Chapter 7

The battle between Li Xiao and Arlong was one they couldn't intervene in, so they could only watch from afar.

About a few minutes later,

Li Xiao had roughly determined his own level of strength,

which was approximately equivalent to a Navy Headquarters Rear Admiral!

Although there was still a gap between him and the top-tier powerhouses,

with this strength, coupled with his defensive treasure, the Purple-Gold Exquisite Pagoda,

it should be enough to protect himself!

Especially within the Four Seas,

he could almost walk sideways!

What’s more,

he had only been cultivating for a month, all things considered,

and had only checked in twice.

By the time he headed to the Grand Line and the New World,

he might even be able to crush Admirals and stomp on the Four Emperors!

Of course,

as long as they didn't come looking for trouble,

he wouldn't go around picking fights for no reason.

After all, cultivating to seek longevity is the Dao that I, Li, pursue!

As long as you don't disturb my cultivation, do whatever you want! ===== CHAPTER 22 =====

That said,

since he had already roughly determined his strength,

Li Xiao had no interest in playing house with this ugly thing in front of him anymore.

Your mission is complete, time to get your lunchbox!

Li Xiao immediately straightened his expression,

circulated the spiritual power in his body,

the Qing-Frost Sword emitted bursts of cyan light,

and he slashed down with one strike!

"Mountain and Sea Sword Art!"

This strike

carried the momentum to shatter mountains and suppress the seas!

Even though Li Xiao was only being slightly serious,

its power was still so great that Arlong’s expression changed instantly!

As blade met sword,

the large saw-blade in Arlong’s hand was shattered instantly like dry wood!

The strike landed heavily on Arlong’s chest,

blasting him away instantly!

He crashed through several walls before finally stopping!

He lay on the ground, motionless,

blood flowing out across the floor.

Looking at him,

even if he wasn't dead, he was down to his last breath!

Seeing this,

the surrounding Fish-Men of the Arlong Pirates were all shocked!

They rushed to Arlong’s side,

checked his condition,

and under the guidance of the ship’s doctor, scrambled to help him stop the bleeding!

Some of the Fish-Men grabbed their blades and prepared to charge at Li Xiao!

However,

seeing Li Xiao turn to look at them,

and the Qing-Frost Sword in his hand move slightly,

they stopped in their tracks in unison,

silently turned around,

and followed the main group toward the dying Arlong!

After all,

their captain had already gotten his lunchbox,

and with their mediocre skills,

what was the point of charging in?

That would be like an old man eating arsenic—tired of living!

And so,

with the unconscious and dying Arlong at the center,

a dense circle of Fish-Men surrounded him,

each with a look of concern.

Aside from the Fish-Men in the innermost circle who were busy working,

the Fish-Men in the outer circle just silently watched,

completely ignoring the culprit not far away!

Seeing this,

Li Xiao had no intention of continuing to attack.

After all, he wasn't a bloodthirsty person.

Li Xiao walked to the side,

bent down to pick up the Devil Fruit that had fallen during the battle,

and then turned toward the castle,

returning to the room where Nami was.

At this time,

Nami was still sitting at the table,

her tears had stopped,

but her face was already a mess from crying,

and there were traces of blood on her lips,

seemingly bitten by herself.

She stared blankly at the table,

wondering what she was thinking.

Li Xiao walked over slowly,

blew the dust off the Devil Fruit,

placed it in front of Nami,

and said slowly:

"Here, your Devil Fruit. I helped you get it back. Also, Arlong has been dealt with by me, so you don't need to save up that one hundred million berries anymore. Cocoyasi Village is free!"

Hearing this,

Nami raised her head abruptly,

and grabbed Li Xiao’s hand. ===== CHAPTER 23 =====

She asked:

"What did you say? Is Arlong dead?"

"That’s not necessarily certain, but even if he isn't dead, he doesn't have many breaths left. You can go see for yourself; Arlong thoughtfully prepared the best viewing spot for you before!"

As he spoke,

Li Xiao pointed to the wall on the side,

where there was a huge hole caused by Arlong being blasted away twice!

As soon as Li Xiao finished speaking,

Nami jumped up and rushed to the hole,

looking down!

From this angle,

she could see Arlong surrounded by a group of Fish-Men at a glance.

He was lying on the ground, motionless, his life or death unknown!

Seeing this,

Nami collapsed onto the floor,

murmuring:

"The village... everyone... is free!"

As she spoke, the tears she had just stopped began to flow again.

"Right, I have to tell everyone this news immediately!"

Nami wiped her tears,

got up, and ran toward the stairs,

rushing downstairs two steps at a time!

"Hey, don't you want the Devil Fruit?"

However,

Nami had no intention of paying him any mind,

and after reaching the bottom, she sprinted directly toward Cocoyasi Village!

Seeing this,

Li Xiao shook his head helplessly,

and could only pick up the Devil Fruit he had just put down, following her downstairs.

However, Li Xiao did not return to Cocoyasi Village.

Although he had defeated Arlong and allowed the villagers of Cocoyasi Village to regain their freedom,

fundamentally speaking,

the reason Li Xiao had intervened

was still for his own purposes!

He didn't consider himself some noble savior,

and there was no need to run off to accept the villagers' gratitude.

What’s more,

although Arlong had been dealt with,

the Arlong Pirates still needed to be handled properly!

Every single crew member was a walking pile of berries; there was no reason to waste them!

After all,

while cultivation had the help of the system,

eating still cost money!

The pirate world had so much delicious food,

and Li Xiao naturally didn't want to miss any of it!

He should save up more meal money now,

to avoid crying over an empty bowl in the future! ===== CHAPTER 24 =====