Collapse Iron Live Broadcast Connects All Worlds, Scares Away Wuzhan at the Beginning

The man's fingers were carelessly spinning a green chip, a faint smile playing on his lips. His movements were casual, his tone was nonchalant, as if he saw the company's vast business as nothing more than a simple after-dinner gambling game.

Mengzi's breathing gradually became lighter and her pupils contracted slightly.

"Interesting..." She murmured softly, and the corners of her mouth began to rise uncontrollably.

"From the sound of his voice, he's the gold dust Topa mentioned—the P45 executive in charge of Pinocchio." Suzui Ryota frowned. "The company actually sent a gambler to discuss business. Isn't that too unreliable?"

"Snapped!"

Meiari Saotome raised her hand and gave him a slap on the face.

"So you're too rigid." She crossed her legs, twirling a pen between her fingers. "Are you questioning P47's choice of diamonds? Or are you questioning P45's abilities? Didn't you hear what Shajin said? Conventional methods and family deals won't work. There's no doubt... this 'damned gambler' is the company's trump card."

Yumeko didn't respond to their conversation.

Her gaze was fixed on Sha Jin…especially those eyes, those beautiful yet indifferent eyes like peacock feathers. He was undoubtedly a seasoned gambler—if eyes could speak, she would definitely have a lot in common with him.

Gradually, Mengzi's fingers began to tremble, her breathing became rapid, and the curve of her mouth became more and more exaggerated.

"what……"

She suddenly covered her face with her hands, and her eyes, which appeared between her fingers, flashed with a sickly light.

"Great!" Her voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement. "Right now, right now, I really want to make a bet with him..."

Ryota was startled by her sudden change and subconsciously took a step back: "Snake, Jabami-san?"

Meiari sighed as if she was used to it, and put her hand on Yumeko's shoulder. "Hey, calm down. No matter how much you want it, I won't hear you. And even if I did, your unsatisfied look...are you sure it won't scare me?"

-

"Xing continued forward. In front of her was a cute little girl with twintails and an elegant lady wearing a veil."

"Rememberer... do you think you can leave safely?"

"I'm sorry. I already have someone I'd like to dance with," the lady said with a faint smile.

"After saying this, the two of them disappeared. Huang Quan was waiting for her up ahead, and the gate in front suddenly extended, transforming from a door into a long, narrow corridor. Xing followed her to the end, but as soon as she opened the door, a doorman suddenly appeared from behind it and bowed respectfully to her."

“Welcome to Daydream Hotel, and wish you an unforgettable vacation experience! To check in, please go straight to the hotel front desk…”

"The little boy's sudden appearance scared Xing so much that she almost couldn't breathe, but fortunately, after she finished speaking, the little boy disappeared."

Huang Quan said calmly from behind her, "Leave here, wake up like any other day, forget this chance encounter, and return to where you came from."

“But before we go, I have a request.”

"Hmm?" Xing turned around and looked at her.

"This may sound strange to you, or even rude, but I'd like to know... have we met before?"

"…What do you mean?" Xing looked at her in confusion.

Huang Quan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, there was a hint of tenderness and warmth in them. "You remind me of someone I once knew. In my hazy memories, she stood shoulder to shoulder with me... just like this bizarre dream, so close yet so untouchable."

"Can I ask you a few more questions? I... often forget things, so I prefer to use my feelings to grasp things rather than my memories. Whether the answer is correct or not is not important; what matters is your reaction in the moment."

"When you woke up in the guest room, you uttered several names. Were they your companions? Family? Enemies? You seem to have established unbreakable connections with many people and many things..."

Huang Quan's eyes darkened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Excuse me, are you afraid of losing this connection?"

-

One Piece.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Blackbeard took a big gulp of rum, and the liquor dripped down his beard. "This little patrol ranger girl looks really creepy!"

Lafitte polished his sword gracefully, his eyes narrowed. "If I remember correctly, the Sea Rangers are quite famous in the universe. They always follow their inner 'justice,' but this Huang Quan..." He paused, his voice like a venomous snake, "There's not a shred of righteousness in her eyes."

"No, there's nothing." Kuzan adjusted his glasses and suddenly added.

The woman's calm eyes were devoid of emotion, but that was all the more terrifying. He had once looked up into Huang Quan's eyes—her eyes were beautiful, but there was nothing else besides beauty. They were empty, a void, a terrifying feeling similar to the feeling of being sucked in by the crystal-clear surface of a lake.

"Monster..." Kuzan muttered softly. As a force also following the [Hunting Patrol], the Immortal Boat Alliance's feelings were completely different from hers. Although he couldn't directly sense them with his Observation Haki through the sky, he could still, at least, barely read some of their emotions.

But this woman was like a black hole that kept sinking inwards... It was the first time he had seen such an alien in the sky.

Can such a person be a sea patrol ranger?

...Or are all Sea Rangers freaks like her?

Chapter 316: Pinocchio (V)

"If it means they leave, I will." Xing answered honestly.

"Hmm... what if there were a vast dream world that was realistic enough to be indistinguishable from reality? There would be no separation of life and death, and everyone would receive the happiness and contentment they deserve, living happily ever after."

Huang Quan continued to ask, "Excuse me, would you be willing to live there?"

"No matter what, I don't want to live in a dream." Xing shook her head.

"Then...if this beautiful dream shatters, everything will be gone, everyone in their memories, those smiles and tears, the fulfilled and unfulfilled promises...all will eventually move towards their predetermined end. If, at the beginning of this journey, you already knew the destination..."

“Excuse me, will you still embark on this journey?”

"Xing's eyes were determined: "I will continue to explore without hesitation."

Huang Quan said expressionlessly, "I know this is difficult, but there's no need to rush into a decision. I told you... the answer isn't important. So, back to the original question... do you remember me?"

"No, this is the first time we meet." Xing was still very sure.

"…I understand." Huang Quan nodded. "Your golden dream is beginning to falter. In the long night ahead, you will likely encounter many setbacks and witness numerous tragedies. In the end… you will see only black and white."

“But please believe that in that black and white world there will be a little red that will disappear for a moment, but when you make a choice, it will appear again…”

-

Psychic 100%.

"Master, do you understand what she said?" Longtao stared blankly at Linghuan Xinlong.

"I didn't understand at all..." Linghuan felt like his CPU was about to burn out. He could recognize every word the woman said individually, but when they put them together, he couldn't understand a single word. It seemed like she said everything and nothing at the same time, as if she was telling a riddle.

What about "long night", "golden dream", "black and white"... Could it be a metaphor?

This woman named Huang Quan clearly hadn't met Xing before. Who would ask questions like that right out of the gate? And she seemed very familiar with Pinocchio... Could she be from the Tongxie family?

But no matter what she was implying, Lingxuan drew a conclusion from her words - Pinocchio was definitely not as simple as Xing imagined. Combined with what the young brother and sister with halos behind their heads said, there must be some unknown tragedy hidden under this beautiful dream.

"Master, do you think there is a possibility... that Miss Huang Quan is testing Xing?" Longtao said in a low voice.

"Testing?"

"Yes, Miss Huang Quan is a sea ranger, like a knight traveling across the galaxy. She didn't just question Xing, but everyone she considered suspicious. If any answer did not satisfy her or was hostile, she would directly—"

The extra didn't continue speaking, but made a tightening gesture around his neck with a serious face.

"Hey, hey, hey...are you a Ranger or a murderer? Judging friend or foe this way, this Miss Huang Quan must have been wanted by the Sea Patrol Rangers long ago, right?!"

-

"Yoichi gripped her sword tightly. When she lightly brushed against the edge of Xing's clothes, time suddenly became thick."

"And you, carefully chew on its meaning—then return to the waking world."

Huang Quan slowly raised his head, and those ever-indifferent eyes…shed a tear of blood.

"Xing turned around in confusion, wanting to ask what she meant by these words, but before she could even form any doubts, a sharp pain exploded from her abdomen."

"scarlet."

"That was Xing's last thought before she lost consciousness. She felt herself plummeting, falling into the icy lake, suffocating bit by bit."

"…Star Passenger?"

"Pam's voice suddenly pierced the darkness."

"Xing suddenly opened her eyes, her fingers digging deep into the leather of the train seat. There was a cold touch on her face—it wasn't blood, but two lines of tears that had flowed from her face at some unknown time."

"Pam was looking at her with concern: "What's wrong with you? Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

“I dreamt of a riddle man speaking strange words…”

-

One Punch Man.

"What a hardcore wake-up service..."

"Speaking of which, this single strike alone is much stronger than those S-rank heroes in the association, right?"

"Are you referring to the fourth-ranked S-class warrior, Atomic Samurai? Haha, I admit he's very strong in Z City, but in the universe... I can only say that he still needs to practice."

"Hey! Are you trying to kill yourself? The real Atomic Samurai is right here!"

"Is this true...! I hope he doesn't hear it! I'm leaving first!"

"..."

Inside the ramen restaurant, the diners put down their chopsticks and chatted among themselves. Meanwhile, at a table on the second floor, the Sword Saint Society's disciples and masters stared blankly at the sky, their chopsticks trembling slightly as the half-cooked onsen egg slipped from their tips, creating small ripples in the soup.

"Hey, hey, did you see that clearly? The way she drew her sword just now..."

Atomic Samurai tried hard to recall the sword strike from Huang Quan just now. He really couldn't remember where the woman drew the sword. His impression was that she just gripped the scabbard tightly, with her fingers resting on the hilt, and there was no other movement.

Is it because of the dream?

The disciple Juai'an shook his head. Not to mention seeing the sword-drawing action clearly, he felt that the whole process of Huang Quan was just like taking a walk, and the star behind him was chopped to death while he was walking.

"Master, since we can't see clearly, why don't we ask..." Juian lowered his voice and pointed with his thumb at the man who was concentrating on eating not far away.

——KING.

As soon as Atomic Samurai entered the door, he noticed KING dining by the window. He didn't want to disturb him, but since such an interesting scene appeared in the sky, he had to find the ultimate weapon known as "the strongest in the world" to have a chat.

(He's full of holes... Is he hoping to lure the monster hiding in the shadows into attacking him, and then kill him? As expected of a King, he's a very thoughtful man...)

Atomic Samurai admired in his heart and sat opposite KING with his disciples.

KING, who was slurping noodles, looked at Atomic Samurai in confusion, having no idea what this guy was doing there.

"King, you saw Huang Quan's sword drawing just now in the sky, right?" Atomic Samurai smiled slightly. "We didn't see the woman's sword drawing movement clearly. You are called 'the strongest in the world', so you should have seen it clearly, right?"

"Draw your sword?"

KING frowned. What knife? Just now, he was watching the sky screen while eating noodles. He was so engrossed that he accidentally choked on the chili oil. When he recovered, Xing had already woken up.

Chapter 317: Pinocchio (Part 6)

"No, I didn't..."

"Don't you take him seriously at all? KING?" Atomic Samurai snorted in dissatisfaction. He crossed his arms and looked at KING, knowing very well that this man was extremely strong, a powerful man whom even Bang admired.

No one had ever seen KING in action—rumor has it that everyone who had seen him was dead, leaving no one alive to describe his moves or fighting style. But on closer inspection, did KING and Huang Quan seem to share some similarities? For example, those fighting moves that no one could clearly see...

Atomic Samurai suddenly realized.

No wonder she didn't take Huang Quan seriously. So they share the same fighting style? It's not that no one has seen King fight, but even if they did, their movements wouldn't be detectable to the naked eye! As expected of King, his strength is on par with the Sea Ranger... No, King just ignored her completely. Doesn't that mean... he's even stronger than Huang Quan?!

Atomic Samurai broke out in a sweat.

"KING, your face is so red, is it because of the fighting spirit? You also want to fight with that woman, right? You are really as fierce and warlike as the legend says." He noticed KING's red face and couldn't help but admire him.

“That’s because of the chili pepper.”

"Chili?" Atomic Samurai glanced down at the small dish of chili oil next to King's noodle soup. "Are you saying that this is what you usually rely on to maintain your fighting spirit? That's quite unique. I'm learning, King."

"However, I still don't understand how Huang Quan's sword cut was performed. I happen to have a sword with me, so could you demonstrate it to us? Or explain the principle behind it?"

A trace of displeasure suddenly flashed across KING's face.

"Boom boom boom——"

Atomic Samurai swallowed his saliva. King's Emperor Engine had already started. Next, he would attack, right? But could he really see clearly with his strength?

KING slowly stood up and pointed at his watch, "It's almost seven o'clock."

"???"

"...KING, what do you mean by that?"

There was no answer, or perhaps he disdained to answer. King lowered the brim of his hat and walked downstairs with his head lowered, not even looking back. The four masters and apprentices stared blankly at his figure as he walked away, until he disappeared into the sunset.