The Devil Fruit, a supernatural phenomenon, can grant immense power to an ordinary person in a short period—save for a few rare exceptions.
However, this power also brings with it a common drawback: an overreliance on the fruit's abilities, often at the expense of well-rounded combat skills.
Perona was a prime example of this.
Her mastery over the Hollow-Hollow Fruit was impressive, yet her physical attributes were severely lacking.
Whether it was endurance or raw strength, she was far from formidable.
If Maude were to write Perona's name in his notebook, the benefit he'd gain would be like a small pebble tossed into a lake—causing a momentary ripple before vanishing entirely. In other words, negligible.
Lafitte had learned about Perona's abilities from Maude.
But now that he was experiencing them firsthand, he couldn't help but feel she was squandering a rare and powerful gift.
The Hollow-Hollow Fruit, with its potential for an instant-kill ability, was nothing short of extraordinary.
Yet, in Perona's hands, it was being wasted.
Lafitte's gaze toward Perona's physical body took on a tinge of disdain.
Tap... Tap…
He strode forward, stopping beside the lavish bed, then raised his arm and pointed the tip of his cane-sword at Perona's neck.
"Relying on the terrain to maximize your ability is nothing more than a petty trick."
Lafitte spoke coldly.
The sharp blade pressed against Perona's neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
From his perspective, the speed of her Negative Hollows was far from impressive. They worked well for ambushes but were ineffective in direct combat.
If she truly wanted to ensure her ghosts would hit their target, she should have trained in close-quarters combat and mobility to force her enemies into range.
Yet Perona had placed all her faith in her Devil Fruit, never once considering how her own abilities could enhance it.
A shame…
Lafitte sighed inwardly.
He himself had little fondness for his own Devil Fruit ability.
When he did use it, it was mostly to gain the ability to fly or to enhance his hypnosis.
By comparison, he found the Hollow-Hollow Fruit far more appealing.
Despite holding his blade against Perona's vital point, Lafitte did not deliver the final blow.
To obtain the Hollow-Hollow Fruit, he needed her alive.
A few minutes later…
Realizing something was amiss, Perona's astral form rushed back to her room in a panic.
The scene before her made her heart clench.
"How do you know…?"
She stared in disbelief at Lafitte, who had taken her physical body hostage.
She had never imagined that someone like Maude, a traveler armed with foreknowledge, could exist in this world.
"Hoho… I have no obligation to explain myself. Now, you'd best return to your body. Otherwise…"
A chilling smirk spread across Lafitte's face.
"I'll go back right away!"
Fearing for her safety, Perona's astral form completely panicked. Without hesitation, she reentered her body, which was sitting limp with its head slightly lowered and eyes shut.
A second later, Perona's eyes slowly opened.
Feeling the cold steel against her neck, she dared not move. Her gaze shifted sideways, stealing a glance at the expressionless Lafitte.
"D-Don't kill me!!"
Her body trembled, eyes filled with terror.
Under the looming threat of death, she couldn't remain composed.
"As long as you cooperate, I won't kill you."
Lafitte let his killing intent seep out, making his threat crystal clear.
Perona's eyes widened. Her heart pounded so violently it felt as if it would leap from her chest.
This pale-faced man, who looked as if he belonged in a vampire tale, was eyeing her body!
Could it be… the stories she had heard as a child were true?!
Vampires adore adorable, youthful maidens the most!!!
In that moment, Perona's imagination ran wild, and she misinterpreted Lafitte's intentions. A struggle flashed across her powdered face.
Moments later, her eyes welled with tears. She spoke with difficulty:
"Go ahead… I won't resist…"
Faced with death, she chose to submit.
"?"
Lafitte furrowed his brows, watching as Perona squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself as if accepting some inevitable doom.
Perona, eyes shut, awaited the nightmare to unfold.
Lafitte's brows knit even tighter.
After a brief pause, he chose a more direct approach.
BAM!
Like a scene straight from Jim, Lafitte knocked Perona out cold with a single punch.
Having mentally prepared for all sorts of horrors, Perona never expected to be knocked out instead.
In the brief moment before she lost consciousness, she cursed Lafitte as a pervert in her mind…
Lafitte retracted his cane-sword and effortlessly lifted Perona's unconscious body with one hand.
The properties of the Hollow-Hollow Fruit couldn't be ignored.
To eliminate any potential risks, he needed to rendezvous with Law immediately.
Even if he didn't extract the Hollow-Hollow Fruit on the spot, he had to at least remove Perona's heart to ensure absolute security.
Elsewhere…
A swarm of shadowy black bats descended from the sky, swiftly converging to form the towering figure of a man—over six meters tall, with deathly pale skin, pointed ears, sharp fangs, and a pair of small horns protruding from his forehead.
"Gecko Moria."
Maude, calmly identifying the newcomer, drew out White Weasel—a sword similar in appearance to Shusui but noticeably lighter in weight.
Moria's predator-like eyes locked onto Maude, his shrill voice laced with cold malice.
"Bacardi Maude, you dare—"
Before he could finish, a long blade came hurtling straight at him.
If you can strike first, then do it.
Maude had no patience for pointless banter. He immediately hurled White Weasel, its blade coated in Armament Haki, directly at Moria's chest.
Moria's eyes narrowed.
A swordsman using his blade as a projectile…
Even if he carried three swords, this was absurd!
Moria swiftly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
As the blade passed him, it transformed midair from a sword into a flintlock pistol, its barrel now aimed squarely at Moria's legs.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the blink of an eye, nearly ten lead bullets shot toward Moria's legs.
"Oh?"
Moria was momentarily surprised but not careless. He quickly retreated, allowing the bullets to strike the ground harmlessly.
In that brief moment, Maude vanished from sight, reappearing behind Moria with his blade swinging for the warlord's back.
"Get lost!"
Moria snarled. A dark shadow at his feet surged forth, transforming into a black spear aimed straight at Maude's descending blade.
Clang!
The shadow spear clashed against Maude's blade, forcing it away.
Then, rather than following up with an attack, Moria manipulated his shadow to morph into a swarm of bats that lunged at Maude.
Though filled with killing intent, Moria still prioritized capturing Maude's powerful shadow over outright slaughter.
Maude swiftly leapt back, denying Moria the chance to seize his shadow.
At the same time, he drew Dark Crow and fired at Moria's face.
"Hmm?"
Moria flinched and jerked his head aside, barely avoiding the bullet.
A thin cut appeared on his cheek.
Silence filled the air.
Even in these few short seconds, Moria had recognized something—
Maude's offensive prowess was far beyond what one would expect from a mere rookie.
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