https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-924-Do-You-Think-This-Old-Man-s-a-Juggler-/13540247/
Chapter 923: Night Hunting
Chapter 923: Night Hunting
"Ohoho, different this time? Not an ordinary Zoan, huh?"
Laffitte flared his wings, his staff-sword gleaming with Haki Encasement as he faced Klah across the battlefield.
Whoosh!
Klah struck first, his muscles taut as he exhaled a concentrated blast of air.
"Wolf Dash Cannon!"
Laffitte spread his wings, narrowly evading the attack. But as he moved, Klah anticipated his trajectory, launching another razor-thin air current from his mouth. The assault continued relentlessly, sealing off Laffitte's escape routes with pinpoint precision.
Laffitte twisted mid-air, parrying the second Wolf Dash Cannon. As he reflexively retreated, he realized his movements had been predicted.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
His staff-sword slashed through the incoming barrage with graceful efficiency, the Haki-infused strikes dispersing the attacks like scattered petals.
"I knew you'd do that!" Klah grinned, his massive body spinning like a tornado, surging upward. Seizing the opening, he lunged at Laffitte.
"Tooth Wolf Fang!"
Laffitte narrowed his eyes, facing the cyclone of destruction. Channeling more Haki into his blade, he thrust downward—meeting the whirlwind head-on.
This attack could be stopped—
Zwoosh!
Klah’s werewolf form bypassed the strike entirely, soaring overhead to land above Laffitte. The agile giant grinned, his fangs bared.
"Great Klahofficer knows your tricks!!" His chest swelled as he unleashed a devastating breath.
"Mystic Art: Six Styles!!"
Boom!!
The breath released a storm of slashes, engulfing Laffitte in a chaotic maelstrom. The impact cratered the ground, surrounding the hole with jagged, web-like cuts.
Got him!
Klah’s eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he unleashed a flurry of afterimages, each kicking out bursts of blue slashes toward the crater.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Smoke and debris exploded outward, shaking the earth.
Amidst the chaos, a figure burst through the smoke. Laffitte’s wings flared, his tattered coat and bleeding wounds contrasting with his elegant parries. He slashed through the onslaught, his expression darkening.
"You damn pest!" Laffitte glared at Klah hovering above.
Ancient-type bodies were tough—he knew that. Kuro’s subordinate, Navy Commander Black Wolf’s reputation was no secret on the Grand Line. But Klah’s strength had pushed him to this disheveled state?
"Damn you... ohoho..."
Laffitte smirked, wings humming as he shattered an incoming slash. In a flash, he surged skyward, his blade carving eerie arcs.
"Moonstep!"
Klah halted his assault, sidestepping just as Laffitte arrived. Spinning, he lashed his Haki-coated tail forward.
"Iron Body: Tail Sword!"
Swoosh!
Laffitte’s wings flared, his blade slicing downward—only to be caught between Klah’s Haki-armed teeth.
"Gotcha", Klah sneered, his eyes gleaming with cruel triumph.
His claws bloomed like black daggers, aimed at Laffitte’s chest.
"Six King Gun!!"
Boom!!
The strike sent Laffitte reeling, his Haki defense shattering. He staggered backward—only for Klah’s grip to yank him forward, into Klah’s waiting fist.
Crack!
A shockwave erupted as Laffitte slammed into the ground like a cannonball.
Klah landed, crouching like a wolf. "Great Klahofficer’s strength too spicy for you?!"
But his grin faltered as Laffitte rose, spitting blood.
"Indeed... ohoho", Laffitte chuckled, twirling his cane. "With your power, why settle for Vice Admiral? At Kaido’s side, you’d be a ‘Six King’!"
"Fool!" Klah spat. "Great Klahofficer serves no pirate!"
Laffitte retrieved his hat, dusting it off. "Combat isn’t just strength, Klah. Skill matters too. Now… relax."
As he tipped his hat, Klah’s posture slackened instinctively.
Too late.
Laffitte’s blade darted forward, aiming for Klah’s throat. The werewolf barely dodged, the strike glancing off his shoulder.
"Sleep command? When did you—"
"During every sword swing", Laffitte smiled. "Focus on combat, and you’re mine. Tip the hat… and you relax."
"Wolf Dash Cannon!" Klah roared, exhaling another blast.
Clang! Laffitte sliced through it, advancing. "Useless. As long as you watch me—"
Klah looked away.
"Then don’t watch!"
The blade struck Klah’s side, drawing blood.
"Unforgivable!!" Klah bellowed.
Laffitte appeared beside him, smirking. "Caught between Scylla and Charybdis, aren’t you?"
As Klah glared, Laffitte tipped his hat again.
"Oho-oh no."
Klah’s eyes glazed over.
Laffitte’s wings erupted in power, his Haki swirling into a spiral.
"Time to end you!"
He struck—a blur of black and white—the blade piercing Klah’s forehead.
No defense. No Haki. Just a bloated carcass.
"Shine!!" Laffitte’s grin turned vicious.
But just as the staff sword was about to pierce Klah's brow center, a soft sound echoed from within Klah's body. His brow center flared with Haki, creating a metallic "clang" as it resisted Laffitte's blade tip. As blood trickled from the wound, Klah suddenly lifted his head and seized Laffitte's arm with a clawed hand. The razor-sharp talons pierced straight through Laffitte's skin and flesh.
"You!" Laffitte froze in shock, disbelief creeping into his voice.
Klah bared his teeth, his elongated canines sharper and more pronounced than before. Fixing Laffitte with a predatory glare, he growled, "I am the mighty Klahofficer, Kuro's right-hand man! Do you truly think such feeble hypnosis could defeat me? Are you really that arrogant?"
Outside, dusk darkened into nightfall.
...
"Kuro, you're already powerful enough - why do you still live in fear?"
Lying on the training ground floor with fresh wounds across his body, Klah struggled to lift his head. Across the room, Kuro wiped his hands with a towel.
He'd been beaten - again.
This time was worse. Blade cuts followed by bare-fisted blows left him completely defenseless.
Even after transforming into a werewolf and receiving Kuro's specially drawn blood to lick, he still couldn't win.
He could predict Kuro's movements, but utterly failed to counter them. Those direct attacks - he couldn't even raise his arms in defense.
"Pfft? What power? Where? Klah, 'strength' takes many forms—swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, Haki, Devil Fruit abilities, strategic intelligence, even weaponry. Each has its own pinnacle of mastery. Oh, and face! Having enough social clout itself counts as power."
"Can my sword techniques rival Sakazuki Fleet Admiral's? My speed match Gramps'? My ability control surpass Yi Xiao Brother's? My hand-to-hand combat equal Garp's? My physical endurance compare with Big·mom's? Or my pain tolerance exceed Marshall D. Teach's idiotic resilience? Don't forget that idiot possesses tremendous destructive power. I don't even have the face value Shanks has - when he calls for a truce, people obey. When I do, pirates ignore me! How many times was G-3 ambushed while I've served here? Not one damn day of peace."
Kuro tossed his towel to Lida, who watched with amusement. Lida frowned, then threw the cloth into the trash can.
Lighting a cigar, he continued, "Listen well, Klah. This world's danger lies in never knowing what tricks enemies possess. Don't let your Devil Fruit's arrogance blind you. Even against opponents of similar strength, countless methods exist to counter your ability. Don't mention rule-breaking, ability-ignoring tactics - take hallucinations or hypnosis for example. Even if you foresee them, can you truly evade?"
"Focus on developing your own strengths rather than relying solely on blood-licking ability to gauge enemy power. Without countermeasures, you'll just sit there waiting to be caught off guard!"
"Control your body better, explore your Zoan-type potential. Transformation isn't just physical enhancement - adapt according to natural wolf behavior patterns. Your second form is full moon-based, but during nighttime, what about Moon Wolf characteristics, Lida?"
"Haven't seen one. Never eaten one either. But I've heard Moon Wolves gain strength at night while becoming slightly more ferocious. They're called 'night demons' that inspire terror", Lida added from the side.
"Exactly. Abilities come in endless varieties. Everyone knows rubber can conduct lightning, but have you seen rubber actually channel it? It's absurd, yet possible. Where's the logic in that?"
Kuro continued, "Don't fixate on full moons - that's no better than those pelt-clad brutes. You should manifest Moon Wolf characteristics even under normal night conditions. Wolves aren't just physically strong - they're cunning, alert creatures. Nighttime wolves evoke primal fear."
...
"I am the Moon Wolf, night's supreme hunter - a demonbeast that inspires terror! I am Klah, the mighty Klah, trusted subordinate of Kuro! I shall never disappoint him!"
Klah bared his fangs at Laffitte, suddenly throwing his head back.
"Awwwooooo!!"
A wolf's howl erupted from his throat. Swinging his arm, he hurled Laffitte through the air.
Laffitte spread his wings mid-flight, arresting his momentum while instinctively adjusting his hat brim toward the target. But before he could act, the massive werewolf figure vanished without trace.
Thud-thud.
Footsteps echoed from his flank.
Laffitte spun, sword thrusting forward.
But the monstrous form was gone.
Instead, a cold gleam flashed from his side.
"Schk!"
One wing pierced by the cold blade, blood and feathers scattered as Laffitte grunted in pain, crashing earthward.
But where was...?
Laffitte's pupils constricted - he couldn't spot his enemy anywhere!
As he hit the ground, he spat, "Ohoho, relax."
"Ahahaha, you fool! My command isn't 'adjust hat' but your ridiculous laughter! I've studied your combat habits thoroughly. Now - you'll drown in my terror!"
Klah's voice materialized from empty space. Laffitte's sharp eyes caught faint green glints glowing from the darkness - like a wolf's eyes in the night.
Ancient records describe legendary Moon Wolves as night's absolute rulers, driving prey into paralyzing fear before toying with and slaughtering them like mere playthings.
Not merely ancient beasts, Moon Wolves possess the rare qualification to ascend into mythical beasts through hunting prowess alone.
One of the few species capable of self-driven evolution into legendary creatures.
Whether true or not, Klah understood one thing - the night was his domain.
Not yet a mythical beast himself, he could still force his form into ancient legends.
With his blood-detection ability fused with his signature "Silent Step" technique, he could now manifest those ancient descriptions in darkness.
Silent Step wasn't just a civilian version of "Shave" - it was a completely different technique. A chaotic, soundless movement method.
This understanding crystallized after mastering Six Styles.
He was a genius - a genius deserved unique combat techniques!
As Kuro's subordinate, he refused to merely serve tea, take blame, and endure beatings.
Unlike Lida - who already possessed formidable strength - stagnation would only widen the gap between himself and Kuro's faction.
Driven by pressure and pride, Klah had finally perfected this technique. Under the Moon Wolf werewolf form, as long as the sun set, he could simulate the legendary Moon Wolf power described in ancient texts using night-enhanced abilities.
Now, witness...
"Behold my 'Night Hunt'!"
Bang!!
Meanwhile, Marshall D. Teach's fist trembled violently, forcing Kuro's invisible form into visibility. But as Kuro materialized, he swung his blade downward - only to have Teach's fist slam him back.
The shockwave of Teach's darkness clashed violently against razor-sharp sword ki, cracking the ground below before slicing smooth gashes through the earth.
The first slash blocked, Kuro's figure vanished instantly, multiplying into multiple afterimages that attacked from all angles.
"Blackbeard's Laugh!"
Teach roared, punching backward.
Bang!
Space itself around him shattered like broken mirrors. The violent shockwave dispelled all afterimages, revealing Kuro's true form behind him.
"Illusionary tricks won't work on an old man like me, Kuro!"
Teach spun, black smoke swirling from his palm as he unleashed his technique.
"Dark Water!"
Suction activated.
Falling objects needed time to descend. This was G-3 territory - his domain with subordinates below. He wouldn't risk mutual destruction - he would've done so already.
Understanding this, Teach acted recklessly.
A gambler by nature, he bet Kuro wouldn't use abilities at full strength.
Just a momentary restraint - that was all he needed.
Dark Water's suction flared, but the Kuro before him rippled like water and vanished.
"The old man anticipated this!"
A thunderous shout roared from above. A wisp of golden glow transformed into a golden beam descending rapidly from the sky.
"Ultimate Mystic Art!"
(End of Chapter)
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