Bahr stood on the railing and shouted, "Who's coming ashore with me?"
Before the words had even settled, Enel stepped forward without hesitation, bare feet planted firmly on the railing as he declared arrogantly, "This god shall go! It's about time that Warlord tasted divine retribution!"
Nico Robin lightly stroked her chin with her fingertips, her eyes fixed on the island's dark Gothic structures. Suddenly, the corners of her lips curled up. "This atmosphere... unexpectedly suits my tastes. A little excitement makes things more interesting, doesn't it?"
"I'm going too." Mr. 1, who had been silent until now, abruptly stood up, his three words landing on the deck with resounding weight.
Miss Valentine, upon hearing they were going ashore, immediately let go of Bahr's arm, her lace parasol trembling like a sieve. "I-I think I'll stay on the ship! Please be careful out there!" Her pink skirt fluttered like waves from how badly she was shaking—clearly terrified.
"Ugh~ I'm a bit tired, so I'll pass," Porche chimed in, her usual competitive energy with Miss Valentine completely gone. The moment she heard "Royal Shichibukai," her voice turned sickly sweet. "Boss~ Come back soon, okay?"
Bahr didn't pay it any mind and was about to give the order to depart when he suddenly frowned.
"Something's climbing aboard." Enel narrowed his eyes, glancing suspiciously at the deck. He could sense a presence, yet there was nothing in sight—just mist drifting emptily across the wood.
Just as Miss Valentine instinctively clung tighter to Bahr's arm, a silver flash sliced through the mist. Then, with a sickening squelch, a severed arm plopped right at her feet.
Before anyone could react, a piercing scream erupted from the depths of the deck—so shrill it could rupture eardrums, sending chills down everyone's spines.
The group recoiled half a step in shock, only to see a man staggering forward before dropping to one knee. He wore a round hat embroidered with intricate patterns that swayed with each labored breath.
But the most horrifying part was his face—his nose and mouth resembled a lion's, with fangs jutting out from his jaw, piercing through his lips. His coat collar was torn open, revealing a neck crisscrossed with surgical stitches. He was clearly the product of grotesque modifications.
Bahr's expression darkened as he stared at the intruder, his voice colder than ice. "You've got some nerve, punk. Daring to lay hands on my woman—got a death wish?"
He had sensed this bastard the moment he boarded. And he recognized this freak—none other than Absalom, the Invisibility Fruit user.
In the original story, this creep had not only spied on Nami bathing but even licked Nico Robin's face. And now he had the audacity to sneak aboard and grope his woman?
Unlike the Straw Hats, Bahr wasn't the forgiving type. Against scum like this, mercy was pointless.
Absalom clutched his severed arm, his face ghostly pale and his mind blank. His Invisibility Fruit had never failed him before—yet this time, it had completely malfunctioned. Even his modified, elephant-tough skin had been effortlessly sliced through.
Cold sweat dripped down his lion-like nose as panic set in. "I'm screwed! I've bitten off more than I can chew this time!"
He didn't dare linger. With a full-body shudder, he activated his ability and vanished.
"Trying to run? Not that easy."
Bahr smirked, flicking a finger. The fleeing Absalom suddenly felt an invisible force yank him backward—before he was violently teleported back to the center of the deck, his invisibility instantly dispelled.
He crashed onto the wood, the agony from his severed arm making him gnash his teeth. Looking up at the group looming over him, he let out a terrified screech: "Who the hell are you people?!"
Enel frowned, glancing between Absalom and Bahr. "What the hell was that just now? He disappeared out of nowhere—is it the same as your Spatial ability?" In his experience, vanishing into thin air was something only Bahr could do.
"Different," Bahr said dismissively. "That guy ate the Invisibility Fruit. He can turn invisible—completely undetectable to the naked eye."
Truthfully, the moment Enel mentioned something boarding the ship, Bahr knew he had sensed it through Observation Haki. But Enel, having played "god" on Sky Island for so long, had never encountered an ability like this—hence his confusion.
In short, he was inexperienced. For all his formidable Devil Fruit power, he knew nothing of the sea's complexities.
Sure enough, Enel scoffed, his face twisting in disdain. "Invisibility? Hah! Nothing but cheap parlor tricks. Before this god's Thunder Eye, he's nothing but a clown!"
He believed his lightning could see through anything, so he dismissed the ability outright. Still, he couldn't help but muse—No wonder I couldn't sense Bahr's presence but could detect this guy. Their abilities really are different.
The Blue Sea was proving to be quite interesting.
"Don't underestimate it," Bahr cut in, warning him. "Devil Fruit abilities come in all sorts of bizarre forms—some outright defy logic. Let your guard down for a second, and you're done for."
He wasn't wrong. Bahr himself was powerful, but he knew the sea's dangers weren't just blades and bullets. Those flashy Paramecia-type abilities were the real killers.
Countless strong figures had fallen to these "underhanded tricks." History was full of examples of the mighty tripping over minor obstacles.
Enel's stomach lurched. Though he refused to admit it aloud, the sheer variety of abilities on the sea sent shivers down his spine. Still, he stubbornly retorted, "Before this god's lightning, all these gimmicks are just cheap tricks!"
Bahr side-eyed him. Seeing the guy's stubborn pride, he initially considered ignoring it—but then he remembered how Enel had acted like an untouchable deity back on Sky Island. If he really got caught off-guard by some weird ability... Well, he was a useful pawn. Might as well keep him alive.
So Bahr casually added salt to the wound. "Still haven't learned your lesson after getting toyed with by that Slow-Slow Beam? On these seas, if you can imagine a disgusting ability, it exists."
Forget the Hobby-Hobby Fruit's ability to turn people into toys—just Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit alone was terrifying. That power could nullify Devil Fruit abilities entirely. No matter how fast Enel's lightning was, against that, he'd be helpless.
If this guy ever faced Blackbeard, he'd end up just like Ace.
The words struck a nerve. Enel still remembered the humiliation of being mocked by the Slow-Slow Beam while Bahr watched coldly from the sidelines. Even now, the memory made his teeth grind.
What made it worse was that Bahr wasn't wrong. He had no ground to stand on for a rebuttal.
"Tch." Enel turned his head sharply, chin raised high, as if shutting his ears to the conversation. This bastard really knows how to twist the knife! If only I were stronger... I'd make him taste lightning's wrath!
"Enough about this insect. Let's go," Enel snapped, eager to change the subject. His gaze swept over Absalom with pure disgust.
But Bahr raised a hand. "Hold on. I've got an experiment in mind—perfect for him."
Absalom caught the glint of malice in Bahr's eyes and immediately felt his scalp crawl, the hairs on his neck standing on end. Even the pain from his severed arm was forgotten.
That look... was even more terrifying than when Bahr had casually sliced his arm off.
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