[OP]Chapter 16: Betrayal

"Dad! I searched the back mountain for a long time, but that bastard Kaminari has already escaped!" Vierdan shouted from a distance on the battlefield.

The villagers engaged in the fierce battle didn't have much reaction to this news. They had probably anticipated this outcome.

Village Chief Famu, on the other hand, felt somewhat shattered. Regret, frustration, anger— he had trusted Kaminari so much, and yet he ran away. He had once solemnly assured everyone that Kaminari would protect the village. It was all his fault for misjudging the person. Now, Famu truly wished he could kill Kaminari!

But dwelling on these thoughts wouldn't change anything. Famu shouted to Vivian in the distance, "Vierdan! Run away! The farther, the better! Don't come back!"

Upon hearing this, Vierdan cried, "But Dad, what about you?"

Famu's expression turned serious. "Don't worry about me! A father's inherent duty is to protect his daughter. Run away quickly!"

Tears welled up in Vierdan's eyes. She listened to Famu's words and ran off into the distance...

Anderson, who longed for the young beauty, overheard this conversation. How could he let go of the object he yearned for day and night?

At this moment, Anderson was still locked in combat with Mile. However, he commanded a few nearby pirates, "Go, bring Vierdan back to me, or I'll execute all of you!"

The pirates received the order and ran toward Vierdan's direction...

Mile continued to engage Anderson.

"Shigan!"

With a light shout, Mile gathered his power on his index finger and launched an attack. However, Anderson easily evaded the attack with a simple dodge.

"Rankyaku (Tempest Kick)!"

With a cyclone swirling around his foot, Mile attacked Anderson once again, but once again, Anderson easily dodged the attack.

Anderson was just too fast.

"It's been a year, and your strength hasn't increased at all," Anderson sneered contemptuously at Mile.

Immediately after, Anderson's two hands transformed into claws resembling those of a jackal. The claws were as sharp as razors as they ruthlessly swiped towards Mile's chest. Mile couldn't dodge in time, and his chest was left with a lacerated bloodstain.

Jackal's claws?

Yes, it was indeed the jackal.

Anderson, the captain of the "Evil Wolf Pirate Crew," with a bounty of 10 million beli, was a user of the Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit (Model: Jackal) ability!

A year ago, when the "Evil Wolf Pirate Crew" first attacked the village, Anderson and Mile had clashed before. At that time, the two were evenly matched, with Anderson being slightly stronger than Mile, even though he was still formidable.

During this year, Mile, relying on his ability to gain fame and recognition, had gained the trust of the village and had long been depleted by indulgence in alcohol and women. On the other hand, Anderson, to expand his influence, continuously fought against people from other islands, naturally enhancing his combat power.

Originally, Anderson, as a Devil Fruit user, already had a slight advantage over Mile in terms of strength. Moreover, Mile's physical condition was far from what it used to be, while Anderson's combat power continued to grow. The disparity in strength was evident.

"Tekkai!"

Seeing Anderson's jackal claws clenched into a fist, Mile activated the defensive technique "Tekkai" from the Sixth Form to withstand the incoming attack head-on...

The result was that Anderson's punch sent Mile spewing blood from his mouth, his eyes rolling backward.

"Your Tekkai, are weak, Mile," Anderson, in his half-beast form, mocked as Mile lay on the ground.

Next, Anderson's expression changed. "You dare to obstruct me from pursuing Vierdan? I will make you die in agony!"

As he spoke, his jackal claws reached out toward Mile, slicing through his flesh like razors. Mile immediately let out a painful cry.

On the second strike of the claws, he screamed even more in agony.

By the third strike, Mile couldn't bear it any longer. "A... Anderson-sama, please spare me!"

Hearing Mile's plea, Anderson revealed a more smug and excited expression. "Ahaha, what a load of nonsense about being a 'guardian.' You're nothing more than that!"

Meanwhile, the villagers who were still engaged in a fierce battle nearby couldn't believe their ears when they heard Mile say such words. He was supposed to be the village's guardian, how could he utter such things and even call Anderson "sama"?! It surprised the villagers.

It's easy to paint a tiger, but difficult to draw its skin. Knowing someone's face doesn't mean knowing their heart!

But what surprised them even more was yet to come.

"Anderson-sama, as long as you spare me, I'm willing to do anything for you!" Mile said.

Upon hearing this, Anderson became even more ecstatic. "Really? Then I want you to turn your spear on these worthless peasants who don't know their place. Can you do that?"

Mile thought for a moment. "Um... no problem!"

Famu was fighting desperately nearby, holding his sword. He had understood the conversation between Mile and Anderson just now. After killing a pirate, he shouted to them, "Mile, do you even know what you're saying?"

Although Famu disliked Mile, he genuinely didn't believe that he would betray everyone.

However, things were not at all as Famu had hoped.

Upon hearing Famu's angry shout, Mile retaliated: "Shut up! Old man, I've tolerated you for a long time. You always act so high and mighty, which is irritating. You act like you're the savior, but you should know that I'm the one who protects the village!"

"You're protecting nothing!" Famu snapped angrily. "Look at yourself now, still having the audacity to spout nonsense here!"

The villagers who were fighting nearby couldn't help but criticize as well: "Mile, we never expected you to be like this!"

"We misjudged you!"

"Mile, you're nothing but an animal!"

Hearing these words from the villagers, Mile's face darkened. "Since you call me an animal, I'll show you just how much of an animal I can be!"

With that, Mile charged toward the crowd, using the Sixth Form to strike at the villagers. Instantly, three villagers were knocked down.

Mile had succumbed to absolute power and become a slave of the devil, turning against the villagers and slaughtering them.

It wasn't until now that people saw Mile's true face.

The title "Guardian" used to refer to him was a slap in the face for the villagers.

Mile's betrayal further crushed the morale of the people. They felt that the situation was hopeless, and doomsday had arrived...

While Anderson remained excited, he didn't give up on pursuing Vierdan. He couldn't believe that a fifteen-year-old girl without any strength could escape his grasp. In his eyes, both Vierdan and the village were already within his grip...

As expected, it didn't take long for the two pirates to capture Vierdan and bring her back.

Seeing Vierdan, Anderson's blood surged. "Little darling, you can't escape from my grasp."

Vierdan's face was already lifeless.

What good could come from a lamb walking into a tiger's den?

Famu witnessed the situation and exclaimed, "You bastard, release my daughter!"

Just as the two pirates were about to take Vierdan onto their ship, two hidden weapons flew in and struck the pirates to the ground...