"What the hell are you doing, bastard?!" Anderson roared furiously. As he bellowed, his hands transford—scales spread across his skin, and sharp claws erged 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 n 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 fra expanded into a bulkier, more muscular form. A thick, scaled tail extended from his spine, and his hideous new appearance oozed nace.
"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 blood 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.
Within re seconds, several pirates lay dead by Erica's blades. The others, frozen mid-charge, stared wide-eyed in horror. Fear tightened in their throats as they swallowed hard.
Even Anderson flinched, his pupils shrinking. Though fear briefly flickered in his eyes, it was quickly consud by rage.
"Strong, huh? Doesn't matter. You're still going to die!" he snarled.
Ever since Anderson had gained his Devil Fruit powers, he'd never tasted defeat. Anyone who dared oppose him—be it pirate or Navy—was ripped apart like at in a slaughterhouse. His fury now drowned out reason, and all he wanted was to tear the two people before him limb from limb.
With a thunderous roar, Anderson lunged at Mio, slashing forward with one massive claw. The air whistled with the force of his attack.
Mio gripped his sword tightly and said calmly, "Leave this guy to . Erica, handle the rest."
"Erica will protect Master," she replied softly, her voice steady beneath the cloak.
Mio grinned. "Good."
With that, he stepped forward and raised his sword to et the incoming claw. Their weapons clashed with a tallic clang, sending sparks flying.
Mio clicked his tongue. "No wonder you're a Zoan-type user with an ancient ability. That strength is no joke."
The power behind Anderson's blow surprised Mio, but it was still within his limits.
Anderson might have gained a powerful Devil Fruit, but it was obvious he hadn't yet mastered it. If he had, Mio probably wouldn't have been able to withstand even a single strike. While Mio was strong for soone in the North Blue, he wasn't invincible—not yet.
In fact, his boldness in contacting soone like Doflamingo had only been possible because of Erica and Warwick. If Mio were alone, he would've never dared.
Back to the fight.
Mio's lips curved into a smirk. He stepped forward, his sword flashing through the air. "One Sword Style: Shadow Attack!"
With full force and speed, Mio closed the distance in an instant. A crescent-shaped slash of black sword energy arced forward, slicing through the air like a phantom shadow.
"Get lost!" Anderson roared, swinging his claws in retaliation. But the next mont, his expression changed.
He staggered backward, glancing down at his claws.
A thin crack had split them open, and blood seeped out rapidly.
"Looks like your defense isn't enough to block my slashes," Mio sneered and launched another attack.
The blade tore through the air, and Anderson barely managed to dodge. The sword energy slamd into the tavern wall with a booming crash, carving a deep gash and reducing the wall to rubble.
Pirates outside the tavern looked over, startled by the commotion.
Erica, noticing the attention, calmly turned her gaze toward the onlookers. She raised her right-hand sword and slashed toward the tavern entrance.
A gleaming silver arc sliced through the ground outside, leaving behind a deep crack.
"Step inside, and I'll kill you," she said softly, but her words cut deeper than her blade.
The watching pirates stiffened.
One of Anderson's remaining crew inside the tavern gulped nervously. Shaken by Erica's power and his boss's injury, he saw an opportunity to escape. His eyes darted toward the back, where he could possibly flee and grab so treasure in the chaos.
But the mont he moved, a blade of energy sliced through the air.
His head separated cleanly from his body.
"Tch. Scary one," muttered one of the spectators.
"She sounds like a girl, but damn, she's deadly."
"Forget grabbing any loot—I'll just watch."
Many pirates outside had initially hoped to pick the bodies clean after the dust settled. If possible, they'd even considered killing Mio and Erica mid-fight to claim the bounty and sell the corpses to the Navy. But now, those thoughts vanished like smoke.
Erica might have spoken softly, but her actions were absolute.
Inside, Anderson trembled with rage as he saw yet another of his n cut down—and the rest standing frozen.
"You cowards! If you don't move now, I'll tear you all to pieces later!" he bellowed.
So of the pirates wavered, their loyalty balanced against their fear.
In the end, a few gritted their teeth and charged forward, but they didn't get far. Erica moved like a specter, her blades dancing with rciless precision. Each step she took ant another body fell.
They didn't even get a chance to scream.
"Don't get distracted now. Eyes on ," Mio called out to Anderson as he dashed forward, weapon raised.
His sword slashed toward Anderson with another wave of sword energy.
Anderson growled, using his claws to block. He then twisted his body and swung his heavy tail at Mio, tearing through tables, walls, and anything in his path.
Mio's eyes glead. He leapt lightly, dodging the tail with ease.
He didn't want the battle to end too quickly. No—he wanted to drag it out, to savor the thrill. Every mont made his blood burn hotter, every strike honed his instincts further.
Strangely, he found himself enjoying it.
The longer the fight lasted, the more excited he beca. A deep, primal part of him yearned for stronger opponents, deadlier challenges.
Maybe it was just who he was now.
Or maybe... it was the effect of the ability he had received when he first arrived in this world.
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