496-500

Chapter 496 – The Enemy of My Enemy 

“Big bro Kazama! We were wrong, we were totally wrong! We were just messing with you earlier. Please don’t be mad!” 

Kazama's eyes narrowed. 

“Still trying to act tough in front of me, huh?” 

Before the twisted couple could finish groveling, Kazama sent them crashing to the ground with a single blow. 

“Let me make something clear,” Kazama growled. “I may not be some bloodthirsty maniac, but if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s people trying to show off in front of me—or worse, using tricks and deceit.” 

He clenched his fist, furious. 

“I’ve spared you two more than once, and instead of being grateful, you’ve got the nerve to keep yapping in front of me?! That’s it—I’ve had enough!” 

With that, Kazama unleashed another flurry of attacks on the villainous couple, showing no mercy. 

Meanwhile, the curly-haired middle-aged man nearby—clearly their leader—watched in shock as Kazama ruthlessly took down his subordinates. The humiliation stung. 

Not wanting to be shown up, he immediately activated his trump card: dozens of gun barrels suddenly emerged from within his curly hair. 

In the blink of an eye, he launched a barrage of bullets straight at Kazama. 

“You little punk! I don’t care how strong you are—you're still no match for me! I’ll crush you and scatter your ashes!” 

He fully expected his surprise attack to finish Kazama off. 

But to his horror, the bullets bounced off Kazama like pebbles off stone. It was as if he were just scratching an itch. 

Kazama didn’t even flinch. 

The curly-haired man’s face turned pale with disbelief. 

Kazama let out a cold chuckle and vanished with a shunshin no jutsu—Instant Body Technique. The next moment, he appeared right in front of the trembling man. 

“I didn’t come here looking for trouble,” Kazama said darkly, “but you clowns just couldn’t stop running your mouths and pretending to be something you're not. So now, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” 

He raised his hand, ready to strike the final blow. 

But just then, two new figures—a man and a woman—arrived on the scene, smirking as they addressed Kazama and the others. 

“Well, well... I didn’t expect the scum of Whisky Peak to start tearing each other apart,” the woman said with a mocking laugh. “Saves us the trouble!” 

“Listen up!” the man barked. “We’re here on direct orders from the boss of Baroque Works! Our mission is to crush the impostors who dared to use Baroque Works’ name! So if you know what’s good for you, end yourselves now—or we’ll make sure your bodies are never found!” 

Kazama blinked in surprise. Wait—what?! 

He hadn’t realized that these newcomers mistook him for a member of Whisky Peak. 

From their words, it became clear: the evil couple and the curly-haired man had been pretending to be Baroque Works agents to throw their weight around. That’s what brought these real Baroque Works operatives here. 

Kazama quickly raised his hands and tried to explain. 

“You’ve got it wrong! I’m not with them—I was just fighting against those impostors! I’m not your enemy—” 

“Spare me the crap!” the man snapped. 

Kazama had assumed that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” and thought maybe he could team up with these newcomers. 

But it was clear now—these two didn’t care who he was. They came for blood. 

Their cold scorn only added fuel to Kazama’s growing fury. 

And yet, despite the blazing rage in his eyes, the duo didn’t seem fazed at all. In fact, they smiled even more smugly at his frustration. 

Chapter 497: I'll Fight You with Both Hands and Feet Tied! 

"Heh heh, what's wrong, you little brats? You look pretty mad, huh?" 

"So what if we're mad? If you don't like it, come bite us, haha!" 

The mysterious man and woman burst into laughter again. In their eyes, since Kazama was so young, he couldn't possibly be very strong. And if he wasn't strong, well, there was nothing to fear! 

But they didn't know that you can't judge a book by its cover, or the ocean by its surface. Even though Kazama was young, his strength could easily crush everyone present. So, seeing this mysterious duo dare to insult him like this, Kazama was absolutely furious. 

He immediately extended one hand, unleashing Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull). He planned to pull the two of them closer and then finish them with a single punch. 

"Oh ho! I didn't expect you, little brat, to have such an amazing ability! You can even do that?!" 

At this point, even though the man and woman were being pulled towards Kazama, they showed no fear at all. Instead, they continued to mock him. 

"Let me tell you, little brat, if you had kept your distance, we might not have been able to kill you. But now that you've dared to let us get close, your death is practically guaranteed!" 

"Go, Mikita!" 

"No problem, Jem!" 

As soon as Mikita and Jem finished speaking, they immediately unleashed their trump cards. One of them leaped into the air, instantly slamming down towards Kazama's head. The other's entire body began to surge with explosive power, looking like they intended to blow Kazama into dust. 

"Their techniques are truly strange and incredibly powerful!" Kazama couldn't help but be shocked. 

However, no matter how amazing or powerful their moves were, they couldn't harm Kazama in the slightest. Why? Because Kazama didn't just have Banshō Ten'in; he also had Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)! 

"Die, runt!" 

But Mikita and Jem had no idea of Kazama's true strength. They still thought Kazama had no escape. So, as they attacked, they let out chilling sneers. 

"You two, you're celebrating a bit too early!" 

"What?!" 

Hearing Kazama's words, Mikita and Jem, who were about to strike, inwardly cursed. But before they could even understand what was happening, they heard Kazama utter another phrase: "Shinra Tensei!" 

In the blink of an eye, the duo were sent flying hundreds of meters away by Kazama. And naturally, their attacks caused no damage to Kazama whatsoever. 

"Young man, your power is truly amazing, truly incredible!" 

Meanwhile, the curly-haired middle-aged man who had been knocked down by Kazama earlier saw Kazama effortlessly send Mikita and Jem flying. This filled his heart with joy, and he quickly gave Kazama a thumbs-up. 

"I am indeed amazing, but do you really think praising me will make me forgive you for poisoning us?" 

At that moment, Kazama grabbed the curly-haired man by his collar and lifted him up. 

"Young man, please spare my life! They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Now, Mikita and Jem are both our enemies, so we should join forces and fight together against the outsiders!" 

"Heh heh, no thanks!" 

Hearing the curly-haired man's words, Kazama immediately let out a cold laugh. 

Chapter 498: The Arrogant Baroque Works 

"Hmph, even if that Miss Monday and Mr. 9 have a few tricks up their sleeves, before me, Kazama, it doesn't matter how awesome or strong they are, they can't touch a hair on my head! If I wanted to, I could mince them into a thousand pieces and scatter their ashes to the wind in minutes!" 

"Is that so?" 

Hearing Kazama's words, the curly-haired middle-aged man gave a noncommittal nod. 

He knew Kazama definitely had that kind of power. 

After all, he'd seen Kazama's Banshō Ten'in and Shinra Tensei with his own eyes, clear as day. 

But just then, the curly-haired middle-aged man spoke to Kazama again, "Listen, young bro, I know you're incredibly strong, like, super sugoi. But what you don't know is that Miss Monday and Mr. 9 are both part of Baroque Works. And in terms of strength, they're only ranked fourth and fifth within Baroque Works. There are four others even stronger than them! And then there's the boss of Baroque Works, someone no one's ever seen. Just think, if this boss can lead all these powerful individuals, their own strength must be nothing to sneeze at, right?" 

"Is that so?" 

Hearing what the curly-haired middle-aged man said, Kazama immediately lowered his head, lost in thought. 

It wasn't that Kazama was afraid of this so-called Baroque Works. 

Rather, Kazama was thinking that since he had now defeated Miss Monday and Mr. 9 of Baroque Works... 

And considering Baroque Works had so many other skilled operatives... 

They would inevitably keep coming after him, relentlessly, and that would definitely hinder his journey to the Grand Line. 

If that was the case, he might as well get the lowdown on this Baroque Works first, to make a preemptive strike. 

Thinking this, Kazama looked again at the curly-haired middle-aged man who was still pleading with him. 

"Alright, alright. Since you're apologizing so sincerely, I'll let you off the hook for today. But if you pull a stunt like that evil couple from before – pretending to submit to me but then trying to sneak attack me behind my back – I definitely won't go easy on you. Don't blame me for being ruthless then!" 

"Don't worry, young bro, I absolutely won't make a move on you again! And it's not just me; no one in our entire Whiskey Peak will try anything against you!" 

"Really?" 

"Absolutely, one hundred percent!" the curly-haired middle-aged man said, raising three fingers to the sky, ready to swear an oath. 

But Kazama immediately waved his hand at him. 

"Enough, you don't need to give me any of that fluff. I just want to ask you: what's the deal with this Baroque Works you mentioned? And why were you impersonating someone from Baroque Works? Also, what was Miss Monday and Mr. 9's reason for trying to kill you?" 

"Well, about that..." 

Hearing Kazama's questions, the curly-haired middle-aged man's face immediately showed hesitation. 

He clearly didn't want to tell Kazama the real story. 

However, after thinking for a few moments, he slowly began to speak. 

"Actually, it's like this... Baroque Works is a villainous organization, a criminal syndicate that specializes in arson, murder, and plunder all over the world. As for me, I am Igaram, the Captain of the Royal Guard of the Alabasta Kingdom. Back then, the boss of Baroque Works sent his agents to attack our Alabasta Kingdom, intending to kidnap Princess Vivi of Alabasta to threaten our kingdom and force the King to abdicate. To protect the princess, our King had no choice but to have me escape with her. But King Cobra... he was utterly defeated and killed by the boss of Baroque Works!" 

Chapter 499: The Kilo-Kilo Fruit User 

"So, you're saying your Alabasta Kingdom has also been taken over by that Baroque Works boss?" 

"That's right!" 

"If he's already taken it over, why would the Baroque Works boss still send people to hunt down your Alabasta Kingdom's princess?" 

"Because that Baroque Works boss is a real bastard, a scumbag! He thinks if he doesn't cut the grass and pull out the roots, we'll just make a comeback. That's why he sent his underlings after the princess! As for me, Igaram, I infiltrated Baroque Works under a false name to find out their plans. But who knew they'd find me out! So, young bro, you have to help us! The reason we attacked you earlier was because we were worried you were spies sent by Baroque Works. It was a big misunderstanding, like 'the great flood washing away the Dragon King's temple' – we didn't recognize our own, nakama!" 

"Heh, you little runts dare to call yourselves 'family' or nakama?" 

Just as the curly-haired middle-aged man, Igaram, was desperately pleading with Kazama... 

Miss Monday and Mr. 9, who had been sent flying by Kazama's Shinra Tensei, reappeared, ready for round two. 

"You little punk!" Miss Monday seethed. "We weren't originally planning to kill you, but since you're so damn clueless, daring to help this curly-haired geezer and oppose us, Baroque Works, then we have no choice but to grind your bones to dust!" 

"That's right!" Mr. 9 chimed in. "No one in this world has ever dared to disrespect Baroque Works! Therefore, you must die now!" 

"Watch out! These two are Devil Fruit users!" 

Seeing Miss Monday and Mr. 9 appear again, Igaram immediately ducked behind Kazama. 

He quickly explained their abilities. 

"One of them ate the Kiro Kiro no Mi (Kilo-Kilo Fruit), allowing her to change her body weight at will, making her super light or incredibly heavy. The other one ate the Bomu Bomu no Mi (Bomb-Bomb Fruit), which lets him make any part of his body explode. They're extremely tough to deal with!" 

"I see, so that's how it is!" 

Hearing Igaram's explanation of their powers... 

Kazama finally understood why those two had insisted on close-quarters combat earlier. 

Their abilities were perfect for melee fights. 

If it were a long-range battle, they'd just be sitting ducks, completely useless. 

Thinking this, Kazama immediately grinned at Miss Monday and Mr. 9, saying, "You two losers, don't try to act tough in front of me. You were already sent flying by me earlier, and now you're back here, still talking big? Who gave you the guts, huh?" 

"What?! You're infuriating me!" 

Hearing Kazama deliberately bring up their sore spot, Miss Monday and Mr. 9 became even more enraged. 

After all, they were both very proud individuals. 

Being sent flying by Kazama earlier was already a huge blow to their egos. 

That's why, as soon as they arrived, they had tried to change the subject. 

They were worried Kazama would use that incident to humiliate them. 

But they never expected that their worst fear would come true. 

The more they feared Kazama's taunts, the more Kazama seemed to enjoy dishing them out. 

And so, the two of them instantly flew into a rage. 

In the blink of an eye, they joined forces and charged at Kazama. 

"Alright, you little brat! How dare you act all high and mighty in front of us! Don't think just because you beat us once, you can beat us twice! We're not some kids who eat dirt, you know!" 

Chapter 500: The Explosive Devil Fruit User 

As soon as Mikita finished speaking, she immediately lightened her body's weight again, floating effortlessly in the air. 

"I'm telling you, you little brat, not only can I make my weight lighter, but I can also make it incredibly heavy! Heavy enough to crush you into a meat paste! A thousand kin, ten thousand kin, one thousand tons! Super Gravity!" 

Mikita declared, then hurled herself down towards Kazama's head. And Jem was right on her heels. 

At this moment, Jem's entire body began to emit scorching heat, looking as if he could explode at any second. "You little brat, now you're not just going to be crushed into paste by Mikita, you're going to be blasted into mincemeat by me! My explosive power can rival a thousand tons of dynamite!" 

"Oh really? Then bring it on!" 

Seeing Mikita and Jem's supremely confident expressions, Kazama merely chuckled, completely unfazed. 

"You scoundrel! I hate that smile of yours the most!" 

Seeing Kazama's composure in the face of their attacks, Mikita and Jem's faces turned red with anger. 

"Shinra Tensei!" 

"What?!" 

Just then, Kazama unleashed Shinra Tensei once more. In another instant, the duo were sent flying backward. 

"Damn it! Are you telling me that's the only move you know?!" 

Seeing themselves blasted hundreds of meters away by Kazama again, Mikita and Jem, still reeling in mid-air, were on the verge of tears from sheer frustration. 

"Who said that's the only move I know? I have another one!" 

"What?!" 

As the two snapped back in disbelief, Kazama once again activated Banshō Ten'in, directly slamming Mikita and Jem into each other. The collision left them dizzy, with bruised noses and swollen faces. 

"You little brat! You scoundrel! How dare you play games with us?!" 

Mikita and Jem, who were being toyed with by Kazama, were furious. But for a moment, they were at a loss. They knew their abilities were simply useless against Kazama. If they truly wanted to defeat him, they'd have to make Kazama abandon his Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in techniques. 

Thinking this, Mikita and Jem exchanged a knowing glance, then immediately began to use trickery against Kazama. 

"Little brat, just by looking at you, we can tell you're a true gentleman!" 

"Indeed! You guessed right, I am a true gentleman!" 

Hearing Mikita and Jem's inexplicable praise, Kazama let out a cold laugh. He immediately understood their intentions, knowing they were trying to trick him. After all, Kazama was an incredibly intelligent individual; how could he not see through their schemes? 

So, Kazama decided to turn their plan against them. Although he could instantly defeat Mikita and Jem, Kazama knew his main objective was to deal with the entire Baroque Works organization. Therefore, simply defeating Mikita and Jem would only be a temporary solution, not very useful in the long run. 

Thus, Kazama decided to utterly humble Mikita and Jem, making them truly convinced of his superiority. Then, he would have them lure in all the members of the Baroque Works group. Ideally, he'd get the Baroque Works boss to come here personally. That way, he could easily crush the entire Baroque Works organization. 

So, Kazama immediately sneered and asked Mikita and Jem: "Since you know I am a true gentleman, why don't you surrender to me right away? After all, with your strength, you are no match for me. Prolonging this fight isn't good for either of us. It would be better to become my subordinates immediately, and save yourselves from being defeated!"