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Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Fierce Battle

Ethan Sugawa never took Hardy and his ally seriously. Although they had made some name for themselves on the seas, their strength was simply not enough.

But he had no intention of letting them go. With a flick of his wrist, his white bracelet instantly transformed into a bone-forged longsword.

Gripping the bone sword tightly, Ethan's killing intent surged.

"I wasn't planning to kill anyone today. But since you two know my identity now, I'll have to wipe out your entire crew."

If news of his faked death got out, he would be facing the full pursuit of the World Government, the Marines, and Big Mom. He wouldn't have the peace to cultivate, and his growth would slow to a crawl. Worse, it could cost him future opportunities.

So today, no matter what, Hardy and his pirate crew had to be annihilated.

Hardy heard Ethan's threatening words and scoffed, his face full of disdain.

"Don't think awakening Conqueror's Haki makes you untouchable. Without Conqueror's Coating, your Haki is just good for clearing small fry."

"In front of real powerhouses, Conqueror's Haki without coating is useless. In the end, it's still about hard skills."

As he spoke, Hardy's body began to change. A layer of purple snake scales covered his skin, and his legs fused into a thick snake tail.

He was a Devil Fruit user, just like Ethan, a Zoan-type.

"Oh? A Devil Fruit user too?"

Ethan's interest was instantly piqued. His Appraisal Eye activated, and a detailed profile appeared in front of him.

[Captain Hardy: Zoan-type – Snake Snake Fruit – Vine Snake Model. Bounty: 300 million Berries. Commands a fleet of 1,000 pirates. Notorious Grand Line pirate.]

Not only could Ethan's Appraisal Master identify objects, but it could also appraise people, something he had recently discovered.

After reading Hardy's profile, Ethan had a rough gauge of his strength.

A 300 million bounty? Probably around the same level as Enies Lobby-era Luffy, maybe slightly stronger than CP9 at the time.

But to Ethan now? Completely irrelevant.

He also appraised Hardy's bounty hunter ally. This guy was slightly stronger than Hardy and had once taken down a pirate worth 400 million Berries.

"Three hundred million? Perfect. I just realized I left port with no cash."

Ethan's gaze sharpened, killing intent surging as he said coldly.

"I'll take your head and cash in your bounty myself."

"How arrogant."

Hardy couldn't stop laughing. Was this guy naive or just stupid?

Gloriosa was still being tied down by his men, she wouldn't be able to come to Ethan's aid.

Did this brat really think he could take on both of them alone?

Hardy sneered and barked, "I hope your mouth stays this tough after I capture you."

In a flash, Hardy launched forward, his snake tail propelling him like lightning.

He faked a sword strike to grab Ethan's attention, then swiftly coiled his thick snake tail tightly around Ethan's waist, locking him in place.

At the same time, the bounty hunter nearby pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A black bullet shot toward Ethan's shoulder at breakneck speed.

Hardy's eyes gleamed with triumph.

"Once this special bullet hits you, your limbs will go numb, and you'll lose all combat ability."

"After that, you can just sit there and wait for death."

He had used this bullet to bring down many powerful enemies, including some pirates with 500 million Berries on their heads.

In Hardy's mind, he was already picturing Ethan sprawled helplessly on the deck, ready to be humiliated.

But the next moment shattered his illusion.

Ethan activated Copper Skin Iron Bones. His skin instantly gleamed with a metallic bronze sheen.

The bullet struck his shoulder with a burst of sparks. It couldn't even pierce his skin.

Ethan slowly turned his head toward Hardy's stunned face, smirking.

"Looks like your bullet's defective. Guess I'm not dying today."

"That's impossible!" Hardy's face twisted in disbelief. "That bullet is freshly developed. It can't be ineffective!"

The bounty hunter's expression darkened as he shouted, "His skin's the problem! He's using something like the Marines' Iron Body. His defense is too high, normal weapons can't touch him!"

Hardy panicked. If they couldn't even scratch Ethan, their defeat was inevitable.

The bounty hunter quickly said, "Just hold him! Don't give him a chance to fight back. I'll use Armament Haki!"

"Armament Haki?"

Hardy's eyes instantly lit up.

"Even Logia users can't escape Armament Haki. It'll definitely break through this guy's defense."

Hardy tightened his snake coils around Ethan's waist, locking him in place.

The bounty hunter's gun was already covered in Armament Haki and aimed directly at Ethan, ready to fire another shot.

"I don't have time to play with you two anymore."

Ethan's Copper Skin Iron Bones was only Level 3. He wasn't sure it could withstand a bullet infused with Armament Haki.

Without hesitation, he immediately deactivated his Size Control and explosively expanded, regaining his towering Giant form.

Hardy was caught completely off guard and couldn't hold him.

Seeing his ally's gun about to fire, Hardy lunged again, desperately trying to restrain Ethan.

"You're not getting away from me!"

"Trying the same trick again?"

Ethan's massive hand shot out and grabbed Hardy. He planned to fling him away.

But Hardy clung to him like a leech, tightly coiled around Ethan's arm, immobilizing it.

Ethan couldn't help but be slightly impressed.

"As expected of a Grand Line pirate. Hardy's adaptability on the battlefield is decent."

"But unfortunately, that's all you've got. Against absolute power, all your little tricks mean nothing."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ethan's restrained arm erupted with brilliant white flames.

In an instant, Hardy was completely engulfed by the blazing Asura Sacred Flame.

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