, toward Mr. 1. "Answer me a question... what do you get when you mix wax... with an explosion?"
"Wh... What?!"
Mr. 1 looked down and finally noticed something strange. His fingers—the ones that had just made contact with the enemy—were coated in the same substance he had just seen.
"It's clay."
As soon as the words left his mouth—
BOOM!
A burst of fire erupted. A violent explosion blasted from Mr. 1's hands, instantly engulfing them in thick black smoke.
"Ugh... Ah... AHH!!"
agonizing screams tore through the smoke. When it cleared, the blade-fingers on Mr. 1's hands were twisted and deformed from the blast, blood dripping slowly from his mangled wrists.
Seeing this, the corners of Feitan's mouth curled up.
[Wax-Wax Fruit] + [Bomb-Bomb Fruit]
Before coming here, Feitan had consumed the flesh of both Mr. 3 and Mr. 5. Through the synthesis ability of the Munch-Munch Fruit, the two powers had fused and evolved into... the Clay Fruit!
"Art is an explosion."
With a whoosh, gravel scattered beneath his feet as Feitan vanished from his spot instantly.
If Nobunaga was the fastest in the Troupe at drawing a blade, then Feitan was the fastest man in the Troupe, period.
He reappeared directly behind Mr. 1, his umbrella sword raised high.
SLASH!
Caught off guard, Mr. 1 couldn't organize a defense in time and was sent flying by the strike. However, the steel-hard body granted by the Dice-Dice Fruit protected him from being cut open.
Feitan's assault didn't stop there. After knocking his opponent back, he raised a hand with an indifferent expression. Several white clay birds shot toward Mr. 1.
"Explosive Clay · Little Birds."
To Mr. 1's horror, the clay birds swelled instantly as they got close to him... and detonated.
BOOM!
Multiple explosions rang out, unleashing a torrent of fire and shockwaves that mercilessly swallowed Mr. 1.
Can steel withstand an explosion?
A second later, Mr. 1 gave the answer.
"Ugh... AAAHHH!!"
Amidst the billowing smoke, Mr. 1's entire upper body was covered in gruesome blast marks as he let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Then, Mr. 1 did something completely out of character. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned away from Feitan...
And ran for his life, stumbling as he went.
In that instant, he realized the truth: he was absolutely no match for the man in front of him!
"Still bored?"
"Is this dull?"
"Are you satisfied with an opponent like me?"
Feitan followed closely behind him with a cold sneer, matching his pace step for step.
With Mr. 1's speed, there was no way he could escape Feitan's hunt.
"Explosive Clay · Little Birds."
"Explosive Clay · Grasshopper."
"Explosive Clay · Big Bird."
Feitan kept flicking out all kinds of clay bombs, and the roar of explosions rang out one after another.
Screams of agony poured from Mr. 1's mouth. His leg bones, his back, his arms—everything was being blasted to pieces.
Feitan continued his game of cat and mouse. Finally... after more than ten minutes of torture, Mr. 1 couldn't hold on any longer. With a loud thud, his massive frame collapsed to the ground.
Feitan walked up slowly, looking down at him. "Trash."
On the other side, Phinks had finished off the hundred or so Millions agents. He walked over to Feitan, rolling his wrists, looking like he hadn't had enough fun.
"What are we doing next?"
"This guy's ability is pretty good. Let's take him back to the Boss."
Feitan turned to look toward the palace. The sky there was filled with sand, and massive tornadoes were raging.
But neither of them was the least bit worried that Chrollo would fail.
"Why don't we take this chance to go hit the slots?" Phinks's hands were itching for some action.
"I think you just want to go rob the place," Feitan said, ruthlessly exposing him.
Phinks picked up the unconscious Mr. 1, and the two walked off toward the casino.
The battles outside the palace were over, but inside, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt solid.
With his plan shattered, the scornful smile that had been plastered on Crocodile's face was gone. His expression was so dark it looked like a storm cloud.
"Ground Death!"
Rolling waves of sand surged up from the underground, punching through the palace floor and shattering the dome. Outside, it gathered into a terrifying sandstorm, sucking everything nearby into it.
The entire palace was shaking, teetering on the edge of collapse under Crocodile's rage!
Watching this breathtaking scene, Chrollo's face lit up with excitement. Now that Crocodile's petty schemes had fallen apart, he could finally fight without holding back.
"You think you've won? No... I'm going to kill you, and then I'll slaughter every citizen in this city. Cobra will tell me where Pluton is either way..." Crocodile said, his voice dripping with murderous intent.
A slight smile played on Chrollo's lips, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Now this makes you worth hunting."
"Let me see it..."
"Let me see just what a powerhouse at the level of a Warlord of the Sea can really do... and how much of my strength you can force me to use."