Meanwhile, Nicholas, causing chaos in Mariejois, had no idea that Roger, awaiting his fate on the other side of the sea, would mention him.
"How dare a mere pirate offend the dignity of the gods!"
"What do you mean, 'mere pirate'?" Nicholas said, kicking away a CP member who attempted a sneak attack. "Have you guys gotten some sense of superiority from being lapdogs to the Celestial Dragons?"
"Have you been under the Celestial Dragons so long you've become mentally one of them? At best, you're just vicious dogs used by the Celestial Dragons and the World Government to attack their opponents!"
Nicholas's repeated insults enraged the Holy Land guards and CP members.
To be humiliated like this, especially when even kings of World Government member countries bowed to them, was unbearable.
"Hundred Thousand Volts: Thunder Dogs!"
As Nicholas's words fell, lightning-formed dogs of various breeds snarled and lunged at the enemy.
Even breeds like Teddy, Pomeranian, and Teacup dogs, which were particularly insulting, were among them.
"Rankyaku!"
The CP members, already poised for action, unleashed blue slashes that shattered the electric canines.
In the flickering arcs of broken electricity, pale blue wind blades shot out, aiming at the CP members who had just attacked and were momentarily vulnerable!
"Tekkai: Jade!"
"Tekkai: Defense!"
"Tekkai: Steel!"
"Tekkai: Carousel!"
"Tekkai: Water Ballet!"
…
Facing the incoming wind blades, the CP elites performed a showcase of their Tekkai skills for Nicholas and Dragon.
Unfortunately, Tekkai is effective against weaker opponents, but against peers or stronger foes, it's not as reliable.
The wind blades clashed with Tekkai, first shredding clothes, then cutting into the Haki-coated skin, producing a cutting sound.
Those lucky enough managed to deflect the wind blades with Haki; those less fortunate were disembowelled and rendered combat ineffective, while the unlucky ones joined the ranks of severed limbs littering the ground.
This increased the workload for the Holy Land's cleaning crew considerably.
The mounting casualties began to erode the morale of the Holy Land guards and CP members.
Though brainwashed, fear of death is hardwired into all beings. These warriors, who once dominated effortlessly, now faced death constantly, shaking their resolve.
As time passed, CP's elite realized they couldn't handle Nicholas and Dragon, darkening the expressions under CP0's masks.
"Are we just supposed to stand here and watch them rampage?"
"What else can we do?"
"I can't accept this!!!"
"Then go take them out with a single punch!"
"Our only option is to stall these two and wait for the higher-ups to make a decision!"
"…"
Some CP0 elites remained calm, while others were agitated. They'd never faced such humiliation before.
And the situation wasn't going as planned. If this continued, they wouldn't just fail to exhaust the enemies' strength; their own losses would be too great to bear.
Even the vast resources of the World Government couldn't sustain such losses. These were precious elites being wasted in futile tactics.
But faced with this dilemma, they had no immediate solution.
The problem was…
None of them were strong enough to defeat the opponents.
As Nicholas and Dragon effortlessly tore through another wave of suicidal Holy Land guards and CP members, a massive slash suddenly emerged from the shadows.
Dragon noticed the attack instantly, conjuring a blade of wind in his hand to slice the incoming slash apart.
"Boom—!"
The split Rankyaku hit the ground around the plaza, triggering a fierce explosion.
The resulting shockwave scattered the body parts of Holy Land guards and CP members.
"Tap, tap…"
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the buildings.
Both Nicholas and Dragon turned their gazes towards the newcomer, knowing anyone with such an entrance was bound to be formidable.
As the figure stepped into the light, his appearance was revealed.
An elderly man with a hunched back and white hair swaying in the wind, wearing a skull mask, stood before them, looking frail enough to collapse at any moment.
"Master Assassin!"
Recognizing the man, CP0 members showed utmost respect. This elder's status within CP was extraordinary; he had trained their assassination techniques.
"Even I have to step in. I can't tell if it's because you guys are too troublesome, or the new generation of Holy Land is too useless…"
The master stopped before Nicholas and Dragon, his gaze cold.
He couldn't remember the last time he had to participate in a battle himself. The years had passed too long.
"Hmm, Logia Devil Fruit users, Lightning and Wind. No wonder these young ones can't handle you. To kill troublesome Logia users requires skill. Back in the day, few of us could take down a Logia user; their elemental transformation is truly annoying."
The master assessed Nicholas and Dragon with a scrutinizing gaze, like a butcher sizing up livestock.
Nicholas frowned. He couldn't sense the powerful life force of a strong warrior from this old man.
Yet his nerves kept warning him of the danger this man posed.
Often, those who appeared harmless were the most dangerous. This wasn't a world governed by logic or science.
Even if the old man didn't look like a formidable opponent at first glance, Nicholas wasn't about to let his guard down. The Rankyaku he unleashed was far from ordinary.
"Based on the intel…"
The master's gaze was filled with cold killing intent as he looked at Nicholas and Dragon. "You two are far more dangerous than those so-called emperors of the sea. Given this, I must be quite lucky."
Aside from the orders to kill Nicholas and Dragon, from a personal standpoint, it was a rare and satisfying challenge to kill such strong opponents.
The master's killing intent vanished in an instant, and he disappeared.
A true assassin never lets the target sense their presence before the kill.