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On the dock, the Marines who had been knocked unconscious by Shiryu woke up again and fell into madness once more.
Dylan dropped down to look around them, frowning.
"Snort."
A cold snort sounded out, and the crazed Marines froze for a moment, then began to tremble.
"V-Vice Admiral..."
"You useless things, get on the boat and drive farther away!"
"Yes, sir!"
After regaining their senses, the Marines, soaked in sweat, ran towards the warship.
Dylan looked up toward the town.
What is it? A plant? An animal? Or a Devil Fruit ability?
In the small town in the distance, blood-red sword light was erupting crazily, and the town had been cut into pieces.
Dylan looked towards the edge of the town. In this small area, there was no way to escape the perception of Observation haki.
"It's Marine, kill him!"
As Dylan walked toward the edge of the town, the scene Shiryu encountered reappeared. But this time, the surrounding pirates had not yet completely approached. A burst of red air burst out, and the roaring pirates "disappeared" instantly.
Dream? Hallucination? Or... desire?
"Brother Dylan..."
A somewhat aggrieved and remorseful voice sounded from the end of the road.
Young Nami stood on the street corner with her head slightly lowered, holding an orange in her hand.
"Brother... I did something wrong... will you forgive me?"
Dylan walked past Nami indifferently, and another cough came from the room not far away.
Humph, let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve.
Through the window, Tama was wrapped in a thin, patched quilt, lying on a shaky bed.
Tama, whose face was flushed, seemed very uncomfortable, but she still clenched her teeth and persisted in her sleep.
Just a slight, weak breathing sound.
Dylan turned around and put his right hand on Shura's handle.
As he walked out of the corner, it felt like he had passed through an invisible barrier.
"Didi! Didi!"
"Hey! Why are you so careless when you walk!?"
A young man riding a bicycle looked at Dylan, who was in a daze, complained, then got on the bicycle and rode away.
He was still muttering something under his breath: "I'm afraid he's not a fool."
Dylan touched his waist.
Shura was gone.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice sounded, and Dylan touched his pocket.
A familiar mobile phone, familiar phone case, familiar screensaver.
The word "mom" on the screen made Dylan's heart tighten.
The ringing didn't stop, as if urging him to answer it quickly.
Dylan looked at the blooming lotus on the screen for a long time.
"Well..."
Dylan closed his eyes gently, then opened them suddenly: "Game over."
Boom!
Snap...Crack...Crack...
The surrounding scene shattered like glass, and he transformed back into Dylan, his right hand still resting on the hilt of Shura.
In a house not far away, a wizened old man spat out a mouthful of blood, with a look of horror in his eyes.
"Impossible!"
He had obviously found the "desire" deep in his heart...
"Nothing is impossible."
Bang!
The door flew open, and a figure appeared at the door. The hazy sunlight pulled his shadow all the way to the old man.
"Ahem!! Ahem!!! Is this the new generation of Marine's strong men?"
The old man coughed up blood while watching their figures.
Dylan looked at the old man sitting cross-legged in front of the fireplace. He had never seen him before, nor did he have any impression of him.
"The old ghost who escaped from Impel Down?"
The old man calmed down his breathing and touched the blood at the corner of his mouth: "That's right... I am the 'Inner Demon' Tobien, a great pirate who was offered a bounty of 800 million berries thirty years ago."
"The big pirate..."
Dylan shook his head: "Although I hate those guys, but... can you be considered a 'big pirate' compared to the likes of Shiki, Whitebeard, and Roger?"
A sinister look flashed in Tobien's eyes. Compared with those guys... he could really only be considered an ordinary character. The reason he was offered a bounty of 800 million berries was not because of how powerful he was, but purely because he was bad enough.
"You should have understood after escaping that there is no place for pirates in this world. Do you think you can make trouble again with this low-level fruit power?"
Tobien felt a sense of joy in his heart as he watched Dylan walk towards him nonchalantly.
Closer... Closer...
Just when he was calculating the distance and preparing to launch his "special move," the man in front of him stopped.
Tobien felt resentful in his heart, then raised his head and said: "What do you know, a brat like you? The Marines... are just lackeys of the World Government!"
Dylan stood there with no intention of getting angry or moving forward: "I have heard that for decades. Come up with something new."
"?"
Doesn't this person have any sense of shame? Aren't you angry about this?
Tobien felt anxious. This guy's mind was extremely firm. The "fog of desire" just now only restricted him for tens of seconds. He had no way of peeking into the other person's heart.
"Is it gone?"
Dylan chuckled, slowly raised his left hand, and then closed his palm.
A numbness instantly spread throughout Tobien's body.
"Well..."
Snap!
Bang bang bang bang!
Countless lightning flashes, and the hair on Tobien's body began to curl, and then a strange stench emitted.
"Uh...uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
The lightning went out, and Tobien, who had turned into charcoal, fell to the ground and broke into a pile.
·······
After exiting the cabin, Dylan pulled out his Den Den Mushi.
"Moshi moshi, this is Dylan."
The operator on the opposite side heard Dylan's words and immediately stood up: "Yes! Vice Admiral Dylan? This is Marineford."
Dylan looked at the thick fog that had dispersed outside, then looked back at the charcoal on the ground and said, "There was a guy named 'Inner Demon' Tobien. He is dead. Please cross him off the wanted list."
"'Inner Demon' Tobien... The escaped criminal from Impel Down LV6, who committed dozens of mass exterminations more than 30 years ago, had a bounty of 800 million berries, and was executed by Vice Admiral Dylan!"
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Dylan looked at the town in the distance. The glare of the sword had subsided.
Then he took out Shiryu's Vivre Card and looked at it.
Hm?
Different again?
Not burning, not shrinking, not going crazy like before.
It just lay in Dylan's hand.
Like a statue.
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