Chapter 75 - Mantis Strength & Protecting the caravel
"Captain, look at the skies. Someone is flying in our direction."
"What? A person flying towards my ship direction? Are you kidding me!?
Damn it, not right now when I'm fighting those damned islanders of Picodras. Guys, let's finish the last ship of the Picodrasians quickly before seeing what this person moving toward us wants."
As Dethell said that, he took his pistols and began shooting at the Picodras ships relentlessly, while some of the pirates who didn't like the way Vlad was descending towards their ship began shooting him.
Seeing the bullets moving towards him while his body was giving off some dark smoke, not long blood began to surround him and morphing into armour which directly blocked the incoming bullets.
He summoned more blood droplets that morphed into daggers which he threw towards the scattered pirates when doing his descend.
"Watch out guys, there's something coming in our direction!?" shouted a pirate staring at Vlad's descent.
"ARGH!?" The cries of pain of men began to resound in the pirate ship, and some got taken out by having the daggers enter their hearts and cut their throats.
"Take cover guys, those daggers are too dangerous!?"
Dethel heard the commotion happening on his ship while focusing on ending the last ship of Picodras before turning at the newcomer. However, as much he wanted to finish up a front, he heard a cold laugh, and this time he raised his head to see who was the one attacking his pirate ship.
"Is this Commodore Kirin of the marines finally deciding to act and capture me?"
As he said that, his eyes shifted in shape, turning big as if they were the eyes of an insect. Staring at Vlad, he saw him clad in his crimson armor and surrounded by some dark smoke.
"Hmm, this isn't a marine from his clothing and this manner of handling my bastards. Who is he then? I've never had a problem with any pirate in the South Blue. However, it doesn't matter who he is, since he took out one of my bastards I'll see that I slash his head off myself."
Vlad quickly descended on the pirate ship while giving another series of Blood Dagger throws which took another five pirates' lives.
Then he descended on the pirate ship while morphing in his hand a blood sword. Landing on the pirate ship's main deck shook the ship's balance, dropping some pirates who lost their balance on the ground.
The landing spot was covered in blood, while his body was leaking out some dark energy in the form of dark smoke.
Looking around himself, he heard some pirates roaring and charging at him with swords in hand, while others on the back began shooting him with their guns.
Expecting such a welcome from the pirates, he dodged and left some bullets hit his crimson armour when moving toward the charging pirates.
With a raise of his sword vertically, he did a swift cut that had some aftermath of blood along the cut strike.
The pirates tried to block the first strike of his Blood Swordplay, which he named following a weird tradition of this world's people to name and even shout like mad people their attacks. [Blood Swordplay - Swift End ]
The first 4 bodies to taste his blood sword dropped, then as he saw an opening, he drew out Nemesis from the side of his body while morphing the blood sword into a series of daggers that he began throwing in the gunner's direction.
Men's angry shouts continued as they were trying to kill Vlad with everything they had after seeing him kill their crewmates in a bloody manner.
Dethel finally, after some minutes, saw with his insect eyes that the ship of Picodras village began burning, making the people inside curse hard, trying to extinguish the fire and move out from the pirate's range.
Aside from that, a middle-aged looking person with black and white hair looking with his binoculars on the pirate ship saw Vlad attacking the pirates and killing them with each of his red sword cuts.
Staring with shock at something he had never seen, feeling confident that the one attacking the pirates was an ally, he shouted to the sailors trying their best to extinguish the fire.
"Guys hurry and take out the ship from the blunt of conflict, the pirates are busy with someone else. Move out immediately."
"Yes commander." shouted the sailors, especially the one behind the steering wheel.
Seeing the ship of the Picodrians turning to retreat made Dethell Blokted sneer saying to himself.
"You trying to retreat to your little island will not help you out. I will slaughter, r.a.pe and pillage everything in my sight after I finish off this guy on my ship."
Then as he said that while his arm began elongating and having some sharp spikes on it, he roared to the pirates.
"Bastards storm the ship of this intruder, is just some meters away, drop the small boats and board that ship."
"Yes captain!" said a part of the pirates close to the ropes keeping the smaller boats in place. Dropping the light boats on the sea and climbing on them, quickly they began rowing toward Robert and Aerius, who watched everything from a distance.
"Damn Robert they are coming for us." said Aerius while looking at four boats moving in their direction while each of them having a group of 6 pirates.
Taking out his sword, Robert said while gritting his teeth.
"I can see for myself. Let's hope they are weakling."
On Vlad's part, he spotted the pirates dropping their boats on the seas and jumping down on them. He even killed some of the guys wanting to move along. He kept them busy in so only having those 4 boats move towards Robert and Aerius.
The boats got closer and closer to his caravel, and with a raise of his hand, blood began to gather in rapid succession, quickly forming a hand-size projectile.
Then as he prepared to shoot out that projectile, a long arm with some sharp spikes approached him fastly.
This attack coming from Dethell made Vlad abandon his projectile attack and instead create a shield out of that blood mass.
Blocking that attack instantly made a cracking line on the shield.
After that, Dethel attacked Vlad with a spinning leg kick with his now long and sharp leg that also had some spikes on it, giving off a menacing look.
Receiving that leg strike with his shield instantly shattered the shield and pushed him toward the ship's mainmast.
Staring at Dethell Blokted, who had this resemblance to an insect, more specifically a praying mantis, made his cold face give a small smile which ended quickly when the pirate rushed with fast speeds toward him.
He gripped Nemesis's handle and let blood flow on it with a calm and cold face seeming to not be affected by the last attack.
He kept feeding Nemesis blood until Dethell got in his range, swinging a scimitar-like arm extension covered in an exoskeleton and many sharp points.
However, as Dethel attacked Vlad, his now insect quick instincts told him to retreat. Listening to his now insect instinct, he quickly stopped his attack, and as he jumped, he saw a red-blood sharp line that managed to hit a small section of his mantis-like arm extension.
That attack was Vlad's second strike belonging to his improved swordplay, [Blood Swordplay - Sword Slicer]
He was staring with his insect-like eyes at the missing piece of his extension and seeing some red-dark blood around his wound. Aside from that, there was also some fluid an insect would release when wounded.
"Guys that's bad. Captain seems to be wounded, look at his arm, he got wounded."
"That's nothing big, captains Praying Mantis Zoan Devil Fruit is capable of more than that."
Scoffing at his men's comments, Dethel, while staring intently at Vlad, finally asked.
"You're strong. I've never seen you around South Blue. So who are you? A new pirate crew wanting to make a name for themselves taking me down? But why target me?"
"Ohh, so you can't remember me? Sigh, that's a little bit unfortunate. Just call me Blood. As for why I targeted you. You know better than anyone else what actions have you commited in your life."
"Hmph, empty talk. Still, your face doesn't say anything to me, but your name is familiar.
Ohh, could it be, you're that fabled masked person from the Kaysang capital Sagletius? Right, I must be right. Haha, I got extra money for your head, you bastard. The nobles of your kingdom are offering quite the sum of money for your head 80.000.000 belies."
Vlad just stared as Dethell began taking almost with himself. His eyes turned even colder, beginning to shine with dark and red lights. Shaking his head while gripping Nemesis, he only said to Dethell before attacking him.
"You're talking to much. You'll sooner or later regret this act."
As if expecting Vlad to send another Blood Slicer, Dethell quickly dodged that attack, who instead moved toward the pirates hiding.
The cries of pain and agony resounded on the ship as some pirates found themselves missing their arms and even legs, while the pirate ship had a slightly deeper mark on the main deck.
Not minding the cries of pain, Dethel quickly moved towards him after dodging his attack and also prepared a fist strike that looked more like a palm pierce moving towards his chest.
"Mantis Fist - Pierce"
The power of this strike already began pushing the wind and created a wind wave moving along with the fist strike.
Vlad's enhanced body and senses followed Dethel's strike, but when pushing Nemesis, which was covered in three layers of blood, his parry was slightly off. He blocked half of the fist power with Nemesis before Dethell's fist strike hit Vlad's chest armor.
Instantly Vlad spewed out some blood from his mouth while looking at his armor that had a fist imprint on the chest zone.
Staring at Dethell, who by now had his face morphed into something similar to a mantis. His body was covered in something resembling an exoskeleton and full of spikes.
"No way, that guy managed to take on captain's powerful fist. Most guys die straight from that."
Vlad ignored those comments of the small rats and thought to himself.
'Sigh, there's really a great difference between simple people, devil users and Haki users. Let's try a bit more the blood powers before doing that.'
Meanwhile, on another side, the pirates who managed to get on the small boats were already beginning the boarding process.
"Get them you guys, show no mercy to anyone on our sight. Plunder everything you see of value."
"Wait, there's only one boy and a wierd ass black creature."
As that person said, Aerius moved swiftly like a shadow while his lion tail had a dagger on it. Jumping up toward that pirate, he swing his tail and, in doing so, also slashed the pirate's throat.
Blood began covering Aerius's black eagle head and cat-like body, as he said coldly.
"Who are you belittling, you ants? I'm the future king of gryphons Aerius!"
As he said that, he released a large eagle cry that at the end sounded more like a lion's roar. The pirates heard this abnormal roar when trying to board the caravel, and even the pirates looking at Vlad's and Dethell's fight.
"You heard that guy? What was that, an eagle or lion?"
"How should I know when I can't see it. Fuck take cover another of that red line is going toward us."
"Arghh, my arm!?" cried in agony a pirate who couldn't dodge Blood Slicer.
After Vlad sent his sword strike, Dethell came with a leg strike that contained great force. Placing Nemesis on the kick path, he blocked it but was pushed almost to the ship railing.
Staring coldly at Dethell, he then looked toward his ship and only saying to himself in a calm tone.
"So that gryphon finally decided to get serious? That's quite late."
Back on the caravel, Robert and Aerius began fighting with the pirates who managed to climb on the main deck.
Robert took a Longpoint Sword Guard when he saw two pirates approaching with murderous eyes. The pirates' attacks came, which Robert parried successfully yet at the same time being pushed a bit.
As for Aerius, he still moved swiftly on the main deck and swinging his lion tail that held the dagger at the throats of two pirates who also wanted to attack Robert.
Then without being able to block, a kick coming from a pirate sent him flying and hitting the mainmast. In the process, Aerius also dropped the dagger, which cut his tail a bit.
His sharp golden eyes turned cold as he looked at the wound on his tail and the pirate who picked up the dagger he dropped.
"Damn guys, kill that wierd creature since he will be troublesome to deal when he stars hiding in the ship."
"Get him right away. He killed enough of us. I'll skin you alive you dirty rat."
The pirates with guns and swords began targeting Aerius, who started moving around the ship deck like a phantom. He moved apposite to where Robert fought with the pirates to not disturb him. As he was dodging bullets, he heard a cry of pain coming from Robert's direction.
"Arghh, you cheap bastard. Don't think I'm done here."
"No, you're done. Using that stupid wide swing ended you."
Then the sound of a head touching the ground was heard. Robert quickly followed with a thrusting cut on the second pirate sword fighting him.
The pirate blocked Roberts cut and followed with a strike of his own which made Robert defend.
Placed on constant defense, Robert waited for the perfect timing for a counter. He looked pathetic, blocking continuous sword strikes. But then, after almost a minute passed, he took a step back and used a counter on the pirate, which resulted in the pirate being stabbed in his heart.
The pirate dropped on the ground with a shocked face while Robert took a large breath of air.
Not long, he heard the gunshots in close distance, which made him duck and search on the dead pirates their firearms.
Taking cover, he also began shooting the pirates chasing after Aerius.
Two got dropped in the first scramble of shots.
"Damn those idiots got killed and they dropped their guns for that brat to use."
"Shut up and continue shooting that black rat."
"I'm doing my best, but the target is to small and quick."
*Gunshot* "Argh, he got me." cried in pain a pirate who got shot by Robert.
"But how, that brat probably is 13. How can he have such an accuracy."
Meanwhile, Robert, looking at the pirates with only a focused eye and hearing their arguments, said in his mind.
'After interacting with sister Sofiya for that long, it's normal to pick up some of her arms technique.'
*Gunshot* 'Tsk, that bullet missed the target. How many bullets do I still have on these guns?' What!? Only 4 bullets. These cheap bastards.'
*2x Gunshot*
"AHHH, he got my stomach. Take me to cover guys."
"Hmph, we got no time for that."
As one of the remaining 8 pirates said that, he signaled for 2 of the pirates to target Robert.
The pirates aimed at Robert and began raining bullets in his direction, which took him by surprise.
Still ducking behind a wooden shield-like structure, the bullets still passed by the wood which grazed his skin, while one bullet found his leg.
"Arghh, my leg." cried Robert in pain as his brain signaled using the pain sensors the danger he was in.
Dropping on the ground after getting hit made the pirates laugh, evilly saying between themselves.
"Good, we got that annoying brat, let's end him and still keep some bullets for that black rat."
Aerius, hearing Robert cry of pain, got a bit distracted, and when one bullet was sent in his direction, it also managed to graze around his tucked wings.
'There are still to many pirates to take on my own, all I can do now is try and distract those pirates even more and give Robert a chance to recover a bit. '
But as he was preparing to switch his approach, Aerius quickly heard the cries of pain from one pirate and another body hitting the ground.
"Cursed pirates do you think that I, Robert Voss, I'm so easily killed when I didn't even got back home. Never! Die scum!?"
With the remaining 2 bullets he had, while gritting his teeth in pain, he managed to take the two pirates by surprise and shot one in his head and the other one in his chest.
Turning his head toward where Roberts' voice was coming, he saw the young man limping when moving toward a man crying pain and later stabbing him in his heart.
'Go take cover Robert, I'll deal with the rest for you.'
To Aerius's surprise, Robert still had clarity after his fight and, in his limping manner, went to take cover and nodding his head toward Aerius.
Seeing the head nod, after Robert took cover, Aerius quickly made a sudden turn where he was facing the pirates aiming with guns and swords at his body.
Seeing Aerius suddenly stop and look at them with his sharp eagle eyes, the pirates took the chance to aim at him and shot him. However, this resulted in failure because of the small gryphon's swift moves.
Dodging the round of bullets, Aerius extended his four wings a bit as if they were sharp blades before charging at the reloading pirates and charging sword users while saying to them.
"I'm done playing around, you dirty bastards. It's time for you to leave this ship."
