The Blood Skull Pirates' ship buzzed with shock.What!? a pirate exclaimed.
Seeing Monger leap off his ship and run through the air toward the island, the crew's eyes nearly popped out.How can he fly?
one gasped.That's White Wolf Monger, right? another shouted.No, Captain, he's escaping! a third cried.Farrell, the captain, kicked the noisy pirate aside. Shut up! I can see that without you yelling.Full speed ahead! he ordered.
In the New World, flying wasn't unheard of, but not everyone could master it. Farrell certainly couldn't.Fuming, he commanded the helmsman to sail toward the island where Monger had fled.Captain Farrell, what about their ship?
a young pirate asked, pointing to Monger's vessel, which was burning from their cannon fire.Who cares about that? Farrell snapped.At their current speed, it would take half an hour to reach the island.
By then, Monger would have rested for who knows how long. The bombardment was meant to wear him down, but now a random island had appeared?Damn it! Farrell cursed.
A fatigued Monger was one thing, but a rested Monger was a different beast entirely. Even waiting for him to tire out, Farrell wasn't confident in a fair fight against such a legendary pirate.
His mood soured, and he glared at the young pirate who'd spoken. Since you care so much about that ship, why don't you swim over and check it? Maybe you can put out the fire.
Farrell had noticed another figure on Monger's ship, likely his helmsman, but Monger's escape showed he didn't care about their fate.Typical pirate behavior, Farrell thought.
When trouble hits, everyone fends for themselves.To his surprise, the young pirate gritted his teeth, jumped overboard, and swam toward the burning ship.Idiot, Farrell muttered.On the nameless island, Monger panted after running over ten kilometers using Moon Step. Despite the system healing his old injuries, his age weighed on him.
He's seventy, after all.Those Blood Skull idiots won't keep chasing my ship, will they? he mused.A beat-up ship wasn't worth much.In this sea, pirates fought for fame or profit. Why waste effort on something pointless?The Blood Skulls should be chasing him with everything they had. Every moment that passed, Monger's strength returned. If he fully recovered and hid on the island, the hunter might become the hunted.But if there's a chance… Monger thought of Rocks, the pirate with a 160-million bounty.
In a few decades, with inflation, that could easily surpass a billion.That's why he hadn't recklessly boarded the Blood Skull Pirates' ship.He was seventy, not invincible. Starting twenty or thirty years earlier might've made a difference.
Then his troublesome system chimed in.This time, the system's message made Monger's cloudy eyes gleam with unprecedented fire.[When two meet on a narrow path, the brave prevail. Fleeing is for cowards. Facing an aging pirate, you should fight back boldly, not run blindly.]
[Task: Defeat Blood Skull Farrell head-on.][Reward: Overlord Haki Qualification, slight increase in cell activity!]Overlord Haki Qualification!Monger hadn't
expected the system to offer such a generous reward for dealing with a mere Blood Skull.In the New World, Overlord Haki users were common enough, but it was a rare gift. You either had it or you didn't.Without it, you couldn't reach the pinnacle of this world, no matter how skilled you were with the other two Haki types.
Top-tier Overlord Haki could block Observation Haki and outmatch Armament Haki's entanglement.Monger lacked it, which had capped his rise among pirates.A bucket holds only as much water as its shortest plank allows.Now, he had a chance to fix that plank.Blood Skull Farrell? Monger licked his lips, eyeing the approaching pirate ship. For the first time, a ferocious grin spread across his face.
Since the system's feeling generous, you're going down!Even with the crew rowing frantically, the Blood Skull Pirates' sailboat, not yet fully modernized, shaved a thirty-minute journey down to twenty minutes.Still, Monger reached the island fifteen minutes ahead of them.In that time, I doubt you've fully recovered! Farrell growled, stepping onto the bow and scanning the island with a grim expression.His worst fear was Monger hiding, forcing him to split his crew to search.
That went against his plan to overwhelm Monger with numbers, wear him down, and let Farrell deliver the final blow.He'd defeated countless stronger foes this way.If Monger hid, they risked being picked off one by one.Can you hide, White Wolf Monger?
Farrell muttered.Then his pupils shrank, and a smirk curled his lips.Monger was standing on the beach, in plain sight.Hahahaha, White Wolf Monger, if you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish! Farrell roared, ready to attack and make this old legend his stepping stone.Bombard! he bellowed.But Monger moved faster, advancing toward the Blood Skull Pirates' ship from the beach.
A terrifying aura surged from him.
Since going to sea at eighteen, he'd trained relentlessly, honing his skills to perfection.The giant tribe's combat technique—Hegemony—was the ultimate blend of skill and power.White fur sprouted across his body.His gaunt frame swelled with muscle.A fierce wind whipped up.The air around him compressed, as if the space itself became a vacuum.Unlike his earlier display on the ship, this time Monger unleashed his full strength, perfectly executing this supreme technique.Hegemony! he roared, swinging his sword.A shockwave of compressed air erupted like a cannon blast. Even Rocks, busy extinguishing the fire on Monger's ship in the distance, saw it.
The sea split in two.Everything in the shockwave's path was obliterated.The Blood Skull Pirates' ship met the same fate.
The pristine vessel shattered into fragments, its crew blasted to dust by the devastating force, without a chance to resist.With one strike, Monger obliterated the ship and years of Farrell's efforts.Rocks, his black hair a mess, flushed with awe, forgetting how Monger had tricked him earlier.I have to learn that move! he vowed.
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(End of this chapter)