Chapter 140: The Sun in the Night (10k)

Chapter 140: The Sun in the Night (10k)



As soon as Sag arrived, he noticed the golden throne. It was a valuable artifact, and with his Observation Haki, he could sense that it had a long history and wasn't hastily crafted.

Moreover, it was a throne.

Sag loved nothing more than thrones!

The chair he currently sat on as captain was just an ordinary boss chair, so this would be a perfect opportunity to replace it.

Moreover, the candlesticks and the shields hanging on the walls in this castle were all made of gold!

Just these were enough to fill Sag with joy.

The anger that had built up as he pounded his way through the stone waves dissipated significantly at this moment.

When he realized that his subordinates had mysteriously entered the castle without him, he had rushed over, smashing everything in his path.

"'Disaster' Norton Sag, I know you. You're quite famous, rumored to have plundered several countries, a commoner who shows no reverence to the nobility."

Graney looked at this white-haired man with a sinister smile, the corners of his eyes twitching as the blood vessels in them swelled. "But who do you think you are, pointing your finger at me, King Graney of the Graney Kingdom!"

The ground heaved like a giant wave, then twisted and tangled into several solid stone tendrils, like tentacles. Their tips came to sharp points as they rose and then lashed out towards Sag.

"Quite a hard strike, indeed. You're a Devil Fruit ability user."

Sag glanced up, a disdainful look on his face, and with his outstretched hand, he simply waved forward.

Boom!

The stone tendrils turned into rubble and fell, like a rain of stones.

No matter how hard they were, they were still just stones.

In the face of emitted and internal destructive Haki, disintegrating them was too easy.

Graney froze, looking at Sag's waving hand, and said with uncertainty, "Haki?"

He couldn't see it, but this feeling was unmistakable.

Being able to disintegrate his stone waves with just a wave of his hand, it could only be Haki.

As someone who frequently interacted with the Marines, Graney was aware of Haki and its applications. He knew about Haki, and he also knew that this should be a more advanced application.

"So this is your reliance? Pathetic!" Graney sneered. "A mere pirate, how long can you persist against me, the King?"

Whoosh!

Before he could even finish his sentence, Sag's figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before Graney. His leg moved like a blur, like a whip, and lashed out.

Bang!

With just one kick, Graney's body flew off the throne and crashed into the stone wall beside it.

Sag stood on the golden throne, his face twisted in a vicious grin as he said, "I told you to get off this throne. It's mine now!"

Graney's body flew towards the wall, but instead of creating a dent, his body seemed to melt. It merged into the wall, creating ripples, as if he had entered water, and his entire body drilled into it, continuously melting and dissipating.

"Commoner!!"

Graney's angry voice echoed throughout the grand hall.

The ceiling above seemed to melt and transform into a wave, like a raging tide, crashing down towards Sag.

Sag's eyebrows furrowed, and as he looked up, his fists ignited with black flames, which he swung upwards.

"Sky Destroying Meteor Shower!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Haki bullets, like black flowing flames, burst upwards with Sag's continuous strikes, shattering the giant stone wave that poured downwards. They all turned into rubble, and the power of the Haki bullets even penetrated through the ceiling, creating a gaping hole in this grand castle, revealing the bright moon and stars above.

Only when he stopped did he turn his head towards a direction and smile as he said, "You blocked it? Not bad, that ability of yours."

On the ground, Graney revealed half of his body, his face twisted in a sinister look. That face of his, which had just been kicked by Sag, now shone brilliantly, as if it were covered in a layer of diamonds.

This thing had blocked his kick. Otherwise, that single kick would have been enough to blast his head apart.

The offensive power of Sag's attacks couldn't be assessed by normal standards.

Having cultivated the Big Dipper God Fist to such a profound level, each of his punches could inflict damage similar to internal destruction, and when combined with the internal destructive techniques of Haki, the double damage further amplified into even more formidable, almost fantastical "true damage."

Being able to withstand his kick, this guy wasn't weak.

"Commoner!" Graney gritted his teeth. "How dare you kick my face, insulting me so! I will stuff you into that throne, making you forever be beneath my ass!"

"Spouting big words is a trait of pirates, not yours. Sky Destroying—" Sag lifted his hand to strike, and Haki coiled around his palm as he released it.

Boom!

The black Haki bullet struck the ground, creating a massive pit in this grand hall, but Graney had already drilled into the ground.

"Hm?"

A red dot flashed in Sag's eyes as he released his Observation Haki, sensing the enemy's position. However, the very act of releasing his Observation Haki caused him to pause.

The enemy's presence was still there, not in a particular direction, but rather, it occupied the entire castle.

This guy had fused with the castle.

This ability was truly...

"...too idiotic!"

Sag stomped his foot, creating a dent in the ground, and the entire castle trembled slightly as if it were in pain.

"A living target, how novel. Destroy this broken place, and let's see if you live or die!" Sag laughed.

On the ground, Graney's figure reappeared as he 'swam' out, his body drilling out from the ground as he covered his abdomen, his face twisted in a grimace.

"You dare come out again." Sag commented.

"For so many years..."

Graney gritted his teeth. "...You're the first one to ever make me feel troubled!"

"Oh? So you've never been to the New World. There are too many ways to deal with your kind of ability." Sag twisted his lips in disdain.

"Hmph, you think I'm limited to just this?"

Graney coldly laughed. "Your attacks are indeed strong, but no matter how strong they are, they're still just physical attacks. They can't compare to my ability as a Devil Fruit user!"

The stones on the ground began to surge like waves, instantly covering the entire grand hall, along with the walls and ceiling, as if everything had melted.

"I ate the 'Rong Rong Fruit', and I'm the 'Melting Man', able to melt and dissolve everything. I can dissolve and reconstruct the density of objects, and I can also fuse with any object, enhancing their strength."

He stretched out his hand, allowing the stone waves to gather towards him, coiling around his arm. He looked at Sag, confidence in his eyes, and said, "Depending on how their abilities are developed, Devil Fruit users can occasionally unleash the power of 'Awakening'. Witness the power of my ability!"

He drew the golden sword from his waist, pointing it at Sag, and the smile on his face grew wilder. "Your Haki is indeed strong, but it's not infinite. However, I... I can infinitely create high-density objects!"

Sag raised his eyebrows and said, "Just relying on stones?

"There's carbon in stones!"

"Watch and see what happens when carbon is fused and purified!" Graney shouted.

Rumble!

The entire castle began to tremble violently, transforming into a rushing water-like flow that quickly surged towards Graney, being absorbed into his body. The more he absorbed, the more solid his frame became. Like the half of his face that was covered in diamonds, his body started to sparkle, encrusted with a layer of diamonds.

His body also swelled up, transforming into a three-meter-tall figure with a robust physique.

He had become a diamond man!

Under the moonlight, Graney absorbed the entire castle, leaving only a flat surface on the mountain and exposing the castle's interior, where the others were still searching.

"Sag!" Lily and the others spotted Sag and hurried towards him. But before they could reach him, they saw a monster shimmering in the moonlight.

"Rong Rong Fruit: Golden King!"

Graney's deep voice echoed, and even the golden sword in his hand had turned into diamonds. He bared his teeth, which were now also made of diamonds, and his diamond-encrusted eyes glared at Sag. "It is an honor for you to witness this form of mine, commoner!"

"You're clearly a diamond, why are you calling yourself gold?" Sag rolled his eyes and instinctively looked behind him, breathing a sigh of relief.

The golden throne was still there.

Not only the throne, but with the castle reduced to nothingness, the mountain's flat surface was glittering everywhere. The golden shields that had fallen to the ground, the golden candlesticks, and even a small mountain of gold coins and gold bars piled up like a small mountain.

The amount was so overwhelming that it dazzled Sag.

"I am the Golden King!"

Graney roared, and the stone ground beneath his feet surged once more with giant waves. Seeing this, Sag's pupils constricted, and he quickly picked up the nearest golden throne.

The pile of gold on the ground was instantly swallowed by the stone waves, including the weapons and armor inside the castle, all of which merged into the waves and flowed into Graney's diamond body.

The shimmering diamonds became even more solid, forming a golden statue.

"My gold!"

Sag widened his eyes, his teeth clenching in anger. "You melted my gold?!

What is this?

Yellow diamond?

Ten dollars a month, huh?"

The hard currency on the high seas was gold, not diamonds. No matter where you were, diamonds could be obtained by various means.

He knew that Whitebeard had a crew member, Joz, who could cover himself in diamonds, and those were genuine diamonds.

But he also knew that the wealthiest man on the sea, Tesoro, could only create fake gold with his Devil Fruit ability and not real gold.

Both were Devil Fruit users, but one created genuine diamonds while the other made fakes. The difference in their abilities was clear.

Besides, he only wanted gold that he could quickly liquidate!

Hoo!

Just as Sag was lost in thought, a violent gust of wind rushed towards him from the front. Graney appeared before Sag, and the yellow diamond greatsword in his hand slashed downward.

Such speed!

Sag's pupils constricted, and he wrapped his right hand in black flowing flames, reaching out to block the descending sword.

Ka-chak!

Boom!!

Just upon contact, the overwhelming force made Sag frown, and the bones in his forearm had clearly snapped. His strength couldn't withstand this guy's power as the diamond sword continued its downward slash.

"Marika!"

Sag swung his left hand, tossing the golden throne towards Marika. Marika reached out and caught the thrown throne, its weight causing her to sink into the stone ground, leaving a crack in its wake.

Taking advantage of the brief stagnation caused by blocking the greatsword, Sag twisted his right hand, gripping the sword's blade, and nimbly shifted his body to the side. With his five fingers pressing against the sword's flat, he kicked Graney's temple, propelling himself away from Graney and landing on the ground.

Boom!!

The greatsword slashed into the stone ground, causing the entire conical mountain to tremble violently.

The ground that was slashed by the diamond sword revealed a deep, bottomless fissure!

Graney turned his head and sneered at Sag, "So what if you can use Busoshoku Haki? Your Haki's strength has no effect on me. My body isn't just coated with diamonds on the surface; my veins, organs, and everything inside have transformed into this form. You can't break me!"

"Whether it's slashes or strikes, they won't work on me because I am the most noble existence in the world, an unshakeable king!"

Sag flicked his right arm, causing a puff of white steam to form, and the broken bones began to heal. He stared at Graney and said, "I don't care what you are!"

The feeling from the kick earlier indeed gave him the sense that Graney's body was solid.

With the absorption of the entire castle and the mountain of gold, the weight and strength of his attacks had increased tremendously, which was to be expected.

However, his speed was also unexpectedly fast, which caught Sag a little off guard.

But

So what?!

He was furious!

Sag's eyes turned fierce, and he said coldly:

"You messed with my gold, so you better separate it and tell me where the Golden Country is. That way, you'll at least die a less painful death."

"Golden Country?"

Graney paused for a moment, then the corners of his mouth twisted into a terrifying smile. "Golden Country! Hahahaha, so you came here because of that? The cursed gold coins?!

That's right! The reputation of the Anu country has long been lost, and the legend of the Golden Country was manipulated into a lie long ago. This place is also very remote, with my one thousand soldiers and the Marines here, ordinary pirates wouldn't dare to come here."

"Aside from the cursed gold coins, no pirate would dare to come here recklessly. So, that little demon followed you here, little brat. Do you know why I executed your father?!"

"W-why?! Why did you execute my father?! He didn't do anything wrong!" Ras shouted, his eyes wide and his fists clenched.

"Proving the existence of the Golden Country is a crime!"

Graney's smile turned sinister. "The so-called Golden Country does exist, but it's mine, not yours. You are just a bunch of slaves, and slaves don't deserve to share the glory that belongs to me. Thus, he committed a grave sin and deserved to die!"

These words made Sag narrow his eyes, and Lily subconsciously gripped the hilt of her sword, her eyes turning cold.

"Slaves?"

"Yes, slaves!"

Graney looked up at the sky, his gaze falling on the moon as it reached its zenith. A sickly smile appeared on his face. "Oh, it seems like it's about time for the tide to turn. Before I kill you, let me tell you this: without sharing, I, King Graney, will also miss out on some of the fun!"

He pointed his yellow diamond greatsword at Ras and asked, "Do you know about the Demon Race? They are a race that is almost extinct on the high seas, possessing the bloodline of the ancient giants. Their most distinctive feature is their extraordinarily high physical qualities and adaptability to any environment. And I have members of this race here with me! This young demon and his father are both from the Demon Race!"

"I never expected that traces of the Demon Race would still exist on the surface. After I kill you, I will thoroughly scour the land and wipe out all of you who dare to harbor thoughts of rebellion. That way, no one underground will dare to entertain any delusions."

Graney laughed hysterically. "A long time ago, the Anu Country was indeed the Golden Country, but not on the surface—it was underground! Deep within the earth lies an abundance of gold, still existing to this day! However, it is too deep for ordinary humans to reach and mine. But the Demon Race can; they are unfazed by any environment and can be the perfect miners."

"This place used to be the homeland of the Demon Race. They mined for gold here, turning Stone Country into Golden Country, attracting a large number of outsiders. Similarly, it also attracted my ancestors."

"My family has been royalty for generations, and we have possessed the Merong Fruit Devil Fruit for centuries."

"For generations?" Lily furrowed her brows. "Can Devil Fruits be passed down?"

"Yes," Sag replied solemnly.

"I know about that," Sag said. "In the country of Alabasta, the Jackal Fruit and Falcon Fruit, both Zoan-type Devil Fruits, have been passed down from generation to generation within the same family."

Devil Fruits, as the embodiment of humans' desires, inherently possess the tendency to choose their owners. Similarly, they may also be influenced by geography and thus choose a specific nation.

Graney's face twisted with anger as he raised his head, pointing his giant sword at Lily. "You seem to be a noble, and I shall forgive your rudeness this time. But if there's a next time, you will pay for it with your life."

He paused, as if remembering something delightful, and continued with a smile, "The Merong Fruit's ability can easily dissolve gold ore and turn it into high-purity gold. So, the Demon Race and my family formed a partnership. They were responsible for mining, while we took care of the purification process."

"However, how could we share gold with others? We, who arrived in this chosen land, are its rightful owners! So, our ancestors had an idea."

Graney laughed maniacally. "Keep the Demon Race forever trapped underground as slaves! These demons have minds just like yours; they always think about their dreams and are forever so naive! It was easy to deceive and manipulate them. We convinced them to trust us, and then the entire tribe moved underground. Afterward, we sealed off the entire island, turning it into Stone Land, ensuring they could never escape."

He stomped his foot, and the conical mountain flashed with a stream of light amidst the melting, wave-like ground. A piece of...

Gold ore!

"Just like this, they provided gold ore for my family, generation after generation!"

Graney scanned them with his eyes. "Don't you find it strange that this mountain is shaped like a cone? It was transformed by the ability of my family!"

"We told these slaves that the gold ore they mined must be sent here because there is a device inside the mountain that can transport the gold. At the same time, we would send food down to them to ensure their survival."

"Over time, your Demon Race could only reproduce, live, and die underground. You would forever be the slaves of my family, generation after generation!"

"Until you devolve into beings who only know how to exchange gold for food from the 'gods,' only knowing how to mine for us, the Demon Race's 'gods'!"

As he spoke, Graney shook his head. "However, something went wrong a long time ago. Some cursed fruits were accidentally mixed in with the food my ancestors sent down. One of the demons ate a Curse-Curse Fruit."

"At that time, your Demon Race was already rebellious and uncooperative. After one of you ate that Devil Fruit, our plan completely fell apart. The demon who ate it gained the ability to cast curses, and he created a batch of cursed gold ore. By the time my ancestors found out, it was too late. That batch of gold ore had already been made into coins and circulated outside. That's how the so-called 'cursed gold coins' came to be."

"These gold coins would guide those who obtained them to this place, making them want to explore the underground. Eventually, they would discover the existence of your Demon Race. From then on, your Demon Race no longer followed our plan. Instead of treating us as gods, you always wanted to return to the surface. How dare you, when you are merely a bunch of slaves!"

"My... my people?" Ras stood there in a daze, his eyes unfocused.

He had always believed that his appearance was that of a regular human, albeit with some minor differences—his eyes and body were slightly unusual, but everything else was the same as a human's.

Not just him, but his father had also thought the same.

Never had they imagined that they actually belonged to a different race.

"However, it hasn't been without its entertainment value."

Graney pointed downward, his finger aimed at the ground, his eyes wide with a look that could only be described as deranged. "Sometimes, accidents can bring about a different kind of fun!"

Boom!

The entire island began to tremble, especially the conical mountain, which shook more violently. It felt as if one might lose their balance at any moment.

The conical mountain was very tall, and from its peak, one could overlook the entire island. While the details were unclear, the vast ocean surrounding it could be seen.

In the ocean surrounding the island, one could see the surging waves rolling toward the island, crashing against its edges. As the moon reached its zenith, the waves slammed against the island with increasing intensity, causing it to tremble.

"Don't you think that this trembling, combined with the pounding of the waves, makes it seem like the island is crying?" Graney cackled.

"Blood Cry!" Ras exclaimed. "It's the Blood Cry!"

"Yes," Graney continued. "In the legends of Anu Country, the gold mined here was soaked in blood, and the blood's resentment cursed the land, causing it to weep."

But long ago, those scholars who had been bought off proved that it was the reverberation of the waves hitting the island..."

Graney widened his eyes, his mouth twisting into an extremely exaggerated arc. "This is the real Blood Cry! Brat, your people, they're crying underground, hahahaha!"

"Every time this day comes, I feel extremely happy."

Graney spread his arms, his expression one of intoxication. "The Demon Race wants to return to the surface, and they have the ability to dig their way up, but it's futile. This periodic reverberation from the waves causes tremors underground, and the closer the tunnels get to the surface, the more likely they are to collapse. No matter how much they dig, it's all in vain, so by this time, they see their hard work come to nothing, and all they can do is cry!"

"After crying, they will continue to dig, and once they reach a certain depth, it will collapse again, and then they will cry some more. For three hundred years, they have been futilely resisting, three hundred years of futility, three hundred years of helplessness!"

"This is the wonderful Blood Cry!"

Graney's three fingers curled into an extremely sinister claw. "How interesting, three hundred years ago, due to an accident with the Demon Race, the unique phenomenon of the Blood Cry was created. For three hundred years, they have been resisting, three hundred years of futility, three hundred years of powerlessness!"

"Just thinking about this makes me very happy. This is the highest form of rule! Hahahaha! It's just fantastic!"

Bang!!

A fist slammed into his face, but it didn't even have the qualification to make his body move.

Graney took Sag's punch, looking at the icy expression on this guy's face, and laughed softly, "Oh? Are you angry for the sake of the commoners? Only those of the same kind can empathize with each other. You really are a commoner."

"Don't get it wrong."

Sag's eyes turned cold. "I'm just angry because of your ruling methods. True rule makes people willingly serve you. I eat my fill of meat, and they can be satisfied with just the soup. In the rule I envision, everyone will have their own role and make use of their abilities, making the territory I rule over even more prosperous and taking my rule to the next level. I won't use despicable means like you!"

"Also,"

He retracted his fist and took a few steps back, his chest heaving as a puff of white steam came out of his nose, spreading out on the ground and sending out a wave of energy.

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

Sag's body suddenly swelled, his muscles turning into the most sinister armor, and he shot up to over three meters tall.

Dragon Breath Turn!

"80% is enough to deal with you! Lily, take them down. I'm going to destroy this place!"

Lily nodded heavily and called out to the others as she started running down the mountain.

"Hahahaha, destroy this mountain? Do you think you can do it? Do you want to save the Demon Race? Hahaha, a pirate actually wants to save people?!" Graney let out a disdainful laugh.

"It's not up to you to define what a pirate is, but..."

Sag bent his knees, taking on a hunting stance. "I just want the gold underneath. Also, let me tell you something. Only winners have the right to comment, and losers don't. Once you're dead, you'll know who the real commoner is."

Graney's face darkened. "You're clearly a commoner, spouting commoner words. Your body is just flesh. I, on the other hand, am the Golden King. No matter how strong your punches are, they can't break my invincible body!"

"There's no such thing as an invincible body in this world. No matter how hard something is, it's just hard."

A red dot flashed in Sag's eyes, and he bared his teeth in a smile. "Do you know about cleavage planes? Never mind, you don't need to know. You just need to understand that in the eyes of my Observation Haki, everything has its weak points. Look!"

He pointed up to the sky, and the moon in the center actually dimmed, replaced by an extremely dazzling star!

"Your death star is shining!"

Whoosh!

As soon as he finished speaking, he appeared in front of Graney, his fist wrapped in Haki and black flames, and he threw a punch at Graney's face.

Bang!!

The dull sound made Graney's body tremble slightly.

80% Dragon Breath Turn amplification, the power was enough to shake Graney's extremely dense solid body, but before Graney could be surprised, Sag's fists were like raindrops, pounding on his body.

"Ora ora ora!"

Bang bang bang!!

The dense pounding and vibrating sounds, along with the afterimages of his fists, landed on Graney's body, making his diamond body tremble continuously.

Hundred Crack Fist!

Only after throwing a full hundred punches did Sag retract his hand, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at Graney. "I'm curious. If you die, will you regenerate?"

Graney steadied his body and subconsciously looked at the surface of his body, his eyes revealing a shocked expression.

There were countless fist indentations on his body.

This guy's fists had left marks on his body!

But

"Is that all you've got?"

Graney raised the yellow diamond greatsword, roaring, "Then I've won! Go die, commoner!!"

"No."

Sag replied indifferently, "You're already dead."

"What?!"

Buzz!

Graney's body, which was holding up the greatsword, suddenly froze, and his body trembled as if it was about to fall apart.

Pa!

His elbow broke, and his arm, along with the yellow diamond greatsword, fell to the ground. The arm broke into several pieces as it hit the ground.

"Ugh!"

Graney's head dipped, and his entire body staggered. At this slight movement, his expression froze.

Boom!!!

His body exploded into several pieces, crumbling like ruins and falling to the ground in a pile of yellow diamond debris.

"Solid?"

Sag sneered. "Just because it's solid doesn't mean there aren't cleavage planes. Without Haki defense, my Haki can effortlessly penetrate your entire body. Combined with the power of the Big Dipper God Fist, each strike can cause massive damage.

"This body of yours can't be considered human flesh anymore, but it still has weak points. Striking the cleavage planes can break it down.

"Cleavage planes are the weak points of solid objects.

My Big Dipper God Fist, which has long been trained to fit this world, can still take effect."

"You won't regenerate?"

Sag looked at Lily and the others, who were running down the mountain at top speed, until they became tiny figures at the foot of the mountain. Then, he spat at the pile of yellow diamond rubble, "I waited so long, and you still won't regenerate. You really wasted my gold. You deserve to die!"

He didn't release his Dragon Breath Turn stance but instead stroked his chin, looking at the conical mountain beneath his feet.

As Graney spoke, a vision flashed in Ras' mind. In the pitch darkness, a pair of eyes desperately looked upward, continuously moving toward that thumb-sized glimmer of light.

Even as they endlessly fell into the abyss, they never gave up on their quest to reach that tiny speck of brightness, yearning to see the sun after such a long absence.

For three hundred years, they yearned, they sought, they reproduced, and they passed away. The sun became a legend, but they never abandoned that solitary glimmer of light.

Three centuries of longing, three centuries of desire, three centuries of generational change, and three centuries of passed-down will—all of this culminated at this very moment, breaking through toward that minuscule speck of light. Then, the brightness suddenly expanded, becoming boundless and infinite, vast enough for them to freely climb and easily reach.

But the brightness also gradually faded, transforming into a starry night, leaving only the moon's silver wheel.

It wasn't the sun they longed for, but...

"I don't care!"

Ras clenched the skull gold coin tightly, and the strange radiance that had been emanating from it suddenly vanished. Guided by the vision he had seen, his veins popped as he roared:

"Even if it's the night, Lord Sag is my sun!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end