The arrow exploded in front of me almost at point-blank range, causing me to go flying backward. Though I tried to use geppo to halt my momentum and plant my feet at the ground, I wasn't fast enough as there was a wall behind me, which I crashed into while cursing under my breath.

'There must have been a thread attached to the end of the arrow,' I thought, and that was all I had time to think about as I had to hastily get up, deflecting three more arrows and using Soru to get away from the area as another projectile exploded.

I tried to spot my attacker but only ended up catching their shadow as they disappeared into the darkness again, and I had to look somewhere else as I heard another hissing sound near me.

I did not even have the time to activate Tekkai this time as I turned around, spotting another flaming arrow that exploded as soon as I laid my eyes on it. Luckily this one seemed to be a smoke bomb and not an explosive one like the previous two.

'Did this guy just predict the place I dodged to and planted an arrow there,' I thought as I began dodging left and right while deflecting projectiles as they pierced through the smoke and rained on me from all directions.

'Looks like whoever my attacker is, they've done their homework,' I thought while tilting my head to the side, avoiding what seemed to be a kunai.

'they're staying at the roof while keeping me grounded by not giving me a chance to use Geppo with a combination of explosive and normal projectiles,' I deducted as I swung my sword and sliced a shuriken cleanly in half.

'I could probably tank those explosive projectiles as I launched myself to the sky with Geppo, but this is somewhat fun, so I'll play along for a while,' I concluded with a wolfish grin as my ears picked up the sound of footsteps right behind me.

I turned around and swung my sword in the sound's direction, the blade of my sword meeting the attacker's katana in a deadlock, finally giving me the chance to have a good look at him.

They were wearing baggy ropes with red inscriptions that covered their entire bodies, a weird wolf's mask with particularly long ears and yellow eyes that seemed to stare into my very soul.

"How scary," I remark in a mocking tone as I cock my fist backward, getting ready to smash my attacker's face.

My opponent acts a little more quickly as he draws his free hand backward while opening the palm of said hand, giving me an unobstructed view of the threads attached to the black glove they're wearing.

I looked at this scene, and my eyes widened as I put more strength into my sword hand and, sending the assassin flying backward. I then turn around and punch the air while channeling my impact fist, sending the projectiles flying away.

However, my minor victory in this skirmish is short-lived as I feel something hitting my back and sticking to it and hear the unique hissing noise my attacker's bombs make before exploding.

'Crap. The guy must have stuck it my back when I sent him flying and turned around to face the incoming projectiles,' I thought as I activated Tekkai since the bastard stuck the bomb on my back, and trying to reach for it would only make me look like an idiot.

The bomb exploded without causing me any damage, but that was not the end, as the assassin took advantage of my inability to move while using Tekkai and charged at me, sword in hand.

The assassin closed the distance between us a fraction of a second after the bomb exploded and swung his blade horizontally at my torso, precisely the same time I deactivated Tekkai, leaving a long gash on my chest that didn't bleed thanks to my bleeding immunity.

The assassin's successful attack left his guard open in front of me, and I reacted swiftly as I buried an impact-fist powered punch in his abdomen, sending him flying.

"Rehahaha, you're the first person to injure me like this," I said while looking at the assassin, who was trying to get up as he coughed, blood leaking out of his mask.

"You are also the strongest opponent I have faced so far," the assassin talked in a muffled voice, making it hard to determine their gender.

"But this fight is already over," The assassin concluded, and the smoke, as if was waiting for these exact words, began dissipating, allowing the moonlight through giving me a clear view of the metallic threads surrounding me in all directions with explosive pouches attached to them.

"Rehahaha, you really are great. Wilson will be pissed when he hears I had such a good fight while he was doing god knows what," I remarked with a leisurely tone while eyeing the surroundings.

"You will have to get out of here alive to inform him of that first," the assassin stated as he began coughing violently, causing even more blood to leak from his mask.

I raised an eyebrow at that as I brought my sword to my side while focusing on the blade as I began to spin in place. I muttered "Revolving wheel" under my breath, causing a small cyclone comprising countless small flying slashes to appear with me at the center, cutting all wires and engulfing the explosive pouches as they exploded or hurling them away from me.

My opponent looked at this scene and stilled, shaking his head a second later, as he adjusted himself to sit in a seiza posture while sheathing his katana and placing it on his lab.

"What's the meaning of this?" I said in a questioning tone as I raised my eyebrow while looking at the assassin's actions.

"If I'm going to die, then I'd rather not die as a coward with a scar on my back," the assassin answered in a defeated tone while shaking his head.

"An honorable assassin, how touching. It's almost enough to bring a tear to my eye," I remarked sardonically with a blank expression on my face.

"I've thrown away my honor to live and accomplish my goals, but I'd like to die with what little honor I still have intact, at least," The assassin stated again while chuckling bitterly, causing even more blood to leak from his mask.

'Didn't Zoro say something like that when Mihawk defeated him the first time?' I thought, while looking at the assassin. 'unfortunately, I'm no Mihawk, and this guy is no Zoro,' I thought with a shake of my head as I made my way towards him.

'Under other circumstances, I'd let him go, but this is probably the assassin Laffite said came in contact with Obbi or whatever his name is. Killing this be a good way to warn him about fucking with me again,' I concluded as I finally reached the assassin.

"Any last words?" I asked, as that was the least I could do for the guy after he gave such a good fight.

"I have no regrets," the assassin concluded as he raised his head to look at me, the creepy yellow eyes of his mask meeting my expressionless eyes.

I nodded while looking down at the assassin as I raised my sword, preparing to swing it sideways, to cleanly cut the assassin's head and end his life without causing him any suffering.

Third-person point of view:

In a dark ally nearby stood a large, round figure, obscured by the shadows as he watched Johnny make his way towards the assassin.

"The two variables to our plan just finished their fights, and one of them is about to get rid of the other," the figure said as he brought a transponder snail to his mouth.

"How boring. I was hoping to fight both of them before we finished our mission, but I guess I can kill the survivor later, gyahaha," Came the reply from the transponder snail with a laugh at the end.

"That's fine, but make sure not to cause a commotion like you always do, chabababa," the round figure replied while laughing a little more loudly than he should.

Johnny's point of view:

I halt my actions as I hear a sound of strange laughter coming from one of the alleys nearby. 'Looks like some in is spying on us, probably Obbi or someone working for him,' I deduct as I lower my sword and hold my gun with the other, firing three bullets at the source of the sound, causing the soon-to-be-executed assassin to tilt his in confusion at my actions.

None of the bullets hit, but I could hear the sound of the eavesdropper's footsteps as he flees the scene.

"Never mind that," I said to the confused assassin while looking at the symbol of two crossed swords tattooed on his neck, which I only noticed now, thanks to his tilted head giving me an unobstructed view of the side of his neck.

"More importantly, what the hell is a member of the Shimotsuki clan doing here, so far away from Wano country?" I ask as I swing my sword horizontally at the assassin's mask, splitting it in half and revealing his, no her face. (Author's note: I bet you didn't see that coming, did you?)

...

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