Bang!!!
In the dead of night.
The sky was overcast, suggesting rain and a sudden noise woke the doctor from his sleep. A flash of lightning lit up the dark room through the window.
“Ghost!”
A hysterical scream erupted from the doctor’s mouth, the sound piercing through the night. The sight of Hermes, covered in blood and pale as a ghost, made the doctor even more terrified.
Instinctively, Hermes swung a slap, turning the doctor’s fear-stricken face bright red. The doctor rolled off the bed, almost wetting himself in fright.
Anyone waking up in the middle of the night to find a blood-soaked person by their bed would be scared out of their wits.
“Stop yelling, it’s me!”
The slap left the doctor dazed.
Hermes coughed and sat on a chair nearby as if it were his own home.
The familiar voice and haggard figure brought the doctor’s soul back to reality. Clutching his face, the doctor squinted in the dim light, finally recognizing Hermes, who looked like he had been thoroughly drained.
Still breathing.
“Damn it, you almost gave me a heart attack.”
The doctor was furious.
He had just experienced a death-defying moment, almost overstimulated.
“Save the chatter, the usual routine.”
Hermes was increasingly weak, but he didn’t seem worried. On the contrary, he was excited. His Observation Haki was triggering more frequently, and a few more battles might let him master it.
Compared to that, these injuries were nothing. As long as he didn’t die, everything was a gain.
“Damn it, this time it’ll cost you more.”
“Don’t think you get special treatment just because you’re Hermes Jormungandr.”
The doctor grumbled, but his hands moved quickly.
He pulled out his medical kit from who-knows-where and began to treat Hermes’s wounds skillfully, not cutting the medical fees despite Hermes’s reputation.
Hermes didn’t respond, closing his eyes instead.
He knew it was only a matter of time before the doctor learned his identity. Over time, he had gotten to know the doctor’s character well enough. For now, they could get along.
“Did you fail to kill Twin Wheel Gunner Kokos again?”
Seeing Hermes remain silent, the doctor continued to grumble, partly to distract Hermes from the pain and partly out of curiosity.
He didn’t expect Hermes to be so strong. Pirates with bounties in the millions had been taken down by this seemingly frail young man.
“I could have, but that guy is still useful to me.”
Hermes clenched his fists, veins bulging, enduring the pain.
He realized his body needed to toughen up. The strongest on the seas had unyielding bodies, like unkillable cockroaches.
To survive in this era, one needed not only strength but also resilience, endurance, and quick recovery.
“Alright then.”
The doctor stopped probing.
He knew when to stop.
Quickly, Hermes’s body was wrapped in bandages, the treatment taking no more than five minutes.
“Now get out of here.”
After treating him, the doctor didn’t ask Hermes for money, instead quickly cleaning up to avoid being caught like last time.
“Same as before, I’ll pay you later.”
Hermes waved and disappeared into the night.
No courtesy at all.
“Get out, get out!”
The doctor grumbled, grabbing a broom and mop to clean up. He was not worried about Hermes skipping out on the bill; he was just cursing under his breath.
Ten days later.
Sounds of fighting erupted in the town.
As soon as his wounds healed, Hermes sought out Kokos. When they met, it was like a clash of titans, engaging in a thrilling battle.
Many residents watched from a distance.
This time, Kokos found it much harder to hit Hermes.
Observation Haki triggered more frequently, and Kokos began to struggle.
Bang, bang, bang!!!
Bullets flew through the air, hitting walls and storefronts, and kicking up dust.
“Is that the pirate hunter Hermes Jormungandr?”
“The one with the twin guns is Kokos, the captain of the Twin Wheel Pirates, with a bounty of 44 million Berries.”
“Finally seeing them in person.”
The battlefield was a mess, with many keeping their distance, watching the intense fight. Ordinary people would have long been dead.
“This isn’t good, Master Jormungandr is on the defensive.”
“He’s been only defending.”
To many observers, Hermes seemed injured and unable to attack, only defending and accumulating more wounds.
But if you looked closely, you’d see Hermes dodging attacks more successfully.
“Today, you will die here, and Mayut Town will still be under the Twin Wheel Pirates’ control.”
Kokos panted, eyes cold.
His twin guns were nearly sparking from the rapid firing, yet he hadn’t seriously wounded Hermes. A strange feeling nagged at him.
“You’re not qualified to kill me.”
Hermes scoffed at Kokos’s arrogance. If not for training his Observation Haki, Kokos would have been dead already.
With that, Hermes closed his eyes, showing even more contempt, making Kokos’s killing intent flare.
Such insolence.
Bang!!!
A bullet flew, tearing through the air.
With his eyes closed and his mind empty, Hermes felt a stillness around him. Everything seemed to slow down, and the bullet’s path was clearly visible.
In an instant.
Hermes slightly shifted, the bullet just missing him. The next bullet followed, but Hermes easily dodged it too.
From passive triggers, Hermes was now actively using Observation Haki.
He was getting the hang of it.
“The bullet missed again.”
“How is that possible?”
“Can a human do that?”
Onlookers gaped, the battle shattering their understanding.
Dodging bullets seemed impossible.
“It’s no wonder he killed Captain Joya and Chainsaw.”
Some pirates were also shocked, realizing that Hermes’s profession meant he could target them next.
“What did you do?”
As the fight dragged on, Kokos grew more frustrated.
Recalling their first battle, Hermes needed his Devil Fruit power to dodge. Now, he could do it effortlessly.
Was his shooting skill declining?
Impossible!
“Finally, I did it.”
Despite the injuries, Hermes was overjoyed.
He had fully mastered Observation Haki.
He could now trigger it at will.
Kokos was no longer a threat.
Bang, bang, bang!!!
Bullets came at him, but Hermes approached Kokos, dodging effortlessly with slight movements.
His graceful evasion looked almost casual.
Kokos looked like he’d seen a ghost, his lips trembling in rage.
Impossible.
This was too much.
How did he suddenly…
“This can’t be, you can’t dodge my shots.”
“Damn it, how are you doing this?”
Kokos yelled as Hermes closed in.
Five meters.
Three meters.
Two meters.
Even at one meter, he dodged. How could this be?
In a moment of distraction, Kokos felt a sharp pain in his chest. Blood spurted out as Hermes’s attack struck home, sending Kokos crashing into a roadside stall, coughing blood.
“I can’t lose.”
“I’m the Twin Wheel Gunner Kokos.”
His twin guns kept firing, but they were useless against Hermes.
The situation reversed swiftly.
From the moment Hermes mastered Observation Haki, Kokos lost all advantage, utterly countered by Hermes.
Kokos’s struggle was in vain.
One minute later.
With a final, furious roar, Kokos fell in a pool of blood, lifeless.
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