Chapter 115: Unbelievable

Clang—!
Chidori emerged from its sheath.
A faint, deep blue glow flashed before him, as if conjuring an invisible barrier out of thin air.
With the sword held horizontally in front of him, Drake fixed his gaze intently on Gion, who stood several meters away.
Though he had just slain countless pirates, not a speck of dust marred his clothing, nor was there a trace of blood.

Out of the corner of his eye, Drake glanced at the long blade in Gion’s hand.
Drip.
A cooled drop of blood fell from the tip of her sword to the ground, splattering a small blossom of crimson.

This goddess of death…
How long had it taken her to utterly rout the pirates who had banded together against her?
Thirty seconds, perhaps?

Though the group was a hastily assembled, undisciplined mob, such a rate of slaughter was extraordinary.
Could he, with his current strength, stand against an opponent of this caliber?

Drake tensed every nerve.
Sunny lay across his back, rifle aimed at Gion, her finger resting lightly on the trigger, yet she did not fire rashly.

Gion utterly ignored the muzzle so close before her, instead turning her gaze to the black lightning sword Drake gripped tightly.
Her long blade remained motionless, tilted slightly downward, poised more on defense but retaining space to strike swiftly.
Though there were still openings to exploit…

A faint gleam flickered in Gion’s garnet eyes.
“This stance… it doesn’t look self-taught, nor something one masters within mere months.”

Though she had learned this from information provided by Wolf Rat, seeing it firsthand still stirred surprise.
From all known data, the Trick Gun favored collecting famed blades, but his swordsmanship was hardly noteworthy.

So where had Drake learned his swordsmanship? And how had he reached this level so quickly?
Regardless of the process behind it, the results undeniably revealed his astonishing talent.

Such a prodigy would be a treasure anywhere.
If of pure origin, he would surely rise to the rank of Rear Admiral or higher in the Navy.

Yet Drake had already formed a close connection with the Trick Gun.
This was the root of the dangerous label Gion had branded him with.

It also subtly showed how seriously she regarded Drake.

They held each other’s gaze for over three seconds.
Gion did not dissipate the murderous aura that had gathered during her advance, constantly pressing pressure on both Drake and Sunny.

“Baccarat Drake.”
Suddenly, Gion softly spoke Drake’s name, shattering the three seconds of silence.

Drake and Sunny’s expressions shifted.
They both knew what it meant for Gion to utter that name.

Drake remained silent, but Sunny spoke first: “You know Drake’s identity?”

“Quite clearly.”
Gion’s wrist flicked lightly, wiping the blood from her blade.

This casual gesture seemed to signal that she could strike at any moment.

Yet Sunny clearly did not notice.
Under these circumstances, her thoughts were focused mainly on Drake’s safety.

And this formidable female Navy officer knew Drake’s background.
If only they concealed the fact that Drake had killed Robby, perhaps he would not become her target.

“Since you know…”
Sunny’s hopeful words were cut short by Gion’s emotionless interrogation.

“You killed Robby, didn’t you? Baccarat Drake.”

Her gaze fixed on Drake’s impassive face.
The sudden question drew no reaction from him.

Because when Sunny had mentioned it before, Drake had already steeled himself.

Meeting Gion’s eyes, Drake maintained his composure, about to brush it off casually, but suddenly caught a fresh, intoxicating scent.

“Yes.”

Though he had mentally prepared a dismissive reply, the words escaped his lips as a direct admission.

Was it that scent…?

Realizing this, Drake’s heart jolted. Instinctively, he held his breath, disregarding Gion’s possible reaction, and immediately retreated swiftly.

Sunny stared in astonishment, instantly imagining why Drake had chosen to confess so straightforwardly.

“Idiot…”
She bit her lip hard.

Trading the victim’s position for the Navy officer’s mercy was the only way she believed Drake could escape this ordeal.
And this Navy officer happened to know Drake’s origin.

So the chance of success was not low.
But now, with Drake’s admission, all possibilities vanished instantly.

At that moment,
Gion regarded the retreating Drake with a gaze full of suspicion and doubt.

She was a Fruit user of the Fragrance Fragrance Fruit, able to release various aromas from within her body.
Most of these scents affected the mind.

Though this ability seemed trivial, its value depended on how the user developed it and their satisfaction with its effects.
At the very least, the enhancement it provided to Observation Haki, plus the daily buff it granted, was enough to satisfy Gion.

Not to mention the many ways to utilize the fragrances.
For instance, earlier she released a scent at the perfect moment, luring Drake into answering honestly.

It must be understood that her accusation was more a test, with everyone present a suspect.
The only basis was that Robby had died in single combat, wounded by a blade.

Under the influence of the scent, what seemed like a meaningless test often drew out the truth.

“Truly unimaginable.”
Gion murmured to herself in disbelief.

She acknowledged Drake’s talent and strength, but could not believe he had defeated Robby.
Robby was a seasoned Headquarters Colonel, proficient in the Sixth Style.

This youth…

Gion instantly activated her ability, casting aside the tangled emotions Drake had stirred in her, and entered a state of calm, like a still well.

[Shave]
In a flash, Gion darted forward in pursuit of Drake.

Seeing Gion’s advance, Drake decisively set Sunny down.
“Stay back.”

With that, he did not retreat but pressed forward to meet Gion head-on.
His plan was to drive the battle away from Sunny.

Seeing Drake’s counterattack, after the effect of [Shave] faded, Gion swung her blade, unleashing a sword energy wave toward him.

“No dodging…”
Drake activated Armament Haki, turning Chidori into a black blade, then severed the sword wave with a slash.

Under the armor’s blessing, the wave split into two streams, flying off diagonally to either side.

The moment he cut the wave, Drake retracted the Armament Haki swiftly, careful not to waste energy.

This deliberate action was noticed by Gion.
As a veteran, she naturally understood its implication.

“Already able to wield Armament Haki with ease?”

If not for her Fragrance Fruit ability, Gion might have shown surprise at this.
Was such a thing truly possible?

She found it hard to believe.
Yet she did not slow her assault.

With a swift step, she closed the distance and struck downward with her blade.

Drake hurriedly followed suit, raising his sword to block.

Clang—!
The two sharp blades collided.

Sparks flew, and invisible energy rippled across the ground around them.

Crack—
The earth suddenly fractured in a fan-shaped pattern, cracks spreading far and wide.

Drake struggled to withstand the force transmitted through the blades from Gion.
His heel pressed against the ground as the earth beneath him shattered violently.

He had blocked it…

Far off, the pirates who had narrowly escaped watched in shock.
No matter how many had charged at that monstrous woman, each had fallen to a single stroke.

Surely, only Usopp could stand against such a monster.
Seizing this chance, the pirates fled without looking back.