https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-239-Black-Long-Straight-with-Lace-Trim/13536599/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-241-As-Long-as-This-Island-Prosers/13536601/
Chapter 240: Look Down at Me, Bastard!
Chapter 240: Look Down at Me, Bastard!
"Cheap", Kuro muttered, rolling the word around his tongue. The aura surrounding him grew suffocating.
Sazil shuddered involuntarily, instinctively stepping away from Kuro. A chill crept up his spine.
"Where did you get these people?"
"Eligible candidates? Naturally bought. Slaves, rule-breakers, villagers—when I need something, getting people isn't hard. While flesh holds little value, I have... peculiar preferences. Only those with the right looks and build qualify for my [Famous Blade] experiments."
Poropa suddenly hummed, stroking his chin as he studied Kuro with sudden interest.
"You actually fit [Autumn Water]'s profile. Doesn't have to be a black-haired, lace-clad housewife type. A househusband works too. You're decent-looking. How about becoming my test subject? I can make you incredibly strong. Don't worry—I'll preserve your personality."
"You're awfully confident about that", Kuro exhaled a stream of smoke, his voice flat.
Poropa's lips curled upward. Snap! His fingers cracked sharply.
Bang! The outer gates slammed shut.
"I'd prefer not to resort to violence. You see, I'm a scientist—a lover of weapons. Giving such fine tools to you lot would be a waste. But since you refuse my deal—" He snapped again, "—I suppose I must demonstrate my masterpieces."
The wall of a nearby bastion crumbled. Shadows emerged from the darkness within.
Figures staggered into view—two meters tall, grotesquely obese. Their bodies jiggled with every step, rolls of fat swallowing their features into featureless blobs. Enormous cleavers dripped with bloodied meat.
"My [Butchers]. Originally tried using men, but women proved more... suitable. They're monstrous—immense strength, fat layers that blunt blows. Without sufficient slashing power, you'd struggle to pierce that natural armor."
"Such eligible candidates are easy to find—elderly women with sagging jowls are everywhere. Their durability rivals your Headquarterslieutenants. How much did your HQ spend raising one? My creations are infinitely more cost-effective!"
Another snap. "But wait—my greatest mass-produced models."
A third bastion collapsed. This time, staggering drunks stumbled out. Faces flushed red, noses bulbous, tongues lolling, each belching drunkenly while clutching a simple katana.
"Wano Country's famous Sake Iron Ore. Cuts induce paralysis. These drunks use that very property. They dodge bullets with ease—one can neutralize hundreds of Navy without taking damage. Defense specially treated too. Ordinary bullets won't scratch them."
"Buy them, give them my commands, and they serve admirably—Navy, bodyguards, anything. Mass-produced for efficiency, though elite models require [Famous Blade]-grade weapons. Each unique enough to replace a renowned Navy officer. See now? My creations surpass those 'Pacifista' toys. From grunts to generals, I engineer combat power at unbeatable prices."
Poropa lifted his chin, brimming with arrogance. "What's Vegapunk but a money-wasting fool? He builds useless scrap. I—I am the one who'll complete the ultimate weapon!"
"Hand over [Autumn Water], and I'll grant your Marine Headquarters a new obedient [Greatest Swordsman]!"
With each word, Kuro's chilling aura deepened. The nearby Navy froze. When the rant ended, the area around Kuro became uninhabitable—Navymen retreated to the gates, trembling, some already glassy-eyed from sheer terror.
Sazil stood among them, clutching his thighs to suppress shaking. His dry swallow echoed in the silence. He recognized this aura—it was Killing Intent. Once experienced under his master, but this... this dwarfed his teacher's, whose blade had tasted countless lives.
How many must Kuro have slaughtered?
Klah adjusted his glasses nervously, sweat beading his brow. He hadn't seen Kuro angry in years.
Unlike the fury of the Top War, this—this Poropa had deliberately crossed Kuro's line.
"Kuro."
Lida obediently handed over [Autumn Water], for once too frightened to joke. Kuro took the scabbard, fingers brushing the blade.
"I never imagined a weapon could mean more than people", he murmured, fixing Poropa with a stare. "Can these 'creations' return to their original forms?"
"Of course not", Poropa scoffed. "Reversing scientific modifications? Impossible. Modification is transformation. Isn't this better? They obey, feel nothing, execute commands perfectly."
Kuro closed his eyes briefly. When they reopened, his voice turned glacial.
"I recall having many weapons. Perhaps we can discuss prices. But I won't take your money."
The sky darkened, pressure crushing the air.
Poropa glanced upward—his jaw dropped, frozen in shock.
That... that...
Behind him, Sazil trembled. He'd never seen anything like it.
Above, a storm of weapons descended, dragging islands and buildings in their wake like a collapsing inverted world.
"Look up at me, you bastard!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As if the heavens shattered, weapons and islands crashed into Poropa's bastion. The impact swallowed everything in a dust storm.
No matter how sturdy the fortress, crushed beneath its own volume—and more—it crumbled. The vaunted spear-wielding guards were flattened into paste.
No rescue needed. For these wretches, death was mercy. Kuro learned that long ago.
When the dust settled, the main bastion lay in ruins.
"My laboratory!"
A small, oval-shaped figure leapt from the rubble, wailing, "My lab! My precious experiments!"
Kuro narrowed his eyes at Gardi, who stood beside Poropa, sword drawn, one arm dangling uselessly, bloodied and panting.
"Still alive with your bastard master?" Kuro asked coolly.
"Unforgivable!!"
Poropa spun, teeth bared, finger jabbing Kuro. "I'll kill you! Destroying my lab?! Unforgivable!"
"You still don't get it. Forget it—I won't waste words on a bastard."
Kuro gripped the hilt, slowly drawing [Autumn Water] from its scabbard.
"Let me teach you—no weapon enslaves humanity. Only when a human wields it does it become a weapon. Otherwise, it's just scrap iron."
(End of Chapter)
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