Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 18 My E-rank abilities have begun to grow rapidly!

Looking at this arrogant and domineering human, Ah Long was so angry that he laughed.

"I've decided not to kill you yet, human. I'll break your limbs and hang you in the harbor, letting the seagulls peck at your flesh until you're reduced to a skeleton. I want everyone to see what happens when you dare to defy us fish-men!" Ah Long said through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with hatred.

He was making threats, but Bane didn't pay attention to him. Instead, his gaze swept across the group of fishmen and locked onto the human hidden among them: Navigator Nami.

At this moment, Nami was also observing these two audacious individuals. When she saw Zoro, she didn't have any impression of him. In fact, over the years, there have been quite a few pirate hunters who have come to hunt down Arlong's crew. Zoro and Bane's current appearance is very similar to those pirate hunters from the past, except that all of them failed and were fed fish by Arlong.

Therefore, Nami was not excited when she saw Zoro, nor did she think that the two of them alone could save the village from its suffering.

However, the moment her eyes met Bane's, she recognized the man instantly!

In the New World, he was the legendary pirate hunter who killed Thatch, the fourth division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, who had a bounty of 360 million Berries!

That's right, Bane is different from Zoro. Zoro is currently just a country bumpkin swordsman who doesn't have much fame yet, but Bane is a "big shot" with a bounty on his head all over the world by the Whitebeard Pirates.

In other words, Ah Long and his ilk don't pay much attention to humans, and are even somewhat face-blind to humans, so they didn't recognize Bane.

Before meeting the Straw Hat Pirates, Nami deeply hated pirates. She believed that all pirates were incompetent plunderers, villains, and a cancer that oppressed ordinary people.

She hated all pirates on the seas with equal righteousness, without exception, including the Whitebeard Pirates.

When she heard that Bane had killed a great pirate with a bounty of 360 million Berries, she was stunned. You have to know that Arlong, the pirate with the highest bounty in the East Blue, only had a bounty of 20 million Berries.

Three hundred and sixty million? How many evil deeds must one have committed on the high seas to accumulate that bounty? This is a pirate who is ten times more powerful and ten times more evil than Arlong!

Even so, Bane killed him, and it is said that he also collected the huge bounty in Loguetown in the East Sea!

To be honest, Nami had previously fantasized that a powerful and wealthy legendary bounty hunter like Bane would suddenly appear and rescue her from her dire straits.

However, Nami never heard from Bane again in the following six months, and she gradually gave up hope, thinking that Bane might have left the East Blue.

Today, she saw the scene she had once fantasized about come true, right before her eyes!

Therefore, the moment her eyes met Bane's, a relieved smile appeared on the face of the girl who had been waiting in hell for eight long years.

At the same time, Bane laughed, his previously fierce smile now appearing quite sunny. He grinned broadly and asked, "Beautiful lady, are you the most talented navigator in this area?"

"No~" Nami gently shook her head, feigning pride, "He's the most talented navigator in the East Blue!"

"That would be wonderful! The most talented navigator in the East China Sea, I sincerely invite you to join my team!" Bane laughed heartily.

"It would be my pleasure to serve you~" Nami replied softly.

But the next second, one of the ignorant fishmen roared in fury, "You damned, lowly humans are too arrogant! Nami is our slave, and you want her?"

boom!

Another muffled, loud bang, and the enraged merman scattered like fireworks, leaving a trail of blood and flesh on the ground.

After Bane blew out the smoke from the hand cannon, he realized that the guy looked familiar, like the Kissing Fishman.

Before he could think any further, with a whoosh, Ah Long's figure shot towards him like an arrow, his serrated nose reflecting a few cold glints in the sunlight!

Bane dodged to the side with ease, avoiding Arlong's attack. Zoro, standing to the side, had a fierce glint in his eyes and was about to make a move, but Bane said, "Zoro, go protect our navigator. I'll rip off this stinking fish right now."

As a shark-fish man, Aron is stronger, more aggressive, and more ruthless than ordinary fish-men. If Bane had just arrived in this world, he might not have been able to defeat him. But now, Bane feels that he can beat him with ease!

Ah Long's headbutt was not a reckless act, but a premeditated choice of direction. After stopping his movement, he pulled out his weapon, a serrated blade, from behind a nearby pillar!

"I'll deal with this guy, you guys kill that green-haired guy!" Ah Long shouldered his broadsword and ordered his henchmen.

Zoro didn't stand on ceremony. He instantly appeared beside Nami with a quick step, drawing his two swords and placing one on each side to protect her. He said, "Don't worry, this will all be over soon, navigator."

Ah Long was tall and imposing, wielding a large sword. In just a few strides, he charged directly in front of Bane, raised his hand, and brought the sword down with a swift and powerful strike, the sonic boom of which was unsettling.

This time, Bane didn't dodge at all. Instead, he casually drew the sword hanging at his waist, held it horizontally, and assumed a defensive stance.

Seeing this, Alon laughed inwardly. This human was overestimating himself. As a fish-man, his strength was ten times that of an ordinary human, and as a shark fish-man, he was even stronger!

This one strike could decide the outcome!

However, the next second, Aaron's seemingly inevitable strike was actually blocked by Bane with a clang.

And judging from Bane's appearance, he seemed completely relaxed, as if he wasn't exerting himself at all!

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

"Indeed, this world is special. My abilities have grown much faster than back in the Empire!" Bane exclaimed.

Aside from the Dark-Dark Fruit's abilities, Bane was already a registered 'Class E' ability user by the Empire, whose ability was physical strength.

However, in the Empire, this ability wasn't particularly outstanding. At most, it made Bane a bit tougher, stronger, more endurance, and better at healing. It wasn't a high-level ability, and the growth rate wasn't fast either. Several years after awakening the ability, there hadn't been any significant changes.

But in the world of One Piece, when Bane first tasted a piece of sea monster meat in Shimotsuki Village, he noticed some changes. His body seemed to have become stronger? Whether it was muscle tissue, internal organs, or bones, they all seemed to be absorbing a lot of nutrients, becoming more solid and powerful!

After that, Bane ate sea monster meat for every meal, and occasionally he could eat some sea king meat. His body reacted more noticeably, and as a result, his E-level talent began to grow rapidly.

Fortunately, Koushirou's family was large and wealthy, otherwise he would have really bankrupted them.

He now seems to understand why there are always some freaks with amazing strength and physical abilities in the world of One Piece. Part of it is because of their talent, but at the same time it is definitely related to the diet and food ingredients of this world!

Whether it's sea kings, sea monsters, or those powerful beasts on the island, Bane has decided to eat them all in the future!

He even wondered if he had lived in this world a few years earlier, he would probably be considered a "monster" in terms of physical fitness by now.

"We should grasp the life return as soon as possible, as this will be more beneficial for nutrient extraction and further development and growth of the body," Bane pondered to himself.

However, this was not the time to consider such things. Under the shocked and bewildered gaze of Ah Long, Bane exerted force in his hand and suddenly parried Ah Long's sword. Then, he clenched his other hand into a fist and delivered a heavy punch that slammed into Ah Long's abdomen, instantly denting Ah Long's abdominal muscles!

(End of this chapter)