Chapter 514: The Sinner
Chapter 514: The Sinner
A dark light descended, casting an eerie shadow over the sky.
Bode looked up, facing the rapidly falling dark light, and clenched his fist, from which a purplish-black lightning coiled.
Sage frowned, and Bode punched out.
Boom!!
The air rippled from Bode's fist, creating a gust of wind that rustled the surrounding grass and stirred the hair of Hawkins and the other two.
"Tyrant Aura, huh?" Hawkins furrowed his brows. "He's a man with potential."
"And it's even coiling," Urki added. "He's indeed a powerful one."
As the air currents dissipated, the black light Sage had unleashed vanished without a trace. Bode, standing below, maintained his punching posture and smiled, "I know a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat as well."
"Oh?"
Sage's interest was piqued. "Aren't you just full of useless talk? Your Tyrant Aura is impressive, but I've never heard of you. Your aura isn't weak."
His aura wasn't bound by normal or transformed states; the total amount remained constant. Transformation only allowed him to utilize his aura with a stronger body. The impact he had just unleashed, though not at full strength, would have been enough to punch through the center of the island.
Yet, someone had blocked it.
"I don't seek fame; I prefer to work silently."
Bode explained, "I trained in martial arts to make people listen to me patiently. Look, you're listening to me now, aren't you?"
A prominent blue vein appeared on Sage's forehead.
"You're a real provocateur!"
Zzzz!
Sage raised his arm again, and black-red lightning crackled along his arm. The aura suspended in the sky shattered, and as he leaped upwards, he unleashed a Tyrant Aura powerful enough to engulf the entire island.
"Impressive indeed. Your aura is formidable, befitting of a Four Emperor."
Bode exclaimed, his clenched fist bulging beneath his wide sleeves, now seemingly filled with muscles.
"But my will to make people listen carefully to my words is something I won't lose to anyone!"
Bang!
Bode swung his fist, creating a sonic boom and air currents. As he struck, his fist took on a familiar form, resembling a whirlwind.
The powerful aura acted as a barrier, clashing with Sage's onslaught. The ground trembled, causing cracks in the grass and suspending dirt particles in the air.
Then, with a loud crash, the colliding auras flashed with blinding light, rapidly spreading outward.
Sage landed on the ground, his eyes fixed on the serene-faced monk across from him. "Zeff?"
"Indeed," Bode confirmed, raising a hand in a thumbs-up gesture and smiling lightly. "Twenty-three years ago, I was captured by the Zeff Admiral, and that's when I learned the 'Dark Fist' fighting style."
He opened his hand and smiled at Sage, "After being captured, I realized something. My strength was insufficient. Only with enough power would others listen to me, agree with my ideas, and support my vision of world peace and a desireless society."
"Pirates are the most desirous beings on the high seas. Their dissatisfaction drives them to set sail, and it's this dissatisfaction that leads them to disrupt the hard-earned order. Some don't understand the value of peace; only through war can they learn its importance. But stopping the war they've started isn't so simple."
"So, I'm determined to bring order to the chaotic seas."
Behind him, a group of residents and pirates advanced, each with a contented smile.
One of his men smiled and said, "Bode speaks the truth. Without desire, I don't crave anything. I'm satisfied with having enough to eat and a place to live. I don't need more."
"Yes, I feel better than ever. My body and mind feel liberated; it's so comfortable. Join us, Sage. There's no point in all this fighting, killing, and looting. When we die, everything is gone. It's better to contemplate the meaning of life."
"That's right, Sage. Join us. We haven't been hypnotized or bewitched. It's just that after our desires faded, we became peaceful."
"Yes, let's all enjoy life peacefully, Sage. What you're doing doesn't make sense."
Bang!
The last pirate to speak suddenly jerked, his head exploding into a cloud of blood as he collapsed.
Bang, bang, bang!
The remaining pirates also fell, as if struck by a heavy object, their heads bursting into blood mists as they dropped to the ground.
Sage's eyes glowed with a chilling red light, and his voice turned cold, "Call the captain! Call the governor!"
Satan's 'Devil Eye', though Sage didn't know if it was a power or something else, could be substituted by Sage's Tyrant Aura and his projected aura. For these underlings, a glare from Sage was enough to kill.
"But these are your men," Bode said, puzzled. "Won't this make them lose faith in you?"
"When did I ever need to cater to my men's feelings? As captain, my authority is absolute."
Sage stepped forward, "Besides, if it weren't for you, none of this would've happened. Shouldn't you take responsibility?"
Buzz!
A torrent of Tyrant Aura surged forward, washing over the residents and pirates. However, it didn't knock them out; instead, it instilled an intense sense of fear.
As if facing a natural enemy, the only true enemy of mankind is death itself.
"Get out of my way."
The group of people who had approached with gentle and serene smiles now turned pale, their expressions changing as they fled in panic.
"I thought you weren't afraid of death, but it seems your ability can't transcend life and death either," Sage chuckled.
"Fear of death is an innate human instinct. I'm suppressing desires, not making people indifferent to life and death," Bode replied calmly.
Bode wasn't annoyed and simply said, "Besides, I just wanted to show you that they can coexist harmoniously."
He glanced back at the fleeing people and sighed, "It seems this harmonious scene hasn't moved you. You need a stronger awakening to understand the beauty of peace."
Bode turned and assumed a boxing stance, "Let me teach you a lesson."
"Hmmmm."
Sage's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes glowing with an even deeper crimson, "Honestly, you're the first person who's tried to lecture me since I became a pirate. You've made me laugh out of anger!"
Bang!
As soon as the words left his mouth, he stepped forward, unleashing a wave of energy with his foot. His body shot forward like an arrow, quickly reaching Bode.
A fist wrapped in black and red lightning struck Bode's face.
But at that moment, Bode took a small step back, dodging with a standard right straight punch that collided with Sage's fist, creating another wave of energy.
Upon impact, Sage's fist paused, pressing against Bode's fist, and he sneered, "Do you dare to fight me?"
Bang!
A louder sound echoed as Sage's arm tensed, deflecting Bode's punch. He swiftly moved downwards, grazing Bode's arm, and his fist transformed into fingers, rapidly tapping from his wrist to his elbow, then quickly turning back into a fist, and delivering a powerful blow to Bode's face.
With that punch, Bode's body was about to fly backwards, but Sage grabbed his shoulder and pulled him towards himself, while his other fist struck Bode's abdomen, sending him flying upwards.
In the brief moment of flight, Sage closed the gap, his hands becoming afterimages as he unleashed a barrage of rapid strikes on Bode's body.
The impact of the punches kept Bode suspended in mid-air, trembling with each blow.
"Ora, Ora, Ora!!!"
A perfect execution of the Heavenly Hundred-Cracking Fist!
Exactly one hundred punches, and with the final strike, Bode flew backwards like a ragdoll.
But he didn't fly far, only about ten meters. Suddenly, his body stiffened in mid-air, and he plummeted to the ground.
"This is..."
Bode extended his palm towards himself and smiled, "Impressive!"
Bang, bang, bang!
Like a series of explosions, his body burst open, spraying blood everywhere, quickly turning him into a bloody mess, barely standing.
Sage, however, still frowned, studying Bode closely, "Your body..."
"It's not weak. In the past, I was a black market boxer known as the 'Meat Grinder of the Ring.' But for the Four Emperors, this body is too feeble."
A rainbow-colored aura enveloped Bode's wobbling body, sealing and supporting his broken form, adding an exoskeleton-like layer.
"I don't have any regenerative abilities. It's impossible to not get injured by the Four Emperors' attacks, but that's not the point. The point is, are you satisfied?"
With a smile, he asked, "Does attacking others make you feel satisfied?"
"Humans..."
He surveyed his surroundings, his blood-stained mouth open, "Always like this. Their ears crave praise or screams."
"Their eyes seek beauty and treasure."
"Their noses desire fragrances and foul odors."
"Their tongues yearn for delicious food or strange tastes."
"Their bodies crave more comfortable and enjoyable environments."
"Their minds crave even more—fame, wealth, status, and lust. They want it all, so driven by desire, they commit various acts in this world."
"That's why there are wars, battles between the Navy and Pirates, the Demon Slayer Order, and a chaotic sea. All these are caused by desire. But once these desires are fulfilled, emptiness sets in. To seek greater desires and fill the void, they become more ruthless, leading to even greater tragedies."
"Just like how you couldn't kill me with that punch, next time, you'll throw an even stronger one."
The rainbow aura spread from his body, twisting like tentacles.
"I don't like this world, but someone has to change it, and that someone can be me."
Bode spoke slowly, "If I absorb their desires, people won't create tragedies, and everyone can live peacefully together."
Sage stared at the materialized tentacles and asked sternly, "What are you?"
The feeling was off, even more nauseating than what Satan had given him.
"I am Bode."
Bode revealed a smile akin to a saint, "I am a bearer of sin."
He extended his hand towards Sage, "Come, join me, and experience this peaceful world."
(End of Chapter)
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