Chapter 111: Gion

Facing Aokiji, even though the pressure was as overwhelming as a tidal wave, one could still find a sliver of space to breathe.

But this sword aura...

Before even seeing the person, the sheer intensity, enough to squeeze the very air into a vacuum, was already laid bare. A chill crept over Mord's skin. Was this person stronger than Aokiji?

No. It was the killing intent.

Utterly unlike Aokiji’s nonchalant demeanor, this was a meticulous, unwavering intent to kill. Mord’s Observation Haki provided him with a flash of insight. In his mind’s eye, a cold, grim swordsman wielding a sharp blade slowly took form.

Then, Mord saw a tall woman wearing a Marine officer’s coat emerge from the town. The mental image he had just conjured instantly collapsed.

It’s a woman...

Mord narrowed his eyes, peering ahead. The distance was too great to make out her features, but the aura of danger emanating from her grew clearer by the second. In his memory, there were many formidable swordsmen in the Navy, but women could be counted on one hand. Tashigi was one, but beyond her, there seemed to be no others. Who, then, was this female Marine?

"Mord, this person... she’s incredibly strong."

Sunny, too, sensed the threat posed by the female Marine. Her Observation Haki was only at a rudimentary level, but it was enough to discern the danger.

"Yeah." Mord’s expression was grave. "Not just 'strong'—it's beyond that. I don't want to be targeted by someone like this. We need to leave, now."

Even without the insights from his Haki, the sheer power of that sword aura alone was enough to reveal her strength. The mountain wall was packed with a multitude of pirates. Given such a crowd, Mord figured that even with her immense strength, she wouldn't recklessly charge in. After all, if every pirate just spat on her, it would be enough to make her life miserable. Still, it was better to get away from this center of trouble as quickly as possible.

Mord shifted his gaze from the female Marine back to the crowd in front of him. Amidst the throng, shouts of abuse and impatient urgings rose in waves. The woman’s arrival, accompanied by that sword aura, had stirred up quite a commotion. Those who had already squeezed to the front weren't too worried, but those in the back were beginning to fear for their lives. Because of Robbie’s blockade, Mord and Sunny were stuck near the rear. Trying to force their way through with brute strength would likely incite the ire of the crowd.

But the female Marine’s presence made Mord feel as though he had needles pricking his back. He could no longer afford to hesitate. Mord reached out, shoved his hands into a gap in the crowd, and heaved.

The menacing men standing in front of him were instantly shoved aside. Their fall caused a chain reaction, knocking over several others.

"Which blind bastard—"

Those who had been suddenly pushed aside glared at Mord, but the curses died in their throats the moment they saw him. They couldn't afford to tangle with him. They quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened. Mord noted their reactions, his mind calm. Reputation or strength—these had always been passports to practical leverage.

Determined to leave, Mord began to push his luck. Relying on his significant strength, he shoved through the crowd, heading straight for the hole in the wall. As he moved, the crowd grew even more chaotic. A few pirates lost their footing and were trampled underfoot the moment they hit the ground. It was fortunate they weren't ordinary people; while they wouldn't be killed, they wouldn't be standing up again anytime soon.

***

On the outskirts of Lookout Street, Gion gripped her long blade, casting a cold glance at the dozens of pirate corpses cut down by her sword aura. After confirming none survived, she turned her attention to the noisy crowd gathered before the wall.

There was no need to waste energy using Observation Haki to count heads; a rough estimate suggested there were well over a thousand. As for those who had already fled to the other side of the wall, they were not currently Gion’s concern.

Stepping over the sea of corpses, Gion walked toward the wall. In this expedition, which was more of a personal pursuit against the "Trick Gun," Gion had not come specifically for him. Her target was Mad Hat Town. The reason wasn't any grand design; it was simply because the place where the Trick Gun was hiding happened to be a lawless zone like Mad Hat Town, teeming with pirates. Since she was already here, there was no reason to turn a blind eye. While Garp dealt with the Trick Gun, she would root out this lawless den once and for all.

When dealing with pirates, if the outcome didn't matter, she would not hesitate to send them to their deaths. This was the fundamental reason she had begun this slaughter in Mad Hat Town.

Walking over blood and bodies, Gion remained cold as ice, her body radiating a palpable, freezing intent to kill. This uncompromising hatred of evil was the source of the danger Mord and Sunny had sensed. Though they had no interest in being pirates, their presence in the pirate circle inevitably left them exposed to her aura.

Gion marched toward the wall. Located at the back of the crowd, many pirates noticed her movements immediately.

"That woman..."

The pirates exchanged looks of shock and suspicion. She was indeed terrifyingly strong. But with at least a thousand of their peers present, they wondered where she found the courage. Numbers were the source of the typical pirate's confidence.

Limited by their own narrow perspective, their confidence was, in reality, terrifyingly fragile.

As Gion walked, she suddenly caught sight of Robbie, who lay on the ground, a large pool of blood spreading beneath him. The aura surrounding her faltered for a heartbeat, and her wine-red eyes narrowed.

*Soru.*

She flickered, reappearing beside Robbie’s body. Looking down, the first thing she saw was the look of unfinished business in his dead eyes. A chill welled up in Gion’s gaze. After a moment of silence, she knelt and reached out to close his eyes.

Back at Branch 158, Robbie was always trying to curry favor with her, which she found tiresome. But she had always acknowledged his strength. She hadn't expected this...

Gion stood up, her cold eyes sweeping over the wall. He was skilled in the Six Powers; even if he were outmatched in battle, he should have had plenty of ways to protect himself or retreat. Yet, Robbie was dead. Moreover, judging by the traces of combat left on the ground, the possibility of an ambush could be ruled out. This meant that the person who killed Robbie possessed considerable power.

Gion stayed on guard and pressed toward the wall. In just a few moments, she stepped into range. Then, with a sudden chill in her eyes, she swung her blade, unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of sword aura toward the crowd.

The aura arrived in the blink of an eye, cutting into the throng with bone-chilling intent. Blood sprayed instantly. A large swathe of pirates in the back of the crowd collapsed. Then, screams of agony erupted.

This single strike declared Gion’s intentions. She truly intended to deal with every pirate present single-handedly. In a split second, the eyes of all the pirates were fixed upon her. Then, they watched as she unleashed another wave of sword aura, mowing through them like wheat, felling another group in an instant.

The feeling of being looked down upon ignited their fury. Within the crowd, Mord watched Gion as she harvested the lives of the pirates with her sword aura.

"Sword aura..."

With his own proficiency, currently limited to a single frame, he couldn't even dream of unleashing such a thing. That level of mastery required crossing at least the first stage of three stars.

"Who exactly is this woman?"

Mord studied Gion’s features, desperately trying to dredge up any information from his memory related to her.