The slave warehouse in the Rita Suburbs was the largest in the Central Region—not the few hundred square meters one might imagine, but the size of two or three football fields.
However.
Even a facility of such massive scale collapsed and crumbled directly under the power distortions of the demonized Morton Montgomery. It even exploded.
In the midst of rumbling explosions, many Rita residents jolted awake from their sleep. Rita was a city where money ruled supreme—those who had it were lords.
However, only five percent of the population could truly be called affluent. The remaining ninety-five percent were barely getting by, and many among that ninety-five lived in dire straits.
Despite their hardships, no one had ever rebelled against the Montgomery Family.
They were one of the overlords of the Dark World, far more than mere slave traders. They were affiliated with the Cape Family.
No one could have anticipated it—but at this very moment, the Montgomery Family’s main warehouse was burning fiercely…
“My God, what happened? An accident?”
“Probably just an accident… a fire or something…”
This was the explanation most people could instantly accept: likely nothing more than an ordinary mishap. It was well-known that the Montgomery Family was so terrifying that even if they left the slaves unchained and flung the gates wide open, none of the slaves would dare to flee.
One could only imagine the depth of that terror.
No one believed anyone would attack such a fearsome power. It wouldn’t be an attack—it would be suicide!
Just then.
A large group of residents fleeing back from the suburbs brought horrifying news. Not only had someone challenged the Montgomery Family, but he had also freed all the slaves…
The area was in utter turmoil.
The words sent the people of Rita City Center into stunned silence, their faces filled with disbelief. My God—someone had actually struck against the Montgomery Family.
On the second floor of a certain hotel, a boy and girl around ten years old lay sprawled on the balcony. It was Kevin and Nora, silently watching the distant sky lit by soaring flames.
“Um… Teacher Shika’s gone… Teacher An hasn’t come back… No idea where they are…” Kevin said, sounding bored.
Nora, ever the timid one, gazed at the nearby chaos with unease. “They wouldn’t have gotten into some kind of trouble, would they?”
“Teacher An really knows how to worry us…”
“Sigh…”
…
“I want to stay too!”
Sang froze at those words. Why on earth would she stay!?
“Ah… Princess, don’t fool around. I really can’t beat that guy. If a fight breaks out, I won’t be able to keep you safe. Don’t make more trouble for me!”
However.
In response to Sang’s grumbling, Iyefut Cape held her head high with pride, facing the enemy squarely. “I want to stay and fight… Don’t judge me by my looks—I have some fighting prowess.”
As she spoke.
A clear wind swirled around the girl, lifting her gradient long hair into a graceful flutter. It danced beautifully without a hint of disorder.
Beautiful, sure—but what good was that?
This was a time for battle, not a beauty pageant… No special effects!
Just as Sang was mentally tearing into Iyefut Cape as a total airhead, Morton Montgomery could no longer contain his murderous urges. He shot forward like an arrow. Though striding across concrete ground, he glided as if over water. One instant he was dozens of meters away; the next, he was right in front of Sang, his iron fist hurtling forward.
“Damn! What kind of speed is that!?” The boy couldn’t hold back his curse.
Luckily, Sang managed to react just in time. In the final second, he threw himself backward with every ounce of strength, opening up nearly ten meters of distance and dodging the punch.
However, the boy had no time to rejoice.
The next instant, Morton Montgomery remained standing ten meters away, frozen in the pose of a thrusting punch.
At the sight, Sang’s heart sank with a dreadful premonition. His eyes widened as he muttered, “No way… not that move, is it!?”
It was precisely that move.
Morton Montgomery unleashed Wang Lufei’s signature technique from One Piece: Rubber Pistol. Despite the distance of ten meters, his arm stretched out impossibly long, slamming precisely into the boy’s face. It sent him spinning two and a half turns through the air before bouncing him several meters farther.
“Mad Rogue, are you all right?”
Iyefut Cape panicked. Even with the slaves still nearby, she didn’t call Sang “Earl An”—just Mad Rogue.
Those anime characters had it easy; a hit might leave a few black lines on their faces. But Sang’s face was genuinely bruised and swollen, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. He even spat out a tooth.
“What a brutal punch… It hurt so bad I nearly passed out.” Sang struggled to his feet, his voice weak.
Iyefut Cape breathed a sigh of relief as he rose, but her respite was brief. Mere seconds later, Morton Montgomery unleashed a beastly roar and pressed on with his superpower, Forced Deformation. From afar, he swung his fist rapidly toward Sang.
Morton Montgomery’s Forced Deformation had originally worked only on inorganic matter. But under the blessing of the Pseudo Philosopher’s Stone, he could now deform his own body as well… And judging by that last punch, his physical strength had multiplied several times over.
Sang had no intention of tanking another hit. He dodged where he could and blocked where he couldn’t.
Even blocking drained him—the impacts were brutal.
Iyefut Cape couldn’t bear to watch. From a distance, she unleashed several Wind Slashes, aiming to sever Morton Montgomery’s arm. But Bronze Rank attacks like hers were utterly ineffective against someone approaching Platinum Peak.
Sang sighed helplessly. “This idiot… Even now, she’s targeting the enemy’s arm? Aim for the head!”
Yeah.
That’s right.
Sang had always considered himself a touch merciful, but he’d never expected to encounter a girl even more of a bleeding heart than him… No wonder people despised goody-two-shoes types. His blood pressure was spiking.
Though Iyefut’s attacks inflicted no damage on Morton, they did snag his attention.
The next second, Morton’s focus shifted from Sang to Iyefut. This time, he didn’t use his arm. Instead, he bundled his hair into thick clusters—Forced Deformation didn’t just soften things; it could reinforce them too. Over ten conical spikes woven from purple hair hurtled toward Iyefut Cape.
Iyefut tried to counter with her wind superpower, hoping to scatter the hair. But those were products of the enemy’s own power, far stronger than hers. It was futile.
Sang couldn’t just stand by. Channeling every bit of strength, he lunged forward.
In the nick of time, he reached Iyefut’s side, Knight Sword—Dawn in hand. He swung it at high speed, deflecting several of the spikes. But the rest pierced multiple spots across his body. In moments, he was drenched in blood, collapsing to the ground.
“Hey, Mad Rogue… Mad Rogue…”
Iyefut Cape had grown up as a pampered noble daughter, scarcely ever seeing blood. The sight of a blood-soaked figure right in front of her terrified her. She rushed over, cradling Sang in her arms. Anxiety and fear gripped her as she called his name over and over.
With his eyes still shut and no response, her tension mounted. She called out louder.
“Mad Rogue, don’t die…”
Right then.
The boy in the girl’s lap cracked open one eye while keeping the other shut. Irritated, he said, “Hey, hey, Princess—stop yelling already. Just let me catch my breath in peace.”
“You… you were faking it again!?” Tears welled in Iyefut’s eyes, her cheeks flushing red—half from embarrassment, half from heartache.
Sang sighed in exasperation. “Sigh… It wasn’t that I wanted to play dead. I gave it everything I had. That guy’s way too strong; fat chance of winning… Where are the reinforcements? Or hey, why don’t you lie down too? We can play dead together.”
“You can do that!?” Iyefut’s eyes went wide, round and utterly adorable.
“Idiot, of course not…”
“I told you—Iyefut is no idiot!”
“Uh… As long as you don’t cry…”
At his words, Iyefut Cape froze. She had indeed been crying, but this Mad Rogue had somehow sidetracked her into stopping.
Grinning mischievously, Sang hauled himself up while muttering, “Hey, I grew up in an orphanage. I’m pretty good at cheering up kids…”
Aisha Hodhua might look like a ten-year-old little lolita, but by comparison, the fifteen-year-old Iyefut Cape came off as even more childlike.
In that moment, Iyefut stared blankly at the bloodied boy rising once more. Perhaps it was the night sky’s glow, but his blue hair seemed to shimmer with a profound, inky blackness.
“Are you still going to fight?” Iyefut asked, concern lacing her voice.
Sang turned his back to her. “Yeah. Much as I’d love to bolt, I can’t…”
“But… you clearly can’t beat him…”
“Good that you know! Now, this time—get going. I probably won’t last long… but I’ll give it my all.”
The next moment.
Morton Montgomery’s berserk transformation seemed even more violent now. He threw his head back in another earth-shattering roar, the very space around him warping as his features twisted into a savage snarl. It was as if he could no longer contain the bloodlust raging inside him. With terrifying speed, he hurtled toward Sang.
Iyefut Cape watched the young man’s back as he retreated, and words he’d spoken to her not long ago suddenly flashed through her mind. Embarrassed as she was, she still called out, “Hey, Mad Rogue! You just told me to suck your blood… Wouldn’t that make you stronger?”
Sang whipped his head around, momentarily stunned as he stared at Iyefut in shock. “Uh… I can’t guarantee it. It might work, but… didn’t you flat-out refuse before?”
“Hmph. No choice now…” Iyefut muttered, her cheeks burning red. She tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, her expression shy and awkward.
As hard as it was to bring up, this was one of the reasons she’d lingered behind. The others had already gone far away, leaving just the two of them on the scene. No one would be around to watch a lady feed.
So…
