In the underground passage, the mermaid girl carried an injured Mink child, followed by a dozen slaves.
Suddenly, a silver-haired boy appeared at the end of the tunnel—Donquixote Homing.
"Move!" The mermaid girl bared her teeth.
But the boy silently handed her a set of keys. "There's a ship at the east dock..." His voice trembled. "You can use it to escape."
Rhett's mist condensed into a finger, pointing. "There's another exit over there."
As the last slave disappeared, Rhett turned his gaze to the main battlefield. Rocks was choking Garling, while Garp had already risen to his feet, Armament Haki blazing on his fist.
Time to end this.
The blood mist on Rhett's Black Tide Greatsword surged. This time, he didn't spread the mist, but condensed it around himself, hiding his form.
Rhett didn't charge toward the main battlefield. You like treating people like animals, huh, Celestial Dragon?
Your daddy Rhett is here.
"Captain Roger!" Gaban anxiously looked at Roger, who remained motionless. "Rhett, he—"
"Let him go." Roger's straw hat obscured his eyes. "Some battles..."
"Must be chosen by him."
At the center of God Valley, chaos had erupted.
"Since you enjoy hunting..."
His voice drifted through the air.
"Now, the hunter is me."
The Celestial Dragon, Holy Waste, frantically commanded his guards. "Quick! Escort me out of this cursed place!"
The guards nervously scanned their surroundings, seeing only crimson mist.
"My lord, we can't locate the enemy!"
"Worthless! All of you are—"
The Celestial Dragon's voice abruptly ceased.
A hair-thin blood line appeared on his throat.
The guards watched in horror as his head slowly slid off, blood gushing out.
"First one."
Since deciding to kill Celestial Dragons, Rhett felt a sudden clarity. The bottleneck that had been hindering his Devil Fruit power vanished.
Rhett sensed his Devil Fruit awakening. The mist, previously "blood mist," now lived up to its name.
If you don't value life, then I'll treat your lives as fertilizer. No harm in that, right?
Rhett felt the quality of his mist improve. Any creature within his mist, if Rhett willed it, could have its life force drained to replenish his own.
Killing Celestial Dragons felt liberating. The River Deity's golden fruit was truly something. The Pirate King's world was indeed one of willpower.
The Celestial Dragons, Holy Waste and Holy Grass, hid behind a golden statue, trembling.
"Damn peasants! How dare they attack us!" Holy Waste screamed hysterically. "When the Navy arrives, I'll have their families enslaved!"
"Shh! Quiet!" Holy Grass covered his mouth. "That guy can hear us!"
Suddenly, Holy Waste shoved Holy Grass aside and drew a jewel-encrusted pistol. "How dare a slave touch someone of noble blood?!"
"How dare you be here—"
"Bang!"
The bullet pierced Holy Grass's forehead.
Holy Waste stared blankly at his hand. "I... I didn't mean to..."
Holy Waste's chest exploded with blood. They stared at each other's triggers, confusion in their eyes. They had just seen slaves.
As he fell, he saw cold crimson eyes in the mist.
"Dogs biting dogs... truly~~~ delightful."
A Celestial Dragon dragged his obese body toward a golden carriage, snot and tears smearing his ugly face.
"Save me! I'm a descendant of the creators! You peasants must—"
"Mist Erosion: Life Drain."
Rhett's finger flicked lightly, and the mist coiled around the Celestial Dragon, tightening abruptly.
"Aaaah—!"
The obese Celestial Dragon suddenly stiffened. His skin withered, flesh and blood essence sucked into the mist, turning into crimson streams flowing back into Rhett.
In seconds, a dried-up corpse knelt on the ground, crumbling into ash.
Rhett clenched his fist, feeling the surge of life force within him—his stamina restored, even his Haki more solid.
So this is what it feels like to steal life... No wonder you trash are so addicted. Oh, you're too weak to feel it.
The remaining five Celestial Dragons huddled together, backs against each other, trembling.
"Come out! You demon!"
Rhett's voice echoed from all directions.
"Mist Domain: Life Wither!"
The crimson mist suddenly expanded, enveloping all five Celestial Dragons.
"Ahhh! My arm—!"
"Help! My skin is melting!"
"Slaves, where are you?! Navy! Save me—"
Their screams gradually weakened as their flesh and blood essence was violently sucked into the mist, forming five crimson streams flowing into Rhett.
Thud.
Five dried-up corpses fell simultaneously, while Rhett's aura reached unprecedented heights.
"Truly... disgustingly sweet."
He looked down at his hand, a flicker of struggle in his eyes, quickly replaced by coldness.
"But for you, it's just right."
The mermaid girl and the fleeing slaves had reached the dock, but pursuers were hot on their heels.
"Stop them! Don't let a single one escape!"
A Navy captain led dozens of soldiers, bullets raining down on the unarmed slaves.
Suddenly, crimson mist rose from the ground, forming a barrier that blocked all attacks.
"What is this...?" The mermaid girl froze.
Rhett's voice echoed from the mist.
"Run, don't look back."
The next second, the mist wall expanded, enveloping all the pursuers.
"Mist Healing: Life Gift."
The children's wounds began to heal, while the Navy's stamina steadily drained.
Yes, taking your life force to gift others. Perfectly reasonable.
Thanks to the Celestial Dragons' gifts, Rhett could thoroughly test his Devil Fruit abilities. They sacrificed themselves for science.
"Tui."
Watching the weakening Navy, Rhett's expression turned sarcastic.
"Crimson Mist, Rhett. Aren't you afraid of the World Government's retribution?"
Rhett picked his nose. "Well, if you're dead, I won't be exposed. Sayonara."