Carl had no intention of paying attention to him. He simply raised his hand, and the sword Muramasa flew back into his grasp.
Darian's arms hung limply, swinging unsteadily, with blood dripping continuously from his fingertips. He made a hoarse sound, glanced at Garling behind Carl, and smiled.
"Garling, do you think I will become an irrational monster like my father?"
Garling responded calmly, "Before that, I'll free you. But now, you must face Carl."
As Garling finished speaking, Carl's back unfurled massive bat wings, and scarlet blood swirled around him. Holding the cursed sword Muramasa, he approached Darian step by step.
Seeing Carl's transformation, Darian's face showed surprise. He didn't recall injecting any bloodline factors into Carl. He couldn't help but ask, "
Your transformation is..."
Before he could finish, Carl's figure became blurred, and a bloody hole appeared in Darian's chest. Carl had slashed through the air with his sword, then pivoted and made a horizontal cut. Darian had already been sliced into several streams of blood that dispersed and reformed behind Carl.
In the form of a blood entity, Darian struck at Carl's back with a blood claw. Carl swiftly turned and countered with a claw of his own. The two locked hands, and Carl's hand glowed red as he aggressively siphoned Darian's blood.
Darian's expression shifted. His other hand darkened to a deep red, and he slammed it into Carl's chest. Carl reacted immediately, unleashing his Haki to knock Darian backward.
Once steady, Darian frowned and raised the hand Carl had just grasped. His skin had begun to show signs of aging. After a moment of silence, he transformed his arm into blood, and when it returned to normal, the skin had healed.
Looking up at Carl, Darian spoke in a low voice, "I didn't expect you to obtain the Vampire Fruit."
Carl's lips curled, revealing a fang that gleamed coldly as he smirked. "Indeed, thanks to you, I was able to eat my second Devil Fruit."
Darian narrowed his eyes. "Do you think this fruit will be enough to defeat me?"
Carl responded coldly, "You'll find out soon enough."
Carl released his grip, and Muramasa floated beside him. His left arm crackled with lightning, his right arm blazed with fire, and darkness and blood swirled behind him. A silver aura slowly enveloped his form.
At that moment, Carl's presence peaked. Darian, instead of being intimidated, seemed exhilarated.
"Yes, yes! This is my masterpiece!" As he spoke, Carl vanished, leaving only afterimages as he appeared before Darian, his fist crashing into him.
Darian exploded into a cloud of blood mist. Carl clenched his fist, flames erupting from it and instantly evaporating the mist. However, Darian wasn't so easily defeated. His voice echoed from a drop of blood on the ground,
"In just one year, your strength has grown so much. You truly haven't disappointed me!"
Carl frowned, and darkness surged under his feet, attempting to swallow the blood drop. But the drop shot into the sky, quickly reforming into Darian's body.
Smiling, Darian said, "It's useless. Do you know how much blood I've absorbed over the years? I cannot be killed!"
Carl's eyes glowed scarlet. He stared at Darian above him.
"That's exactly what I want! Killing you once won't satisfy my hatred!"
Carl raised his arms, and darkness from all around surged toward Darian, enclosing him in a black sphere. Moments later, Darian's roar shattered the darkness, and he dove towards Carl.
Carl clenched his fist, and the two collided mid-air, unleashing a storm of black lightning. The impact caused the entire palace to erupt.
From the ruins emerged Garling. The previous explosion had been so immense that even the Five Elders and a group of Celestial Dragons were alerted. As soon as Saturn saw Garling, he rushed over and demanded, "Garling, what's happening?"
Without turning his head, Garling stared at the ruins and said, "Darian's Blood-Blood Fruit is going out of control. For the safety of Mary Geoise, Carl has decided to execute him personally."
Everyone's expressions shifted upon hearing this. The Five Elders were aware of Darian, but the other Celestial Dragons were stunned that Carl intended to personally execute his father.
Swish! Several figures, including a gun-wielding man, appeared next to Garling. They were the Knights of God, led by Garling. Warcury, who was about to speak, held his tongue.
The man with the gun stepped forward. "Supreme Commander, we are ready to assist Carl in executing Darian."
Garling shook his head, his tone leaving no room for debate. "No. This is an internal matter of the Figarland family. No one should interfere."
He then ordered, "Evacuate the area immediately! It's dangerous here!"
The Knights of God scattered to carry out the order, moving the Celestial Dragons, whether they were willing or not. Some who resisted were forcefully removed, even if they belonged to prominent families.
This unwavering loyalty of the Knights of God to the Figarland family was well-known. The Supreme Commander of the Knights had always come from this family, whose descendants were unmatched in talent among the Celestial Dragons. This legacy ensured the Knights' loyalty to the Figarland family above all else.
Saturn and Warcury had long understood this dynamic but had chosen different approaches—one to ally with the Figarlands, and the other to suppress them. Meanwhile, the Five Elders, led by Nusjuro, opted to remain neutral.
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+115 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg