Volume 1 - CH 93

Regrettably, the overwhelming power of the Kenbunshoku of Rhodes had already given away every move of his, so he simply tilted his head slightly and easily evaded the surprise attack.

The roar of the massive bullet as it flew past his ear brought with it a strong gust of wind, ruffling his hair gracefully. “A billion Belly reward, it seems this journey won’t be lacking in excitement,” Rhodes murmured with a hint of a smirk on his face.

“You, are you a devil?” The assassin stuttered, his mind reeling with shock.

Rhodes shrugged nonchalantly, “For you, I might as well be.” He didn’t bother to unsheathe his sword, instead, he raised his left hand, and in an instant, electric arcs overflowed from his palm, forming a lightning spear that blazed with a dazzling light.

Boom!

With a swift throw, the spear sliced through the sky, outshining the sun itself. The assassin, who had been trying to flee, was caught up in a blink of an eye.

Pop!

In the blink of an eye, the lightning spear pierced through the assassin’s body, detonating and rending him apart instantly. His body was reduced to pieces, bones, and flesh flying everywhere, filling the air with a nauseating smell of burnt flesh.

Rhodes shook his head, “Death is too cruel, but you’re to blame for coming after me,” he said before turning and walking away.

Not long after he left, dozens of figures appeared in the area, all of them exuding a cold and ominous aura. Clearly, they were from the underground world.

They surveyed the ground littered with fragments of flesh and bones, and couldn’t help but gasp after not finding a single intact piece of that guy.

This is too fierce!

His body was torn to shreds!

This is what a devil must be like.

These assassins were all drenched in cold sweat, shivering with fear as they looked at each other. They could see deep fear and awe in each other’s eyes.

What makes a powerful being the most terrifying, of course, is the use of such merciless methods.

As Rhodes returned to the port, Gates had already made all the necessary preparations. As soon as Rhodes stepped on board, the ship set sail and left the Saboady Archipelago.

At that moment, many people still stood at the port, staring at the ship as it gradually sailed away, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement.

“The sea is about to change greatly,”

This thought crossed everyone’s mind almost simultaneously.

…

In Baltigo,

Koala had been working with the information chief, Gilteo, and was currently sorting through recent sea information in the headquarters castle conference room.

Koala, being naturally sharp, excels in information work and finds it intriguing.

A few days ago, she received the information that Rhodes had killed Diamante in the Saboady Archipelago.

This feeling of almost real-time tracking of Rhodes, made her feel as if she was also on an adventure alongside Rhodes, witnessing the thrill of it all.

As she was looking through reports, she suddenly paused, standing up in shock. “Report, there’s a billion Belly reward being offered in the underground world!”

“What?”

Gilteo, standing beside her, was taken aback and quickly snatched the report to read it, his expression suddenly becoming strange.

Koala, seeing his expression, was also confused as to what this attitude meant.

A billion Belly!

Though rewards in the dark world may not hold the same credibility as those of the World Government, they still hold significant weight. A billion Belly is the equivalent of hitting the jackpot during a drought!

“Take a look.”

Koala took the report and her eyes widened, almost tearing the paper in her hand, her face full of shock.

“Has the Donquixote Family gone mad, offering a billion Belly reward for Rhodes’ head!”

She had been too focused on the billion Belly to pay attention to the specifics of the reward.

As Koala continued to read, she finally understood and couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

“It turns out Doflamingo was forced back by Vice-Admiral Gion, he can’t move personally, so he had to rely on the underground world.”

“A billion Belly, this is the highest reward, I’m afraid the entire underground world is in an uproar.”

“Yeah, even the top assassin, ‘Nightblade’, has accepted the mission.”

The Revolutionary Army often does underground activities and is very familiar with all aspects of this dark world.

The assassin known as “Nightblade” was recorded in the files, with a reputation for possessing a unique and peculiar fruit ability that was perfectly suited for his line of work as an assassin.

In reality, it was almost a given that top-level assassins possessed special devil fruit abilities that were fatal to their victims. These powerful figures were the ones that even high-ranking officers of the Revolutionary Army were careful and cautious around, avoiding them at all costs.

But Gilteo simply wore a smile on his face “This is what true training is like.”

Koala forced a smile, her expression showing some concern.

“I must inform Rhodes of this information,” she made a decision in her mind, she would definitely contact him after work.

…

On the vast blue ocean, a grand sailing ship cut through the waves.

After setting sail, Gates and the others relaxed, for it was difficult to locate and capture a ship on the open sea.

But Gates, being cautious, still used his own magnetic compass to design a more obscure route.

Rhodes didn’t care, only asking Gates to make the final stop of their journey to Alabasta.

This was a place that he had decided to visit during his training journey from the start.

Since he was on the verge of completing the second level of the knowledge book, he had already guessed the next advancement requirements.

Rhodes had come to realize that the advancement of the levels was not just about climbing the ranks, but more about the impact he had on the world.

And the influence wielded by the Shichibukai was certainly significant enough to warrant an advancement from a second level to the third level.

Though many elite figures may have dismissed the Shichibukai as a joke, they commanded great respect among the common people. They were one of the three major powers that stood tall with the Marine Headquarters and the Yonko, wielding influence that spanned the entire world.

The current Shichibukai are:

The world’s greatest swordsman, Hawk-Eye Mihawk

The tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma

The Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo

The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock

The Pirate Hunter, Jimbei

The Desert King, Sir Crocodile

The Gorgon, Gecko Moria

For Rhodes to become one of the Shichibukai, he would have to replace one of the current members. But the options available to him were limited. It was not just a matter of strength, but also of reasonableness.

The Shichibukai system was established by the World Government, they were considered to be external members of the World Government, as long as they had not committed the crime of treason, they enjoyed the legal right to plunder, and the World Government and the Marines have the responsibility to protect them.

“Crocodile, it pains me to say it, but your weakness and overestimation of your own abilities in scheming for the country, Arabasta, has brought you to my doorstep.”

Rhodes stood tall on the deck, his gaze fixed upon the vast expanse of the sea as he pondered.

On the other hand, Little Snowy was fully focused and determined to master the art of swordsmanship, honing her basic techniques with fervor.

Despite her hard work and dedication, Snowy’s innate talent for swordsmanship was average at best. Even with Rhodes’ guidance and teachings, her progress was slow.

After over a month of intense practice, Snowy’s swordsmanship had seen only minimal improvement. However, her culinary skills had reached new heights.

Her knife skills had become razor sharp, she was more proficient in handling ingredients and the food she cooked had become mouth-watering, much to Rhodes’ delight.

But Snowy could only feel a sense of despair.