Chapter 104: Bandages and Doctor

The thin ray of sunlight spilled onto the snowy ground, casting a faintly dazzling glow.

After leaving the coast, Adrian continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

At this moment, he was entirely clad in black, with a thick black woolen cloak, black outerwear, black trousers, snow boots with a pair of katana slanting at his waist. This outfit stood out conspicuously in the pristine white snow.

The biting cold wind swept through sparse trees on both sides of the road, creating a mournful sound. Ahead lay the town of Gyasta, nestled in the northern part of Drum Island—a modest settlement.

Residents relied on a nearby freshwater lake for their daily water needs. Similar small towns dotted the landscape around Kesuda.

As Adrian stepped through the accumulated snow, he anticipated a calm and peaceful winter village. However, the scene that unfolded before him left him somber.

The once-pristine landscape now bore the scars of unknown beast hooves. Blackened wheat and corn lay trampled into the dirty soil. Curved knives and arrows protruded from the ground, their tips stained with vivid crimson blood—like terrifying crops watered amidst winter's chill.

Some injured individuals groaned, others prayed, but most lay silent, their wide-open eyes devoid of warmth.

The town was ablaze, with wisps of black smoke billowing and rolling, ascending into the deep blue sky.

Adrian saw a man in a black cloak swiftly heading towards the lakeside, but a towering horse-mounted warrior blocked his path, forcing him to turn back.

The others, as if sensing the scent of blood, gathered like sharks, enclosing the man in the black cloak in their midst.

The leading warrior raised a leather whip, lashing the face of the cloaked man. He recoiled, covering his head, darting around to evade the blows.

Another soldier-like warrior rode forward on horseback, reaching the man. He relentlessly whipped the man's back until blood gushed out, staining his thighs red.

Meanwhile, another person wielded a leather whip, snaring the ankles of the man in the black cloak, causing him to fall to the ground.

Ultimately, the man in the black cloak persisted in crawling, showing no sign of resistance.

This attitude seemed to bore the group of guards. The initial warrior in charge picked up the longbow slung across the horse's back, seemingly prepared to shoot the man.

Adrian flicked his fingers, preparing to intervene. However, the long-silent man in the black cloak finally erupted.

White bandages emerged from the man's body like ethereal serpents, precise and snakelike. They ensnared several horse-riding soldiers around him, wrapping them up in giant white cocoons in a matter of seconds.

"A Devil Fruit user? This seems to be a Paramecia-type, maybe Bandage Fruit? Or perhaps Cloth? Well, it's a similar category, anyway."

Adrian, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, temporarily set aside thoughts of rescue. He never interfered unnecessarily with those who could fend for themselves.

The black-cloaked man, who had taken the initiative to immobilize the mounted soldiers, hesitated. His ability to bind them had worked, but he remained motionless, uncertain of his next move.

With less precision than before, he hastily fashioned makeshift bandages and wrapped them around his body, stemming the bleeding. His escape was imminent, yet he lacked the same finesse as earlier.

Suddenly, the mounted warrior who had led the charge drew his dagger and sliced through the hastily applied bandages. Annoyance etched across his face, he bellowed at the retreating figure:

"Sliver! You wretched monster! Your tricks won't save you! We know how to deal with your kind. King Swaro has ordered your execution, and you, this monster, will never escape the judgment of Drum Country!"

"You bandage monster! Prepare to die!"

The mounted warrior dipped an arrowhead into a viscous black substance, then ignited it using a nearby flame. The archer pulled the bowstring, and the blazing arrow left a smoky trail as it streaked through the air.

The archer pulled the bowstring, and the feathered arrow, flickering with a roaring fire, leaving behind a faint trail of smoke in mid-air.

Subsequently, the arrow pierced straight through the back of the Devil Fruit user named 'Sliver' in an instant.

In just a moment, the flames spread rapidly, engulfing Sliver like a candle, turning him into a colossal humanoid torch.

"Ah–"

A piercing and incredibly mournful scream emanated from Sliver's mouth as he weakly knelt on the ground. Under the shroud of flames and smoke, his body no longer bore any resemblance to its original form.

Under extreme agony, this emotionally fragile man finally erupted completely at this moment!

Hiss—

Densely packed white bandages emerged from his body, carrying intense pain and anger, directly encircling the neck of the horse-riding warrior who had fired the arrow.

"No—Sliver! You can't—"

The horse-riding warrior's face displayed an expression of extreme terror, but he didn't get the chance to finish his words.

Crack!

The neck of the mounted warrior was broken like a straw. The warrior's head, frozen in disbelief, toppled to the side.

"Sliver! You dare to kill the captain!"

"You monster! Aren't you afraid we'll kill you?!"

"King Swaro will never forgive you!"

The captain's life extinguished instantly, leaving his subordinates in panic and confusion. They hurled incoherent accusations at Sliver.

These royal soldiers had never anticipated that the same man who had cowered under their whips and swords possessed such formidable, terrifying strength!

However, Sliver's revenge did not stop there.

The fiery bandages surged toward the remaining Country soldiers. This time, they didn't merely ensnare; they strangled each soldier to death.

After killing all of the soldiers, Sliver continued to use his ability.

An endless stream of white bandages emerged from his body, completely removing the remaining flames from him while also wrapping him up like a mummy, covering up the scorching scars and blackened marks that were originally burned by the flames.

Exhausted, Sliver collapsed face-first onto the ground.

Moments later, Adrian approached Sliver's unconscious form, shaking his head.

"Isn't it absurd?" A figure emerged from the shadows. "Despite being a Devil Fruit user, he was bullied by ordinary people. You're probably thinking that. But Sliver, before all this, was merely a doctor skilled in using bandages to heal."