Ron ignored him completely. By the time Ochoku finished his last word, Ron had already leapt into the air.
Long blade in hand, golden chakra arms extended from both sides behind him. In the palms, Tailed Beast Bombs began to gather, hanging behind him like ornaments.
Ochoku's pupils shrank violently. He could no longer bluff this madman Ron. He could only fight.
Boom!
A Haki-coated fist and a Haki-coated long blade slammed into each other.
A dull roar exploded, and the aftershock instantly swept outward in every direction. The stones on the ground seemed brushed aside by an invisible hand, surging toward both sides.
Swish!
In the gap between energy impacts, new chakra arms extended once again from Ron's left and right, like two golden pythons, reaching for Ochoku's shoulders.
Ochoku's reaction was not slow. Almost by instinct, he withdrew his strength and leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the two incoming arms.
Boom!
Ron's slash missed and landed on the ruined ground, instantly splitting open a huge sword mark as thick smoke poured from the crack.
Whoosh.
Without the slightest pause, Ron sprang into the air again.
With the support of the Sage Body and Nine-Tails Mode, his speed far exceeded Ochoku's prediction.
"So fast!" Ochoku's body trembled, fear flashing through his pupils.
Especially now that he was in midair, he could not maneuver as flexibly as on the ground.
Boom!
Ochoku had no choice but to step hard on the air. A ripple like water exploded beneath his foot, and his whole body rose again, trying to create distance.
Unfortunately, Ron was faster.
In just one breath, Ron's figure had already arrived in front of him.
The extended chakra arms instantly grabbed both of Ochoku's shoulders, clamping down like iron pincers.
"Bastard, don't think this can restrain me!" Ochoku cursed. Both fists moved at once, wrapped in Haki, smashing hard into the two chakra arms.
Boom! Boom!
In an instant, the chakra arms holding him shattered, golden fragments scattering through the air like fireflies.
"Heh-heh-heh..." Ochoku panted, the corner of his mouth twisting into an ugly smile. "That's all you've got, Ron."
Ron's expression barely changed. His gaze fell on Ochoku's fists. This guy seemed to be a Devil Fruit user too.
The sudden boost in power just now had clearly exceeded the scope of ordinary Haki.
"You seem pretty proud. If you've got the guts, don't dodge," Ron said evenly.
Before his voice fell, the chakra arm hidden behind him suddenly swung forward. In its palm floated a fully formed Tailed Beast Bomb.
Ochoku was startled. Damn it, he thought it was a decoration. So it just needed time to gather?
And you call me sinister? You're not much better!
He was not stupid. Ron told him not to dodge if he had the guts, but only an idiot would actually refuse to dodge.
Yet just as he was about to evade, he suddenly discovered that new chakra arms had extended from Ron's sides, grabbing both his shoulders again.
Ochoku's face turned black.
He now faced two choices.
First, shatter the chakra arms, but take the Tailed Beast Bomb head-on.
Second, ignore the chakra arms and wrestle directly with the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Clearly, any normal person would choose the second.
Sizzle!
After making his choice, Ochoku almost instinctively began swinging his fists wildly.
Each punch unleashed a powerful shockwave that smashed toward the Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Explode."
Ron gave a light shout. His body suddenly expanded as golden chakra burst from his surface, instantly transforming into a massive Nine-Tailed Fox that blotted out the sky.
Zzt!
An incomparably bright light bloomed from the center of the Tailed Beast Bomb, like a small sun being born between them.
What followed was a world-shaking explosion that rang across the entire island.
The terrifying aftershock was like a tsunami, devouring everything in every direction.
The ground was peeled up layer after layer. Everything was swept into the air and then fell like rain.
Rolling smoke spread all around, leaving visibility extremely limited.
Rustle, rustle.
A moment later, a sound came from deep within the dust.
Ron could not see anyone, but his Malice Perception clearly told him that Ochoku was still there.
And that malice was even stronger than before.
Shit? I really underestimated you, Ochoku.
He took a hit and still did not die.
Looks like next time, I need to transform into the Nine-Tails and gather it myself. That will be faster and stronger.
"Ron!"
A furious roar exploded across the ground, and the surrounding dust was suddenly swept away by a gust of air.
After the smoke dispersed, Ochoku's current appearance entered Ron's eyes.
His clothes were almost completely destroyed, revealing a scar-covered body beneath.
Only a few lonely strands of hair remained on his head, stubbornly standing upright.
Blood hissed from his head, body, and limbs. The edges of his wounds were blackened and curled, looking rather shocking.
"You just want to know where that woman Annika is, right? I'll tell you."
"Let me say this first. It has nothing to do with me. I only saw her being kidnapped."
With one sentence, he washed his hands clean.
Ron looked down at him, his expression showing no fluctuation.
Do I look like an idiot?
You expect me to believe whatever you say?
Still... being a pirate was wonderful.
Being a pirate could really teach a person many things.
The Roger Pirates had just taught him that as a pirate, there was no need to reason when doing anything.
Ochoku, through action, had told him that before communicating, feeding the other party a Tailed Beast Bomb could significantly improve communication efficiency.
Ron snorted coldly. His voice came from the giant fox's mouth. "I already gave you a chance earlier."
Ochoku's body stiffened sharply, and his voice rose. "The people who kidnapped Annika have already been killed by me! If you attack me again, you'll never find her!"
"Heh-heh..."
Ron suddenly laughed. "What makes you think I absolutely have to save her?"
Ochoku froze.
He could hear from Ron's tone that it was true.
Unlike himself, who probed and played psychological games, Ron truly did not care.
"What do you want? Treasure? Legendary Devil Fruits? I have them," Ochoku said in a low voice. As long as he resolved this misunderstanding, as long as he waited until Rocks returned, no matter how mad Ron was, he would not dare kill him in front of Rocks.
Ron said nothing, so Ochoku continued, "The treasure is hidden under the graveyard on Cocosi Island. I hid it there for many years. Dig anywhere and it will be enough for you to spend your whole life."
Of course, Ochoku was lying. Cocosi Island was in the first half of the Grand Line, far away from here. By the time Ron discovered the lie, Ochoku would be long gone.
Swish.
The Nine-Tailed Fox's mouth slowly opened.
Ochoku's heart sank. He thought Ron had seen through his lie, but he could not admit it directly, or he would lose the last bargaining chip for survival.
"There are also two Devil Fruits aboard the Saber of Xebec! They aren't high-grade, but if you sell them, they can still fetch a few hundred million berries!"
Two.
Ron's movements paused slightly.
He was certain. He was tempted.
"And Annika?" Ron asked again.
Ochoku froze. Didn't you just say you didn't care whether she lived or died?
But this question was much easier to answer than the fake treasure on Cocosi Island, because this time he was telling the truth.
"She's in a cave in the mountain behind town. I sealed the entrance with a big rock. There's a small sapling stuck on top of the rock as a marker."
"Good," Ron said calmly. "Any last words you want to add?"
Ochoku suddenly raised his head, his pupils shrinking.
Last words? What last words? When the hell did I say those were my last words?
After realizing what Ron meant, he almost screamed in rage. "Bastard, you dare play me?!"
Ochoku's voice had barely fallen in the ruins when another voice suddenly exploded from afar.
"Ochoku! You bastard, you actually dared to play me!"
Ron froze slightly and turned his head.
At the distant end, a figure was rushing toward them.
Roger?
Ron's gaze sank. This bastard really was haunting him.
On the other side of the ruins, Rayleigh slowly emerged from behind a broken wall with a Den Den Mushi in hand.
Ochoku's face turned completely pale in that instant. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but found that his throat could not produce a complete sound.
His eyes darted between Ron and Roger, like a rat forced into a corner with death on both sides.
Ron, transformed into the Nine-Tailed Fox, was not polite either. He opened his mouth and began condensing a huge Tailed Beast Bomb.
Come on.
All of you, come on.
"Hey, Ron, calm down. This time, my target isn't you," Rayleigh quickly reminded him when he saw a massive energy sphere forming.