Chapter 1054: Fake, All of It
Chapter 1054 - Fake, All of It
As Kuro was toasting and drinking merrily elsewhere...
New World, a certain sea area.
Boom!
The weather in this sea area was terrible—lightning crackled across the sky, howling winds roared, and the Rage Tide churned the waves into towering whirlpools.
Such conditions were rare even in the Grand Line, but here in the New World, they were commonplace.
Navigating the New World required more than watching for powerful enemies or Sea Kings—the eerie weather itself was a deadly foe.
Under such conditions, few pirate crews dared to sail recklessly. Most either detected the danger early or faced being swallowed by the ocean forever.
"Hard to port, full to starboard!"
Amidst this treacherous tyranny of wind and waves, a massive ship struggled to stay afloat. Despite its size, compared to the monstrous storm, it seemed as fragile as a leaf, threatening to disintegrate at any moment.
Inside the ship, frantic shouts echoed. A flash of lightning illuminated the vessel's tattered sails, revealing a Jolly Roger—a skull wearing a captain's hat, with two crossed blades beneath it.
On the deck, Elmira glared into the storm, roaring over the deafening winds.
"Turn right now! Stop pushing forward—we'll all die if we keep going this way!"
The pirates scrambled to obey, straining to adjust the sails manually. Ahead of them, an enormous vortex had suddenly appeared.
Getting caught in that whirlpool meant certain doom.
"Where's William?! Where's the captain?!" Elmira shouted.
"The captain... hasn't come out yet!" a pirate cried weakly.
"Damn it!" Elmira's face darkened. "Cursed weather! Cursed Kuro!"
If William acted now, his steam powers could let them soar briefly, breaking through this storm. But since his battle with Kuro, William had locked himself in the captain's quarters, refusing to emerge.
If not for that damned Kuro, none of this would’ve happened!
Boom!
A thunderbolt struck the ship, snapping a mast. The sail burst into flames as the thick beam crashed down, sending pirates below scrambling away.
This falling debris would spell disaster.
Bang!
Suddenly, a figure shot upward like a rocket. Montblanc's foot smashed into the falling mast, the force rippling through the air like a shockwave, sending the mast hurtling into the turbulent waters of the Grand Line.
Landing heavily, Montblanc shouted, "How long is that guy going to mope around?!"
"I don't know—he's been locked in there!" Elmira shot back, glancing at the captain's quarters. William hadn't moved from within since the fight.
Their losses had already been severe—what was once a full fleet now had only this flagship remaining, most of their crew swallowed by the sea. Now William had secluded himself, forcing Elmira to manage everything.
Under normal circumstances, this might work. But with morale collapsing and this crisis at hand, if William didn't act soon, they'd all die here.
"First things first—we have to survive this!" Elmira gritted her teeth, staring at the approaching vortex. "Montblanc, I'm counting on you!"
"Got it!"
Montblanc inhaled sharply, then sprang to the ship's edge. Grabbing the rail, he planted his feet against the hull and roared as he pushed with all his might.
Boom!
The ship lurched sideways with a thunderous crash, narrowly escaping the vortex's grasp.
The warship, now freed from the vortex's pull, responded sluggishly to the helm. As the crew turned sharply to starboard, the ship slowly veered away from the deadly whirlpool.
Elmira exhaled in relief.
The greatest danger had passed.
But the storm—
Boom!
Another deafening thunderclap exploded as the ship drifted clear of the vortex. The deck shuddered violently, nearly throwing Elmira off balance.
"What?!"
Her face contorted as she rushed to the rail, staring down in horror.
Another massive vortex had appeared directly beneath them, and the ship was already being dragged into its spiral.
They'd fallen straight into a trap!
"No way out!" Montblanc hissed, clenching his teeth as he landed back on deck.
Destroying the ship was easy for him—but moving it with precision, keeping it intact? That exceeded his abilities. Damaging the hull might doom them permanently in this hellish weather.
Elmira couldn't hold back anymore. She screamed at the captain's quarters:
"William! How long will you let us drown in Aokiji's Ice Age?!"
The cabin remained silent.
Montblanc's face twisted in fury as he charged toward the door. "I'll break it down!"
But as his fist neared the wood, the door creaked open. Before William appeared, a column of steam erupted from within.
Like a giant serpent, the vapor surged past Montblanc, coiling around the ship in a tightening grip. With a mighty heave, it lifted the vessel skyward, yanking it clear of the vortex. Then the steam roared into overdrive, concentrating behind the ship like a colossal engine, propelling it forward with explosive acceleration. In moments, they broke free of the storm, crashing back onto the open sea.
"William..." Elmira murmured.
As the storm faded, the moon emerged, and the steam surrounding the ship gradually dissipated.
At the captain's quarters, William finally stepped into the moonlight. His white necktie gleamed as he strode forward. "Enough. Settle down."
The chaotic crew fell silent at his voice.
"I was merely thinking", he said, sweeping his gaze over them. "I haven't been hiding."
These past few days... who could understand what he'd endured?
What Fifth Emperor? What "equal strength"?
Fake! All of it!
It wasn't that he was weak—the Fifth Emperor himself was a fraud. He'd been deceived!
By those pitiful pirates who'd fed him lies.
The foes he'd defeated, the victories in the East Blue—all hollow, all fake!
Only someone like Kuro truly deserved the title of Emperor!
(End of Chapter)
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