Chapter 38: The Epic Flintlock "Dragoon"

Sensing the threat coming from above, Mikita finally felt the taste of fear.

She had been through countless battles, big and small, but never had she felt so powerless as now, unable to fully utilize her strong Devil Fruit powers.

It felt as if the enemy knew her every move, not just her combat patterns but even the full extent of her Kilo Kilo Fruit abilities.

The dire situation made the usually arrogant Miss Valentine think about retreating.

As a Devil Fruit user, it's only natural to use one's powers in battle, but now that her abilities were seen through, the fight was likely to end in defeat.

Compared to the 80 million reward, she still valued her life more.

Just as she was about to leave the ancient castle, Mikita suddenly felt a sharp pain, as if someone had struck her hard from behind.

【Your mental shock dealt 34 damage to Mikita】

Investing a total of 12 points in mental power instantly inflicted a terrifyingly lethal effect on the woman.

Ever since his mental attribute exceeded 20 points, the damage from his mental shock had been skyrocketing.

Kiba felt that mental power worked similarly to physical strength.

When you have 10 strength points, using thirty percent of your strength looks one way.

When your strength reaches 20 points, even using the same thirty percent, the actual effect is completely different.

With attributes at this level, the power of mental force was finally showing its true potential.

Using the gas acceleration, Kiba directly collided with the cornered Miss Valentine, pressing Black Star against her chest and repeatedly pulling the trigger.

Someone who relies solely on her fruit powers, when unable to use them, might be weaker than many pirates on the Black Cat ship.

"W-wait." Feeling the intense pain in her abdomen, Mikita's composure completely crumbled.

She didn't want to die.

She was so beautiful, with so many things she hadn’t experienced yet. How could she die here in such an unclear way?

With no courage left to fight, the woman only wanted to calm the man down, hoping to escape through flight once he let his guard down.

But she never expected that the man in front of her would have no understanding of showing mercy. When the bullets ran out, he simply drew the long sword from his waist.

Seeing this, Mikita immediately screamed, "You can't kill me! I'm the chief commander of Baroque Works! If you kill me, you'll be hunted by the organization for the rest of your life."

Huh?

Still daring to threaten me at a time like this?!

Kiba smirked and mercilessly thrust his sword, the sharp blade piercing straight through the woman's abdomen.

"A relentless pursuit, huh? Sounds like it might trigger a hidden mission."

【You have killed Mikita.】

【Your reputation with Baroque Works has decreased by 200 points, now hostile.】

【You have obtained a plot treasure chest (purple)】

Seeing the purple treasure chest appear on the corpse, Kiba's smile grew even wider.

Alabasta was a great place, and he believed it could trigger many story missions. It was a pity that he couldn't explore it this time.

Using a rope to lower himself to the floor below, Kiba, seeing no one around, straightforwardly opened the purple treasure chest.

【You are opening the plot treasure chest (purple)】

【You have obtained 110 plot points】

【You have obtained Valentine's Small Parasol】

【You have obtained 2 Exquisite Delicious Pastries】

Valentine's Small Parasol is an off-hand item that can reduce fall damage and resist directed attack damage.

The item was decent, but since he already had mobility gear, he couldn't use it.

Each pastry could restore 40 health points, which was perfect to supplement his lack of healing items.

The items seemed good, but none directly enhanced his strength, which left him slightly disappointed.

"Looks like plot treasure chests aren't always filled with good stuff." Kiba was a bit let down, as he thought he might get a Devil Fruit.

Even if he didn't use it, selling it would be quite the gain.

"I wonder how the battle on the other side is going."

When he returned to the upper floor, Kiba discovered that the battle there had long ended.

Judging by Ryuna's displeased expression, it seemed they hadn’t been able to capture the enemy.

Taking a deep breath, the Onmyoji lady spoke with resentment, "That guy used explosion powers to escape through the air."

"Well, that's really unfortunate," Kiba said after thinking for a moment, and then mentioned Valentine's threat.

Upon hearing that they might face pursuit from the enemy, Ryuna didn’t get anxious. Instead, her face lit up with a very excited smile.

If more assassins like that showed up, this storyline would definitely make her rich.

Clearly, Ryuna didn't fully grasp the background of Baroque Works, which had many strong assassins whose deadly methods were hard to guard against.

If they were pushed too far, they might even attract formidable enemies from the Grand Line level.

But Kiba couldn't directly express these concerns, so he could only watch as his temporary teammate got excited.

Clapping her hands cheerfully, Ryuna walked toward the main hall's door first. "Let's go visit the owner of the castle."

Just as her hand touched the door, Kiba's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly pulled the Onmyoji lady aside.

A dull gunshot rang out, and the heavy door was blown into several pieces.

Initially, they thought Mr. 5 had returned, but when they carefully peered out, they realized it was the work of the castle's owner.

"D-don't come any closer." His trembling appearance made it clear he was weak, a total non-combatant, so the threat must have been from the exquisite flintlock gun in his hand.

The flintlock gun was like a meteor streaking across the night sky, dazzling and mysterious. The sleek, mirrored barrel reflected light like a work of art.

Its unique silver sheen seemed to tell tales of past honor and legend, with intricately carved decorations along the gun's body, each detail as poetic as a painting, showcasing the artisans' superb craftsmanship.

It was a symbol of power, a harbinger of death. When the trigger was pulled, it would unleash bullets with overwhelming force, destroying anything in its path.

From the first glance, Kiba was deeply enamored with this weapon, but unfortunately, it was an item belonging to a story character, and even killing the castle's wretched owner might not guarantee he could obtain it.

What followed was straightforward. When Paul held his long sword to the castle owner's neck, it marked the end of the battle.

【Side Quest: Kingdom’s Treasure (Completed)】

【You have obtained 180 plot points.】

【You have obtained Basic Shooting LV4 Scroll】

The scroll could boost basic abilities, and Kiba wasted no time in using it immediately.

The rewards were decent, but he couldn't help feeling they didn’t quite match the difficulty of the mission.

After all, the castle housed nearly two thousand troops; under normal circumstances, how many reincarnators would be needed to complete the mission?

Not to mention, they had also encountered the formidable Baroque Works.

After a fierce battle, the two pirate crews had suffered heavy losses. They had collected a lot of gold and silver treasures, but for the reincarnators, there hadn’t been much substantial gain.

His dissatisfaction lingered until Ryuna showed him the rewards she had gained from this mission, which finally made his discontent vanish.

Seeing the familiar silver flintlock, his breathing quickened.

Name: Dragoon

Grade: Epic

Type: Weapon

Attack Power: 10-14

Max Ammo Capacity: 1

Durability: 50/50

Attribute Boost: Perception +3, Mental +1

Usage Requirements: Perception 12, Strength 6

Equipment Effect: Auto Reload Ammo Expert

Origin: One Piece

Equipment Evaluation: With its special bullets, no enemy before you will be unbreakable.

Auto Reload (Passive Skill): Generates one bullet every ten seconds automatically.

Ammo Master (Active Skill): Consumes 2 points of mental power, granting a bullet special properties.

Special Bullet Types: Thunder Bullet, Poison Bullet, Flame Bullet, Ice Bullet, Holy Light Bullet, Armor-Piercing Bullet.

This epic single-handed flintlock is perfect for a gunner on a mental build, essentially tailor-made for Kiba.

With it, he would no longer have to rely on mental shock all the time.

Each special bullet has astonishing power, and their use cases are versatile, allowing adjustments based on the enemy's characteristics.

The gun’s base attack power was off the charts, capable of severely incapacitating weaker enemies with a single shot.

Perhaps seeing his interest, Ryuna casually said, "I don’t really need firearms. If the price is right, I could sell it to you."

She emphasized the word "price," making it clear that she didn’t want to be taken for a fool.

To investigate the castle's secrets, she had completed many prerequisite missions, investing a considerable amount of time.

It was like accumulating a series of continuous missions, finally earning her a finely-graded flintlock, which unfortunately wasn’t suitable for her.

If the price was right, she wouldn't mind selling it to her temporary teammate, indirectly boosting the team's strength.

Seeing this, Kiba immediately took out the "Morgan's Longsword," setting its properties to display mode.

It was a superior-quality weapon, slightly lower in grade than Dragoon. If he found the right buyer, it could fetch a good price.

 Ryuna took the sword, examined it closely for a moment, then shook her head and declined. "Not enough."

The number of gunner-route reincarnators was the highest, meaning Dragoon definitely had a broad market, and its value couldn’t be matched by a single superior weapon.

Next, he took out the small parasol he had recently acquired. This item matched Ryuna's aesthetic and also offered resistance to ranged damage, making it a perfect off-hand accessory for her.

However, Ryuna still shook her head, indicating that these items weren’t sufficient in value.

Taking another look at Dragoon's attributes, Kiba knew that with special bullets, he could easily deal at least 30+ damage to an enemy in one shot.

What did this mean?

Captain Morgan, who gave him such a tough fight, could be brought to critical condition in just a few shots. Coupled with summons, he might even be able to defeat elite enemies in one-on-one combat without injury.

After pondering for a moment, Kiba took out seven heavy armor-piercing rounds. "These little things pack a punch. Each one could be worth at least 60-70 plot points."

That meant he was essentially offering an additional five hundred plot points.

Clearing out items he didn’t need all at once, if he could exchange them for a suitable weapon, it would be a fantastic deal.

Under his expectant gaze, Ryuna finally spoke slowly.

(To be continued)

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