"Land ahoy," Elly exclaimed from the top of the crow's nest, causing me and the rest to cheer at the end of this eight days long monotonous journey.

During this time, Byron had already recovered from his wounds, so I put him to work by assigning him to manage the sails with Wilson. Luckily, the two of them seemed to get along just fine.

We didn't come across any giant sea creatures or storms this time. The only exciting that happened was that a small-time pirate crew thought we were easy prey.

That said, however, the expressions they had on their faces when they boarded our ship (I ordered my crew to let them board the black pearl because I was bored) were very entertaining.

They kept looking between my silver prosthetic hand and my smirking face, only to the prostate on the ground after they figured whose ship they boarded.

They were nobodies with no bounties on their heads, and considering how entertaining they were, I let them go after beating them up a little and breaking their ship's main mast, but I digress.

'Kano country, huh?' I thought with a smile. I had already decided to come here as soon as I learned that I was on west blue from the bartender back in Ballywood kingdom.

I, of course, had a goal for coming here, and if I am able to achieve that goal during our stay on the island, it will help immensely in achieving my bigger goals and plans for the future.

"We'll be staying on the ship during our stay in Kano country while taking shifts," I ordered with a calm voice as I stood up. "This country is allied with an infamous pirate fleet and thus can't be trusted," I concluded, and my companions nodded their heads to show their understanding.

"We won't be roaming the island carelessly as we're used to, not unless we have a solid idea about the situation there," I say, causing Wilson to sigh. "We'll stay on the ship first until Laffite gathers enough information for us about what we can and can't do there," I say while looking at Laffite, who merely smiles and nods in my direction.

With that said, I gave my companions one last nod to end the one-sided conversation and turned around to gaze at the now visible silhouette of Kano country.

It looked like something out of a Wuxia novel. I could see many strange cylindrical rock formations with only a single tree on top of them and giant pagodas, visible even from this distance.

Other than that, the only thing I could see was pink, green, and rock grey, as it was choke-full of sakura trees, forests, and rocky mountains.

All in all, it looked very charming and beautiful from where I was looking. I could only hope it was just as beautiful up close as well, and not a ruined mess like Wano country, since the two islands were similar in both name and appearance.

We were soon at the docks, and as soon as we anchored the black pearl, a large Asian-looking man who was roughly twice as tall as I am approached the ship, causing me to jump down to see what he wants.

"Welcome to Kano county, bounty hunters," the man said while looking at me. "Everyone is welcome here, whether they be pirates, bounty hunters, or even civilians here on vacation, as long as they don't break the law during their stay," he concluded, and I nodded at him in response.

"You are free to go after any pirate here, as long as you don't cause casualties to the citizens of Kano country, pay for any damages you cause, and contribute thirty percent of the bounty to the royal family," the man stated calmly. "Do I make myself clear?" He asked while looking me in the eye, in a vain attempt to intimidate me or something.

"Crystal clear," I replied with a smirk while looking at him in the eye as well, not showing any fear, causing him to snort and turn around, leaving without saying anything else.

'I don't want to mess with the Happo and Niho navy for now, but that doesn't mean I'll roll over for any random guy with their insignia on his chest,' I thought while gazing at the man's leaving figure.

'This guy looks like he has a giant chip on his shoulder and may cause us some trouble later, but I'll deal with it when it happens,' I concluded with a sigh as I jumped back onto the ship.

"Laffite, look into that guy who just left while you're gathering information," I said while looking at Laffite. "Take him out if he's the kind that no one will miss, or dig up some dirt on him if you think he's too high ranked for his death to go unnoticed," I concluded.

"will do, captain," Laffite said with a salute as he jumped off the ship and disappeared into the crowded dock, leaving the rest of the crew and I with nothing to do.

"Take inventory of our supplies so we can restock as soon as Laffite gets back," I say while looking at Elly and Byron, causing them to nod as they turned around and made their way to the lower decks where we kept out supplies.

'I have some goals to achieve here, but if this place proves too troublesome, then we'll get out of here as soon as Laffite returns," I think while rubbing my chin thoughtfully. 'We're not ready to fight something like Don Chinjao and his Happo navy, but hopefully, I can make the old geezer see reason, and it won't come to that,' I concluded while shaking my head as I turn around to gaze at the busy docks.

"Something on your mind?" came Wilson's voice from behind me, causing me to turn around and see my four-armed friend with a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

"Nope, just doing a little bit of brainstorming. I have plans for coming here, plans that will help us a lot in the future should they succeed," I reply with a smile.

"And you're worried about the success of those plans?" Wilson asked, while chuckling lightly. "You'll make it work somehow, and if it doesn't work, then I'm sure you'll come up with something else," he concluded with a beaming smile.

"Are you growing soft or something, big guy?" I replied sarcastically, suppressing a cheerful smile at my friend's faith in me. "So creepy, this isn't like you at all," I conclude with a disgusted expression as I take a step backward.

"Well, you're not wrong about that," Wilson said while looking at me with a blank face, causing me to chuckle while shaking my head, driving all the negative thoughts and worry out of my mind.

"Can you punks do this somewhere else? I'm trying to relax here," came Bob's head from the side as he was lying on a hammock installed on the black pearl's deck.

"Can it cook, or I'll rip that hairy asshole you call a mouth off your face," Wilson replied as he walked menacingly in Bob's direction.

"Did you just compare my majestic mustache to ass hair?" Bob asked with a visible tick mark on his forehead. "I'll skin that silver hide of yours and make it into a rag for drying dishes, you four-armed moron," Bob added as he stood up as well and began walking towards Wilson just as menacing.

'My crew is the best,' I thought while looking at this scene with a smirk as I leaned back on the ship's railing, taking out my whisky bottle, and getting ready to enjoy the show.

Somewhere in Kano country:

In a dimly lit a figure dressed in a black outfit decorated with red inscriptions, clouds, and fantastical creatures could be seen sitting in a seiza posture with a katana sword in its lap as it wiped the blade of the sword religiously and ceremoniously.

The figure halted his actions as the ringing of a transponder snail came out of his pocket, causing the figure to carefully put the katana on its as it answered the call.

"Your target has reached the island," came the rough voice of the large Asian man, who approached Johnny's ship when they arrived in Kano country.

The dark figure did not reply and merely ended the call without saying anything.

"Johnny silver hand, I have no grudge against you, but claiming your head will make me one step closer to achieving my goal," the figure concluded in a muffled voice, talking to no one in particular.

The figure then picked up the katana and stared at the reflection of its face, which was covered by a red wolf mask, with large ears that can be mistaken as rabbit ears, and sheathed it with a tired sigh.

-0-

Wilson and Bob soon began punching the shit of each other as I watched while drinking and cheering from the side. Unfortunately, the racket they've been causing had alerted Byron and Elly, so the duo climbed up from the lower deck and stopped the fight to my utter disappointment.

With nothing else to keep me entertained, I put away the whisky bottle with a sigh and began doing practice sword swings, causing me to lose track of time until I was interrupted by Elly hours later, informing me that Laffite had returned.

"Thanks, Elly," I said as I took the glass of water, she offered me with a smile and made my way to Laffite, who was already surrounded by Wilson and Byron as they bombarded him with questions.

"Give the man some space, will you?" I said as I held Byron and Wilson's heads and knocked them against each other, causing Byron to rub his head while grunting in pain and Wilson to snort as if he didn't feel anything.

"Good job out there, Laffite," I remarked while punching him lightly on the shoulder, causing him to nod at me with a smile. "So, what's the situation here?" I asked a second later.

"It's like you said, captain. This country is allied to the Happo navy, a pirate fleet lead by one don Chinjao," Laffite stated with a serious voice. "The forces of this country are split into two divisions, The Happo navy I've mentioned earlier, and the Niho navy, who are the official army of the country," Laffite explained.

"The Happo navy fleet deals with pirate threats and covert missions against other countries across the blues and the grand line," he added while twirling his red cane.

"The Niho navy act as peacekeeping forces during times of peace and act as the vanguard for Kano country at times of war, but most of them are nothing but glorified decorations in the streets, thanks to the long period of peace," Laffite concluded while waving his hand derisively.

"I see. What about that guy I told you to investigate then?" I asked after a second of thought.

"He is called Obbi bull killer because he allegedly killed a bull with his bare hands," Laffite said with a mocking chuckle. "He's an officer of the Niho navy and is tasked with keeping the peace at this area," he added.

"That said, he's nothing but a local bully who tries to intimidate people and then extort them for protection money or something like that later," Laffite explained further, with even more disdain in his voice.

"I, unfortunately, can't take him out without some suspicion being cast our way because of his position, especially since we just arrived here. An officer of the country dying the same day would set a lot of red flags," Laffite concluded while shaking his head apologetically at me.

"don't worry about it. That only means we'll have to deal with the bastard later," I said while shaking my head with an assuring smile. "What about his dirt? Did you manage to dig any?" I asked.

"He's as corrupt as they come, but we can't use it against him as his immediate superiors are just dirty," Laffite explained with a sigh. "We'll have to find someone with authority over the entire country if we wanted to do that," He concluded.

"But I did find out something interesting," Laffite said, sounding as if he just remembered something. "A foreign assassin had arrived at this island a while ago and came into contact with Obbi immediately," He explained.

"That could be useful in the long run, but at any rate, it looks like we'll have to ignore Obbi or whatever his name is for the meantime," I stated with a serious voice. "If he proves to be too much of a nuisance, then I have my ways to deal with him," I concluded with a grin.

I then proceeded to ask Laffite about the customs and laws of Kano country so we don't step on anyone's toes until I can come in contact with Don Chinjao.

It's not like I was afraid of anyone here, but dealing with the old geezer would be more trouble than it's worth, and if I play my cards right, I could get my hands on a reliable way to train Haki and possibly gain a strong ally. I'm not letting all of that go to waste so I can deal with one shit-eating bastard who thinks too highly of himself, but I digress.

When Laffite was finally finished explaining the dos and donts of this island, it was already late in the evening, so I called it a day after instructing my companions to wake me up for the last lookout shift.

I was woken up by bob, who told me it was time for my shift and that there was freshly cooked breakfast waiting for me at the table before taking his leave, heading to his room for some well-deserved rest.

I watched as Bob left my room and removed myself from my bed while yawning blearily, standing up and retrieving my breakfast as I made my way to the black pearl's upper deck.

I quickly devoured the meal, occupying my favorite spot on the ship's bow immediately after emptying my plate, leaning on the railing as I took out my whisky bottle while humming a song to pass the time.

Two hours quickly passed peacefully with nothing unexpected happening, and my companions were all awake as they went around their business on the ship.

Looking at this scene, I quickly informed my crew of where I'll be if they needed me and then jumped off the ship to begin exploring the area because I've been dying of boredom lately, and I couldn't wait any longer.

Surprisingly, the civilians seemed to recognize me even here as I was approached by several fans, asking for autographs on shells of recording snails and even posters of me, which I did not know existed until now.

'Someone is making money out of this,' I thought with a mental scowl as I signed the poster, which had a picture of me playing my guitar. 'I'm going to find out who, and then I'm going to take every single Berry they made because of me,' I concluded, fully intent on going through with my conclusion.

Walking through the busy docks, I notice how similar this country is to ancient china from my past life. Even the ships anchored at the harbor look like those weird river ships that you can find in Chinese historical dramas.

How do those ships sail through the sea even when they are designed to traverse through rivers? I have no idea, and I don't care enough to waste my time trying to find out.

I quickly find myself outside the docks, walking through the streets that were filled with Chinese-looking architecture. There are all kinds of stereotypes and cliches that you would find in the city from Wuxia novels. Tea houses, auctions, gambling dens, and even stalls that sell uncut rocks, which might have precious stones in them.

I ignore those as I've had my fill of them by just reading cultivation novels in my past life, and just the idea of participating in such activities makes me cringe.

That said, however, I took it upon myself to stop at every stall, selling food and places that sold alcohol. The food was what you would expect from such a Wuxia-themed country with rice, fish, and other types of seafood as the most popular dishes served here, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The alcohol, however, was a bit more diverse. Besides the traditional spirits made from rice, honey, grapes, and hawthorn, there were some western drinks like whisky as well.

I kept strolling through the streets of the city, which is the capital of the country, named Kano, which could be translated to country of flowers, while occasionally stopping to chat with some fans, asking for an autograph, and sometimes stoping to ask for directions or recommendations for interesting places to visit.

The sky darkened before I knew it as the time quickly passed while I was exploring the city, so I decided to make my way back to the ship. But it seems that I was too absorbed in my fun and didn't bother to memorize the way back, causing me to end up in an abandoned-looking part of the town with no signs of life after taking a wrong turn.

'Crap, I actually gone and gotten myself lost,' I thought with a sigh as I palmed my face. 'Might as well Geppo my way upwards to find the docks. I'm sure the city would be beautiful to see from above as well,' I concluded with an eager smile.

I was about to launch myself into the air with a geppo step when I heard the chime of a bell from my side, diverting my attention to it as I turned to see what was causing the sound and find nothing.

I tilted my head in confusion at the empty, motionless structures in front of me, wondering what could have been the source of the sound. But my wonderings were interrupted as my senses flared at a whistling sound from behind me.

I quickly unsheathed Satori and turned around to deflect two arrows while avoiding the third as it looked different from the first two, with a fire at its tip and a small pouch attached to it.

I looked in the direction the arrows came from, trying to spot my attacker, but I could only see their shadow on the rooftop of a building, as they disappeared into the darkness.

I heard a hissing sound from behind me, and turned around just in time to cross my arms in front of my face, and activate Tekkai as the last arrow, which I had decided to avoid, somehow came spinning at me, and exploded right in front of my face.

-0-

The arrow exploded in front of me almost at point-blank range, causing me to go flying backward. Though I tried to use geppo to halt my momentum and plant my feet at the ground, I wasn't fast enough as there was a wall behind me, which I crashed into while cursing under my breath.

'There must have been a thread attached to the end of the arrow,' I thought, and that was all I had time to think about as I had to hastily get up, deflecting three more arrows and using Soru to get away from the area as another projectile exploded.

I tried to spot my attacker but only ended up catching their shadow as they disappeared into the darkness again, and I had to look somewhere else as I heard another hissing sound near me.

I did not even have the time to activate Tekkai this time as I turned around, spotting another flaming arrow that exploded as soon as I laid my eyes on it. Luckily this one seemed to be a smoke bomb and not an explosive one like the previous two.

'Did this guy just predict the place I dodged to and planted an arrow there,' I thought as I began dodging left and right while deflecting projectiles as they pierced through the smoke and rained on me from all directions.

'Looks like whoever my attacker is, they've done their homework,' I thought while tilting my head to the side, avoiding what seemed to be a kunai.

'they're staying at the roof while keeping me grounded by not giving me a chance to use Geppo with a combination of explosive and normal projectiles,' I deducted as I swung my sword and sliced a shuriken cleanly in half.

'I could probably tank those explosive projectiles as I launched myself to the sky with Geppo, but this is somewhat fun, so I'll play along for a while,' I concluded with a wolfish grin as my ears picked up the sound of footsteps right behind me.

I turned around and swung my sword in the sound's direction, the blade of my sword meeting the attacker's katana in a deadlock, finally giving me the chance to have a good look at him.

They were wearing baggy ropes with red inscriptions that covered their entire bodies, a weird wolf's mask with particularly long ears and yellow eyes that seemed to stare into my very soul.

"How scary," I remark in a mocking tone as I cock my fist backward, getting ready to smash my attacker's face.

My opponent acts a little more quickly as he draws his free hand backward while opening the palm of said hand, giving me an unobstructed view of the threads attached to the black glove they're wearing.

I looked at this scene, and my eyes widened as I put more strength into my sword hand and, sending the assassin flying backward. I then turn around and punch the air while channeling my impact fist, sending the projectiles flying away.

However, my minor victory in this skirmish is short-lived as I feel something hitting my back and sticking to it and hear the unique hissing noise my attacker's bombs make before exploding.

'Crap. The guy must have stuck it my back when I sent him flying and turned around to face the incoming projectiles,' I thought as I activated Tekkai since the bastard stuck the bomb on my back, and trying to reach for it would only make me look like an idiot.

The bomb exploded without causing me any damage, but that was not the end, as the assassin took advantage of my inability to move while using Tekkai and charged at me, sword in hand.

The assassin closed the distance between us a fraction of a second after the bomb exploded and swung his blade horizontally at my torso, precisely the same time I deactivated Tekkai, leaving a long gash on my chest that didn't bleed thanks to my bleeding immunity.

The assassin's successful attack left his guard open in front of me, and I reacted swiftly as I buried an impact-fist powered punch in his abdomen, sending him flying.

"Rehahaha, you're the first person to injure me like this," I said while looking at the assassin, who was trying to get up as he coughed, blood leaking out of his mask.

"You are also the strongest opponent I have faced so far," the assassin talked in a muffled voice, making it hard to determine their gender.

"But this fight is already over," The assassin concluded, and the smoke, as if was waiting for these exact words, began dissipating, allowing the moonlight through giving me a clear view of the metallic threads surrounding me in all directions with explosive pouches attached to them.

"Rehahaha, you really are great. Wilson will be pissed when he hears I had such a good fight while he was doing god knows what," I remarked with a leisurely tone while eyeing the surroundings.

"You will have to get out of here alive to inform him of that first," the assassin stated as he began coughing violently, causing even more blood to leak from his mask.

I raised an eyebrow at that as I brought my sword to my side while focusing on the blade as I began to spin in place. I muttered "Revolving wheel" under my breath, causing a small cyclone comprising countless small flying slashes to appear with me at the center, cutting all wires and engulfing the explosive pouches as they exploded or hurling them away from me.

My opponent looked at this scene and stilled, shaking his head a second later, as he adjusted himself to sit in a seiza posture while sheathing his katana and placing it on his lab.

"What's the meaning of this?" I said in a questioning tone as I raised my eyebrow while looking at the assassin's actions.

"If I'm going to die, then I'd rather not die as a coward with a scar on my back," the assassin answered in a defeated tone while shaking his head.

"An honorable assassin, how touching. It's almost enough to bring a tear to my eye," I remarked sardonically with a blank expression on my face.

"I've thrown away my honor to live and accomplish my goals, but I'd like to die with what little honor I still have intact, at least," The assassin stated again while chuckling bitterly, causing even more blood to leak from his mask.

'Didn't Zoro say something like that when Mihawk defeated him the first time?' I thought, while looking at the assassin. 'unfortunately, I'm no Mihawk, and this guy is no Zoro,' I thought with a shake of my head as I made my way towards him.

'Under other circumstances, I'd let him go, but this is probably the assassin Laffite said came in contact with Obbi or whatever his name is. Killing this be a good way to warn him about fucking with me again,' I concluded as I finally reached the assassin.

"Any last words?" I asked, as that was the least I could do for the guy after he gave such a good fight.

"I have no regrets," the assassin concluded as he raised his head to look at me, the creepy yellow eyes of his mask meeting my expressionless eyes.

I nodded while looking down at the assassin as I raised my sword, preparing to swing it sideways, to cleanly cut the assassin's head and end his life without causing him any suffering.

Third-person point of view:

In a dark ally nearby stood a large, round figure, obscured by the shadows as he watched Johnny make his way towards the assassin.

"The two variables to our plan just finished their fights, and one of them is about to get rid of the other," the figure said as he brought a transponder snail to his mouth.

"How boring. I was hoping to fight both of them before we finished our mission, but I guess I can kill the survivor later, gyahaha," Came the reply from the transponder snail with a laugh at the end.

"That's fine, but make sure not to cause a commotion like you always do, chabababa," the round figure replied while laughing a little more loudly than he should.

Johnny's point of view:

I halt my actions as I hear a sound of strange laughter coming from one of the alleys nearby. 'Looks like some in is spying on us, probably Obbi or someone working for him,' I deduct as I lower my sword and hold my gun with the other, firing three bullets at the source of the sound, causing the soon-to-be-executed assassin to tilt his in confusion at my actions.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

None of the bullets hit, but I could hear the sound of the eavesdropper's footsteps as he flees the scene.

"Never mind that," I said to the confused assassin while looking at the symbol of two crossed swords tattooed on his neck, which I only noticed now, thanks to his tilted head giving me an unobstructed view of the side of his neck.

"More importantly, what the hell is a member of the Shimotsuki clan doing here, so far away from Wano country?" I ask as I swing my sword horizontally at the assassin's mask, splitting it in half and revealing his, no her face. (Author's note: I bet you didn't see that coming, did you?)

-0-

"How do you know about Wano country and the Shimotsuke clan?" The assassin asked as her mask fell to the ground in two pieces, revealing long green hair and a pair of black eyes wide in shock.

"I have my ways. Now, answer my question," I replied in a grave tone, trying to hide my shock at the assassin's looks.

"It's nothing but the story of a dead woman. I don't see how that would interest you," the green-haired assassin replied firmly, shaking her head.

"I will not kill you now that I know where you came from," I stated with a sigh, and she raised an eyebrow, doubt apparent in her eyes. "Very well, actions speak louder than words, so I'll take you to a doctor to show my goodwill first," I concluded while rubbing my temples, feeling the start of headache at this situation.

The green head tried to say something, but I interrupted her by picking her up in princess carry and began making my way towards a doctor's clinic with a chain of Soru steps.

Third person's point of view:

The ground where Johnny and the assassin just had their fight began to wiggle, revealing a giant face from underneath.

"Muu, boys are so violent. To think that mean boy would beat such a cute girl to the point of making her cough blood," the owner of the giant face said in a whiny feminine voice, then dived back into the ground as it wiggled and mended back to it's original shape.

Johnny's point of view:

"You bastard, you've already defeated me. Why must you shame me like this," she said with an outraged voice at the way I handled her.

"I would have picked you up and put my shoulder if not for your injured organs, so bear with it until we reach the doctor," I said as I looked down at her with a smirk.

"You speak as if the alternative is better than this!" she replied with a tick mark on her forehead. "Whatever, it's my fault for losing. Do whatever you want. You pervert," she added with a sigh as she turned her head to the side with a blush.

"The only pervert here is you, lady," I said as the veins on my forehead began bulging. "I'm trying to save your life by taking you to a doctor, and you're thinking about that kind of thing," I stated while contemplating just dropping her here right here and going back to the black pearl.

"You probably want me to be healthy so you can do this and that to me without worrying about me dying halfway through," she remarked as she covered her head in shame. "I've read a lot of stories about female samurais and kunoichis kidnapped by rogues like you. Your honeyed words cannot fool me, pervert," she concluded as she removed her hands from her face and pointed her index finger while wiggling her body, making her private spots dangerously close to touching my arms.

"I'm not even going to waste words on you anymore," I stated, as my eyes began to twitch from irritation while looking down on the pervert in my arms, ignoring her for the rest of the trip.

The green-haired pervert kept spouting nonsense, even as I ignored her. But luckily we arrived at a clinic after only five minutes, and I hastily made my way inside, trying to get there before I lost my patience.

"Please treat this pervert so I can beat her to an inch of her life, again," I remarked while looking at the doctor who was about to close his clinic, with intense eyes, making it clear that he wasn't going home until he did something about the injured pervert in my hands.

The doctor looked like he wanted to object, but he shook his head and hastily unlocked the door he just locked after one look at my eyes. "Please, come inside," he said with a sheepish tone as he entered his clinic, causing me to follow him with the green-haired pervert, who was surprisingly quite still in my hands.

"Please put the perver- I mean the young lady on the bed over there," the doctor instructed with an even more sheepish tone, and I obliged as I put down the green-haired pervert on the bed.

I then made way for the doctor and stood aside, watching him go about checking up on the green-haired menace for fifteen minutes until he stopped and took a step back with a thoughtful expression.

"This young lady's injuries are peculiar, to say the least. There is no external damage, but her insides are a mess. Internal bleeding, fractured bones, and a damaged lung," the doctor said while rubbing his head in thought.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it's all very interesting. Now hurry up and do something about it. I don't have all night," I urged while looking at the doctor.

The doctor chuckled while nodding in embarrassment as he went into a cabinet and retrieved two pouches. "These are pills that will stop the internal bleeding," He said while holding one of the pouches. "And these will promote regeneration to hasten her healing process," the doctor added as he offered one pill of each type to a green-headed pervert along with a glass of water.

"She should be as good as new with two weeks of rest as long as she takes this medicine three times a day," he concluded, watching the green menace take the offered pills and swallow them.

"Thank you, doctor," she said after swallowing the pills, causing the doctor to nod with a smile.

"How much do you have of those pills? I'll take as much as you can spare," I said to the doctor, as such medicines will be helpful to my crew in the long run.

"I can only give you ten pouches of each as I need the rest to treat people who will come after you," the doctor stated in a firm tone while looking me in the eye.

"Fine," I remarked as I raised an eyebrow in amusement at this seemingly cowardly doctor's act of resolve, causing him to sigh in relief as he went into the cabinet, getting twenty more pouches and offering them to me.

"You're injured too. Let me take a look at that wound on your chest," the doctor said while looking at the gash on my chest.

"Thanks, Doc, but I'll be just fine," I said with a smile as I took the pouches and stuffed them into my tattered backpack.

"Let's go, perverted woman," I said as I took out a stack of bills that had at least fifty thousand berries and then picked up the green head, vanishing from the clinic and leaving a dumbfounded doctor behind.

I took the perverted green head and made my way to the black pearl to resume questioning her about her background, and she was thankfully quiet during the trip, seemingly deep in thought.

It didn't take me long to reach the docks, and Wilson was the first to notice my presence. "Hey, look, Laffite, Johnny is back with another weird chick," He said while waving his hands and looking at Laffite, who was playing cards with bob.

"What do you mean, another? I'm not a weird chick," Elly said as she elbowed Wilson in his side while pouting, causing him to laugh while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"That's right, Wilson. You shouldn't call possible crewmates weird chicks," Laffite said with a chuckle.

"The number of punks just keeps increasing, just great," Bob said with a sigh as he shook his head.

"I hope she ends up joining. I won't have to be the newcomer anymore that way," Byron said as he wiped his sweat and put aside the axe he was swinging at the air in practice.

"Don't get your hopes up just yet," I said with a smile. "I brought this woman here to ask her some questions before we can talk about anything else," I concluded as I took her to one of the empty rooms.

"I think I've proven that I have no intention of killing you. Now it's time for you to show some goodwill too and talk," I said as I put on the greenhead on a bed while taking out a bottle of concentrated poison from my backpack.

"So be it. Ask, and I will answer," the green-haired assassin replied cooperatively with a defeated sigh.

"Let's start with your name," I said as I opened the bottle and gulped its contents, causing the gash on my chest to wiggle as it mended itself. "I'm Johnny, by the way, but I'm sure you already know that," I concluded while touching the wound on my chest that was healing at a visible rate.

"My name is Shimotsuke (family) Kozue (first)," the green-haired woman, Kozue, replied while looking at my healing wound with apparent astonishment in her eyes. "But more importantly, what is that miraculous medicine you consumed just now?" She asked wide-eyed.

"It's not medicine. It's a poison," I remarked as I walked into a plant and let a drop of what little remained of the liquid poison fall on it, causing the poor plant's leaves to turn black as it wilts and dies immediately.

"I have a unique physique that turns poison into a healing agent," I concluded with a shrug. "Now, back to the questions. What are you doing here in west blue, so far away from Wano country?" I asked.

"I fled the country with our family's last retainer after my father's death at the hands of the tyrant occupying our country and his puppet shogun," she replied with a sad sigh.

'She's not lying, but she's not telling me everything, like the fact she probably didn't flee with just the retainer, but thats ok too. I didn't expect her to tell me everything from the beginning,' I thought with an internal smirk.

"Was your father Shimotsuki Ushimaru or Yasuie?" I asked with a nod at her previous answer.

"My father was Shimotsuki Ushimaru," she replied with a raised eyebrow. "How do you know so much about Wano country?" Kozue asked with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"I used to work at intelligence gathering. It's only natural that I know what normal people don't," I Lied with no shame whatsoever while smirking at her.

"Now, for the most important question. Why did you come after me?" I asked with a grave voice while looking her in the eye.

"I wanted to offer your head to the joker as a way to get close to him and possibly join his family," Kozue replied with a sigh.

"You do know that the joker is a subordinate of Kaido, who is occupying Wano country, in everything but name, don't you? I asked the green head in an amused voice with a raised eyebrow.

"I know that. I wanted to get close enough to the joker, to assassinate him and weaken Kaido," she replied, causing me to chuckle at how weird this whole situation is.

"That's the reason I threw away my honor and became an assassin, to weaken Kaido as much as possible from outside Wano country before the day of the final battle," Kozue concluded as she clenched her fists hard enough for her knuckles to turn white.

'Is this fate? Or is it the ROB who sent me here at work?' I think while looking at the green-haired Kozue.

-0-

"Weaken Kaido, huh?" I asked in amusement while looking at the green-haired girl. "Is that enough for you, Shimotsuke Kozue? How boring," I asked in a mocking voice with a snort of disdain.

"Kaido is a monster who even defeated lord, Oden. What can someone like me supposed to do to him other than pitifully trying to weaken his forces?" Kozue asked while glaring at me.

"I might be an honorless loser, but you have no right to mock the resolve I've lived with for so many years!" Kozue added, shouting as she tried to get off her bed and lunge at me, causing her to stagger while coughing blood again.

"I have all the right to mock such a feeble resolve because I'm the man who will take down Kaido in the future," I stated with a smirk, watching as Kozue stilled with wide eyes for a good couple of seconds.

"Did you not hear what I just said? Kaido is a monster who is called the world's strongest creature. There is nothing a mere bounty hunter from west blue can do to him!" Kozue shouted while pointing her index finger at me, seemingly outraged at how carelessly I've been talking about taking down Kaido.

"Kaido Is just a guy who sits around on his ass doing nothing other than drinking all day while I'm aiming to become the strongest in the world," I said, my smirk not leaving my face. "I'm only sixteen years old, and I can already fight a Marine vice admiral. Give me two, no three years, and I'll be able to kick Kaido's ass all over the new world," I concluded with a shrug, still smirking, causing her to lower her head, deep in thought.

"Instead of betting on some samurais that could already be dead, why don't you bet on me instead, Shimotsuke Kozue?" I asked as I stretched my hand to her, the smirk leaving my face replaced by an earnest expression.

"Can you... can you really take down Kaido?" Kozue asked as she raised her head to look me in the eye, her expression a mixture of hesitation, caution, and hope.

"Of course I can. It's just a matter of time!" I stated confidently with a smile, my hand still stretched in her direction.

"Very well, then I will bet my life on your resolve, Johnny silver hand," Kozue said with resolve in her eyes. "But if ever feel your resolve waver or wane before you take down Kaido, then I will leave with no hesitation," The green head added as she reached her hand and clasped mine in a firm handshake.

"So, with that out of the way. Why do you want to take down Kaido, anyway?" Kozue asked after taking back her hand as she tilted her head.

"Because I want to be the world's strongest man!" I replied, my usual smirk coming back to my face.

"If you're aiming to be the world's strongest man, then shouldn't you be going after whitebeard instead?" Kozue asked, seemingly confused at my choice of target.

"Whitebeard is an old man with one foot already in the grave. Taking him down will prove nothing," I replied with a sigh.

In truth, I didn't want to go after white beard because I really like the guy. The world's strongest man? More like the most wholesome man in the world.

You have a guy who can wipe out entire islands by punching the air, and what does he do with that power? He gathers all the misfits and outcasts he can find in a pirate crew and treats them like his sons.

When one of his sons stabs him in the chest, what does he do? He embraces said son while telling him that he still loves him regardless of his foolishness.

He's supposed to be one of the wealthiest people alive, but he steals his sons' drinks because he spends all of the money he gathers to improve the lives of the people living on the island where he grew up. The same island where he grew up as a starving street orphan with no family or a home to call his own.

I'd need to be a special kind of asshole to go after him, but there's no need for anyone to know the real reason.

"You are a strange man, Johnny silver hand, no captain," Kozue said with a smile while shaking her head.

"Rehahaha, That I am," I replied with a laugh. "Anyway, I'll leave you to rest now. The rest of the crew will come and introduce themselves in a while," I added as I turned around and left the room.

"How did it go, captain?" Laffite asked as soon as I set foot on the deck without turning around to look at me, seemingly focused on his card game with Bob.

"Look like we have a new crewmate," I replied with a smirk. "Her name is Kozue. If you want to know more about her, you'll have to ask her yourself, but give her some time to rest first," I concluded with a smile, making my way towards my favorite spot on the black pearl's prow.

"My mother told me Someday I would buy," I began singing to myself while looking at the moon.

"It looks like Johnny is going to sing a song. It's been a while," Wilson said with a smile as he made his way to the bow.

"Oh, the captain's singing! I've been waiting to hear it personally!" Byron said as he followed Wilson.

The rest of the crew didn't say anything, but they also made their way to the bow. Bob and Laffite even brought their cards with them.

"Gally with, good oars, sail to distant shores," I kept going while looking at my companions swarming the bow with an amused smile.

"Stand up on the prow, noble Parque, I steer... "

-0-

Third person's point of view:

Somewhere in kano country, in a large room with no furniture.

"Fukurou, you idiot, not only did you reveal your presence to the person you were supposed to watch, even the report provided about the variables killing each other is false," said a dark-skinned man, with a Fu Manchu mustache, a pointed goatee, and long hair braided in a thick queue, that somewhat resembles a scorpion's tail while looking at the large round man, who was peeking at Johnny's fight earlier.

"Yoi Yoi, you must not blame our friend, Jabra. I will do it. I will commit seppuku and take responsibility for this failure," said a very tall man with large hands and a huge mane of pink hair, as he kneeled on the ground and took out a katana seemingly from nowhere.

"Seppuku Tekkai," the pink-haired, tall man shouted as he tried to plunge the sword into his guts, but the blade bounced off his stomach with a metallic clang as he used Tekkai to protect himself, in a seemingly unconscious action.

"Why can I not die?" The pink-haired man shouted in an anguished voice without moving from his posture of stabbing himself with the sword as tears began leaking from his eyes.

"I wish you'd hurry up and die, you fucking idiot," Jabra said in an irritated voice as a bulging vein appeared on his forehead.

"Perhaps I was saved by my mother, who is in heaven," the pink-haired man said as he raised his head to look at the ceiling. "Thank you, mother," he shouted, tears still gushing out of his eyes.

"Kumadori, your mother is...?" Jabra said with tears in his eyes as he kneeled in front of Kumadori. "Oh, Jabra, do you understand how I feel?" Kumadori asked as he lowered his face to look at Jabra.

"Despite being rude just now. I understand all too well-" Jabra said, pausing as he wiped a tear. "-The pain of losing a loved one,' Jabra concluded as tears began falling from his eyes like a waterfall.

"Mother!" Kumadori said as he embraced Jabra. "I'm sorry," Replied Jabra as he hugged his anguished friend back.

"The hell are you two doing?" Said a bored-looking Fukurou as he looked at his two companions' shenanigans.

-0-

Johnny's point of view:

'Last night sure was fun,' I think to myself while yawning as I stretch, waking up from a well-deserved night of sleep. I spent last night singing, drinking, and even playing cards with my companions, calling it a day when everyone was too tired to stay awake.

I yawn one last time as I stand up, picking up my coat and making my way to the upper deck.

"Morning," I murmur to Bob as I pass by the kitchen to pick up my breakfast while on my way to find Laffite.

I had already finished my meal by the time I found Laffite. "Did you already introduce yourself to our new crewmate?" I ask with a smile as I watch him go out of Kozue's room.

"Yes, captain. I think she'll be a very valuable addition to the crew once her wounds heal," He replies with a smile of his own. "You sure did a number on her with that technique of yours," Laffite adds with a raised eyebrow.

"Give me a break, will you?" I say in a sheepish voice while chuckling in embarrassment. "I was fully intent on killing her back then. I didn't think she'd end-joining us," I say while rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Oh, you mean back when you didn't know she's a woman?" Laffite replies sardonically with a rare blank expression, and I freeze wide-eyed at his replies, causing him to start laughing with a shit-eating grin. "Just kidding, captain," He explains with a smile.

"You've been spending too much time with Wilson," I say with a bitter smile while shaking my head. "But that's fine too, as long as you light up a little and stop being so serious all the time," I concluded with a genuine smile as I lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"Anyway, I've been looking for you because I want you to do something for me, Laffite," I say with a serious voice after a second's pause, causing Laffite's expression to turn serious as well.

"I want you to arrange a meeting for me with Don Chinjao, the leader of the Happo navy," I explain, and Laffite nods at my words. "This is very important, so get it done regardless of the method as long as you don't end up ruffling the geezer's feathers,"

"A lot of my plans and goals for the future would be much easier to achieve if this meeting goes well, so I'm counting on you," I added, emphasizing the importance of the task.

"Very well, Captain. I'll begin working on this task immediately," Laffite replies with a nod and an assuring smile as he turns around, jumping off the ship and disappearing into the crowds on the dock.

'Damn, that's cool. I'll have to ask Laffite to teach how he disappears like that, one day,' I think with a smirk as I watch Laffite disappear into the crowds.

-0-

"Might as well make myself busy until Laffite gets back," I murmur to myself. "But first..." I add as I make my way towards Wilson, Ely, and Byron, who are having breakfast.

"Once you guys finish your breakfast, make your way to the city and fish for information about wanted people," I say as I stop in front of them. "This could be our last chance to claim some bounties, so we might as well take full advantage of it," I concluded with a serious expression.

"I was getting bored, so a little practice is in order anyway," Wilson said with a smirk as he began eating his meal at a much faster pace.

"Oh, is it finally time to raise the black captain? Leave information gathering for me!" Elly said while flexing her biceps, trying to look, but it only makes her look cute in my eyes, causing me to smile.

"Oh, finally, a chance for me to show my worth," Byron said with a smirk, copying Wilson's action as he began devouring his meal.

"How dependable," I remark with a smile. "Take out any wanted people you might find, but try to avoid causing property damage," I instruct while looking at Wilson to make it clear that I directed these words at him.

"Try to work away from the docks. I have a feeling that Obbi guy would try to make trouble for us if we conduct our business near his turf," I concluded with a frown, causing my companions to nod, except Wilson, who merely looks annoyed.

"Can't we just kill the guy and be done with it?" Wilson asked with a scowl, still devouring his meal.

"His time will come, sooner or later, but until then, let him have his fun," I reply with a smile that didn't reach my eyes, causing Wilson to smirk wolfishly.

"Anyway, I need to work on my Tekkai, so I'll leave you guys to finish your breakfast," I stated as I turned around and made my way to the center of the deck.

My fight against Kozue last night had reminded me of the Tekkai technique's weakness. Tekkai is a fairly useful skill, but I Will have to overcome its weakness of not being able to move if I plan to continue using it in the future.

I quickly make my way to the middle of the black pearl's deck and activate Tekkai after taking a deep breath. The technique comes naturally to me as I feel my muscles all over my body, becoming tougher and more resistant to damage.

'Let's try to brute force it first,' I think as I begin straining my muscles, trying to move while Tekkai is active.

I begin by putting strength into my arms, trying to move them, which fails to accomplish that, so I begin to gradually escalate the strength I pour into them.

I kept increasing the strength I put into my arms little by little until the process became too painful for me to continue, with no success, so as not to injure myself.

'I didn't expect the brute force approach to work anyway," I think to myself while shaking my head with a sigh. 'But it would have been the easiest and fastest way if it actually worked,'

'No matter, I'll just have to spend more time to master it by mixing Kami-e with Tekkai,' I conclude with a smile as I release the technique, activating it again after a deep breath.

'I'll have to start small by trying to move a finger first,' I think to myself as I activate Kami-e and focusing on the joints of my index finger, trying to soften the muscles on it gradually until I can move it.

I soften the muscles little by little while trying to move the finger to figure out the limit and not compromise the harness of the joints more than necessary to move it.

I take five minutes of that to finally become capable of twitching my finger. 'So, this way works. Now I only have to figure the exact amount of softening required to achieve unhindered movement and then apply it to the rest of my body,' I concluded as I began doing just that.

I Spend another half an hour to move all of my fingers simultaneously, so I move on to my wrist, and to my utter exasperation, I find out the Different joints require different amounts of softening to move.

'I guess it won't be that easy. Not only do I have to figure out how much every joint needs to be to move, but I'll also have to get used to applying Kami-e to different parts of my body with varying levels of effectiveness,' I concluded with a sigh.

'well, no one said this will be easy, and this will be very useful for me in the future,' I think to myself as I shake my head to drive away from the negative feelings as I get back to training.

-0-

Third person's point of view:

"It's already getting dark, so we should call it a day and head back to the ship," Wilson said to Elly and Byron while looking at the darkening sky above.

"I agree, we can hunt down more bounties tomorrow, but to think Obbi guy was lying about the thirty percent cut we had to offer to Kano country, I really want to beat up that piece of shit," Byron said with a scowl.

"Yea, he wasn't even trying to be subtle about it, going as far tripling the original ten percent. I want to put a bullet or two in the bastard's ass too," Elly added with an angry expression while caressing the barrel of the rifle resting on her shoulder.

"If there's one thing I hate, then it's weakling using the strength of others to threaten their betters, so even I want to tear the lump of shit's limbs," Wilson said with a sigh. "But you heard Johnny, we just have to ignore the bastard for now and deal with him later," He concluded with a shrug.

"I know, I know," Elly remarked with a roll of her eyes. "But to think we managed to gather two and a half million Berry in just one day, this place sure is swarming with wanted people," she added with a smile.

"There was nothing but small fries with low bounties, but they at least made up for it in numbers," Wilson remarked with a bored tone.

Elly was about to reply to Wilson, but she stopped herself, as her eyes sharpened as they moved to the rooftops surrounding them, from left and right.

"Two people are watching us from the rooftops, and there's a guy making his way towards us on the street. He might be their companion," Elly said in a hushed voice, causing Wilson to smile, while Byron merely frowned.

"We already know they're there, so we might as well see what they're up to," Wilson said with a shrug, causing Elly and Byron to nod after some hesitation.

Soon enough, the man on the street was within viewing distance. "Excuse me, but do you happen to know a good bar close by?" said the man with a hiccup, as he played with fu Manchu mustache, seemingly drunk.

"Oh, you seem to be quite drunk already. Go home," Wilson said with a shrug, approaching the seemingly drunk man.

"Oh, how considerate," said the drunk man while looking at the approaching Wilson with a hidden smirk. "Ten Finger Guns," the drunkard, Jabra, shouted at the top of his lungs, his hands shooting at Wilson's face as soon as the latter came within striking distance.

The two men hiding at the rooftops, Kumadori and Fukurou, took that as their sign to make their moves, dropping from their spots and charging at Elly and Byron.

"Super Cartwheel: Tekkai Ball," Fukurou shouted as he jumped into the air, morphing his body into a ball and activating Tekkai while launching himself at Byron with Geppo.

"Shishi Kebab (Lion Kebab)," Kumador shouted as he landed on the ground with his hands stretched forward, his staff turning red as he pointed it at Elly, thrusting it repeatedly and launching a small fireball with each thrust.

-0-

Wilson reacted quickly, catching both of Jabra's hands by the wrists and cocking his head backward as he slammed his forehead into Jabra's nose, sending him flying.

Meanwhile, Elly dodged the upcoming fireballs with a Soru step, appearing a little distance away from kumadori as she threw a stick of lit dynamite sticks at him, shooting them as soon as they were close to him, causing the dynamite to explode.

Byron, however, merely jumped backward to avoid the attack, causing Fukurou to hit nothing as he impacted the ground with a loud bang, leaving a large circular crater in the middle of the street.

Byron then quickly reacted, charging at Fukurour, who was still disoriented from the impact with his two axes. Fukurou, however, managed to shake off the dizziness at the last second and blocked Byron's two axes with his hands as he activated Tekkai, but he was still sent flying, and crashed into a wall, toppling it in the process despite his defense.

"I'll take care of the guy with the ridiculous mustache. You two take care of the others, or keep them busy until I'm done with my guy, so I can take care of those two as well," Wilson said with a provocative smirk, causing both Elly and Byron to scowl at him.

Wilson VS Jabra:

"That ought to clear that head of yours from alcohol," Wilson said while watching Jabra who he sent flying, causing him to crash into a carriage filled with fruits that were covered by a simple piece of cloth.

"It looks like this is going to be more fun than I thought. You even got past my Tekkai," Jabra said as he wiped a silver of blood leaking from his forehead while getting up from the wrecked carriage.

"It will definitely be fun, if you consider being beaten to death a fun activity," Wilson replied sardonically while looking at Jabra, his provocative smirk still on his face.

"You sure talk, big guy," Jabra said as he transformed into his wolf hybrid form. "Let's see if your fists are as big as your mouth," he concluded as he lunged at Wilson with a Soru step, his hands outstretched, showcasing his sharp claws.

Wilson's eye flashed as he turned to look at the side, his hands moving at incredible speeds, guarding his side against Jabra's claws, causing them to bounce off his arms with a metallic clang.

The toughness of Wilson's skin seemed to have taken Jabra by surprise, causing him to stop moving with his eyes wide open in shock and giving Wilson a chance to counter-attack.

Wilson reacted quickly, cocking his fist backward and punching towards Jabra's face with all of his strength, intending to finish the fight then and there, but Jabra gathered back his wits at the last second, launching himself into the air with a geppo step.

"Moonlight Ten Finger Guns," Jabra shouted as he plunged downwards, with his claws aimed at Wilson's open back, increasing his momentum with Geppo as he did so.

Wilson received the attack on his back with a grunt as the claws couldn't get through his skin, causing Jabra to push himself forward with more Geppo steps to increase the force of his attack and penetrate Wilson's skin.

Wilson sensed Jabra's intention and morphed into his hybrid human form, causing two arms to grow out of his sides as half of his body became covered in thick, silver fur.

Wilson then strained the muscles on his back and violently jerked backward, causing Jabra to go flying backward, spinning in the air.

"I felt that one a little bit," Wilson said while watching the spinning Jabra right his posture and land on the ground, sliding backward with a lowered stance as he planted his claws into the ground to stop himself.

'It looks like I bit off more than I can chew this time,' Jabra thought with cold sweat running through the side of his head. 'I'll have to keep this guy busy until Kumadori and Fukurou finish off their opponents and help me against this monster,' he concluded.

"Rankyaku: Wolf Swarm," Jabra shouted as he kicked in Wilson's direction, sending four wolf shaped flying slashes at Wilson, who received them with his four hands, one hand for each wolf, and sent them to the side, causing them to explode as they impacted the wall of a building in their way.

'How boring. I'll quickly finish this guy, so I can be ready to help Elly and Byron if necessarily,' Wilson thought with a sigh, vanishing as he used soru and appearing in front of Jabra, who hastily used Tekkai with eyes wide open in shock.

Wilson noticed his use of Tekkai, but he didn't seem concerned as he sent Jabra flying upwards into the air with an uppercut to the jaw, disorienting him and forcing him to shake his head to clear away the dizziness in the air.

By the time Jabra gathered his wits again, Wilson was already right above him in the air, two hands holding him in a gorilla hug restricting his movements, and the other two bashings at his face, as Wilson turned them around in the air so that they would fall headfirst into the ground while using Geppo to increase their momentum.

"Meteor Strike," Wilson exclaimed with a smirk while looking Jabra in the eyes, enjoying the apparent panic in them as he continuously pummeled Jabra's face with his fists.

"You bastard, How the hell can you use the six-" That was Jabra could say before his head impacted the ground with a fiery explosion.

"Oh, You're still alive? I guess that's the toughness That Johnny said Zoan users have," Wilson said with some amusement in his voice while looking at the Battered, bloodied, and unconscious form of Jabra.

"Well, whatever. Stay mutt," Wilson said with a firm tone while pointing his index finger at the unconscious Jabra as if talking to a dog, turning around to check on his two companions' fights.

"You guys need some help?" Wilson asked with a bored tone while looking at Elly and Byron fighting their opponents.

""NO!"" They both shouted in unison, without turning around to look at Wilson, causing him to chuckle in amusement.

-0-

Earlier.

Elly VS Kumadori:

"Shishi Kebab (Lion Kebab)," Kumador shouted as he landed on the ground with his hands stretched forward, his staff turning red as he pointed it at Elly, thrusting and launching a small fireball with each thrust.

Elly dodged the upcoming fireballs with a Soru step, appearing a little distance away from kumadori as she threw a stick of lit dynamite sticks at him, shooting them as soon as they were close to him, causing the dynamite to explode.

Elly looked at the smoke with a frown on her face as her superior hearing picked up on the sounds of movement from the smoke, causing her to raise her rifle and fire several shots at the source of sounds.

Elly's frown deepened at the metallic clangs coming from the smoke as her bullets hit the target, causing her to raise her rifle again while waiting for the smoke to clear.

The smoke cleared, revealing a lump of pink hair that parted on the front, revealing the unscathed form of kumadori as he shouted, "YOYOi," with a hand stretched in front of him while the other held his staff sideways behind his head.

"That was a close call, young lady, but such things will not work against a sage, like me, YOYOI," Kumadori said while jumping backward on one leg, still in his ridiculous stance with one hand in front of him and the other holding the staff as he did so.

"Please tell my mother in heaven that I am in good health so that she stops worrying about me after this fight is over," Kumadori exclaimed, with tears in his eyes.

"Kami Shibari (Hair Bind)," Kumadori shouted and brought his arms together to hold his staff with both of them, causing several locks of his hair to lengthen and shoot in Elly's direction.

Elly looked at this and threw several knives aimed at Kumadori's chest between the gaps of his hair and vanished, appearing right behind Kumadori again as she retrieved her coach gun and shot him in the back.

Kumadori was taken by surprise with her sudden attacks, as he was focused on the knives thrown in his direction from the front and didn't have time to avoid the coach gun's blast or activate Tekkai.

The coach gun's blast Kumadori square in the back, fracturing several backbones and sending him flying towards the knives as he began coughing blood through gritted teeth.

Kumadori looked at the knives shooting in his direction and activated Kami-e to dodge them, bending his body in unnatural ways as the knives moved by his body without touching him.

Looking at this scene, Elly didn't stay still while watching him dodge the knives as she raised her rifle and began firing bullets at Kumadori's back, hitting him and causing him to grunt in pain as Blood began flowing from the bullet wounds on his back.