One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

Soon, only Garling and the Five Elders remained around.

At that moment, the ground began to tremble violently, and loud roars filled the air. Two beams of light—one black, one red—shot up from the ruins. As the light dissipated, Carl and Darian stood facing each other. Although their clothes were somewhat disheveled, their auras remained steady.

Since Carl's bloodline factor had awakened, he no longer had to worry about stamina. As for Darian, the massive reservoir of blood stored within his body provided him with continuous energy.

What puzzled Carl, however, was that despite Darian absorbing so much blood, his strength had not increased significantly since their last encounter.

Darian glanced at Garling and the Five Elders nearby and smiled. "Ah, you're all here. My apologies. I think we might've gotten a little carried away."

He didn't appear out of control, but Saturn stood up and said, "Saint Darian, you should come with me to check in with Vegapunk!"

Darian laughed mockingly. "Saint Saturn, I think you're getting old and confused! I feel perfectly fine. What is there to check? You just want to detain me, don't you?"

No one had ever called Saturn old and confused, and his face reddened with anger. But Darian ignored him, turning his gaze back to Carl with a grin.

"My boy, did you enjoy sucking blood underground just now?"

Carl's hands glowed with a crimson light. He had indeed absorbed a great deal of blood from Darian, extending his lifespan by nearly a hundred years. Yet none of the blood was Darian's own, it was unclear just how much blood this "humanoid blood bank" held.

By the way, the effects of the Paw-Paw Fruit are quite distinct from the Blood-Blood Fruit. The former only grants extended life and heals wounds through blood absorption, without increasing strength or evoking negative emotions. Carl had no qualms about draining Darian dry—he estimated that doing so could grant him tens of thousands of years to live.

But Carl wasn't concerned about that. He wanted Darian dead.

Using the Dark-Dark Fruit to nullify Darian's Blood-Blood abilities wouldn't be enough since the blood that had already infiltrated Darian's body enabled him to resurrect through blood droplets—a sort of passive skill. In this regard, Darian's claim of being invincible wasn't entirely inaccurate.

Carl's eyes narrowed as he hooked his finger. In an instant, four dark tentacles shot out from beneath Darian's feet, pulling him into the shadows. Darian swung his arm, and a crescent-shaped blade formed from his hand, instantly severing the tentacles. He soared into the sky, summoning a blood-red wave and launching it at Carl.

Carl countered the sea of blood with his sword, but Darian thrust his blade forward. Carl evaded with divine precision, then reappeared, wielding the demonic sword Muramasa, its ominous black aura radiating from its blade. He slashed at the back of Darian's neck.

Clang!

A metallic sound echoed as a blood-scab reinforced with Armament Haki appeared on Darian's neck, blocking Muramasa's strike.

The two then began an intense sword duel. Amid flashing blades and bursts of black and red sword energy, their figures flickered across the battlefield. The Five Elders, watching from the sidelines, had to muster their own defenses against the chaotic sword auras.

Garling casually deflected the flying sword energy, his gaze fixed on the two combatants.

Despite Carl's immense power, he was eventually overpowered by Darian's technique.

Breathing heavily, Carl dug Muramasa into the ground to steady himself. He spread his wings wide, regaining his composure before standing tall once more, his gaze fixed on the blade in his hand.

Swish!

Darian landed nearby, his blade crackling with red electricity. Pointing his sword at Carl, he smirked.

"My child, you're still far from mastering our family's swordsmanship… What?"

Darian's expression froze. The demonic sword Muramasa began to pulse with a red energy, red arcs of lightning dancing along its edge.

The Five Elders looked on in astonishment.

"Is that Conqueror's Haki infusion?"

"Incredible… It looks like this is Carl's first time using it. He's mastered it in battle!"

"As expected from the Figarland family, such a frightening talent!"

Only Saturn and Warcury remained silent. Saturn, having tested Carl's abilities at birth, knew Carl was the most talented Figarland heir in generations. Though he had expected Carl to awaken Conqueror's Haki, it was still sooner than anticipated.

Warcury, on the other hand, turned pale with fury, internally cursing, "Why does heaven favor the Figarland family so much?!"

Ignoring the voices behind him, Garling's lips curled into a smirk, a reflection of Darian's earlier grin.

Before everyone's eyes, Carl's Muramasa surged with lightning. He slid his hand along the blade, his other arm bent as he held the sword horizontally across his chest. He locked eyes with Darian, then vanished.

In the blink of an eye, Darian's body was cleaved by two black-and-red sword auras. Carl, standing with his back to Darian, spoke softly,

"Thanks to you, I've finally mastered this technique. Now, prepare for the first sword."

Darian tried to turn, but his body was locked in place, torn apart by the violent Haki swirling around him. Despite the brutal injuries, he smiled eerily, looking down at his disintegrating body.

"It's time…"

In the next moment, Darian's body shattered completely. Carl seized the opportunity, using his abilities to absorb all of the scattered blood into his body.

But something strange began to unfold.

The ground beneath Carl trembled violently, softening as writhing "blood vessels" emerged from it. The entire area turned blood red, and to Carl's horror, dozens of Darian clones began rising from the sea of blood, surrounding him in every direction.

-----------

+115 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg