Chapter 27: The Sand-Sand Fruit User

With the death of another man, the fear in the hearts of the remaining two grew even more profound. It is said that when a man is prepared to die, he is a match for ten thousand, but once cowardice takes hold, one cannot even muster a fraction of their true strength.

As the blade flashed repeatedly, another head rolled to the ground within seconds. A-Fei, trembling uncontrollably, dropped his axe and fell to his knees, begging for mercy: "I'm sorry, please spare me! Big brother, big sister, I was wrong! Please, treat me like a fart and let me go!"

Even though she had seen zombies kill, the impact of a human killing another human was fundamentally different. Seeing the opponent drop his weapon and beg for mercy left Ao Chen, who had already begun her path of bloodshed, feeling at a loss. She looked at Ao Xin blankly, unsure of what to do.

"Kill," Ao Xin said coldly. His voice was not loud, but it carried the weight of a conqueror’s intimidation, compelling Ao Chen to obey him against her own will.

With a downward stroke of the long blade, the youth known as A-Fei was decapitated.

"Xiao Chen, remember, in this apocalypse, once you have made an enemy, you must show no mercy. Any hesitation or softness will only plant the seeds of your own demise. In my past life, I died because of a moment of softness."

Ao Chen looked at the four corpses before her. She had killed them all. She felt a heaviness in her chest, though not enough to make her vomit; it was merely the discomfort of taking a human life for the first time. She nodded gently, replying obediently, "I will remember, Brother."

The two returned the way they came. Finding their car still where they had left it, they climbed inside and decided not to venture deeper into the mountains, choosing instead to head outward. They had gained two Devil Fruits, but fuel was running low; if they couldn't find a gas station to refill their diesel, they would have to return immediately. With the further escalation of the zombie virus and the collapse of the satellite systems, navigation was no longer available. They could only rely on their memories to find their way.

"I remember there was a gas station on our way here. Let's go check it."

As they drove toward the gas station, the highways were almost entirely devoid of the cars that had once been fleeing in a frantic panic. People were either hiding in the cities trying to survive, or those who intended to run had already done so. Most of those who fled, however, had died on the road. With the highways empty, there were very few zombies, as they were drawn to the "scent of life" where crowds gathered.

After an uneventful journey, they reached the gas station. Ao Xin told Ao Chen to wait in the car while he went to investigate. Fortunately, there was still some fuel left. After filling all their empty fuel canisters, they decided to head north instead of continuing west, so as not to stray too far from the direct path home.

They drove north for three more days, changing direction several times at Ao Chen's suggestion, though they unfortunately found no more Devil Fruits. After replenishing their diesel once more along the way, they proceeded northeast. Without navigation, their instincts and experience suggested they had left Yuzhou and reached the Bingzhou region.

"Let's look for three more days. Whether we find anything or not, we have to go back," Ao Xin said. "Satellite navigation has failed, and if we keep driving, we risk losing our way home entirely."

Ao Chen nodded. "Alright, three more days."

Having been out for so long only to find two Devil Fruits was something she found hard to accept. She had imagined that, with her own fruit ability, she should have been able to find dozens! After all, according to Ao Xin, there were at least ten thousand Devil Fruits in the world.

"Finding two is already quite an achievement. Ten thousand fruits are scattered across the entire world, and we have only searched parts of Yuzhou and Bingzhou. Finding two is a testament to your heaven-defying ability!"

Having been praised, Ao Chen felt a little happier, though she still insisted, "Two is too few. We need at least one for Mom, one for Brother Meng Kui, and one for Sister Xiyao. We are still one short!"

In truth, she had three fruits in her storage space, but one was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which she was saving for her brother to consume after he used the Demon-Transformation Potion. She believed that her brother would surely be able to obtain one of the two unique exchange options in the God-Given Shop.

On the desolate road, a civilian armored vehicle sped along. Suddenly, a gust of yellow sand swirled up, and Ao Xin frowned, bringing the car to a halt.

"Brother, what is it?" Ao Chen, who had been dozing off, was jolted awake by the sudden braking. She looked around blankly; the road was still desolate, and there were no zombies in sight.

"We have guests."

Ao Xin picked up the bamboo-joint steel whip at his side, pushed open the car door, and stepped out. As he exited, the swirling yellow sand ahead settled and transformed into a man.

Inside the car, Ao Chen’s eyes widened at the sight: "A Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit user?" Her sleepiness vanished instantly, and she opened her door to step out as well.

To her, the armored vehicle was not the safest place; being outside was better. Standing on the ground, she could escape using her earth-shifting abilities much more easily than from inside the car. Seeing the car door open, Ao Xin knew Ao Chen had stepped out, but he did not stop her; the car was indeed not entirely safe.

The yellow sand coalesced into a tall, lean youth dressed in casual clothing. He had a resolute face, sharp brows, and bright eyes, which swept up and down over the Ao siblings.

"There aren't many people left who can still roam the wilderness at a time like this," he said, hands in his pockets, looking quite relaxed. "Let me introduce myself: Li Hui, a Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit user. Care to join my faction?"

Ao Xin replied with an expressionless face, "Not interested."

He knew Li Hui. In his past life, this man had risen to fame, becoming an incredibly renowned figure not just in China, but across the world. Relying on his Logia-type ability, his strength had increased rapidly. He had established his own faction, styling himself the "Desert Emperor." To make this title more fitting, he had even led men from Bingzhou on an expedition to the Gobi Desert, fighting all the way to the Middle East without a single rival! It was only when several powerful figures in the West feared his rapid expansion and joined forces to suppress him that his influence was contained. Yet, his strength was undeniably recognized, and he was ranked among the top ten strongest in the world.

Even now, though he had not been training for long, Li Hui was a mysterious practitioner of ancient martial arts. After the apocalypse descended, his already robust physique, combined with his martial experience, allowed him to cultivate his Haki faster than others. Even now, he had likely already awakened Armament Haki. Coupled with the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit, he could even kill flesh-eating zombies.

"Not interested?" Li Hui was not angered by the rejection. He had an intuition that this young man was no simple person—an instinct honed by his status as an ancient martial artist. But even if he were strong, what of it? Did he possess Armament Haki? Could he touch his elemental body? Even if he did have Armament Haki, with it having only just awakened, he would be no match for him.

"Friend, this is the apocalypse. Recklessly rejecting an invitation from a powerful person can cost you your life!"