Six Master's real name was Qin Liu, one of the two leaders of the Sabaody Archipelago's underground markets. He was nicknamed Short-Limbed Six because of his past experience consuming the Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, which had transformed him into a short-limbed tiger form.
Ever since he saw Eli Winters and his group ruthlessly take down a gang on the streets today, Short-Limbed Six had been uneasy. As one of the heads of Sabaody's underworld, he knew exactly who Eli and his companions were. Through certain special channels, he had even learned why their bounties had skyrocketed this time. Fear gnawed at him he was terrified that Eli would come looking for trouble.
In the past, the underworld's impression of Eli was one of unrestrained brutality. Anyone who fell into his hands never had a good outcome. The group acted with complete disregard for authority, killing without hesitation whether it was Celestials or Navy admirals. Now that they had arrived in Sabaody, there was no guarantee they wouldn't turn their attention to him.
So, he had instructed his men to lay low for a while, avoid unnecessary trouble, and even recalled his top fighters back to headquarters. Exhausted after overseeing everything, Short-Limbed Six collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep without noticing.
Sometime later, a sudden commotion outside woke him.
Rubbing his groggy head, he opened his mouth to shout at the noise.
At that moment, one of his subordinates burst in, panicked, shouting, "Master Six! It's bad! Someone's broken in!"
Short-Limbed Six jolted awake, his face darkening. "Did you see who it was?"
"I… I haven't had a chance to check yet. I came straight to report," the subordinate stammered.
"Let's go, we'll see for ourselves," Short-Limbed Six said, throwing a robe over his shoulders.
As he approached the door, he returned briefly to retrieve an ornate pistol from a cabinet near the bow of the ship. After a quick inspection, he strapped it to his waist and commanded, "Let's go."
Stepping outside, he was greeted by a horrifying scene. Smoke hung thick in the air. Gunfire and screams filled every corner.
Short-Limbed Six's expression darkened. This was the place he had built over decades, and now it was being destroyed. Anger surged, yet what he saw next made his blood run cold.
A massive black-and-white bear, easily over five meters tall, tore through his men like a ghost, wielding a colossal coiled-dragon staff. Each swing sent shivers down the spine, leaving death and grievous injury in its wake.
The sight froze Short-Limbed Six in place. Fear and despair consumed him. But in a split second, a decision seemed to crystallize in his mind. Clenching his teeth, he spun and bolted in another direction like a phantom, not daring to look back.
His subordinate, shocked by the sudden chaos, hesitated. But seeing his master vanish into the distance, he finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly followed.
After a tense chase, the subordinate gasped, "Master Six, where are we going?"
Short-Limbed Six paused briefly, his eyes betraying a complex mix of hesitation and resolve. Then, without a word, his right hand shot out like lightning, transforming into a razor-sharp claw aimed directly at his subordinate's heart.
With a sickening "squelch," the claw tore through flesh. Blood spurted across Short-Limbed Six's face, making his already fearsome expression even more horrifying. He crushed the heart in his grasp until it burst, silencing his subordinate instantly.
Without emotion, Short-Limbed Six muttered, "Don't blame me. Only by killing you can I escape safely."
He tossed the body aside and dashed off into the darkness. A veteran of the underworld, he knew how to protect himself in critical moments, leaving multiple contingencies that only a few were aware of. The subordinate he had just killed was one of the few who knew too much, so he had no choice but to eliminate him.
After running for seven or eight minutes, he arrived at a nondescript room. Approaching a stone pillar, he pressed it three times. A cabinet door swung open. He pulled a keyring from his pocket, selected a key, and turned it. A hidden door in the wall opened, revealing a narrow tunnel descending underground.
He entered the tunnel without hesitation, arriving in a small subterranean space. The setup was rudimentary, containing only a peculiar, bubble-encased boat and a narrow, dimly lit passage.
He climbed into the one-person boat, which shivered slightly before launching into the dark tunnel.
Meanwhile, Eli, in the middle of transporting civilians, sensed a shift and smiled faintly.
After sending the civilians safely to Dragon's territory, Eli stepped out of the holding area. Outside, the shouts and screams had ceased. Big Pan and the others had clearly handled the rest.
Eli approached his team, seeing that, although covered in blood, no one was injured. He nodded in satisfaction.
"Boss, the people are safe?" Big Pan asked, wiping blood from his coiled staff.
"Yes, they're all gone," Eli said with a smile.
"That's great! We also cleared this area," Big Pan replied, grinning.
"Not quite," Eli said mysteriously.
"What? There are still stragglers? I didn't see anyone," Big Pan scratched his head in confusion.
"Watch this," Eli said with a flick of his hand. Space twisted, and a man in his fifties appeared, head bloodied and battered.
It was Short-Limbed Six, who had attempted to escape. He could not have imagined that Eli's spatial barrier extended dozens of meters downward. Colliding with it left him in his current miserable state.
Dizzy and confused, he barely registered what was happening before finding himself in front of Eli.
"Eli Winters!" Short-Limbed Six cried in horror.
"Heh, so you still recognize me. Tell me what's your name?" Eli said teasingly.
Short-Limbed Six forced a bitter smile, realizing there was no escape. "My name is Qin Liu. People on the street call me Master Six out of respect. Those who aren't on my good side can call me Short-Limbed Six."
Eli's lips curved slightly. "Honest of you."
"Can't play tricks on you, sir. My little schemes won't impress someone of your caliber," Qin Liu said, trying to curry favor.
Eli chuckled. "Fine. Since you're not playing games, I won't make it hard for you. So, tell me how do you want to die?"
Qin Liu knew tonight was the end. He composed himself and said, "Eli Winters, I want to fight you. I want to see the gap between us."
"Ha! You? Are you kidding me? You actually think you stand a chance?" Big Pan scoffed.
Fiona and the others also looked disdainful. Against Eli, Short-Limbed Six couldn't even land a blow.
Yet Qin Liu's gaze remained resolute. "Please allow me, sir."
Eli nodded calmly. "You don't get to challenge me, but my companion can face you. Kri, take him on. No mercy."
Kri, who had progressed a lot recently but never fought a proper opponent, would gain valuable experience here.
"Understood, Captain," Kri said, stepping forward with his Soul-Calming Flute in hand.
Eli and the others hovered above, clearing the arena for the duel.
Qin Liu's eyes flashed with disappointment at Eli not joining him, but the young Kri intrigued him. "Heh, Eli, killing me won't come without a cost."
Qin Liu struck first. As a Zoan Short-Limbed Tiger, his speed and strength were far beyond ordinary. He crouched slightly, claws extended, then lunged at Kri like a ferocious tiger.
Kri remained calm, creating bubble shields midair to slow Qin Liu's charge and firing bubble needles rapidly.
"Hmph, petty tricks," Qin Liu sneered, tearing through a few shields. The impact slowed him slightly but didn't deter his pursuit.
In the next moment, his expression changed. The bubble needles from behind were unavoidable, forcing him to abandon the charge and dodge like a phantom.
The needles struck the ground with explosive pops. Qin Liu's arm was grazed, but Kri's bubble armor shimmered like rippling water, making it difficult for Qin Liu's claws to break through.
He tried to strike Kri's head with his other claw, but Kri reacted quickly, swinging his bubble blade to slice him. Qin Liu screamed as he was sent flying.
He crashed to the ground and struggled to rise, but Kri pressed the advantage, raising his bubble blade to strike. There was no mercy for a slave trader with a trail of blood on his hands.
Suddenly, Qin Liu pulled a finely crafted pistol from his waist and shouted, "Little brat, die with me!"
Everyone froze. Just as Eli moved to intervene, Kri's head tilted, narrowly dodging the bullet.
A "pop" sounded. Qin Liu's head separated from his body.
Relief washed over everyone. Eli's lips curled slightly in a smile if he had seen correctly, Kri had just used Observation Haki.
Kri patted his chest, still shaken. Had the bullet not slowed for some inexplicable reason, he might have been finished.
"Are you okay, Kri?" Chiyo stepped forward with concern.
Blushing, Kri scratched his head. "I'm fine, just startled."
Seeing him safe, everyone relaxed.
Eli turned to Kri. "You just awakened Observation Haki, didn't you?"
"I… I'm not sure. Just before the bullet hit, I felt time slow down," Kri admitted.
"Then that's it. Spend the next few days honing that feeling; you'll fully master Observation Haki," Eli advised.
"Got it, Captain!" Kri said happily.
The team congratulated him.
"Time's short. We have another place to go," Eli said seriously.
Everyone's smiles faded. Without another word, the spatial gate opened, and Eli led the way.
As for Qin Liu's wealth, Eli had already collected it when sending the civilians to safety.