The Most Talented Pirate Hunter - Chapter 31

“Damn it.”

“Kuzan.”

Ent’s voice trembled.

Had this man really been so bored that he tracked him down, a pirate with a bounty of only 58 million Berries? Kuzan, with his status and power, usually went after pirates worth hundreds of millions.

This was insane.

Chasing him, a small fry with a bounty of 58 million?

Completely nuts.

Hermes stood to the side, his expression serious, not making any sudden moves.

He knew that if Kuzan misunderstood, he could easily be taken down.

Hermes was clear on his own limitations. With his current strength, if Kuzan made a move, he would be instantly defeated.

At least it wasn’t Sakazuki.

Moreover, he wasn’t a pirate. Technically, bounty hunters and the Navy were on the same side. Given Kuzan’s character, he likely wouldn’t attack him.

But in the world of One Piece, some strong individuals had unpredictable minds. If Kuzan suddenly decided to target him, he would have to fight desperately to escape.

Engaging directly? Not even worth considering.

The gap in power was too immense.

“Ara ara, Giraffe Ent. Will you come with me voluntarily, or do I have to make you?” Kuzan glanced at Hermes as if trying to match him with a bounty.

To be honest, he didn’t remember many pirates with bounties under 100 million. He had learned about Giraffe Ent by chance. Why was he so persistent? Because it was on his way.

After completing his mission, he was heading back to Marineford.

He had come across the Giraffe Pirates along the way. Since it was convenient, he decided to capture them. After all, among the three Navy monster vice admirals, none had allowed a pirate to escape in recent years.

Kuzan didn’t want to break that record.

Secretly, he, Borsalino, and Sakazuki were competing, though it was unspoken.

Giraffe Ent was just unlucky.

This was the reality in the world of One Piece: the weak were at the mercy of the strong. Those in power decided life and death.

“Kuzan, you’re pushing me too far.”

“I haven’t done anything to you.”

Ent felt deeply humiliated.

He had retreated repeatedly, yet Kuzan kept pressing. Everyone has their limits.

He wanted to see if Kuzan was as formidable as the rumors said.

Damn it.

As a man who cared about his pride, Giraffe Ent was ready to fight.

“Men, attack!”

Kuzan yawned lazily, looking like he hadn’t fully woken up. Ent roared his command. He knew Kuzan was determined to take him down, so it was either Kuzan or him today.

The Giraffe Pirates, who had been keeping an eye on Hermes, turned their attacks on Kuzan.

Bang bang bang!!!

Bullets zipped through the air, but when they hit Kuzan, they only caused ice chips to fly. Some bullets passed through him, while others were frozen. They were useless.

This was the power of a Logia-type user, immune to most physical attacks.

Without Armament Haki or a natural counter, he couldn’t be harmed. For those who couldn’t use Haki, facing such an opponent was utterly hopeless.

“Die!”

Seeing his crew’s attacks fail, Ent roared and charged at Kuzan.

From Hermes’ perspective, Ent was acting foolishly. However, in a situation where escape was impossible, anyone would likely put up a fight.

Even if they couldn’t win, they’d try to inflict some damage.

All this because they were too weak.

Facing Ent’s furious charge, Kuzan remained seated on his bicycle, not moving an inch. As Ent’s hoof was about to strike Kuzan’s chest, Kuzan turned into an ice statue.

A bone-chilling cold spread out, freezing the ground in a layer of frost. The cold continued to spread, freezing everything in its path.

“Run.”

“The captain is frozen.”

“Help.”

The Giraffe Pirates screamed in terror, frozen in various poses, utterly defenseless.

Damn it.

Hermes’ expression was grave as he cursed internally.

Kuzan’s attack was indiscriminate, covering over a hundred meters. Hermes was just within this range. Even though he tried to dodge, the cold caught him. Ice was creeping up his legs.

He was going to die.

If he didn’t break free quickly, he’d become an ice statue. Death was certain, or at the very least, he’d be paralyzed from the waist down.

Damn it.

This was a disaster.

The only thing that could resist the cold was Armament Haki.

Hermes desperately tried to harness that strange power, hoping to cover his body, even if it was just a thin layer. It could be his lifeline.

Fortunately, at this life-or-death moment, Armament Haki didn’t fail him.

Just before he was completely frozen, Hermes confirmed that the strange power was indeed Armament Haki.

Three minutes.

Hermes was frozen for three minutes. Then the ice cracked and shattered, and he collapsed to the ground, shivering uncontrollably.

It was clear.

Hermes survived because Kuzan hadn’t been serious. The freezing temperature wasn’t that low.

As for Kuzan, he was long gone.

The area was now a frozen wasteland, the Giraffe Pirates’ lifeless ice sculptures. Once the ice melted, they would be mere corpses.

“Close call.”

Hermes felt utterly drained.

If not for his recent awakening of Armament Haki, he would have died due to Kuzan’s collateral damage, an unknown and forgotten death.

This was the plight of the weak.
Kuzan probably hadn’t even noticed someone as insignificant as him. Perhaps seeing him fight Giraffe Ent, Kuzan assumed he was also a pirate, or he was just an accidental casualty.

But what did it matter?

The death of an ant wouldn’t change anything.

As a future admiral and currently renowned vice admiral, Kuzan was undoubtedly proud. He might care about civilians.

But someone fighting Giraffe Ent wouldn’t be a civilian.

Civilians wouldn’t have such fighting capabilities.

Even if Kuzan realized Hermes was a civilian, it would be too late. Kuzan might offer a mental apology, then promptly forget about it.

In this world, whether good or bad, no one was perfect. Everyone had innocent blood on their hands.

Shakily, Hermes got to his feet.

He glanced deeply at the scene, not holding a grudge against Kuzan. It would be pointless. The gap in their power was too vast.

It wasn’t that Hermes lacked pride. On the contrary, he was determined.

Hermes understood that all this was due to his own weakness. If he were strong enough, their roles would be reversed.

So holding a grudge was useless. He needed the power to act on that grudge, to avenge this humiliation.

For now, he needed a hot bath.

His newly awakened Armament Haki was still too weak. Saving his life was its limit. If he didn’t expel the cold from his body, he might suffer long-term damage.

The next time they met, he vowed he wouldn’t be this weak.

But he still wanted to say: Kuzan, what the hell!

Spitting on the ground, Hermes walked away with determined steps, disappearing from the scene.

Twenty minutes later, Explosive Wolf arrived with his men. Seeing the frozen battlefield, he was stunned.

He was a step too late.

But this time, being late saved him. If he had been earlier, he might have met the same fate.

The news of the Giraffe Pirates being annihilated and turned into ice sculptures spread quickly through the capital and beyond.

Naturally, Kuzan’s whereabouts were also exposed.

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