"Douglas Bullet, bounty five hundred million berries, former member of the Roger Pirates, Mythical Zoan user."
"Additional directive: if he resists, eliminate on sight."
The other nine drew their blades at the same time.
They were not ordinary swords, but weapons forged from Seastone mixed with special metals. Under the moonlight, the blades carried a dim, blue sheen, a natural suppressive force against Devil Fruit users.
But Bullet was not a typical Devil Fruit user.
Nidhogg's legacy, at its core, was not a Devil Fruit.
At least, not entirely.
"Ten," Bullet said, opening his eyes. His scarlet slit pupils swept across them. "Barely enough for a warm-up."
The moment the words fell, he moved.
Not forward, but upward.
He sprang straight from where he stood, leaping more than thirty meters, and fully transformed in midair.
This time, the transformation carried subtle changes.
The black dragon's body was still three hundred meters long, its wingspan still four hundred meters, but the scales were darker than before. It was not a flat, featureless black anymore. Within the darkness, there was a muted, dark violet sheen, the aftereffect of the mutation caused by devouring the user of that black-sphere ability.
The most obvious change was in the dragon claws.
They had once been nothing more than sharp talons. Now, at each claw tip, tiny black vortices hovered.
They were the manifestation of black-sphere energy, carrying traits of devouring and breakdown.
"Fire," the white-haired middle-aged man ordered.
The ten CP0 members acted in unison.
No guns, no artillery, but something more dangerous.
Three leapt up and slashed from the air, sending out sword waves. Each strike was fused with Armament Haki, sharp enough to cut steel.
Four rushed in along the ground, blades aimed at the black dragon's belly and joints. It was a tactic designed for massive creatures, targeting the most vulnerable points.
Two stayed where they were, hands forming seals as they activated their abilities.
One released a searing beam. The other formed a solid barrier, sealing off the dragon's retreat.
The last one, the white-haired man himself, slowly drew the sword at his waist.
That blade was unusual.
Long and narrow, almost transparent, with three gemstones of different colors set into the hilt.
"Great Grade blade, Phantom Light," the white-haired man said quietly. "To die under it is your honor."
Ten attackers, a coordinated strike, no wasted motion.
This was CP0's standard execution formation. It had brought down pirates with bounties over a billion.
Bullet only opened the dragon's mouth.
He did not spew black flames. He did not roar.
He inhaled.
A heavy suction appeared out of nowhere.
The courtyard's air, dust, gravel, and even the visible traces of light began to draw toward the dragon's maw. The pull was strong enough to twist the movements of the three in midair, throw the footing of the four charging in, and bend the path of the searing beam.
Then Bullet blended everything he had drawn in with the black-sphere energy.
He compressed it, condensed it, and exhaled it.
A mass of darkness took shape, like a black hole that swallowed anything in its path.
Where it passed, space visibly warped.
The first thing it met was the searing beam.
The beam struggled at the surface for a brief moment, then was swallowed whole, leaving nothing behind.
Next came the sword waves.
Three slashes that could cut steel broke apart and dispersed in front of the black mass, like paper tearing in water.
Seeing that, the four who had been rushing in changed direction immediately, trying to circle around it.
But the black mass moved as if it had intent. It accelerated suddenly and collided with one of them.
That CP0 member reacted fast, raising his blade to block.
Seastone edge met the black mass.
There was no sound, no blast.
Only the blade melting away.
Under the corrosion of that dark energy, the Seastone's structure collapsed quickly. Three seconds later, the entire sword was gone.
The member's face changed as he tried to retreat.
The black mass expanded abruptly and swallowed him whole.
There was no scream.
One person vanished, as if erased.
"Fall back!" the white-haired man shouted.
But it was already too late.
Bullet beat his wings and dived from above.
A massive claw reached out, the black vortices at the tips spinning and widening together.
Rip.
The second member was pierced through.
It was not a simple impalement. The instant the claw made contact, the body began to break down.
Flesh, bone, organs, all of it devoured by the black vortices, converted into raw energy.
[Devour: Life Essence x 540 units (high quality)]
[Devour: Armament Haki Trait (piercing type)]
[Obtained: Claw Strike Sharpness +8%]
Bullet felt his dragon claws grow sharper.
They also carried a property that let them cut through Haki more easily.
He turned toward the third target.
That member tried to defend with the barrier ability.
A transparent energy wall unfolded in front of him, strong enough to withstand the bombardment of a battleship's main cannon.
Bullet's claw only traced a light line.
The barrier burst like a bubble.
The member's eyes widened, disbelief plain on his face.
His barrier had never been broken so easily.
Bullet's voice rumbled through the dragon's throat.
"I can devour anything."
"Even your defense."
The claw came down.
The third member vanished.
The remaining seven began to feel fear.
They had faced powerful enemies before, but an enemy like this, one they could neither understand nor counter, was new.
Every attack was devoured. Every defense was shattered. Every tactic meant nothing.
This was no longer a fight.
It was killing.