Chapter 43: Sold Out? Sell Me???

This novel isn't gaining the support expected so I think I'll drop it guys :(

Mobin relied solely on his reflexes and speed to replicate the effect of the Six Styles' "Paper Art" technique.

No matter how fierce and rapid Elbay's thrusts were, he evaded them like a paper boat riding the waves—seemingly in mortal peril but never capsizing.

Ratsnout recognized that Mobin's evasive maneuvers weren't "Paper Art," which only heightened his astonishment.

This level of skill was worlds apart from what he'd seen in the alley last night.

"Usopp... must have a close connection with the 'Mysterious Gunman.'"

Ratsnout's eyes flickered as he attributed Mobin's displayed abilities to Sol.

He knew one of the most troublesome aspects of the Mysterious Gunman was his exceptional survival skills.

According to intelligence, he not only excelled at escaping but could also retreat unscathed even under the assault of a hundred enemies.

"Now's not the time to dwell on this."

Calming himself, Ratsnout shifted his focus elsewhere, knowing Mobin wouldn't face immediate danger.

The shot Mobin fired at Elbay earlier was like a battle trumpet, prompting the sharpshooters of the Sharp Bull Pirate Crew to instinctively pull their triggers.

Amidst deafening gunfire, several lead bullets flew toward Mobin and Elbay.

In the nick of time, Elbay's subordinates formed a human wall and used long knives to deflect the incoming bullets.

This was a command Elbay had conveyed through a snap of her fingers—no one was to interfere with her enjoyment of the kill.

Generally, pirate crews could be categorized into three types of compositions:

Focused on quantity.Focused on quality.A balance of both.

The Sharp Bull Pirate Crew belonged to the first type, while Elbay's crew was the second.

Thus, despite being outnumbered, Elbay's crew wouldn't be easily crushed by the Sharp Bull Pirate Crew.

It's worth noting that Elbay's pirate crew had 31 members in total, but she only brought ten with her to the Battle Axe Tavern this time.

As Wells and the other sharpshooters reloaded their bullets, the melee fighters of the Sharp Bull Pirate Crew charged at Elbay's subordinates.

In an instant, the two pirate crews were locked in fierce combat.

Yet, the first casualty of the fight didn't arise from either crew.

Instead, an unlucky bystander was killed by a stray bullet fired by Mobin.

The surrounding pirates cursed internally, desperate to leave the chaos.

Seeing Kazt steadfastly blocking the exit, they sought alternative routes and began a "break the wall" operation.

Within seconds, driven by a survival instinct, several large holes were smashed into the tavern's wooden walls.

Pirates crawled through these half-human-sized openings one after another, fleeing the tavern.

Kazt glanced at their actions and turned a blind eye.

He pulled out two thick stacks of beri from his pocket and tossed them onto the tavern counter.

The tavern owner, hiding behind the counter, looked at the money now in front of him and could only offer a bitter smile.

After prepaying for damages, Kazt assessed the situation. Confirming his subordinates were holding Elbay's crew at bay, he shifted his attention to Elbay, who was relentlessly attacking Mobin.

He could see that Elbay genuinely wanted Mobin dead, but at this point, he didn't care why.

Regardless of the reason, Mobin had to die!

Kazt, with his bull-like face covered in dense black fur and two horns on his head, strode toward Elbay and Mobin.

Holding all the advantages, Kazt had many options.

For instance, he could finish off Elbay's subordinates first.

Or he could sit back and let Elbay and Mobin battle it out until one perished.

But his choice was to take advantage of the chaos and attack Elbay and Mobin directly, aiming to kill one of them first.

No matter who died first, it would be an acceptable outcome for him—as long as he was the one to strike the killing blow.

In the midst of Elbay's storm-like offensive, Mobin focused entirely on defense, oblivious to Kazt's movements.

Meanwhile, Elbay found herself frustrated by Mobin's evasiveness.

She had expected to pierce him like a pincushion in a short time, so she'd ordered her subordinates to cover her without considering the risks.

But this slippery opponent was like an eel—no matter how fast or hard she stabbed, she couldn't hit him.

In her career as a pirate, Elbay had never faced such an enemy.

Though not inherently threatening, his evasiveness was enough to make her nauseous.

Fueled by pride and disbelief, Elbay refused to give up, determined not to stop until she landed a strike.

Unbeknownst to her, Mobin was gradually adapting to her rhythm.

Elbay's rapid thrusting technique was initially intimidating, but its lack of variety made it no different from a "three-move wonder."

Once her initial advantage waned, the threat diminished significantly.

Sensing the pressure and danger from Elbay fading, Mobin felt a pang of regret.

Without her "portrait," Mobin couldn't preemptively write Elbay's name in his notebook.

This meant even if he risked killing her, he wouldn't gain anything.

"Forget it. I should focus on finding a way to escape."

Mobin thought to himself.

The two continued their entangled battle, neither noticing the looming threat from Kazt.

Ratsnout, observing from the sidelines, quickly realized how he could assist Mobin.

He stepped forward to block Kazt.

"Ratsnout."

Kazt coldly regarded his opponent.

"..."

Ratsnout remained silent. His body and face underwent instant transformation, taking on a beast-like appearance.

His features became rodent-like, his body bulked up, and sharp claws grew from his hands.

Both being Zoan-type users, Kazt sneered at the smaller Ratsnout.

"You think a rat like you can stop me?"

Kazt's taunting was followed by sudden movement. His massive body charged forward, aiming a powerful hoof at Ratsnout's face.

In his beast form, Kazt's strength doubled, and his hardened hooves were capable of smashing skulls with a single strike.

The black, heavy hoof surged forward with ferocious momentum.

Ratsnout's eyes narrowed as he raised his claws to block the incoming strike.

Crack!

The overwhelming force not only broke two of Ratsnout's claws but also sent him flying several meters.

Kazt didn't let up and pursued him, delivering another powerful hoof.

Forced to defend again, Ratsnout blocked the attack but lost another claw in the process.

Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he muttered, "You piece of—if it weren't for—"

Suppressing his urge to use advanced techniques, Ratsnout struggled to fend off Kazt's relentless assault.

Within a single minute, Kazt had nearly rendered Ratsnout's arms useless.

Zoan-type battles often boiled down to strength and durability when physical techniques were lacking.

In this regard, the Mouse-Mouse Fruit was inherently weaker than the Bull-Bull Fruit.

"In terms of strength, how can a rat compare to a bull?"

Kazt sneered.

Faced with mortal danger, Ratsnout took a deep breath.

While he was willing to help Mobin, he wasn't about to die for him.

"I wonder how Usopp's doing over there."

Taking advantage of a brief pause as Kazt spoke, Ratsnout glanced toward Mobin.

What he saw left him dumbfounded—Elbay stood frozen in place, clutching her swollen cheek, while Mobin bolted away faster than a rabbit.

"Sold out... Sold me out???"

Ratsnout was stunned.

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