bookbashuk Chapter 269 Assassin Showdown: Tranquility vs. Kojiro
Chapter 269 Assassin Showdown: Tranquility vs. Kojiro
Chapter 269 Assassin Showdown: Tranquility vs. Kojiro
The decision to divide the forces in Dragon Palace City has been made.
While Zoro led his crew to the Coral Forest and Luffy and his group noisily rushed towards the port area, Kojiro did not set off immediately.
He stood alone by the window of a secluded corridor leading from Ryugu Castle to the port area, clutching the excessively long nodachi (a type of katana). His gaze was calm and serene as he looked at the hazy street scene filtered through the deep blue seawater.
He was thinking.
The image of Wang Hassan wiping out dozens of Hassan clones with a single slash was still etched in his mind.
One detail that he couldn't get over was that the purple-haired woman, Hassan, was left behind.
Given the absolute dominance that King Hassan displayed, keeping her alive was an oversight.
Or was it intentional?
"First Lord—you are always the ultimate goal that we can never reach—" Hyakmaru's words, trembling with complex reverence, echoed once more.
As fellow Assassins, the reverence stemming from tradition and rank cannot be faked.
Is leaving room for maneuver a consideration of shared origins, or is there another intention?
Kojiro slowly shook his head, dismissing pointless speculation.
Regardless of King Hassan's true intentions, the reality is that a Hassan of considerable skill already knew of their whereabouts and had escaped.
Meanwhile, Hassan, another expert in using poison, remains missing and is likely still on the island.
That guy was skilled in poisoning and stealth. The complex environment of the port area, the flow of people, and the dense warehouses made it an excellent hunting ground for such assassins.
"Waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump—" Kojiro muttered to himself.
The Straw Hat crew made a grand entrance to the port area. If the quiet target really is them, they will likely ambush them along the way or at their destination.
His mission was not only to investigate, but also to ensure the safety of the bait within this potentially already spread poisonous web, and to find the spider that wove the web.
Without lingering, he swayed slightly and, as if blending into the shadow of the pillars, silently glided out of the side gate of the Dragon Palace and sped towards the port area.
Instead of choosing the main roads, he weaved through narrow alleys and rooftops between buildings, and even occasionally used some inconspicuous drainage pipes.
This is how an Assassin moves; he uses the mindset of his peers to deduce possible ambush points and blind spots in reconnaissance.
The port area is one of the most bustling and chaotic areas of Fishman Island.
Human pirates, merchants, fish-men, mermaid songstresses, and adventurers from all walks of life mingle together. Giant bubbles enclose all sorts of ships, with warehouses lining the streets and taverns buzzing with noise.
Despite the previous assassination attempt and guillotine incident, life must go on.
The port remained busy, but there was a subtle tension in the air.
Kojiro's arrival caused a small commotion, but it was not out of hostility.
"It's Kojiro-sama!"
"Kojiro the Dragon Slayer!"
"Thank you so much for your help before!"
Many of the fish-man residents recognized him and cast respectful and grateful glances their way. Some even came forward to express their thanks or offer small gifts.
This sudden attention made Kojiro frown slightly.
He needs to remain hidden, but his identity as a hero exposes him to the spotlight.
He had to slow his pace and nod slightly in response to the friendly greetings.
At the same time, his sharp eyes scanned every shadow, every window, and every gap in the crowd with the keenness of an eagle.
Any hint of incongruity or murderous intent could foreshadow danger.
"Sir, are you inspecting the port? Is there anything we can do to help?" A tall fishman who looked like a dock foreman stepped forward enthusiastically.
"No need," Kojiro said succinctly and calmly.
"Routine check. Please make yourselves at home, don't mind me." He tried to disperse the people around him with his indifferent attitude.
But the aura of heroes and the enthusiasm of the people do not fade so easily.
Especially in the eyes of some fishman warriors who have witnessed his battles, Kojiro is almost an idol.
They spontaneously followed him at a distance, seemingly wanting to provide protection, yet not daring to get too close.
This, ironically, became a cover for Kojiro. With a sudden thought, he stopped trying to disperse them and instead used his public identity, surrounded by the crowd, to observe them more boldly.
Assassins lurking in the shadows are more hesitant or more likely to expose their weaknesses when faced with a target clearly surrounded by people.
For example, those who, in a crowd, pay no attention to heroes, or whose eyes are unusually cold.
He walked through the bustling market, crossed the docks piled high with cargo boxes, and approached the uncomfortable old warehouse district that Luffy had pointed out.
The closer he got, the slower he slowed down, pushing his senses to their limit.
Besides the fishy smell of the sea and the musty smell of goods, there was also a very faint, almost indistinguishable, sweet fishy smell mixed in with the many other odors in the air.
It tasted like some kind of rotten spice, or like spoiled honey.
Is it poison? Or bait?
He stopped and gestured for the fishmen following behind to stop, indicating with his eyes that there might be a problem in the area ahead.
The fish-men immediately tensed up, grabbing whatever tools or weapons were around them and spreading out cautiously, forming a loose perimeter.
Kojiro walked alone towards the old warehouse complex that was half-submerged in water.
This place is sparsely populated, with only the sound of the sea current gently lapping against the stone steps.
He closed his eyes, not with his eyes, but with his heart, with a swordsman's intuition for killing intent, with an Assassin's sensitivity to the presence of his kind, to listen to the sounds of this area.
The sound of flowing water — the slight crackling of wood — the faint clamor of a distant harbor — and —
An extremely faint pulsation?
That wasn't a heartbeat; it was more like the rhythm of a venomous insect lurking in the shadows, secreting its venom.
He opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the underwater entrance on the shady side of the third warehouse to his left.
The light was dimmest there, and the water flow was slightly sluggish.
He did not barge in directly.
Instead, he took out a few small pieces of wood from his pocket and flicked them with his finger.
The wooden pieces silently disappeared into the water, like several nimble little fish, swimming towards the underwater entrance and other possible hiding places at different angles and depths.
This is one of his reconnaissance techniques: using the traces of sword energy and perception attached to it to detect underwater obstacles, traps, or signs of life.
A moment later, the information was relayed back.
There were no large obstacles or obvious traps underwater near the entrance, but an abnormally viscous water was detected inside the entrance near the water surface, suggesting it was contaminated by some substance.
Inside the warehouse, apart from piles of discarded debris, there were no visible living creatures, except behind an abandoned wooden crate at the very back—
found it.
Kojiro gripped the dry-fried food tightly.
The other party was very cautious. Instead of ambushing outside the warehouse, they hid in the deepest part, using the environment and water to cover their presence, and may even have set up a venom barrier.
Are they waiting for the Straw Hat crew to take the bait? Or is this just a temporary hiding place?
He didn't intend to alert the enemy.
His primary task was to identify the threat and, if possible, remove or capture the target without affecting the port's inhabitants.
He subtly gestured to the fishmen in the distance behind him to retreat, then concealed his presence once more, and silently slid into the water, close to the damp outer wall of the warehouse, without stirring up a single ripple, heading towards the underwater entrance.
The moment he entered the water, Kojiro felt an extremely subtle tingling sensation on his skin, as if he were being touched by the finest jellyfish threads.
As expected, there was a water-soluble toxic membrane.
He immediately mobilized his magic to form an extremely thin protective layer on his body, isolating him from the toxins.
The underwater lighting was dim, and the entrance was narrow.
He glided in like a fish, his movements so gentle that he barely stirred the water.
Upon entering the warehouse, one finds an empty, abandoned space above the water, while below it lies a pile of rotting wood and debris.
He remained suspended in the water, not rising to the surface immediately.
His gaze pierced through the dim water, looking toward the location of the hollow in the sensor.
To the average person, there was only shadow and ripples on the water. But to Kojiro, there was a quiet place that seemed out of place with its surroundings, like a piece of cold jade at the bottom of the water.
He didn't move; he was waiting.
Wait for the opponent to make the first move, or wait for the opponent to reveal a bigger weakness.
Time passed second by second.
The warehouse was deathly silent, with only the gentle ripples of water.
The other party seemed extremely patient, like a real venomous spider, waiting for its prey to enter the center of the web.
Kojiro's patience is equally astonishing.
He seemed to have become part of the water, and even his heartbeat almost stopped.
Just when this stalemate seemed destined to continue indefinitely.
Outside the warehouse, in the distant main port area, a familiar commotion could be faintly heard, along with the unique sound of rubber stretching and contracting, and the voice of some idiotic captain shouting "meat!"
The Straw Hat crew has arrived! And they're heading in this direction!
Almost at the same moment!
The shadow behind the wooden crate suddenly moved!
Instead of lunging at Kojiro, it shot towards a half-collapsed ventilation shaft on the other side of the warehouse like a startled squid!
It moved extremely fast, leaving a faint trail of water, yet still made very little sound!
She is running away!
Perhaps she realized that the arrival of the Straw Hat crew would bring more variables, or perhaps she had originally planned to ambush them here but Kojiro discovered it in advance and changed her plans.
"Don't leave."
Kojiro gave a low shout in his heart, and his body, which had been waiting for the right moment, suddenly burst out with amazing speed!
Instead of pursuing in a straight line, he calculated the opponent's escape route and the influence of the water flow, drawing a graceful arc in the water.
He arrived half a second earlier than expected, intercepting the vent half a second ahead of time!
The long sword, still sheathed, was thrust out, aiming straight for the core of that blurry figure!
The figure clearly hadn't expected Kojiro's speed and accurate prediction in the water. In a hasty movement, it twisted its body strangely and avoided the vital point with an unnatural flexibility, while simultaneously swinging its hand back!
Several almost invisible, transparent threads shot out from her fingertips, merged into the water, and instantly spread into a faint blue mist that enveloped Kojiro!
The venom spreads extremely quickly when it enters water, and it also has strong paralyzing and corrosive properties!
Kojiro's expression remained unchanged. He twirled the scabbard in his hand, causing the water around him to spin rapidly, forming a small vortex that forcibly swept away most of the poisonous mist.
At the same time, he pointed his left hand with fingers together like a sword, and pointed it in mid-air!
"Secret Sword: Chiebo!"
A highly refined sword aura pierced through the water, ignoring the poisonous mist, and aimed directly at the shoulder exposed by the opponent as they dodged!
The assassin was horrified; the sword energy was fast, accurate, and carried a sense of cutting off the trajectory of the sword.
She tried her best to dodge, but was still grazed by the edge of the sword energy!
"laugh!"
The dark blue robe was ripped open, revealing pale skin and a faint bloodstain.
More importantly, the artistic conception contained in the sword energy made her feel as if her soul had been scraped, her concealed state was almost interrupted, and her aura became momentarily disordered.
Without further hesitation, taking advantage of the moment when Kojiro blocked the poisonous fog and unleashed his sword energy, she suddenly contracted her body, like an arrow released from a bow, and squeezed through the narrow gap in the ventilation shaft, darting into the wider and more complex harbor waters outside!
Kojiro immediately gave chase!
A silent yet thrilling chase unfolds underwater in the harbor.
The opponent has taken the assassin's stealth and agility to the extreme.
He was like a ghost, sometimes blending into the shadows at the bottom of the cargo ship, sometimes disappearing into the dense coral reefs, and sometimes making sudden turns using the blind spots of the dock pillars.
That thing kept releasing various colorless or disguised venoms, venomous mists, and even poisonous stings, creating barriers that delayed and killed.
The aim is not to harm the enemy, but only to hinder them.
Kojiro, on the other hand, demonstrated the insight and speed of a top swordsman.
Sometimes he would draw his sword and lightly tap it to cut off the silently approaching poisonous stings or lines; other times he would stir the water with the scabbard to disrupt the spread of poisonous mist.
His movements underwater were incredibly agile; he could always avoid traps with minimal movement and close the distance at an even faster speed.
His gaze remained fixed on the blurry, dark blue figure ahead, like the most composed hunter.
The two chased and fled, quickly moving away from the old warehouse area and navigating the complex underwater structures of the port.
Occasionally, fishmen or sea creatures would be startled, but they were all frightened away by the two's swift figures and the pervasive sense of danger.
The assassin grew increasingly alarmed and enraged. This swordsman was far too troublesome!
He seemed to be able to foresee his every move, and his way of dealing with poison far surpassed that of ordinary heroic spirits.
What made her even more uneasy was that the other party did not seem to intend to kill her immediately, but rather seemed to be forcing her, observing her, and wearing her down.
She realized that if things continued like this, she would be caught up sooner or later.
We must find a way to break free, or—create an opportunity to launch a counterattack!
Her gaze swept across a relatively open area ahead, but close to the anchor chain of a large merchant ship. She made her decision.
Just as Kojiro closed the distance again, preparing to make a move to stop him, the fleeing assassin suddenly stopped without warning and turned to face him!
She stood in the shadow of the thick anchor chain, her black robes fluttering slightly, her gaze beneath the skull mask cold and venomous, and a pair of short blades that had appeared in her hands at some point.
"Assassin—do you wish to exterminate them all?" Her voice came through the mask, hoarse and full of hatred.
"We both exist in the shadows, why chase after us so relentlessly!"
Kojiro stopped a few meters away, his stance steady, the tip of his sword slightly lowered, assuming an impeccable defensive posture.
He looked at the other person calmly. The other person was very petite, and judging from the voice, she should be a woman.
"You have created chaos, poisoned the innocent, and assassinated the king. I have been entrusted to cleanse this place of filth."
After hearing his words, the assassin fell silent and simply held the dagger in front of him.
Kojiro paused, recalling the eerie ritual symbols in the warehouse, and asked seemingly casually.
"Are those blasphemous rituals in the port area also part of your plan?"
Upon hearing this, Hassan seemed to turn his skull mask toward Kojiro, but ultimately did not say another word.
The next instant, her body suddenly exploded!
This is a sudden burst of the potent poisonous magic power accumulated within the body!
The poisonous mist spread wildly from her body like living tentacles, instantly turning a large area of water blue. At the same time, she crossed her short blades and transformed them into a streak of poisoned lightning, aiming straight for Kojiro's face!
This is a desperate, life-or-death strike.
Kojiro's eyes sharpened.
This attack covered a vast area with poisonous mist, almost completely blocking any space for dodging, while the thrust itself was fast, ruthless, and accurate, carrying an indomitable momentum.
He no longer holds back.
The dried ingredients have finally been fully prepared!
There was no dazzling light, only a line that seemed to divide the water flow.
The three blades of light did not appear one after the other, but rather seemed to light up simultaneously from three impossible angles. One slashed towards the core of the poisonous mist, one met the thrusting short blade, and the last one sealed off all possible escape routes and attack trajectories for Silent Hassan!
"Clang! Pfft!"
The clanging of metal and the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh rang out almost simultaneously!
The poisonous fog was cut open, causing it to quickly dissipate and dilute.
The thrusting short blade was precisely sliced off, while the third blade flashed past her side in her sight, leaving a wound that was neither deep nor shallow.
The outcome is decided.