Chapter 110: Grand Secret · World Severance!
SLICE! SLICE!
The relentless sound of slashing became Nezumi's trademark in the underground, accompanied by the crumbling rock walls.
Peclo's body was repeatedly shredded and reconnected. The brilliant sunlight emanating from him never ceased.
But now...
The King of Killers wore a twisted smile.
"This pain, and the taste of blood... truly exquisite."
"Even better than crushing the hearts of corpses."
He licked the blood splattering from his wounds.
But the next moment...
SLICE!
His tongue was severed, only to reattach under the sunlight an instant later.
This interruption displeased the King of Killers, rekindling the cold crimson light in his eyes.
"Nezumi..."
His whisper was loud in the quiet underground.
"It's useless."
Ignoring the slashes on his body, he laughed. "I am the 'Major Undertaker'. Others might not have intel on you... but I do."
"Your abilities—moving through the air, creating slashes, and some technique to enlarge your body... truly incredible. I can't even comprehend what fruit you ate."
He spoke softly.
Indeed.
As the King of Killers, Peclo was the only one who knew the specific details of every mission taken by killers. His subordinates often confirmed the mission results firsthand.
Thus, he had gathered many details and had a rough idea of Nezumi's abilities.
But most importantly...
"Your ability is ineffective against me."
He spread his arms, welcoming the slashes.
"Don't you understand? I am different from you—"
Blood sprayed as he chuckled.
Speaking, he gripped his scythe tightly.
The next moment...
VMMM!
Armament Haki coated the scythe.
Blinding sunlight erupted from his body.
At this moment...
"!!!"
Under Nezumi's mask, his pupils constricted in surprise for the first time.
Because his body sensed danger.
POOF!
The slashes stopped abruptly. Almost all the 'Flower Arms' dissipated into petals.
A moment later...
BOOM!
Peclo swung his scythe.
"Funeral Rite of Sunlight · Bone Chop!"
The scythe danced. Intense slashes, accompanied by blinding sunlight, illuminated the dark underground completely.
CRASH!
In the light, one could see the thick rock walls and the hard island foundation being sliced open like tofu.
The next moment...
RUMBLE!
The severed rock wall collapsed, falling into the deep abyss below.
"..."
Nezumi slowly raised his hand.
He was certain—the power of this slash rivaled that of the great swordsman Shimotsuki Koushirou whom Inoshishi met in Shimotsuki Village.
But Peclo wasn't a swordsman.
If Nezumi hadn't deactivated the Flower-Flower Fruit ability, even his steel-hard 'Flower Arms' would have been damaged.
"This guy..."
Nezumi looked at the King of Killers, his whisper carrying a rare solemnity. "He's suspiciously strong."
Meanwhile...
"Do you understand now?"
The King of Killers continued. "Killers are insects crawling in the dark. But I am different... I am the only killer standing in the sunlight!"
"The Emperors of the Underworld ascended to their thrones through power and wealth. But I am not like them... I don't need those things."
Yes.
Among the six Emperors of the Underworld, Peclo was the most unique.
The others relied on advantages—'God of Fortune' on finance, 'Big News' on media, 'Queen of the Pleasure District' on connections, 'Deep Current' on shipping routes, 'King of Storage' on logistics...
Even 'Joker' had a special identity.
Only 'Major Undertaker' Drug Peclo was an exception.
He was the King of Killers.
Killers didn't care about authority, influence, or connections—they were enemies of such things.
Killers respected... only power!
Peclo climbed to the throne step by step from a lowly killer.
He was the only 'Seastone-rank' killer in existence.
His dangerous power was the reason for his kingship.
Rumors in the Underworld had long stated—Peclo was the strongest fighter among the six Emperors, bar none.
And because of this...
"COME OUT!"
He was furious now.
"Stop hiding! These boring attacks can't kill me. Using your ability constantly only drains your stamina faster."
"Didn't you bring us underground for this? So—COME OUT!"
He roared.
Clearly—he saw through the truth faster than Cracker and Hanafuda.
Inu's ability, Nezumi dragging them underground...
Peclo couldn't be sure of the plan, but he was certain of one thing.
Nezumi wouldn't let them leave alive.
So this elusive killer wouldn't run this time.
This was no longer an assassination, but a... death match!
"If you want my throne... come take it yourself!"
Conqueror's Haki erupted—not intense, but enough to prove his spirit.
"This is the rule!"
His teeth shattered from grinding, then healed instantly.
The next moment...
"I have no interest in your throne."
He heard the voice behind him.
Turning, he saw Nezumi step out of the air.
Nezumi whispered, "I'm just curious—how long has it been since you fought?"
Peclo paused.
Then...
He grinned, his face under the mask twisting in delight. "...You guessed it? The Zodiac's intel is this good?"
Under his skin, the golden patterns shone brighter.
"I don't mind telling you."
He whispered. "I bask in the sun for ten hours every day. I crush nine hearts daily to suppress my urge to kill."
"I drink sun-dried milk from the South Blue every day to ensure sleep."
"Until now..."
Light erupted.
He vanished.
Instantly, his voice came from behind Nezumi.
"Nine years."
His savage grin was death singing.
Yes—nine years.
Nine years of accumulating 'Light Energy', nine years of suppressing killing intent.
All for this moment, this sweet...
Death.
"Funeral Rite Secret Technique · Flower of Death!"
Surging light energy squeezed out of his cells. His scythe exploded with power, unleashing a torrent of destruction.
But the next instant...
"Hm!?"
As the scythe fell, Nezumi vanished.
"Thirty-Fold Speed · Soru!"
A split second later, Peclo heard a door opening in the air and a swift slash.
"So fast... different from the intel!?"
Surprise flashed in Peclo's murderous eyes.
As mentioned, he probably knew Nezumi's intel best—according to Miss Spider, Nezumi's strength lay in his elusive ability and omnipresent slashes.
But speed like this was never mentioned.
"Not just speed... the slash power is stronger too."
"Did he get stronger?"
Peclo pondered.
But he didn't dodge.
With nine years of accumulation, every cell in his body was filled with light energy.
Even facing an Emperor of the Sea, he was confident he could... well, last a while!
But the next moment...
"Hm!?"
Peclo felt something strange.
He was certain—his skin and muscles weren't hit by the slash. He didn't feel being 'cut'.
But...
RIIIIP!
His body was torn apart abruptly.
Blood sprayed, his head flew, and light-filled cells scattered.
Then...
VMMM!
Under his head, sunlight acted like vines, reshaping his neck—he was whole again.
But...
"What is this..."
Peclo's expression changed drastically for the first time.
It was disbelief!
Nezumi didn't give him time to react.
He appeared behind Peclo again. "Thirty-Fold Speed, Quick Slash!"
Another slash. Like before—Peclo felt nothing, but his right arm fell off!
VMMM!
Moments later, his arm regrew.
But now, Peclo's expression was pure horror!
Because he confirmed what happened.
"My stored light energy is gone!?"
Yes.
Peclo knew his fruit well.
Every time he was cut, he consumed stored light energy to reassemble. It was an unreasonable immortality, better than Logia fruits.
Being cut meant some light-filled cells left his body.
Normally, reassembly would reclaim those cells.
But...
After Nezumi's two slashes, although he reassembled...
He was certain—the reassembled cells weren't his original light-filled ones, but newly created cells!
This meant the two recoveries cost him a massive amount of light energy.
And terrifyingly, he couldn't understand how Nezumi did it.
"You..."
He gritted his teeth, his face ugly.
Nezumi spoke calmly. "You didn't think I came out just because of your words, did you?"
He raised his hand calmly.
Ryou flowed, and an invisible force emanated from his hand.
"I appeared for only one reason, the only thing you got right—you must die here."
A door opened in front of Nezumi.
He stepped in.
Then...
Click!
Before Peclo could react, a door opened by his ear.
SLICE!
His right leg was severed—his Armament Haki was useless.
Again, no sensation of being cut.
"You..."
Regrowing his leg instantly, Peclo swung his scythe at the sound, but hit nothing—the door had closed.
Click!
Another door opened—this time, his left leg was gone!
SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!
With constant door sounds, constant slashes, and constant limb regeneration...
Peclo's mind finally broke!
"Something's wrong... his slashes are wrong."
He finally smelled death.
He couldn't take it anymore.
BOOM!
Golden patterns flashed under his skin. His legs exploded with power, launching him upward!
He swung his scythe wildly at the ceiling!
"The Sun!"
His goal was clear.
"If I can leave here, if I can bask in the sun... even if his slashes erase my light cells, it won't matter!"
He roared internally.
As he leaped, the rocks above shattered under his slashes.
He could almost see sunlight peeking through the cracks.
"Just reach there..."
He screamed in his heart.
But then, he realized—Nezumi's slashes had stopped?
"He..."
Peclo looked down instinctively.
He saw a spatial door opening slowly below.
And inside... a massive figure.
It was still Nezumi—the giant Rat Mask and cold eyes confirmed it.
But his form... resembled a Giant!
"You haven't fought in too long, Peclo."
The Giant's voice boomed like thunder in Peclo's ears.
"You think you're the best killer on the throne."
"But look at you."
He said.
"Losing your cool so easily when threatened... how do you deserve to be called the 'King of Killers'?"
Speaking, he raised his hand.
Peclo, mid-air, had nowhere to dodge.
Only now did Peclo realize his biggest mistake—a killer shouldn't expose his objective so early.
The next moment...
BOOM!
Nezumi's hand swung.
Because of Nezumi's size, Peclo finally saw the true nature of the slash.
Where Nezumi's hand moved—spatial doors appeared constantly.
But they didn't open. They were 'Severed' by his hand-blade!
[Severance Fruit]
[Annihilate: Awakening Effect. Can cut non-substantial objects and energy, completely destroying their internal structure. Consumes massive stamina.]
Yes—the Awakening of the Severance Fruit could cut non-substantial things and destroy their structure.
The 'Door-Door Fruit's' spatial doors, made of air, could be 'Severed'.
Their internal structure, the 'Pocket Dimension', would be destroyed in that instant.
So the question was...
What happens when a 'Pocket Dimension' is destroyed?
Next, Peclo saw the answer.
In front of him, where Nezumi's hand slashed.
VMMM!
Silently, space... began to collapse!
The surrounding rock walls vanished silently. Centered on the slash, the entire world seemed to be cut away.
"Air Slash · Grand Secret · World Severance!"
That was why his light cells disappeared—they were literally 'erased' from this space.
"You..."
Peclo wanted to say something.
Begging, cursing, or lamenting.
But his words and body were swallowed by the collapsing space.
An instant later, the spectacle of 'World Severance' vanished.
"Huff... huff..."
Accompanied by Nezumi's heavy panting.
Sunlight streamed through the cracks above.
Clatter!
A fragmented clown mask fell through the sunbeams into the dark abyss, disappearing forever.
(About the slots:
Five slots total: 4 normal + 1 fusion.
Nezumi's config: Slice (N1-unusable) + Severance (Fusion) + More-More (N2) + Flower-Flower (N3) + Door-Door (N4). Giant is a glove, not a slot, no dev, LV3. Ryou is innate to all clones via Munch-Munch LV4 (didn't write it out to avoid filler). Ryou doesn't take a slot, but clone intensity is lower than main body.)
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