Chapter 177: Marcus vs. RayleighUnder the redwood tree, Marcus's figure slowly walked out from the ruins, looking at Pluto Silvers Rayleigh with a smile on his face."Eh! Marcus, I didn't expect you to actually appear." Seeing Marcus appear, a flash of surprise crossed Rayleigh's face.During the battle with Garp just now, Rayleigh had not spotted Marcus and thought Marcus hadn't come. As for when Marcus appeared earlier following Shanks and the others, Marcus had immediately hidden himself, so he hadn't been spotted either.Marcus smiled slightly, observed Rayleigh from head to toe, and said, "Uncle Rayleigh, it's been three years. You've changed a lot, and there's a lot more white in your hair.""Hahaha..." Shaking his head, Rayleigh said with a sigh, "It can't be helped. I'm older now, and I'm just an old man. How can I compare to how I was before? Unlike you young people, who are still in your most passionate moments."Marcus waved his hand, looked at the ruins covering the ground, and said helplessly, "Uncle Rayleigh, the destructive power you've caused is hardly something an old man could achieve."Rayleigh was quite pleased with this flattery and couldn't help but laugh loudly. However, catching up was one thing, but Rayleigh hadn't forgotten the important business. Marcus showing up now meant he had come with ill intent."Marcus, you just said you wanted to stop me and keep me from disturbing the battle between that bastard Garp and Shanks?" Hearing what was said earlier, Rayleigh was a bit surprised and couldn't help but ask to confirm.Slowly retracting his smile, Marcus nodded calmly. This was his purpose for coming here in the first place.Having fought Garp so many times, Marcus certainly knew how strong the combat power of an expert like Rayleigh was. If they were to go all out, he wouldn't be able to last even fifty moves right now.But that didn't mean he would retreat. He wanted to stand at the pinnacle of the world. Regardless of whether it was Rayleigh or the Stinky Old Man, they were both stepping stones in his path. If he wanted to realize his ambition, he had to defeat these stepping stones.Although his current combat power was far behind theirs, if he didn't even have the courage to face them and strike without fear, how could he talk about defeating them later?"Haha..." Rayleigh smiled lightly, showing no disdain, and said with extreme calmness, "Marcus, I'm afraid you already know the gap between us without me having to say it. Do you think there is any possibility of victory?""No. If Uncle Rayleigh were to go all out, I'm afraid I would be defeated in an instant." Marcus admitted it readily; he still possessed self-awareness.Rayleigh took a deep look at Marcus and asked with a tone of confusion, "Since that's the case, what trump card do you think you have to stop me? Marcus, aren't you being a bit arrogant!"Marcus waved his right hand gently, sending out a gust of wind that blew away the smoke drifting from the distance, making the surroundings clear again."This is not arrogance, this is a challenge," Marcuswaved his hand and corrected him."A challenge?"Marcus replied in a deep voice, "That's right. Competing against the legendary figure Pluto Silvers Rayleigh has always been something I've wanted to do. I want to see how far I am from the world.""Oh?" Rayleigh was slightly moved. In his heart, he didn't know whether to call Marcus arrogant or brave, but that spirit of facing a strong enemy and challenging them despite knowing it was futile made Rayleigh admire him.Watching Rayleigh fall silent, Marcus's face remained incredibly calm. No matter what Uncle Rayleigh did, he was determined to block him today.Since Rayleigh hadn't made a move, it would be better for him to move first. After some thought, Marcus decided he should initiate.He reminded the silent Rayleigh, "Uncle Rayleigh, if you won't attack, then I will make the first move. Be careful, Uncle Rayleigh."As soon as the words fell, Marcus's figure vanished. This was caused by his speed being too fast; at this moment, Marcus's speed was at least several times faster than Soru. It exceeded the speed of human visual perception, plus it was concealed by the faint fog on the side.Rayleigh, having reacted, scanned the area and still didn't find Marcus's figure, yet he didn't show a trace of nervousness, calmly saying, "It seems that in the three years since we last met, not only has your appearance changed greatly, but your combat power has also improved quite a bit. However, this speed is not enough for me."After speaking, Rayleigh turned around and suddenly swung his fist forward, emitting a whistling sound of wind.Marcus's figure appeared from the void. Facing this powerful punch and feeling the gust of wind blowing in, Marcus didn't think much and directly swung his fist to meet it.Boom! With a loud bang, a wave of air was kicked up out of nowhere, blowing away all the surrounding smoke. The figures of the two also appeared before the crowd; the onlookers nearby were stunned by such a huge commotion.On the other side was Vice Admiral Garp, known as the strongest of the Marine, and Red-haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, known as the strongest pirate in the world.A battle between these two peerless experts was something that might rarely happen even once in several years, let alone being lucky enough to encounter it. The crowd was naturally staring intently, afraid to miss even a single detail.But people are curious by nature. With such a huge commotion happening nearby, their eyes very consciously glanced forward, and they saw a shocking scene.They saw a figure flying backward. Looking closely, the person flying out was actually the famous Pluto Silvers Rayleigh, that legendary Great Pirate."What? How is this possible? Pluto Silvers Rayleigh, Pluto Silvers Rayleigh was actually knocked flying by someone!"Everyone stared blankly at this scene, not knowing how to use words to describe the shock in their hearts. That was a legendary pirate, the First Mateof the Pirate King Roger; he was a peerless expert."Who on earth has this kind of combat power? Could it be that Fleet Admiral Sengoku has arrived?" the crowd thought to themselves.As for why they didn't think of an Admiral, it was because in the eyes of the crowd, although an Admiral was powerful, how could they possibly knock Pluto Silvers Rayleigh flying?But when the crowd saw that figure clearly, they were even more shocked. It was a slender figure, just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid, but he looked so tall, wearing a pure white Marine cape of justice.Someone in the crowd screamed in shock, "This... how is this possible? The legendary Pluto Silvers Rayleigh was actually defeated by an unknown Marine brat. This isn't real!""No, this Marine brat is actually a Marine Rear Admiral, a fifteen-year-old Marine Rear Admiral," someone with sharp eyes in the crowd added in surprise.With a few pieces of information, some pirates finally remembered who this person was and shouted, "It's him, it must be him, that legendary strongest genius of the navy, Marcus, the one known as the 'God of Slaughter'!""Yes, that's right, only he in the Marine could possibly have that capability."Not to mention the shock of the onlookers, Rayleighwas also very shocked in his heart. He had thought that in the three years since they last met, Marcus's combat power would have definitely increased significantly.But he hadn't expected that he had still underestimated him. He had used fifty percent of his power, yet he was knocked flying by one of Marcus's punches. Do not underestimate fifty percent of his power; this person was Pluto Silvers Rayleigh, and his strength was terrifying.With a somersault in the air, Rayleigh's backward-flying figure stopped. He stepped lightly in the air, but it contained extremely terrifying power, and a deep pit appeared in the ground several meters away.His figure shot out, instantly vanishing before the crowd, showing just how fast his speed was."Observation Haki!"Seeing this, Marcus hurriedly activated his Haki. Then, his expression changed sharply, and without much thought, he immediately retreated explosively backward.With a loud boom, countless gravel fragments shot out in all directions. Where Marcus had been standing, a figure appeared—who else but Rayleigh?"Confinement, disperse!"Marcus extended his right hand, and the high-speed gravel suddenly stopped, then shot toward Rayleighon the ground in the opposite direction at an even faster speed.With a swish, a flash of light passed before the crowd's eyes. Before they could see clearly what it was, they saw a pale blue light wave slashing toward Marcus; those gravel fragments had long since turned into stone powder.This was a powerful slash, released from the Western longsword in Rayleigh's right hand; that cold glint from earlier was actually just the light reflected from the sword blade."Black Sword!"With a low shout, a black longsword appeared in Marcus's hand. He swung it forward forcefully, sending out a wave of Sword Qi several meters long.Wherever it passed, vegetation flew, and the bluestone ground was scraped up, leaving only a flat and smooth stone-gray rock layer.With an earth-shattering sound, gravel flew, houses in the middle collapsed in rows, and in the end, only a large pit over ten meters wide remained."Clang! Clatter!..."In the giant pit, two figures were fiercely fighting, holding longswords. Both sides' swordsmanship was incredibly exquisite, making people dizzy just watching. The two were moving too fast, and only a small portion of people could clearly see their moves.A powerful slash came, and Marcus hurriedly dodged to the side. He swung his longsword forcefully, also sending out a slash, forcing the attacking Rayleigh back.He stomped one foot, and countless cracks appeared on the ground. His figure exploded forward, closing in on Rayleigh, holding his sword with both hands, diving down from above with a powerful vertical slash.This move directly smashed Rayleigh into the ground, creating a deep pit, and both their figures disappeared into it.Both of them had sunk underground, and the onlookers nearby couldn't see anything. They couldn't help but stand on their tiptoes and stretch their necks, but they still saw nothing.They could only hear huge sounds coming from within, and the ground kept trembling. From time to time, one or two slashes would emerge from underground, slashing toward the sky, and instantly, countless branches several meters wide would fall from high above."I always thought this Marine Genius was just something the Marine Headquarters deliberately bragged about and wasn't as strong as the rumors said. How could there be such a powerful Genius in the world? Today, seeing it, I realize I was a frog in a well," a pirate captain sighed.A pirate captain nearby echoed, "That's right. Back then, I even thought about capturing this MarineGenius to collect that huge bounty. Thinking about it now, it's truly ridiculous."Rumble, boom...The ground shook even more violently. The huge roots also began to crack with giant fissures several meters wide, and the entire redwood tree started to shake as if it were about to collapse.Everyone understood that the two fighting underground were almost at the point of deciding the winner.With a rumble! In the deep pit, a huge column of water shot into the sky, and countless gravel fragments with huge destructive power smashed toward the surroundings. The onlookers nearby hurriedly ran in the opposite direction.At this moment, a figure also flew out from the water column! (To be continued.)
Chapter 178: Fighting Rayleigh, the woman reappearsAmidst everyone's expectant gazes, a figure flew out first.Everyone looked, and to their shock, it was Lin Tian. A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd, and someone exclaimed in disbelief, "The one who flew out first is the Navy genius! Could it be that Silvers Rayleigh has been defeated?""Hiss…" A collective gasp filled the air. Did that Navy genius really possess such formidable strength, enough to defeat Silvers Rayleigh? No matter how much of a genius he was, how could he possess such power at such a young age?"No, that's not right!" Some sharp-eyed individuals immediately noticed something amiss. Lin Tian hadn't made any movements for quite some time, and his posture didn't suggest a natural flight; it looked more like he had been struck and sent flying."Wrong! Silvers Rayleigh won! That Navy genius lost!" A shout rang out from the crowd, filled with excitement and relief.At that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the water column. It was Silvers Rayleigh, completely drenched in seawater.Aside from being soaked, Rayleigh didn't have many injuries on his body, only some torn clothes. The wood splinters that had covered him underground were now washed away by the seawater.Compared to Rayleigh, Lin Tian was in a much worse state. His clothes were extensively torn, and he had numerous wounds on his body, inflicted by Rayleigh's slashes, which were still bleeding.Overall, they were just superficial wounds. Rayleigh had, after all, held back, so the injuries weren't severe.Lin Tian straightened up, retreating several steps through the air before finally coming to a stop, hovering silently in the void, his gaze fixed on Rayleigh below.The onlookers immediately breathed a sigh of relief, speaking with a relaxed tone, "Silvers Rayleigh is indeed Silvers Rayleigh! His combat power is incredibly strong. How could this Navy genius be a match for Rayleigh?"In truth, they had already been intimidated by Lin Tian. At just fifteen years old, he had fought fiercely with the legendary Silvers Rayleigh. Although he was at a disadvantage, it was enough to shock the world.With such strength now, if he were given enough time, coupled with the Navy's vast resources, it was hard for everyone to imagine how terrifying his combat power would become in a few years. He would probably be comparable to the Four Emperors!Rayleigh took off his glasses, casually wiping the water droplets from them before putting them back on. He adjusted his glasses and looked at Lin Tian, who was hovering in the air.A slight smile played on his lips. "Lin Tian, these little tricks won't work against me. If you want to stop me, you'd better show me some real skill soon."Just now, the two of them had engaged in a fierce battle underground. Lin Tian had used nine out of ten of his moves, and Rayleigh was forced to go all out to completely neutralize Lin Tian's offensive.The two of them had directly hollowed out the entire tree root, eventually breaking through it and connecting to the outside. But they continued to fight in the seawater until Lin Tian was finally sent flying by one of Rayleigh's punches."In that case, Uncle Rayleigh, let me show you how much my strength has grown over the past three years. I haven't been idle during these three years.""Is that so?" Rayleigh murmured softly, a look of anticipation in his eyes as he watched Luffy. Rayleigh also wanted to see how strong Lin Tian's ultimate power had become after three years."Haki!"With a low roar, Armament Haki instantly covered his entire body, radiating a metallic black glow, making him appear like a black war god.He stomped his foot in mid-air, rocketing forward with an explosive sound from his foot, even crushing the air. This showed just how powerful that kick was.With a screech, Rayleigh retracted his long sword, clenching his fists, also imbued with Armament Haki. He charged upwards, his black fists striking with an unstoppable momentum.With a loud bang, the two collided like meteors, their fists emitting a fiery red glow, and an invincible aura erupting from their entire bodies."This is Conqueror's Haki! Both of them possess Conqueror's Haki!" This aura was not unfamiliar to the crowd.Two fiery red glows slammed together, and immediately, a radiant light, as if hotter than the sun, slowly rose. Under that intense light, everyone unconsciously closed their eyes.Blinding light filled the heavens and earth, turning the entire world golden. The air itself seemed to solidify.In this situation, even Garp and Shanks, who were fighting fiercely on a nearby island, couldn't help but stop their battle and look towards the side, their faces filled with shock.Shanks hadn't expected Lin Tian to be able to fight Uncle Rayleigh to such an extent. He had always wanted to see how strong this legendary genius truly was, and what he witnessed today was incredibly shocking.Garp's face also showed shock. As Lin Tian's teacher, Garp was very familiar with Lin Tian's strength, and it was precisely for this reason that he displayed such an expression. The strength Lin Tian was now revealing was far greater than what he had previously shown.In fact, all of this was thanks to Shanks. In recent years, Lin Tian's strength had increased slowly because he was secretly building a foundation. The awakening of Conqueror's Haki had unleashed Lin Tian's potential within his body.His strength had greatly improved, and fighting against an expert like Rayleigh, Lin Tian's mastery over his own power grew stronger and stronger, something Rayleigh deeply felt.Fighting him until now, Lin Tian hadn't even fully utilized his Devil Fruit abilities. Just relying on his physical combat skills and swordsmanship had already greatly astonished Rayleigh.Compared to himself, Lin Tian's swordsmanship still had a considerable gap, but his immense strength and physical combat skills were incredibly powerful, having inherited Garp's true teachings, at least six or seven tenths of it.With a 'bang', Rayleigh blocked Lin Tian's flying kick with a punch and sent Lin Tian flying, praising him, "Not bad! It seems your strength has greatly improved over these three years, increasing geometrically."Thud, thud... Lin Tian retreated several steps before finally dispelling the force of Rayleigh's punch, leaving several large craters on the ground, indicating the power of Rayleigh's blow."Hehe... I wasn't just sleeping every day during my three years in the Grand Line," Lin Tian said with a smile.Rayleigh nodded with a smile, playfully scolding, "You've held me off long enough, haven't you? Time is running out, so stop holding back. Let me see just how strong you really are."He glanced in the direction of the old geezer and Shanks, seeing that both had stopped fighting and were now in a standoff. After all this time, Navy reinforcements should be arriving soon, so there was no point in continuing the fight."Then, Uncle Rayleigh, let's have one last move, a single strike to decide the victor.""Good!"He took a few deep breaths. This short break was enough to adjust his condition to its peak.His figure flashed, reappearing in mid-air, hovering high above. Lin Tian looked down at Rayleigh on the ground from above."Sigh, I never thought that I, Silvers Rayleigh, would one day be looked down upon," Rayleigh sighed inwardly with a sense of helplessness."Uncle Rayleigh, what's coming next is my strongest move. Its power is immense, even I can't fully control it. You must be careful," Lin Tian warned aloud."Don't worry, I understand."Rayleigh replied indifferently. With Lin Tian's current strength, no matter how powerful he became, he couldn't be that much stronger. The gap between them wasn't so easily bridged.But no sooner had his words fallen than Rayleigh sensed something was amiss, and his expression gradually grew serious. Only when encountering an opponent of equal caliber would Rayleigh react in such a way.Around Lin Tian, countless black dots, emitting a dark glow, swirled around him. Coupled with the Haki covering his entire body, he appeared like an emperor.Those black dots grew larger and longer, gradually transforming into foot-long daggers. Their dark blades radiated a sharp glint.The entire sky was filled with black daggers. Everywhere one looked, there were foot-long black daggers. If it were just one, it would be nothing, but when they numbered in the tens of thousands, it made one's scalp tingle."Hiss…" A collective gasp filled the air. The onlookers nearby, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but show fear on their faces.They had initially believed that Lin Tian's displayed combat power was enough to shock the world. Who knew that he had been hiding his strength all along?"This kind of power, can it really belong to a fifteen-year-old boy?" Everyone couldn't help but wonder inwardly.Someone exclaimed, "I never thought, I never thought! The Navy has such a person! This attack actually rivals a Navy Admiral! Unbelievable!"Everyone looked towards the speaker and saw that it was a pirate ship captain. Someone instantly recognized him. This was a powerful pirate from the New World, rumored to have clashed with an Admiral and escaped, showing his considerable strength.In the crowd, a middle-aged man holding a little girl said in surprise, "I never thought that the young man I accidentally met earlier was him, and that he possesses such combat power, stopping the legendary Silvers Rayleigh."If Lin Tian were to see the man, he would probably be surprised too. This man was the ordinary middle-aged man Lin Tian encountered at the entrance of the bar earlier. He had actually withstood the impact of Conqueror's Haki.Behind him, a guard wearing a white headscarf stepped forward, looking at the increasingly powerful force, his face filled with worry."King, we are a bit too close. The battle will easily affect us. For your and the princess's safety, we should retreat first."It turned out that this man was a king. Although an ordinary person, he possessed an aura of royalty and naturally wasn't afraid of Lin Tian's Conqueror's Haki.The man responded with a low hum, holding the girl in his arms, and followed behind the two guards, retreating into the distance.Beside the man, a woman glanced at Lin Tian's figure and also followed behind the man, close behind him.This woman was the mysterious woman Lin Tian had been pursuing. Now, she appeared here, secretly observing Lin Tian's battle the whole time.In the arena, countless black daggers, with Lin Tian at the center, rotated rapidly around him, exceeding the speed the human eye could capture, leaving only streaks of black lines.The spinning black daggers created gusts of hurricane-force winds. Suddenly, the entire small island was swept by howling winds, and countless objects flew into the sky, heading towards Lin Tian. No! Perhaps it was a tornado.Feeling the intense hurricane and suction, everyone finally realized that they were standing too close and could easily be affected. They quickly retreated backward.At this moment, Lin Tian had transformed into an extraordinary black tornado. Within the hurricane, countless black daggers, capable of easily slicing through trees several meters wide, were mixed in.Compared to two years ago, during the battle against Doflamingo's subordinates on Corrod Island, the power of this move, both in terms of momentum and destructive force, had increased geometrically."Spatial Death Tornado!"Seeing this move, Rayleigh finally understood why Lin Tian had said what he did. The power of this move was truly too strong. It seemed he would also have to go all out, otherwise, it would be difficult to block this attack.Rayleigh tilted his body slightly, his eyes closed. His right hand rested on the sword hilt, and his left hand gripped the scabbard. Steady and powerful breathing sounds filled the air, his face serene.Although he was just standing still, the aura around him grew stronger and stronger. This was him gathering his spirit, energy, and mind to their peak to unleash a powerful move.Iai Slash!A meter-long flash of light streaked across, traversing space and time, instantly appearing in front of the black tornado.Swish! (To be continued.)
Chapter 179: The World Shakes Because of MarcusThe next day, the events that occurred at the Sabaody Archipelago spread like a hurricane. Three legendary figures had gathered and a fierce battle broke out, which was bound to shake the world.One of the Four Emperors who awed the New World, Red-haired Shanks; the legendary pirate and First Mate of Pirate King Roger, whom the world believed knew the location of One Piece; and the other was Vice Admiral Garp, the strongest guardian of the Marine, the man who once chased the Pirate King all over the place.Every single one of these three was a legendary figure and a powerhouse at the world's Peak. To think they had actually gathered together and even clashed...Countless reporters, like beasts smelling blood, scrambled toward the Sabaody Archipelago. By the time the fastest reporters arrived, everyone had already departed.However, that tragic battlefield had not disappeared. Although they didn't witness the war, one could see how intense the battle was from the state of the battlefield and what kind of power those legendary figures possessed.Two giant redwood trees were snapped, leaving only the roots. Another redwood tree was hit by some unknown force, leaving only half of it behind, covered in scratches, with the entire root system pierced through, leading straight to the seabed.During the battle, many people were watching, but those people were all formidable experts; otherwise, how could they have held out under the pressure of Haoshoku Haki?Reporter is a magical profession. It's unknown what methods these people used, but they managed to get a clear understanding of the general sequence of events that very day.They didn't expect that besides those three legendary figures, there was actually another person who shone brilliantly. That naval genius, Marcus, had actually reappeared after being quiet for two years.At the time, there were many secret rumors, some even saying that this naval genius had already died, secretly killed by some Great Pirate.Now, this naval genius had actually come out, and as soon as he appeared, he revealed such strong combat power, actually standing firm against Pluto Rayleigh and fighting the legendary Pluto Rayleighwithout falling into a disadvantage.In fact, at that time, Rayleigh had suppressed his strength while fighting Marcus to see how much Marcus had grown, but it looked different to outsiders.In that instant, numerous reporters realized this was a massive news story. Consequently, throughout the night, many newspaper offices worked overtime to print countless copies.More than half of the content was related to this incident at the Sabaody Archipelago. Among them, the headline occupying the entire front page was the report about Marcus's battle with Rayleigh.Overnight, newspapers with the headline "naval genius Resists Pluto Rayleigh" were carried by News Coos and spread across the entire world.This news,spread across the world like a prairie fire. The world shook because of this news; the entire world shook because of Marcus.In a certain kingdom on the Grand Line, in a bustling town, countless people held newspapers in their hands and muttered in low voices."After a two-year hiatus, the navy's strongest genius returns. At the age of fifteen, with powerful strength, he stood his ground against Pluto Rayleigh without falling into a disadvantage..."A person nearby sighed after hearing this, "As expected of the naval genius. After disappearing for two years, as soon as he returns, he shows such formidable strength.""That's right, that's Pluto Rayleigh, the First Mate of the Pirate King, and he actually resisted him without losing ground!"On the street, a woman smiled upon hearing these people's discussion, not expecting the news to spread so quickly... In Marine bases all over the world, they also received this news through the newspapers. Many Marines smiled when they saw the content of the paper.Slapping their legs and laughing loudly, they handed the newspaper to other Marines, "As expected of the legendary master and Disciple in the Marine. Major General Lin Tian is only fifteen years old now, yet he can actually hold his own against Pluto Rayleigh.""Yeah, Major General Lin Tian is Vice Admiral Garp's only Disciple, and his talent is so high. Naturally, the student surpasses the master," a Marine Soldier nearby echoed with a smile.A Marine suddenly asked, "This year, Major General Lin Tian is only fifteen, yet he has this kind of combat power. How long do you think it will take for Major General Lin Tian to be promoted to Admiral?""I think it'll take five years. After all, there's a huge gap between an Admiral and a Major General.""No, now that Major General Lin Tian can resist Pluto Rayleigh, I'm afraid three years will be enough.""Five years!""Three years!" The crowd suddenly started arguing."Hey, hey, can you guys look a bit further ahead? Major General Lin Tian will definitely become the Fleet Admiral in the future"... Some were happy, while others were worried!The pirates of the Grand Line also received this news, and many pirates showed expressions of terror at that moment.Marcus's reputation among pirates was legendary; he was known as the God of Slaughter. From this name, one could see the pirates' evaluation of Marcus and how many pirates had died at his hands.They thought that since Marcus hadn't appeared for two years, he might have been dealt with by some Great Pirate, but who would have thought he would show such strength as soon as he returned.In the New World, in the Kingdom of Dressrosa, Donquixote Doflamingo had already become the king of this nation.Inside the royal palace, all the cadres of the Donquixote Family had gathered together, which was rare. After reading the newspaper, everyone remained silent, and a serious, tense atmosphere filled the air.Everyone knew what the news in the paper meant for the entire Donquixote Family; it was nothing less than a major disaster.On Korode Island, they had ambushed Marcus and were even heavily injured by him. A life-and-death feud had been established between the two sides.Now, with Marcus possessing this kind of strength, there were probably not many people in this world who could kill him. And as time passed,Marcus's strength would only grow stronger, and his status in the Marine would also rise. Although he couldn't openly do anything to them because of his status, it was very simple for the Marine to mess with pirates.Doflamingo said in a deep voice, "Speak, what should we do next? How should we deal with this Marcus?"Diamante spoke up, "Doffy, the grudge between us and this Marcus is too great; it's completely irreconcilable. There are only two paths: either we get rid of him, or we can only wait for his revenge.""But he already possesses such strength, and with that Marine Vice Admiral Garp by his side, unless the three top powerhouses take action, who in the world could kill him?" Gladius said in a muffled voice.Hearing this, the faces of Diamante and Lao G didn't look good either. If the three of them had dealt with the boy back then, this wouldn't be happening."Forget it, let's leave it at that. Have our people stay quiet for a while and be careful," Mingo said while rubbing his brow with a worried expression... In the Calm Belt, besides the giant Sea Kings, there were also many small islands. On one of those mysterious islands, it was known to the outside world as the legendary Amazon Lily.Only women lived on the island. This was the home of the Kuja Tribe, a nation of female warriors, and the king of this nation was Hancock.Inside the vast and magnificent palace, Hancock was kneeling on a tatami mat, focused intently on the newspaper in her hands, a joyful smile on her face."It's Marcus! He's finally returned to the Grand Line. I'm going to see him," Hancock said happily, putting down the newspaper and looking ahead.An old woman sitting nearby quickly said, "Hancock, you are the king of this country. There are many affairs of state waiting for you to handle. You cannot leave right now."But the joyful Hancock didn't hear her at all. She rested her chin on her hand and pondered, "Marcusis at the Sabaody Archipelago. That means he's already at Marine Headquarters, doesn't it?"She waved her right hand forward and ordered those nearby, "Quickly, prepare a ship for me. I'm going to the Sabaody Archipelago. I want to see Luffy right away."The old woman raised her cane again and said in disagreement, "No, you must stay in the kingdom for now. You just went to the Sabaody Archipelago last month."Extremely annoyed, Hancock simply grabbed the old woman and threw her directly out the window. She turned back and ordered, "Go prepare the ship immediately. I'm going out to see Marcus right now. Marcus, wait for me"... Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marcus glanced at the newly released newspaper, tossed it onto the table, and continued eating his delicious breakfast.The content of this newspaper was clearly exaggerated, even claiming his strength was comparable to Pluto Rayleigh's. It was a total exaggeration.He knew his own strength best. In that battle, Uncle Rayleigh hadn't used his full power except for the final move, and yet he had still lost. Currently, there was still a gap between his strength and Rayleigh's.Nearby, Roberts took a sip of milk and pointed at the newspaper, saying, "Now you're famous all over the world. Holding your own against Pluto Rayleighwithout falling behind... your title as the naval genius is truly solidified now."Marcus stopped what he was doing and looked at Roberts, "It's not like you don't know. I'd rather not be famous. This is like putting me on the crest of a wave.""You... other people dream of being famous throughout the world, yet you want to keep a low profile," Roberts said, shaking his head helplessly. He really found it hard to understand Marcus's thoughts sometimes.Marcus sighed and didn't say much more. Robertsdidn't know that the world would become too complex later on. Being at the center of attention was the most dangerous place to be.He glanced at the woman busy in the kitchen nearby and said with a low laugh, "You kid, not bad. I haven't seen you for two years, and as soon as I come back, you're married. You married such a beautiful, gentle, and virtuous wife."At Marcus's words, Roberts looked at his busy wife in the back, a look of tenderness appearing in his eyes. He turned back and said proudly in a low voice,"Of course. She's a teacher, from a scholarly family, and she didn't mind that I'm much older than her. With such a good girl, of course I had to seize the opportunity."Seeing his good friend with a happy family, Marcuswas genuinely happy for him. In the high-risk profession of being a Marine, most soldiers rarely find someone they truly love.Marine Soldiers are constantly in battle with pirates; no one knows which day they might die. If they marry someone, they might end up hurting them instead.People like Roberts, who aren't married by thirty, are everywhere in the Marine. They sacrifice too much for the justice in their hearts. For Roberts to marry such a good wife was already extremely lucky.Unfortunately, when he returned, Ain had gone out again with Admiral Zephyr, leaving him all alone."However, given the storm this incident will cause, Marine Headquarters will definitely take some action. It's going to be a busy time ahead."PS: Thanks to 'The Fox Watching the Moon' for 1 monthly ticket, 'Reincarnation' for 1 monthly ticket, 'JF Feng' for 1 monthly ticket, 'Qi Le Ban Ye Zong Hui Dian Bi' for a 100 Qidian coin tip, and 'Kyushu Luan' for a 100 Qidian coin tip. Thank you all for your support. (To be continued.)
Chapter 180 Master, the troublemaker is here againYear 1519 of the Sea Calendar, in the New World.Inside the royal palace of the Dressrosa Kingdom, within a delicate and elegant courtyard, sat a small swimming pool.This was originally a resting place for the former Riku royal family, complete with stone tables, stone benches, and swings, but after Doflamingo became king, he considered these things too vulgar and had them converted into a swimming pool.At this moment, Doflamingo was seated on a sofa next to the swimming pool, his hands resting on the back of the sofa, leaning back comfortably, while several Donquixote Family executives were busy with their own tasks nearby."Young Master, Young Master!" A panicked shout rang out, reaching the courtyard even before the person entered, followed by a figure stumbling in.His face was a picture of panic and disarray; he accidentally tripped on a step and fell flat on his face. The numerous Donquixote Family executives nearby showed a hint of displeasure; as members of the Donquixote Family, how could one have such poor psychological fortitude?Just as Lao G was about to scold him, Doflamingo suddenly waved his hand to stop him, and said softly, "Speak, who has come this time?"The pirate was stunned, clearly not expecting Doflamingo to have already guessed the general situation, and quickly said, "That... that, Young Master, the troublemakers are here again."A surge of anger rose in Doflamingo's heart, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his hands gripped the sofa tightly, showing how unsettled he was."What!" The Donquixote Family executives nearby also showed surprise on their faces, not expecting the Marines to have come again.Baby 5 immediately said with an annoyed expression, "What's going on? Are those Marines picking a fight with us? It was bad enough they came last time, but they're back again after only two days?"Gladius, whose face was covered by a mask, so no one could see his expression, spoke up, "Young Master, what should we do? I didn't expect the Marines to come back after only three days. These few days are our peak shipping period."After a pause, Gladius said resentfully, "That bastard, he's just here to cause us trouble. He comes a few times a year, and each time he uses the same excuse.""Exactly," Jora chimed in, "He's here to retaliate against us, constantly causing us trouble. This time is even more hateful; he's back after only three days."Doflamingo was equally furious, but they were Marines, and each time they used the excuse of 'endangering the World Government's safety.' As a Warlord, he had to cooperate with the investigation, unless Doflamingo gave up his position as a Warlord."Cancel all recent transactions.At the same time, tell those traders to stay here for now. Once that bastard leaves, we'll resume the transactions."Jora said reluctantly, "Young Master, are we just going to let that bastard investigate us so brazenly...?"Doflamingo's eyes narrowed, and Jora immediately shut her mouth, knowing that Doflamingo was furious right now, and it was not a good time to cause more trouble."Besides this, do we have any other choice? The whole world knows we ambushed that bastard Lin Tian. He's using his position to retaliate against us. This is an overt scheme, fair and square."Hearing Doflamingo's words, Gladius involuntarily lowered his head, clenching his hands tightly. A large part of why things had turned out this way was their fault.Doflamingo said in a deep voice, his tone revealing barely concealed rage and helplessness. When they decided to ambush Lin Tian, they thought they would succeed, but they failed and incurred such great trouble.Several years passed in a flash. Since the battle at Sabaody Archipelago, Lin Tian had officially entered the New World.In the New World, countless powerhouses gathered, which was a paradise for Lin Tian. In battles with numerous strong opponents, coupled with several years of foundational training, Lin Tian's strength once again entered a period of rapid growth.In two years, Lin Tian's strength soared in the New World, and he was successfully promoted to Marine Vice Admiral. The Marine Headquarters unanimously agreed, and he directly took command of the strongest Marine branch, G1 Branch.The first shocking event that Lin Tian caused in the New World after taking office was leading thousands of elite Marine soldiers from the entire G1 Branch to surround Dressrosa—Warlord Doflamingo's territory—under the pretext of 'endangering the World Government.'As a powerful pirate and a Warlord on par with Marine Headquarters, Doflamingo certainly wouldn't agree. He immediately had a big battle with Lin Tian, and in the end, the two were evenly matched, neither able to defeat the other.The two were thus in a stalemate, neither making a move. So, Doflamingo sent all his executives to disrupt the other Marines' search, forcing them to retreat.But to his surprise, Lin Tian was well prepared. At the cost of a meal, he brought Marine Admiral Aokiji to suppress the situation. If Doflamingo hadn't intervened in time, the entire Donquixote Pirate Crew would have been almost wiped out.Therefore, thousands of G1 Branch Marine soldiers carried out their mission in Dressrosa without any obstruction. But Lin Tian had his tactics, and Doflamingo had his counter-tactics.The Marines blockaded all surrounding sea areas, allowing people to enter but not to leave. For three consecutive days, they conducted a carpet search, scouring every single place, but found nothing.The entire kingdom was peaceful and harmonious, and they even organized protests against the Marines, saying that the Marines were destroying their beautiful lives and demanding their withdrawal.Moreover, Doflamingo used his status as a Celestial Dragon and a Warlord to protest to the Marines and pressure the World Government. Under multiple pressures, Lin Tian had no choice but to retreat.However, it was because of this incident that Lin Tian gained the approval of all G1 Branch Marine soldiers, solidifying his position. His popularity in the Marines soared, and he became an admired figure for many Marines.In all the time the Marines had existed, no Marine general had ever possessed Lin Tian's audacity; not even Fleet Admiral Sengoku currently did.Leading thousands of Marine soldiers, under a ridiculous pretext, he openly stormed a Warlord's territory, ransacked their home, and then left without any losses.One might ask, since the establishment of the Marines, many people had the strength to do such a thing, but who had the audacity to actually do it? Only Lin Tian. What the Marines lacked was precisely this.Later, an even more domineering event occurred. This incident had too great an impact, causing Doflamingo to lose face completely. It caused widespread repercussions across the world, and the Marines had to hold a press conference to clarify.As a key figure, Lin Tian naturally had to step forward. At the press conference, Lin Tian, in front of the world, uttered a statement that shocked everyone."How to put this! This matter was actually my personal will, and there was no Marine order.""Then, Vice Admiral Lin Tian, why did you do this?""Revenge, it was purely and completely revenge. I have a blood feud with the Donquixote Pirate Crew. No matter what, as long as I am alive, I will not give up on retaliating against the Donquixote Family."These words instantly shocked the world, and countless people debated about it, some agreeing and some disagreeing. But no one took Lin Tian's subsequent words seriously.But Lin Tian actually did it. Whenever he passed by Dressrosa, Lin Tian would conduct an investigation under the pretext of 'endangering the World Government's safety.'For this, the Donquixote Family gnashed their teeth in hatred. They had fought with Lin Tian countless times in secret, but Lin Tian was still alive and well, showing up from time to time.Off the coast of Dressrosa, three massive Marine warships sailed in. On their sails, the two large characters 'G1' were emblazoned.Lin Tian, in his Marine Vice Admiral uniform, stood quietly on the deck, silently gazing at Dressrosa ahead, not saying a word, lost in thought.However, the Marine soldiers behind Lin Tian were not so calm, especially the newly joined G1 Marine soldiers, who were even more excited. To be able to show off in Warlord Doflamingo's territory—no! To uphold world peace—this was something countless Marine soldiers looked forward to.Since Lin Tian took command of the G1 Branch, it had become a place countless Marine soldiers wanted to go. Many Marine officers would rather be a small soldier in the G1 Branch.Because not only was the entire Marine idol there, but they could also do many things outside the Marine's rigid rules, yet still align with justice, just like what they were doing today.For this, many Marine generals complained that Lin Tian had snatched away all the elites.On the ship, despite Lin Tian's calm exterior, a closer look would reveal his tightly furrowed brows, lost in some troubling thought.Although Doflamingo had never been able to prevent Lin Tian's searches, Lin Tian had actually lost. So many people had searched countless times, wasting so much manpower and resources, yet nothing had ever been found.In fact, after so many searches, it wasn't that Lin Tian hadn't uncovered many secrets. After all, thousands of people had searched so many times that the Marines knew how many caves were on this island.For example, this beautiful country was actually a scam. The beautiful scenes of toys and people coexisting were all an illusion. This country was secretly a pirate nation controlled by pirates, and everyone was secretly under the control of the Donquixote Family Pirate Crew.On the surface, there was peace, but in secret, countless dark transactions were taking place. However, they couldn't obtain decisive evidence, and with just this, they couldn't deal with Doflamingo, who had the status of a Celestial Dragon. It was important to know that no matter what Celestial Dragons did, the World Government could not take action against them.Each sudden arrival made Lin Tian feel as if his fist was punching cotton, completely without force.Lin Tian had specifically investigated the tragedy that occurred in Dressrosa years ago, that night, and he was also instrumental in Doflamingo becoming the king there.Anyone with a bit of intelligence, upon careful scrutiny, would find that the events of that night were full of holes, clearly manipulated by someone behind the scenes.The Riku royal family, who originally ruled here, was known for its benevolence and righteousness, both domestically and internationally. How could they suddenly become tyrannical and wantonly slaughter citizens overnight?Lin Tian didn't believe it; there must have been a hidden truth, and the biggest suspect was Doflamingo, because they were the ones who gained the most, and their appearance that night was too coincidental.For this, Lin Tian had captured many local citizens and used various methods to understand the situation, but they all gave the same answer: they didn't remember what happened that night, as if someone had erased that memory.At this moment, behind Lin Tian, a beautiful woman with pink hair and sunglasses, holding a cigarette, complained."Vice Admiral Lin Tian, Tina is very helpless. You come here so often; are you really that idle?" (To be continued.)
Chapter 181: A Brief Clash Between Marcus and MingoOn the ship, turning back around, he stared intently at Hina, catching a scent in the air, and frowned, a flash of annoyance crossing his face.With a gentle wave of his hand, Hina's mouth opened involuntarily, and the long cigarette in her mouth didn't fall, but instead hovered silently in the air, flying toward Marcus.Extinguishing the cigarette, he said helplessly, "Look at you, a great beauty, always with a cigarette hanging out of your mouth. What does that look like? You don't look like a woman at all when you walk around like that."Whether in his past life or this one, Marcus never liked smoking, especially when beautiful women smoked—it completely ruined the aesthetic.Seeing her cigarette extinguished again, Hina huffed coldly, looking at Marcus with displeasure. "Hina is very unhappy. You are not anyone to Hina, so you cannot control Hina. Whether I smoke or not is my own decision.""Is that so?" Marcus asked with a smile. "Who says I can't control you? I am a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, and you are just a Marine Headquarters Major. Aren't soldiers supposed to make obeying orders their duty? Orders from a superior must be carried out."At this, Hina became even angrier, pouting at Marcus, her teeth clenched so tightly they made a squeaking sound, showing just how much she resented him.As a great beauty and also a woman approaching thirty, Hina was very popular in the Marine.But now, she was being lectured by a kid ten years younger than her, which made Hina very unhappy. Furthermore, Marcus would always use his rank to pressure her.Making her do menial and tiring tasks like massaging his back, serving tea... every time under the pretext of testing her and letting her gain experience, which was why Hina's hatred for Marcushad reached a certain level.Regarding Hina's anger, Marcus instead showed a smug smile, thinking to himself, "It seems a beauty is a beauty; even when angry, she looks so good. It seems my previous decision was not wrong."He feigned two coughs and said in the tone of an elder lecturing a junior, "Instructor Zephyr handed you over to me precisely so I could train you, not just in terms of strength, but in life as well."Hina's face grew darker and darker, but Marcusseemed not to see it and continued, "Just like just now, a great beauty with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth—it's because you've spent too long with that Smoker, Smoker, and picked up bad habits."After speaking, as if he felt the blow wasn't enough, Marcus sighed deeply and shook his head with an expression of being disappointed that she wouldn't improve.Hina felt like she had taken ten thousand points of damage, so angry she couldn't even breathe. With an angry shout, she yelled, "Hina can't take it anymore! Marcus, you bastard, Hina will fight you! Black Cage!"Stretching out her hands, fence-like iron bars extended from her arms, quickly elongating and rushing toward Marcus, instantly surrounding him and fixing him tightly in place."Space Blade."With a low shout from Marcus, countless black blades appeared around him, easily cutting these iron bars into countless pieces, which fell to the floor with a dull thud."Hehe, Hina, your strength is still too weak. You are no match for me, let alone fighting me. You'd better train for a few more years before coming back."Everyone felt the commotion on the ship. Many Marines looked back, but immediately turned their heads away. Regarding Vice Admiral Marcus and Major Hina, everyone already felt numb.Hearing Marcus's laughter, just as the furious Hina was about to attack again, a girl with hair as blue as the ocean walked over and advised with a smile."Alright, can you two be quiet? You fight or argue every time you meet. Can't you sit down and talk properly?"Seeing the girl come over, Hina seemed to see a savior and quickly said, "Ain, you really need to control your Marcus. He provokes me first every time.""Hey, hey! Hina, I'm doing this for your own good. How can you say I provoked you?" Marcus quickly explained, regarding Hina's misinterpretation of his intentions.Hina hurriedly countered, "Hina is disgusted. Is this helping me? You are completely using your position to force a beauty like me to do some shady things."Ain turned her head and glared at Marcus, then looked at the two of them with a helpless expression. It was as if these two were enemies in their past lives; they would definitely argue whenever they met.... Inside the largest and most prosperous port in Dressrosa!Three huge marine warships sailed in. Both sides of the ships were filled with countless Marine Soldiers, looking at the entire port with serious expressions, their weapons aimed at the crowd in the port.And on the warships, those dozens of powerful cannons were slowly turning; these were all acts of demonstration and warning.Inside the port, countless employees and subordinates of Doflamingo stopped what they were doing and glanced at the marine warships in the port. Their faces were extremely calm, without the slightest change; there was no surprise, fear, or panic...As usual, they continued doing their own things, and no one pointed at the suddenly appearing warships, as if the marine warships didn't exist.It was really because Marcus had come too many times; everyone had gone from being used to it to being numb, unable to muster any emotion.When Marcus first came, the whole port was in chaos, completely disordered, with shouting everywhere. Many pirates picked up weapons to confront the Marine, and even conflicts broke out.Later, when Marcus arrived, all the pirates had no sense of tension, easily confronting the Marine, looking unconcerned.Until now, with the numbness, as if they didn't exist, one could imagine how many times Marcus had come and what exactly he had done.The ship shook for a moment, and not long after, it stopped steadily. Thousands of Marine Soldiers quickly and neatly walked off the ships and quickly formed formations at the port.And Marcus, looking suave, stood on a pile of cargo, holding a megaphone, delivering a pre-battle declaration to the thousands of Marine Soldiers."Fellow Marine Soldiers, surely many of you have been here many times, but every time we have returned without success. It's not that we in the Marine are incompetent, but that bastard Doflamingo is too cunning.""Many people therefore praise Doflamingo as a good king, leading to a wonderful country, but in my opinion, this is just bullshit."In front of so many people, Marcus didn't look like a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral at all, directly swearing, but the Marine Soldiers below were listening with great passion.Pointing to a tree dozens of meters away not far off, he said, "In my opinion, Doflamingo being a good king? I'd rather believe a sow could climb that tree.""Hahaha..." Suddenly, the thousands of Marines below burst into laughter. No one expected Vice Admiral Marcus to come out with such a statement. The sound, through the megaphone, spread throughout the entire port.Below, Hina watched Marcus acting cool up there, looking unconvinced and disdainful, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but show a smile.Perhaps some people would feel that Marcus doing this ruined his own image, but they didn't know that this was exactly what made Marcus admired, radiating his own charm.The military is a straightforward place; everyone would rather hear practical vulgarities than your beautiful, but completely useless bullshit.Just at this moment, a crimson light flew from the distant horizon, extremely fast, arriving in an instant from the horizon to right in front of them, and the place where the light landed was exactly where the Marine were.Marcus's pupils constricted, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he thought to himself, "Doflamingo, you really couldn't keep your cool."His figure flashed, and Marcus appeared in the Void Realm, clenching his right hand into a fist, carrying invincible power, accurately hitting that light, and shattering it into pieces, scattering in the air.This all happened in an instant. The Marines below hadn't reacted to what had happened when they felt countless things falling on them. Reaching out to grab them and looking at them, they realized these were actually transparent threads.This light was a signal; everyone knew that Doflamingo, who had been lurking and not coming out, had finally been unable to resist making a move.The pirates on the side, who had long been holding back their anger, rushed up from countless places, surrounding the Marine. Known as the Shichibukaiof the Grand Line, throughout history, which generation of Shichibukai had been forced to their home base by the Marine so many times?The G-1 Branch was the strongest Marine force outside of Marineford, with an extremely fast reaction speed. As soon as the pirates made a move, the Marines quickly occupied favorable terrain and set up defensive formations.Mingo's figure also slowly appeared in the air, hovering above the pirates, looking at each other from high above with Marcus."Vice Admiral Marcus, aren't you going a bit too far? I have been yielding all along, yet you are still pushing step by step. Isn't that pushing your luck too far?""That's just how I am. What can you do about it?" Marcus waved his hands, with an expression of 'what can you do to me?'"Besides, Mingo, don't you think hearing such things from your mouth tarnishes those words?" Marcuslooked at Mingo and said with great disdain."What?" Mingo gave a low shout, extremely furious, the rage in his heart about to burst out."Is that so? Let's not speak in riddles. In the past few years, we have both made moves in secret. To take my life, you have hired quite a few assassins. You must have paid a considerable price, right?"Suddenly, another exclamation arose. Everyone looked at Mingo in disbelief. Marcus's words had leaked a big secret.And Mingo was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Marcus to be so blunt. He actually said such shady things in front of so many people.Feeling the gazes of countless people below, Mingo's face turned green and then white, his face burning with pain. In front of so many people, this was a naked slap to his own face.Just when Mingo didn't know how to express himself, Marcus suddenly took out a piece of paper and threw it casually. A plain, easily torn piece of paper turned into something miraculous.It cut through the air, flying toward Mingo at extreme speed. Mingo reached out to catch it casually, but he actually didn't immediately catch this ordinary piece of paper.The ordinary piece of paper continued to fly backward. Mingo's two fingers made a squeaking sound. Mingo quickly exerted force to catch the paper.He was already shocked. He knew that Marcus had just thrown it casually, but he had needed to use more than half of his strength to catch it. To what level of power had he grown?"Marine Headquarters order: in three days, a Shichibukai meeting will be held at Mary Geoise. As one of the Shichibukai, Doflamingo must attend; otherwise, your Shichibukai status will be revoked." (To be continued.)
Chapter 182 The Strongest PunchIn the New World, on an ordinary uninhabited island.Today was the sixth day since leaving Dressrosa. After delivering the Marine Headquarters' orders, Lin Tian turned and left.Going to Dressrosa was merely a detour; Lin Tian's true destination this time was this unremarkable, deserted island in the New World.Lin Tian brought a thousand elite Marine soldiers from G-1 Branch all the way here because of a piece of news—a piece of news that thrilled him beyond measure.At this moment, the moonlight illuminated the island, its silver-white glow spreading smoothly across the vast sea. Under the moonlight, the primeval forests appeared faintly, adding to the eerie atmosphere, like man-eating beasts lurking.On the beach, flashes of fire appeared intermittently. A thousand Marines were currently battling a powerful pirate crew in the forest.On the silver-white beach, black figures clashed. Streaks of light from bullets cut through the air, and explosions and flashes of fire occasionally erupted.Tina was not only a beauty but also a powerful and violent one. Leading her troops, she charged at the forefront of the Marines.She held a massive machine gun in her left hand, a cigarette dangling from her mouth. Her finger continuously squeezed the trigger, and streams of light spewed from the muzzle, felling countless pirates."Woven Feather Prison!"She threw away the machine gun, its bullets spent, and watched the charging pirates. Her arm suddenly extended forward, stretching dozens of meters into a fence-like iron cage.It pierced through more than a dozen pirates, instantly locking them in. With a forceful throw, she flung all these pirates away with immense violence.Compared to Tina, Ain's fighting style was much more elegant. She danced like a fairy on the battlefield, effortlessly dodging the pirates' attacks.Facing several pirates attacking from all directions, Ain remained calm. She spread her arms and spun several times; the pirates all transformed into infants, some even vanishing from the world.The pirates rushing from behind, seeing this bizarre scene, quickly turned around and ran without a word. This was no weak woman; her killing method was too strange.But Ain wouldn't let these pirates escape so easily. She leaped into the air and clapped her hands repeatedly at the pirates below.Countless peach-colored flames shot out.Striking the pirates, they surprisingly didn't burn. These pirates all vanished silently into the world."As expected of Vice Admiral Lin Tian's fiancée. Normally, Lieutenant Commander Ain seems so delicate, but I never expected her to be so strong," a fighting Marine nearby couldn't help but praise.On the beach, the Marines, both in numbers and individual strength, far surpassed the pirates, so this battle could not be described as fierce. It was merely a small skirmish, a warm-up for everyone.Less than ten minutes into the fight, the pirates had already lost more than half their numbers. They were now at their wit's end; if not for their captain still fighting, they would have surrendered long ago."Martial Arts Secret: Star Rain."In mid-air, Lin Tian looked at the forest below where someone was hiding. He kicked his legs repeatedly, unleashing countless Rankyaku, filling the sky with streaks of pale blue light, a beautiful sight.Boom, boom, boom… Countless explosions erupted, the ground began to shake, massive ancient trees were instantly severed, and the forest fell in swathes, leaving behind only countless fallen branches and shattered wood.Lin Tian observed carefully but still couldn't find the pirate captain's figure. This pirate captain's ability was a bit strange.His defense was incredibly strong, but his attack power was weak. He could block Lin Tian's full-power punch with just his body, only bleeding slightly.Moreover, he could perfectly conceal his body, not by invisibility, but by stopping all his life activities, becoming like a dead object. Staying in one place, even Observation Haki couldn't detect him.Left with no choice, Lin Tian could only use this large-scale attack to force him out."There!"Lin Tian's figure flashed, appearing directly beside a large tree. He kicked out a pale blue light, and a figure quickly darted out from behind."Shun!"Lin Tian's figure vanished from his original spot again, appearing without warning in front of the figure.The figure was startled. This was a very obese captain with a long scar near his eye. He looked harmless, but he was a great pirate with a bounty of 260 million Berries.Seeing Lin Tian appear, the figure was shocked and said with a bitter face, "God of Slaughter Lin Tian, I haven't offended you Marines, nor have I wantonly killed innocents. Don't you only kill the most heinous pirates? Just let me go, and I'll give you all my treasure.""That's right, I can let you go," Lin Tian said with a smile, nodding in agreement.Hearing Lin Tian say this, the pirate captain immediately breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. Lin Tian's reputation as the 'God of Slaughter' was simply too terrifying. But Lin Tian was a man of his word; he would do what he promised."However, I have one condition!""What condition?" the captain's throat tightened."Don't worry, as long as you can withstand one punch from me, I want to see if the rumors about you are true."Hearing this condition, the captain breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought it would be some perverted request. While it would be extremely difficult for others, it was very simple for the captain.Rumor had it that this pirate captain had withstood a full-power punch from Whitebeard, only spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood and suffering minor injuries. Lin Tian wanted to test this today."Hoo…"Lin Tian took a deep breath, raising his spirit and energy to their peak, preparing to unleash his strongest punch.On the other side, while Lin Tian was talking with the captain, the Marines had already dealt with the pirates, except for a few who resisted to the death.These pirates were extremely wicked, and they knew that if caught by the Marines, only the rumored hellish Impel Down awaited them.Aside from these pirates, most chose to surrender. Even ants cling to life, let alone humans; most people fear death.With all the captives secured, many Marines had already begun clearing the battlefield. Although these pirates weren't particularly strong, the battlefield was merciless, and some Marines had still fallen.Their bodies needed to be collected, identified, and finally cremated, with their ashes returned to their families. This was the fate of most fallen Marines.The weather on the Grand Line was unpredictable, and warships were not ideal places. Bodies could decompose very easily, potentially leading to infectious diseases. The best method was immediate cremation.By the beach, Ain and Tina stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the now calm forest, a hint of worry in their expressions."You know, it's been so long without any movement. Why hasn't Lin Tian come out yet? What's he doing in there, making us wait here for so long?" Tina complained, arms crossed over her chest.However, Ain looked worried, her hands clasped tightly together as she asked Tina, "Tina, do you think that captain might be very powerful, and Lin Tian can't defeat him? Now…""Hey, hey! Big Sister Ain, you're just worried sick. You know how strong that scoundrel Lin Tian is. In this world, the number of people who can defeat that monster can be counted on two hands. How could he be silently eliminated?"Tina said, looking at Ain helplessly, shaking her head internally. It seemed Ain was too deeply smitten; there was no saving her.In the forest, Lin Tian stood opposite the captain, his eyes tightly closed and motionless. Yet, a powerful aura enveloped him, and this aura was gradually intensifying.Feeling Lin Tian's increasingly strong aura up close, the captain's confidence gradually wavered. Lin Tian's aura was simply too powerful, terrifyingly so.It made the captain feel as if he was facing Whitebeard again—the man known as the strongest in the world. That feeling was too terrifying; recalling it still made him tremble."As expected of the Marine's strongest genius, a genius who, at fifteen, could contend with Rayleigh without falling behind. To possess such an aura… it seems this punch won't be easy to withstand."The captain secretly groaned. He wished he hadn't agreed so readily earlier. He was facing the God of Slaughter, Lin Tian.Suddenly, the motionless Lin Tian slowly opened his eyes, revealing deep gazes that made the captain tremble all over.The powerful aura around him receded like a tide. This was his spirit and energy reaching their peak, all his power gathered within his body, not a single bit leaking out."This is my strongest punch. As long as you survive and don't die, I will never pursue you again."The captain said nothing more, took a deep breath, and dug his feet into the ground, his actions showing his answer.Lin Tian clenched his right fist, raised it above his shoulder, and slowly tilted his body to the right, all his power gradually gathering into his right fist.At this moment, however, Lin Tian looked like an ordinary person, an ordinary person without any power. This was a level of power so great it had returned to its natural state.Having gathered to its peak, Lin Tian suddenly unleashed his strongest punch to date."Rising Dragon Fist!""Roar!"A fierce roar echoed from the calm forest, followed by an incredibly powerful aura that instantly flooded the entire island like a tide.Instantly, the standing Marine soldiers fell in droves. The captured pirates fared the same, with only a few strong individuals still able to stand.This fierce roar was still a dragon's roar. The force of Lin Tian's punch formed a ten-meter-long white giant dragon, as if sentient, letting out a long roar to the sky, announcing its arrival to the world.Powerful sound waves spread in all directions, directly uprooting the surrounding large trees, breaking them into countless splinters that scattered everywhere.With a flick of its tail, the ten-meter-long body shot out like an arrow, but with tens of thousands of times the arrow's power. Everything in its path was obliterated."Bang!" A deafening sound.The entire island trembled violently under this power. Cracks several meters wide and hundreds of meters long appeared in the ground, and the mountain peaks also began to crack and suddenly collapse. Countless birds and beasts in the forest were startled, fleeing towards the forest edge.Doomsday, true doomsday. The entire small island seemed to have fallen into an apocalypse.In the doomsday-like scene, no one noticed a small black dot flying from the island into the sky, finally transforming into a bright light and disappearing into the horizon. (To be continued.)
Chapter 183: Fire Fist AceThe next morning, the battle from last night had devastated the entire island, making it feel as though it might sink at any moment.After the battle last night and the subsequent cleanup of the battlefield, most Marine Soldiers were only able to rest as dawn approached.The island fell into its usual peaceful early morning state. As the morning sun shone down upon the island, the animals that had been lucky enough to survive the previous night slowly began to stir in the forest.The countless cracks on the island had been filled by seawater, turning them into streams. The water flowed slowly over the thick tree roots, making the scenery seem even more charming than before.After one night, the entire island, which had been on the verge of extinction, had not been destroyed but had instead undergone a Rebirth, becoming even more beautiful than it was in the past.Just as the scorching sun began to bathe the entire island in light, a three-masted pirate ship slowly appeared on the horizon, sailing steadily toward the island."Caw, caw..."Several seagulls flew in from the sea, flapping their wings and landing gently on the massive mainmast. The huge pirate flag fluttered in the wind, making a whirring sound that frightened all the seagulls away.In the New World, there was likely no one who was not familiar with this pirate flag; every time it was mentioned, people could not help but feel deeply moved.On the pirate flag was a grinning skull with a long, white, crescent-shaped mustache at the tip of its nose, with two crossed bones behind it.The Whitebeard Pirates!This was the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates, the crew led by the Four Emperors Whitebeard. Their Captain was none other than Whitebeard, the legendary man.On the calm sea, this Whitebeard pirate ship, which should have been in the latter half of the New World, had appeared here. Judging by its destination, it was heading straight for the island where Marcus and his group were staying.On the pirate ship, over a hundred members of the Whitebeard Pirates were sitting in small groups, looking very relaxed and at ease. As one of the Four Emperors, the Whitebeard Pirates had the confidence to be this way.In the New World, aside from the other Four Emperors or the Marine, who would dare to challenge the authority of the Whitebeard Pirates?On the deck, two figures were particularly striking. It was not because of their attire, but because of the Aura of a powerhouse radiating from them, which made them stand out among the crowd.One of them had reddish-brown hair styled in a pompadour, wore a pure white outfit with a long yellow scarf draped over his shoulders, and had a long sword tucked at his waist.He took a few steps forward, looking at the blurry island ahead, and glanced down at the log pose on his wrist; the direction it pointed was exactly this island.He asked, "Do you think the intelligence is accurate? Are those pirates really on this island? We've been chasing them for over a month now, but they've managed to escape every single time, Ace!"The person behind him walked forward and stood side-by-side with him, placing his hands on the ship's railing. His short black hair, slightly long, swayed gently in the sea breeze."I'm not sure either, but this time the message came from the Decalvan Brothers, saying that they spotted those pirates on this island."This person was Ace!His physical features included black hair, a normal complexion, freckles on both cheeks, and a tattoo on his left arm that read "ASCE" with the "S" crossed out. On his back, he had a tattoo of the Whitebeard Pirates emblem.Years had passed in the blink of an eye. Ace had also set sail, entered the Grand Line, and had once carved out a great reputation for himself there.However, ever since he failed in his challenge against the Four Emperors Whitebeard, Ace had joined Whitebeard and became the Captain of the Second Division under Whitebeard. In the eyes of the Marine, he was also an extremely dangerous individual.Known as 'Fire Fist' Ace!"That's exactly why I doubt the accuracy of the intelligence. Those two brothers aren't exactly reliable," Thatch said, waving his hand in doubt.As the one who brought them into the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace understood those two brothers very well. Their strength and temperament were both decent, but they were sometimes unreliable when doing things.Ace smiled gently and reassured him, "Don't worry, although they are usually a bit unreliable, they won't make mistakes at critical moments.""Sigh..." Thatch sighed and said helplessly, "That's all we can do for now. We're already here, anyway.""Hey! Thatch, why do you seem a bit strange today? You usually don't care about these things, right? Why are you suddenly worried about this today?" Ace looked at Thatch and asked with a smile."We've been out for over a month for the sake of those pirates. We've run into them a few times, but they've always managed to escape. If we fail again...""If we don't catch them this time, we'll have to drift on the sea for quite a while longer. The New Worldis so big; it's very difficult to find a specific Pirate Crew." As he said this, a hint of helplessness appeared in Thatch's tone.Ace shook his head and smiled, also saying helplessly, "There's no other way. Those pirates actually attacked an island protected by our Whitebeard Pirates. We must capture them and make an example of them; otherwise, many pirates will start offending our Whitebeard Pirates."But this Pirate Crew was not simple. Their Captainhad actually managed to escape from under Old Man's nose, and they were incredibly cunning. Every time they were about to be caught, they would manage to get away.Looking at the island drawing closer, he thought, "I hope this time, those pirates are on this island, so we can finish them off once and for all, return to the main ship to report, and save ourselves from chasing them around every day."Thatch stretched his body, lowered his head to look down, scanned the area to find the figure he was looking for, and shouted loudly."Teach! Tell everyone to speed up. Let's try to reach that island ahead as quickly as possible."A burly man turned around with a smile on his face, but the few missing teeth made him look quite unpleasant....Following Thatch's order, the slowly moving Whitebeard pirate ship began to accelerate, breaking through layers of waves and racing across the sea, moving rapidly toward the island.Time passed second by second, and Ace and his group gradually approached the island, coming within just a few hundred meters of it.As they slowly approached the island, the relaxed and casual Ace's expression changed slightly. He became serious, his eyes fixed intently on the island before him.Noticing Ace's change, a hint of confusion appeared on Thatch's face, but since Ace was making such an expression, it was highly likely that he had discovered something wrong.Looking at the island ahead, he asked in confusion, "Ace, what's wrong with this island? What did you discover?"Ace did not answer immediately but instead pointed his finger at the sky."The sky? Is there something in the sky?" Thatchlooked up in confusion, but the sky had nothing special other than clouds and some seagulls.Ace pointed at the air again and explained, "Not the sky, but the air. The air is filled with the smell of a large fire burning, and there's a faint scent of gunpowder."Thatch sniffed hard, but he still couldn't smell anything special. "There's nothing here, just the usual smell of the sea. There's nothing special."Poof! A small flame erupted from Ace's finger and then instantly dissipated. "Because of my Devil Fruit ability, my sense for anything related to fire is far superior to that of an ordinary person; it's exceptionally strong.""The air is permeated with the smell of fire and gunpowder, and the wind is blowing from the island. A battle must be happening on the island, or it has already ended."Hearing Ace say this, Thatch believed him completely. Ace wouldn't say such things without a high degree of certainty, and a grave expression could not help but appear on his face.Looking at the island, Thatch rested his chin on his hand and analyzed, "The island is extremely calm, without a sound. It seems the battle is over. The smell is still in the air, which means the battle didn't end long ago. They should still be on the island.""Yeah!" Ace nodded in agreement, then hurriedly shouted to his resting comrades below, "Everyone, get up! Stay alert and prepare for battle!"Hearing the word 'battle,' the resting pirates instantly regained their energy, hurriedly stood up, and rushed to their respective posts.Regardless of who was staying on the island, their target was also on this island, and a conflict between the two sides was very likely to occur.At the same time, on the island, the Marine Soldiers on guard had already spotted such a large pirate ship early on.Looking through binoculars and seeing the emblem belonging to the Whitebeard Pirates, they wore expressions of terror and hurriedly ran down the hillside.Down the hillside, in a flat area that had originally been a forest but had been flattened by a single punch from Marcus, most of the Marine Soldiers were lying down to rest; everyone was just too tired.The guard Marine Soldier ran down in a panic, causing quite a commotion and immediately waking up all the Marine Soldiers who were not sleeping soundly. (Except when at a Marine base, most Marines dared not sleep deeply anywhere else.)This Marine Soldier quickly pushed through the crowd, panting, and ran to the center, right beside Vice Admiral Marcus, who was next to a roaring campfire.Before the soldier could speak, a cup filled with water appeared in front of him."Drink it, then speak!"He hurriedly took the cup with both hands, gulped it down in one breath, and took a few deep breaths.He hurriedly said, "Vice Admiral Marcus, the White... Whitebeard Pirates have appeared next to the island and are now sailing toward us.""What!"An exclamation rang out. The groggy Marine Soldiers, upon hearing this news, instantly sobered up, their faces filled with shock.That was the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. Weren't they in the latter half of the New World? How could they suddenly appear here? Everyone looked at Marcus simultaneously, waiting for his orders.Marcus was not in the least bit nervous. He sat up from Ain's fair and smooth thighs, stretched, and then asked, "Is it the Whitebeard main ship?""No," the Marine Soldier hurriedly shook his head and replied.With a whoosh, he stood up and said loudly, "Everyone, prepare yourselves. Let's take a look at the legendary Whitebeard Pirates together.""Yes!"At this moment, on the beach, the massive Whitebeard pirate ship had already begun to dock, and a long ladder was lowered from it.Ace and Thatch took the lead, bringing a large group of pirates down. (To be continued.)
On the island, hundreds of Whitebeard Pirates, led by Ace and Thatch, cautiously advanced.Perhaps the others didn't understand Ace's orders before, but upon reaching the beach, they saw it all.Looking at the beach, there were black marks everywhere, and the bloodstains that hadn't disappeared, along with golden-glowing bullets... all indicating that a battle had just taken place here.Although the Marines had cleaned up the battlefield after the fight, they had only cleared away the bodies. No one bothered to remove the marks on the ground, and besides, everyone was extremely exhausted at the time.Slowly walking across the beach and observing the traces of the battle on the ground, Thatch said, "From the marks on the beach, it seems there were quite a few people in this battle, at least a thousand.""Hmm!" Ace glanced at the footprints beneath his feet and asked, puzzled, "Could it be that besides us, someone else has a grudge against those pirates?"Thatch shook his head. "I don't know. It's also possible they just happened to run into each other. Regardless, I think our mission is going to fail again this time."Suddenly, Thatch's tone shifted, becoming somewhat heavy as he said, "If it's a battle between pirates, that's one thing, but I'm afraid we've run into the Marines. If that's really the case...""Looking at the marks on the beach, the battle didn't end long ago. Those people should still be here. We just need to find them, right? After all, this is a mission from pops, and it concerns the prestige of our Whitebeard Pirates. We can't fail."Ace, like Luffy, was someone who didn't like to get straight to the point and hated using his brain. He was too lazy to think so much, so he simply quickened his pace and headed towards the sand dune."Hey, Ace, I think..."Thatch wanted to call out to Ace, thinking it would be better to be careful. If it really was the Marines, that would be a bit troublesome. But Ace had already walked far away and couldn't hear Thatch's words. Helpless, Thatch could only lead the others to follow.Ace, who was ahead, reached the sand dune first but stopped there, motionless.Thatch, seeing this from behind, showed a hint of confusion on his face. He quickly sped up, climbed the sand dune, and then also stood there motionless, looking utterly shocked.Before their eyes was a lush forest, but that was just the canopy. On the ground, several massive fissures had split the entire forest into multiple sections.Due to the seawater pouring in, these fissures were all filled with seawater, appearing like winding streams. However, many broken branches and leaves floated in the streams, and along the stream banks, numerous large trees lay horizontally, with half of their thick roots exposed and the other half submerged in the stream.And the fissures underfoot, extending all the way to the sand dune, all indicated that these cracks were caused by immense power, which the ground could not withstand, leading to such a sight.The pirates who followed let out gasps of surprise, a hint of fear in their voices: "How is this possible? The entire island has been split open!"Thatch looked at the scene, astonished, and said, "Who could have such combat power, almost splitting the entire island into pieces? Could it be one of the other Four Emperors?""I don't know if it's a Four Emperor, but that figure is right there. Let's go check it out and we'll know."Ace stared intently at the jungle ahead. Through the gaps between the trees, he could see that the entire forest had been largely flattened, replaced by an open space.In the clearing, a burning bonfire was faintly visible, and a figure sat beside it, hands constantly moving.After speaking, Ace calmly walked forward, heading towards that direction. Thatch also spotted the figure and quickly followed Ace, reminding him from behind."Hey, Ace, be careful. This island becoming like this must have been done by that person. Their combat power is extremely strong. We don't know if they're friend or foe right now, so it's better to be cautious."Ace nodded slightly, but his steps didn't slow; instead, they quickened. In an instant, he passed through the trees and arrived at the flat ground in the middle, formed by countless crushed trees. Thatch followed closely, and the other pirates rushed to catch up.Seeing the pure white Marine 'Justice' cloak behind the figure, Thatch's heart immediately sank. His worst fears had come true; he hadn't expected it to actually be a Marine.Instinctively, Thatch was about to grab Ace, because Ace sometimes liked to act recklessly, and they were facing a Marine now.Furthermore, judging by the state of this island, this Marine possessed extremely strong combat power. Although it was just a back view and his identity was unclear, Marines with such power were few and far between, only a handful of them.Lost in these thoughts, Thatch didn't notice the joyful smile on Ace's face.Just then, the Marine suddenly threw something behind them. Ace reached out and caught it accurately. A delicious aroma instantly filled the air—it was a piece of incredibly tasty grilled meat.Thatch hurriedly whispered, "Ace, wait a minute, we should observe first..."Ace didn't hesitate; he took a bite directly, chewing with a smile of enjoyment and reminiscence on his face. In a few bites, he finished the grilled meat.Another piece of grilled meat flew over. This time, Ace didn't immediately bite into it; instead, he burst out laughing."Four years! Since that parting, I haven't eaten such delicious grilled meat. Lintian! Your grilled meat is still as delicious as ever!""Hahaha..." A similar burst of laughter rang out. Lintian turned around, looked at Ace, and said joyfully, "Of course! Ace, it's been four years. After that parting, we finally meet again on the Grand Line!""That's right, four years," Ace exclaimed with a sigh."What?!"A chorus of astonished cries erupted. Both the pirates who had just arrived and the Marines hidden in the shadows were stunned by these words.Marines: This man is actually Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, a former rookie who repeatedly refused Marine conscription. And Vice Admiral Lintian is actually an old acquaintance of Fire Fist Ace!Pirates: Lintian the God of Slaughter, the strongest genius in the Marines, currently a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters. This man is actually him! And he's here! Captain Ace is friends with Lintian, the strongest Marine genius!Everyone except Lintian and Ace was utterly shocked. This short conversation had revealed a huge secret that would undoubtedly shake the world if it got out, enough to send the entire New World into turmoil.Besides the shock, everyone was also incredibly curious: how did Vice Admiral Lintian come to know Fire Fist Ace? From their conversation, they had known each other four years ago. How old were they back then?The exclamation had already exposed the Marines' position, so the many Marines no longer hid and emerged from all directions, surrounding all the pirates.As members of the Whitebeard Pirates, each one was an elite among pirates. After the initial shock, they immediately reacted, picking up their weapons and confronting the Marines. Facing the numerous Marines, they showed no signs of panic.However, Lintian and Ace, seeing this scene, didn't pay much attention. They simply looked at each other, and finally, Lintian was the first to speak."Four years is a really long time, Ace. You've changed quite a bit; I almost didn't recognize you," Lintian said with a sigh, looking at Ace, who had undergone a drastic transformation compared to four years ago.Compared to the past, Ace had not only changed a lot in appearance but also in his attire.He wore an orange cowboy hat with "smile" and "sad" badges pinned to the brim, along with a skull-shaped tag. Around his neck was a red bead necklace, and he wore his signature shorts with a dagger tucked into his left waist.Back in Foosha Village, Ace was like a mischievous little kid who loved getting into trouble, but now he possessed the aura of a strong individual and a mature mind.However, the bond between Lintian, Ace, and Luffy was stronger than brotherhood. Even after many years apart and undergoing drastic changes, their feelings remained. As long as they met, they could feel the deep connection between them.Ace echoed, "Yeah! It's not just me, Lintian, you've changed a lot too. Compared to back then, we've both changed a lot, but your grilled meat is still the same as it was."Lintian's lips curved into a smile as he said, "It's improved, okay? My grilling skills are definitely getting better.""Really?" Ace said, unconvinced. "How come I feel like your skills have somewhat declined? Is it because you've been too busy since becoming a Vice Admiral and haven't had time to practice your skills?"Lintian immediately disagreed. "How could that be? You know I'm not the type of person who sits in an office doing paperwork, right? Compared to an office, I prefer fighting on the high seas.""Fighting! Fighting!" Ace muttered a few times. In this situation, these two words held different meanings for the two of them."Lintian! Do you know what I want to say?" Ace shouted loudly."Of course I do.""Lintian! Do you remember what two things I said I'd do when I reached the Grand Line, back when we parted?"Lintian laughed loudly and replied, "Of course I remember! The first thing, to become the Pirate King, to take that man's position. The second thing, that's to defeat me!"Hearing this, Ace, on the contrary, calmed down. He stared intently at Lintian, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit, and spoke."Ever since I entered the Grand Line, I've often heard legends about you. Two years to rise from Lieutenant to Colonel, countless pirates dying by your hand, being called 'God of Slaughter,' confronting Rayleigh the Dark King in the Sabaody Archipelago incident without falling behind...""In the Grand Line, countless pirates tremble in fear at the mention of your name. Today, you, who are called the strongest genius in the Marines, dare you accept this pirate's challenge?""Dare? Why wouldn't I dare! I've always remembered our duel. From the first day I entered the Grand Line two years ago, I've been following your information, but unfortunately, we've passed each other by many times," Lintian said, his aura not weakening in the slightest.Lintian let out a loud laugh, his eyes also fixed on the other. Their gazes, full of fighting spirit, collided in the void, sparks flying.This was a clash of auras. Before they even exchanged blows, their invincible auras had already begun to clash. In an instant of the clash, many Marines and pirates fell in droves."Conqueror's Haki! This is a clash between Conqueror's Haki!" (To be continued.)