Chapter 25: Blood on the Tavern Floor
"What the hell are you doing, bastard?!" Anderson roared furiously. As he bellowed, his hands transformed—scales spread across his skin, and sharp claws emerged from his fingers.
"Kill him. What else do you think I'm doing?" Mio shrugged, casually holding his sword as if none of this was worth getting worked up about.
"Damn it—kill him!" Anderson snarled. He hadn't intended to start a fight, but now that his men were dead, there was no turning back. His body began to twist and grow as he activated his Devil Fruit powers, morphing into a lizardman.
His once slender frame expanded into a bulkier, more muscular form. A thick, scaled tail extended from his spine, and his hideous new appearance oozed menace.
"Heh... blood's gonna spill again," he chuckled darkly.
"Go to hell, kid!"
"Kill!"
The pirates who had been drinking nearby leapt into action. Laughing grimly, they brandished their weapons and charged toward Mio. A few pulled out muskets and fired, bullets tearing through the air.
But before the bullets could reach their mark, a shadow flashed forward. Twin gleams of steel danced midair as each bullet was cleaved cleanly in two, clattering harmlessly to the floor.
The figure didn't stop. With a trail of silver slashes, blood bloomed like flowers across the tavern as pirates collapsed one after another.
Erica stood silently behind Mio, both of her pale hands gripping twin swords. She said nothing, her expression unreadable beneath her cloak. Yet the deadly aura surrounding her sent chills down the spines of everyone present.