Chapter 112: On Monsters

The aura was so commanding, the features so striking. Yet, in his memory, there was no information corresponding to this woman.

At the moment, Mode didn’t have the luxury to ponder this mystery. He quickly withdrew his gaze and pressed onward toward the wall’s opening.

No matter who she was, escaping was the priority.

Faced with the tangible threat posed by Gion, Mode’s movements grew increasingly forceful.

He only hoped the shields behind him would hold their ground.

He didn’t expect them to hold Gion back, only to buy some time.

Outside the crowd.

With a mere wave of her hand, Gion sent dozens of pirates sprawling to the ground.

Her overwhelming presence reduced the pirates around her to mere prey.

And with decisive action, she deeply imprinted that image of power into every pirate’s eyes.

The pirates, shaken, quickly responded.

The once crowded throng began to disperse in an instant.

None of them wished to use their bodies to absorb Gion’s lethal strikes, nor did they intend to die passively.

Expressionless, Gion watched the pirates’ movements, then suddenly stepped into the air and ascended toward the wall mountain.

This abrupt motion undeniably made her a moving target.

Seeing Gion rise, the nearby pirates’ eyes flashed with murderous intent, swiftly drawing their flintlock pistols.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Smoke and gunpowder filled the air as countless lead bullets tore through the sky toward Gion.

Yet, with a single surge of her Moon Step, she effortlessly dodged the barrage, despite their decent accuracy.

“What incredible speed!”

The pirates stared in astonishment as Gion streaked overhead.

But at the same time, her back was laid bare before them.

A perfect opportunity!

The pirates quickly realigned their gun barrels toward her exposed back.

To them, Gion’s actions were tantamount to suicide.

They aimed and pulled the trigger once more.

Amidst the continuous gunfire, another volley of bullets aimed at Gion’s back.

Yet, as if her back had eyes, Gion stepped on air, weaving a twisting aerial path, evading every bullet fired from behind.

In the face of her stable and efficient Observation Haki, those bullets, lacking Armament Haki reinforcement, were mere decorations.

Watching Gion evade every bullet in such an incredible manner, the pirates’ faces were etched with disbelief.

She dodged head-on, and even the pincer attacks didn’t faze her?

Most of the pirates present had never even set foot in the Grand Line, let alone encountered knowledge related to Haki.

Therefore, the strength Gion displayed only deepened their dread.

Effortlessly avoiding wave after wave of dense gunfire, Gion soon reached the foot of the wall mountain.

Though she was a sword master, her Observation Haki, enhanced by her Devil Fruit ability, was stronger than her Armament Haki.

Thus, no matter how concentrated the firepower, it posed no threat to her.

Mode was still amidst the crowd.

He had nearly squeezed his way to the wall’s opening.

But Gion’s preemptive interception made him curse under his breath.

It was hard to say whether Gion was daring due to skill or fearless bravado.

Either way, it was a clear attempt to cut off all escape routes.

“What now?” Sunny asked softly, reloading her weapon.

She had fired two shots at Gion moments before.

Though supported by Observation Haki, she was no match for Gion’s superior Haki.

The two bullets she fired missed without surprise.

“This woman’s not to be trifled with. We have to retreat first,” Mode decided instantly, abandoning any thought of forcing through the wall opening. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the farther side of the wall mountain.

If the front was blocked, he would have to defy his original plan, take a longer route around the island’s edge, and then swim and climb to cross the wall mountain.

Having made his decision, Mode ignored the continuous gunfire ringing in his ears.

Turning back, he continued to clear a path with brute force.

Thanks to the deterrence Gion imposed, the crowd gradually thinned, no longer as densely packed as before.

Soon, Mode squeezed through the crowd, carrying Sunny on his back.

Looking back, most pirates had dispersed, and heaps of bodies lay before the wall’s opening.

Tall and imposing, Gion stood like a guardian deity, blocking everyone present.

The pirates, wary of her close-combat prowess, continued to attack from a distance with firearms.

Yet, no matter how precise their aim, they could not hit her.

Mode stepped out of the crowd, his gaze piercing through pirate after pirate until it settled on Gion.

A lone warrior standing guard!

The phrase flashed through his mind.

Without looking back, Mode moved on.

If Gion weren’t so formidable, Mode would consider blending into the crowd to fire from the shadows, clearing obstacles to pass through the wall opening, even if it meant no experience gain.

But the strength she displayed sapped every ounce of motivation from him.

Given the situation, even knowing Gion’s name and having so many cannon fodder pirates around, Mode wouldn’t take the risk.

He understood perfectly what needed to be done now.

“Do your best,” Mode cheered silently for the pirates behind him.

He was far from alone in avoiding direct conflict with Gion.

Many shared this thought but clung to hope—perhaps Gion would fall under the hail of bullets.

So they lingered on the fringes, watching the unfolding scene.

Facing the onslaught, Gion remained indifferent, raising her long blade and beginning a one-sided massacre.

Pirates who had never been to the Grand Line or the New World could never imagine the extent of an individual’s power.

Though Gion’s strength was far from top-tier, she was no match for the pirates of Mads Town.

Ignoring gunfire from all directions, she moved like a tiger among sheep, each slash felling multiple enemies.

Meanwhile, Mode was already retreating.

He, too, had never been to the Grand Line but understood better than anyone the terror posed by those powerful individuals.

In the original story, what left the deepest impression on him wasn’t Whitebeard’s overwhelming destructive power but the chapter where the Straw Hat Pirates faced a hundred thousand fishmen on Fishman Island.

Ten against a hundred thousand—that was an absurd disparity.

But that was the world they lived in.

Moreover, if the Straw Hats from that time faced the Four Emperors, they would be instantly annihilated.

From this, it was clear that in the presence of such top-tier powerhouses, numbers meant nothing and could not sustain a war of attrition.

Even Jinbe and the newly debuted Ace could fight for five days and nights straight.

So what kind of stamina and endurance could monsters stronger than them possess?

Mode knew well that with the average strength of the pirates behind him, even multiplying their numbers several times over might not gain any advantage against Gion.

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At the same time, within the district, a fierce battle raged.

Thor was slightly breathless.

In contrast, Garp remained calm and collected.

The disparity between them was evident at a glance.