Chapter 191: Battling the Marines and Rocks, One Against Nine Top Powerhouses! (Seeking Subscriptions!)
Asuka Island continuously flew higher into the sky. In the distance, the waves grew taller, like colossal black walls reaching the heavens, surrounding them from all directions in the darkness, crashing inwards.
At the edge of Asuka Island.
A group of island residents looked around in terror, filled with fear, as panic spread through the crowd.
Just moments ago, the entire island's crust rose into the sky. The shallow water area along the coast was also part of the island's crust, but its low elevation created the shallows.
Surrounded by various sea stacks, the small boats the island residents were originally on got stuck between the sea stacks and were carried into the sky as the island's crust ascended.
"What should we do? I don't want to die!"
"Save me! Marines, where are the Marines!?"
"Help! It's the end of the World!"
"Wuwuwu, I can't stand up... my legs are weak..."
The sea boat was wedged between two closely spaced sea stacks. As the island continuously rose, the seawater flowed away into the distance. People sat on the boat, which was stuck between the sea stacks, constantly colliding with them as the turbulent current surged, making loud thudding sounds.
The residents on the boat deck all looked miserable, their faces pale, shouting in panic and crying incessantly.
In the distance.
Eustass was battling the Rocks Pirates. Four Vice Admirals descended from the sky, just about to fight Eustass, when Vice Admiral Tsuru's Observation Hakiheard the cries of the civilians. She looked at Sengokuand the others with a conflicted expression.
"Go save them, we'll handle things here!"
Garp quickly shouted.
"Hurry!"
Sengoku shouted.
"Aye!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru quickly nodded and rushed to the edge of the island using Moonwalk.
This floating Asuka Island rose into the sky due to Golden Lion's ability. If Eustass severely injured Golden Lion or killed him, Golden Lion's Float-Float Devil Fruit Abilitywould become ineffective.
Once the ability became ineffective, the residents at the island's edge would fall from high altitude along with the island.
Vice Admiral Tsuru joined the Marine to combat pirates and protect civilians as much as possible.
That was her original intention!
Vice Admiral Tsuru rushed to the island's edge using Moonwalk, boarded the boat, and comforted the residents. Looking at the increasingly tall black waves in the dark distance, Vice Admiral Tsuru felt extremely anxious.
Facing this situation, even high-ranking Marine officers with great combat power had few options.
She could only wait for the giant waves to recede, then send people down two by two, trying to rescue everyone before the floating island crashed... In the distance.
Eustass kicked away Big Mom, elbowed Rocks back, and then his fists, formed from his long hair in Life Returnstate, repelled Whitebeard, Captain John, and Wang Choone by one.
In the sky, the continuously falling Sengoku watched Eustass effortlessly fight against all the Rocks Pirates' cadres. Even when surrounded, he didn't fall into a disadvantage, making Sengoku's eyelids twitch.
Such a strong person, and it's said he never invades or harasses civilians, never robs homes. Why did the predecessors force him to become an enemy of the Marine!?
Sengoku was utterly defeated!
"Haa!"
Sengoku roared, his Golden Buddha's brilliant light radiating. He descended from the sky, Conqueror's Hakiwrapped around his fist, and he unleashed a powerful punch from top to bottom towards Eustass.
"Boom—!"
Eustass's left fist, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, punched towards Sengoku. The fierce aftershocks spread in all directions, instantly pressing down the surrounding burning trees and plants, making them lean.
"Ahhh—!"
Garp bellowed, Armament Haki wrapped around his fist, and he instantly delivered an Iron Fist.
Eustass's right hand, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, unleashed a fierce punch.
The three, one on the ground and two in the air, all possessed astonishing power. The ground instantly cracked, shattered Rocks flew, forming a large crater.
Zephyr landed after Sengoku and Garp. His purple hair fluttered in the wind, his muscles bulged, and his arms were wrapped in high-density Armament Haki. Zephyrglared at Eustass with raised eyebrows, bellowed, and unleashed a punch.
One of Eustass's hair-fists slammed into Zephyr's fist.
Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr all roared in unison, exerting their full power, pressing their fists against Eustass.
"Uwaaahhh—!" x3
Loud, powerful roars echoed through the sky. Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, working together, clenched their right fists, wrapped in Haki, and once again punched towards Eustass.
"Boom—!"
Eustass's three hair-fists, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, fiercely clashed with the three Marine powerhouses, future big shots.
The sound of their fists reverberated. The three were struck by Eustass's immense strength, their tiger's mouths tingling. Eustass suddenly pushed forward with both arms, and Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr grunted, flying backwards into the distance.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"
Sengoku continuously retreated, his feet struggling to resist, dragging two long furrows in the ground.
"Is this guy a monster!?"
Zephyr said, shocked.
"Which idiot predecessor pushed such a powerful person to be an enemy of the Marine!?"
Garp cursed angrily.
Kong couldn't defeat Eustass, and the entire Rocks Pirates couldn't either.
Now they came too, and still couldn't defeat him.
And the most crucial thing was that Eustass wasn't even very tired.
He wasn't even out of breath, which was truly excessive.
They didn't even know if a war of attrition had any meaning anymore.
"Not bad, very strong!"
Eustass looked at the three in the distance and exclaimed.
Today's Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr were at their peak. They could be promoted to Admiral at any time, and their combat power was at its strongest in their lives, unlike those old guys who would appear later, have their strength nerfed, and then suffer plot-induced deaths.
"You don't need to tell me that, hmph~! Even if there's a mountain in front of me, I can flatten it!"
Garp grinned, showing his white teeth, and glared at Eustass with raised eyebrows, his fighting spirit high.
"Come at me together!"
Eustass spread his hands towards them.
"Hmph, I will capture you and throw you into Impel Down!"
Zephyr snorted coldly, Armament Haki wrapped around his iron wrist, and he instantly charged forward with Sengoku and Garp, swinging his fist to attack.
Eustass glanced at the future "Non-Killing" AdmiralZephyr, laughed loudly, and charged forward.
Zephyr in his prime was much, much stronger than the elderly, one-armed, asthmatic Zephyr in Film Z!
Tonight, for Eustass, was truly too interesting!
"Kill!"
Rocks cautiously glanced at Sengoku and the others, and only when he realized that Sengoku had no intention of attacking them did he feel somewhat relieved.
After Rocks spoke, he led several cadres to attack Eustass again.
Chapter 192. Kill Captain John! Clashing Conqueror's Haki with Sengoku and Whitebeard! (Requesting Subscription!)
On the Marine side: Buddha Sengoku, Black Arm Zephyr, and Iron Fist Garp!
On the Pirate side, challenging the rule of the Celestial Dragons were Rocks, Whitebeard Newgate, Golden Lion Shiki, BIG MOM Linlin, Captain John, and Wang Cho!
These top-tier powerhouses, who would leave behind glorious reputations in history, actually formed a united front to jointly besiege Eustass, an aging senior. How dishonorable!
Truly, one versus a group!
Eustass VS Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, BIG MOM, Captain John, and Wang Cho!
"Hah! die!"
Golden Lion held the Shichiseiken, its blade wreathed in green light, and a golden slash wave mixed with green flames violently cut towards Eustass.
The power manifested by the Shichiseiken varies depending on the user's limits. Golden Lion, currently at his peak, is a top-tier powerhouse, so his strength increased significantly when wielding the Shichiseiken.
The terrifying golden slash wave tore through the ground, and at the same time, Golden Lion controlled the entire island, causing Rocks and soil to fly up from the ground, rapidly surrounding and crushing Eustass.
A thread sword appeared in Eustass's hand. The thread sword instantly swung, and a blue slash wave left the blade, quickly expanding into a gigantic slash wave. It immediately collided with Golden Lion's gigantic golden slash wave, creating continuous explosions and spreading shockwaves everywhere.
Just some residual waves were enough to shred a large amount of surrounding vegetation.
Eustass assimilated the ground, and countless waves of White Thread surged forth from the earth, shattering the high walls of rock and soil that were surrounding and crushing him from all directions.
Rocks used Soru, continuously stamping the ground dozens of times in an instant, moving at high speed as if teleporting to appear beside Eustass.
He reached out a hand toward Eustass, intending to use the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to temporarily nullify Eustass's Devil Fruit Ability.
However, Eustass predicted Rocks' movement. His reaction time and speed were faster than Rocks's. Eustassstomped hard on the ground, and his entire body vanished instantly.
The thread sword in Eustass's hand was wreathed in Conqueror's Haki, the blade wrapped in black lightning. As he moved at high speed, he instantly shot towards the distance like a streak of black lightning.
"Ugh!" ×2
Eustass utilized Top-tier Observation Haki, predicting the situations of these people, dodging their attacks, and consecutively slashing Wang Cho and Captain John with the thread sword in his hand.
Both men screamed in pain and were sent flying backward immediately.
Eustass completely ignored Sengoku and the others, continuing to use Top-tier Observation Haki to predict their movements while preparing to take out Wang Choand Captain John first.
Sengoku, Whitebeard, and the others also possessed Top-tier Observation Haki, but relatively speaking, Eustass's Observation Haki was stronger, giving him an advantage in predicting short glimpses of the future.
If everyone can see brief glimpses of the future, how can they even fight?
Just gesturing in the air? "Don't fight anymore, please.jpg!?"
Naturally, it depends on whose Observation Hakiintensity is higher. The person with stronger Observation Haki sees more of the future, and whoever sees more can launch more advantageous attacks.
Eustass evaded the attacks from Sengoku and the others and instantly appeared before Wang Cho and CaptainJohn. Just as the two men stood up, Eustass grabbed hold of each of their heads.
"How dare you!?"
Rocks was utterly furious. Eustass had already killed Silver Axe and Bargom Stussy, and now he was trying to kill Wang Cho and Silver Axe.
Rocks could not accept this!
He still needed to contend for the World, he still needed to kick the Celestial Dragons off their throne, and he still had ambitions left unfulfilled!
He could not let his cadres die here; losing several cadres would significantly and negatively impact Rocks's future conquest efforts.
Rocks rushed over instantly.
Eustass held Wang Cho's head with one hand and Captain John's head with the other. Eustass wrapped his hands in Armament Haki and slammed Wang Cho's and Captain John's heads violently together.
Wang Cho and Captain John's heads buzzed, suffering from continuous ringing in their ears.
In the next instant, Eustass slammed their heads together again. To survive, Wang Cho quickly wrapped Armament Haki around his head, and Captain John did the same.
"Clang! Clang!"
Heads wrapped in Armament Haki were indeed hard, clanging together like metal heads.
As a result, the method Wang Cho and Captain John used to survive only made them smash into each other harder.
Both wanted to live and let the other die, but since both wrapped Haki around their foreheads, the resulting impact was even fiercer than before. They grimaced in pain, their brains dizzy, blood streaming from their heads, their skulls nearly cracked by the other.
Eustass sensed Rocks rushing over quickly, jumped up, and aimed a kick at Rocks. Rocks used Top-tier Observation Haki to predict the kick, swiftly dodged, and then brought his two fists, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, together and slammed them toward Eustass.
Eustass's Top-tier Observation Haki proved superior. He delivered a flying kick, stomping directly on Rocks's forehead, then forcefully pressing down with his other foot onto Rocks's head.
When Eustass kicked down, Rocks stumbled.
Whitebeard's hands were wreathed in white light, enveloped in the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's shockwaves, and he delivered a full-power punch toward Eustass.
"Hah!"
Sengoku, transformed into the Golden Buddha, wrapped his fists in Conqueror's Haki, brought them together, and violently slammed them toward Eustass.
"Aaaah—!"
Garp, exhibiting the same "output relies entirely on shouting" style as his grandson, roared as he charged, violently unleashing an Iron Fist punch toward Eustass.
Zephyr, BIG MOM, and Shiki—the three of them either swung their fists or their swords, jointly attacking Eustass.
Eustass grabbed the unconscious Captain John with one hand and used him like a human longsword, violently swinging him toward Whitebeard, BIG MOM, and Golden Lion.
The human-sword Captain John was struck by Whitebeard's shockwave, BIG MOM's powerful fist, and Golden Lion's Shichiseiken. In the next instant, CaptainJohn screamed and died instantly.
Captain John, while unconscious, was hit by the shockwave, the powerful fist, and the Shichiseiken.
He was instantly split into four parts.
Captain John's body... was scattered across the ground.
[The host has defeated Captain John!]
[Reward gained: Conqueror's Haki Intensity ×2!]
Only one human-sword, sword-person remained. Eustasscherished him greatly. He grabbed Wang Cho with his right hand, wrapped Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki around Wang Cho's body, and hurled Wang Chotoward Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and the others.
Sengoku clenched his fists tightly. Seeing Wang Chobeing thrown at him like a human-sword by Eustass, he held nothing back and delivered a full-power strike.
Garp and Zephyr simultaneously swung their fists, fiercely smashing them into the human-sword Wang Cho.
Whitebeard, BIG MOM, and Golden Lion attacked again. Eustass's fists, formed from his long hair and wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, clashed with their fists and sharp swords.
For a moment, multiple streams of Conqueror's Haki were released, and incredibly dense black lightning continuously expanded outward from the spot as the Haoshoku clashed.
Above the sky, a dark, oppressive cloud layer covered half the heavens. The clouds continuously surged and collided with the cloud layers influenced by the opposing streams of Conqueror's Haki, causing the dark clouds to churn and roll upward.
Chapter 193 – The Boy Who Would Be King of the News: Morgans! (Subscribe, please!)
The Grand Line—on a sea of jade-green waves.
A tiny skiff glided forward.
A boy in checkered trousers, a Photo-transponder Snaildraped round his neck, gnawed at a strip of hard tack, then unscrewed his canteen for two careful sips.
He glanced at the snail—tied to his chest with string—whose big eyes pleaded pitifully, and hurriedly scooped up a handful of wilted leaves.
After days at sea the greens were already limp and listless.
"Make do for now, pal. Once we hit the next island you'll have all the fresh leaves you can eat—and I'll even find you a pretty Snail-Girl."
At those words the Photo-transponder Snail's eyes became red hearts; drool trickled from its mouth and every complaint vanished.
While feeding it, the boy raised the Log Pose on his other wrist, checked the reading, then resumed rowing.
The boy's name was Morgans—only fourteen years old.
He came from a well-off family on a small isle, had a decent education, and his father worked in the news business. That very year pirates had raided his hometown.
Under cover of his parents, Morgans escaped the burning town and rowed to the Marine Base on the next island, begging them to save his home.
They booted him out the gate. Two months of digging revealed the pirate crew and the Base commander were in cahoots.
Morgans took his evidence to a newspaper editor—who told him to wait while he "checked the facts with the Marines".
Luckily the boy bolted; otherwise editor and Marines would have thrown him into a cell.
All around stretched endless sea, and Morgans felt utterly lost.
He hated the World Government and wanted revenge, but he was still a fourteen-year-old kid with no power at all.
Dawn came; the Sun rose in the east, its warm light slowly washing away the ink-black night.
Morgans rowed on, glanced about, then stared puzzled at the Log Pose.
What was wrong with the needle?
Why was it pointing at the sky?
"Broken?"
He groaned. Nothing but water in every direction, and thanks to the faulty needle he couldn't head for the next island.
Without islands he'd soon be in real trouble—
no food, no fresh water,
and Sea-Kings to worry about.
He'd fled in such haste he'd brought almost no money, only the smallest skiff he could steal.
Day after day he lived in terror that the next wave would flip the tiny boat.
This was the Grand Line; a craft barely big enough for three could capsize in a ripple.
"Don't tell me I'm going to die out here—I still need to find a Devil Fruit, I still need revenge…"
He tapped the Log Pose frantically.
Just then—
high above—
thunderous booms rolled across the sky, like mountain-sized hammers striking the heavens. Morgans frowned; he and the snail both looked up.
Asuka Island was already out of sight, lifted by Golden Lion high through the clouds to the upper sky.
Meanwhile Eustass, the Rocks Pirates and Sengoku's Marines clashed again with Conqueror's Haki; black storm-clouds churned overhead.
"W-what is—"
Young Morgans' eyes went wide, pupils shaking, as he stared skyward in horror.
A gigantic golden slash tore through the clouds and plummeted toward the sea.
Morgans hoisted the stunned snail—its leaf forgotten—as it gawked at the heavens.
In all its time snapping photos for Morgans, it had never seen anything so spectacular.
"Let's go! Snap every frame—next island I'll catch you as many Snail-Girls as you want!"
Morgans yelled.
The highly intelligent Photo-transponder Snail snapped back to work, clicking shot after shot of the sky-battle.
A moment later a colossal blue slash followed, punching holes through layer after layer of cloud, revealing the silhouette of a floating island far above.
Morgans raised the snail and fired off several rapid shots.
Then he rowed like mad, pulling away with all his might.
Those two apocalyptic blades were heading straight for the ocean.
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
The gold and blue slashes struck the sea one after another, sending up mountain-high waves.
Morgans hugged his skiff as the swell flung him skyward; the boat crashed back down, only to be lifted again—tiny, fragile, on the verge of flipping.
"W-who are they? Is that a legendary sky island up there, its warriors clashing?
O-or are the strongest pirates and Marines fighting in the heavens?"
Morgans stared, frantic, as drifting clouds slowly closed the window in the sky; he longed to fly up and witness the truth!
Not far away a Marine warship was quietly leaving the area.
During the night Vice Admiral Tsuru had requested a nearby Base dispatch it; Marines who could Moonwalkferried the civilians aboard.
With every resident evacuated, the ship withdrew at full speed.
The branch Marines knew this battle was far beyond them.
When Gods Fight, Mortals Suffer.
But Morgans—determined to become King of the Pressand change the World with media—feared nothing.
He waited in his rickety boat far below… 8,000 metres above, Golden Lion watched the rising Sun, his face darkening.
Dawn ascended, the Crimson Moon waned, and the power the Shichiseiken had granted him faded fast.
Golden Lion and Rocks stood side by side, grimly eyeing the man in their midst—Eustass, not even breathing hard.
"H-he's monstrous…"
Zephyr, several bones broken by Eustass, forced himself to stand beside Sengoku, awe on his face.
Chapter 194: Defeating Sengoku, Garp, and Whitebeard! (Seeking Subscriptions!)
The morning sun rose in the east, and above the clouds, the beautiful Asuka Island floated in the sky.
Golden light illuminated the earth. Rocks, Whitebeard, and other pirates clutched their wounds, kneeling on the distant wilderness. Most of them had been severely injured by Eustass and were in extreme pain.
Although for people in the Pirate World, fighting for three days and three nights is a minor matter.
However, with severe injuries inflicted by the enemy, they couldn't maintain such a long battle.
Eustass was not like the future Teacher Kaidou; he wouldn't teach while waiting for his enemies to do "sit-ups" and recover.
"Damn it!"
Garp angrily slammed the ground, creating a large pit, and cracks spread outwards like a Spider Web.
"You'd better save your strength!"
Sengoku glared at Garp in annoyance. The next moment, Garp, having overexerted himself and injured his internal organs, spat out a mouthful of blood.
This night.
The battle for this group, in short, was getting beaten, getting beaten, and still damn charging forward to get beaten.
Their output relied entirely on shouting, only to be sent flying like kites, spitting blood as they retreated... Eustassstood in the east, towering there, the brilliant golden light reflecting off him, making him appear incredibly majestic.
"You are too weak."
Eustass said, then slowly walked forward, one step after another. His footsteps were light, yet to everyone's ears, they sounded incredibly heavy, greatly increasing their pressure.
"Charge!"
Rocks roared, then led his cadres, shouting as they charged towards Eustass.
Pirate spirit, pirate soul—better to die standing in battle than kneel and be humiliated with your hair grabbed!
"Kill!"
Sengoku roared, leading Garp, Zephyr, and Vice AdmiralTsuru to quickly attack Eustass.
Eustass watched them charge at him, his fists wrapped in Armament Haki and Haoshoku. He unleashed two powerful punches, striking Sengoku and Rocks.
Sengoku transformed into a giant golden Buddha, while Rocks' hand glowed with a black vortex, trying to attract Eustass.
Eustass exerted more force, resisting the Dark-Dark Fruit's pull, and his fists slammed into their bodies.
Sengoku and Rocks' Haki defenses shattered. Both spat out fresh blood, their bones broken and tendons torn, losing consciousness and flying backward.
The next moment, Garp and Zephyr teamed up, unleashing their iron fists towards Eustass's head.
Garp's strength was not to be underestimated; one punch could level a mountain, making him a master of mountain-moving, enough to make even Yu Gong weep.
Zephyr was no slouch either; he entered the MarineAcademy at fourteen, saw combat at eighteen, earned the title "Black Arm Zephyr" at thirty-four, and would soon be promoted to Admiral.
Zephyr's ability to be promoted to Admiral in his thirties was already outrageous. If those fanfiction protagonists didn't have cheats, they probably wouldn't even be fit to be a subordinate to Zephyr in his prime.
Truly a protagonist's life.
Eustass remained in his Life Return state, his long hair forming hands. With two resounding claps, he firmly grabbed their fiercely incoming fists. Then, Eustassstomped his foot down, roared, and flung them away.
In the distance.
Wang Cho, who had been thrown aside by Eustass and was unconscious, just woke up, only to be hit twice by his comrades, Zephyr and Garp, in quick succession.
Garp landed on Wang Cho's forehead, and Zephyrcrashed into Garp, with the combined force still transferring to Wang Cho.
Wang Cho, already severely injured, was successively slammed by these two Marine tough guys. Coupled with the speed at which Eustass threw them out with eight-tenths of his strength, it was like being struck by two giant battleships.
His head was buzzing a bit... a slight concussion... This analogy is not an exaggeration, as it's common for powerhouses in the Pirate World to block a warship with their bare arms.
Wang Cho passed out again.
Garp cried out in pain, pushing away his junior, Zephyr. Although Zephyr joined the Marine Academy at the same time as him, he was indeed four years younger.
"Fight again!"
Zephyr roared, just standing up, ready to team up with his big brother Garp for a sweet duo battle against the great demon Eustass.
But the next moment, his vision blurred, and Eustassinstantly appeared before them.
Two heavy punches landed.
Zephyr and Garp's vision went black, and they immediately fainted.
[host defeated Wang Cho!]
[Reward obtained: Lifespan +5!]
[host defeated Iron Fist Garp!]
[Reward obtained: Lifespan +5!]
[host defeated Zephyr: Lifespan +5!]
Eustass's face lit up with joy. Good heavens, he was striking gold!
He looked at Wang Cho, Zephyr, and Garp with delight, thinking that he must find an opportunity to see them again in the future and have a "friendly" spar.
The Ope-Ope no Mi in the Pirate World allows its user to perform surgery, sacrificing their own life to grant immortality to the patient.
One could even find Pure Gold and use it to infinitely slow down bodily growth, thereby achieving a different kind of immortality.
Eustass also desired a longer life, as no one truly wishes to accept death.
Life is but once; who wouldn't want to continue living long and prosperously?
Facing death and the many things that would be lost after death, no one can remain calm.
However, the Ope-Ope no Mi wouldn't reappear for decades.
And Pure Gold was hidden in the ruins of a small island inside the belly of a Sea King named "Lord Lantern," making it truly difficult to find.
So, for now, if Eustass wanted to pursue immortality, he could only continuously fight, gaining opportunities to extend his lifespan bit by bit through battles with powerhouses of the Pirate World.
Eustass chose to let them go, not out of soft-heartedness, but for the "sustainable development of his leeks."
One must not drain the pond to catch all the fish~
Sengoku, enduring his severe injuries, performed the traditional Pirate World art of "sit-ups," standing up and quickly rushing over with Vice Admiral Tsuru. Both swung their fists at Eustass.
Eustass swung one arm, blocking Sengoku's fist, then, with both types of Haki wrapped around his knee, delivered a knee strike to Sengoku's stomach.
Sengoku spat out blood with a 'poof' and collapsed.
Then, with lightning speed, Eustass punched Tsuru hard in the stomach with his right hand, knocking her to the ground, where Vice Admiral Tsuru convulsed continuously.
Rocks quickly arrived, flanking Eustass from left and right with Whitebeard.
Eustass's long hair, in its Life Return state, formed into fists. He delivered two powerful, consecutive punches, one breaking Rocks' arm and the other slamming into Rocks' stomach, sending him flying.
Rocks flew a great distance, rolling several thousand meters on the ground until he stopped at the edge of the island.
Next, Eustass delivered a high kick towards Whitebeard, his foot imbued with Haki. Whitebeard's hand glowed with a white aura, activating his Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability.
"Rumble—!"
Their fists and feet clashed, creating continuous deafening roars and cracking the earth.
Eustass's strength was immense; he kicked Whitebearddirectly, breaking his arm bone.
Whitebeard rolled several thousand meters before stopping. Like Rocks, he was kicked down by a serious Eustass and could no longer get up.
Chapter 195. The Rocks Pirates and Marines All Defeated! Morgans' Big News! (Requesting Subscriptions!)
[The host has defeated Rocks!]
[Reward received: Lifespan +5!]
[The host has defeated Whitebeard Newgate!]
[Reward received: Lifespan +5!]
[The host has defeated Sengoku the Buddha!]
[Reward received: Lifespan +5!]
[The host has defeated Vice Admiral Tsuru!]
[Reward received: Lifespan +5!]
Eustass looked at the few people surrounding him with covetous eyes, his face ecstatic.
What a huge harvest!
This is truly a huge harvest, isn't it?
Eustass looked at BIGMOM and Golden Lion, his eyes filled with anticipation, as if he were looking at ONE PIECE!
Although BIGMOM and Golden Lion were not afraid of battle, at this moment, facing Eustass's wolfish gaze, they felt a slight sense of foreboding.
In the next instant, Eustass instantly vanished from the spot.
BIGMOM and Golden Lion hurriedly prepared to counterattack, but Eustass, having foreseen their actions through Top-tier Observation Haki, used a move that essentially said, "I Predicted Your Prediction." He used both hands to disarm their fists and sharp sword, and then delivered two solid punches.
BIGMOM and Golden Lion were immediately sent flying.
The next instant.
Eustass wrapped his hands in Conqueror's Haki, used Soru for high-speed movement accompanied by black lightning, and instantly flashed in front of BIGMOM. Over a dozen punches rained down like afterimages, completely breaking through BIGMOM's defenses.
BIGMOM screamed and flew away, tumbling a great distance.
Next, Eustass once again used Soru for high-speed movement, his hands wrapped in Conqueror's Haki. Like a bolt of black lightning, he swept through the air and delivered several punches directly at Golden Lion.
Golden Lion blocked with his sword, the clang of metal ringing out incessantly. The next moment, the Shichiseiken was struck, developing numerous gaps, and was immediately blasted away.
Eustass's fist landed on Golden Lion, instantly shattering Golden Lion's Armament Haki defense and causing him to howl non-stop.
Golden Lion plopped onto the ground, staring unwillingly at the sky. His vision gradually blurred and narrowed until he finally lost consciousness.
[The host has defeated BIGMOM Linlin!]
[Reward received: Lifespan +10!]
[The host has defeated Golden Lion Shiki!]
[Reward received: Lifespan +5!]
Eustass's face lit up with joy. It had to be BIGMOM!
That gold drop rate is incredible!
"Rumble—!"
A rumbling sound slowly arose. As the land continuously scraped and collided, it rapidly plummeted downward, slowly sinking into the clouds below.
Thick mist permeated the land, massive sounds continued, and the entire landmass began to tilt.
Eustass glanced around. Because Golden Lion had been beaten into unconsciousness, this island was about to fall!
He quickly ran into the distance and picked up Doris, the Snake Head Tribe Swordswoman, who was covered in blood, gripping her sword, and kneeling on the ground, panting.
As expected of the swordswoman he trained, even though Doris had sustained some injuries, she single-handedly took down one-third of the Rocks Pirates.
"Alright, we should go."
After Eustass spoke, he held Doris and left the island using Moonwalk.
Looking back at Rocks, Sengoku, and the others lying on the ground, Eustass walked away without looking back.
Although he wanted to follow the policy of "Sustainable Development" to fleece these people.
But since it was only an island falling, Eustass believed that these people could survive without his help to escape the scene.
After all, they were the top echelon of powerhouses in the Pirate World.
There was a precedent in Movie Z: decades later, Zephyr, driven mad by repeated setbacks in life, adopted the alias Z, stole dynamite rock from a certain Marine Base, and attempted to execute his crazy plan to destroy the New World.
However, he was stopped by the future AdmiralBorsalino, also known as Kizaru.
As a result, Zephyr was already old at that time, had lost an arm, and suffered from asthma, causing his strength to plummet.
He held no advantage fighting Borsalino for an extended period, so Zephyr directly crushed the dynamite rock.
The dynamite rock blew up the entire island, creating a Mushroom Cloud as huge as an island.
Even then, Zephyr wasn't killed by the explosion.
He merely drifted at sea for a while, and shortly after being rescued by the Straw Hat Pirates, he was Back to Full Health.
This is the physique of powerhouses in the Pirate World—simply heaven-defying.
Eustass left with his Apprentice using Moonwalk, while the island continued to fall.
On the falling island.
Behind the cover.
The CP0 agents had been hiding for a long time. Just as they were about to assassinate Rocks and the others, they discovered that several of Rocks' Cadres, as well as Rocks himself, had already woken up.
A big, red 'Danger' character floated over the foreheads of the CP0 agents!
...Above the ocean.
The young Morgans frantically rowed his boat. He heard the whistling sound of a massive object rapidly descending, and his Sixth Sense told him that if he didn't quickly row away from here, he would be crushed at the bottom of the sea and perish.
"Th-that is!"
While desperately rowing, Morgans looked up at the sky.
A figure descended from the sky, holding a person in their arms, and quickly headed into the distance.
Morgans was extremely envious. That guy could travel through the air!
When he got older, he absolutely had to get a Bird-Bird Type Devil Fruit, for the convenience of stealing... *cough*, for the convenience of gathering news materials.
After Morgans had rowed very, very far away, the clouds in the sky instantly parted, and a giant island immediately plummeted.
The enormous shadow continuously expanded, instantly covering the sea, like a meteor rapidly falling.
"Boom—!"
Asuka Island instantly crashed onto the sea, its position significantly deviating from where it originally was.
As the island fell, the entire landmass was instantly shaken to pieces, and massive ocean waves surged outwards.
Morgans quickly held onto his small boat. In the next instant, a wave struck and immediately capsized the vessel.
The terrifying giant waves spread out in all directions, only stopping after a long, long time.
Morgans' boat was flipped over, bottom-up. He was clinging to the hull, and both he and the camera transponder snail were soaked to the bone.
In the distance, high up in the sky.
Eustass, holding Doris, hurried into the distance, about to vanish on the horizon.
Morgans quickly grabbed the camera transponder snailand started taking a flurry of photos.
Eustass disappeared shortly after the photos were taken.
Morgans quickly looked toward the island, where the heavily injured Rocks, leading Whitebeard and others, was confronting Sengoku, who was leading Garp and others.
"Pfft!"
Both sides spat out blood one after the other. They quickly stabilized themselves, having barely managed to stay upright.
The two groups stared at each other warily, quickly retreating and separating.
Morgans took a rapid succession of photos of the confrontation on the island.
He watched the two groups disperse, then glanced at the sky again, thinking about the person who had left.
He became increasingly certain that these three parties must have engaged in an extremely fierce grand melee.
The result was that the pirate faction led by Rocks and the Marine faction led by Sengoku were both soundly beaten by the third party.
"Big news! Super big news!"
Morgans was incredibly excited. He felt he could use this super big news to earn his First Pot of Gold!
Chapter 196: Kaido Appears, Kaido Stole Rocks' Home! (Please Subscribe!)
Sengoku and his group, along with the CP Organization, used a transponder snail to summon Marine branch warships and left the area.
Rocks and the others also found a way to leave the fractured island.
Hive Island.
"Who else?! Who else?!"
A young man over seven meters tall, carrying a spiked club on his shoulder, stood in front of the island's skull-shaped building, roaring repeatedly at the pirates he had beaten down around him.
The young man had two horns on his head, a burly physique, and messy long hair. He looked a bit simple-minded, not yet possessing the fierce demeanor of a peak Four Emperors decades later.
He was robust, full of explosive muscles, and constantly glared at the pirates who mocked him.
And those pirates who had mocked him when he first came to Hive Island to join, without exception, were all beaten down by him.
Unconvinced!?
If they weren't convinced, he would use his spiked club to knock some sense into those scumbags' heads!
"Roar! I want to join Rocks! I want to become an executive!"
Kaido roared, "Tell your Captain to come out now!"
He was Kaido. At ten years old, the exceptionally talented Kaido had become the strongest warrior in the Vodka Kingdom.
Many years ago, the King of the Vodka Kingdom betrayed Kaido to the Marine for the right to participate in the World Conference.
Kaido, feeling betrayed, escaped from the Marine and ended up with a bounty of seventy million Berries.
Afterward, on his escape route, Kaido happened to witness Eustass fighting Kong and was impressed by Eustass's formidable strength.
Kaido hoped to receive guidance from Eustass and wished to become his subordinate.
However, Eustass simply wouldn't take him in.
Kaido pursued Eustass's whereabouts for several years, only completely giving up the idea of following the great figure's footsteps when he turned twenty.
Because of this, Kaido went on a rampage on Hive Island and joined the Rocks Pirates five years later than in the original story.
"Captain, the Captain and the executives went to challenge Eustass!"
A heavily injured pirate lying on the ground quickly said, his face distorted by Kaido's blows, making it difficult to speak clearly.
"What?!"
The simple-minded young Kaido's expression turned furious. Eustass was his god, his most admired idol.
Rocks actually went to challenge Eustass!?
"From now on, follow me, Captain Kaido! Don't wait for Rocks anymore, he won't be coming back!"
Kaido waved his large hand and shouted.
In Kaido's eyes, Eustass was the strongest being, the one most capable of changing the World.
Rocks challenging his idol could only lead to a tragic end.
The pirates left to guard the island exchanged glances, thinking this young man was too arrogant!
That night, the heavily injured Rocks and the others didn't return, but they did receive a newspaper.
"Something bad has happened, it's terrible, terrible!"
A pirate rushed over, handing a newspaper, "CaptainRocks, as well as Captain Whitebeard #1, CaptainGolden Lion #2, Captain Big Mom #3, and Captain Wang Cho #4, have all been defeated!
Captain Silver Axe #5, Captain John #6, and CaptainStussy #7 have all been killed in battle!"
After the pirate finished speaking, Kaido snatched the newspaper and burst into laughter.
Currently, the Marine, under the leadership of Kong, was fully pursuing and hunting down the heavily injured Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom, and Wang Cho.
So Rocks couldn't return to Hive Island at all, because the CP Organization had been watching it.
No matter how wildly Kaido laughed, Rocks' crew couldn't do anything to him.
"I told you, your Captain is finished. I'll give you one more chance, join me, and I will lead you to glory!"
Kaido stood up, carrying his spiked club, and shouted.
The pirates looked at each other, unsure what to choose.
An hour later.
Kaido led dozens of pirates to ransack the rooms of Rocks, White 鶴嘴, Big Mom, and others in the skull-shaped building, taking many treasures and Devil Fruitbefore escaping by ship.
Sitting on the ship, Kaido looked at the box in his hands. Inside the box was a purple Devil Fruit with two stems and green, scale-like skin.
He frowned at the fruit, hesitating whether to eat it.
He had found this in Big Mom's room.
But Kaido didn't have a Devil Fruit encyclopedia, so he was indecisive for a moment.
"No matter, to become stronger, eat it!"
Kaido closed his eyes, pinched his nose, and with one hand, put the Devil Fruit into his mouth.
There were too many strong individuals on this sea. Compared to powerhouses like Eustass, Rocks, Whitebeard, and Big Mom, the young Kaido was just a junior.
He wanted to surpass these seniors, even if the Devil Fruit tasted terrible, he would endure it.
Kaido bit off half of the Devil Fruit, then ate the rest. It was so disgusting that his face twitched, his scalp tingled, as if his soul had been nauseated.
"It's decided! Within two years, I must surpass Senior Eustass! I want to change this World!"
Kaido shouted excitedly, his roar echoing between heaven and earth... First Half of the Grand Line.
On a certain unnamed island.
Eustass docked his ship there. A lounge chair was on the deck, where he lay, sipping wine and enjoying the sea breeze.
Not far away, on the sea.
A capsized small boat slowly drifted over, with the listless young Morgans lying on its bottom.
"F-finally, we reached an island..."
Morgans weakly raised his head, looking at the nearby island with tears in his eyes.
The sea after nightfall was terrifying.
The vast ocean was boundless, and the sky was overcast with no light.
The sea surface was dark, and occasionally, the shadow of a giant sea beast would pass by.
And the boat was capsized... This could truly scare someone into thalassophobia.
That feeling of lonely helplessness, that feeling of facing death at any moment, was too tormenting.
"I, I, Morgans, survived a great disaster, surely good fortune awaits..."
Morgans smiled happily and sighed, then instantly collapsed from exhaustion onto the bottom of the boat, falling unconscious.
Eustass placed his wine glass aside and glanced at the sea.
On the sea, a capsized small boat slowly floated, with a young boy lying on it, unconscious.
The bottom of the boat was wet with seawater, and after a moment, the unconscious boy slipped into the water with a splash.
"Morgans?"
Eustass had heard what the other party said just now. Could it be the birdman Morgans who would later establish the World Economy News Company!?
A silk thread instantly appeared in Eustass's hand, coiling towards Morgans.
One end of the camera transponder snail's rope was tied to Morgans. Feeling Morgans fall into the sea, it desperately struggled.
But Morgans was too heavy. It could only look pitifully at the sky, then was dragged down with him.
The next moment, a silk thread flew over, wrapped around Morgans, and pulled both him and the transponder snail out of the water.
Chapter 197. 197. Teaching Morgans How to Become the News King! (Please subscribe!)
The young Morgans was suddenly wrapped up by the White Thread, burst out of the water, and fell onto the ship's deck.
The fall hurt Morgans badly, and combined with the icy cold of the seawater after he fell in, he immediately woke up.
He quickly climbed up, his tired eyes looking around blankly, a subtle wariness in his gaze.
"Y-you are... Eustass Mola!?"
Morgans looked up at Eustass, his pupils contracting in shock.
"Mhm."
Eustass was sitting in a deck chair, holding a wine glass, while the Snake Head Tribe beauty standing quietly behind him quickly poured him some wine.
"..."
Morgans had experienced too much over the past two days and didn't know what to say.
He looked at the camera transponder snail hanging around his neck, and then glanced at Eustass.
Earlier that day, near Asuka Island, he had photographed the island falling, as well as the defeat of the Marine side—Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, Vice Admiral Tsuru—and the Pirate side—Rocks, Whitebeard, BIG MOM, Golden Lion, Wang Cho, and others—and the photograph of Eustassvictorious and walking away.
"Um... there's something I wanted to ask you. I wonder if I may?"
Morgans quickly asked, being extremely careful.
Eustass took a sip of wine, looking at this youthful version of Morgans.
The boy hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit and was currently just a teenager, looking quite handsome, without the large beer belly he would have decades later.
The serious appearance of the future newspaper president who dared to oppose the World Governmentbore no resemblance whatsoever to this extremely handsome young fellow.
"Go ahead and ask."
Eustass waved his hand, took a sip of wine, then handed the glass to Doris and lay back down in the deck chair to rest.
Doris quickly began massaging his shoulders.
"Did you fight Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Vice AdmiralTsuru from the Marine side today, as well as Rocks from the Rocks Pirates, and his officers Whitebeard, BIG MOM, Golden Lion, and Wang Cho?"
Morgans asked quickly.
"Mhm."
Eustass nodded.
"The entire Rocks crew?"
Morgans asked again.
"That's right."
Eustass lay in the deck chair, squinting his eyes and enjoying Doris massaging his shoulders.
He cooperated with Morgans' interview because he wanted Morgans' future news career to go more smoothly.
If the other party developed more smoothly, the World Economy News Company could appear sooner.
Otherwise, it would be too troublesome to try and read a newspaper when sailing later on.
Once the World Economy News Company existed and Morgans obtained the Albatross Form Fruit, he could ask passing Delivery Gulls for newspapers when he sailed again.
"Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Vice Admiral Tsuru were defeated.
Rocks, Golden Lion, BIG MOM, Whitebeard, and Wang Cho were defeated..."
As Eustass spoke, Morgans quickly borrowed paper and a pen from Doris and began taking notes.
"Silver Axe, Captain John, and Bargom Stussy were killed in action."
After Eustass finished speaking, Morgans continued to record.
"Could you describe the battle process?"
Morgans asked quickly.
"I'll give you a brief summary. You just need to embellish it and exaggerate a bit."
After Eustass finished, Morgans was secretly delighted and immediately asked him what he meant.
Eustass personally taught Morgans the tricks of the UC Shock Department.
"Soga! I understand!"
Morgans truly deserved to be the future president of the World Economy News Company, the News King who often risked his life to oppose the World Government.
He grasped the concept instantly.
Eustass spoke, Morgans took notes, and occasionally Eustass would teach Morgans tricks he had learned from Modern Society's newspapers.
Morgans benefited greatly and was extremely grateful.
He had originally thought Eustass was a terrifying pirate, but he never expected that the impression of Eustasscreated by the news was completely false.
As long as one didn't cause trouble for Eustass, and Eustass wasn't looking for a "spar," he was quite approachable.
"Since you possess such immense power, why don't you overthrow the rule of the Celestial Dragons?"
Morgans asked quickly. "The existence of the Celestial Dragons causes tragedies to constantly occur all over the World, every moment."
"Ah, being powerful is one thing, but being able to rule and manage a country well is another. I don't possess that kind of talent."
Eustass said, trying to fool him.
He was just too lazy to do such a grand thing; it was very taxing on the brain cells.
"Talent?"
Morgans looked at him, confused.
He didn't understand!
Wasn't it enough just to be powerful enough to conquer territory?
"With greater power comes greater responsibility. You need to consider all aspects. You can't change the current World just by conquering an island.
Ruling is a very complex matter; you have to look after all aspects, protect the people's safety, regulate the economy, and even figure out how to make the citizens live better lives than before..."
Eustass said. In his view, even the failing nations of Modern Society on Earth did better in this regard than the kingdoms in the Pirate World... "Then how can one achieve that?"
Morgans quickly asked, feeling that he might find the answer in the other man.
"I don't have that kind of talent."
Eustass smiled and waved his hand.
"..."
Morgans was speechless.
Early the next morning.
Morgans formally bid farewell to Eustass, thanking him repeatedly:
"Mr. Eustass, in my opinion, you are not as bad as the World Government claims. Instead, I think you are truly a remarkable person.
Thank you very much for saving me. Well then, I must be going. Please take care."
Eustass was dumbfounded. When did he become a remarkable person?
Most of the things he did were driven by selfish motives.
"There are no completely good people in this World, nor are there completely bad people. Don't view me in such absolute terms."
Eustass said, patting the young Morgans on the shoulder.
"I understand, I will pay more attention!"
Morgans thought about it and felt it made perfect sense. "By the way, since you believe great power doesn't necessarily change the World, then how can the Worldbe changed?"
"Travel more, learn more about this World, and understand the grassroots more. Then you will have your answer."
Eustass wasn't a hero's mentor; where would he get the answer from?
He could only try to fool Morgans like this.
"!"
Morgans looked at Eustass in surprise and delight. He seemed to understand the meaning My Lord Eustass was conveying to him.
"Soga, I get it. Thank you very much for enlightening me!"
Having said that, Morgans bid farewell and turned to leave.
Eustass looked bewildered. What did you understand?
As Morgans turned and walked away, Eustass's words echoed in his mind: Learn more about the grassroots?
Did My Lord Eustass hope that his future newspapers would influence the thoughts of the common people and thus change the World starting from the grassroots?
Something incredible began to sprout in Morgans' heart.
Chapter 198: Eustass with an 8-Billion-Berry Bounty! (Subscribe Please!)
The shattered Asuka Island.
A large number of warships hurried over; Marines and World Government personnel swarmed the island.
A tall figure in a white coat, top hat, and gray mask stepped off a ship and walked to a battlefield.
"This is Silver Axe's corpse, My Lord."
A CP9 agent knelt the moment he saw the CP0 approaching and spoke respectfully.
"Collect it."
"Yes, sir!"
The CP0 said coldly and kept walking.
The World Government cleaned the battlefield, retrieving the bodies of Silver Axe, Captain John, Bargom Stussy, and the others.
The CP0 agent reached the island's center, glanced at the broken Shichiseiken stuck in the ground, ignored it, and turned away.
"Moshi moshi, this is the Asuka Island battlefield; CP0 Ashburn here."
"On your way back, stop by Marine HQ and tell them to stop wasting effort."
"Understood!"
"Also, raise Eustass Mola's bounty to eight billion Berries."
"Understood!"
The Gorosei in Mary Geoise ended the call.
The Gorosei seemed to give up—since they couldn't win, they wouldn't fight. Bounty? A bounty was just a joke... First Half of the Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago, GR 55.
A sailing ship docked at the shore.
Eustass lounged in a beach chair, beer and grilled meat in hand, munching while sensing his surroundings.
A grill stood in front; Doris of the Snake Head Tribe sat beside him, flipping sea-beast meat and sprinkling spices.
Behind them, on Eustass's new ship, a middle-aged craftsman stood coating the hull with bubble rings that fused together... Shipwright Uncle Sizé took a drag of his cigarette, glanced at his carefree employer eating meat and drinking beer, and envied him terribly.
He had a Snake Head beauty beside him, strolled around Sabaody whenever he liked, occasionally offed a few Celestial Dragons, freed foreign princesses from slavery, and had fun with those princesses for a few nights.
Beating up Celestial Dragons, living the high life across the seas.
Anyone hearing about Eustass's recent years would cry from envy.
Sizé was a Sabaody shipwright who specialized in coating ships for submersion.
He ran a coating shop at GR 55, taking jobs from pirate and merchant ships and earning decent money, spending his free time at the red-light district of GR 26 to boost the World Government's GDP.
Decades ago, when he was just a teenage apprentice, it was he who coated Eustass's ship.
After coating for this old client for so many years, the more Sizé talked with him, the more he envied him.
So strong that the World Government could only boost his face value (bounty) and gave up chasing him—how powerful must that be!
"An uncrowned king—a true uncrowned king."
Sizé sighed, looked at the freshly coated ship, then began pumping air into the film so it ballooned around the hull.
After finishing everything, he packed up and disembarked.
"What, didn't find any Celestial Dragon scumbags?"
Sizé teased.
"Sigh, they've gotten smart; they won't come out anymore."
Eustass sighed; it looked like he'd have to switch ships again. He'd wanted to catch a Celestial Dragon girl as a slave.
Sunset clouds blazed red; the sparkling sea was breathtakingly beautiful.
Eustass decided to set sail tomorrow; tonight he'd drop by the Human Auction House.
"Zero-Buy shopping at the Human Auction House—coming?"
Eustass stood up and asked the shipwright Sizé.
"You go ahead; I'll pass."
Sizé waved his hands hurriedly; he hadn't the guts to zero-buy from Celestial Dragon property.
Eustass waved, told Doris to stay aboard, and headed for GR 1.
Night fell.
GR 1.
Human Auction House.
The host stood on stage, smiling at the buyers below:
"Lords, ladies, honored guests, welcome to our 208th auction of the year."
"Today we have prepared ample lots for you."
"Fallen princes and princesses from across the World."
"And all sorts of strange races."
"Ah, sorry, sorry—they don't count as people, ha-ha-ha!"
The host finished with a sneer; the nobles and kings below burst into wanton laughter.
Clearly, it was no joke.
These nobles never saw commoners as human.
"All right, enough prattle. Next, let our hostess Minervalead the first lot on stage, and may today's auction conclude smoothly."
With that, the host quickly stepped aside.
A shapely woman led a chain onto the stage.
Behind her, a crown-wearing fallen king was led up.
He had ruled a non-World Government-affiliated kingdom; half a year earlier the World Governmentdemanded it join and pay huge celestial tribute.
He refused; six months later pirates broke his nation, wiped out the royal guard, and the nearby Marine Baseignored his pleas.
Below the stage,
nobles and dignitaries sat nervously, all because in recent years Eustass visited Sabaody yearly to zero-buy at the Human Auction House.
"This old man must be over sixty?"
"Right, right, no fun buying him back, tee-hee."
Two noble ladies from the Shishano Kingdom said disdainfully.
"A fallen king—collectible. I'll buy him for my grandson to ride like a horse."
In the front row, a white-haired, pot-bellied Duke of the Voka Kingdom laughed, raised his paddle, and spent eight million Berries.
"Eight million once, eight million twice, eight million thrice—sold!"
As soon as the host finished, the Duke's child beside him jumped up. "A horsey to ride, whoopee!"
Just an unknown fallen king; the rest saw no need to waste money bidding.
Soon hostess Minerva led another slave from backstage.
Cursing erupted below.
"No mermaids?"
"It's been years without a single mermaid—why keep this auction house open?"
"Such lousy goods—do you still want to earn money?"
The nobles cursed; the host looked embarrassed.
But what could he do? Fish-Man Island was now under the protection of Eustass's female apprentice—in other words, Eustass protected Fish-Man Island.
That madman Eustass had already killed dozens of Celestial Dragons.
Who would still dare go to Fish-Man Island to catch people? Only someone tired of living!
Chapter 199: Human Auctioning Place Freebie! An "Angel" with Snow-White Wings! (Subscribe Please!)
"Everyone, please calm down—the best items are always saved for last. The final item, I assure you, is no less impressive than a mermaid.
Our Human Auctioning Place has spent vast manpower and resources over the years, and finally, last month, we located a specimen every bit as valuable as a mermaid!"
It took the auctioneer ages of persuasion before the buyers finally quieted down.
One by one, slaves were sold.
At last, a slave completely draped in black cloth was led onstage by the hostess, Minerva.
Eustass happened to walk in, taking the last row and stretching his long legs over the seat in front, crossing them casually.
Duke Conrad, sporting short blond hair, felt a kick to the back of his head; he spun around furiously, ready to curse.
But the moment he recognized the infamous Eustass Mola, his anger fizzled out like a doused flame.
"Sorry for the discomfort—I'll leave at once."
With that, Duke Conrad bowed and hurried toward the exit.
"It did hurt. Pay up."
Eustass grabbed him, extorting the wealthy noble without a shred of guilt.
Duke Conrad's mouth twitched, but no matter how shameless the demand, he had to endure it.
"Please accept this, and may you have a pleasant evening."
The Duke ordered a servant to hand over a suitcase stuffed with Berries to Eustass.
"Scram."
At Eustass's word, Duke Conrad fled as if pardoned, scrambling away from the demon.
The back row was nearly empty; no one noticed Eustassbullying a minor Duke.
The auction continued.
Just as the Host was about to unveil the slave's black cloth, he glanced at the last row and his hand shook in fright.
"Reveal it already!"
"Stop keeping us in suspense!"
"Hahaha~!"
The nobles and royals in the audience burst into laughter.
"Yes, sir!"
The Host and Minerva exchanged nervous looks before yanking away the black cloth covering the female slave.
Their biggest commission of the day had just gone up in smoke.
Whenever Eustass visited the Human Auctioning Place, he always left with at least one beautiful slave—and never paid a cent.
After having his fun, he'd set the woman free.
He got his pleasure; she got her freedom.
A win-win!
If the Human Auctioning Place weren't backed by the World Government, it would've folded long ago.
"Rustle~!"
The black cloth was whipped off; multicolored lights from the theater's transponder snails converged on the woman, bathing her in shifting hues.
Minerva secretly flashed a dagger at the slave girl.
The girl quickly spread the snowy wings on her back.
Gasps swept through the royal and noble onlookers.
A 5'11" Sky Island woman with perfect curves, lovely features, and flowing blond hair stood on the stage.
Her sapphire eyes, wide with terror, gazed pitifully at the roaring bigshots before her.
Her name was Emma Stacy, from Sky Island.
Only eighteen, Emma had tumbled from the Sky Islandten thousand meters above the clouds while playing around.
Sky Islanders do have wings, but they're tiny and cute—utterly useless for flight, perhaps vestigial.
A fledgling that can't fly plummets to its death.
Falling ten thousand meters onto the Blue Sea is, for most, no different from smacking concrete.
At death's door, Stacy performed a miracle: her wings spread and she soared.
Such miracles had occurred once among the residents in the One Piece Film: Strong World.
There, the winged folk bore wings on their arms.
Sky Islanders, however, carry theirs on their backs.
Emma Stacy's wings opened just in time to save her life.
Naïve and sheltered, she was tricked by traffickers days after landing, locked in iron cages and chained.
Under the lights, the chained Sky Islander in a dress and heels, wings unfurled, looked like a fallen Angel.
The nobles erupted in excitement.
They'd seen beautiful mermaids, but never a Sky Islandgirl from the heavens.
Instantly, the bidding went wild.
The two Hosts exchanged resigned glances; they knew today's high bids were pointless.
"89 million Berries!"
"90 million!"
"100 million!"
"I'll—"
Royals and nobles kept topping each other as if Berriesgrew on trees.
Several nearly came to blows over the rare winged blonde beauty.
"Zero Berries."
Eustass's words made faces darken—who dared disrupt the auction now?
Scores of furious eyes turned toward him, fierce as wolves.
But one glimpse of Eustass and their rage evaporated.
Oh, the Celestial-Dragon-slayer Eustass—never mind.
"D-deal…"
The Host looked as if he'd eaten a Devil Fruit, forced to agree.
Eustass strode onstage, grabbed the explosive collar around Stacy's neck, and snapped it apart with Armament Haki internal destruction, tossing the halves aside.
"Boom—!" ×2
Two blasts tore open new "side doors" in the Human Auctioning Place.
"Let's go."
Eustass swept the blond Sky Islander into his arms and walked out.
The Host stared at the collar key in his hand, then at the collapsed walls, and sighed.
Eustass took Stacy to a royal hotel on 61GR for the night.
That evening, he thoroughly admired her beautiful wings.
And, of course, exchanged deeper "pleasantries" with Stacy… The next morning.
Dawn.
Sunlight spilled into the room.
Eustass shifted the Sky Island girl aside, moving her wings out of the way.
"You're free. Go wherever you wish; if you fear being hunted, seek shelter on Fish-Man Island."
With that, he dressed to leave.
A purely physical affair.
Each took what they wanted.
He invested no feelings in strangers.
Emma Stacy lay there, staring blankly at him.
"C-can I stay with you?
I'll do anything you ask."
Stacy blushed crimson.
Chapter 200: Heading to Fish-Man Island. Should I roast a Sea King on a Submarine Volcano? (Please subscribe!)
"No way!"
Eustass shook his head repeatedly.
There are still several decades before the Ope-Ope no Miand Pure Gold appear.
Over these decades, Eustass can continuously extend his lifespan and slow down aging through System rewards, but the women around him are destined to grow old.
That's why he had never laid a hand on his two disciples from the Snake Head Tribe and the Merfolk Tribe before.
Because he understood that they were destined to age, and he couldn't bear the pain of watching his loved ones suffer separation and death.
Therefore, he currently only seeks out beautiful women from outside to solve his problems.
At the same time, it's physical, not emotional.
"I, I can do anything..."
Stacie quickly said, hugging him.
"That won't work either."
Eustass waved his hand.
After pinching her cheek, Eustass took Stacie to play cards for over an hour.
Only then did he leave.
55GR.
Eustass returned to the ship and began the descent of the coated vessel toward Fish-Man Island.
The Sky Island woman, Stacie, originally wanted to chase after him, but she watched Eustass's ship submerge beneath the sea surface.
She could only circle helplessly in the air for a while before reluctantly flying upward, preparing to return to Sky Island.
"Oh my god! I'm so jealous!"
Seizer, the Shipwright sitting by the shore fishing, looked up at the blonde woman flying into the sky like an Angel, and his mouth watered with envy.
"Eustass really knows how to have fun. I'm dying of envy..."
Seizer shamefully shed tears of envy... Fish-Man Island is located 10,000 meters beneath the Red Line near Mary Geoise.
It is a necessary stop for pirates heading to the New World.
Marine, World Government personnel, and nobles from World Government affiliated countries can travel to Mary Geoise on the Red Line and use it as a relay station to reach the New World.
But for pirates, the only method is to coat their ships, risk diving to Fish-Man Island, recoat and repair there, and then ascend to the surface in the New World sea area.
As the ship submerged beneath the surface, sunlight shone in, and various colorful fish swam past, along with brightly colored Marine plants swaying gently with the currents.
It was like a fairy tale World.
Eustass sat on the ship's deck, admiring the scenery outside the coating.
He held roasted meat in one hand and beer in the other.
Taking a bite of meat, sipping beer, and watching the beautiful seascape outside the ship's coating, he enjoyed the leisurely time.
Doris of the Snake Head Tribe sat nearby, looking up at the sea surface above.
In her Observation Haki perception, the Sky Island beauty who stayed with the Captain for a night had already flown away.
"Captain, if you need to resolve personal matters, you can find me..."
Doris of the Snake Head Tribe whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Then go make me a meal."
Eustass laughed.
Good disciple: "..."
Doris sighed and turned to the galley to cook.
Eustass glanced at her retreating figure.
Even though his beautiful Snake Head Tribe disciple was over thirty, she was still very pretty, and her beauty had a long shelf life.
But he understood that the day his disciple grew old would eventually come.
If he developed deeper feelings for his disciple.
When she eventually aged, he might not be able to face it calmly.
Underwater, beams of light shone through the ship's coating, resembling magnificent light projections.
The small sailboat continuously sank, passing through the gigantic roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove, which intricately extended into the abyssal darkness of the sea.
The entirety of the Sabaody Archipelago is composed of sections formed by the roots of this colossal Yarukiman Mangrove.
Two plump sea fish swam outside the ship's coating, puffing their gills and staring curiously at Eustass with their round eyes.
Eustass pressed his hand against the coating, making a squeaking sound as he tried to poke their heads.
The two sea fish quickly fled in fright.
But they weren't afraid of Eustass; they were afraid of a behemoth behind the ship.
Between the gigantic Yarukiman Mangrove roots, behind the coated sailboat, an enormous azure Sea King swam slowly.
Eustass's sailboat was not even the size of the Sea King's tail.
The azure Sea King glared, carefully examining the tiny vessel in front of it, before suddenly opening its massive maw and biting down.
The ship's coating can withstand a single attack; its toughness and defense are quite strong.
At the same time, it allows people to pass in and out.
However, if too many points of stress are applied simultaneously, the coating might burst.
Eustass instantly stood up and glared back.
Conqueror's Haki instantly spread out, precisely controlled by him, placing pressure on the Sea King.
"Roar!"
The azure Sea King's expression changed to shock, as if it had been targeted by an extremely terrifying monster, and it quickly twisted its body and swam away, causing the current to surge violently.
"Captain, your noodles."
Doris, schemingly having changed into a bikini, came out carrying a bowl of noodles.
"Oh, thanks. Go take the helm."
After Eustass finished speaking, he took the bowl of noodles and started eating again.
Doris: "..."
She sighed and turned to steer the ship.
Eustass slurped his noodles while admiring his disciple.
Snake Head Tribe women have the best figures... at least his disciple is pleasing to the eye, and watching her makes him happy.
Having someone steer the ship while diving underwater is essential, as there are still many unforeseen dangers on the way to Fish-Man Island.
Collisions with obstacles, Sea Kings, or the giant mangrove roots cause about seventy percent of pirates heading to the New World each year to suffer coating ruptures and die in the sea.
A sea turtle half the size of the ship swam past.
"It would make excellent soup..."
Eustass said, his mouth watering.
The sea turtle looked back at him, and the next moment, it swam away in panic.
The deeper they dove, the dimmer the light in the seawater became.
Eustass looked into the distance; in the sea below, a pirate ship was slowly descending when a gigantic Shadow instantly swept past and bit down.
The pirate ship's coating instantly burst, and numerous pirates slowly floated upward.
The pirates drifted past Eustass's ship one by one, already dead the moment they were crushed by the seawater pressure.
Illuminated by the sunlight, they looked like ghosts ascending to heaven.
Doris steered the ship, which continued to descend until it reached 8,000 meters underwater, passing a Submarine Volcano.
The Submarine Volcano had not erupted, and Dorisbreathed a sigh of relief.
"This place is perfect for roasting a Sea King."
Eustass exclaimed.
Doris was speechless; her Master was not only flirtatious but also a gourmet.
The sailboat passed through the abyssal dark trench at 8,000 meters deep.
After descending for a long, long time, they finally reached Fish-Man Island—10,000 meters deep!
The giant Yarukiman Mangrove roots extended into the deep abyss, and the special roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove channeled the sunlight from the surface down into Fish-Man Island.
The sea area near Fish-Man Island was illuminated by sunlight, dispelling the darkness of the abyss.
Large schools of colorful fish quickly swam past, and various oddly shaped Sea Kings glanced at the ship before leisurely swimming away, completely ignoring the humans.
Chapter 201: 201. The Legendary Mermaid Girl Lands with Long Legs at Thirty! (Please subscribe!)
Fish-Man Island was surrounded by a massive bubble, shining like a luminous pearl in the abyss.
Above the giant Fish-Man Island, there was a smaller giant bubble connected to it.
That was Ryugu Palace. In front of the massive Fish-Man Island beneath Ryugu Palace, there was a large connected external port, specifically for incoming ships.
Eustass's sailboat was still some distance from Fish-Man Island.
One strange-looking sea beast after another swam over.
Some had lion heads and white fish tails.
Some had elephant heads and plump fish bodies below.
Others had leopard heads baring their teeth at the sailboat, but with beautiful pink spotted fish tails below.
These sea beasts were truly bizarre, each ugly in its own way, reaching new heights of ugliness, yet strangely cute.
It was as if the Creator God had drunk fake alcohol, haphazardly mixing the genes of unrelated creatures to create these strange beings.
Of course, it's also possible that hundreds of years ago, this sea was actually a genetic testing ground for some aliens?
Eustass pondered this as he watched the surrounding sea beasts.
A decaying ship was slowly being dragged by a duck-headed sea beast with thick iron chains, stirring up the white sand on the seabed.
A young fish-man race member, dressed in a purple overcoat, wearing a purple hat, four-legged trousers, and two long swords hanging at his waist, stood on the decaying ship.
He had flowing black hair and smiled as he looked at the ship below, especially at the beautiful Snake Head Tribewoman in a bikini by the rudder, laughing arrogantly:
"Chi ha ha ha! I am Vander Decken VIII, Captain of the Flying Pirates! Passing ships, if you want to live, leave your treasures and beautiful women!"
Eustass and Doris silently watched this idiot.
Is the information on Fish-Man Island really that isolated and blocked?
Fish-Man Island is under Eustass's protection, yet this idiot hasn't seen his reports or photos?
"Vander Decken VIII?"
Eustass looked at this flamboyant fish-man race young man in purple clothes. This must be the father of the future Vander Decken IX.
Good heavens, the Vander family is really lazy when it comes to naming.
They just go with Vander Decken I, II, III, IV, and so on.
"Huh, you dare ignore me, your great daddy? You're very brave!"
Vander Decken VIII said with displeasure. With two swishes, he instantly drew the long swords from his waist and pointed them at Eustass's sailboat.
"This great daddy warns you one last time, hand over that woman immediately! I'm going to have a wedding, chi ha ha ha!
Otherwise, don't blame this great daddy for being impolite, you lowly humans!"
"Bastard, do you know who the person in front of you is? Such disrespect!"
Doris's face was furious. With a clang, she drew her long sword and pointed it at Vander Decken VIII, roaring.
"Chi ha ha ha, I don't care who you are! If you don't listen, then die!"
Vander Decken VIII roared, then, in the seawater, he swung his two swords at Eustass's sailboat.
Two slashes were unleashed, sweeping with the current, rapidly heading towards the sailboat.
The next moment, an angry shout came.
"Vander Decken, you're looking for death!"
In the seawater.
From the direction of Fish-Man Island.
A mermaid's graceful figure swiftly swam over. The mermaid Samantha rapidly approached, her delicate fists clenched, swimming quickly between the ship and Vander Decken VIII.
Samantha suddenly grabbed the two slashes with both hands, using immense force, and crushed them directly.
The next moment, Samantha's fish tail suddenly whipped towards the distance, performing Fish-Man Karate, sweeping the current. A powerful current surged out, directly sending Vander Decken VIII flying.
Vander Decken VIII looked at Samantha in terror, quickly turned around, and swam rapidly into the distance, his figure speeding through the water like a cannonball, beginning his escape.
He was short-sighted and didn't know Eustass's appearance, which was why he tried to rob the sailboat in front of him.
But Samantha was a renowned heroine of Fish-Man Island, a powerful mermaid sent by Eustass Mola to protect Fish-Man Island.
He had seen Samantha before, and if he didn't run now, he would be dragged to Keelungkao Square and beheaded.
"You all, didn't I tell you? You cannot collude with Vander Decken VIII, and you cannot use force against friendly humans!"
Samantha's silvery-white fish tail swayed in the sea. As she swam, her delicate brows were furrowed, and her gaze was fixed angrily on the sea beasts.
The sea beasts looked at Big Sister Samantha in fear, one by one lowering their huge heads, ready to be beaten.
"Duang Duang Duang!"
Samantha swam back and forth rapidly in the seawater, punching each sea beast 'little brother' and giving them one red bump after another on their foreheads.
"Still not leaving!"
Samantha shouted. The sea beasts trembled as they looked at her, then quickly scattered and fled as if for their lives.
Samantha took a few deep breaths, letting her serious and frightening expression slowly fade. Then she swam cheerfully towards the sailboat, entered the bubble, and threw herself into Eustass's arms:
"Captain, you're finally here~ I missed you so much~"
"Get down..."
Eustass said helplessly. One moment she had the air of a heroic woman, the next she turned into a spoiled, seductive little sister who craved his body.
"No, no~
Master, do you feel it?
Your disciple here.
Has an even better figure now~"
Doris, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, dragged the'smelly senior sister' away.
She actually dared to tempt the Captain.
How outrageous!
"You're a mermaid heroine who protects Fish-Man Island, Captain Samantha of the Mermaid Pirates, respected even by the Ryugu Royal Family! Know your limits!"
Doris roared angrily, baring her teeth, so furious that the Snake Head Tribe swordsman wanted to bite her with her fangs.
"Hmph, what's the use of being tall? You're still just a stick~"
Samantha grumbled unhappily, then pushed Doris away.
Her fish tail, white as silver sand, instantly began to transform into two long legs.
Samantha stood barefoot on the ship's deck, tugged at her seaweed skirt, and happily ran towards Eustass.
Doris quickly grabbed her, "Explain yourself clearly, or let's duel!"
Eustass watched his two female disciples bickering daily, choosing to let them resolve it themselves and not meddle.
Occasionally, he would also admire his two beautiful disciples.
One curvaceous.
One tall and slender.
Truly a feast for the eyes~
Just looking at them makes one feel ten years younger~
As for Samantha's fish tail transforming into legs, the reason is simple.
Female merfolk, at the age of thirty, can already choose to switch between a fish tail and two legs.
Doris, wearing a long dress, glanced at Captain Master and noticed that Captain Master frequently stared at a certain spot.
She then looked at the mermaid Samantha.
She was only wearing a very unreliable seaweed skirt.
Doris quickly dragged her senior sister towards the ship's cabin, insisting on putting a skirt on her.
"A seaweed skirt...
It's simply outrageous!"