Chương 69: Chapter 69: Escaped Prey

Slicing down at the weapon with my sharp nails, seeing as Lindbergh was also able to use this mysterious power, I realized I was most likely not going to be able to break the weapon, since while fighting against Mini, I've learned not only does that mysterious power enhance your strength, it also seems to improve your defense as well.

However, while I figured I wasn't going to break it, I thought I would at least damage the weapon, even if lightly; but the instant my nails collided with his gun, which had taken on a black hue after being coated with that mysterious power, to my utter surprise, I didn't even manage to leave behind scratches, let alone actually damage it.

"What's the deal!? Why are you attacking me? I was merely trying to help!" Exclaimed Lindbergh in irritation with an ugly expression while using his haki-infused weapon to block Diddy's attack before forcefully flinging him away.

"Tch, I don't need nor do I want your help; interfere with my fight again, and I'll kill you after I kill Mini!" Replied Diddy angrily as he hovered in the air a few meters away from Lindbergh while baring his fangs as he growled at him.

"I could tell you didn't need any help, but aren't you a pirate? Don't you hate the Marines? If we work together, we could kill him. It's not every day the Marines lose someone powerful like a vice-admiral." Replied Lindbergh with a frown as the black hue on his weapon receded while he eyed Diddy.

"Who said I hate the Marines? Do you think I hate the Marines just because I'm a pirate? In fact, it doesn't matter whether I hate the Marines; that was my fight, and one thing I hate the most is someone interfering with my battles. I don't care if I die in battle, but if someone interferes, I'll come back from the grave to kill them." Stated Diddy solemnly while staring at Lindbergh, or more specifically, his weapon, which had returned to normal.

"Ok, so you don't hate the Marines, whatever, but you must hate the WG; after all, you attacked a Kingdom affiliated with them and burned their flag! The Marines are their subordinates; killing powerful Marine officers will indirectly harm the WG, and since you hate the WG, I'm the last person you should be fighting! I'm a member of the Revolutionary Army!" Declared Lindbergh so passionately that he accidentally revealed his identity; then again, it's not like it was a secret or anything.

Squinting my eyes at his remark, I looked at him as I finally remembered who he was.

"Revolutionary Army; you're Lindberg, one the Revolutionary Army Commanders if I'm not mistaken." Remarked Diddy in intrigue while remembering something Freyja said a few years ago when they were still on Karate Island.

"Yes, that's me, Commander Lindbergh of the South; now that I have your interest, let's get down to why I even bothered to help a pirate out since it's usually the opposite, though you know what they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Declared Lindbergh as he regained his composure after his little slip-up, though his words did mildly interest Diddy.

Knowing that he was someone important in the Revolutionary Army did intrigue me, though I was still more interested in continuing my fight; however, when I glanced at Mini, or at least where he was supposed to be, I spotted no one, just an empty night sky.

'Did that cowardly bastard flee while we were talking!?' Thought Diddy as his tail violently swayed through the air, displaying his intense anger.

To say I was angry would be an understatement; I don't think I've ever allowed someone whom I've set my sights on to escape my grasp. Not only was it humiliating, it was a stain on my record, one that would not remain, as I intended to hunt that man down to the ends of this earth if so need be. I calmed myself down since it's always smarter to think with a cool head, though as I looked at Lindbergh, it became rather difficult to keep calm since it was his fault Mini even managed to escape in the first place.

"Tch, I've lost all interest; I don't care why you came to see me." Said Diddy as he gave Lindbergh an angry look before turning around and leaving the area, having lost his desire to fight after Mini escaped.

"Hehe, if that's the case, why should I keep a pirate that'll kill, ruin, and pillage innocent civilians alive? As a member of the Revolutionary Army, I want to change the world for the better. Although you pirates aren't our immediate enemies, your presence only continues to spread destruction and chaos throughout the world. We may wish to overthrow the WG and establish a new doctrine, but that's hard to do with the presence of pirates, and getting rid of them here and there will assist us in our goal." Declared Lindbergh, his entire persona changing as he became nearly indifferent to Diddy while pointing his weapon directly at the back of his head.

"Hehe, hahaha!" Said Diddy, his shoulders trembling while attempting to suppress a chuckle, though he clearly failed to do so as he erupted into hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?" Asked Lindbergh with a raised eyebrow as he eyed Diddy in confusion.

"N-Nothing; I-I guess someone smart enough to create a jetpack is too stupid to realize how contradictory they sounded, hehe, i-it's honestly funny." Remarked Diddy while laughing as he glanced at Lindbergh, unphased by the gun pointed right at him.

"It only sounds contradictory to someone who doesn't have the same goal as us, such as yourself; anyways, enough about that, what I want to know is, will you assist me in defeating the marines, or will I be forced to kill you?" Questioned Lindbergh while shaking his head and hardening his gaze as he readied his gun.

"Heh, did I hear that right? Did you just order me to do something?" Asked Diddy, his amused expression instantly morphing into a crazy one as he eyed Lindbergh with a savage grin.

"It was more of a threat than an order, but either works." Replied Lindbergh, finding Diddy's expression to be a little creepy, even for a Mink.

"Hehe; want to know something else? Something I hate the most is being ordered around; your question has thoroughly pissed me off." Stated Diddy as he ignored the weapon pointed at him and swiftly lunged toward Lindbergh while brandishing his nails, surprising him.

As I lunged toward him, he quickly responded by firing his gun, causing numerous bullet-sized water projectiles to head right for me, which was different than how he first attacked; either way, I was ready for him to retaliate and using my flexibility, I contorted my body in ways that allowed me to dodge nearly every single attack, though a few did manage to hit me despite my reflexes.

Nearing him, I jumped toward him and prepared to punch while Lindbergh, surprisingly, did the same, though this time, his fist took on a black hue instead of his weapon, and although my instincts were warning me to dodge that attack, I ignored them. Punching toward Lindbergh, the instant our fists connected, his blackened fist broke my hand, followed by my arm, and then connected with my chest, breaking several of my ribs before finally flinging into the distance.

Using my tail, I slammed it against the air behind me, stopping myself while I regained my bearings. However, I wasn't given a moment of respite as Lindbergh swiftly neared me with his jetpack, firing several bullet-sized water projectiles. I attempted to move, yet at the places where I was previously hit, I suddenly felt a freezing cold invade my body, hampering my ability to move and slowing me down, causing me to get pelted by various water projectiles.

'Tch, I knew he was strong, but I didn't expect he'd be this strong!' Thought Diddy, though despite him barely being able to fight back, he was smiling.

Before he could get close to me, I channeled lighting throughout my whole body, causing the ice that was beginning to form to melt off my body; by the time I finished doing that, Lindbergh had already arrived before me, though he was no longer holding his weapon.

'72 Bian, variation 54: Fish-Man Karate. Karakusagawara Seiken.' Thought Diddy as he clenched his fist and punched toward Lindberg, who wasn't yet within range, prompting him to furrow his brows, though that was only for a split second as he quickly coated his entire body in haki.

Having gotten a basic understanding of the mysterious power Lindbergh and Mini wield, I realized that while physical attacks may still work on Mini, against Lindbergh, who seems to be much more proficient in utilizing the mysterious power, physical attacks were practically useless, all it took was one attack for him to break my arm and ribcage. I had hoped this technique would work on him, and if it didn't, I still had another idea, but to my surprise, after he coated his entire body in that mysterious power, causing it to take on a black hue, he practically ignored my attack.

"Fish-man Karate, it seems like you were hiding quite an arsenal when fighting against Mini." Remarked Lindbergh as he barged through Diddy's attack and punched him with his blackened fist.

"I've still got quite a lot at my disposal; fighting someone strong like you will be a great way to test them out!" Replied Diddy with a ferocious grin as he swiftly evaded the punch and used to soru with geppo, using his enhanced speed to gain distance from Lindbergh.

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Elven Legacy (Chapter 169: Marley & Idonea Experience Hell) || Hero of Harmony (Chapter 50: Love Is Painful) || One Piece: Chaos Kong (Chapter 79: Time For Battle!) at [patreon.com/Ozonelayer691]