"Hmm..."
Kouta retracted his gaze from Monet, raising his head. His eyes swept over the surrounding pirates, instantly turning cold.
"Hmph~"
A cold snort echoed across the entire beach.
Accompanying the sound was an overwhelming aura of absolute dominance.
The pirates realized they had the wrong target. This wasn't a brat, but a demon.
Someone their superior's superior's superior...
Someone the entire Donquixote Family couldn't afford to offend.
"No wonder you look familiar. It's you!"
Before the pirates could think further, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted.
Silence instantly fell upon the beach.
Monet looked at Kouta. Her grass-green T-shirt and blue skirt were soaked with sweat, revealing her alluring, beautiful figure.
In that instant, she had felt the breath of death.
This Conqueror's Haki, stronger than the young master's, would have likely knocked her out too, had the person in front of her not intentionally avoided her.
A trace of bitterness flashed through Monet's mind.
She knew that today would likely be the end of her life.
Regarding Silver Hair and his crew, other pirates might not be clear, but their Donquixote Family was all too aware.
From the moment this crew set sail, they had made a name for themselves across the seas, treading on the corpses of legendary pirates.kanδん
The young master had been closely following news of Silver Hair's crew since he first learned of their existence.
This crew was different from ordinary pirates; they were pirates with a sense of justice.
While it was laughable for pirates to have a sense of justice, their actions since setting sail had made it clear that they indeed possessed this trait.
And them...
They couldn't escape. Even if they tried, they wouldn't be able to. In front of this man, let alone her, even the young master himself couldn't escape.
Suppressing the fear that welled up inside her, Monet looked up for the first time, meeting Kouta's cerulean eyes, as mesmerizing as a starry sky.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found herself unable to.
Shaking her head, she stared at Kouta again, a look of resolute defiance in her eyes. Then, her entire body began to turn snow-white, starting from her skin.
The surrounding air instantly froze, and snowflakes began to fall from her body.
Monet's golden eyes filled with extreme madness. Her mouth widened into a maw full of sharp teeth, and she let out a roar, charging at Kouta.
She knew that ordinary means wouldn't harm this man. But she possessed the power of the Snow-Snow Fruit, which could temporarily freeze anyone she touched, rendering them immobile.
As long as she could make contact with Kouta, she didn't expect to defeat him. She only hoped to freeze him, giving her a chance to escape.
Even though she knew this hope was slim.
But who would want to die if they could live!
Whether for the young master, for the Donquixote Family, or for her sister, she had to find a way to survive.
However, while the thought was good, reality was often cruel.
Kouta gazed at the charging ice and snow monster, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
The Snow-Snow Fruit, while powerful for ordinary individuals, was quite limited in the New World.
If one possessed Armament Haki and could imbue every snowflake with it, then it would indeed be powerful. But Monet before him...
Kouta shook his head. She wasn't like Smoker. Smoker was a true genius, only held back by a comfortable environment and a lack of rigorous Haki training.
It was a testament to his genius that he could develop his Haki to the point of emitting it and coating his smoke in just two years.
Monet, on the other hand, couldn't reach that level.
Even with ample time.
He extended his hand, his dark fingers covered in flowing pink energy.
Kouta looked at Monet, who seemed incredibly slow to him, and gently poked forward with his finger.
*Pfft...!*
His finger touched Monet's forehead and pierced directly through it. Disregarding her Logia intangibility, the black Haki, glowing pink, shot through her head like a sword qi, leaving a long black trail in the air behind her that lingered for a long time.
"Why the rush to seek death?"
Kouta withdrew his hand, dispersing his Haki. His smooth fingers were free of any bloodstains.
Monet's body stiffened, instantly returning to normal. She looked at the young man's face, mere inches away, her eyes filled with self-mockery.
"I actually thought I could escape from someone like this. Heh!!"
Blood flowed from the perfectly pierced hole in her forehead, hot tears blurring her vision, painting everything red. She dragged her heavy body, slowly turning, and looked towards the sea, towards Dressrosa.
"Goodbye, young master. Goodbye, Sugar."
*Bang—!*
The beautiful woman collapsed on the deck, like a wilting flower, her breath extinguished.
Kouta looked at Monet, his expression devoid of any superfluous emotion. As a cadre of the Donquixote Family, though she might have been a pitiable child in her youth, she was no longer so in her later years.
There were many pitiable people in this world, but those who deserved his pity did not include members of the Donquixote Family.
Sugar, Buffalo, and even Baby-5, who betrayed the crew in the original story, would be killed without hesitation if he encountered them later.
If there was anyone in the Donquixote Family he would spare, it would only be the user of the Glare-Glare Fruit, the former princess of Dressrosa, "Violet."
This world was strange. All the princesses he knew seemed to be very strong and competent.
Vivi, Sophie, and later Violet, Rebecca, and even Komurasaki in Wano Country, Hiyori Kozuki.
Well...
There was one who wasn't competent.
That was the mermaid princess of Fish-Man Island, Shirahoshi.
She was a child who never grew up, a crybaby.
But she possessed good qualities, such as kindness. If her mother hadn't died so early and she hadn't been trapped in the hard shell tower by a disgusting individual, she might have grown into a competent princess.
Thinking of Shirahoshi, Kouta shook his head, a trace of regret on his face.
Actually, his initial intention in going to Fish-Man Island was to visit this person, whom many considered the most beautiful woman in the world.
However, after learning that Neptune did not welcome him, he abandoned that idea.
Therefore, he still harbored a slight regret regarding Fish-Man Island.
After all, he had only stayed for half a day.
Taking out his wine gourd, Kouta took a long drink and no longer dwelled on these matters.
He raised his head, looking at the quiet beach, and his figure vanished, reappearing on a large container bearing the black word "SAD."
This was the container Caesar required, used to hold the raw materials for artificial Devil Fruits.
Kouta gazed at the container, lost in thought.
As far as he knew, Caesar would produce SAD here, which would then be handed over to Doflamingo, and subsequently processed into fruits at the SMILE factory in Dressrosa by the Tontattas.
Everything was just beginning.
If Caesar were eliminated, the tragedy of Kanjuro Shimotsuki and others in the Land of Wano would not occur.
"Caesar, are you ready?"
Kouta raised his head, looking at the vast complex of buildings built into the mountainside, his face filled with amusement.