One Piece Devouring Fruit

The bustling street quickly descended into chaos with the arrival of the desert bandits. Like a natural disaster, people fled the once lively and peaceful marketplace in panic, some taking advantage of the confusion to loot.

“Hide for now,” Michion ordered immediately, prioritising caution given the unknown strength of the enemy. He believed Vice Admiral Akainu had probably already heard the commotion and was on his way.

Although a Vice Admiral was a little in the Grand Line, in the four seas where few even mastered Haki, a Vice Admiral was more than enough to handle most situations.

After a moment, the sandstorm settled, revealing the approaching figures accompanied by strange cries and the jingling of camel bells. Michion finally got a clear look at the intruders.

Dozens of camels, each carrying a rider, approached. The riders wore various coloured hats and face coverings, their dark, rough skin visible around their eyes. They wielded an assortment of crude weapons, clearly marking them as bandits.

As the name suggested, these desert bandits were thieves of the desert, akin to pirates and mountain bandits, only differing by their territory. They showed no hesitation in committing arson, murder, and theft.

They noticed Michion and his group when the bandits were about two hundred meters away. They quickly drew guns from their waists and started shooting indiscriminately, aiming to kill as many as possible to instil fear.

Michion used his Air Shield to deflect the incoming bullets, protecting his group and the surrounding civilians. He glared coldly at the bandits, his eyes reflecting his murderous intent.

In one swift motion, Michion redirected the bullets back toward the bandits with precise accuracy, each bullet enhanced with a near-invisible air layer to increase its power and penetration. Several bandits fell, but the rest quickly ducked down on their camels, avoiding the deadly projectiles.

“Hahaha, what luck! An ability user! We’ll fetch a good price for him!” The bandit leader shouted excitedly, riding in the centre of the formation.

“You’re challenging the dignity of the Navy!” Berigood yelled, his body beginning to split into small spheres.

“Oh, another one? Are all these Navy brats ability users? We’re in for a big haul!” The leader’s voice echoed with surprise and greed.

“And what did that brat say? The dignity of the Navy? Hahaha, that’s hilarious! Once you’re a slave, you’re no longer Navy.”

The bandits burst into mocking laughter, fueling Berigood’s anger.

“Damn it, I’ll smash your face in!” Berigood shouted, his rage boiling over.

The bandit leader sneered, “If you weren’t valuable, you’d be dead already. What, did the Navy start recruiting children?”

As Berigood seethed, the leader, driven by greed, eyed Michion and his friends hungrily. Each ability user meant a high price, and he was already dreaming of the riches they would bring.

Suddenly, the leader felt a soft, fragrant body slam into his arms. He barely had time to process it before a searing pain engulfed him. His screams filled the air as he realised his fate.

Having smashed the bandit leader, Sola looked around excitedly and waved at Michion. “Michion, isn’t this like that ’embrace of death’ you mentioned? Well, this is more like ’embrace of a bandit’!”

Michion’s mouth twitched in regret. He wished he hadn’t joked about that move before. However, the approaching bandits left no room for reflection.

Two bandits charged at Michion, their weapons raised for a deadly strike. Their fierce, practised movements revealed their murderous intent.

Michion vanished from his spot, reappearing behind them in a blink. Before the bandits realised their mistake, they felt like they were flying, and everything went black.

“Stop playing around. Finish it,” Michion commanded, scanning the area. Realising they had overestimated the threat, he figured the initial panic had led them to misjudge the bandits’ strength.

In hindsight, Michion knew exercising caution was right in such situations. Asserting dominance would come later when he was stronger.

Confidence and resolve must be grounded in strength. For now, Michion would always remind himself of his current limitations, using them to fuel his growth.

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