The morning sea fog hung heavily over the railing of the Baratie.
Luffy was huffing and puffing as he dragged a trash can nearly half his height toward the stern.
His rubber arm dangled lazily over the rim as he muttered,
“Why is there so much trash…?
If Mox were here, this would be easy.”
Just as he was about to push the trash can down the disposal chute, he suddenly straightened.
His dark pupils narrowed slightly in the fog.
His Observation Haki was far from polished, but when it came to danger, he possessed an almost instinctive sensitivity.
At that moment, a malicious presence lurking deep within the fog was slowly drawing closer, accompanied by a heavy sound that seemed to grind against the surface of the sea.
“Hey… What… what is that?”
A customer sitting by a second-floor window was ladling Seafood Soup into his bowl when he instinctively looked toward the source of the noise.
The fog seemed to churn beneath an invisible hand.
A rust-covered section of hull gradually emerged, followed by the faint outline of a flag fluttering in the mist.
At first, the customer assumed it was an ordinary merchant ship.
But as the vessel drew closer and the flag became clearer, his eyes widened.
The spoon in his hand clattered into the bowl.
Boiling soup splashed onto his hand, but he didn’t even notice.
It was a black pirate flag.
At its center was a crooked skull, with an inverted hourglass on either side.
The hourglasses represented the passage of time—and, more ominously, the end of life.
“It’s… it’s him!
Why is he here?!”
The customer’s voice rose sharply, trembling on the verge of panic.
“It’s Krieg!
Don Krieg!
The strongest monster in the East Blue, with a fleet of fifty ships and five thousand men!!”
“What?!”
“The Krieg Pirates?!”
“Run!
We’re dead if they set their sights on us!”
The Baratie instantly erupted into chaos.
The previously bustling restaurant descended into complete disorder.
Customers scrambled toward the exits as tables and chairs toppled over, dishes shattered, and terrified screams merged into a torrent of panic.
On the deck of the Going Merry, Zoro was wiping down his weapons when he heard the commotion.
He frowned and looked toward the Baratie.
“What happened over there?
Why is everyone making such a racket?”
Usopp held up his binoculars, his hands trembling.
“It’s… it’s pirates!
Looks like some really dangerous pirate has shown up!
Everyone’s running away!”
He paused, then stared at the approaching vessel in confusion.
“But that pirate ship looks weird.
Why is it so completely battered?”
Nami leaned over the railing, staring at the distant ship like a cat watching a fish.
A calculating gleam flashed in her eyes.
“Judging by the state they’re in… they must have just gone through some brutal battle.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“People in that condition might still be carrying treasure they haven’t had time to move.
That makes them the perfect target.”
She tapped her fingers against the railing and clicked her tongue.
“But judging by how terrified those customers are, they probably aren’t pushovers.
If we act carelessly, we might bite off more than we can chew…”
At that moment, Mox, who had been leaning against the mast with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
A faint smile curved across his lips.
His Observation Haki had already spread outward like an invisible net, taking in everything happening around the Baratie.
The massive flagship was covered in signs of battle and looked battered enough to sink at any moment.
Beneath the hourglass pirate flag, Krieg was being supported by his subordinates.
His presence was weak, yet the greed in his eyes was unmistakable.
“Something interesting is about to begin.”
Mox stretched lazily before raising a hand and giving himself and the Going Merry a thorough “cleansing.”
A faint glimmer flashed across his fingertips, and the ship and their clothes were instantly spotless.
Of course, he knew exactly what was about to happen.
The Krieg Pirates had been hunted through the Grand Line by Dracule Mihawk.
Mihawk had pursued them into the East Blue simply because he was bored.
Krieg had barely managed to escape, only to find himself on the verge of starvation due to a lack of food.
Gin had eventually found the Baratie and brought Krieg there.
“Nami.”
Mox stood up.
“I think your idea of helping ourselves to their belongings has merit.
I can sense that everyone aboard their ship is barely clinging to life.
Most of them are either wounded or starving, so their defenses should be at their weakest.”
He paused.
“But before that, this area isn’t exactly safe.
Take the Merry and hide it among the distant reefs.”
“If someone happens to cut it in half with a single slash, we’d be out of luck.”
The last sentence was spoken so quietly that only Mox himself could hear it.
“We’ll split up.
Take Johnny and Yosaku’s little boat and handle the ‘business.’ Once you’ve got what you came for, don’t get greedy.
Withdraw immediately—that part is important.”
“I’ll take Zoro and Usopp to the restaurant on the Windmill.”
The Windmill was the first vessel Mox and Luffy had used.
After they acquired the Going Merry, Mox moved their living supplies onto it, freeing enough space to store the Windmill inside his System Storage Space.
“Johnny and Yosaku will stay behind and guard the ship.”
“Leave it to us, Boss Mox!
We won’t let anyone get within ten feet of the Going Merry!”
The two men thumped their chests confidently.
“Mox, I think I’ve suddenly developed a disease that prevents me from going ashore!”
Usopp hugged the mast, his face pale.
“I’ll go.”
Zoro pushed one of his swords partway from its sheath, revealing a glint of cold steel.
“I can sense someone strong enough to make me use all three swords.”
“Stop wasting time and come help.”
Mox waved them over.
The Going Merry silently sailed away from the waters surrounding the Baratie and disappeared into a complicated maze of distant reefs.
Once he confirmed they were safe, Mox took the Windmill out of his System Storage Space.
The windmill at the stern began turning gently under his control.
“Let’s go.”
He jumped aboard.
Usopp and Zoro followed closely behind, leaving Johnny and Yosaku to guard the Going Merry.
The Windmill cut through the waves and soon headed back toward the Baratie.
Meanwhile, Nami had already prepared a cloth bag sewn with multiple hidden compartments.
She agilely hopped aboard Johnny’s tiny fishing boat.
Her strokes were fast and steady.
Using the dense fog as cover, she slipped toward Krieg’s battered flagship like a fish gliding through the water.
Before the boat had even settled alongside the ship, Nami used the movement of the mooring rope to leap onto the deck.
The instant her toes touched down, she crouched and slipped behind a pile of broken wooden crates.
More than a dozen unconscious pirates were sprawled across the deck.
Some were so starved that they barely seemed alive.
Others had been torn open by fragments of cannon fire, their wounds giving off a foul stench.
Nami frowned and covered her nose, but her eyes swept across the surroundings like a hawk’s.
Several unopened wooden crates were stacked in a corner.
Their brass locks looked sturdy.
Near the railing lay a heavy money pouch.
Judging by its shape, it was packed with coins.
She crouched and slipped over to it, quickly picked it up, and weighed it in her hand.
A smile appeared on her face.
“At least five hundred Berries.”
Next, she crept toward the crates, pulled a thin piece of wire from inside her boot, and picked the lock in just a few movements.
The first crate contained rusty weapons.
She curled her lip and skipped it.
When she opened the second crate, a flash of gold nearly blinded her.
Half the crate was filled with gold coins.
There were also several necklaces embedded with rubies and sapphires.
They looked extremely valuable.
“Not bad.”
Nami quickly opened her cloth bag and began scooping the gold inside.
Suddenly, she heard a low groan from behind the cabin door.
She immediately held her breath, tightened her grip on the short blade at her waist, and slowly peeked around the corner.
It was a pirate who had been starved nearly to death.
He was struggling to get up and find some water, his eyes barely open.
He was clearly only half-conscious.
Nami sighed in relief.
She struck the back of his neck with the edge of her hand.
The pirate collapsed without even making a sound.
Nami sped up.
She stuffed the gold and jewelry into her bag, then searched the captain’s quarters.
There, she found a locked iron box.
After prying it open with her knife, her eyes lit up.
Inside were stacks of brand-new Berries banknotes, along with several nautical charts.
“I hit the jackpot!”
Nami stuffed the entire iron box into her cloth bag.
“I’ve got a bad feeling.
I’d better get out of here!”
She hoisted the bulging bag onto her shoulder and darted back to the fishing boat like a nimble cat, rowing furiously toward the Baratie.
By then, the chaos inside the Baratie had subsided.
Not because the danger had passed.
Because every customer had fled.
The spacious dining hall now contained only the chefs, who stood ready with oversized kitchen utensils, and two unwelcome guests.
Gin was supporting Krieg.
Both men looked utterly miserable.
Krieg’s face was deathly pale, his legs unsteady as he staggered into the dining hall.
He swept his eyes across the chefs glaring at him and spoke in a hoarse voice.
“Relax… I won’t cause any trouble… I have money… Just give me some food and water…”
“Don’t lie!”
One of the chefs shouted angrily.
“Who doesn’t know your reputation, Krieg?!
You’re infamous for your treachery throughout the East Blue!”
“You disguised yourself as a Marine, killed your superior, and stole a Marine warship!
Then you used your Marine identity to gain the trust of the locals before turning around and massacring their village!”
“How many crimes have you committed?!
Not a single word that comes out of your mouth can be trusted!”
“Exactly!
Who knows if you’re just planning to recover your strength and attack us?”
“Get out!
You’re not welcome here!”
The chefs berated them from all sides, gripping their cleavers and iron ladles tightly, ready to fight at any moment.
Luffy stood behind them, his brow furrowed.
“So this guy really is that despicable…”
Krieg looked at the enraged chefs.
Then, suddenly—
Thud!
He dropped to his knees.
The once-arrogant overlord of the East Blue now looked like a beaten dog, begging the chefs for mercy.
“Please believe me… I just need to fill my stomach… I’ll leave as soon as I’m full… Please…”
Gin knelt beside him as well.
His voice was pleading.
“Didn’t you say that anyone with money is a customer?”
He held out the money he had brought.
“I have money this time.
We’re customers.
Please, give our captain something to eat.
Even leftovers will do!”
Seeing the pitiful state of the two men, the chefs’ anger eased slightly.
But no one dared lower their guard.
Then Sanji moved.
He looked at the kneeling Krieg, then at his furious comrades.
Finally, he turned and walked toward the kitchen.
“Hey, Sanji!”
Luffy immediately grabbed him.
“His killing intent is really strong!
Giving him food is dangerous!”
Sanji looked back.
His expression remained calm, but his voice was unusually firm.
“But I can’t turn away someone who’s starving and asking me for help.”
He pulled his arm free.
“I’m a cook.”
With that, he walked into the kitchen.
Upstairs, Zeff stood by the railing, leaning on his cane.
He silently watched Sanji’s retreating figure.
His cloudy eyes held a complicated emotion, but he ultimately said nothing to stop him.
Before long, Sanji emerged carrying a steaming basin of seafood fried rice.
Golden rice was topped with shrimp, scallops, and green vegetables.
Its aroma immediately filled the room.
He gently placed the fried rice on the floor in front of Krieg.
His voice was unusually gentle.
“Eat.”
“Sanji!
Are you crazy?!”
“How can this guy possibly keep his word?!”
“What if he turns on us?!”
The chefs shouted anxiously.
But Krieg no longer cared about any of it.
Like a starving wolf, he lunged at the fried rice, stuffing handful after handful into his mouth with both hands.
He didn’t even spare the grains that fell onto the floor.
When someone handed him a cup of water, he drained it in one gulp and let out a long sigh of satisfaction.
“Just as I thought… It’s delicious…”
Just as everyone began to think perhaps the situation might calm down—
Krieg suddenly raised his head.
Every trace of weakness had vanished from his eyes.
Only cold greed and cruelty remained.
He suddenly raised his arm.
Beneath what appeared to be an ordinary sleeve, a gleaming golden suit of armor was revealed.
A massive diamond-studded knuckle guard on his fist caught the light, scattering blinding flashes.
He swung a punch directly at Sanji!
It was too fast.
Sanji hadn’t reacted in time.
The fist was barely an inch from his head.
There was no time to dodge.
BANG!
But the bloody scene everyone expected never happened.
A blue figure flashed through the entrance of the Baratie like a phantom.
A single foot firmly blocked Krieg’s punch.
That slender leg seemed to contain immense power.
No matter how hard Krieg pushed, it didn’t move an inch.
The blue figure immediately spun around and slammed a punch into Krieg’s jaw.
“What are you trying to do to my friend?”
The clear voice rang out.
Krieg’s body flew backward like a broken kite.
Crash!
He slammed into a distant pillar and slid to the floor.
“Thanks, Mox.”
Sanji lit a cigarette, his expression somewhat grim.
He hadn’t expected Krieg to launch a surprise attack so directly.
“Mox!
You guys are here!”
Luffy immediately shouted happily.
Zoro and Usopp pushed open the door and walked straight over to Luffy.
“I was wondering why you ran over so fast.”
Zoro grinned down at Krieg.
“Turns out you found a pretty good prey.”
Mox nodded toward Luffy before turning his eyes toward Krieg, who was slowly getting back to his feet.
Krieg wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared venomously at Mox.
“What the hell are you doing?!
Hahaha… My ship can’t sail anymore!”
He looked around the restaurant.
“This restaurant would make a perfect new base for me!”
“You lousy cooks!
Prepare a hundred meals immediately.
I’ve still got a hundred men starving aboard my ship!”
“Remember, I’m not asking you anymore.
I’m telling you.”
“If you don’t want to die, do exactly as I say.”
“Captain Krieg!”
Gin stared at him in shock.
“This isn’t what we agreed on!
You said you wouldn’t attack the restaurant!”
“Gin.
You got a problem with that?”
Krieg abruptly turned around.
His eyes were vicious as he grabbed Gin by the shoulder and lifted him off the ground.
Then he squeezed.
Crack!
Gin’s shoulder was instantly dislocated.
He grunted in pain, cold sweat breaking across his forehead, but stubbornly refused to cry out.
Krieg threw him aside.
Mox watched the scene, then turned to Sanji and jerked his chin toward Krieg.
“You’re still going to cook for scum like that?”
Sanji was silent for a moment.
Then he answered solemnly.
“Yes.”
Mox raised an eyebrow and gave a helpless smile.
“Sometimes I really can’t understand the way you think…”
He paused.
“But that’s exactly who you are, Sanji.”
His voice softened.
“Everyone aboard our ship has something they’re stubborn about.”
“Who said I’m joining your ship?!”
Sanji immediately exploded, his cheeks turning slightly red as he turned his head away.
At that moment, Zeff came down the stairs.
His prosthetic leg struck the floor with a steady tok, tok.
He looked at Sanji and slowly spoke.
“Sanji, go to sea with them.”
“I know you have a dream.
You won’t be able to achieve it here.”
“The one who wears that hat should be a dependable pirate.”
Sanji suddenly looked up, shock filling his eyes.
“Old Man?!”
Krieg interrupted them.
He had recognized Zeff.
Shock appeared in his eyes before he looked Zeff up and down, then turned into mockery.
“You’re… Red-Leg Zeff?”
“I heard you’d been caught in a shipwreck.
So you’re still alive!”
“And you’re hiding here, working as a cook?”
“Heh.
I suppose being a cook is all you’re capable of now.”
His gaze fell upon Zeff’s missing leg, his voice dripping with malice.
“You’ve been to the Grand Line, haven’t you?”
“Hand over your logbook!”
“Otherwise, I’ll kill every last person here!”
“The logbook is indeed with me.”
Zeff’s answer was firm.
“But I can’t give it to you.”
“A logbook is proof of the adventures shared with one’s companions.”
“It is our pride.”
“It carries too much weight for someone like you to understand.”
“Old Man, I’ll deal with this arrogant bastard.”
Mox stepped forward and stood between Zeff and Krieg.
His eyes were cold.
“Looks like you still don’t understand the situation.”
“A failure from the Grand Line, and you’re still acting so high and mighty here?”
“A failure…?”
Krieg looked as though someone had stepped on his tail.
“You called me a failure?!”
“Don’t think that sucker-punching me once means you can teach me a lesson!”
“Do you even know what kind of monster my enemy was?!”
“You’re just some rookie from Paradise!
What do you know?!”
“But you lost, didn’t you?”
Mox spread his hands.
“My main problem is that I lack basic knowledge.”
“If I had that logbook, I could recruit another crew, return to the Grand Line, and find the legendary treasure, the One Piece!”
“I’m going to become the Pirate King!”
Luffy shouted excitedly.
Krieg burst into laughter.
“The Pirate King?”
“What a clueless brat!”
“Do you have any idea how terrifying the Grand Line is?”
“Do you know what kind of monsters the strongest people there are?”
“Die!”
As his voice fell, Krieg’s golden armor suddenly began to clatter.
Click!
Click!
The shoulder plates opened, revealing two rows of black machine-gun barrels.
The armor over his chest unfolded, exposing a small cannon.
Sharp alloy blades extended from his wrists.
Countless weapons simultaneously locked onto Mox and the others.
Whoosh—BOOM!
Bullets poured forth like a torrential downpour, tearing through the air with shrill whistles.
Cannon shells roared through the room trailing black smoke.
When they struck the floor, explosions erupted in blinding flashes.
The entire restaurant was instantly engulfed in smoke and gunfire, its wooden floor blasted full of blackened holes.
The chefs hurried beneath the dining tables in terror.
Luffy raised an arm to shield them.
Zoro stepped onto an overturned chair and nimbly dodged the barrage, his blades flashing as he precisely deflected incoming bullets.
Mox, however, simply watched the attacks rushing toward him.
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
“Monsters?”
“So that’s what you call a monster?”
Trash-Trash Fruit: Logia Transformation—Slime Form!
Mox’s body instantly transformed into a massive, translucent slime.
Its surface glistened with moisture as the enormous body slowly writhed.
The bullets plunged into the slime like stones sinking into a swamp, disappearing without creating even the slightest ripple.
The cannon shells exploded against its body.
Yet the flames and shockwaves were firmly contained within the viscous mass.
In the end, they merely produced a faint ripple at its center before completely dissipating.
“What… what kind of ability is that?!”
“Is he a monster?!”
Krieg’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He had never seen anyone neutralize firearms and cannon fire so effortlessly.
“Th-That’s Mox’s Devil Fruit ability?!”
“The legendary slime?!”
Usopp’s jaw dropped so far he nearly bit his tongue.
“This is incredible!”
Luffy’s face lit up with excitement.
“Whoa!
Mox, you look so cool like this!”
Sanji’s cigarette fell from his lips, his eyes filled with astonishment.
“Luffy, this is a new technique I developed based on your Gum-Gum Pistol.”
Mox’s voice came from the “mouth” of his Slime Form, carrying a slightly muffled echo.
“Krieg, let me show you—Acacia Tempest!”
The instant his words fell, countless viscous tentacles suddenly erupted from the surface of the massive slime.
They moved as fast as lightning.
Some lashed toward the machine-gun barrels like whips, creating sharp cracks through the air.
Clang!
Clang!
Several strikes were enough to bend the barrels out of shape.
Others wrapped around the cannon and twisted violently, literally wrenching the barrel into a twisted knot of metal.
Even more terrifying were the tentacles striking directly at Krieg.
They moved so quickly that afterimages seemed to trail behind them.
Krieg swung his wrist blades to block, but the tentacles easily wrapped around the blades.
With a violent tug, they ripped the weapons from his hands.
He tried to withstand the blows with his armor.
But the tentacles, despite looking soft and pliable, possessed terrifying strength.
The first strike slammed into his chest.
Crack!
A fracture appeared across the golden armor.
The second struck his shoulder.
The armor was torn away, exposing the bleeding wound beneath.
Then came the third.
The fourth.
And the fifth.
The tentacles descended like a torrential storm.
Krieg screamed repeatedly as his body was flung around like a rag doll—slamming into the wall, dropping to the floor, only to be struck again and sent flying.
Within seconds, his golden armor had been reduced to scraps of broken metal scattered across the floor.
His body beneath it was a bloody mess.
Finally, one last tentacle slammed into his face.
BOOM!
Krieg crashed into the central pillar of the restaurant.
His body slid slowly to the floor.
He lay motionless.
No one knew whether he was still alive.
Silence filled the restaurant.
The chefs stared in stunned disbelief.
The terrifying Krieg who had been threatening them moments ago had actually been defeated so easily by Mox?
Mox exhaled and returned from his Slime Form to his human appearance.
There wasn’t even a speck of dust on his clothes.
“Mox!
You’re amazing!”
“Krieg’s been defeated!”
“Mox got even stronger!”
The chefs finally came back to their senses and erupted into thunderous cheers.
Their eyes were filled with admiration and gratitude.
“No matter how many times I see it, watching Mox fight is so much fun!”
Luffy excitedly pumped his fist.
Zoro clicked his tongue unhappily.
“It’s all because you got there first.
You stole the good prey from me.”
“Hmph!
Everything went according to my plan!”
Usopp folded his arms and puffed out his chest proudly.
Sanji looked at Krieg’s battered body, then at the dense fog still covering the sea outside.
After a moment of silence, he turned toward the kitchen.
“There are still a bunch of starving people outside.”
“I’ll make them something to eat.”
“Sanji…”
Gin struggled to his feet.
He bowed deeply toward Sanji’s back.
“I’m sorry.
I really didn’t know things would turn out like this…”
“And… thank you.”
Sanji didn’t look back.
Nor did he accept the man’s gratitude.
He had simply done what his heart told him to do.
Mox watched Sanji walk toward the kitchen and suddenly spoke.
“Sanji, it’s too late.”
“Looks like those people outside won’t get to eat the ‘last meal’ you’re preparing for them.”
Sanji stopped.
He turned around in confusion.
“Last meal?
Why?”
Mox raised a hand and pointed toward the sea outside the window.
His expression grew solemn.
“Because… that man has arrived.”
Everyone followed the direction of his finger.
A strange ship was slowly approaching across the sea.
The vessel resembled a gigantic throne.
White candles burned on either side, their flames flickering with an eerie blue glow that looked particularly sinister within the fog.
A man wearing a cowboy hat sat upon the throne.
A gigantic cross-shaped sword was strapped to his back.
His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.
Even while casually sitting there, he radiated an oppressive presence that made everyone instinctively shudder.
Gin spoke in terror.
“Ah!
It’s him…!
It’s that man!”
“The man with the eyes of a hawk!”
“He chased us all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue!”
Sanji frowned.
“How did you piss him off?”
Gin shook his head.
“I don’t know!”
“That man used some kind of technique.
With a single attack, he sank ten ships from our fleet!”
Zeff spoke solemnly.
“Perhaps you disturbed his afternoon nap.”
“It was the Black Blade on his back, Yoru, that did it.”
“He stands at the pinnacle of swordsmen throughout the world.”
“Dracule Mihawk.”
Zoro’s entire body began to tremble.
Luffy looked at him.
“What is it, Zoro?”
“It’s him.”
“The World’s Strongest Swordsman… Hawkeye Mihawk!”
Zoro’s voice trembled with excitement.
“I went to sea to find him!”
At that moment, the Baratie’s door creaked open.
Nami walked in carrying a bulging cloth bag, a little sweat visible on her forehead.
Mox glanced at the bag, which looked ready to burst.
He raised an eyebrow.
“How did business go?”
Nami dropped the bag onto the floor.
Clang!
The heavy contents struck the floor with a solid thud.
She dusted off her hands and looked brightly at Krieg’s battered body.
“Not bad.”
“I searched his ship and found quite a bit.”
“But the most valuable stuff is still the junk on this guy.”
She strode over to Krieg, completely ignoring the blood covering him.
She crouched down, immediately yanked the enormous diamond ring from his finger, held it up to the light, nodded in satisfaction, and slipped it into her pocket.
Then she grabbed the gold chain around his neck.
It was thick.
She tugged twice, but it wouldn’t come loose.
So she pulled a small knife from her boot.
Click.
She cut through the clasp and stuffed the chain into her bag.
“Hey, Nami, what are you doing?”
Luffy came over curiously.
“Recycling resources.”
Nami didn’t even look up.
She began stripping the battered clothes from Krieg.
The lining contained numerous gold coins.
She used her knife to cut open the stitching.
Clink-clink-clink!
The coins spilled out.
She quickly caught them with her cloth bag.
“This armor is made of gold too.
Can’t let it go to waste…”
She even searched Krieg’s boots.
Inside, she found a small oilcloth-wrapped pouch.
When she opened it, she discovered half a pouch of pearls.
Her eyes immediately narrowed into delighted crescents.
Zoro’s mouth twitched.
Usopp muttered under his breath,
“She… she’s really good at this…”
At that moment, Krieg’s massive flagship happened to be directly in Mihawk’s path.
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
No one saw him move.
No one even saw him draw his sword.
Yet in the next instant, two enormous, perfectly smooth cuts suddenly appeared across Krieg’s flagship.
The cuts extended from bow to stern, as though an invisible giant blade had sliced straight through the vessel.
Several seconds later, accompanied by a deafening crack, the entire ship began collapsing and breaking apart along those cuts.
“Hey!
Don’t waste it!”
Mox spoke as his Observation Haki instantly enveloped the disintegrating vessel.
A faint glow flashed across his fingertips.
“Decompose!”
[Ding!
Special trash materials contaminated by sword intent detected.
Decomposition complete.
Obtained Sword Stone.]
“Special energy finally appeared.”
Mox gave a low chuckle.
“Now that’s a real haul!”
Within the fog, the throne-like vessel continued slowly approaching the Baratie.
Inside the restaurant, everyone held their breath.
An oppressive presence far heavier than anything Krieg had brought with him quietly descended upon them.