Chapter 131: Slime Monster
"An S-Class Hero, huh? Worthy of a kill."
The Muscle Man walked toward Superalloy Darkshine.
His Aura distorted the air around him.
His abnormally developed back muscles formed the face of a hideous demon.
In contrast, Superalloy Darkshine...
...was wearing an everyday T-shirt and didn't have his usual confident smile.
His head, looking like a black braised egg, even had a sort of simple and honest quality to it.
"That guy is called Aokiji, right? A Professional Hero often heard of in the Underworld. To think he could react to my speed."
The long purple scarf around Sonic's neck fluttered without any wind.
His lean figure emitted a sharp Aura.
"I'll deal with this shorty blocking the way first, then go find Aokiji. He definitely won't be able to keep up with my maximum speed!"
Shorty?
Tatsumaki gave off an even more dangerous feeling.
She didn't care about the small fry Aokiji had casually swatted away.
But to be treated as a small fry by a small fry who was easily crushed by Aokiji, and to have such offensive words spoken...
I'm not joking about taking the title of the strongest hero from Aokiji!
Tatsumaki looked displeased and raised her hand.
Psychic Power released violently!!
... "Aaaahhhhh!!"
"Stop! Don't, don't do that thing again... Aaaahhh!!"
"Let me go! I know the high-level executives of your Association!! If you let me go now, I won't... Aaaahhh!!"
"Can heroes use lynching?!!"
Aokiji's hand, pressed against a giant red bubble, paused.
He leisurely looked at the hundred or so people behind him.
"What do you think?"
"What lynching? I didn't see anything."
Someone from the newly rescued crowd answered.
Immediately, a chorus of agreement followed.
"What do you mean lynching? With so many of us here, how can it be called lynching?!"
"Lord Aokiji, ignore these damn things! Keep letting them feel the pain we felt!!"
"Go for it, Big Brother!"
Aokiji turned back to the high wall built of ice blocks and people.
His palm continued to press against the giant red bubble beside him.
"The voting results are in."
"Go to hell, hero piece of sh— AAAAAHHH!!"
Among those whose limbs were frozen into the ice wall, someone opened their mouth to curse, only to be instantly drowned out by screams of agony.
Like a musician, Aokiji moved with a free and easy grace, striking out small separated bubbles one by one.
Based on the pitch of each person's screams and wails on the ice wall, he composed a song of execution.
When the piece ended...
...the audience, still wanting more, shouted loudly for an encore.
Aokiji then flicked the pain back onto the "instruments".
A new round of performance began.
By the time Mizuki returned, dragging other ice sculptures, this was the scene she saw—exceptionally miserable.
She didn't have the slightest intention of objecting.
Mizuki's past life had been very simple and pure.
Since discovering her athletic talent, she had spent most of her time training, and she enjoyed it.
Even with her extraordinary talent, to achieve a Breakthrough and reach higher results, she had to put in effort and hardship unimaginable to ordinary people.
But after learning about the suffering these people had endured...
...her past hard work and pain seemed so insignificant.
Beneath the arena where she enjoyed competition and glory, just a few dozen meters away, there were so many suffering people.
Then... what about the whole world?
How many more people are going through this?
The world needs heroes!
It needs more heroes like Senior Aokiji!
I must also put in the effort that I can!
Mizuki's original reason for wanting to be a hero began to shift inadvertently.
"Senior Aokiji," Mizuki called his name softly, jogging over.
"The ice sculptures in the market have all been dragged over. As per your request, the imprisoned Monsters were left alone, but..."
Mizuki paused, organizing her words.
"There's a jelly-like thing that wasn't locked up. It's crawling toward the central arena right now."
Observation Haki expanded.
Over at the sandy arena, the crooked, bloodthirsty spectators were still unconscious on the ground.
A distinctly different presence ignored these people and moved straight toward that central patch of sand.
A Monster that escaped?
"I see."
Aokiji suddenly slapped the giant red bubble, dispersing it.
It was distributed evenly among the "instruments" who were nearing their breaking point.
Like a piano performance, he pressed all the keys down heavily at the very end.
Wails and blood splattered together.
"I'm going to handle something else. These guys who are down to their last breath are for you to deal with. Don't let the children see."
"Leave it to us, Lord Aokiji!"
The rescued crowd responded excitedly.
In their thankful eyes directed at Aokiji, there was a bit more pious reverence... Crawling, digging, devouring.
The Slime Monster that had escaped from the iron canister churned within the countless blood-stained sands of the arena.
The broken teeth of former losers, shattered bones, and torn, already rotting flesh...
...were all swallowed one by one by the Slime Monster into its translucent, fatty, soft-rotting body.
The resentment of the losers lingered within it, almost imperceptibly.
The desire for victory.
The fear of death.
The legacy of these losers should have remained silent forever.
But at this moment, it had found a successor.
The Slime Monster's Aura surged step by step!!
"Just by devouring some remains, it's already about to Breakthrough to Dragon Level. Monsters getting stronger really makes no sense."
Aokiji sat on a stone slab bordering the arena.
He carefully sensed the Slime Monster's process of becoming stronger.
"Senior Aokiji, do you need my help?"
Mizuki raised her fist, full of energy and ready.
"No need. This thing is improving very fast. Just stay put."
Seeing that the Slime had finished devouring and its Aura had steadily crossed the Dragon Level threshold, Aokiji jumped down into the arena.
He wanted to discern if this Slime Monster had basic intelligence.
If it was like Evil Natural Water, acting purely on instinct, he would take it back and feed it to Orochi.
If it had some self-awareness and could understand commands, he would bring it back to the Monster Association to bolster their numbers.
But until Aokiji was within three meters...
...this slime, which had expanded to the size of a truck cabin, showed no reaction.
"Is it a neutral creature?"
Aokiji used ice to form a straight, thin rod.
The Slime Monster's body composition was too disgusting; he didn't want to touch it with his hands.
The long, thin ice rod touched the soft, rotten body of the Slime.
Poke— poke—
Gurgle, glub~
A viscous sound came from the Slime Monster's surface. It pulsed once as if in dissatisfaction, but still made no other move.
It was still digging up the last bits of remains in the sand.
The guy is eating; isn't poking him just making trouble?!
"Quite a good temper."
Aokiji poked the ice rod into the Slime Monster's body.
It remained the same, only caring about its meal.
Aokiji simply let go of the ice rod.
"How about this then?"
Black and red lightning Conqueror's Haki exploded violently!
Without any warning, the moment it perceived the intense threat released by Aokiji, the Slime suddenly rioted!
Several flesh spikes, mixed with bone fragments, protruded fiercely from its soft, rotten body!
Aokiji had already leaped into mid-air, not wanting to touch the Slime's disgusting body.
"This indeed works. Next, it's time to test if you can feel fear."
The Slime Monster's next attack was already launched boldly!
Its soft body flattened into a pancake shape, then instantly snapped back to its original form.
The accumulated power instantly transformed into a giant flesh spike protruding with numerous bone fragments and broken teeth!
Aokiji didn't even want to use the Paw-Paw Fruit.
Ice blocks froze into the shape of Hassaikai(Kanabo).
With a wild motion as if tearing down the sky, he held it high and smashed it down!
BOOM————!!!
Mizuki couldn't even stand straight during the massive vibration.
But her eyes were full of shining admiration.
Senior Aokiji's movement, so full of power...
...is amazing!!