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Chapter 1000: A Man Riding a Bicycle
Chapter 1000: A Man Riding a Bicycle
Liu Sheng Shi Hu understood. He realized the truth.
It wasn’t that they had betrayed their lord—it was that their lord had never trusted them. He could have rallied Wano Country’s forces to fight Blackbeard’s Giant Serpent and Kaido. But he had done the opposite. He had never once placed faith in them, instead clinging to some absurd prophecy claiming that twenty years later, someone else would come to save Wano Country and open its borders.
Was he himself incapable of doing it?!
So many had supported him, so many were willing to die fighting for him. Yet what had he been doing all along?!
He had treated their loyalty like a joke, choosing instead to trust an enemy, acting like a fool for years. Even then, Liu Sheng Shi Hu had still believed in Oden. He thought Oden would awaken, come to his senses, and lead them back into battle!
But until the day he died, Liu Sheng Shi Hu never saw it happen!
That was betrayal. That was a complete and utter failure to trust them!
It wasn’t Liu Sheng Shi Hu who abandoned his lord. He had never done so. It was his lord who had never trusted them, not even on his deathbed!
By contrast…
Liu Sheng Shi Hu, his eyes brimming with bloodshot tears, glared at Wilbur. Behind the Navy officer stood resolute ranks of soldiers and determined civilians.
If it had been these men back then…
If it had been this Navy standing in Oden’s place, they could have affirmed their strength against Kaido!
Yes. Even if it meant death, they would have shown what Wano Country’s true spirit was made of!
“Justice…?” Liu Sheng Shi Hu muttered softly. He locked eyes with Wilbur for a long moment, then suddenly bowed deeply. The gesture lasted several seconds before he straightened up and turned away without a backward glance, walking back toward his men.
“Retreat.”
“C-Captain?” A stunned pirate stammered. “We’re retreating?!”
Liu Sheng Shi Hu didn’t reply. He simply glanced at the pirate, who immediately shut his mouth. The corpses of their fallen comrades still littered the battlefield. He dared not provoke this man further.
As Liu Sheng Shi Hu led his pirates away, Wilbur watched the ships vanish into the distance and exhaled in quiet relief.
He was no match for Liu Sheng Shi Hu.
Wilbur himself wasn’t strong. His military rank had been earned through years of service, not raw power. Back when he was stationed at Shabondy in the Farming Region, the Navy’s presence had often been symbolic at best. They rarely saw action, mostly serving as a deterrent—only occasionally driving off pirates who attempted to land. Even then, the results hadn’t always been favorable. Wilbur had been injured more than once during his time there, until Kuromr.’s arrival finally ended the chaos.
He longed for strength. He envied Kuromr.’s subordinates. Vice Admiral Lida wasn’t just powerful before joining the Marines—she had been formidable in her own right. Vice Admiral Klah was equally strong, serving as Kuromr.’s strategist and right-hand man. Every decision Kuromr. made was carried out by Klah. As for Kas… he was someone Wilbur deeply respected, a man of immense strength.
Kuromr.’s subordinates faced no real danger, but Wilbur still desired to grow stronger, to serve his commander better. Despite his efforts at cultivation, his limited aptitude held him back. Even after consuming the Amplification Devil Fruit, he knew he couldn’t rival these elite warriors.
Still, he hadn’t brought shame to Kuromr.’s name.
“Maintain the defenses. Also, send a report to Headquarters requesting reinforcements,” Wilbur ordered grimly.
“Yes, sir!”
…
On another island, David led his forces ashore.
Unlike the Navy, David’s mission was one of conquest. This was the final island in Xipilian Kingdom’s outer territories, the last target in their campaign.
With a metallic hiss, David charged forward in his Wolf Knight Armor, his massive sword piercing straight through a pirate’s body. With a single swing, he unleashed a devastating impact, slicing through the remaining pirates and sending them flying. They hit the ground, lifeless.
The last resistance. Once they fell, the island would belong to Dressrosa.
Buzz!
But as he finished them off, a piercing sound cracked through the air from behind the pirates’ corpses. A metal object, gleaming in the sunlight, hurtled forward like a blade cutting through soft tofu, slicing through the remaining pirates and continuing its flight toward Dressrosa’s forces.
“Hmm?”
David raised his arm. A single swing of his massive sword sent a gust of wind roaring forward, halting the spinning metallic weapon mid-air.
“A Chakram?”
It was a three-bladed Chakram, attached to a chain. Once stopped by the wind, the chain yanked it back with a clinking sound, disappearing into the hills beyond. There, a new figure appeared.
A bare-chested youth stood there, his muscular frame rippling with agility. One hand held the chain, the other the Chakram. His long hair, wild and enviable, danced like a savage mane, framing a face that should have been handsome but was now twisted into a gruesome, malevolent grin.
“Your Majesty, that’s ‘Homicide Blade’ Herbert! An officer of the Unicorn Pirate Group!” a soldier reported.
“I know.”
David nodded. “Wilbur radioed me earlier. He said this pirate crew was targeting my territory. They finally found me, huh?”
He raised his helmeted gaze toward Herbert. Behind the pirate, more figures began emerging.
“Looks like another battle’s coming.”
Gripping his massive sword, David pointed it at Herbert. “But it doesn’t matter. Nothing will stop my lord’s long-cherished wish. I, David, will crush everything in our path!”
Elsewhere, off the coast of the distant island, a Pirate Ship from the Unicorn Pirate Group approached David’s location.
On the deck stood a man adorned with feathers in his hair, wielding a massive boomerang. Tribal tattoos marked his body—a savage symbol of his Cannibal Tribe heritage.
He was ‘Tide Surge’ Garf, one of the five officers of the Unicorn Pirate Group. He had been sent to conquer Xipilian Kingdom, but bad luck had delayed him. When the others set out, a storm had held him back for days, forcing him to take a detour. Now, he raced toward his own target.
“Faster! Faster!” Garf barked impatiently. “If those four idiots finish their jobs before I arrive, Captain will be furious!”
“Captain, we’re already at full speed!” a pirate replied. “We can’t go any faster!”
“Then start rowing!” Garf snarled. “Break out the oars! Divide into teams and paddle your damn selves! If you can’t keep up… I’ll eat you!”
“Yes, sir!”
The pirate broke into a cold sweat and scrambled away.
Garf, a member of the Cannibal Tribe, had grown up with the tradition of human flesh.
“Hurry up and land already! Pirate meat’s too tough. I prefer women and children—their flesh is tender. But if there are any strong men… I wouldn’t mind sampling their meat either,” Garf licked his lips, his mind already savoring the thought as he grinned with excitement.
“Captain! Captain! There’s someone ahead!” A pirate shouted from the crow’s nest.
“So? What’s strange about that?” Garf frowned. “Sink them! Just make sure to save any tender meat for me!”
“B-But… there’s only one person!”
The pirate raised his telescope, staring in disbelief. “A man riding a bicycle across the Grand Line!”
(End of Chapter)
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