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thunder-and-lightning_28815244908129605###
One Piece: Я владею громом и
молнией
Аниме и комиксы
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Автор:
DaoistAutumn_rain
4.49
(18 оценок)
Краткое содержание
Юноша с Земли случайно оказался в королевстве пиратов, где он
участвовал в битвах и рисковал среди бурных морей.
В этом мире не существовало ни легендарной системы, ни
несравненной магии — только громовой плод, дарованная ему сила.
В ту эпоху Четыре Императора все еще плавали на одном корабле, а
неуловимому One Piece еще предстояло утвердить свое господство
над морями.
Морским пехотинцем командовали два чрезвычайно
могущественных адмирала.
Теперь я, Альберт Николас, клянусь вписать свое имя в анналы
истории, распространив его повсюду по бескрайним просторам этого
мира!
Примечание автора [Дайте мне свои камни силы, и я дам вам главы.
Кстати, я оставлю этот LN бесплатным, так что не беспокойтесь]
Я перевожу этот замечательный LN.
Оригинальное название этой серии:
海贼之掌控雷电,
пожалуйста, поддержите оригинального автора
Общая аудитория
Infants
Somewhere in the new world ...
In the Darset family's mansion, originally intended for assisting noble
lords in building palaces, after helping a noble lord complete the
construction of a palace, Darset's parents disappeared and never appeared
again. Sensing that something was amiss, Darset fled almost overnight
and eventually became a pirate after drifting on the open sea for a while.
Since his parents had groomed him as their successor in construction,
Darset had high expectations in architectural matters. This knowledge of
hidden layouts inside buildings made him gather a group of pirates
around him and become a small leader.
In contrast, the other members around Darset joined the pirates either
because they had accidentally killed someone while resisting oppressive
local nobles and had nowhere else to go or because they harbored dreams
of getting rich at sea.
Darset only briefly observed the main hall and then led his pirates to a
luxurious room.
As they made their way, they found several corpses scattered around the
mansion, including pirates, marines, and even CP members disguised as
slaves.
It seemed that multiple factions had clashed here.
"Hmm, Darset, it seems like we're not the only ones eyeing this place,
huh?" remarked one pirate, poking at the corpses on the floor with his
cutlass, expressing some regret.
However, Darset didn't respond. Instead, he observed the layout of the
room for a moment before clapping his hands and announcing, "Found
it."
"A hidden chamber?" The others perked up, hoping it might be a treasure
vault.
"Yeah," Darset nodded, then approached a luxurious bed in the room. He
moved a body lying on the bed aside and, with a few twists at the
headboard, revealed a passage behind a vanity table.
As the vanity table moved, revealing a narrow passage shrouded in
darkness, Darset stood still, squinting into the darkness of the corridor.
While the other pirates grew impatient, Darset waited, knowing that such
narrow passages didn't allow for much maneuvering. If someone was
hiding inside, a single gunshot could keep them at bay. He waited for the
hidden person's nerves to be on edge and for the right moment to strike.
Finally, when a chair thrown into the dark corridor was met with a
gunshot, Darset saw the figures inside, illuminated briefly by the flash of
gunpowder.
Without hesitation, the pirates rushed in after the first unlucky one was
downed by two shots.
Once Darset entered, he discovered a room at the end of the corridor
containing various treasures, including ornate weapons adorned with
precious gems.
Seeing three flintlock pistols lying on the ground, Darset realized they
had been used for the gunfire earlier.
Now, a bound figure lay on the floor, and Darset approached cautiously.
"Want to have some fun with her, Darset? She's got the skin and the scent
of a noblewoman," one pirate joked, adjusting his belt.
Sighing inwardly, Darset raised his blade to fend off the advancing pirate.
"Perhaps someone important's offspring is hidden with such care. Maybe
we can use them to bargain our way out later," Darset thought to himself
before his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion.
In the chaos that ensued, Darset and his crew faced unexpected
opposition, but as seasoned pirates, they acted swiftly, aiming to
eliminate any threats that stood in their way.
In the end, Darset found himself facing two infants, unexpectedly hidden
in the secret chamber. This unexpected discovery left Darset momentarily
stunned, but amidst the ongoing battle outside, he knew he had to act
quickly to ensure the safety of the children.
As the skirmish ended, Darset realized he couldn't leave the infants to
perish in the mansion, nor could he risk handing them over to the
marines, knowing the consequences they might face.
Shaken faith
"So, Garp, did you willingly let Roger go?" asked Sengoku loudly,
watching Garp sit on a rocks, receiving medical treatment for his
wounds.
"Ah, come on, I'm injured right now, Sengoku; keep it down," Garp
replied nonchalantly, picking his nose with his right pinky finger as he
got bandaged up.
Sengoku seemed helpless with Garp's typical behavior and continued, "Do
you realize what a rare opportunity this was? The potential displayed by
Roger's pirate crew is terrifying. If we let them continue roaming the
seas, they might become the next rock! Do you understand?"
"Roger isn't that kind of person," Garp replied earnestly after flicking the
booger aside.
Just as Sengoku was about to say more, Tsuru interjected, "Alright,
Sengoku, you know Garp's personality after all these years. His decisions
are not easily swayed. By the way, have the casualty reports come out?"
Upon hearing Tsuru mention the casualty reports, Sengoku felt a
headache coming on. The navy had suffered significant losses in this
battle, not only among the lower ranks but even some mid-level
commanders.
"Our elite forces in the East Blue were decimated, and while the losses in
the North, South, and West Seas weren't as extreme, we'll still need a
massive recruitment drive after this. As for the New World branch, G1's
losses are manageable, but G5's main force is virtually wiped out.
Rebuilding them won't be easy. I plan to discuss with Fleet Admiral Kong
whether we should recruit anew for G5, considering its tarnished
reputation. Additionally, the other branches have also suffered significant
reductions and will require reinforcements from headquarters. So, for the
time being, I'm assigning Garp and Zephyr to hold the fort in the New
World. While the Rocks situation seems resolved, the remnants under
Gold Lion Shiki, Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, Nicholas,
Captain John, the Black Brothers, and other smaller pirate crews formerly
under the Rocks will surely stir up trouble in the New World. As for the
Four Blues, I and Tsuru will handle that."
Sengoku looked at Garp as he delivered his instructions.
"Hey, Sengoku, are you trying to separate me and Zephyr to make a move
on Tsuru? Don't think I don't see through your intentions." Garp
remarked disdainfully, giving the impression that he had everything
figured out.
"What are you talking about!?" Sengoku retorted, visibly irritated, before
landing a punch on Garp's head.
Meanwhile, Tsuru, without many words, simply placed her hand on
Garp's shoulder and activated her Devil Fruit ability. Suddenly, Garp's
entire body transformed as if washed clean, resembling freshly dried
laundry.
"Ah, I really want some senbei," Garp remarked, seemingly unfazed by
the transformation.
Observing his father's absurd behavior, Dragon shook his head, feeling
embarrassed.
"By the way, how should we handle rocks?" Tsuru inquired, ignoring
Garp's remark.
In the navy's high command, Sengoku was straightforward, Kong was
impulsive, the other two retiring admirals were reckless, and Zephyr was
a cultured brute. In the end, only Tsuru and Sengoku had real brains.
"CP has secretly transported rocks to Mary Geoise. Since it's an order
from the Five Elders, we can't interfere. It's for the best anyway; I'm
relieved we don't have to deal with it," Sengoku reported.
As Sengoku briefed them, the Den Den Mushi on his person suddenly
rang, morphing into a bald figure upon answering.
"Sengoku, how's the situation there?" Den Den Mushi inquired, adopting a
condescending tone.
"Currently, we're cleaning up the battlefield. Rocks have been transported
to Mary Geoise by CP0. The Silver Axe and Wang Zhi of Rocks were
killed in action; Captain John escaped with his remaining crew;
Whitebeard, Nicholas, and Roger fled."
"That's enough. Organize all the navy forces to withdraw. You won't be
responsible for that area anymore."
As Den Den Mushi abruptly ended the call, Sengoku looked at Tsuru and
then ordered the messenger, "Command all navy personnel to prepare for
evacuation!"
"Vice Admiral Sengoku, if we withdraw..." Dragon began but was
interrupted by Tsuru.
"Dragon, this is an order," Tsuru emphasized.
With the navy ships retreating, Dragon watched the distant island erupt
in explosions and thick smoke, his expression grave. It was evident that
the World Government ordered the navy's withdrawal to avoid exposing
certain things and to facilitate the island's cleansing. Undoubtedly, aside
from the World Government's cleanup teams and the Celestial Dragons,
the slaves and pirates remaining on that island would be slaughtered.
"Is this justice? No, this isn't the justice I want," Dragon muttered,
questioning the true nature of the navy's justice for the first time.
Meanwhile, in the Pangaea Castle in Mary Geoise, a group of five figures
sat discussing recent events.
"The navy handled this well," one remarked.
"Let's have Kong come over; it's time to consider new admirals. The
strength of those two admirals is starting to decline," another suggested.
"This time, let's offer three logia-type devil fruits to the navy. The seas
will be turbulent for a while, and the navy needs reinforcement," another
proposed.
"How's the investigation into the Sea King and Pluton going?" one
inquired.
"We haven't heard from the Sea King side yet, but there's some progress
with Pluton. The Nefertari family that left with Pluton is a royal
descendant, so we can't force them. However, the capital of Pluton, the
Seven Water Capital, has been repeatedly purged, and hardly anyone
knows about Pluton's whereabouts now. However, the missing blueprints
are still unaccounted for; I suspect they're still within the Seven Water
Capital. The CP department is currently investigating," one reported.
"And what about Karakuri? It seems a scientific genius has emerged
there; we need to keep an eye on that," another added.
...
[Author's note - sorry i didn't make the destruction of god valley
grandiose enough, need to start Dragon's arc somehow]
Farewell!
"Breaking News! Breaking News!"
"The Sea Sovereign, Rocks D. Xebec, has been defeated by the Marines in
the New World. Members of the former Rocks Pirates, Silver Axe and
Wang Zhi, have fallen in battle, marking the disintegration of the
notorious Rocks Pirates!"
"Extraordinary News! The Golden Lion Shiki announces the recruitment
of new members for the Flying Pirates, offering strong candidates the
opportunity to become captains of their own crews under the Flying
Pirates' banner! Joining the crew provides protection and support from
the Flying Pirates!"
"Breaking News! Former Rocks Pirates member Charlotte Linlin declares
control over the Totto Land territory, intending to establish a vast
empire."
"Latest Update! The Marines have initiated a new round of global
recruitment. Anyone interested in joining the Marines can apply at the
nearest Marine branch. Generous benefits and rewards await the first
applicants!"
...
With each news bulletin released, the world trembles with anticipation.
Countless news birds fly in all directions, disseminating the earth-
shattering announcements. Whether it's the Marines, the Pirates, or other
kingdoms, even commoners purchase newspapers to read the headlines
that could shake the world.
In the New World, in the Sovelin Sea, two pirate ships are docked side by
side.
On the vast deck of the ships, numerous pirates gather, visibly divided
into two groups, with an underlying tension between them.
In the center of the crowd, three figures sit cross-legged on the deck,
surrounded by bottles of fine wine.
"Glug-glug-glug~ Ah, this is delightful!" Roger wipes his mouth and
plants his bottle firmly on the deck.
"Glug-lala-lala-lala! Roger, it's unbelievable that you would choose to ally
with the Marines." Whitebeard chuckles heartily before fixing Roger with
a serious gaze.
"I believe the Marines offered Captain Roger terms he couldn't refuse,
isn't that right?" Nicholas looks towards Roger, curious about the
conditions that prompted Roger to join the war effort.
"Huh? Are you two trying to get me to spill the beans? There weren't any
specific terms, just a promise. But I can't tell you what the promise
entails; it's part of the agreement I made with them," Roger replies
nonchalantly, leaving Whitebeard and Nicholas without further inquiries.
After all, as prominent figures on the seas, they understand discretion.
"What are your plans next, Nicholas?" Whitebeard's question draws the
attention of Roger and the crew.
"What else can I do? Lay low for a while; strengthen my power. After all,
you monsters have reached your peak, but I haven't reached mine yet.
The seas are a place where strength matters most. Without power, you
might end up getting eaten by fishes one day. I still have many things I
want to accomplish, and an early demise isn't one of them. Besides, I've
been feeling signs of breakthrough lately. I need to consolidate my
foundation," Nicholas says. His rapid growth trajectory places him
squarely in the upper echelon of the New World's first tier. In a few
years, he may possess top-tier combat prowess in the vast sea.
Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Roger and Whitebeard are speechless.
Does this lad have no plateau in his growth trajectory?
How many prodigies set sail each year, only to reach their zenith by the
age of twenty? Yet, some of them remain stagnant for the rest of their
lives.
In contrast, Nicholas's growth seems unstoppable. He's destined for the
upper echelons of the sea's power structure in the near future.
"Does he have the potential to grow into the 'Strongest in the World'?"
Rayleigh mutters to himself.
"Alright, let's take a picture with the future strongest person in the
world," Nicholas proposes with a smirk, and the crew gathers for a
precious photo. In the background, the vast sea stretches endlessly,
framing Roger's crew members, with Nicholas, Whitebeard, and Roger in
prominent positions. In Nicholas's arms, two infants cry, adding a touch
of warmth and humor to the scene.
[Author's note- guess who they might be? 😏🤫]
...
"That's it for the farewell. Thanks, Whitebeard, and I wish you the best in
finding your family members," Roger bids farewell as he watches the
Moby Dick sail away.
"Glug-lala-lala-lala! Farewell, Thunder Boy! May you have an exciting
adventure ahead," Whitebeard shouts back, and the massive ship
gradually disappears into the distance.
Once the Moby Dick departs, Nicholas turns and walks toward a nearby
city on the island.
"Grilled meat, grilled meat, piping hot grilled meat!"
"Mystical Cactus Juice Grand Sale! Select cacti grown in the Alabasta
Desert for over twenty years, extract their essence, and drink to
rejuvenate and invigorate, suitable for all ages! Only 999 berries per cup!
You heard it right! Not 99,999 berries, not 9,999 berries, only 999
berries! Drink and feel the difference!"
"Originating from the ancestral recipe of the Celestial Dragons..."
"Hey, mister, wanna play...?"
Amidst the bustling streets, with vendors peddling their wares and locals
engaging in lively chatter, Nicholas feels the familiar pulse of life.
"Boss, I'll have some grilled meat, extra spicy," Nicholas orders at a stall,
watching as the succulent meat sizzles over the flames, making his mouth
water.
"No problem, just a moment," the vendor replies as he sprinkles secret
spices over the meat, and Nicholas eagerly awaits his savory treat.
Unbeknownst to the vendors and passersby, Nicholas's true identity
remains hidden. To them, he's just another face in the crowd, another
resident of this small island where many have never ventured beyond the
shores.
Little do they know that the fearsome pirate described by the World
Government as a ruthless killer is now standing before them, waiting for
his grilled meat at a street stall.
With his grilled meat in hand and a coconut in the other, Nicholas strolls
down a nearby alley, passing by a group of tough-looking individuals
leaning against the walls, toying with knives or smoking cigarettes.
If an ordinary person were to witness this scene, they'd hurry past,
avoiding eye contact with the shady characters.
But Nicholas is no ordinary person, and he's here to find someone.
As Nicholas approaches, the group of tough-looking individuals pays him
no mind, engrossed in their own activities.
Soon, Nicholas reaches a wall and clears his throat before speaking,
"Makabaka."
As he utters the word, the wall in front of him opens, revealing a
passageway.
Without hesitation, Nicholas steps inside.
Inside, he encounters individuals dressed similarly to the Black flag
merchants, but the one in front of him wears a golden mask and a blue
cloak.
"Welcome, guest. Welcome, Nicholas," the figure greets him respectfully.
Rocks's treasure
The merchant saw the confusion in Nicholas's eyes, he smiled and
explained, "Mr. Nicholas, Macabaka has important matters to attend to
and has entrusted me to receive guests before leaving. He has also
informed me of the details of our cooperation, so you don't need to
worry."
With that, he began to search inside his blue cloak.
"Ah, here it is."
Then, the Black Flag merchant pulled out a ledger from the cloak.
As he flipped through the ledger, the merchant read aloud, "Mr. Nicholas,
according to our records, the total assets obtained from your cooperation
with Macabaka amount to approximately 30 billion berries. According to
our previous agreement of a 70-30 split, we are entitled to 9 billion
berries. Including the handling fees for liquidating those assets, it
amounts to 10 billion berries. This means we owe Nicholas a total of 20
billion berries."
Nicholas immediately spoke up: "You Black Flag folks should have
storage services, right? I'll have my assets temporarily held by you. Is that
alright?"
"Mr. Nicholas, of course, no problem," the Black Flag merchant replied
promptly.
After some arrangements, Nicholas received a card made of gold and
gemstones.
"Mr. Nicholas, as long as you hold this card, you can withdraw funds at
any of our Black Flag bases. However, for exceptionally large amounts,
the base may not have the capacity to pay immediately, and you may
need to wait for a while. Also, here are the locations of our bases
worldwide. I hope you remember them," said the merchant in the blue
cloak with a smile.
"Sure thing," Nicholas replied as he accepted the card. "By the way, do
you happen to know much about the Celestial Dragons?"
"Huh, those guys have only been on top for a short time. Except for some
old folks and a few promising ones, the Celestial Dragons in Mariejois are
pretty much kept like pigs in a pen," replied the merchant, showing
disdain for the Celestial Dragons.
"Mr. Nicholas, based on your good cooperation with us, I can offer you a
piece of advice. History often repeats itself, and even if it briefly takes
another path, it will eventually return to its original course," said the
merchant cryptically.
Exiting the hidden location of the Black Flag merchants, Nicholas
pondered the merchant's words. Finally, he could only curse in his mind,
"Damn it."
Meanwhile, on an unnamed island in the New World, a beautiful woman
and a man in his fifties looked bewilderedly at the seemingly ransacked
island.
"Sis, do you think someone got here before us?" the strangely aged man
asked the woman.
The woman, puzzled by the question, replied, "How would I know?"
Thinking about their late arrival, the woman couldn't help but recall the
numerous figures who might have preceded them.
"But how can we achieve our family's revenge without this fortune?" The
visibly aged man sank to the ground, almost on the verge of tears.
"Quiet! Stop bothering me with your thoughts!" The woman snapped at
the man sitting on the ground, lost in thought.
Suddenly, from afar, a dragon's roar echoed, and simultaneously, a
colossal figure soared rapidly towards them from the sky.
The newcomer was Kaido, who, after much toil, had learned the location
of the Rox Pirates' treasure. Hindered briefly by some foolish pirate crews
on his way, he hastened here, only to encounter two familiar faces.
"You two got here so early? Where's the treasure? Hand it over," Kaido
demanded, his dragon-like gaze fixed on the pair.
Back in the New World, a massive fleet sailed across the ocean.
Witnessing this sight, smaller vessels fled in haste, even if they were
pirate ships.
Everyone in the New World knew this fleet and its admiral, Captain
John. They raided merchant ships, towns, and even dared to attack some
small kingdoms. Most of the captains in this fleet were of mediocre
strength, yet collectively, they posed a significant threat. This group, led
by Captain John, was known as a formidable plundering force.
"Captain John, our losses this time are quite severe. Many of my crew
members perished," one pirate captain solemnly reported.
"My ships were sunk twice, and I lost hundreds of men," another
lamented.
"To stop the Marines, I even tied bombs to my favorite wife and tossed
her onto their ship," confessed a distraught pirate.
"What's the meaning of this? Hiccup~" John, inebriated, looked at his
crew members with bewilderment.
"I mean, we need more money," said one of the pirate captains, dead
serious.
"Exactly, more money. We were supposed to get rich, but ended up
getting beaten up by the Marines," another chimed in.
"We need more money for new ships and supplies," yet another added.
"Quiet down! Once we get our hands on the treasure left by Rocks, we'll
have ships, weapons, women, and crews." With John's words, the ship
erupted into celebration as the crew imagined the prosperous life
awaiting them after obtaining the treasure.
Dragon's devil fruit
Inside the Marine Headquarters near Sabaody Archipelago.
"Bulu Bulu! Bulu Bulu!"
The Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly rang, and Kong leaned over,
furrowing his brow, and picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"This is Kong."
"I am the head of the World Government's Material Management
Department. Three Devil Fruits allocated by the World Government have
been transported to the Marine Headquarters by CP0. We hope you are
prepared to receive them."
A solemn voice came from the other end, causing Kong to become serious
as well.
Apparently, the issue of Devil Fruits had also been discussed with the
Five Elders.
Kong nodded. "Understood. The Marines will be ready to receive them."
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Kong pondered for a moment
before picking up another Den Den Mushi to make a call.
"It's me, Kong. Notify Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp, and Tsuru to come to my
office together."
"Understood."
As the Den Den Mushi was hung up, the office fell back into silence, and
Kong looked out over the Marine harbor through the window, furrowing
his brow as he considered some issues before a smile slowly spread across
his face.
Soon, Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru appeared in Kong's office
together.
Looking at the disciples standing before him, Kong felt a sense of
satisfaction in his heart.
"I've called you here today because I want to hear your advice on a
couple of matters," Kong said, addressing them directly.
"Elder, what's the matter? Why all the secrecy?" Garp asked nonchalantly,
not knowing why he was summoned. Normally, they would simply follow
the action plans laid out by Kong.
Ignoring Garp's remark, Kong continued, while Sengoku, Zephyr, and
Tsuru looked on curiously, wanting to know what Kong had to say.
"There are two matters at hand. The first is regarding the next Marine
Admiral. The World Government has already provided information. My
position as Fleet Admiral will soon be formalized, and the other two
admirals will step down due to age. I've put forward Zephyr, Garp, and
Sengoku for consideration."
After speaking, Kong's gaze swept over Zephyr, Garp, and Sengoku's
faces. Zephyr heard the news with calmness, seemingly unaffected by
such announcements. Sengoku was surprised but then showed
excitement. The position of admiral was of significant importance to him.
As for Garp, seeing him standing there, asleep and snoring, Kong felt his
blood pressure rise instantly.
Bang!
With a punch, Garp was knocked to the ground.
"You! Can't you pay attention when I'm talking?!" Kong exclaimed, then,
after a moment, he calmed down and continued, "Apart from the Admiral
appointment, the World Government will be sending three Devil Fruits,
and one will go to Dragon."
Upon hearing Dragon's name, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru all looked at
Garp. As Kong spoke, Garp became serious as well.
"Old man, you really are..." Garp couldn't help but smile wryly.
After all, Dragon was his son, and because of his mother, Garp always felt
indebted to Dragon. Now that Kong had spoken, it was clear that he
needed to contribute more to the sea.
"This time, Garp, you'll be in charge of coordinating with the World
Government. Although it's not far from Mariejois to Marineford, it's a
significant matter. Pay attention, Garp."
Back in his office, after contemplating for a while, Garp eventually dialed
Den Den Mushi.
"Dragon, it's Garp."
"Old man, what's up?"
Wearing his Marine uniform and Justice cloak, Dragon stood on the deck,
watching the distant fleeing pirate ships while holding the Den Den
Mushi, asking as he saw Garp's Den Den Mushi.
Since joining the Marines, he has seen the good and the dark sides of the
Marines and the world. Especially with his increasing strength and rising
position, he realized that the relationship between the Marines and the
World Government was not as simple as a superior-subordinate
relationship. Even the Marines, and even himself, had to compromise at
times.
"Nothing major, just letting you know that after you finish your current
task, come to headquarters."
Garp understood Dragon's current situation in the chaotic New World,
pursuing pirates, but he knew Dragon's strength wasn't yet on par with
those monsters. Still, compared to ordinary pirates, Dragon was in a
different league.
"Understood, I'll be busy for now."
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Dragon turned back to his duties.
"Captain, we've located the target and can fire at any time. However,
there are a large number of women aboard the pirate ship who were
plundered from the town they raided."
After Dragon hung up Den Den Mushi, his subordinate approached.
"Speed up and get closer!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hearing the distant blasts, a figure suddenly appeared on the deck of a
cargo ship.
Watching the Marine warship follow closely behind the pirate ship, along
with the explosions and flames erupting from the pirate ship, Nicholas
became interested.
"Are these the elites from Marine Headquarters? I wonder who it is. Well,
I'll go take a look. Maybe I can hitch a ride to the Sabaody Archipelago."
With that, he put on a mask that only revealed one eye, paired with a
cloak, adding to the mystery.
"Has the situation been assessed?"
Standing amidst a sea of pirate corpses, Dragon asked his subordinate.
"We have 73 pirate corpses, 120 prisoners, and 34 women who were
captured from nearby islands by these pirates. Additionally, there are 20
slaves on board, and as for confiscated supplies..."
Listening to the report, Dragon nodded.
"I understand. Take the pirates to the brig under the ship and guard them
carefully. Return the women to their homes, provide money for the
slaves, and issue them Marine certificates. Send them to the nearest
islands. Also, see if we can get a good price for the pirate ship in the
vicinity."
As Dragon walked towards his ship, he instructed his subordinate,
realizing that selling the pirate ship would be additional income for the
Marines.
"Captain..."
Upon hearing Dragon's words, his subordinate hesitated.
"What's the matter? Any problem?"
"Everything else is manageable, but the slaves already bear slave marks.
According to the World Government's regulations, anyone encountering
such individuals can capture them and exchange them with
corresponding merchants for rewards."
Dragon's subordinate explained.
"In that case, ask them if they'd be willing to join the Marines."
"Captain, that may not be possible."
Hearing this, Dragon halted his steps.
"According to Marine regulations, these slaves cannot join the Marines."
"Alright, I understand. Keep them on the ship for now. I'll make
arrangements later."
With that, Dragon returned to his ship.
Dragon's resolve
In the dim and silent cabin, only a gas lamp emitted a faint glow, and
there was no sound. The oppressive atmosphere could make anyone who
entered here feel tense.
However, at this moment, Dragon was quietly sitting on a chair, not even
releasing his Haki perception, lowering his vigilance to the lowest point.
Looking at the white cloak hanging on the wall behind it with the word
"justice" printed on it, Dragon's heart was in turmoil.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room became chaotic!
The hairs on Dragon's body even trembled slightly, a reflexive response
to encountering a threat.
Dragon suddenly moved his body, and even in the small room, he was
more agile than a spirit monkey, as if the cramped space couldn't hinder
him but instead became his arena.
However, what surprised Dragon was that his right hand, covered with
armament Haki in the form of dragon claws, was firmly grasped by
another hand.
"Indeed, you are Garp's son. Your armament haki and observation haki
are remarkable. You almost predicted my prediction, but unfortunately,
in the end, I still predicted your prediction of my prediction."
[Authors note – Yep, this is indeed a jojo reference]
As the words fell, Nicholas, wearing a mask, appeared in front of Dragon.
Facing the sudden appearance of the man in front of him, speaking words
Dragon couldn't understand, Dragon, after pulling away, still heightened
his vigilance. After all, the fact that the other party could silently reach
here already indicated that he was not a simple character.
Seeing Dragon's reaction and the gaze flashing outside the room, Nicholas
smiled and then spread his hands, saying, "Don't worry about your
subordinates. I haven't done anything to them; just let them sleep, but to
be honest, your subordinates have really low vigilance."
"You don't need to worry about that. Who are you, and what is your
purpose?"
After confirming that his subordinates outside were fine, Dragon visibly
relaxed a lot. Although his subordinates' strength was not great, after
spending a long time with them, he had developed some affection for
them.
Nicholas did not answer Dragon's question but instead pulled over a chair
from the side and sat down, then gestured towards another chair on the
side, indicating Dragon to sit down and chat.
Although Dragon wasn't sure of the other party's intentions, he wasn't
willing to follow the other party's lead. Therefore, he just stood there,
looking at Nicholas sitting on the chair.
"Is Mr. Dragon going to be an Admiral in the Headquarters?" Nicholas
asked, looking at Dragon standing there with a somewhat trance-like
feeling. "It seems that every era has a group of people with great ideals."
"Yes," Dragon replied succinctly.
Nicholas suddenly realized. No wonder Garp later wanted to train Ace,
Luffy, and Sabo to become Marines. Dragon, becoming a vice-Admiral at
such a young age, showed unlimited potential.
Dragon could see that he was not a good speaker, so the room fell silent
for a long time.
It wasn't until the gas lamp on the table flickered that Nicholas looked at
Dragon seriously and asked, "I heard what happened on that pirate ship
before and what Mr. Dragon said. I want to ask, What is justice in your
heart?"
Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Dragon was stunned for a moment, then
looked at the strange masked man and calmly said, "I don't know."
After all, before knowing the other party's identity, only a fool would
reveal his thoughts.
"You are quite alert. Don't worry, I'm not one of those rats and hounds
under the World Government."
Indeed, as the later number one dangerous person designated by the
World Government, Dragon's vigilance at this moment was simply
impeccable. But it was also understandable. If his vigilance wasn't high,
he would have been taken down by the World Government long ago, and
he wouldn't be able to stir up trouble everywhere.
Nicholas continued to speak to himself.
"What is justice? Is the Navy considered just? In the eyes of most people,
the Navy should be considered justice. After all, although there are some
pests within the Navy, compared to pirates, the Navy is already quite
good. At least it protects ordinary people."
"But this is just relative. The Navy is good, but what about the World
Government and the Celestial Dragons, who are above the Navy? I
believe you know better than me."
"For the allied countries, they need to collect a large amount of tribute
every year. As for non-allied countries, they may even secretly incite riots
within these countries and even support surrounding countries in
attacking them. Wasn't there a shadow of the World Government behind
the wars between the North Sea kingdoms and Germa 66 in recent
years?"
"So, what are you trying to say?"
Dragon frowned and asked when he heard Nicholas's words.
"In my opinion, many things in this world can be solved with fists, but
when it comes to revolution, having strength alone is not enough.
Therefore, to change the world, you not only need strength but also more
like-minded partners and support from countless ordinary people!"
"So what do you mean!?"
"I don't mean anything. I just want to give you some advice. After all,
your ideas are very dangerous to the world government. I don't want
someone who could cause trouble for the World Government to die early.
As for my purpose, it's simple. I want to give the World Government
some trouble and make sure they don't have enough energy to bother me.
Also, the Celestial Dragons and the World Government make me
uncomfortable, but I don't want to confront them personally. So, I need
someone or something big enough to shake the rule of the World
Government to stand in front."
Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Dragon's vigilance actually decreased.
Many times, if someone promises all good things or various benefits, then
you have to be careful; eighty percent of the time, they want to deceive
you.
"So revolutionary, Dragon!"
Nicholas suddenly said:.
"Do you know what consequences your words will have once they are
known to the World Government?"
Dragon looked at Nicholas seriously.
"You won't say it, will you? Besides, the World Government?"
With that, Nicholas took off the mask on his face.
...
"Just disembark at the Sabaody Archipelago. Our next destination is
Marineford."
After that, Dragon turned and left.
"Dragon... Revolutionary Army..." Watching the warship gradually move
away, Nicholas couldn't help but sigh.
Unlike the Revolutionaries, who are just ordinary mortals, carrying one
head with two shoulders, the world of One Piece is a world where
strength belongs to oneself. If you want to launch a revolution in this
world, you need not only enough strength but also enough forces. Many
people support it!
After all, even when Luffy was on Fishman Island, he knocked down fifty
thousand people with just one Haki. Not to mention those who can rival
a country by themselves.
"But the spark has been ignited. The future is truly something to look
forward to."
After saying this, Nicholas's figure also disappeared from the pier, and he
was going to meet an acquaintance next.
New bounty
Nicholas quickly arrived at the towering Yarukiman vine tree marked as
13. Upon entering the 13th area, he soon found the location of the bar he
was looking for. The bar was built on the exposed roots of the Yarukiman
vine tree.
The name of the bar was rather peculiar: "Shakky's Shakedown Bar,"
seeming to warn incoming patrons to be prepared to be shaken down.
However, considering the surrounding forces in the area, naming it
"Shakedown Bar" didn't seem so odd, as it was relatively benign
compared to the lawless zones, populated by merchants, black market
traders, smugglers, auctioneers, etc.
Although the name was strange, the bar was the only solitary building
within the entire area of tree roots. Nearby, around other roots, were
clustered several houses, indicating the unique status of the bar in this
area and the capabilities of its owner.
On the wooden staircase leading to the bar, two seemingly ordinary
individuals sat on either side. One wore glasses and had several grim
scars on his head, holding a bottle of strong liquor, while the other sat
cross-legged with closed eyes, a sword lying across his lap, seemingly
meditating.
Seeing Nicholas approaching the bar, the two glanced at him briefly
before returning to their activities. Since Nicholas did not emanate
hostility, they did not interfere as per their agreement with the bar
owner.
Passing between the two individuals, Nicholas ascended the wooden
stairs and entered the bar without hesitation.
Inside the bar, a simple and unassuming bar counter stood directly
ahead, devoid of trendy decorations, resembling the typical bars found on
small islands.
Behind the counter stood a tall and attractive woman—the owner of the
Shakedown Bar, Shakky. She leaned on the counter with her left elbow,
holding a cigarette in her right hand.
Upon seeing Nicholas enter, a smile spread across her face.
"Nicholas, are you role-playing with this attire?" she teased.
"Haha, you caught me, Shakky. It's been a while," Nicholas replied,
removing his mask.
Shakky flicked the ash off her cigarette, remarking, "That's not something
the shy little boy from before would say. Seems like even little boys grow
up, huh?"
"Haha!" Nicholas laughed, brushing off Shakky's banter, knowing he
could never outwit her verbally.
Taking a seat at one of the chairs by the counter, Nicholas glanced at the
assortment of fine wines on the shelf behind Shakky and joked, "Shakky,
aren't you going to offer me a drink or two?"
"My stuff here is quite expensive. Are you sure?" Shakky teased back.
"What, not even a single drink?" Nicholas feigned disappointment.
"Just kidding," Shakky chuckled.
She then turned around, fetching a bottle of fine wine from the West Blue
and two glasses, pouring a drink for Nicholas and herself.
"I won't hold back then," Nicholas said, raising his glass after taking a sip.
"Oh, by the way, those two outside are...?" Nicholas inquired, referring to
the two individuals guarding the entrance.
"Two friends. It's necessary to demonstrate some strength when running a
business in this area. But what about you? How did you end up mingling
with Garp's son?" Shakky asked, showing her understanding of Nicholas's
connections and power dynamics.
Nicholas nodded, acknowledging Shakky's insight into the strength of the
guards outside, who were likely on the level of Vice Admirals, sufficient
for this location.
Shakky curiously observed Nicholas, waiting for his response.
"I see something in Dragon, and besides, Shakky, don't you find this sea a
bit boring?" Nicholas replied, meeting Shakky's gaze.
"Boring?" Shakky looked puzzled.
"Yeah, boring. The Navy, the pirates, the World Government, the
Celestial Dragons, the nobles of various kingdoms... Despite the ongoing
conflicts between pirates, the Navy, and various kingdoms, it's all just
minor skirmishes. So, I want to liven things up a bit and also divert some
attention away from me."
For Nicholas, whether it was the Yonko in the future, the powerful
Marines led by the three Admirals, or even Doflamingo's thoughts of
reform, his greatest enemies would always be the World Government and
the Celestial Dragons. The fundamental conflict of interests between the
two sides would not tolerate each other's existence.
"Just hearing you talk like this, are you planning something big?" Shakky
inquired, seemingly intrigued by Nicholas's cryptic statements.
Nicholas nodded, affirming Shakky's assumption.
The conversation between them fell silent for a long time. Eventually,
Nicholas couldn't help but ask, "Shakky, aren't you curious about the big
thing I'm talking about?"
"Not really. As a retired person, I'm not interested in your big plans,"
Shakky replied with a smile, offering Nicholas a cigarette.
Then, Shaking her head, she chuckled, "I almost forgot, Nicholas, you
don't like smoking."
Sighing out a puff of smoke, Shakky continued, "Look at these wanted
posters"
Looking the table Nicholas picked up wanted posters, featuring Roger's
picture prominently. Below were the bounties, with Roger at 2,billion
Berry. Following closely were Whitebeard at 1.9 billionBerry, then Kaido
at 1.85 billion Berry, Golden lion Shiki at 1.85 billionand even Charlotte
Linlin with her 1.85 billion bounty, and finally Albert Nicholas at 1.7
billion berry
"It looks like the World Government is really investing heavily!" Nicholas
exclaimed, astonished at the substantial increase in bounties for most
pirates in the new round of wanted posters. His bounty had skyrocketed,
indicating the government's determination to capture him.
"Nicholas, now you're a walking treasure trove. I wonder how many
people want your head for the bounty," Shakky remarked.
"Wait, why is it my head and not Roger's or Whitebeard's? Their heads
should be worth more, right?" Nicholas questioned.
"Among them, you look the youngest and most vulnerable, don't you?"
Shakky replied matter-of-factly.
Before Nicholas could retort, Shakky exhaled another puff of smoke,
earnestly advising, "Nicholas, although I don't know what you're up to,
remember one thing: don't underestimate the Celestial Dragons. The
names of the Twenty Kings once made the whole world kneel."
Return to Sabaody
" Sister Shakky, do you also know something?"
Nicholas looked at Shakky and asked. As an active information dealer on
the high seas, it was apparent that Shakky knew something significant,
enough to retire at a young age in Sabaody.
"I don't know much about the Celestial Dragons' affairs. After all, the
blank hundred years in history have erased many things. But in some
ancient ruins and among some long-standing races' records, I found
something. There are indeed celestial dragons who have achieved
immortality."
It seemed like Shakky remembered something, but she didn't continue.
Instead, she fell silent, as immortality was something only gods could
touch. And those who could touch the realm of gods were beyond her
imagination. Sometimes, knowing too much makes one feel powerless.
"The Old Monster, huh?"
Nicholas muttered to himself. In fact, he could guess who Shakky was
referring to. It was Imu, the true ruler of the world, the one before whom
even the Five Elders bowed.
"That's indeed an apt description," Shakky said, with a self-deprecating
tone in her voice.
"Now, looking back, I was so naive. The power struggles among these
strong figures on the high seas might seem like children's play to others,
just some spice to pass the time on boring days."
Shakky extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray.
"Is it really that interesting? If we liken the world to a game, shouldn't
the final boss be formidable enough?"
Seemingly infected by Nicholas' spirit, Shakky laughed heartily, raised
her glass towards Nicholas, and drank it all in one go.
"Nicholas, you're still the same as when we first met, aren't you? But I'm
curious: Why does someone with your determination lack the ambition of
a king?"
"Huh?"
Nicholas scratched his head at Shakky's words and casually replied,
"Maybe because I don't have the desire to dominate."
"Then, to what extent does your ambition reach now?"
"My conqueror Haki is neither exceptional nor mediocre, but decent
enough. As for Observation and adamant Haki, it's in the top three."
"Impressive."
Shakky looked at the young man beside her with a hint of admiration. To
have such power at his age, he already held a handful of cards.
Nicholas modestly smiled.
Then the two of them talked about recent events on the high seas.
When Nicholas heard about Captain John's demise due to his deception
of his subordinates, he almost fell off his chair from laughter.
Talking about Captain John's strength, he wasn't bad at all. But due to
having several subordinates with strength comparable to his, he stumbled
carelessly.
"That guy used to boast about how many subordinates he had and how
impressive they were. Sometimes he even mocked me for having too few
subordinates and lacking prestige. But unexpectedly, as soon as his crew
disbanded, he was killed by his own subordinates. Haha..."
Nicholas was clearly in a good mood.
Shakky glanced at Nicholas, who was laughing so heartily that he almost
seemed carefree, and then she lit another cigarette.
Nicholas was a bit stunned. This kind of smoker was really not afraid of
getting lung cancer. The smoker dared to smoke like that because he had
a Devil Fruit ability to fall back on, but Big Sister, you smoking like this
is a bit arrogant.
"After Captain John's death, news of a treasure map related to him also
circulated. Many pirates are now eyeing that treasure map, which is said
to be the wealth looted by Captain John throughout his life. Whoever
finds it would become unbelievably wealthy."
"Shakky Sister, are you kidding me? Although treasure and such sound
very piratey, you and I both know that Captain John's treasure was
almost entirely used to sustain his huge pirate fleet's expenses. If there
isn't enough benefit, why would those guys listen to Captain John? Did
they do it because of Captain John's Thicc Ass?"
Nicholas said, getting a bit vulgar.
Shakky didn't mind; she just suddenly said, "Nicholas, when you go back
to the first half of the Grand Line, are you preparing to conquer the New
World?"
"Not really."
Nicholas shook his head.
"I do intend to take my crew into the New World, but not to conquer. It's
to stir up trouble. After all, the New World is now in chaos due to the
dissolution of the Rocks Pirates. With Whitebeard, Shiki, Roger, Charlotte
Linlin, and the recently rising Redfield causing havoc, the seas have been
turned upside down. Apart from these monsters, former followers of
Linlin like Kaido are also mingling with the Big Brothers, and there are
many young talents appearing in the Four Seas."
After hearing this, Shakky looked at Nicholas and smiled, saying, "Of
course, there's also our little Nicholas about to enter the New World."
"Nicholas, when you head to the New World, you may need to deal with
some small troubles on the island first."
"Such as?"
Nicholas looked at Shakky curiously.
Shakky took a puff of smoke and said with a smile, "Such as this year's
five Supernovas with bounties over a billion. They've been here for a
while, but after coating their ships, instead of immediately heading to
Fish-Man Island, they chose to stay on the island. Do you know why?"
Nicholas shook his head in response.
Shakky's smile widened, and she said seriously, "Because they're
specifically waiting for you. They know you're going to take your crew
back into the New World, so they plan to use your head as a gift to enter
the New World."
"Waiting for me, just to take me down? Where do they get the
confidence?"
Nicholas was quite surprised. He hadn't paid attention to the so-called
supernovas each year. He thought his opponents would be at least at the
level of Kaido.
So he never expected the Supernovas to target him.
Shakky nodded and explained, "To become a Supernova each year, you
must be quite exceptional. But compared to others, you're younger, and
your reputation is huge. Naturally, you would attract their attention."
"What kind of reason is that? Isn't Roger's and Whitebeard's reputation
even bigger?"
Nicholas said it without hesitation.
"It's simple. They know that Whitebeard, Shiki, and Roger are not easy
targets. But you seem younger and probably weaker than the others.
They think that way, and it's not surprising. They probably see you as a
stepping stone; after all, the quickest way to fame is to defeat a strong
opponent and step on their reputation to the top."
Nicholas suddenly felt a bit hurt. Was being young his fault?
At the same time, in the Sabaody Archipelago, at the One-Day Girlfriend
Shop on Tree Island 72.
A handsome man was flirting with dozens of women beside him.
At this moment, a man walked in.
"Captain, vice Admiral Dragon's warship has appeared in the Sabaody
Archipelago!"
"Huh?"
The man's expression changed slightly, and his eyes suddenly became
sharp.
Meanwhile, the Supernovas in the Sabaody Archipelago all learned about
Dragon's appearance.
But none of them chose to leave. Instead, they became low-key and
continued patiently waiting for their prey.
"Why hasn't that guy come yet?"
They were getting impatient.
Supernovas
This group of Supernovas currently staying in the Sabaody Archipelago
indeed regard Nicholas as a stepping stone that can allow them to enter
the New World with a powerful posture.
For this reason, they are even willing to take risks and stay in the
Sabaody Archipelago, waiting for Nicholas to arrive.
Of course, these supernovas may also be here because they have not
entered the New World yet and do not understand how dangerous the
figures who can make a name for themselves in that perilous sea area
are.
Or perhaps it's because Nicholas' age makes them overlook the fact that
this young man, who looks much younger than them and hasn't even
fully matured, can have equal dialogue with the top figures on the sea.
"Ah, it's troublesome. Sister Shakky, can you tell me where those guys
are?"
Nicholas heard Shakky's words and said them somewhat helplessly. After
all, others had set their sights on his head, so he couldn't just chat calmly
with them about life, could he?
"Of course."
Shakky was a top-notch information dealer on the high seas. Although
she had decided to retire in Sabaody, she had always closely followed the
situation on the high seas. After all, even though she said she had retired,
some people might not think so.
As the most potential Supernova among pirates each year, Shakky paid
considerable attention to their intelligence because most of these guys
would stay in the Sabaody Archipelago for a while before entering the
New World.
Nicholas smiled even more happily when he heard Shakky's words.
"..."
Shakky looked at Nicholas in surprise, suddenly feeling some sympathy
for the Supernovas, who had not yet entered the New World.
"Do you want money for this?"
Upon hearing Nicholas' teasing words, Shakky shook her head with a
smile. "Don't talk nonsense. I won't take money from my dear brother,
and besides, this intelligence is not confidential."
"Then I won't be polite."
Nicholas smiled warmly.
For him, he didn't want to face a bunch of troublemakers with his crew,
eating hot pot and singing songs, preparing to enter the New World, only
to suddenly encounter a bunch of bandits. So it's better to clear away
these troubles ahead of time.
...
Tree Island No. 13.
In a room with tightly closed doors and windows, it had now become
hell, with blood bubbling on the wooden floor through the cracks and
more than a dozen people lying on the ground, their bodies covered in
blood and their lives uncertain.
"Gaga, gaga, gaga...!"
In the pile of people, a thin man whose head was wrapped in a burlap
sack, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes, was laughing wildly with a
sickle in his hand.
The laughter sounded piercing, like owls gathering in a cemetery at
night.
In front of the man, there was a man kneeling on the ground, his hands
tied behind his back, his face full of fear.
At this point, he had lost many parts of his body, such as his hollow left
eye with wriggling pink muscles and nerves, his right ear missing a piece
still bleeding profusely, the chest with a piece of skin cut off, and the iron
thorns piercing through his body.
"You are... Mar, the fear spreader, with a bounty of one billion and ten
million berries. We have no grievances against you. Why attack us?" The
man, who had been tortured, looked up in horror at Mar, who was
laughing weirdly.
"Why do you ask me why? Of course, it's to spread the glory of fear all
over the world, gaga, gaga."
"What kind of reason is that!? You lunatic!"
Hearing Mar's words, the man stared wide-eyed, unable to understand
Mar's meaning.
Seeing the man's angry appearance, Mar suddenly waved his arm, and a
sharp light flashed through the air, slashing across the man's forehead.
Then, another arm reached out, grabbing the skin on the man's forehead
that had been cut open, and then violently pulled it down, causing the
man's entire facial skin to be pulled off, hanging low on his chin.
The sudden pain made the man scream in agony, and his body even
began to convulse.
Watching the man's tortured voice and painful appearance, Mar suddenly
raised his arms, as if a devout believer, opening his arms to the sky, as if
offering the suffering man some existence.
After a moment, the man's movements gradually diminished, and he
finally lay still on the ground without any movement.
"It's a pity. It seems you can't become a member of our fear cult."
Watching the man lose his breath, Mar lowered his arms and turned to
leave.
After Mar left, several people dressed similarly to Mar came out of the
nearby room, looking at the two additional men with newly wrapped
burlap bags over their heads, supported by other believers. Mar
immediately went up to greet them.
"Welcome to join the Fear Cult."
After saying that, Mar placed his hand on the foreheads of the two men.
...
Tree Island No. 21.
In a back alley, a figure was squatting on the ground, hands constantly
searching, seemingly looking for something.
"It's interesting. I didn't expect Jack the Ripper to still have the mood for
hunting at this time."
A man wearing a black fur coat stood at the entrance of the alley, looking
at Jack the Ripper, who was squatting not far away, constantly searching
in the abdomen of a female corpse.
"Shwishh", accompanied by the sound of scissors, it seems that Jack has
found what he wanted. Jack stood up, like a wolf, unmoving, and turned
his head to reveal a creepy smile at the man in the fur coat.
With a swish, a burst of air sounded, and Jack the Ripper suddenly
appeared in front of the man in the fur coat, putting the man's head into
the blade of the scissors, but no matter how hard he tried, the scissors he
held in his hands could not close.
The man in the fur coat, with a calm face, crossed his hands in front of
him, covered by the black haki, and firmly grasped the blade of the
scissors held by Jack, then suddenly crossed his hands up and down.
The movement was so great that Jack's body was also swaying in the air,
and then he flew out.
"Not bad; it's armament, Haki, right?"
After being thrown out and landing, Jack looked at Ralph, standing there
like a giant bear, and said calmly.
"Speak, what do you want from me?"
For Jack, he had also heard of Armament Haki; although it was rare in
the first half of the Grand Line, it was almost a standard for strong people
in the New World, and he was confident that he could quickly master this
power after entering the New World.
"Cooperation."
Ralph said it concisely.
"Cooperation?"
Jack, with a somewhat gloomy expression, asked in a sinister tone.
"Yes, cooperation in hunting. Otherwise, we have no chance against
Nicholas."
With the mention of Nicholas' name, the atmosphere between Ralph and
Jack quieted down.
It's unknown who spread the news that they must take Nicholas' head.
They did entertain the idea initially, but with Nicholas' new bounty, their
intentions faded somewhat. After all, someone with that kind of bounty,
despite looking incredibly young, is definitely not an easy opponent.
Their mindset shifted from killing Nicholas to facing him in battle and
then retreating unscathed.
However, with the news that Supernovas are aiming to kill Nicholas, it's
like a slap in the face. There's almost no turning back between the two.
If they choose to avoid the fight and enter the New World, they'll
undoubtedly become famous.
However, most of the fame would be negative, like being called cowards,
which is not what they expected.
"Just the two of us?"
"And there's also the guy known as the God of Spears and the so-called
Seven Seas Gambling King. As for Mar, that lunatic, I'd rather not have
more interaction with him, and I believe you feel the same way."
"That's true. Mar is indeed crazy, and his abilities are quite tricky."
That's it?
On Island 13 of the Sabaody archipelago, on the flat ground, not far from
Shakky's shakedown Bar.
Nicholas smiled as he looked at the nervous Bedeck before him and said
lightly, "Don't be so nervous. I have good news for you this time."
Upon hearing Nicholas' words, along with his smiling face, Bedeck
couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. How could there possibly be
good news when such a big shot came looking for him? He regretted
giving his contact information to Nicholas in the first place.
Or perhaps he should have returned to his hometown after that incident
and used the accumulation of these years to buy a mansion, marry a
beautiful woman, and hire some servants to live a luxurious life.
"Oh, Lord Nicholas, you're joking. It's my honor to serve you."
Bedeck forced a smile that looked even worse than crying as he spoke to
Nicholas.
"This time, it's really good news. Trust me."
"Uh-huh, I believe you."
Bedeck nodded quickly, silently cursing in his mind, 'Did you think I
didn't see your clenched fist behind your back? Do you really think I dare
not believe?'
"That's good, then."
Nicholas loosened his fist and reached out to pat Bedeck's shoulder,
indicating that the young man had a bright future ahead of him.
After giving Bedeck some instructions, Nicholas' figure disappeared
instantly, leaving Bedeck alone in the wind.
"You're the one that Little Nicholas is interested in?"
Just as Bedeck was still digesting Nicholas' words, a voice suddenly
sounded.
Bedeck followed the sound and saw a tall woman leaning against the tree
roots of the Yarukiman vine tree in front of Shakky's bar, smoking a
cigarette slowly and assessing him.
At the same time, the two people sitting at the entrance of the bar also
cast dangerous glances at Bedeck, as if they would kill him on the spot if
he made a wrong move!
"Yes, yes, that's right."
Bedeck tried to make his smile look harmless as he decided never to
come to the 13th district again.
"Oh, follow Little Nicholas well. There's a bright future ahead."
After saying that, Shakky didn't even look at Bedeck; she just glanced in
the direction Nicholas had left and then turned back into the bar.
Now she was just an ordinary bar owner in a regular bar.
Soon, in a place like a slaughterhouse, Nicholas stood on the roof,
looking down at a group of people with burlap sacks below, and said
lightly, "Mar, the Fear Spreader, with a bounty of 110 million, once led
his men to cruelly massacre a town of thousands in the South Sea."
Inside.
Upon hearing Nicholas' words, Mar, who was helping a pirate convert to
his cause, stood up from the ground, while the pirate, pierced by his
thorns, fell to the ground, powerless and moaning.
Mar calmly looked at Nicholas on the roof.
As for the followers behind Mar, they looked at Nicholas with crazy eyes.
"Albert Nicholas, finally, I meet you. Hahaha~"
Mar let out a neurotic laugh.
"And then?"
Nicholas squatted on the roof, looking down at the frantic Mar with a
playful expression.
"Feel it, fear!"
Mar had just opened his mouth when the aura of fear around him
permeated like substance.
Just as Mar was about to jump on Nicholas and envelop him in his
domain of fear, Nicholas suddenly disappeared into thin air.
In the next moment, Nicholas appeared behind Mar, pressing his hand on
the back of Mar's head with one hand.
"Let me feel fear? Are you even worthy? Do you think you're Rocks? Even
Rocks can't make me feel fear"
Nicholas said it disdainfully.
At that moment, Mar's face changed dramatically, and he felt a chill at
the back of his head.
"Can't move?! My ability doesn't work on him!!!"
In the grip of terror, Mar felt paralyzed.
In that moment, he deeply realized the terrifying power of the New
World pirates.
Since setting sail, no one has ever been unaffected within ten meters of
him.
It was the first time, and perhaps the last time.
But... why didn't his ability work?!
"Bishop!"
At that moment, Mar's followers also reacted.
They all looked at Nicholas, who appeared behind their bishop, with
horror and confusion.
Why wasn't he affected by their bishop's ability?
As the owner of the Paramecia-type fear fruit ability, Mar could gather
the fear of others, creating an area filled with fear. Anyone entering this
area would be entangled in infinite fear, and their abilities would be
weakened.
But now, the guy who appeared behind Mar and pressed his hand on the
back of Mar's head seemed unaffected, which was incomprehensible!
Nicholas's hand, pressing on Mar's head, was subtly enveloped in
armament haki.
Then, a cold killing intent flashed.
In Mar's heart, a long-lost emotion surged up, and the feeling of sheer
terror spread throughout his limbs.
The aura of death, like a cold stream, washed over Mar's nerves.
"Wait... wait!!!"
Facing the close-range aura of death, Mar shouted frantically.
It could be said that since obtaining the fruit, he has only brought fear to
others, never experiencing fear himself.
But now he had become a lamb to be slaughtered in someone else's
hands.
Even his proudest ability was useless against the opponent before him.
Nicholas looked expressionlessly at the roaring Mar, his hand showing no
sign of hesitation, and coldly said, "Is that all you've got? Do you even
dare to have ideas about my head?"
With a bang!
As Nicholas's words fell, his hand, enveloped in Armament Haki, smashed
Mar's head to the ground, leaving only Mar's twitching feet to prove that
he hadn't died completely.
He, who attempted to take Nicholas's head to gain fame, could never
have imagined that he would be killed instead.
One supernova down.
"Bishop!!!"
The crew members who followed Mar, unable to stop Nicholas from
taking action, were furious.
Nicholas didn't look at Mar's head lying on the ground but turned around
slowly, coldly looking at the remaining people.
"Revenge for the bishop!"
Among the crowd, one of the most fanatical followers raised his sickle
and shouted wildly, rushing towards Nicholas first.
However, as he rushed out, the others decisively turned and fled in all
directions.
The first unlucky guy to rush out realized after a few steps that there was
no one behind him, thinking at first that his companions were slow.
But the next moment, he heard a sound and looked back in confusion.
"???"
In his sight, there were only the fleeing backs of his companions;
apparently, the fear of death made them surpass the fear of Mar.
Moreover, how could they be opponents of the one who could deal with
Mar? Although they were crazy, they weren't stupid.
"You ************"
Before a coded call could be fully uttered, the unfortunate guy who
rushed out first was directly pierced through the head by the lightning
shot from Nicholas's finger gun.
The others, seeing this scene, ran away without looking back.
Nicholas calmly watched the fleeing Mar pirate crew members.
Then, with his right hand making a gun gesture,
"Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!"
"Thump, thump..."
In less than three seconds, there were more than a dozen bodies on the
ground.
Nicholas glanced at the bodies on the ground, then looked at the
unfortunate guy, who had been physically converted by Mar, lying on the
ground.
Bedeck watching this was shocked, He knew Nicholas was strong, but the
other party was one of this year's Supernovas, representing one of this
year's most promising pirates. It seemed he was directly killed by
Nicholas.
"What are you looking at? Take that guy and bring him back. We'll split
the bounty we'll get from the Navy in half, as agreed."
"Oh, okay."
Bedeck nodded in response and then went over to pull the infamous Fear
Spreader out of the ground and throw him onto the bubble car he
brought.
Watching Nicholas disappear again, as well as the bodies on the ground
and the burlap-wrapped heads that were now stained with blood and
slightly collapsed on the bubble car, Bedeck couldn't help but shiver.
Then he quickly pulled the bubble car away from there.
Sniper!
In the distance.
After Nicholas and Bedeck left.
A group of people came quietly, skillfully searching the bodies first,
taking everything valuable, and then gathering together to whisper.
"Is it over?"
"It seems so. I didn't expect the Fear Spreader Mar to die like this. I really
had high hopes for him to make a name for himself in the New World."
"Was that guy Bedeck just now?"
"Yes, it was Bedeck. I've dealt with him a few times."
"What's going on? Are the Mar Pirates so pathetic? And is this Bedeck's
doing?"
"Idiot, can't you use your brain? Although we don't know who did it, do
you not know Bedeck's strength? If he could take down Mar, would
Bedeck still be just the squad leader of a slave-catching team?"
Watching the bodies of Mar's crew members, the followers known as
'Scavengers' were in an uproar.
They had come to scavenge, thinking it was just some vendetta, but they
didn't expect Mar, one of this year's Supernovas, to be the one taken out.
"Hehe, instead of worrying about those issues, why don't we discuss the
distribution of these bodies? They're still warm, and if we sell them to
organ traders, we can get a good price."
With one person's remark, the others quickly began to discuss the
allocation of bodies, even starting to argue and even draw their blades.
...
While the scavengers of Pirate World were cleaning up the remnants,
Nicholas also encountered two other supernovas.
It was Jack the ripper, and the Explosive Bear, Ralph, who had decided to
team up for the hunt.
When they saw Nicholas suddenly appear not far from them, both of their
faces turned sour. After all, the fact that the other could silently appear in
front of them could only mean one thing: the opponent's strength was far
superior to theirs.
"Nicholas."
Jack the Ripper said it with a gloomy face.
Instead of answering, Nicholas took out the wanted poster he had
obtained from Shakky and carefully examined it before putting it away,
somewhat uncertainly asking, "Jack the Ripper? Explosive Bear Ralph?"
It wasn't that he was face-blind, but the Peeping King, also known as the
Photography King or the Flame Photography Hero, seemed not to have
started working for the World Government yet, which meant that the
updating speed of the Marine bounties was a bit pathetic. The photos of
these supernovas' bounties were still from several months ago.
"Hey, you big idiot over there! I'm talking to you!"
Suddenly, a shout came from behind Nicholas, immediately drawing his
attention.
As Nicholas instinctively turned to look at the source of the sound,.
A bullet suddenly flew from a distance, aimed directly at Nicholas's head.
It can be said that the attacker chose to launch the attack at the moment
when Nicholas's attention was drawn away, which was the least vigilant
moment.
The timing and angle were impeccable.
It could be seen how experienced the shooter was in shooting.
Unfortunately, the person he was facing was Nicholas.
As the bullet was about to penetrate Nicholas's skull, he flashed a toothy
grin in the direction from which the bullet came.
Swish—
Then the bullet passed straight through the middle of Nicholas's head,
hitting the ground and leaving only a smoking bullet hole.
At the same time, Nicholas saw the guy who had cursed at him just now
—a golden macaw flying away in the distance. Apparently, the parrot
was a partner with the sniper eight hundred meters away.
The parrot attracted the target's attention, and at the moment when the
target relaxed, the sniper launched the fatal shot.
And on the trunk of the Yarukiman vine tree, eight hundred meters away,
a man with a single eyeglass over his right eye and slightly dark circles
around his eyes was kneeling with one knee. In front of him was a single-
shot flintlock rifle with obvious modification marks.
One shot missed, and the man's face changed.
If the man had played FPS games, he would have cursed at this moment:
"Damn, hacks!"
Just now, during the sniper attack, he believed that the timing of the shot
was perfect, not to mention the accuracy; even if it was shooting a fly, he
was confident. So he was particularly confident in this shot.
He had personally modified the flintlock rifle, equipped with a custom-
made scope that had been painstakingly polished by craftsmen, coupled
with his eagle-eyed vision.
With such eyes, he could see the antennae of ants moving in the distance
and even catch the trajectory of bullets with the naked eye.
Such talent made him unquestionably a skilled sniper.
Although his bounty was not the highest among this year's batch of
Supernovas, he was crowned in the name of God.
The nickname Gun God was the most appropriate evaluation of his
strength among his peers on the sea.
Before pulling the trigger, he even saw the scene of Nicholas's head
bursting in his mind.
However, reality gave him a harsh slap.
At the same time, he suddenly recalled the man who had been locked in
his sight just now, smiling at the moment he squeezed the trigger.
Perhaps it was even before he pulled the trigger?
But, how was that possible? How could anyone predict that someone
would snipe him before he even pulled the trigger?
No matter how he tried to convince himself, the image of Nicholas
smiling with his big teeth remained in his mind.
"Captain Woodrow, it was a beautiful shot!"
Beside him, the man's companions looked excitedly at him. In their eyes,
once the captain chose to shoot, it meant there was a 100 percent chance
of hitting the target. This was accumulated from the countless bullets that
had pierced through enemy vitals since Woodrow set sail.
Woodrow shook his head and began to reload the ammunition, his hands
continuously moving, but his gaze remained focused on the situation in
the distance.
"Dammit" he grunted
His companions, upon hearing this, were all (⊙o⊙)...
"Hehe, let's enter the hunting moment."
Woodrow finished reloading and raised his gun again, aiming at
Nicholas's vitals.
After missing the first shot, Woodrow understood that the opponent was
not a simple character. To kill him, he had to wait for an opportunity
when the opponent exposed a vulnerability.
Therefore, Woodrow did not hastily fire the second shot but focused his
attention, waiting for Nicholas and his companions to engage in combat.
As long as Nicholas engaged in battle with them, Woodrow would be able
to find an opportunity to kill him with one shot!
After all, no one could maintain enough vigilance to withstand attacks
from hundreds of meters away during combat.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Woodrow's eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed.
He saw Nicholas raise his right hand holding a modified pistol toward
him,
On Nicholas's side.
Seeing Nicholas still standing there posing, Explosive Bear Ralph and
Jack the Ripper were also standing still without any movement.
It's not that they didn't want to move, but they didn't dare to. One was a
true lunatic, and the other was a pseudo-beast. Every time they wanted to
make a move, their brains would sound crazy alarms. The feeling was
that if they didn't move, it would be fine, but if they did …
Supernova trio vs Nicholas
Nicholas raised his right hand holding a modified pistol, his gaze fixed on
the location where Woodrow was.
With the intelligence obtained from Shakky, Nicholas had a rough idea of
the identity of the shooter when the shot came just now.
Fed Woodrow, one of the five supernovas, was famous for his superb
sniper skills.
[Author's Note- Is he related to Van Augur?]
"So, it's the sniper from Gate A."
Nicholas scoffed and turned his back on the two nearby individuals who
were afraid to move. He locked his sights on Woodrow, who was eight
hundred meters away, and aimed his gun before firing.
"swish" accompanied by two synthetic noises that resemble laser beams.
Immediately in front of Woodrow, two lightning shots emerged from his
pistol—which his lightning had turned into a railgun.
"Hmm?"
Woodrow was suddenly startled, instinctively performing a perfect
tactical roll, avoiding one of Nicholas's lightning bullets.
Before he could raise his gun to counterattack, the other lightning bullet
directly hit his left arm, piercing it instantly and leaving a clean uniform
hole.
The intense pain in his arm made Woodrow couldn't help but sweat
profusely. But compared to the physical pain, the mental blow was even
greater.
After all, his vision could clearly see the trajectory of bullets, but with
those two lightning bullets just now, even if he tried his best to see, he
only caught a trace, and the speed was something he couldn't react to.
In other words, Woodrow's eyes told his brain, "I see it," but his brain
could only respond, "I know, notify the body soon," yet before his body
could move, it was hit.
Covering the wound on his arm with his hand, Woodrow had an
incredible thought in his mind: the opponent could have easily killed him
with those attacks just now, but he chose not to. Was it toying with its
prey?
After applying medicinal powder and injecting a painkiller into his arm,
he wrapped it with a bandage.
"You guys, leave immediately. This hunt is not something you can
participate in."
Woodrow looked at the crew members beside him and said so solemnly.
"Understood."
"Take care, boss!"
Based on the situation just now, if their boss couldn't snipe the opponent,
then they wouldn't stand a chance. If they exposed themselves, they
might be targeted directly by the opponent.
After bidding farewell to Woodrow, these people began to withdraw.
After all, as snipers, they were experienced in handling such sudden
situations and judging the battlefield.
"Woodrow, stay sharp, stay sharp, and run, run."
The parrot that had been responsible for attracting attention also flapped
its wings and landed on Woodrow's shoulder, repeating its words
incessantly.
"The situation isn't that bad yet, especially with three against one; we
have a significant advantage."
After putting a peanut from his pocket into the parrot's mouth, Woodrow
looked at the three people confronting him in the distance with
confidence.
On the battlefield.
Nicholas observed Woodrow's instructions for his comrades to leave, but
he didn't care. After all, what did it matter if a few insects ran away?
Almost in the blink of an eye, Jack the Ripper and Ralph the explosive
Bear moved simultaneously.
As this year's highly anticipated supernovas, they couldn't allow
themselves to lack the courage to even engage the enemy in front of
them.
The actions of Jack the Ripper and Ralph the explosive Bear were also
observed by Nicholas.
"Heh."
Nicholas sneered at their actions, finding Jack and Ralph's moves
somewhat disdainful.
Ralph charged forward to draw fire, while Jack waited for an opportunity
to strike with his scissors, making Woodrow, the sniper god, provide fire
support from a distance.
It was not a traditional tank-heal-DPS system, but in the pirate world,
having few healers was like having few exotic animals. The Tank and
DPS together had reached their maximum output.
These guys are a bit interesting.
Nicholas stood still, calmly watching Ralph charging towards him and
Jack with scissors in hand, advancing like a circus performer, constantly
changing positions.
To Nicholas, these guys, who hadn't even entered the New World yet,
seemed a bit naive.
"Go die, you bastard!"
Confident in his control over Haki, Ralph, who arrived at Nicholas's
location first, slammed his fist, covered in armament Haki, towards
Nicholas's skull. He was sure he could win, even against a logia user.
"Bang!"
Nicholas didn't bother with words. He simply raised his hand and caught
Ralph's fist, then kicked him, sending him flying faster than Ralph's own
charge speed.
Upon landing, Ralph's body even rolled and tumbled on the ground,
plowing a deep furrow tens of meters long on the ground and crashing
into a root of the Yarkiman Tree before coming to a halt.
In the blink of an eye, Jack, who had charged to Nicholas's side, had no
time to dodge and could only awkwardly shove his scissors into
Nicholas's neck.
"Swish!"
The next moment, Jack's face changed abruptly. Hastily retracting his
scissors, he protected his chest with them and took Nicholas's fist,
wrapped in Armament Haki.
Boom!
The moment the fist touched the scissors, an unexpectedly heavy force
was transmitted to Jack's arm through the scissors.
"Hmm?"
Feeling the force on his arm, Jack's pupils contracted sharply. At this
moment, he understood why Ralph had flown so fast and far just now.
Was this kind of force something a human could achieve?
Suddenly, with doubts flooding his mind, Jack also flew backward, even
emitting the sound of air being torn.
Seeing the fighters and assassins almost instantly dealt with, leaving only
the shooter Woodrow and his pet parrot facing each other, the
atmosphere suddenly quieted down.
With three against one, the advantage didn't seem that significant
anymore.
Watching Ralph and Jack, two supernovas, be kicked and punched away
by Nicholas almost instantly, Woodrow was now somewhat uneasy. His
wariness toward Nicholas deepened.
As the saying goes, ranged fighters are fragile. Once hit by Nicholas's
close-range attacks with such force, his own body might as well be half
out of commission.
This guy... can he still be considered human? Or is he a monster?
Definitely a monster, right?
"Ralph, are you okay?"
Using the scissors to support himself, Jack climbed up from the ground,
turned his head, and looked at Ralph, who was embedded in a tree root
nearby.
If Ralph, the tank, fell, leaving only him and Woodrow, one ranged and
one assassin, facing Nicholas, they really had no chance at all.
"Cough. I'm not dead yet, but is that guy really human?"
Embedded in the tree root, Ralph reached out, grabbed the root, and
pulled himself out, looking at Nicholas in the distance, wiping the blood
from the corner of his mouth with trembling hands.
The blow he had just suffered was a big loss. If he hadn't mastered
Armament Haki in time to defend, and if his physical strength hadn't
been strong enough, the blow just now would have been enough to
render him unable to fight.
"Do you think we are seen as humans in the eyes of ordinary people?
That guy, in our eyes, is just like how we appear to ordinary people.
Don't hold back; show all your strength, or else we might really be done
for."
Crumbling belief
"Hmph, got your mentality blown? Jack the Ripper?"
Ralph stretched his muscles and casually tore off the tattered fur coat he
was wearing.
He sneered at Jack, who stood nearby with a gloomy expression.
Jack didn't even bother to look back at Ralph; his eyes were fixed on
Nicholas, who was slowly approaching them. He grunted in response,
clearly not interested in engaging in banter with Ralph at the moment.
Nicholas wasn't like the ordinary, run-of-the-mill folks from the first half
of the Grand Line. Compared to the extremely tough opponents he had
faced before, this guy was like a piece of steel.
In this situation, having an extra-competent ally would be advantageous
and harmless.
As for Ralph's mockery, Jack knew it could wait until they settled scores
later. After all, this collaborative hunt was initiated by him.
Jack consciously slowed his pace, intending to let Ralph bear the brunt of
Nicholas's frontal assault.
For Jack, Ralph, with his robust physique and ability to take hits, was the
perfect distraction for Nicholas.
With that thought in mind, Jack's steps became slower, allowing Ralph to
take the lead in facing Nicholas's impending attack.
Tack, tack —
As Nicholas approached, Ralph picked up his pace, accelerating towards
Nicholas!
Roar!
As he ran, Ralph's muscles underwent a tremendous transformation. Blue
and white fur began to sprout from beneath his skin, enlarging his
already bear-like frame. His face protruded, his teeth sharpened, and his
limbs sprouted claws like razor blades. By now, Ralph had transformed
into a true giant bear.
Even strands of lightning streaked across his blue and white fur.
This was why Ralph dared to hunt Nicholas. As a Zoan-type Devil Fruit
user with the Ancient Zoan Lightning Bear Form ability, he had a high
resistance to lightning, allowing him to even infuse his attacks with a
hint of lightning due to his fur's unique properties.
Meanwhile, from a distance, Woodrow once again squeezed the trigger
on his gun.
For him, Nicholas, with his back turned, was the prime sniper target.
He would make this guy understand never to expose his back to an
outstanding sniper!
Woodrow fired several shots in succession.
The accuracy was impeccable, but despite several shots, there was no
success. Bullets either fell a tad short or a tad late, always missing by a
hair's breadth.
"It's useless. In the 'time-frame' I see, no matter how accurate your
marksmanship is, you cannot hit me," Nicholas muttered to himself. He
then turned sideways, using his index and middle fingers, covered in
haki, to clamp down on the lead bullets shot from behind.
The bullets, clamped between his fingers, even turned slightly red from
the friction.
"No matter what FPS game or reality, snipers are really annoying, aren't
they?" Nicholas smiled faintly. He then aimed the lead bullet clamped
between his fingers at Woodrow in the distance. In a flash of lightning,
the bullet shot out like a meteor.
Swish —
The lead bullet, flying at such speed that it was almost invisible to the
naked eye, seemed to have something different about it. Its speed caused
it to show signs of melting.
Carrying high temperatures, the lead bullet reached Woodrow's forehead
in an instant.
"So fast!" echoed in Woodrow's mind. In his line of sight, he didn't see the
bullet but instead saw a scorching line. He even saw a trace of flames due
to the bullet's speed, still lingering between Nicholas's fingers.
Thud!
Woodrow's head turned to blood mist, not even a single piece of bone
was left from the shoulder above.
"Woodrow!!"
Jack, who had been keeping an eye on the battlefield, watched in horror
as Woodrow fell to the ground, hundreds of meters away.
Although he wasn't a gun enthusiast, Jack understood Woodrow's
marksmanship and reputation. Woodrow wasn't self-proclaimed "Gun
God"; it was a title earned through countless battles since he set sail.
Especially his eagle-like sharp eyes, which not only enhanced his
accuracy but even allowed him to see bullets flying at high speeds and
evade them effortlessly.
Yet, here he was, effortlessly taken down by a bullet Nicholas shot with
his own hands—a bullet whose trajectory he couldn't even see clearly.
How could such a thing be possible?
Jack found it difficult to believe, but soon a wave of fear surged within
him. If Nicholas could easily deal with Woodrow, didn't it mean he could
also easily deal with Jack, another Supernova like Woodrow?
After all, the difference in strength between Jack and Woodrow wasn't
significant. If Jack kept his distance, he was doomed. But if he got close,
Woodrow would be doomed!
Yet, in front of Nicholas, it seemed that distance didn't matter. They were
both doomed, no matter what. It was terrifying.
As Jack grappled with his fears, Ralph, now fully transformed into a
beast, had only one thought in his mind: to crush the little bug before
him.
Underneath the tree roots, not far away, Bedeck watched the towering
branches with a hint of helplessness. But out of fear of Nicholas, he spat
on his hand.
After rubbing his palms together, he began to climb the tree. After all,
Woodrow's body was still up there, waiting to be retrieved for the
bounty.
When he climbed up, he saw Woodrow's lifeless body.
In the final moments of his consciousness, Woodrow was filled with
puzzlement at Nicholas's attack, which he couldn't even track.
Until the end, he couldn't understand. Could a human really produce
such an attack?
"Ah, why did you have to provoke him?" Bedeck shook his head, then
hoisted Woodrow's body off the tree and prepared to descend.
The diamond parrot landed on Bedeck's head, flapping its wings. In its
head, Woodrow was the caretaker, and now that the caretaker was gone,
it had to find a new path for itself. And the guy in front of it seemed like
a good choice.
Seeing the diamond parrot above his head and then glancing at
Woodrow's corpse on his shoulder, Bedeck reached into Woodrow's
pocket and rummaged around.
He pulled out a peanut, shoved it into the parrot's mouth, and the parrot's
mood immediately improved.
Meanwhile, the crew members of Woodrow's pirate crew, who had
retreated to a distance, watched in disbelief as Bedeck retrieved their
captain's body from the tree and placed it next to Marley's corpse.
For them, Woodrow was their belief—the one who had made a name for
gunners on the high seas. Woodrow's prowess with a gun was
unparalleled in the sea, earning him the title of Gun God.
Yet, the top-level fighters on the sea were either Devil Fruit ability users,
experts in martial arts, physically powerful, proficient in Haki, or adept
in swordsmanship. But there wasn't a top-level gunner!
And now, the sniper prodigy they revered has fallen in the Sabaody
Archipelago.
At this moment, their belief crumbled.
Omae wa mo shindeiru
After shooting out that lead bullet, Nicholas withdrew his "sight" from
Woodrow, as he had already seen the image of Woodrow being headshot.
With his observation, Haki developed to its utmost, and Nicholas could
briefly glimpse into the future. In other words, when he's overpowering
his opponents, Nicholas could just like some big shot, strike once, and
then leave without looking back, leaving behind a sentence like "おまえ
は,もう死んでいる!(You are already dead!)" and the fallen body of his
enemy.
Seeing Ralph transform into a giant bear charging at him at lightning
speed, Nicholas casually surged with electric energy, summoning a long
sword made of lightning into his hand.
Seeing Nicholas choose to confront him head-on, both Ralph's and Jack's
eyes lit up with excitement.
Ralph was pleased because the opponent chose the most irrational tactic,
confronting him head-on despite his transformation.
Jack was pleased because if Nicholas confronted Ralph head-on, Jack's
chances of survival would increase even more. Perhaps he dared
entertain the thought that he might even injure Nicholas and then retreat
unscathed.
However, the thought of killing Nicholas was no longer in Jack's mind;
he might be a psycho, but he wasn't stupid enough to ignore the vast
difference in their strengths.
Seeing Ralph charging towards him, Nicholas's eyes suddenly gleamed
with red light. He first glanced to his left, quickly glimpsing Jack
attacking from the left, then returned his gaze to Ralph charging from the
front.
In a split second, Nicholas made a choice, leaving behind a slowly
dissipating afterimage in his original position, his figure disappearing
from the sight of both Ralph and Jack. For a Devil Fruit user with the
Goro Goro no Mi, his speed was almost comparable to that of the Pika
Pika no Mi, allowing him to move faster than even the keenest eye could
follow, thanks to his mastery of Observation Haki.
This is why Nicholas considered the pre-New World Supernovas still
immature; although they had potential, they had not yet fully matured.
As Nicholas vanished, Jack and Ralph's gazes frantically searched the
surroundings for Nicholas's presence. Jack, being an expert in
assassination, knew very well what it meant to lose sight of the enemy in
his line of sight.
When Nicholas reappeared, he was already in front of Ralph, wielding his
lightning sword and slashing towards Ralph.
Seeing the sword coming at him, Ralph could even feel a slight tingling
sensation on his skin—the instinct of a living being guiding him.
"Planning to take me out first? Very well, let's see how strong the
infamous pirate of the New World truly is."
Ralph's combat instincts quickly kicked in; with his claws covered in
Armament Haki, he swiped at the lightning sword that Nicholas swung at
him.
In that moment of clash, Nicholas's attack also arrived, with the
trajectory of his lightning sword intersecting with Ralph's claw.
"Oh? Is this the beastly intuition brought by your transformation?"
Seemingly lengthy, but actually just a moment, Ralph's instantaneous
response surprised Nicholas.
Although the transformation granted Devil Fruit users some emotional
influence, it also amplified various attributes and granted them beast-like
combat instincts.
However...
When the difference in strength between the two parties is too great, all
seemingly spectacular maneuvers appear pale.
In the instant of intersection between Nicholas's lightning sword and
Ralph's armor Haki-clad claw, the lightning-infused sword easily cleaved
through Ralph's claws, which were also infused with Haki.
Simultaneously, Nicholas's lightning sword, imbued with the sharpness of
lightning, slashed diagonally across Ralph's chest, causing a massive
wound.
As Nicholas landed behind Ralph, Ralph, with his chest slashed and blood
gushing out like a fountain, looked at the wound with an incredulous
gleam in his eyes.
"It seems your body is quite resilient. I thought the earlier strike would
completely cut you in two."
At this moment, Nicholas's voice came from behind Ralph, sounding like
praise but carrying a mocking tone to Ralph's ears.
For Ralph, his powerful physique was his pride, and hearing Nicholas'
words made him realize how insignificant it was in the eyes of his
opponent.
Enveloped in rage, Ralph turned around and swung his arms with all his
might, intending to land a blow the size of a cast-iron pot on Nicholas's
face!
"It seems like you still haven't recognized the absolute gap in strength
between us."
In an instant, a thousand hits!
Nicholas's figure, standing in place, suddenly disappeared into thin air,
replaced by a black shadow swiftly moving around Ralph's body.
And when Nicholas's figure appeared again in his original position, Ralph
remained in the punching stance.
"What's this move called?"
Ralph looked at Nicholas and asked calmly.
"The holy fist of the north star! It delivers a thousand blows in an instant,
overwhelming the opponent like a storm of attacks. Of course, I added a
little something to it, infusing the lightning's power into the opponent's
body during the attack. When the attack ends, the lightning infused into
the opponent's body erupts, causing secondary damage"
"Quite an apt name," Ralph said, before his massive body collapsed
backward, raising a cloud of dust.
Thanks to his robust physique and the enhancement of his body's
qualities by the Devil Fruit ability, this strike didn't immediately kill
Ralph. However, it could only be considered as barely clinging to life.
Severe internal injuries had left Ralph completely unable to move, and
his life was ebbing away, with death being inevitable sooner or later.
"I never imagined... you... could be... so strong. Truly... unwilling to
accept..." Ralph's eyes, lying on the ground, turned towards Nicholas, and
he uttered with great difficulty, staring at him with a gaze filled with
resentment and unwillingness.
For Ralph, he initially thought the Sabaody Archipelago would be his
new beginning, but it turned out to be his end. Only after facing Nicholas
head-on could he truly understand where the gap lay. Moreover, he
realized how ludicrous their previous idea of hunting Nicholas to gain
fame was.
Nicholas looked down at the barely conscious Ralph and said calmly,
"Actually, your potential is quite impressive. With a few years of honing
in the New World, you might pose some threat to me if you joined forces.
But for now... heh... even without mastering Haki, who gave you the
courage to dare to hunt me down?"
With that, Nicholas paid no further attention to Ralph, who was nearing
death, and turned his gaze to Jack, who stood there in a daze.
At this moment, even Jack the Ripper, who could make women afraid to
step out after sunset in many places thanks to his reputation, had his eyes
wide open in disbelief.
In his view, Ralph charged forward, then Nicholas's figure disappeared,
and when Nicholas reappeared, Ralph's chest had been slashed, blood
still spurting out.
Then Ralph punched at Nicholas, Nicholas disappeared again, and Ralph
ended up kneeling.
Obviously, Ralph used his own life to realize the gap between him and
Nicholas, while Jack the Ripper realized the gap between them through
the selfless dedication of his two good friends, Woodlaw and Ralph.
Thus, out of the five supernovas originally intending to make a name for
themselves in the New World through Nicholas, three had already fallen
into Nicholas's hands in the Sabaody Archipelago.
As for Bedeck, who was responsible for collecting the bodies, he had
become numb to it.
At the same time, deep down, he also made a silent resolution. Once this
incident was over, he would return to his hometown. The Grand Line was
just too dangerous.
Schizophrenia?
[Authors note- Thanks for the support guys, we have already surpassed
one million views. Please continue to help me so that I can keep giving
you fresh chapters. ps- one power stone wouldn't hurt 🤗❤️]
After dealing with Ralph, Nicholas approached the only remaining person
among the three, Jack the Ripper.
Meanwhile, in a bar on the Sabaody Archipelago, a group of people was
discussing the supernovas' plan to hunt down Nicholas, the notorious
pirate, this year.
"The quality of this year's supernovas seems stronger than last year's."
"Yeah, last year's batch of supernovas was wiped out within six months of
entering the New World, which is really absurd."
"But why do this year's supernovas suddenly want to pick a fight with
Nicholas?"
"They obviously want to use Nicholas to make a name for themselves.
Compared to the likes of Whitebeard, Roger, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido
in the New World, Nicholas seems easier to deal with. As remnants of the
Rocks, just killing him could quickly establish their reputation in the New
World, allowing them to rapidly expand their influence and compete for
the title of Emperor of the Sea against the likes of Whitebeard."
"Although the risk is high, the rewards are equally great. And those
supernovas are basically lawless."
"But do you think Nicholas's strength will wipe out this year's supernovas
on the Sabaody Archipelago? After all, even with their crew, the bounties
of these supernovas combined are not even half of Nicholas's bounty."
"..."
With this statement, the room fell silent for a moment, and the
atmosphere became awkward.
People suddenly realized that although the supernovas represent the most
outstanding pirates of the year, they might not be able to match Nicholas,
who is apparently more formidable. After all, bounty amounts also reflect
strength evaluations.
"That's unlikely, isn't it?"
"Even if those guys can't beat him, they can escape... maybe?"
Those who spoke seemed to lack confidence.
Meanwhile, as Nicholas approached, the notorious Jack the Ripper
suddenly knelt down, repeatedly begging for mercy while trembling in
fear.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
"Please spare me; I won't dare again."
"Don't hit me."
"I won't dare again."
"Sob, sob..."
Even crying like a child out of fear, Jack's demeanor changed
dramatically.
Nicholas was somewhat taken aback by the stark contrast.
However, regardless of what happened, Nicholas decided to take this
man's life.
With a sword charged with murderous intent, Nicholas swung it toward
the kneeling Jack the Ripper.
Just as he was about to strike, the head fell.
While Bedeck, who was tasked with collecting the bodies, glanced at the
beheaded Jack, he withdrew his gaze and continued his work.
Unexpectedly, as Nicholas's sword struck, the kneeling Jack, who seemed
to have given up struggling, vanished into thin air.
Nicholas paused, not entirely surprised by the turn of events. He looked
toward a spot not far away, where a mysterious figure appeared out of
nowhere.
Jack the Ripper held scissors in his hand, his hair disheveled, revealing
beast-like eyes through the strands, and a particularly eerie smile on his
face.
"Hehe, hehe, hehe..."
"Is this... schizophrenia?" Nicholas speculated, observing Jack's starkly
different behavior. After all, in many movies and series, most
psychopaths encountered unfortunate events in childhood, leading to
mental issues and the emergence of multiple personalities.
Jack's successive displays seemed to fit this pattern.
Moreover, the personality that appeared now neither exhibited the
previous cowardice nor the initial gloominess but exuded madness and a
desire for bloodshed.
The distance between Nicholas and Jack was not great.
Swish!
Jack's figure suddenly disappeared from where he stood, and a swift
figure dashed toward Nicholas.
Facing Jack's charge, Nicholas casually raised his arm and swung his
lightning-infused sword.
Clang! Clang!
As the lightning sword swung, hundreds of clashes resounded in the air.
In less than half a minute, the lightning sword clashed with Jack's
scissors hundreds of times.
"Does the mad personality control the body purely on instinct?" Nicholas
pondered aloud while observing Jack, who was repeatedly repelled but
relentlessly continued to attack.
However, after numerous failed attempts and relying solely on brute
force, Jack's body began to show signs of strain. Nicholas could clearly
feel that Jack's strength and speed were diminishing.
"Is this his limit?" Nicholas wondered aloud
"KNEEL" Nicholas delivered commands with a contemptuous glance while
utilizing his conqueror's haki and a tinge of the "voice of all things."
Jack was forced to kneel on one knee.
Bang!
Even the ground beneath Jack's knee cracked like a spider's web under
the impact.
"You're sick, and you need treatment."
With these words, Nicholas placed his hand on Jack's head and unleashed
a powerful electric shock, causing Jack's body to convulse uncontrollably.
As Jack's body trembled from the electric shock, Nicholas couldn't help
but furrow his brows.
"Hmm, didn't work? Unscientific."
Beside Nicholas, Bedeck couldn't help but comment on the situation.
Why play cards without a
weapon?
"This is what a pathetic murderer like you, who kills innocent people for
fun, deserves."
Nicholas retracted his hand, allowing Jack's smoking body to collapse on
the ground.
Taking care of the four supernovas, the entire process from start to finish
barely even counts as warming up for Nicholas.
If it weren't for the sake of entertaining himself with them, those guys
could have been finished the moment they met him.
After all, the first half of the Grand Line is called Paradise for a reason.
These supernovas are the most dazzling among the countless pirates who
set sail this year.
But if these people were to enter the New World, they wouldn't stand a
chance against the monsters there, let alone the veteran pirate crews that
have been thriving in the New World for years.
After all, in the New World, where Haki prevails, these rookies from
Paradise are nothing.
"Oh, there's one more."
Nicholas casually pulled out a few wanted posters and quickly found one
with a different style from the others.
"Gambler Tony, bounty 65 million berries."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the wanted poster. He
wrinkled his brow; this guy was so handsome, he could have been a male
model.
But since these supernovas lingered in the Sabaody Archipelago waiting
for him, he had to meet them and bring the sincerest regards from the
veterans of the sea.
Nicholas then headed towards the Sabaody Archipelago.
But before he went, he took some time to disguise himself.
Walking through the bustling shopping area of the Sabaody Archipelago,
Nicholas couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. After all, this place was
just like the Big Apple City in the future United States—a paradise for
some and a hell for others.
"Hmm?"
As he passed by a person dressed in a black robe, Nicholas felt a slight
sense of strangeness and paused.
"A woman... seems familiar."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow slightly, unable to see much of the person's
face due to the robe, except for her hair, skin color, nose, and mouth
visible beneath the hood.
Although obscured, Nicholas felt that the woman looked somewhat
familiar with just a glance.
Seemingly aware of Nicholas's gaze, the woman lowered her head and
promptly disappeared into the crowd.
Nicholas calmly watched the woman leave, trying to recall the familiar
feeling.
Soon, a vision of a mature woman with silver hair flashed through his
mind.
Nico Robin?
Impossible.
At this time, she would barely even be an embryo.
Huh?
Nicholas suddenly thought of someone who resembled Nico Robin: Olvia.
renowned archaeologist from Ohara, the archaeology sacred land in the
West Blue, and also Nico Robin's biological mother.
So, was Olvia already out exploring and searching for clues to the true
history?
"Could it be Olvia?"
Nicholas watched the direction in which the woman in the black robe
had disappeared, lost in thought.
However, he soon continued on his way to his destination. After all,
Olvia didn't hold much value for him except for being Robin's mother,
and the rest of it didn't matter much to Nicholas.
In a world where strength reigns supreme, people without power who try
to uncover the hidden truths of history and challenge the World
Government's rule are simply courting death.
And those scholars from Ohara, despite knowing that the World
Government expressly forbade the study of true history, persisted in their
research. They not only brought destruction upon themselves but also
upon their entire island, with only an eight-year-old Robin surviving.
It was one thing to pursue the truth, but it was foolish to endanger
themselves and their entire community by conducting their research
openly.
Putting these thoughts aside, Nicholas arrived at a shop called "One-Day
Girlfriend" and walked in.
As soon as he entered the shop, two young women in maid costumes
bowed gracefully and greeted him, "Welcome home, Master."
Ignoring them, Nicholas went straight to the second floor and kicked
open the door of one of the rooms.
A handsome guy who was flirting with a dozen girls in various outfits
froze as Nicholas entered.
Hearing the commotion, several other rooms in the corridor immediately
filled with hurried footsteps, and dozens of people crowded the hallway.
"Hey, what are you doing, you guy?"
"Damn it, do you know who our boss is?"
Taking a few steps forward, Nicholas suddenly stopped and turned to
look at the guy who had just spoken, then lifted his finger and sent a bolt
of lightning directly at him, killing him on the spot.
"Don't!..."
Seeing Nicholas's actions, the handsome guy, realizing Nicholas's identity,
was about to speak up to stop him but was a moment too late.
"Are you Tony the Gambler? What did you just say?"
Nicholas looked at Tony, who was sitting among a group of panicked
girls, and asked calmly.
Tony's expression tightened.
Unlike those other guys with him, Tony knew Nicholas was a pirate, and
not just any pirate, but one who stood at the top of the sea. While it was
common for pirates to gain fame by taking down their peers, it depended
on who the opponent was.
So when Ralph invited him, although Tony had agreed verbally, he had
no intention of actually going.
In his view, if he didn't go, Ralph wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
Both of them were supernovas this year, although there might be a slight
difference in strength. But to say who was afraid of whom, that was
nonexistent.
However, Tony had never expected Nicholas to come looking for him.
Did his appearance here mean that Ralph and the others were done for?
And was Nicholas here to kill him?
Thinking of this possibility, Tony felt a surge of panic.
"You all go back. This has nothing to do with you."
Knowing that his crew staying here would serve no purpose, Tony
ordered them to return to their respective rooms.
Once the crew had left, Tony warmly welcomed Nicholas into the room
and personally poured him a drink.
"I wonder what business Nicholas-sama has with me."
After pouring the drink, Tony smiled and asked. If certain wealthy
women saw him like this, they would go crazy.
"Do you think I'm joking?"
Seeing Nicholas's expression, Tony reluctantly took out a deck of cards
and asked some of the girls to join them.
"345678910JQKA."
"Uh..."
Looking at the royal flush on the table and Tony's empty hands, Nicholas
fell silent.
"Cough, Nicholas-sama, can I..."
"Another round, or gamble with your life."
Seeing Nicholas's expression, Tony picked up the cards again and shuffled
them, then dealt them out.
"345678910JQKA."
"..."
Looking down at the cards on the table and then at Tony's hands,
Nicholas silently placed his cards directly on the table.
Seeing Nicholas's silent response, Tony felt a surge of relief.
"Change of game; let's play 'In-between'."
Nicholas said it seriously.
Soon, seeing three aces in his hand, Nicholas revealed his cards and
quietly drew out his knife.
Just like fishing with a helmet, eating with the back against the wall, and
climbing mountains—why play cards without a weapon?
Devil fruit selection
"Bro, 235."
Seeing Nicholas reveal three Aces, Tony put down his mixed 235 on the
table, almost on the verge of tears.
"It's okay; let's try again."
Seeing the cards on the table, Nicholas smiled generously and said,.
But his grip on the knife tightened.
...
"Bro, flush QKA. Can you give me a break? It's too scary."
Looking at the flush JQK on the table and Nicholas's grim expression,
Tony even added a hint of crying in his voice.
He had forgotten how many times this had happened; Nicholas had him
beat every single time.
Even if his heart were big enough, it couldn't handle much more. Strictly
speaking, he had already won back at least fifty lives from Nicholas, but
what if this old man decided he needed fifty-one?
Power always resided with the strong; they made the rules, and those
without strength could only follow them.
...
Nicholas's appearance in the Sabaody Archipelago was quickly noticed by
some, aside from Shakky, as it was evident that the sudden disappearance
of four out of the five supernovas, combined with previous rumors,
pointed to who was behind it.
Some people, aside from gloating, are also worried about the trouble
Nicholas's sudden appearance might bring to the Sabaody Archipelago.
In the New World, where chaos reigned, most pirates were driven by
madness, expanding their territories and constantly fighting each other.
Among them, the remnants of the Rocks Pirates were the most
noteworthy.
Since the death of Rocks, no one in the New World has been able to
suppress these unleashed beasts.
In the Sabaody Archipelago, one person paid particular attention to
Nicholas's movements.
His name was Byrnndi Byojack, a former officer of the World Pirates and
the elder brother of Byrnndi Waldo.
He was in the Sabaody Archipelago to search for an opportunity to rescue
Waldo and to hide his own tracks.
As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is also the safest. Positioned
at a crucial point, the Sabaody Archipelago served as a gateway to the
New World, with Fish-Man Island lying ten thousand meters below,
providing access to both the New World and the Grand Line, making it an
advantageous location.
Moreover, the surveillance by the Marines was not too stringent here.
The Marines once considered turning the Sabaody Archipelago into a
fortress to cut off pirates coming from the Grand Line through Fish-Man
Island from entering the New World.
However, this plan was soon met with resistance from the pirates and
was eventually abandoned, turning the Sabaody Archipelago into a
gathering place for various factions.
"Albert Nicholas..."
Byrnndi Byojack looked at Nicholas's wanted poster, contemplating
whether to make contact with him.
"Forget it; I won't make contact."
Byojack shook his head in the end. Even if Nicholas was willing to help
them, rescuing Waldo would likely lead to conflict due to their
personalities.
...
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Admiral, Dragon has returned to Marine Headquarters."
A Marine with sunglasses stood straight in front of the desk, reporting to
Kong.
"Oh? He's back?"
Kong raised his head slightly, somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
The Marine with sunglasses nodded solemnly and continued his report:
"Additionally, according to the reports from our Marine branch in the
Sabaody Archipelago, a person named Bedeck brought the bodies of the
supernovas Fearmonger Mar, Gunslinger Woodrow, Jack the Ripper, and
Blast Bear Ralph to exchange for bounties."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Kong raised an eyebrow.
It wasn't unusual for supernovas to meet their end in the Sabaody
Archipelago, given its chaotic nature. However, to have four out of the
five supernovas die all at once was indeed surprising.
Such a situation was unprecedented.
"Knock knock."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in..."
Before Kong could finish, the office door was pushed open from the
outside.
Kong's forehead bulged as he looked at the intruder.
It was none other than Garp, wearing a Marine coat and carrying a bag of
dango, swaggering into the room.
Behind him followed the somewhat helpless Sengoku and the smiling
Tsuru.
Lastly, there was today's protagonist, Dragon.
"Garp, if you dare to barge in here without knocking next time, I'll smash
your head in."
After his subordinate, the Marine with sunglasses, left the room, Kong
clenched his fist, gritting his teeth.
"Old man, at your age, you still talk like that. Be careful not to break
your bones. Come on, Dragon, take a seat; make yourself at home."
Garp gestured for Dragon to sit down, patting the seat next to him.
However, Dragon seemed to ignore Garp's words and remained standing
there.
After all, in the presence of Fleet Admiral Kong, Vice Admiral Sengoku,
and Chief of Staff Tsuru, as well as his own rank, Dragon couldn't sit on
equal terms with these seniors.
Moreover, given Dragon's position, he still needed to show respect to his
superiors.
Because not every vice admiral was as special as Garp.
"Dragon, I called you to Headquarters this time because the World
Government has allocated three logia Devil Fruits to the Marines."
As Kong spoke, he took out a delicately crafted box from the drawer
under the desk. Opening it, three devil fruits lay quietly inside.
"Choose one."
Kong looked at Dragon and said,.
And Sengoku and Tsuru smiled at Dragon from the side.
It could be said that Dragon was like their own son, although most
importantly, Dragon's upbringing, training, and education were overseen
by Sengoku and Tsuru.
Dragon's gaze was drawn to the three Devil Fruits.
"These three Devil Fruits, according to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, are
the Magma Fruit, the Sparkle Fruit, and the climate Fruit. Each of them is
quite powerful, so, Dragon, what's your choice?"
Kong explained from the side.
"I'll take this one."
Dragon picked up a devil fruit from the box. Its skin was a pale blue
color, surrounded by leaves with wind patterns, resembling a hurricane
swirling around the fruit.
"The climate Fruit, huh? Not a bad choice."
Seeing Dragon's selection, Kong nodded.
However, nobody was aware of how special this fruit was or would
become at the time.
Then he put away the remaining two Devil Fruits, waiting for another
potential rising star in the Marines.
Pseudo Fruit Power
Dragon, not one for drama, bit into the Devil Fruit and immediately
contorted his face in disgust, clearly unable to escape the fate of eating
something worse than crap, regardless of which type of Devil Fruit it was.
Watching Dragon's expression, the elders around him didn't show an
ounce of sympathy; instead, they burst into laughter. It was evident that
seeing the usually serious young man reveal such an expression was quite
a rare sight.
"Now, besides this matter, there's another issue to discuss, and that's
about the current chaos in the New World and how the Marines should
respond," Kong said, looking at the group after the laughter died down.
"Dragon, why don't you share your thoughts?" Tsuru said, looking at
Dragon, who was still recovering.
Upon hearing Tsuru's words, Dragon quickly adjusted his mood and tried
to forget the taste of the Devil Fruit as much as possible.
"For us Marines, the current situation in the New World is clearly
unfavorable. After the dissolution of the Rocks Pirates, figures like
Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Nicholas, and even the rising star,
Kaido, are not easy to deal with.
Apart from them, there are also pirate crews similar to the Roger Pirates,
which have been roaming the New World for a long time.
These crews are now fighting fiercely for territory. Additionally, our
Marine presence in the New World is too weak.
Even though the World Government has many affiliated countries there,
they can only provide logistical support, which doesn't significantly
enhance our naval power in the New World.
As the major pirate crews in the New World expand their influence, many
affiliated and non-affiliated countries to some extent submit to these
major pirates.
So, my suggestion is for the Marines to stabilize the Four Blues and the
first half of the Grand Line while keeping a close watch on the New
World.
The ambitious figures on the sea won't stop their conquests, and given
the current strength displayed by all parties, this battle will last for at
least several years, if not decades.
During this process, we just need to watch the pirates exhaust
themselves," Dragon said.
Upon hearing Dragon's words, both Tsuru and Kong nodded.
"Right, your proposal is quite similar to what those annoying fellows
suggested," Kong said with a smile.
Hearing this, Dragon's eyes flashed; he knew whom Kong referred to as
those annoying fellows.
...
In the New World, aboard the Moby Dick.
"Dad, we've found out that it was members of the Big Mom Pirates who
attacked."
[Authors note- Whitebeard is about 30- 40 years old at this time period
so a teenager of age 16-20 calling him dad is not strange at all]
The crew member reporting the incident also expressed a hint of anger.
As an old crew member of the Whitebeard Pirates, he knew that
Whitebeard had some acquaintance with Charlotte Linlin. But when did
that woman start daring to challenge Whitebeard's authority?
"Oh, it's that crazy woman, Linlin's people?" Whitebeard asked in a low
voice.
"Yes, but the response we received from Streusen is that the Big Mom
Pirates did not specifically target our territory. It was the action of their
subordinates acting on their own initiative, not at the behest of Big
Mom."
"Gurarararara! That's strange. Don't they know that's my territory? The
flag planted on that island bears the name Whitebeard," Whitebeard said
with laughter, but the crew could sense his anger.
To become a force in the New World, one couldn't afford to be soft-
hearted. Since those guys chose to submit to the Whitebeard Pirates and
the Whitebeard Pirates chose to accept them, any pirate daring to attack
a flag bearing the Whitebeard Pirates' symbol was declaring war on the
entire Whitebeard Pirates.
"It's probably a test from Charlotte Linlin, that crazy woman. After all, to
create her so-called utopia, that woman has been raiding everywhere. I
heard that not long ago, she personally led the destruction of a pirate
crew under the Golden Lion's flag just to get her hands on a particular
fruit they were transporting."
"Gurararara! That crazy woman really did it beautifully!" Whitebeard
laughed loudly, obviously finding joy in the misfortune of Shiki.
"Dad! Let's go give the Big Mom Pirates a lesson so they know that in the
New World, the authority of the Whitebeard Pirates is not to be trifled
with!" a pirate couldn't help but speak up.
For them, the authority of the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't be challenged.
After all, the entire Whitebeard Pirates' strength relied solely on
Whitebeard.
Once the Whitebeard Pirates' flag became useless, their situation would
be very dangerous.
"Yeah! Dad!"
Another pirate spoke up, "If we don't retaliate, others will think we're
afraid of Big Mom!"
"Of course, pirates don't forget revenge!" Whitebeard waved his hand
vigorously. "Men! Target: Big Mom Pirates! Let those bastards know who
really rules the New World!"
Sabaody Archipelago
One day Girlfriend, on Island 72.
Tony, known as the gambling god, was no longer the lively figure he
used to be at the gambling table. He looked particularly haggard, while
Nicholas wore a skeptical expression.
Since they started gambling, Tony had never won once; no matter the
game, Tony lost.
"So, are you a Devil Fruit user?" Nicholas asked seriously, looking at the
three and four cards on the table.
Nicholas couldn't think of anything else so outrageous, and it seemed that
the lucky fruit ability of Baccarat, who worked for Tesoro, was as
outrageous as this kid in front of him.
"Bro, I'm not a fruit user. This is just a natural talent. I've been lucky with
gambling since I was a kid, but it's only limited to gambling. My luck isn't
good in other things," Tony explained, adding silently in his heart,
"Otherwise, how could I meet you?"
"Ah, okay. Give me your gun."
Nicholas nodded and then said to Tony.
"Cough, can I ask why you need the gun?" Tony asked cautiously, holding
the gun in his hand.
"Don't ask so many questions."
Nicholas took the gun from Tony's hand and carefully checked it to make
sure there were no problems. Then he raised the gun and pointed it at
Tony. "Since your luck is so good, let's bet on whether you'll get shot."
Seeing the gun pointed at him and Nicholas's serious expression, Tony's
mentality collapsed.
"I will!"
Tony replied affirmatively. In his opinion, if he bet that he would get
shot, Nicholas would have no reason to fire.
Bang!
Just as Tony praised himself for his cleverness, the gun went off. Tony
looked incredulously at his left arm.
"Damn, it went off accidentally."
Seeing Tony with a bullet wound in his left arm and the smoking barrel,
Nicholas also felt speechless. This was really too outrageous.
Song in the fog
Tony looked at the gun in Nicholas's hand, while Nicholas looked at the
bleeding wound on Tony's arm. Both of them fell into silence.
"Let's just leave it at that," Nicholas said, looking at the exquisitely
crafted gun in his hand. It was clear that he had checked the gun for any
issues before firing it, and with his skill, he couldn't possibly mishandle
the gun. The only explanation was that the guy called Tony indeed had
some outrageous luck.
Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Tony closed his eyes in agony. The
inevitable had happened, and he hadn't even made it to the New World
yet; there were so many islands there he hadn't visited. The minks,
longarms, longlegs, merfolk, fishmen, and the beautiful ladies of the
Giant Tribe—he hadn't experienced any of them. He had heard rumors
about the different anatomies of fishmen and mermaid women, and there
were even the furry girls of the Mink Tribe.
His title as the gambling god hadn't resounded in this world yet, and he
couldn't accept it.
After waiting for half a day, the anticipated pain never came.
"Have I died already? Unbeknownst to me, was I killed by Nicholas's
terrifying power?" Tony wondered.
Suddenly, he felt someone's hand touching him, and something soft kept
rubbing against his arm. He also heard anxious voices nearby.
"Tony, are you okay? That guy earlier was so scary."
"Oh my, didn't you see that Tony got hurt?"
"Quick, get some disinfectant and bandages, and find a doctor."
"Why don't you go find one?"
"I want to stay with Tony."
When Tony opened his eyes, Nicholas's figure had already disappeared,
leaving only the group of beautiful women in the room.
Phew~ Tony, grateful to have escaped, couldn't help but heave a sigh of
relief as he leaned back on the sofa. At the same time, he decided at that
moment to forget about going to the New World; he would just stay in
the Sabaody Archipelago. He could always pay a hefty sum to
intermediaries to arrange encounters with the exotic women exclusive to
the New World.
One day later,.
A warship arrived at the port of the Sabaody Archipelago.
As soon as the warship docked, a strong wind swept across the port, and
then a figure appeared at the forefront of the port in front of the warship.
The figure was Vice Admiral Dragon.
"Dragon, Vice Admiral."
"Have you confirmed the identities of those few individuals?"
Dragon first scanned the area, observing some unsavory characters
lurking around the port. He even saw some ships loaded with slaves not
far away, and a group of slaves chained by iron chains were being sent to
different places on carts.
Dragon frowned slightly, evidently dissatisfied with the complex situation
in the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Yes, we have confirmed. They are indeed four of this year's Supernovas,
and the bounties on these four individuals have been revoked."
The naval officer replied. Dragon didn't care much about his previous
dissatisfaction with the Sabaody Archipelago. When the naval officer first
arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, he was even more passionate than
Dragon, but as time passed, he realized his powerlessness.
All he could do was ensure the safety of ordinary people in the bustling
areas of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"In that case, you are responsible for the supplies, and we will set sail
half a day later."
After saying this, Dragon's figure disappeared.
Watching Dragon disappear, the naval officer couldn't help scratching his
head. Then he called out to the surrounding sailors to start resupplying
the warship.
...
"Sir, ahead is the Devil's Triangle, and we can't go any further."
On a ship, the captain looked at Nicholas standing on the deck and spoke
up.
The Devil's Triangle was a sea area within the Grand Line surrounded by
thick fog throughout the year.
Here, over a hundred ships disappear every year.
It can be said that without a log pole, no one would willingly approach
the Devil's Triangle.
Even if they had one, no one would want to enter because sailing in the
foggy area of the Devil's Triangle would magnify any small threat
infinitely.
Most of the ships that disappeared in the Devil's Triangle accidentally
entered or were suddenly caught in the expanding fog while sailing
nearby, losing their direction and getting trapped in the Devil's Triangle.
For ships engulfed by the fog of the Devil's Triangle, the best course of
action was to drop anchor and wait. If lucky, they could leave when the
fog dissipated.
If unlucky, the fog might not dissipate for a month or two, and they
would eventually exhaust all their supplies and be swallowed by the
Devil's Triangle.
At this time, the danger of the Devil's Triangle only lay in the thick fog
and the complicated sea conditions. In several decades, however, an even
more dangerous ship would appear in this extremely perilous area—a
ship known as the Thriller Bark, the largest ship in the world.
Moreover, with the presence of Gecko Moria, the danger of the Devil's
Triangle soared. Previously, ships could still leave the area, but after
Moria established his base here, any ship entering this area would be
captured by the Thriller Bark, and the crew would be turned into zombies
by Moria after their shadows were taken.
Nicholas stood on the deck, gazing forward.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the eerie mist, seeing the countless
wrecked ships that had drifted in the Devil's Triangle for who knew how
many years.
"Let's go in."
Nicholas said it calmly.
"What?"
The captain was dumbfounded, seeming unable to believe Nicholas's
words.
"This, sir, although you've hired us at a high price, ahead is the Devil's
Triangle! Going in means certain death, and there's even the terrifying
Ghost Ship in there!" The captain resisted, as Nicholas had hired them
only to sail to the East Blue, not to enter the Devil's Triangle.
For the crew, entering the dangerous area of the Devil's Triangle was a
death sentence, and they would rather take their chances with pirates.
"Double the commission."
Hearing Nicholas's words, the captain's face began to change, and his
attitude started to waver.
"Triple the commission."
"Alright! All hands, hoist the sails, and set course for the Devil's Triangle
ahead!"
With the captain's words, the ship began to sail toward the fog-shrouded
Devil's Triangle.
No one aboard voiced any objections. After all, the captain's fundamental
requirement on the ship was to have sole authority!
…
"Yo ho ho..."
"Yo ho ho..."
"What's that sound?"
"Could it be ghosts?"
As the ship sailed into the Devil's Triangle, not long after, music could be
heard emanating from the mist. Suddenly, many people on board began
to panic, as this eerie place and the legendary Ghost Ship came to mind,
easily sparking their imaginations.
[Author's note- I wonder who might that be 😏🤫😂]
Brook?
"Yo ho ho...?"
As the mysterious music drew closer, the people on the ship grew
increasingly tense. After all, in a place like the Devil's Triangle, shrouded
in legends and ominous fog, the atmosphere was palpable.
"Is it here?"
A hint of red flashed in Nicholas's eyes as he saw the silhouette of a large
ship breaking through the thick mist and drifting toward them.
Soon, the outline of a dilapidated giant sailboat emerged from the fog in
front of everyone.
"Yo ho ho...?"
"Yo ho ho...?"
Accompanying the appearance of the ship was the eerie music, clearly
emanating from the dilapidated vessel.
What was eerie about this suddenly appearing ship was that its sails were
tattered, its masts were filled with signs of decay, and it seemed on the
verge of collapse, as if they might snap at any moment.
There were huge gaps on both sides, allowing a glimpse of the interior of
the ship through the massive openings.
Even more eerie was the absence of any signs of life on the ship, yet there
was inexplicably music drifting from it.
"It's here!"
"The legendary Ghost Ship of the high seas!"
"May Nika protect us!"
"Mom, I don't want to die!"
"We're done for, we're going to be taken by the Ghost Ship!"
"Don't listen, cover your ears quickly. It's the cursed ship song of the
spirits!"
"Even if you see ghosts, or even if they say something, don't uncover your
ears, or you'll be taken to the depths of the sea!"
"These spirits loathe the breath of the living; they'll find a way to drag
anyone they see into the water!"
"Change course, what are you waiting for!"
Although the captain shouted hoarsely to change direction, none of the
crew responded. Their hands were all over their ears, blocking out the
eerie ship song, and it was too late to change course at such a distance.
They were about to encounter the legendary Ghost Ship that roamed the
Devil's Triangle!
Soon, the massive Ghost Ship brushed past their ship, and even the
people on board could clearly see the layout of the Ghost Ship, filled with
various signs of damage from cuts, burns, and many worn-out swords
embedded in the decrepit deck.
Through the large holes in the hull, one could even see the broken
spiderwebs in many rooms, as if spiders themselves, due to the absence of
living creatures, were nonexistent.
Suddenly, trembling words rang out: "T-There...there are people on
board!"
The captain, who hadn't covered his ears, naturally heard these words.
When he followed the gaze of his companion, his pupils dilated instantly,
and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
Because through the mist, one could see the silhouette of a figure
standing on the deck of the Ghost Ship facing them.
It looked like a demon from hell, seeking prey to drag into the depths.
"H-ho...ho ho...there are really people up there!!!"
The captain was so nervous that he could barely speak clearly.
"...Binks' Sake...?"
"...Sea wind blows...to where who knows..."
Just then, the singing on the ship became clearer.
And then Nicholas also saw a skeleton wearing a suit and hat with an
explosive head standing on the deck, holding a cup still steaming with
heat and looking down at them from a high vantage point.
"Yo ho ho ho~ Would you like a cup of hot tea, everyone?"
It seemed the skeleton on top also noticed that the people on the ship had
spotted him, and he took off his hat with his hand, asking the people on
board.
"?"
The people were slightly surprised, mechanically turning their necks to
look at the laughing skeleton.
After a moment,
"A ghost!!!"
"A moving skeleton!"
"Truly a demon of the sea, may Nikka banish evil spirits!"
"Mom, save me!"
Many were startled, and even two with smaller courage rolled their eyes
and fainted.
Seeing the reactions of the people below, the skeleton seemed unfazed.
"Yo ho ho ho~ I'm not a ghost, but a talking skeleton."
The skeleton defended himself with a laugh, then added somewhat
belatedly, "Although a talking skeleton seems to be a kind of ghost. Of
course, compared to ghosts, I prefer if you call me Brook. Yo ho ho ho~"
"Alright."
At this point, Nicholas, who had not spoken, suddenly spoke up.
"Eh!!!"
The people on the ship were surprised to see Nicholas approaching. They
all made astonished sounds.
"Yo ho ho ho~ Truly a distinguished guest."
Seeing Nicholas accept his invitation, Brook also seemed quite surprised.
After all, he had become like this after eating the Devil Fruit, but others
wouldn't see it that way. In their eyes, he was just a talking skeleton, a
ghost.
Especially in the Devil's Triangle, the perpetually dissipating eerie fog,
and the long-standing legends only cemented his identity as a ghost.
So when some ships lost in the Devil's Triangle encountered him, even if
he wanted to point out the way for them, he wouldn't have the chance.
Their first reaction upon seeing him was to flee at full speed.
As time went on, Brook didn't bother to care anymore.
"Stay here and don't move. I'll be right back."
After telling the captain of the ship below, Nicholas flashed and appeared
on the Ghost Ship.
First, Nicholas took a look at the ship that had drifted for many years.
Although the ship was somewhat dilapidated, one could still see many
repair marks on it.
One could even see a tea table beside Brook, with several well-preserved
but slightly yellowed books on it.
"Yo ho ho~ Would the guest like some tea?"
Brook looked at Nicholas and asked warmly.
"I dare not drink your tea brewed with seawater."
Nicholas waved his hand and refused directly. Jokes aside, who knew
how long those tea leaves had been there, or if there were even any tea
leaves. And after drifting on the sea for so long, where would Brook get
fresh water? Most likely, he boiled seawater casually.
"Yo ho ho..."
Brook didn't say anything about Nicholas's words, laughing for a while
before pouring the hot tea, which was still emitting steam, into his
mouth. Soon, the hot tea spilled out along his somewhat hollow jawbone.
This scene left Nicholas somewhat speechless.
"Yo ho ho ho~ I forgot I don't have a mouth."
After putting down the cup, Brook said with a smile.
"To maintain the nature of being human, right? The Rumbar Pirates,
Humming Brook."
Nicholas didn't mock Brook's antics but spoke up.
After all, years, decades, even dozens of years of drifting alone in the sea,
the feeling of loneliness was easy to drive one insane.
Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Brook fell silent for a moment before
seemingly reminiscing and said, "It's been a while since someone
remembered the Rumbar Pirates."
A Man's Promise
"So, it's been such a long time, hasn't it?"
After hearing Nicholas's words, Brook couldn't help but speak up.
Clearly, over the past dozen years or so, the sea had undergone
tremendous changes.
"I didn't expect those little guys like Whitebeard, Shiki, and Roger, who
were just starting out back then, to become great pirates ruling the seas."
Originally, Nicholas wanted to console Brook a bit, but upon hearing this
profound statement, his comforting words got stuck in his throat.
Indeed, in terms of experience at sea, this guy should be the most
experienced.
"Why did you set sail back then?"
Sitting on a stool, flipping through a book about the scenery and customs
of the West Sea, Nicholas asked.
"Hehehe, becoming a brave man of the sea, that's the dream of countless
people. And there were so many people setting sail back then, after all,
the stories of adventurers like Noland were widely circulated on the high
seas."
"The great swindler Noland?"
Hearing Brook mention this name, Nicholas was somewhat surprised.
Noland was an adventurer from over 400 years ago, the admiral of the
exploration team of the North Sea Lvneel Kingdom and a botanist, known
for having a large chestnut on his head.
During the third Great Voyage, Noland and his crew arrived at Jaya
Island to escape a storm, where they saved the Shandia tribe from "tree
fever" and killed the 'god' worshipped by the Shandia tribe, ending their
tradition of sacrificing humans. He also became good friends with the
"great warrior" Kalgara.
Although Noland saved the Shandia, he became infected with the tree
fever in order to prevent it from recurring and secretly cut down the
already infected trees without informing the Shandia tribe. In the
Shandia tradition, the souls of their ancestors would return with the
sound of the bell in Sandora, attached to these trees.
However, Noland cut down all of Shandia's "sacred trees," which the
Shandia misinterpreted as the actions of a criminal who violated their
traditions and beliefs.
Kalgara issued an order of banishment to drive them away after learning
from his daughter Mousse why they cut down the trees.
Unable to bid farewell to Noland, it became something he deeply
regretted.
Kalgara also promised to sound the golden bell every day to guide
Noland back.
After returning to his country, Noland told the king about his
experiences, and later the king, accompanied by a large number of
soldiers, returned to Jaya Island to search for gold. At this time, Jaya
Island had already been washed away to the White-White Sea.
Because they couldn't find the gold they had hoped for, they committed
the crime of deceiving the king, and Noland was executed and given the
title of "King of Liars."
Afterward, Noland the Great Swindler became a character in the well-
known fairy tales of the North Sea, and the protagonist Noland was a fool
and liar who often lied.
"That's just a fairy tale passed down in the North Sea, but anyone who
has read Noland's navigation diary knows what a respected navigator he
was."
This time, Brook didn't add his usual laughter but spoke quite seriously.
Subsequently, the two of them chatted for a long time, but it was quite
evident that most of the information Brook had to offer wasn't
particularly secretive. After all, Brook wasn't a famous pirate back then,
otherwise the entire Rumbar Pirate Group wouldn't have been wiped out
in the Devil's Triangle region.
Even Brook hadn't completed the first half of the Grand Line journey.
"Ah, Fishman Island? An island located ten thousand meters below the
sea? Are there really beautiful mermaids and ugly fishmen there?"
Brook seemed particularly interested when Nicholas mentioned Fishman
Island.
"If you have the chance to see it for yourself, you'll know. By the way,
have you lost some bones, and how do you speak without vocal cords?"
Nicholas observed Brook, who appeared to be a skeleton, but upon closer
inspection, it was evident that some of Brook's smaller bones were
missing.
Snap.
Brook cracked his joints with his hand, then said, "Hehehe, I haven't lost
any bones, all 206 of my bones are in their proper places."
Two seconds later, after resetting his bones, Brook looked at Nicholas.
"As for speaking, it's no problem even without vocal cords, hehehe!"
Upon hearing the sound and seeing Brook's closed mouth, Nicholas began
to ponder silently, thinking to himself, "Yomi Yomi no Mi, huh..."
It seemed that only a power affecting the soul could achieve this, which
meant that the words Brook spoke were not produced by vibrating vocal
cords but acted directly on the soul.
In other words, if Brook didn't want you to hear what he was saying, he
could just block you out, just like talking to everyone else.
"Brook, would you like to come aboard my ship and continue the
unfinished journey?"
"Uh?"
Upon hearing Nicholas's sudden invitation, Brook was slightly taken
aback and asked, "What did you just say?"
Nicholas smiled and repeated, "Come aboard my ship and help them
complete the journey of all the Rumbar Pirate Group members who have
passed away. How about it?"
"Ah?"
Brook was surprised to hear Nicholas's invitation, and hesitated, "But, as
you can see, I'm like this..."
"I don't mind such trivial matters. There are many incredible things in the
sea, like giants, long-arms, fishmen, demons, three-eyed tribes, furry
tribes, and a talking skeleton is nothing compared to them. So, what do
you say?"
Nicholas interrupted Brook again and extended the invitation once more.
Such a sudden invitation left Brook somewhat flustered, and the
uncompleted dreams of his companions were indeed a very tempting
reason.
However, he also thought of the agreement between the Rumbar Pirate
Group and Laboon. The initial waves of his heart gradually calmed down.
"Thank you very much for your invitation, but I'm sorry, I have a
commitment that I must fulfill. When the commitment is fulfilled, if you
still want to invite me to join, then I will definitely be willing."
"Commitment? Do you mind telling me about it? Perhaps I can help you
fulfill it."
Nicholas was well aware of what Brook's so-called commitment was, but
he couldn't show it, as only the Rumbar Pirate Group and the one at
Reverse Mountain, Crocus, knew about it.
Brook fell silent for a moment.
Faced with Nicholas's willingness to take him back to fulfill the
agreement with Laboon, Brook didn't hesitate for too long before
revealing the commitment between him and Laboon.
Listening to Brook's account, Nicholas remained calm.
After Brook finished recounting, Nicholas went on to describe Laboon's
current situation.
When Brook heard about Laboon constantly colliding with the Red Line
trying to enter the Grand Line in search of them, leaving himself battered
and bruised, tears welled up in his empty eye sockets.
"Hehehe..."
He couldn't suppress his emotions, unsure whether it was happiness or
heartache, laughing and crying at the same time.
After all, they had made a pact with Laboon that they would definitely
return to Twin Capes to take it on a journey together three years later,
but they broke that promise, and it had been over a decade.
"Hehehe... So, Laboon has been waiting for us to come back all this time!"
Nicholas silently watched Brook venting his emotions.
Once Brook's emotions had somewhat settled, Nicholas looked at him
seriously and said, "Brook, if you want to go back to Twin Capes, I can
help you right now."
"..."
Upon hearing Nicholas's words, Brook slowly closed his mouth, his
empty, dark eye sockets staring seriously at Nicholas, then shook his
head and said seriously,
"A true man never looks back, and besides, I must... honor the promise I
made with Laboon, we'll meet again... 'face to face'!"
Brook's Request
"Then come aboard my ship; I can confidently say that I am the most
likely person to help you fulfill this promise," Nicholas said with a smile.
"Hehehe, then allow me to introduce myself again," Brook said after
laughing, indicating his acceptance of Nicholas's invitation.
After all, he knew that, even with his Yomi Yomi no Mi powers,
completing this journey alone would be nearly impossible. Sailing is not
a solitary endeavor; it requires a strong team.
Perhaps he could slowly sail the seas with his long life granted by the
Yomi Yomi no Mi, but Laboon couldn't wait indefinitely. While a whale's
lifespan is long, it's not infinite. Waiting decades or even a hundred years
was feasible, but waiting for centuries or millennia was impossible.
After saying this, Brook knelt down and took out a tattered bounty poster
from his pocket, then slapped it on the ground.
The portrait on the poster bore some resemblance to him, mainly in the
gentlemanly attire and the iconic afro.
Nicholas was somewhat puzzled by Brook's sudden action.
"I, Brook, the Gentleman Skeleton, formerly the captain of a guard unit of
a certain country, later joined the Rumbar Pirates as the acting captain,
part-time musician, and swordsman." Brook solemnly began his
introduction, intending to follow the formalities of his era's pirate
customs. However, he suddenly faltered at the most serious part.
"Ah."
Brook looked up at Nicholas, scratching his skull in embarrassment. "Um,
I don't even know your name or the name of your pirate crew."
"Haha."
Nicholas couldn't help but laugh at Brook's antics, which broke the
solemn atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the crew, who had been discreetly observing the situation on
the ghost ship, also widened their eyes in surprise.
What was going on? How could he accept the invitation without even
knowing the other person's name? Was this how things were done among
pirates nowadays?
"I'm Albert Nicholas, and our pirate crew is named Freedom!" Nicholas
declared.
On the vast sea, countless people set sail for their dreams, and the
number of pirates surged.
Many were not pirates in pursuit of dreams but rather adventurers, while
others were outright criminals, plundering for wealth to live lavish lives.
The Rumbar Pirates were quite different from the typical pirates of this
era. They failed in battles against other pirate crews because their
enemies poisoned all their weapons, resulting in the demise of the entire
crew, including Brook.
Brook's formal and solemn demeanor was rare in the chaotic times they
lived in. Most pirate crews would accept anyone with strength or a
penchant for evil.
"Welcome aboard," Nicholas said, helping Brook up from his kneeling
position.
With that, Nicholas's pirate crew welcomed a new member and a
musician aboard their ship.
...
"Hehehe, although my bounty is only three million berries now, I won't
drag you down!" Brook said it to Nicholas seriously.
Before Nicholas invited him, Brook didn't know Nicholas's name or his
bounty. Now, he knew that his captain had a bounty of 1.7 billion
berries.
Back when Brook was alive, the combined bounty of the entire Rumbar
Pirates was less than one-third of Nicholas's bounty. Compared to that,
Brook's $33 million bounty seemed insignificant.
Nicholas smiled at Brook's words, not paying much attention to the
bounty.
For him, what mattered was Brook's character and his Yomi Yomi no Mi
powers, which allowed him to return from death or keep his soul from
dispersing.
After settling Brook's entry into the crew, Nicholas mentioned that they
needed to pick someone up in the East Blue and asked if Brook would
join him.
"While I'd love to see Laboon, I can't face him until we fulfill our promise.
Though I've become a skeleton without a face," Brook joked.
"Nicholas remained silent, understanding Brook's sentiment.
"However, could you help me with something, Captain?" Brook asked
with a hint of anxiety, feeling somewhat inadequate as a new crew
member asking for assistance.
"We're companions now; there's no need to be so polite. Just tell me what
you need, and I'll help if I can," Nicholas assured him.
Brook's eyes reflected gratitude upon hearing Nicholas's words.
"Then please wait a moment, Captain."
Brook quickly disappeared into the cabin and returned carrying a large
box.
"Captain, when you pass by Twin Capes, could you please bury all the
members of the Rumbar Pirates under the lighthouse? Also..." Brook
hesitated, then opened his skull in front of Nicholas, carefully retrieving a
tone dial from inside.
It seemed as if he was holding the world's most precious treasure.
"Also, if possible, please deliver this tone dial containing the last
ensemble of the Rumbar Pirates to Laboon. Tell him that Brook will carry
the dreams of all the Rumbar Pirates and fulfill our promise with him
from the 'front side'!"
"I'll make sure to do that," Nicholas said solemnly, carefully taking the
tone dial that held the final performance of the Rumbar Pirates. Seeing
this, Brook visibly relaxed.
"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Nicholas asked as Brook
hesitated to speak.
"I must admit there is one more thing. Captain Yorki, who contracted the
disease, chose to leave the new ship to his uninfected crewmates while he
took the infected ones through the Calm Belt to return to the West Blue.
Although I know the hope is slim, I ask that when you pass by Twin
Capes, please pay attention to any news about them."
Brook knew the chances of Yorki and the others being alive were slim.
After all, if they were alive, they would have gone to Twin Capes to see
Laboon.
"No problem," Nicholas assured him, tearing a corner from a piece of
paper on his person and handing it to Brook. It was a vivre card. "When I
find my crewmates, I'll come to get you."
"I'll be waiting for your return, Captain. I look forward to meeting the
other crewmates. Hehehe," Brook said, placing the Life Paper solemnly
inside his skull.
the Sea Monarchy!
"Tom's Shipbuilding Company has now moved to Shipwreck Island at the
end of East Street in the port area. We need to land here and then cross
the entire port area to get there," said a young boy as he led Nicholas to
the port area.
The boy had volunteered himself as a guide to Nicholas as soon as he got
off the ship. It was evident to Nicholas that the boy perceived him as a
generous person, given the large, old box he carried.
Throughout the journey, the boy fulfilled his duties as a guide admirably,
explaining in detail the layout and situation within the Water 7 Capital.
According to him, due to the recent sinking risks around the Water 7,
many shipyards had relocated to the main island, causing land prices to
rise. Consequently, many factories moved to remote areas, with
Shipwreck Island being the most prominent.
Being the most advanced shipbuilding region globally, a plethora of ships
was born here every day. However, an equal number of ships were
scrapped, leading to the accumulation of abandoned vessels on
Shipwreck Island.
Nicholas initially couldn't comprehend why shipyards would choose such
a location.
But upon arriving at Shipwreck Island and observing its terrain, Nicholas
understood why Tom made that decision.
Shipwreck Island was virtually surrounded by the sea, offering Tom, a
fish-man, and Kokoro, a mermaid, the ability to escape into the ocean at
the first sign of trouble.
With the ocean favoring fish-men, even a Vice Admiral from Marine
Headquarters might struggle to capture Tom. If Tom was determined to
flee, deploying fleets would be futile.
Indeed, the ocean served as a fish-man's domain, providing significant
advantages to their race.
Guided by the boy, Nicholas traversed much of Shipwreck Island, finally
arriving at Tom's shipbuilding studio.
No sooner had they arrived than the door of Tom's shipyard opened, and
Kokoro came forward to greet them.
Kokoro greeted them with a teasing smile. "What a rare guest! I never
expected the notorious pirate Nicholas to be so young..."
It seemed as if Kokoro was seeing Nicholas for the first time.
Listening to Kokoro's sarcastic words, Nicholas was at a loss, wondering
how he had offended this mermaid.
"Kokoro, if you have something to say, spit it out. And how did you know
I arrived in Water 7?" Nicholas interrupted Kokoro's pointless banter
unceremoniously.
Nicholas was mentally prepared for his whereabouts to be exposed, but
not this soon, not immediately after he got off the ship, with Kokoro
receiving the news so quickly.
Kokoro didn't seem particularly intimidated by Nicholas's words.
She calmly replied, "The news of your arrival was seen by many little
guys, and they told me about it. Also, do you know, that idiot Tom hasn't
had a good night's sleep for how long, all because of your ship?"
Ever since a mysterious merchant delivered top-grade Adam wood and
sporadically provided large quantities of Sea Stone and various rare
shipbuilding materials, Tom had almost gone mad.
In Tom's eyes, the ship he was crafting for Nicholas would be the
pinnacle of his shipbuilding career, surpassing the Oro Jackson he built
years ago.
"Kokoro, is Nicholas here? Bring him in," Tom's booming voice suddenly
echoed from inside the shipbuilding studio, indicating that Tom also
knew Nicholas had arrived.
With Tom's words ringing out, Kokoro led Nicholas into the working area
of Tom's shipbuilding studio.
It was Nicholas's first time in such a place. The design drawings were
mostly completed in Tom's studio last time, so this was his first time
seeing the working area.
Here, he saw a huge ship lying quietly in the dock. Around the working
area were scattered tools and materials, with a roaring furnace not far
away. Tom stood there continuously adding various materials into it.
"Nicholas, the bottom part of your ship covered with Sea Stone hasn't
been completed yet. If you want this big guy finished, you'll need to wait
two more days," Tom said, focused on smelting the Sea Stone, without
even turning his head.
"No problem."
Two days' wait was acceptable to Nicholas. After waiting for so long, two
more days wouldn't matter.
"Well then, Kokoro, you take Nicholas to find a place to stay first, while I
finish up the work on my hands."
Watching Tom's concentration, Kokoro nodded, then gestured to Nicholas
with her eyes.
"By the way, Nicholas, what's in the box you're carrying?"
After entering the guest room, Kokoro served some snacks and tea, then
curiously asked Nicholas.
Nicholas didn't say much. He simply opened the huge box he had been
carrying all along, revealing a plethora of skeletons inside.
Originally, Kokoro thought it might be plundered treasure, but upon
seeing the contents, she was taken aback, and even the seaweed mousse
in her mouth accidentally lodged in her throat.
After gulping down some tea, she finally recovered.
However, the way Nicholas looked at her was somewhat unusual,
indicating that in Kokoro's impression, Nicholas now belonged to the
category of those eccentric pirate crews she had encountered in Water 7.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm just helping a friend bring back the bodies of
his deceased crew members for burial."
Nicholas explained, and Kokoro remained skeptical, as she had
encountered countless pirate crews in Water 7, some of which were quite
bizarre.
Just then, Tom's voice came from inside.
"Nicholas, how did you come up with those ideas? I dare say this ship
will be my most outstanding work."
Upon entering, Tom appeared particularly enthusiastic. With Adam wood
for the keel, Sea Stone covering the ship's bottom, and various rare
materials and technical requirements on the ship, some of the technical
problems were even challenging for him, only solved after extensive
research in the largest library in Water 7.
"It wasn't my idea, but something I saw from elsewhere."
"Elsewhere? In some book?"
"Sort of..."
Nicholas replied, choosing not to elaborate further.
How could he explain? Many of the things inside were inspired by
science fiction movies in his world. Even the technical requirements he
proposed for the ship had to consider the technological tree of this world.
He was afraid that if he made it too futuristic, Tom wouldn't be able to
build it.
It could be said that compared to the pirate ships still relying on sails for
navigation on the open sea, Nicholas and his crew's pirate ship was
undoubtedly a futuristic vessel from another time.
"So, what name do you plan to give this child?" Tom asked casually while
sipping on a bottle of wine.
Nicholas fell silent for a moment before earnestly saying, "Monarchy, the
Sea Monarchy!"
Laboon (┬┬﹏┬┬)
On the upside-down mountain, there are a total of five waterways,
among which four of them flow from bottom to top, surging towards the
mountaintop, creating a spectacular sight when viewed from afar.
These four immense waterways connect to four different seas: the East
Sea, the West Sea, the South Sea, and the North Sea.
Originating from these four seas and converging at the mountaintop of
the upside-down mountain, they eventually merge into one massive
waterway that flows into the Grand Line.
To enter the Grand Line, ships must pass through the upside-down
mountain, as it serves as the entry point into the Grand Line.
The upside-down mountain marks both the starting point and the
endpoint of the Grand Line.
This location is also where Brook made his pact with Laboon.
At the exit of the waterway flowing into the Grand Line lies the Twin
Capes.
Situated at the end of the current sea routes, atop the twin capes on both
the left and right sides, stand identical lighthouse buildings.
Hence, this area is known as the Twin Capes.
However, the significance of the lighthouses here is minimal, as ships
entering the Grand Line from the four seas only have one route forward.
At this moment, beneath one of the lighthouses, on the rocky ground, sits
a small round table and a deck chair.
A middle-aged man with glasses, a bandana wrapped around his
forehead, and wearing a floral shirt sits in the deck chair with his eyes
closed, seemingly dozing off. Beside him on the table are a glass of cold
water and a folded newspaper.
A sharp harpoon lying at his feet signifies that this man is not to be
trifled with.
This middle-aged man's name is Crocus, who would later become the ship
doctor of the Roger Pirates, but currently serves as the lighthouse keeper
of the Twin Capes.
He also serves as the caretaker of the whale Laboon.
Crocus opens his eyes and gazes towards the distance of the Grand Line.
"Even though it's a clear day today, why do I hear thunder getting
closer..."
Quietly using his Observation Haki, Crocus swiftly peers towards the
direction where the thunderous sound is coming from.
Though the long-distance Observation Haki has its limitations, it proves
to be quite useful for early detection.
"What in the world!"
Just as Crocus attempts to use his Observation Haki to investigate, an
even stronger Observation Haki suddenly rushes from afar, feeling like a
gentle breeze encountering a hurricane.
"Looks like there's someone extraordinary coming."
Crocus remarks softly, feeling the overwhelming presence.
"Woahhhhh!"
Suddenly, a massive shadow appears on the nearby sea surface, followed
by the emergence of a gigantic scarred whale, Laboon, who roars towards
the direction of the distant thunder.
"Laboon, do you sense something?"
Hearing the whale's voice, Crocus turns to look at Laboon, silently
contemplating.
Having spent such a long time with Laboon, Crocus has become able to
understand the general meaning behind Laboon's calls.
Undoubtedly, Laboon's recent call conveyed a sense of joy.
Soon, Crocus finally catches sight of the source of the commotion in the
distance: a massive dark cloud with occasional lightning flashes. Atop the
cloud sails a colossal ship, seemingly defying the laws of nature.
In no time, it seems the awe-inspiring ship also notices Crocus, gradually
approaching the direction of the lighthouse.
Observing this movement, Crocus realizes that the ship's arrival may be
significant. As the lighthouse keeper stationed at the Twin Capes, he
encounters numerous pirates entering the Grand Line from the four seas
each year, some of whom are quite formidable.
With the ship getting closer, Crocus also notices figures aboard.
"That lad... seems familiar."
Crocus ponders for a moment, casting a glance at the folded newspaper
on the table.
"Ah, yes! I remember now. I read about this lad, Albert Nicholas, in the
newspaper some time ago."
"Brook sent me" He said before Crocus could say anything
Feeling relieved that the person aboard seems to know Brook's name and
shows no hostility, Crocus relaxes his stance, indicating that the
newcomer is likely not an enemy.
Placing the harpoon aside, Crocus speaks up, "Of course, I know him.
That lad left quite an impression on me. If it weren't for our agreement, I
might have made a name for myself already."
The intimidating aura diminishes.
A few minutes later.
Another cup and a plate of smoked fish, a specialty of the Twin Capes,
appear on the round table.
"I never expected that the Rumbar Pirates would meet their end in the
devil's Triangle."
Crocus, holding a water glass, gazes at the box of bones on the side with
a sigh.
Meanwhile, in the nearby sea, the massive whale, Laboon, seemingly
understanding that Nicholas brought a box of bones, the companions
Laboon had awaited for over a decade, emits a mournful whale song,
tears streaming from its huge eyes.
"However, it's incredible that Brook could come back to life after death,
thanks to the power of the Yomi-Yomi Fruit, even though he turned into
a skeleton. It's truly astonishing."
Upon learning that Brook returned from death using the powers of the
Yomi-Yomi Fruit, although transformed into a skeleton, Crocus feels a
sense of disbelief.
"Well, it's indeed quite incredible. By the way, Brook asked me to inquire
about the whereabouts of Captain Yorki and the other crew members of
the Rumbar Pirates."
"Unfortunately, I haven't seen any members of the Rumbar Pirates since
they left the Twin Capes. Apart from Laboon, of course."
"Is that so? It seems they still haven't successfully crossed the Calm Belt."
As Nicholas converses with Crocus, suddenly a pirate ship approaches
from the upside-down mountain, sailing along the waterway towards the
Twin Capes.
Seemingly alarmed by Laboon below, the pirate crew hastily begins firing
cannons upon sighting the massive whale, infuriating Laboon, who,
amidst a long roar, crushes the pirate ship almost instantly upon its entry
into the Grand Line.
As the enraged whale wreaks havoc, a familiar melody drifts from the
direction of the lighthouse.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho! Laboon, I promise to meet you again as agreed! Trust
me."
Flame wing!
After completing Brook's commission, Nicholas bid farewell to Laboon
and Crocus, steering the Sea monarchy toward the boundary between the
Grand Line and the East Blue, where the Calm Belt intersected with the
Grand Line.
Half a day later, Nicholas arrived at the junction of the Calm Belt and the
Grand Line.
During the journey, Nicholas even encountered a storm.
However, with the performance of the Sea monarchy, such a level of
storm was no problem at all.
Even the waves stirred up by the storm, were just a spectacle for Nicholas
to appreciate the fury of the Grand Line.
It could be said that in the Grand Line, having a reliable ship was like
having a second life.
"The Calm Belt is truly miraculous..."
Nicholas stood at the bow of the ship, gazing into the distance. He could
see the Grand Line area engulfed by fierce winds and rainstorms, while
on the other side of the Calm Belt, it was calm and sunny, with a clear
distinction between the two.
As the Sea monarchy sailed into the range of the Calm Belt, even the
previously billowing sails gradually fell silent, and as they ventured
deeper, they eventually came to a complete standstill.
Just as the name suggested, the Calm Belt was an area of the sea without
wind.
The Calm Belt was a sea area devoid of wind, guarding the Grand Line
like two sentinels.
In fact, the most expedient way to enter the Grand Line was to pass
through the Calm Belt directly. However, because there was no wind in
the Calm Belt, many pirate crews found it impossible to navigate
properly once they entered the area. Moreover, compared to the
dangerous currents around Reverse Mountain, the giant sea kings lurking
in the Calm Belt posed an even greater threat to pirates who had just
entered the Grand Line from the Four Blues.
Therefore, aside from the Marines who mastered the Sea-Prism Stone
technology, only the powerful pirate crews of the New World could freely
traverse the Calm Belt.
Under the cover of night, a dozen warships bearing the emblem of the
Flower Country slowly approached an island.
"Hey, is the intelligence accurate? Are those guys really here?"
On one of the ships, a soldier dressed in the uniform of the Flower
Country whispered to his companion.
"Of course, our intelligence department has been following them since
they entered the New World. Now we can confirm that guy isn't here.
Anyone who dares to cross us, the Flower Country, will have a hard
time."
"But what if he finds out what we've done and retaliates against the
Flower Country? You know, his bounty is as high as those monsters in
the New World."
The Flower Country naval soldier who initially inquired wore a worried
expression. Although the Flower Country's navy was a formidable force,
there was still some gap compared to those monsters in the New World.
"Don't worry, as long as we wipe them all out, who would know it's us?
You're too... Oh, what's this?"
Suddenly, an unidentified object fell from the sky and splattered onto the
face of the Flower Country naval soldier, leaving him in a state of shock
and disgust. The stench was overwhelming, and he could barely contain
his nausea. The Flower Country naval soldier wiped the substance off his
face, feeling exasperated and angry.
"Damn birds! If I catch you, I'll pluck you clean!"
Swearing under his breath, the Flower Country naval soldier wiped away
the gooey substance from his face and vowed to take revenge on the bird.
"Sorry, can you watch for me while I wash my face? This damn bird..."
He gestured to his companion and rushed to the washroom to clean up.
"Go ahead, and make sure you clean it thoroughly. Hahaha..."
His companion laughed heartily as they watched him leave.
Suddenly, another glob of gooey substance fell from the sky, hitting the
laughing Flower Country naval soldier directly in the face, even finding
its way into his mouth. After a bout of retching, both soldiers hurriedly
made their way to the ship's washroom.
With a screech, a giant Falcon pierced the night sky, breaking the silence
and drawing the attention of the Flower Country's navy below. They
watched in astonishment as the massive Falcon, with wings spanning
over two meters, soared through the night sky at an astonishing speed,
heading toward an island not far away. In the blink of an eye, it became
a mere speck in their sight.
Only after the giant Falcon's silhouette disappeared completely did the
Flower Country fleet below regain their composure. They couldn't help
but discuss the scene they had just witnessed.
In a mansion on the island, the same Falcon stood on the ground,
nuzzling against Stussy's leg affectionately.
Stussy picked up a piece of raw meat and fed it to the Falcon, then turned
to her companions and spoke.
"I'm sure you all understand by now. The enemy has already surrounded
this island. There's no escaping, and all we can do is confront them head-
on. After all, we're not burdens to Nicholas. Our only option is to defeat
them directly. But Katie will stay with me."
Stussy rubbed Katie's head reassuringly, indicating that Katie would stay
with her.
"Sister Stussy, Katie can fight too."
Katie held the weapon Nicholas had given her, her eyes firm as she
spoke.
"Don't worry, I can make sure those guys pay a heavy price before they
even set foot on the island."
With her weapon in hand, Simon walked towards the beach. He would
show these enemies what a sniper could do in open ground.
"Simon, remember, if you can't stop the enemy, retreat immediately."
Stussy reminded him.
"I know. As someone who's never seen the captain dominate the sea, I
won't easily choose to die."
Without looking back, Simon waved his hand to indicate he understood.
"I'm sorry, Miss Stussy. I may not be of much help at a time like this, but
rest assured, I'll protect you and Katie with my life."
With his shield in hand and his giant axe, Vista spoke firmly.
"Vista, don't say that. Since Nicholas chose to entrust Shakky to give you
that Devil Fruit, he believes in you. And it won't be long before it's
daylight. By then, you'll be our real ace!"
Watching Vista, Stussy smiled. Although she wasn't good at direct
combat, she could use her abilities to hold out until daylight. In fact, if
she didn't have to worry about Katie and the others fully utilizing their
abilities, dealing with these Flower Country navy soldiers would be easy.
"Flame Wing, go ahead and continue monitoring the enemy's
movements."
Stussy patted the Falcon's head.
With a coo, the Falcon flew toward the approaching Flower Country
naval soldiers.
Through bombardment, it would let these enemies know the wrath of
Flame Wing.
The prowess of an elite sniper
The small island in the distance became clear soon enough, and the
dozen or so warships of the Flower Country quickly formed an attacking
formation, driving together and completing the encirclement of the small
island in less than half a minute.
After forming their attacking formation, the dozen or so warships
contacted each other via Den Den Mushi and began to move closer to the
small island ahead.
On the island a mile away, Simon also saw through his binoculars the
dozen or so warships slowly approaching in their attacking formation.
The enemy's formation was tight, and they were rapidly closing in on the
small island. If there was no resistance, they would be on the island in
less than three minutes.
For an average sniper, this distance was almost beyond their shooting
range, but for certain talented individuals, such a distance was within
their normal sniping range.
Though Simon was alone against a dozen warships with over a thousand
enemies, he saw himself as the hunter, and those people as his prey.
Simon checked his magazine; the bullets were loaded properly. He then
raised his sniper rifle, scoped in, and began selecting his targets among
the figures moving on the decks of the approaching ships.
Soon, he singled out a target—a person dressed in elaborate attire,
clearly different from the others on the ship, and judging by the attitude
of the crew around him, he held a significant position on board.
"Move quickly! Check the cannonball loading and prepare for landing!
You pigs eat so much, yet when it's crucial, you become so sluggish," the
young man in elaborate attire bellowed on the deck, berating the busy
crew. It was evident to everyone that these crew members were seen as
slaves rather than comrades in his eyes.
The Flower Country sailors, busy at work, all cast envious glances at the
young man in elaborate attire. Everyone knew he possessed only
mediocre abilities, but having a good father arranged him as captain
directly, and with just over a year's experience on the ship, he could
enter the true ranks of power in the Flower Country.
"If only I had a good father like him," many Flower Country sailors
thought.
Suddenly, a red-and-white liquid splattered, and the white bone
fragments stained with blood embedded themselves in the surrounding
deck. Some of the liquid even splashed onto the faces of nearby sailors
who hadn't yet regained their senses.
The young man, who had a decent background and was gilded within the
Flower Country navy, fell straight down onto the deck, his body limp on
the damp boards, lifeless.
A sailor nearby, busy moving cannonballs, got splattered with blood on
his face. He looked at the lifeless body falling to the deck and thought,
"This guy is really unlucky."
Next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his head, then everything went
black before him. The cannonball in his hand dropped onto the deck and
rolled away.
The deaths of three comrades in quick succession put the crew of this
ship on high alert. Many entered a defensive stance, searching for the
enemy's position behind cover.
With the alarm sounding, other ships also received the message and went
into full alert mode.
"Lookout, do you see the enemy's position?" a gunner lying on the deck
asked loudly to the lookout on the mast. For them, not knowing the
enemy's position was akin to being blind.
"Damn it, that guy is too vigilant. I'm..." the lookout, holding a monocular
telescope, was about to speak when, under the gunner's gaze, his entire
head, along with the telescope, exploded, and his body fell into the
lookout tower.
Clearly, when he discovered the enemy, the enemy also discovered him.
In a flagship-like ship, dozens of pirates were busy loading cannonballs.
They were inside the ship's hull, safe from anything except cannon fire.
"Cannon loading complete, prepare to fire!" a gunner, smelling of
gunpowder, shouted. Obviously, through Simon's several previous
attacks, they had roughly locked onto the enemy's position. Though they
didn't know the exact location, covering the area with firepower sufficed.
Meanwhile, from a different vantage point, Simon, observing the
approaching ships, felt a bit puzzled. In his experience, pirate ships
should have retaliated immediately after being attacked, right?
Could it be that they weren't ordinary pirates?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, dozens of muffled explosions
followed by whistling sounds came from afar. Dozens of cannonballs, not
very fast, traced an arc and landed near his previous sniping position.
Simon watched these cannonballs land where he had just been.
He finally understood why the enemy hadn't been aggressive after being
attacked—they wanted to pinpoint his location and use concentrated
firepower to eliminate him. In terms of combat awareness, they were
leagues ahead, far beyond those of ordinary pirate crews.
While the cannon fire raged, the ships also began firing towards the
island, intending to suppress the terrifying sniper.
Boom!
A cannonball exploded about five meters from Simon's position, billowing
thick black smoke. Despite the threat, Simon felt nothing but excitement.
Simon's skills
Simon held his beloved rifle steady, wisps of smoke curling from the
barrel after he fired five shots, taking down seven of the Flower Nation's
naval forces with headshots.
These naval forces of the Flower Nation, rather than true navy personnel,
were more akin to pirates under the Flower Nation's banner. Yet, even
with tactics more aligned with a military than a typical pirate crew, they
fell prey to Simon's sniper rifle, each shot claiming a life.
Simon reached for bullets to reload, but at that moment, he swiftly drew
his sidearm and, without hesitation, fired into the nearby bushes. A
Flower Nation naval soldier fell, his body lifeless as bone fragments
scattered silently.
"Huh, spotted again? Seems like my Observation Haki training still has a
long way to go. If only I had Observation Haki at the level of a captain,"
Simon muttered as he holstered his sidearm and began reloading,
simultaneously shifting his position quickly. Extended use of Observation
Haki had strained him, allowing the enemy to close in on him and almost
pinpoint his location.
These Flower Nation soldiers harboured a deep hatred for Simon. How
many of them had come this time? Yet, before even engaging their target,
they had lost a tenth of their fighting force to Simon's bullets. It was a
humiliating setback!
And what better way to wash away humiliation than with the blood of
their enemy!
Clearly, the Flower Nation's strategy to encircle and squeeze Simon's
movement space was sound, but they had underestimated the tenacity of
this sniper even when cornered.
With each shot fired by Simon, a Flower Nation soldier fell, and the
atmosphere among the naval forces grew tense. None dared to venture
too far forward after witnessing the deadly accuracy of his shots.
As minutes passed, the rhythm of gunfire gradually quieted. Among the
Flower Nation's naval forces, hiding behind trees, glances exchanged
revealed the fear in their eyes.
"Has he run out of bullets?" the soldiers whispered to each other, their
lips barely moving.
"I don't know. Why don't you go check?" one replied.
"Why don't you go, damn it?"
Meanwhile, not far from there, Simon loaded his rifle, raising it as
another Flower Nation soldier dared to show himself, only to fall to a
bullet through the head.
"Truly an impressive individual," a robust figure emerged from the
shadows of the trees, speaking loudly towards Simon's position.
"Heh, sending your men to die for you?" Simon tightened his grip on his
sidearm, as his sniper rifle had long since run out of bullets.
"They won't die in vain. Their families, part of the Flower Nation's naval
forces, will be cared for. And I will use your head to appease the souls of
these fallen warriors. Remember, the one who will take your life is
Sunflower Naval Reserve's backbone, Majiao!" The robust figure flexed
his fists, a smirk playing on his lips.
"What gives you the confidence that a sniper without bullets is a
pushover to be toyed with?" Simon looked at Majiao with calm eyes,
while inwardly, he was preparing to face the upcoming threat.
"Do you think your puny body can win in close combat against me?"
Majiao sneered. To Simon, it seemed that facing an opponent in close
quarters was no different than facing a fish on a cutting board.
Simon clenched his fist gently, conveying his readiness to act through
action rather than words, as if he couldn't be bothered to engage in
further debate.
This action undoubtedly provoked Majiao, who promptly covered his
hands with Armament Haki.
Then, with a burst of strength, Majiao lunged towards Simon, a fierce
wind trailing behind him.
"Ever seen bullets that can turn corners?" Facing Majiao charging at him,
Simon smiled slightly. In the blink of an eye, he drew his flintlock pistol
from his waist and aimed it directly at Majiao's heart.
It's a well-known fact that the heart and the brain are the most
vulnerable spots on the human body. While the brain is protected by the
skull, the heart has only the chest to shield it.
Bang!
Simon pulled the trigger, a special bullet shooting out.
Although Majiao had trained well in Armament Haki, his proficiency in
Observation Haki was lacking.
However, being one of the backbone members of the Sunflower Naval
Reserve, Majiao's arms, covered in Armament Haki, crossed in front of
him, shielding his vital organs.
For a master of Armament Haki, unless facing a bullet coated with
Armament Haki, regular bullets posed no threat.
Soon, the bullet enveloped in searing heat arrived in front of Majiao.
"I said it's useless!" Majiao's confidence seemed unshaken, despite the
bullet's trajectory veering off in a peculiar way.
Yet, to Majiao's surprise and horror, the bullet, which should have struck
him head-on, suddenly changed direction, bypassing his shielded arms,
and pierced his temple.
"Why... did it change direction?" The shock and disbelief on Majiao's face
were evident.
Though primarily a close combat specialist, Majiao, born into the Flower
Nation's naval forces, had a decent knowledge of firearms. He knew that
many marksmen could perform incredible feats with their rifles, some
even making shots across mountains. However, a bullet that could turn
was beyond his comprehension.
"Are you puzzled?" Simon's voice echoed in Majiao's ears.
"I'll tell you. It's a technique passed down to me by someone. By rapidly
shaking the wrist during the moment of firing, a horizontal acceleration
is imparted to the bullet as it leaves the barrel, creating a curved
trajectory. He calls it Gun Kata! That's why snipers are dangerous not
only at a distance but also in close combat."
"I see..." Majiao wore a bewildered expression to his death, unable to
comprehend the shaking and horizontal acceleration.
Cruel Sun! \O/
The massive crowd of over a thousand people quickly surrounded the
courtyard, making it impossible to escape. The scene, from a distance,
looked like a swarm of ants surrounding their prey.
"These people are the elite of the Flower Country Navy. They're not as
easy to deal with as ordinary pirates," Stussy said to Katie as they
observed the Flower Country Navy surrounding them.
Green Pepper furrowed his brows, looking at the bodies strewn across the
ground. He seemed like he wanted to say something but ultimately
restrained himself.
Although reluctant to admit it, he knew very well that the seemingly
defenseless courtyard was actually booby-trapped. Stepping in would
result in death in less than three seconds, with the corpses sprouting
colorful fungi afterwards, creating a terrifying sight.
"What should we do, leader?" asked a lieutenant of the Second division,
looking at Green Pepper with concern.
Seeing that they couldn't attack the unseen threat, Green Pepper asked
for the navigators who accompanied them on the mission.
"What are your orders, leader?" they asked as they gathered around.
"Based on your experience, will there be a strong wind coming from the
east this morning?" Green Pepper asked with a serious tone, eyeing the
house where Stussy and the others were hiding.
"There will be a strong wind coming from the east in the early morning,"
a few navigators conferred and gave an accurate reply.
"Good. Everyone, stay put!" Green Pepper commanded, planting his
halberd firmly into the ground before sitting down cross-legged to rest.
Other leaders exchanged glances but followed Green Pepper's orders,
knowing he was in charge of the operation.
As dawn broke, a strong sea breeze arose from the horizon and quickly
swept across the small island.
Green Pepper stood up, took a deep breath, and unleashed his hidden
power. His halberd gleamed with a menacing black light under the
sunlight.
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura burst forth from the front, causing all
the Flower Country soldiers intending to attack to freeze in their tracks.
"This aura... Conqueror's Haki? It can't be!" Green Pepper's voice trembled
with fear as he sensed the substantial mental pressure.
As doubts filled his mind, a figure over six meters tall, wielding a giant
axe, emerged from the mansion in the distance.
Every step he took felt like a heavy blow to the hearts of those watching.
"Conqueror's Haki... It's unimaginable that someone like you would have
no reputation in the New World," Green Pepper said, swinging his
halberd towards the approaching figure.
"BOOM" The giant flashed and appeared in front of Green pepper
swinging his axe
The thick blade clashed with the black-gleaming halberd, creating a
thunderous roar like lightning in their ears, rupturing the eardrums of
nearby Flower Country soldiers and causing them to bleed.
Next, Green Pepper was sent flying, and the shockwaves of their clash
erupted.
The ground erupted into a deafening explosion, and the earth was torn
apart. Dust and debris filled the air, and the shattered stones scattered
around, injuring the Flower Country soldiers nearby.
"Quickly, retreat from the central combat zone and engage from a
distance! Suppress him!" Flower Country commanders quickly organized
their troops, demonstrating superior tactical skills.
Seeing the enemy's movements, Vista, towering over them, lifted his axe
and advanced towards them.
Green Pepper, despite his injuries, had no choice but to stand up and
confront him. He was the only one who could directly face this monster.
Green Pepper's muscles bulged, his veins protruding as he channeled all
his power into his right fist, ready to break through the enemy's attack.
"Eight Impacts Fist, Dragon Cone Nail!" Green Pepper roared, aiming to
disrupt the enemy's assault.
"Cruel Sun."
Behind him, a magnificent image of the sun emerged.
[Authors note – Guess where is this move from?]
In response to Green Pepper's full-powered strike, Vista swung his axe
casually. Then, through the blade, a horrifying inferno emerged from the
sun, obliterating everything in its path.
"You…How can y…."
Green Pepper, closest to the action, was completely engulfed by the
attack and turned into scorched ash. Then, the tremendous Inferno
surged towards the Flower Country soldiers, engulfing them.
The ground cracked and shattered under the immense pressure, turning
as hard as iron. The earth had been compressed to its utmost limit by the
intense heat, leaving no trace of the Flower Country soldiers.
"Praise the sun!" \o/
[AN-Our boy truly became him🥹]
...
In the midst of the silence, the Sea Monarchy descended from the sky.
Nicholas had actually arrived when the Flower Country Navy began their
attack. However, he chose to observe their response to the crisis without
his presence. Clearly, their performance pleased Nicholas.
Whitebeard Crew's Hidden
Danger!
As the entire Flower Country Navy was defeated, Stussy also walked out
with Katie.
"The destructive power is truly terrifying, Vista."
Looking at the terrifying battlefield remnants before him, Nicholas
descended from the sky and exclaimed.
"It's all thanks to the captain's good training. Without the captain's
guidance, I wouldn't have thought that Devil Fruit abilities could be
developed to such an extent."
Facing Nicholas's praise, Vista scratched his head somewhat
embarrassedly.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, five days had gone by.
Nicholas also took some time to rest, then the crew set off to Devil's
Triangle to pick up Brook.
During these few days, several major events also unfolded in the New
World. This included another intense conflict between the Golden Lion
Flying Pirates and the Roger Pirates. Over thirty ships and more than
twenty vassal flying pirate crews participated, but ultimately, the Roger
Pirates easily escaped.
At the same time, Whitebeard Edward Newgate and Charlotte Linlin
clashed fiercely in the Totoland Sea. Despite Big Mom's crew investing
heavily, they suffered heavy losses, even being pushed close to the core
area of the world by Whitebeard's crew.
Apart from pirate clashes, there was also news spreading in the New
World. The G5 branch of the Marines welcomed a powerful new Rear
Admiral. Upon taking office, they aggressively swept through pirate ships
in their area.
Several well-known pirate crews in the New World suffered losses in that
area, with many marking the waters near the G5 branch as a high-risk
zone.
Besides the events with the G5 Marines, there was also a major
development where two admirals of the Marine Headquarters chose to
retire. For now, it was Vice Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr who
temporarily took the roles of the Marine Headquarters Admirals. The
Marines would temporarily abandon the reinforcement of the New World
and focus on strengthening control over the Four Blues and the first half
of the Grand Line, a message that spread wildly through major news
outlets.
This decision sparked celebration among people worldwide, as it meant
tighter control over pirates in the Four Blues and the first half of the
Grand Line, a boon for ordinary folks.
Meanwhile, the Sea Monarchy set sail following its original route,
crossing the Calm Belt from the East Blue into the Grand Line and
heading towards the Devil's Triangle to pick up Brook.
In the main conference room of the Sea Monarchy, a brief meeting
involving all members was underway.
"An invitation to a tea party?"
Seeing the item placed on the table, Simon couldn't help but frown and
asked, "Captain, isn't Big Mom currently busy with the war against
Whitebeard? Why would she invite us to her headquarters for a tea
party? Could there be something fishy about this?"
"You're overthinking it."
Nicholas, sitting in the main seat, looked at the invitation with a smile
and shook his head. "Seems like Linlin took a major hit from Newgate. As
for inviting us to the totoland to attend a tea party, it's likely she wants to
propose an alliance with us."
Pausing to gather everyone's attention, Nicholas continued, "Now, the
New World is in chaos. Except for Roger, everyone is aggressively
expanding their influence. I wanted to hear your opinions on whether we
should also develop our power in the New World."
"Yes! Why wouldn't we?" Stussy was the first to speak up. For her, having
power meant less personal intervention in many matters. With expanding
influence came more resources, a must-have for a Sea Sovereign.
"Exactly," Vista chimed in unexpectedly. "Captain, now that you stand at
the pinnacle of the world, countless eyes are watching us."
"Very well."
Nicholas smiled with satisfaction.
"In that case..."
He slowly stood up and slammed his hand on the invitation letter on the
table, issuing a command in a deep voice, "After passing over the Red
Line, change our course to the Totoland Sea!"
...
New World, Fire Maple Island.
This small island fell within Whitebeard's sphere of influence, renowned
for its maple trees that produced copious amounts of maple syrup,
forming the island's main trade industry.
It was also the nearest island indicated on the Log Pose. After a week of
sailing, the Sea Monarchy arrived and spent half a day replenishing
various supplies on the island.
During this time, a minor incident occurred. Simon, tasked with
purchasing food, and Vista were taken advantage of at a fruit shop,
where they were overcharged a hefty sum for ten baskets of ordinary
apples. The bald shopkeeper demanded five million berries, acting
aggressively, even when surrounded by several locals.
Enraged, Simon immediately resorted to violence, giving the shopkeeper
a beating and then marching out with Vista and the apples.
However, just a few streets away, they were surrounded by a group of
thugs dressed in the unmistakable attire of Whitebeard's crew. The
leader, a young man, claimed to be an official member of Whitebeard's
crew, chastising Simon's group for causing trouble on an island under
Whitebeard's protection. He insisted they pay the price.
To these thugs, the fact that the island was under Whitebeard's control
meant that Whitebeard's crew was supreme, and outsiders like them
dared not provoke Whitebeard's crew members.
Unfortunately for them, they had picked a fight with Simon's group.
In the face of this situation, Simon didn't even lift a finger, letting Vista
handle it. Soon, the thugs were sent packing.
Upon hearing Simon's report, Nicholas didn't pay much heed. To him, if
they were overcharged, so be it. As for Whitebeard, if he wanted to help
those thugs, he could come himself.
"Gurararara, Little Nicholas, I heard you've been causing trouble on an
island under my territory as soon as you arrived in the New World?"
Nicholas received a call from Whitebeard shortly after leaving Fire Maple
Island.
"I caused trouble? Big brother, I haven't come looking for trouble with
you yet, but you seem to have already started causing trouble for me?"
Nicholas replied nonchalantly, enjoying Stussy's massage. To him,
Whitebeard's crew relied entirely on Whitebeard himself. Besides, there
was always the potential for rebellion among Whitebeard's subordinates,
such as the insidious Teach, who was swayed by Akainu with just a few
words during the Summit War.
He could see that many crews under Whitebeard were just using
Whitebeard's name as a shield.
With a smirk, Nicholas ended the call with Whitebeard, dismissing the
issue entirely.
To Nicholas, Whitebeard's crew, just as he had previously assessed, was
entirely dependent on Whitebeard himself. Except for Teach's long-
standing rebellion, the fact that he was swayed by Akainu's words during
the war showed that the members under Whitebeard's command also had
their own ideas.
Another week passed in the blink of an eye.
And the Sea Monarchy arrived safely at the outer periphery of the
Totoland Sea island chain.
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