Chapter 243: The World is Watching
"Is the feed stable?!"
"It's stable! Don't worry, Betty! Come and watch!"
Transponder Snails are wondrous creatures. Once a live broadcast begins, their unique bio-electric waves can transmit real-time video to every corner of the world with almost no delay. The chaos on Sabaody, which had at first been a local incident, had now become a global spectacle.
The Revolutionary Army was no exception.
"Hey, Ashiru, you see that?! Our boy from the East Blue is really going for it!" the Eastern Army Commander, Belo Betty, said with a boisterous laugh. "He's actually taking on the Celestial Dragons and the Holy Knights! In Sabaody, of all places! In front of the whole world! This is the kind of thing we've always wanted to do!"
"Calm down, Commander," her deputy, Ahiru, said, trying to restrain her. "It's an inspiring sight, but it's not like we couldn't do it. Dragon-san just prefers to be more discreet."
"And that's why we've been able to grow into the World Government's greatest threat, right, Dragon-san?"
Dragon didn't answer right away. His eyes were fixed on the screen, a single bead of sweat trickling down his temple. "What a terrifying man," he said, his voice low. "It's been just over a year since he set sail, and he's already come this far. And he's not even twenty yet..." He shook his head. "A shame. Such rapid success often leads to recklessness. Even if he wins today, he's on the path to becoming another Rocks."
"Don't be such a downer, Dragon-san!" Betty said with a grin. "I won't let you talk about my hometown hero like that! Besides, the Curtain Call crew seems a lot more reliable than the Rocks Pirates ever were."
"The path is different, but the destination is the same," he said. He thought for a moment, then said, "Send word to the Grand Line, West, and North armies. Tell them to make their move. And get a message to Ivankov and Inazuma. Tell them to cause a stir in Impel Down."
"Sir?"
"We may not be on the same side, but we share a common enemy. The Revolutionary Army cannot stand by and do nothing," he said, his face calm. "The tide of the new era is here. The man who is toppling the throne of the gods should not have to bear the backlash alone, should he?"
Aboard the new Red Force, Shanks stood at the prow, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "How much longer until we reach Sabaody?"
"Two or three hours, at best, Captain," the ship's intelligence officer said with a sigh.
"It's strange," Yasopp said, cleaning his rifle. "How did they even get there? They just appeared out of nowhere. The entire sea between here and their territory is crawling with Whitebeard's men and Marine surveillance ships. How did they slip past all of them?"
"A man who has come this far is bound to have his secrets," Benn said, lighting a cigarette. "The real question is, what are you going to do when we get there, Shanks? The World Government will probably give you some face. But Shane? After everything that's happened, do you really think he's going to listen to you?"
"..." Shanks was silent. He remembered their meeting in Blackstone City and shook his head. "It'll be difficult." The man's conviction was as strong as anyone he had ever met. "But I have to try. As long as no Celestial Dragon has been killed, there is still a chance for negotiation." It was too soon. The balance of the seas had to be broken, but not now. Why can't he just wait a few more years? he thought, his gaze distant. Luffy...
On Amazon Lily, Hancock was staring out her window, a bored look on her face. "Is the new paper here yet?" she asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.
"Not yet, Empress," one of her guards said. "Elder Nyon should be bringing it in a day or two."
"A day or two?!" she pouted. "That old hag... Tell me the moment she arrives."
The guards exchanged a confused look. What's gotten into her? Since when is she so interested in the news?
On Onigashima, Kaido and Yamato were sitting side-by-side, watching the broadcast in silence. How long... King and Queen thought, how long has it been since these two were in the same room without trying to kill each other?
"Hey, Kaido," Yamato said.
"What is it?" he grumbled. "And I told you to call me—"
"Look at the screen," she said, her voice cold. "The turning point is here. The battle... is about to end."
Hm?
Kaido looked at the screen, and his eyes narrowed. She's right... it's ending...
BOOM!
Sentomaru and the last two Pacifistas collapsed to the ground. "That's it for you, fatty!" Jack sneered, planting a foot on Sentomaru's face. "You're tough, I'll give you that. But not tough enough."
He looked over at the other side of the battlefield. Kuma was systematically dismantling the two Holy Knights. Their powers were strange and troublesome. One could deflect any attack, the other could summon giant, shadowy monsters. But they were no match for Kuma. Every time he broke through their defenses, he would land a devastating blow, blowing off a head or tearing a hole through a chest. But... they would just regenerate in an instant.
The so-called "immortality"... Jack thought. If it were me, I'd be going crazy. But Kuma... he looks like he's actually enjoying it.
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you