Chapter 253: The War
"To think we were fooled by a bunch of pirates... Gernica, you're not living up to your title," Quilinguame said, glancing at the giant ice sculptures around him and then turning his gaze to Gernica. Although his tone was quite calm, the other agents could still hear the considerable dissatisfaction of this noble Celestial Dragon.
But soon, he and Somazu looked away from the sweating Gernica and turned their attention to the approaching pale figure.
"So it's the Snow-Fiend," Somazu said, turning to look around and taking in the full view of the surrounding scenery. He couldn't help but click his tongue. "Such a large-scale freezing... I thought Aokiji had come back to life!"
"If I'm not mistaken, the Wendigo is a relatively low-level mythical beast in the legends, right?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Quilinguame. This coverage, which could almost be compared to a Logia, made the world-weary Somazu quite puzzled.
To this, Quilinguame seemed very calm. "It's not surprising. It's the person who's strong, not the mythical beast." But suddenly, a strange light flashed in his resin-covered eyes. "However, this person's Haki is a bit scary. As expected of the bloodline of that monster Kaido."
The tall, approaching figure was obscured by the blizzard swirling around them. Only the terrifying aura and the astonishing Conqueror's Haki lightning were real.
Somazu couldn't help but place a hand on the weapon at his waist, a few drops of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. "Hey, hey... for a Sea Emperor's second-in-command to have reached this level... it's a bit exaggerated, isn't it?"
Nearby, Junko's body was wrapped in bandage-like arrows, her whole being on high alert. "I heard that this person was originally supposed to be brought back to Mary Geoise and trained to be in CP, right?"
"Ah... that's right. It's just that the matter was botched by the idiots in CP and a useless Vice Admiral," Shamrock said, lightly drawing his famous sword from his waist, his body also erupting with an astonishing aura.
Although the Celestial Dragons were not paying attention to them at the moment, their sharp words still pierced the agents' hearts.
Facing the approaching blizzard, Shamrock wreathed the sharp blade in black and red lightning. "I'll take care of this person first," he said coolly. "You go ahead and capture the target."
Quilinguame and the others heard him and did not object, directly turning to head for the giant mermaid who was trying her best to evacuate the crowd. Although they all believed that Shamrock wanted to have a fight here, in the current situation, it was indeed the most appropriate choice to have one person deal with the enemy while the others went to carry out the mission.
Before parting, Junko gave the tall, dark figure a deep look. "The Wendigo has the ability to attack the soul," she said meaningfully. "Don't be careless, Shamrock."
In the storm, Yelena looked at the several people heading for Shirahoshi, then at the man who was coming toward her with his blade, and frowned slightly. Then, she reached behind her back and took out an irregular-shaped crystal, stealthily tossing it up and then instantly expanding the storm, forming a crystal of ice several hundred meters long in the air, with the crystal embedded in its edge. It shot toward the three Celestial Dragons.
Seeing this, although Shamrock didn't think this blow could cause his companions any trouble, for safety's sake, he still raised his hand and slashed out a sword stroke. The sharp slash tore through the air, turning into a dangerous crescent moon that directly shattered most of the ice crystals in the sky, turning them into a mist of ice that rained down.
And at this moment, both Yelena and Shamrock had entered each other's attack range.
In that instant, a sharp rapier wreathed in black and red lightning cut through the air, instantly tearing through the blizzard and slashing toward the tall figure. However, the next moment, a heavy flanged mace, also wreathed in black and red lightning, swept over from the side and, in Shamrock's surprised eyes, clashed with the rapier from a distance.
In that instant, a roar like ten thousand thunders clashing erupted, and one after another, black and red lightning bolts exploded. The resulting shockwave instantly tore up a large patch of the earth's debris, blasting terrifying cracks in the entire plaza.
The terrifying collision made the several people who were rushing toward Shirahoshi subconsciously stop and turn to look.
The flanged mace and the blade clashed from a distance. The resulting Conqueror's Haki lightning spread to the edge of Fish-Man Island. Under the collision, the earth was torn apart, and the bubble that separated the sea rippled.
"Terrifying power... if Shamrock wants to deal with the Snow-Fiend, it probably won't be that simple—" After a brief silence, Somazu frowned.
"There's no need to deal with him. We'll retreat after we've completed our objective. Dealing with pirates should be the responsibility of the Marines," Junko said, glancing at the two who were still in a stalemate, and was the first to turn her head away.
Nearby, Quilinguame tilted his head to dodge the one after another ice crystals that hadn't been shot down. He was just about to speak when he noticed that among the stray ice crystals, there seemed to be a special one. He subconsciously turned, his gaze following the crystal's trajectory. The next moment, the ice crystal he had just dodged instantly exploded, turning into a portal-like gateway to a starry sky that separated the three of them from their target.
Immediately after, a warning from their Observation Haki instantly made their faces change. Although the members of the God's Knights were caught off guard, they still subconsciously reacted defensively. However, several figures had already crossed the portal in an instant and were attacking them directly.
Kuina, in a simple kimono with short black hair, instantly crossed past Junko and landed behind the three, her Wado Ichimonji quickly sheathed.
Several tall, dark figures instantly enveloped Somazu and Quilinguame, and their weapons, reflecting a cold sharpness, were brought down without mercy. In that instant, a series of sounds of sharp blades embedding themselves in human bodies was heard. Terrifying gashes were torn in the bodies of the three members of the God's Knights.
But soon, the wounds on their bodies healed rapidly, accompanied by black flames. In just a moment, three faces filled with endless rage were presented before everyone, completely unharmed.
"You damned lower-class pirates—"
"You insolent fools—"
"So the Space-Space Fruit is in the hands of the Archangel Pirates? Isn't the Golden Lion's relationship with you a little too good..."
In the shattered plaza, Kuina swept her gaze over the three who were completely unharmed in front of her. Her originally calm face became surprised. "Are they all immortal? What happened to the ones who were killed before?"
Just then, Daz Bonez's voice sounded from within the portal. "Immortal? It's nothing more than the ability of some special Devil Fruit. This kind of ability is useless against two people who can target the soul and life. The two who were killed by Katakuri and another person... perhaps they found a way to target them. As for the other two... they were blown up at close range by Dyna Stones while wearing Seastone cuffs. Not even ashes were left. Naturally, there was no possibility of recovery." Daz Bonez exhaled, looking thoughtfully at the three in front of him.
Just then, one after another, tall, dark figures walked out of the portal. They ignored the group and walked straight for Shirahoshi.
"You damned pirates! There should be a limit to interfering with other people's missions!" The trio from the God's Knights saw this, their faces as black as the bottom of a pot, and they brazenly made a move. The next moment, countless thorns appeared out of thin air, and like a group of large snakes covered in sharp spikes, they pounced at the crowd that was surrounding them.
Immediately after, an endless killing intent appeared in Quilinguame's originally peaceful eyes. One after another, monsters taller than giants walked out of a dream. Among the grotesque and terrifying monsters were even things that made many in the Archangel Pirates feel panicked.
A young Lunarian girl couldn't help but shiver. "Are those... ghosts!"
In front of her, Artemis and Asmodai frowned tightly.
"A wild ox with eight legs and an insect the size of a Sea King!!" a Buccaneer warrior looked at the several massive monsters, recalling the terror of these creatures that he had heard the elders speak of as a child.
Hajrudin walked out of the expanded portal. He glanced at the scene before him and decisively gave an order. "Except for the executives and the commanders, everyone else, deal with these monsters! Cover the evacuation of the residents of Fish-Man Island!"
Behind him, one after another, giants also followed. But precisely because of their arrival, several more giant beasts were added to the battlefield.
"Jörmungandr, a black dragon, the hellhound Garm, and Charlotte Linlin..."
One after another, slender figures flew out of the portal at high speed. Laughing, they flew toward the monsters, which were far taller than giants, and launched their attacks with various weapons. This scene made Quilinguame, who was on the ground, raise an eyebrow. "These people... do they have nothing to be afraid of?"
But soon, he had no time to worry about anything else, because several different figures had already crossed the thorns and were counter-attacking him. In that instant, one after another, terrifying shockwaves had already arrived, enveloping Quilinguame, who was wreathed in a pure white cloud of smoke.
"I'm being looked down upon." Quilinguame's hands, in white gloves, gripped his asymmetrical trident, and his entire body burst forth with a terrifying Haki lightning. "Did you really think that the Marines alone could maintain the World Government's rule for eight hundred years? We... are the true trump card of the World Government!" As his words fell, his figure instantly disappeared, leaving one after another terrifying blows behind him. When he reappeared, he had already materialized in front of Goldberg, who had transformed into a short-faced bear, and had bypassed his attacking shield and kanabō with Geppo.
Quilinguame moved rapidly along the giant arm and came directly to Goldberg's head. He extended a hand, grabbed his hair, and with a single-handed exertion of force, sent him flying.
"Damn it!" Goldberg's giant body cut through the air and crashed directly into a cluster of buildings, crushing a large number of houses.
After sending the giant flying, Quilinguame did not stop. In the midst of a rapid assault, he wreathed his asymmetrical trident in advanced Armament Haki and swept it toward the female giant who was chopping down at him with her axe in both hands.
CLANG—
With a fierce sound of metal clashing, amidst the flying sparks, the axe blade, forged by a giant master blacksmith, was split open, revealing a smooth-as-a-mirror cut.
Her weapon of several decades being destroyed left Gerd briefly stunned. But when the cold light reflected from the trident was reflected in her golden lion's pupils, she instantly bristled. Her digitigrade legs instantly exerted their strength, and just as the sharp blade was about to cut her, she leaped high, dodging the blow.
"Don't even think about escaping!" With a low roar, Quilinguame raised a hand, summoned the black dragon that was entangled with a Buccaneer warrior, and sent it in pursuit of Gerd.
In mid-air, Quilinguame raised his trident and sent a shockwave wreathed in Haki lightning at the giant figure. But the next moment, a tall, dark figure leaped high from the ground. He swung a halberd wreathed in Haki and shattered it in mid-air.
"Is this a Buccaneer this time?" Quilinguame's voice was incomparably cold. "Another defeated foe of the World Government... a half-dead remnant."
Then, he raised his trident again and chopped directly at the burly, small-giant-like Buccaneer remnant in front of him.
In a distant battlefield, one after another, thick thorns danced wildly, sending one after another of the people who were vainly trying to stop Somazu from reaching Shirahoshi flying. And Somazu himself stood on the head of a giant serpent formed from thorns. While dealing with the siege of many, he advanced rapidly, heading straight for Shirahoshi.
After once again swinging the kanabō formed from thorns and sending two Lunarian women flying, he couldn't help but let out a wild laugh. "How pathetic! To think that ninety-nine percent of the Lunarian race's military might is concentrated in a single person. The rest are all trash! The Lunarian race, which was once called a race of gods, is nothing more than this!"
However, Artemis and Asmodai ignored his provocation and did their utmost to stop his advance. But soon, a subtle change occurred in the battle.
"Don't even think about taking another step, Celestial Dragon!" Hajrudin, his entire body covered in pink scales and dragon horns on his head, landed with a roar, abruptly raising his head.
"Oh! It's you—" Somazu looked at Hajrudin's face and giant build, and a sudden realization came to him. "You're that guy Harald's useless eldest son! Hajrudin, is that your name? This appearance of yours... you do look a bit like you've inherited his Ancient Giant blood!"
Somazu leaped high, drew the sword from his waist, wreathed it in black Haki lightning, and, with a ferocious smile, slashed at Hajrudin's neck. "He and I are old acquaintances! Let me send you down to see him!!"
Hearing this, a hint of shock flashed in Hajrudin's eyes. From this Celestial Dragon's words, it was clear that he knew his father, who had been the king of Elbaf. But soon, he came back to his senses, and his eyes once again burned with fighting spirit. "I said, you're not getting past me!"
Then, Hajrudin, who was now many times stronger, violently swung his black giant axe, which clashed with Somazu's sword.
"..."
Just then, Kuina arrived directly beside Shirahoshi and Fukaboshi. She was the first to throw a crystal under Shirahoshi.
CRACK—
The crystal shattered abruptly, turning into a giant, starry-sky-like portal beneath her, and in her surprise, it swallowed her whole.
And at this moment, Fukaboshi, under the protection of Natural Water, finally found a Den Den Mushi for broadcasting and made an announcement to all the citizens. "I am the king of the Ryugu Kingdom - Fukaboshi! In my name as king, I make this proclamation to all the citizens! Everyone, listen to my command! Abandon everything in your hands and all of you, head for the Noah at the bottom of the sea! There is plenty of food, living supplies, and an army there!"
In the roaring battlefield, Fukaboshi's eyes blazed, his spirits high. "Please, everyone, under the arrangement of the soldiers, board that Ark of Promise that has been waiting for eight hundred years! We will... go to the world on the surface!!"
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