Chapter 78: Ancestor

“Meow…”

The cat demon let out a strange cry that sent chills down one’s spine, eerie and unsettling.

Meanwhile,

Luffy’s parents were nowhere in sight outside; they’d likely fallen asleep and hadn't come out.

Luffy never expected the cat demon would walk right into his trap, daring to approach his home—it was practically courting death.

With a swift movement,

he appeared before his four subordinates.

“You did well. This cat demon is beyond your capabilities,” Luffy said, tossing each of them a vial of tempering elixir. “Drink up and heal your wounds. Leave this one to me.”

“Thank you, Boss,” the women replied, clearly relieved, and retreated to the side with their elixirs, eager to see how their leader would deal with the cat demon.

“You’ve got some nerve, coming near my home to commit your crimes,” Luffy said coldly, lifting his gaze to the cat demon, which stood as tall as a man.

“A third-tier human, and yet so arrogant. Do you know what tier I am?” the cat demon sneered in human speech, its eerie green eyes glowing in the night as it bared its white fangs menacingly. “Humans are nothing but food for us wild beasts. What’s there to be proud of? In a few days, the safe zone of Jiuzhou will fall. Then, your kind will be our feast.”

“Pity for those who said the same to me—they’re all dead now, blinded by their own arrogance,” Luffy replied, shaking his head.

“Oh, is that so?” The cat demon grew wary of the boy’s calm demeanor, suspecting he had some secret weapon. Suddenly, it lashed out with a massive claw, sending three gleaming white blades of frigid energy streaking toward Luffy.

The air crackled, cold as ice, the attack swift as lightning, all aimed at Luffy.

Yet Luffy stood his ground, unmoved and unflinching, exuding a commanding presence.

The three icy blades slammed into a semi-transparent golden aura that flickered around him. The golden light warped, swallowing the attack until the blades vanished without a trace.

He hadn’t budged an inch—those three blades might as well have been a gentle scratch.

The cat demon was stunned, its face twisted in disbelief. It hadn’t expected this human boy to take its attack so easily. No wonder he was so confident. The demon realized now it had underestimated him and quickly retreated several steps.

“You’re certainly entitled to your pride, being able to withstand my attack. But don’t get cocky. That was just a test. Watch carefully—I’ll show you true power,” the cat demon roared.

It transformed into a humanoid form, brandishing a massive demon blade that radiated a sickly green light, and struck at Luffy.

The ferocious aura surprised even Luffy. The demon’s human form was tall and powerfully muscled, wielding the enormous blade with ruthless precision.

“You can die now!”

With a thunderous roar, the massive blade came crashing down on Luffy.

Still, Luffy stood motionless, hands clasped behind his back, as the blade smashed down upon him. The weapon collided with the dragon energy swirling around him, erupting in a deafening explosion.

The shockwave swept in all directions, shaking the ground and sending leaves fluttering from the trees.

The cat demon stared in disbelief—the full force of its blow hadn’t even scratched the unmoving youth. Instead, the backlash was so fierce it sent pain shooting up the demon’s arm, forcing it to release the blade and sending it hurtling backward, crashing into a tree. Blood trickled from its grip, the pain nearly numbing its hand.

“You… how is this possible?”

Its green eyes were wide with horror. It had never imagined this human boy could be so terrifying. It had used all its strength, yet failed even to graze him. Luffy’s clothes were spotless as he calmly walked toward the demon, step by step.

The cat demon stumbled backward in panic.

“You’ve had your turn. Now it’s mine,” Luffy said coldly.

His figure blurred, darting forward with such speed he left afterimages behind. In an instant, he was in front of the cat demon, and his fist—wreathed in dragon energy—punched out.

The demon, startled by the youth’s momentum, barely had time to react. It hastily raised its demon blade in defense, but the fist crashed into it, shattering the weapon with a cascade of cracks until it split in two.

Luffy’s fist, fierce and unstoppable, smashed into the demon’s chest.

A thunderous boom echoed, like a drum beaten by a titan.

The cat demon’s ribcage caved in, and it was hurled backward like a cannonball.

It shrieked, spurting blood.

Luffy surged forward, using the Smoky Dream Imperial Step. From his spatial ring, he drew the Thousand-Thunder Sword and brought it down on the demon’s head.

Blood sprayed as the head was severed and sent flying.

But then,

the corpse and its head transformed into a green glow, shooting off into the distance.

Luffy was astonished. Did the cat demon truly have nine lives? Or was its weakness not the head, but the dantian?

Without hesitation, Luffy flung three soul-suppressing talismans, which ignited in midair, turning into golden runes that flew after the escaping corpse. When they struck, the demon let out a final scream before crashing to the ground, motionless.

Luffy approached the unmoving body, a cold smile on his lips.

“Run, then! Damn it, what are you even doing in our safe zone?”

“I’ll never tell, even if I die,” the cat demon replied stubbornly.

“Not talking, eh? That’s a shame. I’ve got ways to make you speak. After that, I’ll dig the crystal core out of your dantian and have myself some roast cat. Wild cat meat—sounds delicious just thinking about it.”

Luffy took out a puppet talisman. One way or another, this demon would talk.

“Heh, you think I’d believe that? I will never speak! What in this world could possibly compel a demon to betray itself?” the cat demon retorted with confidence.

“Just watch. This is a puppet talisman. Once it’s attached to you, and with the incantation spoken, you’ll answer anything I ask. When you’re done, I’ll finish you off. Goodbye.”

With that, Luffy pressed the talisman onto the cat demon and began to chant: “By the decree of the Supreme Elder, obey at once!”

The talisman glowed gold, and the cat demon’s eerie green eyes grew dazed. Moments ago, it had struggled, but soon it was completely under the talisman’s control, docile as a lamb.

Luffy smiled, “Why did you come to the Jiuzhou Safe Zone and harm our people?”

“To scout the terrain and to find a suitable body for my master’s rebirth,” the demon answered truthfully.

“Who is your master?” Luffy asked, intrigued. He hadn’t expected the cat demon to serve someone else—its master must be remarkable.

“My master is the ancestor of our cat clan. I don’t know his name.”

“Are you really planning to join forces with the zombies to attack the safe zone in a few days?” Luffy pressed on.

“No!”

At this, the demon’s body began to convulse and struggle.

“No what?” Luffy frowned in confusion.

****

Author’s Note:

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