An ordinary person would have retreated in this situation, facing so many opponents alone and turning into a one-man army against a pirate crew. It was unwise.
In terms of numbers, Hermes was at a disadvantage.
But Hermes wasn’t an ordinary person; he was exceptionally daring.
Even a five-bladed fan wouldn’t faze him.
“Ah!!!”
With a scream, a pirate clutched his side, collapsing to the ground, his body convulsing, his eyes wide with pain.
Having succeeded with one strike, Hermes shrank back to five millimeters, disappearing before the nearby pirates could react.
“Damn it.”
“That brat.”
“Everyone, be careful. Group up in threes.”
The sudden attacks made many pirates wary.
But this didn’t stop Hermes’ slaughter. He moved swiftly through the grass, launching lethal attacks on any pirate he approached, often before they could react.
Bang bang bang.
One scream after another echoed as the Dog-Dog Pirates’ numbers visibly dwindled, even Joya couldn’t stand idly by and joined the search.
“Kid, come out and fight me one-on-one if you have the guts.”
“Coward.”
Joya’s eyes were red with rage. The dark environment was too advantageous for Hermes, leaving his subordinates helpless.
Hermes ignored Joya’s hysteria, continuing to reap lives like the Grim Reaper at night.
“Everyone, back into the house and light all the torches.”
Joya was desperate; he didn’t want to be left alone.
“Hurry, back into the house.”
“Light all the torches.”
The pirates ran towards the shattered house, but even then, some fell with screams.
“Damn it.”
Joya could only watch helplessly. He wanted to stop it but was powerless.
In sparsely populated areas, he could vaguely detect Hermes’ presence through smell, but now the mix of various odors overwhelmed his sensitive nose, making it useless.
The smell of alcohol, sweat, and feet mixed like a toxic gas.
Gradually.
Only Joya and a dozen corpses remained.
Hermes returned to normal size, standing three meters away from Joya, their cold stares locked. In a one-on-one fight, Hermes might be at a disadvantage but welcomed the challenge.
If Joya’s men were added to the mix, Hermes would undoubtedly lose.
One stray bullet could end his life.
Battles aren’t fair, even one-on-one.
“Kid, you’ve got guts.”
Joya realized Hermes wanted a duel.
He didn’t know how strong Joya was, practically seeking death.
“Enough talk.”
Hermes’ eyes narrowed, charging at Joya with a whip-like kick, Shigan ready in his hand.
Boom!!!
Joya blocked with his arm, sidestepping to kick back.
Hermes shrank to fifty centimeters, dodged, then supported himself with his hands, reverting to normal size and launching a double-footed attack at Joya’s chin.
Joya instinctively stepped back, easily dodging. But he didn’t expect Hermes not only to shrink but also grow.
In an instant.
Hermes’ 1.77-meter frame ballooned to five meters. Despite Joya’s retreat, he couldn’t dodge in time, taking the full force to his chin.
Joya felt weightless, flying back, rolling several times on the ground before stopping with his hands deep in the dirt. Blood trickled from his mouth as he stood.
His jaw was dislocated.
Seeing Hermes maintaining his five-meter size, the pressure dynamics shifted.
Crack.
Joya snapped his jaw back into place, realizing the trouble. This kid’s ability was troublesome.
“What kind of power is this?”
“Idiot.”
Ignoring Joya’s question, Hermes attacked again.
He wasn’t stupid enough to reveal his abilities.
But in the pirate world, declaring abilities was common.
Boom~
A fierce collision sent shockwaves through the air.
Hermes was outmatched in strength, defense, speed, and endurance, but his Mini-Mini Fruit compensated for this, giving him an advantage in evasion.
Freely growing and shrinking, Hermes frustrated Joya.
A flash of light.
Another wound appeared on Hermes’ chest. Joya was getting more adept, but he too accumulated wounds, his body riddled with blood holes, any normal person would have fallen by now.
Zoan users had comprehensive enhancements, even regular types, let alone ancient or mythical ones.
“Cough, cough!”
Dodging a strike and creating distance, Hermes coughed up blood. This fight brought him unprecedented excitement, rapidly increasing his combat experience.
While ensuring his survival, he intended to utilize this Dachshund fully.
Ten minutes later.
Hermes began to tire, his injuries making it difficult to continue.
In contrast, Joya, despite being equally exhausted and wounded, could still fight.
Without a word, Hermes clashed with Joya a few more times before suddenly retreating, catching Joya off guard.
“Trying to run?”
Joya gave chase but soon gave up.
In this dark environment, coupled with Hermes’ shrinking ability, catching him was nearly impossible.
“Captain, are you alright?”
Back at the base, Joya’s face was grim.
He knew tomorrow would bring rumors and ridicule. As the captain of the Dog-Dog Pirates, with a bounty of 38 million Berries, being harassed by a kid was humiliating.
He failed to capture the kid and lost many men.
It was a severe blow to his authority.
His reputation suffered greatly.
“Find that kid. He’s seriously injured.”
Pushing aside his useless subordinates, Joya roared.
“Yes.”
Meanwhile.
Hermes, reeking of blood, pale-faced, snuck back to the inn in his five-millimeter form, enduring the deep pain, cleaning his wounds with pre-bought medicine, and bandaging himself.
He had anticipated injuries before setting out. After all, his opponent wasn’t a small fry, so he prepared some medicine.
“These wounds were worth it.”
Hermes grinned painfully, his body aching all over, but alongside the pain, he felt exhilarated.
The battle was immensely beneficial.
Routine training couldn’t compare to the thrill of combat, and his strength grew faster. Many things were learned through practice, revealing the vast gap between theory and reality.
“Time to leave.”
After a brief rest, Hermes planned to relocate.
Though not completely powerless, he was weakened. If the Dog-Dog Pirates found him now, he’d be in trouble.
Vigilance is crucial, especially against pirates. Trusting in luck or honor is foolish.
Remaining cautious has kept Hermes alive.
As expected.
Shortly after he left, the Dog-Dog Pirates stormed the inn but found nothing.
This time, Hermes didn’t stay at an inn but found a random civilian house. At five millimeters, anywhere could be home.
He would heal before seeking more trouble with the Dog-Dog Pirates.
For now, Joya was a whetstone to sharpen his skills further.
Before dawn, news of the incident spread through the town, making Hermes Jörmungandr’s name even more famous.
Alone, he had raided the Dog-Dog Pirates’ base, killed many, and escaped unscathed.
It seemed Captain Joya wasn’t that formidable, his 38-million bounty clearly inflated.
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