Chapter 116: Human Wall

"What did you just say?"

Within the spacious secret chamber, Bellamy lounged on a chair, his posture all swagger as he directed a sharp question at Reiju.

"You want me to go kill people for you?"

So, after all that, they just wanted to hire him as an assassin.

"Gyahahahaha!" Bellamy couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Why would you entertain such a childish idea?"

Bellamy didn't even think much of the Marines; the mere Vinsmoke family actually thought they could employ him.

Hearing Bellamy's tone, it was clear the collaboration talks were dead in the water. Reiju's expression turned a shade darker.

"Mr. Bellamy, are you sure you won't reconsider?"

The woman seemed to be trying to salvage the situation, but as she spoke, her fingers twitched almost imperceptibly, and a faint wisp of smoke drifted out from beneath her cloak.

The instant the smoke appeared, Bellamy's Observation Haki flared.

His brow furrowed as realization dawned.

"Drake, kill her."

Without a shred of hesitation, Bellamy dropped all pretenses.

Upon hearing his captain's command, Drake didn't waste a second thought before initiating his transformation.

Zoan Transformation: Allosaurus!

In the blink of an eye, Drake's hands morphed into razor-sharp dinosaur claws, and he lunged at Reiju, who was mere feet away.

Finger Pistol: Raptor Claw!

In terms of sheer power, Drake's Ancient Zoan Allosaurus form was far more ferocious than even Bellamy. The moment he unleashed that claw strike, a violent whirlwind of force was forcibly kicked up within the confines of the secret room.

As a seasoned assassin, Reiju had been prepared for the possibility of talks breaking down violently from the moment she decided to make her move. The instant Drake attacked, she recoiled, her body twisting in a full 360-degree aerial maneuver, narrowly evading the savage claw strike.

"Poison Shot!"

Purple venom instantly sprayed from the heels of her boots, followed by a rapid barrage of kicks aimed straight at Drake.

The moment they clashed, the rhythmic sound of coordinated footsteps echoed from outside the secret chamber. The warship carried a substantial legion of Clone Soldiers.

Even though the battle had clearly begun, Bellamy remained casually seated, showing no intention of joining the fray. He nonchalantly picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed his own ship.

"Everyone get over here. Wipe them out."

He'd been wanting to test his crewmates' strength, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Pulling out a cigar and lighting it, Bellamy watched Drake and Reiju fight, unable to resist offering a few critiques.

"Your constitution means you don't need to dodge her poison. Just overwhelm her with force."

An Ancient Zoan, a dinosaur-man no less – what did he have to fear from poison?

"As for the woman, be careful not to hit her too hard."

With Drake's strength, even if she was wearing her Raid Suit, a direct hit would leave her critically injured.

"Bellamy! Don't be so damn arrogant!"

Bellamy's laid-back demeanor thoroughly infuriated Reiju.

"Ichiji, stop watching the show! Get out here and help!"

"Didn't you say you wouldn't need my help?" a gruff voice suddenly interjected from beyond the door.

So, the Vinsmokes had dispatched two of their primary combatants this time.

Vinsmoke Ichiji, codenamed "Sparking Red," pushed open the door and strode in.

"Try to keep it clean, you two. Don't go wrecking my warship."

Hearing his idiotic remark, Bellamy couldn't suppress a derisive snort. Drake was currently only in his hybrid man-beast form. If he were to fully transform, he'd become a behemoth over ten meters tall, weighing tens of tons. No matter how sturdy this warship was, it could never withstand a battle between them.

"Drake, stop playing around. Show them what you're really capable of."

At Bellamy's instruction, Drake finally cast aside all restraint.

Countless sharp fangs suddenly erupted from his mouth. With a series of sickening crunches, Drake's body began to rapidly expand. In an instant, he'd punched a massive hole through the ceiling of the secret chamber.

"ROOOAR!"

"Tail Whip!"

A colossal tail, having appeared from nowhere, whipped towards the two Vinsmokes with terrifying force.

Clad in crimson, Ichiji brought his hands together. Instead of retreating, he charged towards the immense tail.

"Sparking Valkyrie!"

Large jets of flame erupted from the wrists of his Raid Suit, manipulated by Ichiji into a torrent of countless sparks.

"Pink Poison Arrow!"

Reiju leaped to Ichiji's side, spitting a volley of arrow-shaped venom projectiles from her mouth that sped towards Bellamy and Drake.

Just then, Bellamy heard a commotion outside the door; it seemed Ross and the others had engaged the Clone Soldiers.

Drake's tail swept out, forcibly batting their attacks away while simultaneously crashing down with immense power. The flames and poison managed to slightly damage the skin on his tail, but for an Ancient Zoan dinosaur-man, such injuries were no more than a scratch.

Neither Reiju nor Ichiji had anticipated that Bellamy would have a martial arts expert under his command who had consumed an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit. The power Drake displayed utterly astounded them.

What in the world was this suddenly emerged Bellamy Pirates crew?

The Germa Kingdom's network of spies, spread throughout the North Blue, hadn't picked up any intel on them whatsoever. It seemed Drake's information had been deliberately suppressed by Cipher Pol. Otherwise, with his distinctive transformed state, it was impossible for the Vinsmoke family not to know of his existence.

The crushing force from Drake's advance was proving too much for Ichiji. Even with his Raid Suit pushed to its limits, a sharp pain throbbed in his wrists.

"Such terrifying brute strength."

Reiju noticed his predicament and quickly spat a cloud of potent poison towards Drake's eyes.

"Poison Pink!"

Drake tilted his head back, making no attempt to dodge, allowing the pinkish miasma to spray directly onto his face. A sound like something being rapidly corroded instantly emanated from his features. Reiju's poison was intensely corrosive and not to be underestimated.

But Drake had taken the hit deliberately, precisely to seize this rare opening. Ichiji had underestimated his power and was momentarily stunned by the sheer force of the tail whip. If he didn't press the attack now, when would he?

"Iron Body: Dino Rush!"

Drake's feet slammed into the ground, and his massive body shot forward like a cannonball, charging madly towards Ichiji. The force of this charge was staggering; the entire secret chamber disintegrated into dust under Drake's violent assault.

Ichiji knew all too well he'd been careless. If Drake landed this hit, the battle would become perilous. And Bellamy was still watching from the sidelines.

"You won't succeed!"

Reiju, apparently still holding some tricks back, sensed Ichiji's critical danger and shouted, "Human Wall!"

At this command, dozens of Clone Soldiers, heedless of their own safety, rushed in from all directions. They desperately threw themselves in front of Ichiji, using their own bodies to block Drake's charge.

Against the full might of a transformed Allosaurus, even a steel wall would be pulverized. How could the mere flesh and blood of Clone Soldiers possibly withstand it?

The clones were instantly smashed to pulp, countless gouts of blood erupting outwards, dyeing the very air crimson.

But the Clone Soldiers possessed no fear, nor did they have any self-will. To call them human was a stretch; they were, in truth, merely tools in human form.

An unending stream of clones surged forward from behind, forcibly erecting a living barrier, managing to momentarily halt Drake's devastating charge.

Seizing this opportunity, Ichiji quickly leaped back, escaping the range of the impact.