Bang!
Nicholas instantly drew his sword from its sheath, slicing a bullet in half as it flew towards him from his side.
It can be said that these lawless people in the Lawless Zone have no concept of honor or rules. Their survival rule is simple: whoever lives is the winner, no matter what dirty or deceitful methods they use, as long as they can kill their enemies.
So, dealing with firearms is just the most common method for them.
For the Marines, to some extent, these lawless criminals pose a higher danger than pirates. After all, you can learn the patterns of pirates in battle, but with these guys, you can never predict their intentions.
It's even possible that you might encounter an explosive trap while using the restroom in the Lawless Zone.
When the covert pirate shouted out the value of the items on Nicholas's body, the scene here was destined to be a battleground today.
Although these pirates have been blinded by greed, and they know deep down that even if they manage to kill Nicholas, the other pirates won't agree to share the loot with them.
But once they get their hands on it, there's always a chance, right?
When the first lawless pirate charged towards Nicholas, wielding a battered sailor's blade and aiming fiercely at Nicholas's neck, the situation seemed dire. The blade whistled through the air, and the pirate's face twisted with excitement as if he could already see Nicholas's head rolling. He had put all his strength into the strike, gambling that this blow would kill Nicholas.
For these lawless individuals, only the end result matters. They're willing to risk their lives if it means killing their opponent.
Unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, this aggressive approach seemed more like a gift.
Even though Nicholas hadn't used his Devil Fruit ability, his body, constantly modified by lightning, and years of training, made him formidable even without it.
So, the pirate charging at Nicholas wouldn't be able to reach him with his current speed.
Nicholas didn't even need to rely on Observation Haki to predict the pirate's move. With his own eyes, he could clearly see the blade aimed at him.
The sword seemed like an old relic, with dried red bloodstains on the blade, numerous nicks, and even a crack extending from the tip, indicating the dire straits of its owner. It seemed that his master's life was indeed in a sorry state, and he couldn't even afford to maintain his weapon, let alone feed himself.
As the thoughts raced through Nicholas's mind, he gracefully sidestepped the slashing blade, then swiftly countered with a strike of his own. With a flash of his sword, Nicholas didn't bother paying any more attention to the pirate.
After all, when dealing with these small fry, they're as good as dead once Nicholas strikes.
With a single step, Nicholas moved away from the fallen pirate, leaving him to collapse on the ground, bleeding out.
However, his fall didn't have much impact on the battlefield. For these lawless criminals, the fallen pirate was just unlucky. To them, their own lives are not necessarily guaranteed either.
It's those who survive in the end who will be the victors, and they'll take everything for themselves once Nicholas is dead.
A large group of lawless thugs began to surround Nicholas from all sides. Some attacked with blades, some thrust with spears from sneaky angles, and others even scattered handfuls of iron nails at Nicholas's feet, hoping to immobilize him.
"Raging Wind, Death's Edge Slash!"
As Nicholas spoke, his sword, Wind-Flowers, Snow-Moon, released a faint blue lightning glow.
In an instant, a radius of about three meters around Nicholas became a killing zone centered on him.
All the lawless thugs within this area wore expressions of horror. Ultimately, as Nicholas's sword dance came to an end, severed limbs and body parts littered the ground, and the air was filled with the scent of blood.
Looking like a demon amidst the carnage, Nicholas grinned as he observed the scene. The lawless individuals around him, their minds consumed by greed, hesitated, caught between advancing and retreating.
Nicholas, however, paid them no mind. Instead, he picked up his two weapons and inspected them.
As the slaughter continued, his sword, Wind-Flowers, Snow-Moon, began to emanate a crimson aura, reminiscent of cherry blossoms in full bloom. With each strike, the blade became more alive, as if drinking in the blood of its enemies.
Witnessing this intriguing sight, Nicholas became even more interested. But for the lawless thugs, caught in a nightmare, every flash of Nicholas's blade spelled doom. In moments, bodies fell to pieces as Nicholas's sword danced through the chaos.
In no time, the battleground had truly become a hellish scene.