"A bunch of social dregs, maggots in human skin." Charlotte Linlin's voice turned completely cold, her final patience exhausted. Speaking even one more word to such people made her feel as if her ears were being soiled.
Wasting no more words, she swung the nodachi in her hand forward—
Vwoom!
A giant sword energy slash wrapped in ominous black lightning arcs out!
Everywhere the sword energy passed, space seemed to distort slightly.
The gold-robed monk still dreaming filthy dreams, and the dozens of leering warrior monks behind him, the expressions on their faces instantly froze.
Along with the weapons in their hands, the clothes on their bodies, and even their very existence, the moment they came into contact with the sword energy, they vanished completely like pencil marks erased by an eraser!
There were no screams, no flying flesh and blood, only a piece of thoroughly purified, empty ground.
"Fu... Taming Tiger Arhat and the others... disappeared?!"
The monks who luckily stood outside the range of the sword energy had the desire and greed on their faces instantly replaced by boundless fear.
Their weapons fell to the ground with a "clatter," their legs shaking like sieves, looking at Charlotte Linlin as if looking at a female God descended to the world, unable to muster the slightest courage to resist.
Charlotte Linlin, who cleared the field with one slash, didn't even look at those terrified small fry; she was now more concerned with the actual harvest.
"Where is your temple's treasure room, or rather, the place where valuable items like Devil Fruits are kept?"
Her cold gaze swept towards a young monk slumped on the ground with wet pants.
"At... at... at the 'Immaculate Golden Peak'! It's the tallest temple on the east side of the island!"
The monk was scared out of his wits, pointing at an exceptionally grand building on the east side of the island and screaming.
"Hmph!"
The huge blue Dragon Wings on Charlotte Linlin's back unfurled with a "whoosh," stirring up a gale as she soared into the sky, flying rapidly toward the "Immaculate Golden Peak."
Flying in mid-air and looking down at the chaotic temple filled with smoke, Charlotte Linlin noticed an unusual detail:
"Strange, since this 'Puttercloni' is a place for adopting orphans, why haven't I seen a single child's shadow?"
Her gaze swept over the panicked crowd below, which consisted entirely of adult monks and a few scantily clad, fearful women, with absolutely no sign of any children.
As her Observation Haki spread, Charlotte Linlin soon captured something unusual—
On the west side of the island, in a cluster of low, dilapidated houses that stood in stark contrast to this magnificent area, came a large number of weak, chaotic life signatures clearly belonging to children!
"So they're isolated in that kind of place..." Charlotte Linlin understood, and the last trace of doubt about these hypocritical temples vanished.
"Whatever, those children, leave them for the Marines who arrive later to handle."
Her gaze relocked onto the most dazzling "Immaculate Golden Peak" on the east side of the island.
However, at this moment, the area near the pure gold-roofed temple was already filled with smoke and dust, with the faint sounds of explosions and battle cries drifting over.
"Someone actually arrived before me? Is it Rocks?"
Charlotte Linlin's eyes narrowed, and her Dragon Wings flapped with a sudden burst of speed, turning her into a blue stream of light that broke through the air even faster.
When Charlotte Linlin flapped her Dragon Wings and arrived at the glittering "Immaculate Golden Peak," the ground below erupted into a violent vibration without warning!
This vibration did not come from an explosion, but was a deeper, more violent force, as if the entire island's foundation was being frantically shaken and torn by a pair of invisible giant hands!
————A brief rewind in time————
Just as Charlotte Linlin was clearing the small fry at the entrance, deep inside the "Immaculate Golden Peak," the treasure vault's door was already wide open.
"Move it all out!! This is truly an incredible amount! Good work, everyone, let's withdraw!!"
Shikaku, holding a transponder snail, led the way with a smirk on his face as his scheme succeeded.
Behind him, the executives of the Rocks Pirates—John, Byrnndi World, Xiong, Bakin, and the others—each carried at least three or four bulging giant sacks on their shoulders, filled with gold, jewelry, and Berries in cash.
Shikaku proudly boasted to his accomplices:
"This is the importance of intelligence! Idiots like Rocks and Linlin who only know how to use brute force are probably still outside struggling with those baldies right now! Ke-hehehe!"
"That... that money can't just be taken away by you!"
"That's... that's charitable funds meant for raising the children!"
A group of monks dressed more simply, who seemed to genuinely care for the orphans, tried to block them, but their weak strength was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot before the wolf-like pirate executives; they were easily knocked aside or kicked away.
Bakin mocked shrilly while nimbly avoiding obstacles:
"Lies! Look at this mountain of treasure! If it really went to the children, would there still be this much left here? You're just parasites lining your own pockets under the banner of charity!"
Rocks' group was unstoppable, breaking through with their staggering spoils of war.
"Purupurupuru!"
Just then, the transponder snail in Shikaku's hand suddenly rang, and a shout came from within:
"Hey! Shikaku! Quick! Lower the last ladder!! A few of us are still in the underground vault! What's the situation up there?!"
Shikaku picked his ear impatiently: "How troublesome... Shiki! Did you hear that? Get to work!"
Shiki, who was calculating how much treasure he would get, was stunned for a moment and then slapped his head: "Ah! Right! There are still a few idiots down there! I almost forgot about them!"
These two "caring" executives couldn't bear to see their comrades trapped in darkness.
Thus, Shiki "considerately" took action—
He pulled a cannonball from his coat, weighed it in his hand, and then casually tossed it down toward the only exit of the underground vault.
"Bye-bye, idiots~ Jiehahaha!"
Boom!!!
A muffled explosion came from underground, accompanied by faint roars and the sound of collapsing structures.
With his back to the explosion, Shiki excitedly covered his ears and let out a hearty laugh:
"Jiehahahaha! The shares are going to increase!"
Shikaku also hypocritically shouted toward the hole:
"Oh my! You bunch of idiots! How could you be so careless! Honestly!" His face, however, was full of schadenfreude.
A surviving monk leader saw this scene and shouted in terror to his companions: "Hey! These guys... they already know our secret! We absolutely cannot let them leave!"
"Where's the army?! Hasn't the army arrived yet?!"
"Don't let them escape! Activate the final mechanism! Close the entire temple! Trap them here to die!" The monk leader ordered hoarsely.
Heavy mechanical sounds rang out, and at the temple exit, a huge refined iron gate crashed down, sealing the pirates inside.
Shikaku glanced at the seemingly indestructible iron gate and sneered: "Trying to trap us with this scrap metal? Destroy it!"
Just as Rocks' group was about to take action—
Rumble!!!
A vibration a thousand times more violent than Shiki's bomb erupted!
This time, it was no longer a local explosion, but the entire "Immaculate Golden Peak"—no, the entire island of "Puttercloni" was shaking frantically!
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"