Chapter 1338: Crimson Heaven's Radiance
Chapter 1338: Crimson Heaven's Radiance
Darkness and bloodlight nearly enveloped the entire plaza.
To the onlookers, the plaza seemed swallowed by a massive fan-shaped void, its shockwaves making their bodies tremble uncontrollably. The ground quaked violently, as if shaken by some frenzied rod, leaving afterimages in its wake. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface, some sections collapsing entirely while others rose like jagged waves under the relentless pressure.
"This feels like the end of the world", Moer muttered. He kicked a pirate aside mid-battle, then glanced upward, scratching his head. "Shouldn't something as radiant as the sun usually stop this kind of darkness? Our Fleet Admiral..."
The force blocking the tidal wave of darkness wasn't the sun itself, though it shared the same circular shape. Instead, it was a crimson sphere radiating terrifying Killing Intent and overwhelming pressure.
"Ugh, how come neither side looks remotely heroic?" Moer sighed.
Clang!
Elsewhere, Dracule Mihawk raised his Black Blade to parry, producing a crisp ringing sound. On the blade’s surface, another sword materialized—alongside its wielder, Shiryu.
Shiryu’s condition wasn’t great. His cigar had long been lost, his clothes torn to reveal skin marred by blade marks. Yet Mihawk’s body bore fresh sword wounds too. After all, Shiryu’s strength was nothing to scoff at.
As the clash ended, Mihawk glanced upward, frowning. "This power..."
"Heheheh", Shiryu’s lips curled into a malevolent grin. "Our Admiral’s might is truly terrifying, isn’t it? This time, the Blackbeard Pirates will triumph!"
"Marshall D. Teach? He has a chance, but I still favor Kuro more—he’s the one who defeated me." Mihawk smirked.
"Tch! Then let me dethrone you as the world’s second-greatest swordsman!"
Shiryu vanished again.
"Another disappearance?" Mihawk’s brow furrowed.
The Transparent Devil Fruit’s ability shouldn’t hide sound or scent, yet Shiryu’s aura and presence had vanished entirely—no, his entire existence seemed erased. That was the root of Mihawk’s injury.
"I should’ve adapted by now. At this stage, prolonging this fight serves no purpose."
Mihawk murmured, gripping his massive Black Blade with both hands. Slowly, he raised it skyward. As it spun, countless afterimages materialized—blades of pure shadow forming a semicircular arc.
"Then..."
Mihawk shifted his stance. A crimson streak suddenly slashed across his cheek, and as blood bloomed, the Black Blade arced downward, unleashing a colossal wave of darkness.
Hiss!
The air froze. Moments later, a crimson silhouette flickered into view before Mihawk. Shiryu’s body reappeared mid-lunge, Raikō still thrusting forward—its tip mere inches from Mihawk’s face.
Shiryu’s body stiffened. He glanced down, lips twitching. "How... did you find me?"
"Instinct." Mihawk’s voice was flat. "You hid your sound, scent, and aura, but not your Killing Intent. Though you masked it well, even the faintest trace leaks through—especially..."
His gaze flicked to the sky.
"Especially after spending time with that man, my sensitivity to Killing Intent has sharpened."
"I see."
Hiss!
Blood erupted from Shiryu’s chest as his body split in two, collapsing sideways like broken marionettes. Mihawk flicked his blade clean, sheathing it without glancing at the corpses. He simply tilted his head upward. "Here it comes."
Boom!!!
...
Boa Hancock twisted her waist, dodging an incoming spear. Her legs, long as lances, snapped forward in a devastating kick. "Perfume Feet!"
Crash!
Daidon staggered backward, clutching his chest with a grunt, blood trickling from his lips.
"Hmph." Hancock bent her knee, hands on hips, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Still daring to oppose this one?"
"Muruhuhu... That face is intoxicating. But precisely because of that, I want to kill you even more." Daidon chuckled, wiping his chin.
Hancock’s brow furrowed. "Still defiant? As a woman, you should kneel to this one’s beauty! Since you refuse, this one shall make you atone with your life!"
She was no match for Boa Hancock—undeniable fact.
The "Pirate Snake Princess" Boa Hancock was arguably the strongest female pirate in the Grand Line. Even Kuro acknowledged her might.
"Muruhuhu, I don’t want to die. I’d rather see you suffer instead. So..."
Daidon’s form shimmered. Nine tails erupted from his back, wrapping around him before vanishing in a blur. In their place stood a familiar figure.
"Hihihi!"
The figure adjusted the Luffy perched on his head, flashing a dazzling grin. "Boa Hancock!"
Hancock gasped, hands flying to her face. "L-Luffy... officer!"
"Hihihi, Boa Hancock!" Luffy strode forward, arm outstretched. "Be mine!"
Boom!!!
...
"Arc-shaped dune!"
Midair, Crocodile’s lower body transformed into sand, his arm morphing into a blade of swirling grains that slashed toward Laffitte. The latter barely evaded, wings flaring.
Missing his strike, Crocodile tilted his head upward, cigar smoke curling from his lips. "Won’t you just die already? I’m getting irritated, Laffitte."
Laffitte glanced at his tattered coat hem, now dried stiff, and swallowed hard. Against Crocodile’s iron will and seasoned combat prowess, he couldn’t even activate his hypnotism—only endure relentless punishment.
"Ohohoho", Laffitte feigned nonchalance, adjusting his hat. "Afraid I can’t oblige. I’ve plans to rule the world alongside the Admiral."
"Ha! Your ability to amuse rivals your Admiral’s. Rule the world? Not even the Pirate King could manage that."
Crocodile’s laugh echoed, sharp and piercing. "With such a beast here, no one dares act recklessly within his smokescreen. Let an old man teach you a lesson."
Whoosh!
A sandstorm erupted, swirling into a colossal tempest that swallowed Laffitte whole. After dodging for so long, Laffitte’s stamina was drained. Earlier, he might’ve escaped—but now, his body barely twitched before the storm engulfed him.
Before he could react, a skeletal hand shot from the maelstrom, clamping around his throat.
"Erosion Wheel Return!"
The palm’s suction drained his vitality. Laffitte’s body withered into a desiccated husk.
Slash!
A sand blade severed him at the waist, his halves scattering as the storm dissipated.
Crocodile hovered above, disdainfully eyeing the fallen corpse. "The Seven Warlords of the Sea’s position isn’t yours to claim, you monstrous birdman."
Boom!!!
...
"My Style: Spiral Surge!!"
Joe Rudolph’s fist, crackling with rotational force, launched him skyward. With a Haki-infused punch, he smashed into the giant Lanternfish Man’s head, carving a deep crater into its surface.
"Ow, that hurts!"
Lar Gale roared, swinging his massive arm in retaliation. Joe Rudolph sprang off the fishman’s head, narrowly avoiding the blow.
The arm’s speed was no joke, but for Joe Rudolph, the creature’s sheer size made it an easy target.
Still, his face flushed with frustration.
Unmoving...
This ancient fishman’s bulk was too much. Though confident in his strength, Joe Rudolph couldn’t finish it quickly enough.
He wasn't a Devil Fruit user, lacking those miraculous abilities. What he relied on were his own Haki, unarmed combat techniques, and the convenience of being a Half-fishman in seawater.
This was the main reason he became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
If he went underwater, his strength would grow even stronger. But this was an ancient fishman—going underwater might trigger an eruption of power far beyond his current limits, along with even greater speed.
In that case, the battle might truly reach a stalemate.
Boom!!!
...
Meanwhile, Katakuri's situation was different. Right now, he was locked in combat with Snow.
Harald Reis, the former husband of his mother, seemed to have gained a new ability—a Logia-type Devil Fruit power.
As Katakuri's trident pierced the snowman's body, the snowman's form scattered into drifting snowflakes. These merged with falling snow from the air, reforming into Harald Reis's body.
"You can't hit me", he chuckled lightly. "My Observation Haki and Armament Haki attainments aren't low. And this new Logia Devil Fruit power makes me immune to any attacks you throw at me. Katakuri, I know all about your 'Mochi Technique's power—but if you can't land a hit, all that strength means nothing."
"On the contrary, in this snowstorm, you'll eventually collapse from physical exhaustion. That's when I'll strike!"
Katakuri recognized this Devil Fruit. Before Donquixote Doflamingo's downfall, Caesar Clown's secretary under his command had the same ability. That woman had died, but after all these years, had this power resurfaced in him?
"Your chance?" Katakuri narrowed his eyes. "I never expected you'd still be so arrogant after all this time. You once tried to assassinate my mother, and now you dare think you can defeat me—defeat me, the new captain of the Big Mom Pirates? Just because of snow, you've gained such confidence?"
"Then go ahead—kill me!"
Reis's eyes gleamed with menace. His body dropped with the falling snow, and the airborne snowflakes reassembled into sharp, hardened ice spikes.
Katakuri slammed his trident into the ground, took a deep breath. "Let me show you—there's always a gap."
Buzz!
In an instant, Reis's descending body froze midair, motionless for a moment.
Hiss!
In that split second, Katakuri's trident shot upward, piercing through Reis's neck and spraying blood.
"My mother doesn't care about your life or death, and neither do I. But you're just too annoying."
Katakuri said coldly, yanking his trident free. Reis's body crashed to the ground, landing sideways. His wide, unblinking eyes still held confusion, unable to comprehend his sudden demise.
In this domain, snow continued to fall, slowly covering his corpse. But soon, the snow and body alike were blown away by a sudden gust.
From the sky came a faint, massive explosion.
Boom!!!
...
"Overheat Slash!!"
William's arm transformed into a steam blade, slashing at the fat giant ahead. The steam struck, but the giant didn't evaporate or get scalded as expected.
The giant stared at William, eyes filled with envy. "So lucky! Handsome face, great figure—so envious, so envious!"
Gurururu...
His body seemed to boil, starting to bubble where the steam had hit.
"Die already!"
The giant swung his arm, hurling a wave of scalding liquid. It surged toward William, piercing through his steam body and splattering on the ground, bubbling and slick.
"Oil?"
William's eyes narrowed as he looked at the giant. "Devil Fruit user?"
"Hahaha! I ate the Paramecia-type Oil-Oil Devil Fruit! Your steam's heat is just warming me up!"
The giant grinned grotesquely, fixing William with a menacing stare. "I'll make you as oily as me, and then no girl will like you! You'll live forever in my shadow. Remember my name—I'm the Oil Human!"
Boom!!!
...
Bang!
A bullet shot through Buggy's head. His skull separated from his face, but this coincidence let him dodge the attack.
"Hey, that's dangerous!" Buggy shouted at Van Augur ahead. "Don't play with such deadly toys! People could die!"
"Hmm? You mean I'll die?" Van Augur peered through his sniper scope at Buggy. "If so, that's just fate's decision."
No, I meant I might die...
Buggy froze, a tear rolling down his cheek. He was already stressed out because Kuro had summoned him here.
He'd originally gathered subordinates, but since all the Seven Warlords of the Sea came alone, he'd sent his men away to save face. He'd planned to let others fight while he looked for an opening to claim credit.
But what was this?
Why was he fighting Marshall D. Teach's subordinates?
And using guns? If those Haki-infused bullets hit him, he'd really die!
"Damn you! Forget fate! Don't underestimate Buggy the Clown!"
Buggy leapt, launching a Buggy Ball. "Taste my special mine-grade Buggy Ball!"
Van Augur adjusted his rifle, aiming. "Wind direction good, accuracy confirmed. One bullet can pierce that small cannonball, then the remaining force will go through Buggy's heart. That's it."
Click.
Boom!!!
As Van Augur pulled the trigger, a massive explosion erupted above, shaking the entire space.
The darkness began retreating, replaced by crimson blood masses pressing forward, squeezing the shadows. Finally, the darkness and crimson light merged, creating a dark red glow in the sky that nearly blinded everyone.
As the light appeared, a strange scene unfolded. Countless dark red orbs shot outward, raining down toward the earth. One struck Van Augur just as he pulled the trigger.
Boom!!
The explosion roared. Van Augur instinctively looked down—but saw nothing.
His body had vanished completely.
"Fate... has abandoned me?"
Van Augur sighed, losing consciousness as his head fell toward the ground.
Boom!!
The same crimson orb exploded near William. Instinctively, he turned into steam, avoiding the blast's impact. But his giant opponent wasn't so lucky. As he spoke his name, the dark red orb struck, instantly obliterating his body.
The same fate befell the massive fishman. His enormous size meant multiple orbs struck him. Explosions tore through his body, leaving only scraps—his upper torso connected to lower half by a thread, even the blood and water around him vaporized. His aura was gone.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The orbs scattered, carving massive craters across the battlefield like chunks ripped from reality itself.
Just as he reached toward Boa Hancock, a sinister smile on his lips, the fake 'Luffy' found a crimson orb descending. Both sensed danger and instinctively retreated, narrowly avoiding the blast.
"You're not Luffy's officer!"
Boa Hancock snapped back to reality, ignoring the explosion's power. She glared at the imposter, gritting her teeth. "Daring to impersonate Luffy's officer!"
"Muruhuhu! Can you really attack this face, Boa Hancock? I know all about your special feelings for that man."
The fake Luffy grinned wickedly, glancing at the central crater. "But this power really is—"
"Luffy?"
Before he finished, a voice emerged from the smoke beside him.
Bang!!
The fake's head exploded. His headless body wobbled, transforming into Daidon's corpse before collapsing.
From the smoke, a figure emerged.
Kuro clenched his fist, bloodied and disheveled but terrifying. He glanced at Daidon. "Not Luffy after all."
Above, the crimson sky glow hadn't faded—it seemed eternally frozen. Under the Crimson Heaven's Radiance, thunder rumbled, winds howled, and rain poured.
Kuro tilted his head, roaring toward the horizon. "Marshall D. Teach!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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