"S-Sorry!"
After being defeated by an animal in just a few moves, Daz Bonez felt so ashamed he could have cried. Lying on the ground in front of Rojen and the others, he apologized while blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Hmph!" Crocodile glanced at him with a snort. A stream of sand rose from the ground, carrying Daz Bonez over to Nalene.
"His injuries are much worse than Chaporos's," Nalene said after taking one look at him.
Her quiet comment reached Daz Bonez's ears, making him even more embarrassed. He almost wished he could pass out like Chaporos.
"Blood-Stopping Powder."
"Pain-Relief Magic."
"Sleep Magic."
Nalene raised her magic wand and pointed it at Daz Bonez several times. Powders and colored lights flowed into his body, and he quickly began to feel drowsy. Within five seconds, he was fast asleep.
"Hmm... and Heal." She pointed again, sending another wave of light into Chaporos and Daz Bonez. Both unconscious men immediately settled into a peaceful sleep.
Nalene let out a breath and stood up, turning her attention back toward the giant ape facing Rojen and the others.
The enormous ape stood roughly ten meters tall. Its eyes were filled with disdain as it looked down at Rojen's group, repeatedly beating its chest to flex its overwhelming strength.
"Your name is Edno?" Rojen suddenly asked, his voice cold.
The unexpected question startled the giant ape. Its eyes turned fierce, though a trace of confusion remained.
"ROAR!"
The roar seemed to ask, 'How do you know that?'
"In your mind, is this your territory?"
"ROAR!"
The answer was obvious: 'Of course!'
"So you're trying to drive us away?" Rojen's lips curled into a cold smile.
"ROAR!"
Edno looked surprised, clearly shocked that a human could understand him. Raising his right fist, he extended an index finger and pointed toward the edge of the basin, followed by another loud roar.
'Get lost!'
This time, even without Rojen's ability, everyone understood what the giant ape meant, and their expressions immediately turned cold.
"This guy really doesn't know when to stop."
"He injured two of our crew. I'm not letting him off easily," Crocodile exhaled smoke and stepped forward, a golden crocodile resting on his shoulder as sharp killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Crocodile, he injured Chaporos. I should be the one to deal with him," Trens stepped forward as well, his voice cold.
Both of the injured crewmen were closely connected to them, so naturally neither was happy with Edno.
"Hey, don't be so eager," Jason laughed as he stepped in front of them. "That beast is a pure powerhouse. Neither of you specializes in that kind of fighting. Besides, look at those muscles. He can freely control the muscles throughout his entire body, he's built for brute force. If you're competing purely in strength, you two might not be able to beat him."
Jason looked at the giant ape, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit as he cracked his knuckles with a dull thud.
"Heh. You're just looking for an excuse to satisfy your bloodlust," Crocodile sneered. He didn't believe for a second that he'd lose to an animal.
"Say whatever you want. This guy's mine," Jason laughed loudly, striding forward. "Trens, Crocodile, just stand back and watch."
His towering frame resembled a moving fortress. With a few large strides, he was standing right in front of Edno.
"The captain says your name is Edno, so I assume you can understand me?" Jason pointed right at him. "Let's fight!"
His words and provocative stare were so arrogant that, in that moment, Jason seemed even more domineering than the giant ape itself.
"ROAR!"
Edno immediately flew into a rage.
"STRONG! STRONG! STRONG!"
The strange words thundered from its mouth as both fists rose high above its head and came crashing down toward Jason.
Feeling the wind and pressure bearing down on him, Jason simply laughed. "That's it? Pretty average."
He raised both fists to meet the attack head-on.
"BOOM!"
The next instant, the fists of man and beast collided.
The ground shook violently as dust exploded into the air, shockwaves spreading outward in visible rings.
"That's all?" Jason effortlessly blocked Edno's fists above his head, giving the ape a mocking smile.
"ROAR!"
Furious, Edno pulled his fists back and slammed them down again.
"BOOM!"
Yet even with the extra power, Jason wasn't hurt in the slightest. He didn't even feel any real pressure.
"Not enough. You're too weak," Jason sneered.
Enraged, Edno pulled back, took a step back, and crossed the ten-meter gap in an instant, raising both fists high once more.
"STRONG! STRONG! STRONG!"
As he roared, the muscles throughout his body began to shift. His already massive physique expanded in an instant, growing even larger and denser, looking like forged steel from a distance. As his muscles transformed, his towering body actually compressed by about a meter, but there was no doubt his power had become far more terrifying.
"By some stroke of luck, this ape ate a Devil Fruit. And considering how long it's lived, you can't afford to underestimate it," Rojen called out with a slight smile, revealing the source of Edno's strength.
"A Devil Fruit?!"
Everything suddenly made sense. No wonder an ordinary ape possessed such incredible power.
While they were speaking, the giant ape leaped forward and collided with Jason once more.
"BOOM!"
Dust erupted and shattered stones flew in every direction. The fists of man and beast clashed over and over at blinding speed, each blow sending out shockwaves that kicked up fresh clouds of debris.
"Not enough!"
"Still not enough!"
"I'm not satisfied yet!" Jason shouted, putting even more weight behind his punches.
As Jason pressed harder, Edno's confidence began to crumble.
'What the hell is wrong with this human? How can he be even stronger than me?!'
As the battle went on, Jason's sheer power was gradually overwhelming him.
'No way!'
Enraged, Edno pushed his strength to the absolute limit.
But the moment he did, the raw power coming from Jason's fist made his entire body shake. Jason's strength had grown even higher!
"Again!" Jason bellowed, looking like a frustrated kid who hadn't burnt off enough energy as he threw another punch.
Finally, after another ten seconds of relentless clashing, a heavy crack echoed across the ruins.
Edno let out a panicked roar as Jason's fist slammed straight into his chin. The giant ape went flying through the air before crashing into a pile of rubble thirty meters away.
"K.O.!" Trens whistled.
"The big guy didn't just get taller," Crocodile observed calmly.
"Is that it?" Jason strode over and looked down at Edno, whose eyes had turned to spirals. He sounded utterly disappointed.
One final uppercut was all it took to knock the giant ape out cold.
(End Of This Chapter)
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