Chapter 198: Blood Slave

"Linlin, do you have a plan?"

Hearing Linlin's remark, Cyril Oka looked at her with eager eyes.

"Mama~ma, that depends on El Oniichan's opinion," Linlin grinned, shrugging her shoulders.

"Are you thinking of turning him into a Blood Slave?"

From the side, El smiled knowingly at her. He instantly grasped Linlin's thoughts without even needing to rely on his specialized Observation Haki to hear her inner voice.

"Keeping him alive would be a waste. Turning him into a Blood Slave is the perfect solution!" Linlin replied with a sly grin.

"We can also have Gerd extract the rest of his soul to further enhance Lucifer, the leader of the 'Seven Deadly Sins.'"

"Strengthen Lucifer?" Gerd's eyes lit up. Saint Howard, the commander of the Holy Knights, still had at least 20 to 30 years of life left. If the remainder of his soul were extracted and infused into Lucifer, the six-winged fallen angel Homie, it would undoubtedly make the Sin of Pride even stronger. Moreover, it would extend its operational lifespan significantly.

"That works. After all, we've already burned every bridge with the World Government. One commander of the Holy Knights is no longer enough to shift the scales in their favor," El nodded, showing no opposition. "Turn him into a Blood Slave first. Even with only instinct left, he'll still be decent in combat. Later, if necessary, we can extract the Mythical Zoan: Angel Form ability from him. For now, his powers can at least be used to heal our own injuries quickly."

"Mama~ma, I'm looking forward to it already."

Receiving El's approval, Linlin licked her lips with a sly grin.

"Too bad my Pet-Pet Fruit doesn't work well on strong-willed individuals like him. They can easily break free," Nef shrugged with a wry smile. "Otherwise, controlling him would've been simple."

The Pet-Pet Fruit was highly effective for restraining ordinary strong opponents, but against such monsters with overwhelming Haki, its control was limited. A single mistake could allow the target to shatter the collar's constraints.

---

Before long, under El's lead, the group arrived at the underground dungeons beneath the royal palace. In the dimly lit, spacious cell, a frail figure was shackled by seastone cuffs on all four limbs, suspended like a crucifix.

"Fallen Angel El…"

Hearing the approaching footsteps, the battered Saint Howard lifted his head. Seeing the imposing figure before him, his subconscious fear battled with his efforts to remain composed. "Has my fate finally reached its end?"

"Whether it's the end or not remains to be seen," Gerd replied with a smile. Activating her Soul-Soul Fruit ability in an instant, she extracted the remainder of his soul, leaving him with only a few months to live.

In an instant, Saint Howard grew decrepit and frail, his hair turning snow-white, his face etched with deep wrinkles.

"Mama~ma…"

Linlin cackled wickedly. Entering her human-beast form, she transformed into a fearsome, devil-like predator. Before Saint Howard's horrified gaze, her towering figure loomed over him. She grinned menacingly, revealing her razor-sharp fangs.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

In mere moments, his blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the dungeon. Saint Howard's body shriveled and collapsed, drained of all its blood. The gruesome sight was enough to send shivers down the spines of Nef, Moss, Francis Banji, and Cyril Oka, leaving them stunned and uneasy.

The next moment, another surge of crimson blood was injected into Saint Howard's body. His entire frame, previously shriveled, inflated visibly like a balloon filled with air. He returned to a youthful state, his appearance completely rejuvenated. His eyes turned a deep crimson, glowing like brilliant red gemstones. However, they now appeared somewhat vacant.

"Clang…"

At El's signal, Moss stepped forward and unlocked the restraints.

"Swish…"

A pair of black wings emerged from Saint Howard's back. No longer the pristine white they had been before—they had turned jet black.

"Huh?"

"Black wings?"

"Wasn't he supposed to be an angel?"

"What's going on?"

Both Linlin and the others, including Moss, Nef, and Gerd, were taken aback. Instinctively, they grew cautious. The Mythical Zoan Angel Form had certain properties that counteracted the powers of the Vampire Form. This raised concerns that Linlin's ability might not work as intended.

"Hiss… Could that really happen?"

However, El remained calm, his expression unperturbed. With a faint smile, he said, "It seems there's more to the Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan Angel Form than people know. Perhaps if someone with a dual personality consumed it, they might gain the ability to freely switch between angelic and fallen angel forms."

Relying on his innate, specialized Observation Haki, El was confident that if Saint Howard attempted anything, it would be impossible to hide. He was certain that the Saint Howard before him had lost all trace of personal will and individuality. Now, he was merely a Blood Slave, entirely obedient to Linlin and incapable of resisting her orders. The transformation into a fallen angel was merely a result of the influence of Linlin's Vampire abilities.

"Mama~ma, is that so?"

Linlin's curiosity piqued. She gestured toward Cyril Oka, the heavily bandaged and visibly weak Bacchanian. She issued a direct command to Saint Howard: "My loyal servant, use your powers to heal him!"

"Yes, master," Saint Howard responded in a vacant tone. He approached Cyril Oka. A radiant, holy light emanated from his right hand and enveloped Cyril's body. The injuries covering Cyril's form began to heal at a visible rate.

"It's really working…"

Cyril clenched his fists, a look of excitement spreading across his face. Tearing off the bandages that had been covering his body, he revealed an impossibly muscular, herculean physique. His torso, however, was riddled with jagged scars, each one more fearsome than the last, enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

"Roar!"

With a low growl, Cyril underwent an astonishing transformation.

"Crackle, crackle…" Electric sparks danced across his body. He morphed into a massive thunder beast, resembling an enormous bear cloaked in an aura of lightning. A sharp horn sprouted from his head, and his presence became overwhelmingly feral and powerful. The beast stood tall, roaring thunderously.

~~~

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