Chapter 155: A Chaotic Melody
Chapter 155: A Chaotic Melody
Sag couldn't conduct music; he merely danced wildly to the beat. The performers on stage didn't understand his gestures, but they understood fear and death.
Especially this man, who exuded an intense aura of oppression. Under this dual pressure, the performers squeezed out inspiration that they might not have discovered in a lifetime, following Sag's lead and playing music that was ethereal yet epic.
Sag opened his eyes, red dots flashing in his irises as his senses sharpened, gradually enveloping the city.
People were in motion, robberies were taking place. An unknown feeling gripped Sag, and as he waved his arms, he chanted: "City of 1520, a clear spring day, the robbery continues, pushing towards the next row of the wealthy."
"Muzzle fog blows towards the arrogant house, and fearfully cries to me."
The subordinates who received the message from Akin found the main cadres and conveyed Sag's orders. Lily took the lead, bringing her people to action. Perhaps the flower shop owner didn't dare to make a move, but when asked to reveal the boss of this street, she complied, and they killed their way in.
Gunshots rang out, and the muzzles of the guns, shrouded in smoke, fired at the guards who shouted for Lily to get out. They broke into the house and found the boss, reduced to tears by fear. Lily beheaded him with a single sword stroke, and her subordinates stormed in, searching the place. They confiscated a large amount of Berry, as well as stacks of land deeds and contracts, which were useless to them.
In front of the stage, Sag raised his head, swaying his hands from bottom to top, and his voice gradually intensified:
"The mansion hall beside the slum, on the heads of the noble rich, bears the mark of a crimson flower, dimly lit. House fighting sounds, pirate visit, evil under the sun of the sailing era, a bloody opening!"
A group of pirates arrived on a bustling street from the slum area. There wasn't much commercial activity here, but those who resided in the large mansions with guards were now invaded by the pirates.
Under Mary Sue's leadership, the pirates effortlessly overcame those who sought to redevelop the slum street without offering fair compensation, intending only to displace the inhabitants and sever their access to resources. They eliminated the resistors, plundered their possessions, and seized the property deeds and contracts.
Blood flowed from the mansion's gate to the outside, glistening slightly in the sunlight.
As if sensing something, Sag paused the music momentarily with his hands on the keys. But soon, as he pointed his finger to the left, the performers on the left quickly played their instruments, creating an urgent and tense melody.
"Roaring firearms!"
Bang, bang, bang! Reneetia extended her mechanical hammer at the amusement park, aiming the barrel and firing at the guards and gangsters managing the amusement park district.
"Charred statue!"
After finishing his gesture to the left, Sag quickly pointed to the right, prompting the performers on the right to play along with a fast-paced, tension-filled tune.
Boom! Reneetia twisted the hammer's handle, firing a shell that exploded in the amusement park ahead, igniting a flame that charred the statues within.
The mechanical structure of the amusement park was fascinating. By exchanging coins for tokens at the entrance and then inserting the corresponding tokens into the machines, one could obtain their desired items. The intelligent construction intrigued Reneetia.
However, she soon uncovered the truth—it wasn't a sophisticated mechanical structure at all. It was simply people crammed into the machines, using the most primitive manual labor to operate them.
The so-called "machines" were just metal shells. Whether it was the people underneath the Ferris wheel operating the gears or those inside the so-called automatic vending machines, they were all humans working manually.
These people endured sweat and high pressure, resulting in a high risk, while the managers shamelessly boasted about having the 'most technological' amusement park.
This enraged Reneetia. She didn't oppose manual labor, but seeing people tortured to the point of death by machines went against the very purpose of invention and mechanical engineering.
Just as ships are built for sailing, not for sacrificing lives.
What Reneetia wanted was for these managers to do their job—to manage and not replace machinery with manual labor, tarnishing the very concept of mechanical innovation.
So when she received the signal, she didn't wait for further instructions or reports on the situation. She blew things up first and asked questions later!
"Melting human faces! Everyone dies! On the stage of fame and fortune! The meaningless illusion!"
Sag's fingers flew across the keys, merging the music from both sides into one harmonious piece.
Within the Carnival City, fires raged as well. The looting actions of the subordinates were naturally brutal. After receiving the notice, they understood that it wasn't just about robbery; if they really couldn't find anyone, they were to burn the houses down.
There were bound to be some missing land deeds and contracts, which were all sold to Link. But Link only needed to hold on to a portion of them; what he truly wanted was for these documents to disappear without a trace, leaving no evidence behind.
Here, he could finally contend with the big players entering the stage and have the capital to oppose them.
Flames engulfed those who dared to venture inside to protect their property, melting away with the burning houses.
Those things were no substitute for life, and their reliance on strength and power turned to waste paper in the face of greater strength and power.
"Contradictions lead to a dead-end alley of knives, and the rule is perfectly buried, with a mocking smile at the order of the land."
Sag's hands spread out, his head held high, and he lifted his hands up, bringing the music to a strange height. His chanting also reached a strange harmony with the flames and guns, as if commenting on it.
"If evil is a magnificent and cruel chapter, I will personally write the opening. The brilliant light burns the last feast, and the black ink brings peace."
The blazing flames outside consumed the missing land deeds and contracts, along with the noble aristocrats who controlled the real estate, turning them into black ash that drifted through the streets like ink stains.
This silence also fell upon the bustling and vibrant places.
At the same time, the strange music that had been playing under Sag's direction also came to a halt, and as he flung his arms open wide, the musicians on both sides collapsed one by one, including the staff who manipulated the lights, all of them foaming at the mouth and passing out, illuminating the lights above.
"Hmm, hahahaha, whoo-hahahaha!"
The dazzling neon lights of the nightclub shone on Sag's outstretched hands, moving upward to cast an endless shadow behind him, like a vicious, clawing demon, enveloping the entire hall in his wild laughter.
Hawkins stared at the figure laughing wildly, then glanced at the staff who had been subdued by the King's Haki. Even his calm face couldn't hide the beads of cold sweat that formed.
This guy had just mentioned that he couldn't precisely control his King's Haki, but now it seemed that he had reached a level where he could target whoever he wanted.
"He's gotten stronger,"
Hawkins thought. Just as he was about to pursue this train of thought further, a sudden tear in the air caught his attention, and before he could react, he felt a 'swish' as his neck was sliced open.
A black-light blade whipped around Hawkins' back, then swiftly slashed back, cutting open his skull. It returned to its origin at the entrance.
"Hmm,"
Two smoking straw dolls popped out of Hawkins' arms, one with its neck sliced open and the other with its skull cleaved in two. On stage, two staff members exhibited identical wounds.
He turned his head and looked toward the entrance, saying calmly, "So it's the Navy."
At the entrance stood a group of Navy soldiers, and at the forefront were two men donning Navy capes. One was tall, with black hair, a white stripe on the right side of his head, and a long black beard that curled at the end, reaching down to his abdomen. There was a white line on the right side of his beard, and above his head loomed a crescent-shaped blade, his hands bracing it as his eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, fixed on Hawkins.
The blade above had just made that sudden attack.
"'Magician' Basil Hawkins!"
The other man strode forward and glared at Hawkins, then looked toward the center of the stage, where Sag stood in wild splendor, "And you, 'Calamity', Norton Sag! I am Rear Admiral 'Executioner' of the Navy Headquarters, and you are both under arrest!"
The speaker was also a large man, but bald, with a huge mouth and a long neck, and six chins beneath his cheeks, giving him a very irritable appearance.
And on his right arm was a mechanical fist, resembling Zefa's mechanical arm, although it didn't seem as advanced.
Hawkins shook his head, gripping his longsword tighter as straw began to coil around its blade, "Sorry, the probability of me being arrested is 0.01%. You won't be able to arrest me this time."
"We didn't think you'd obediently let yourself be arrested, either."
The man with the blade above his head stepped forward, "It will be me, 'Executioner' of the Navy Headquarters, who will personally capture you."
Buzz!
As soon as he finished speaking, the area suddenly fell silent. From behind them, the Navy soldiers who had come along had their mouths agape, their eyes rolling up white, and they collapsed.
Beads of sweat formed on the two men's foreheads as they stared at the stage in disbelief, as if they had seen some monstrous beast.
"Don't ruin my fun,"
Sag bared his teeth, his voice icy, "I was just getting into the swing of things, enjoying myself, and you've come to spoil it all."
"Sag, we can't let them live!"
Link reacted, "Otherwise, the transaction will be seized by the Navy!"
The black market was, of course, an illegal enterprise, and their dealings could not involve the Navy. If they were caught by the Navy, all their plans would be for naught.
Sag could be indifferent, but he still had to stay here.
For this, Link gritted his teeth and said, "I can add more money!"
"What do you take me for, Link?"
Sag laughed. "A deal is a deal. Our agreement was for me to hand this city over to you, and it's not done yet. I'm not the kind of guy who's desperate for money. I respect promises and contracts."
He glanced at the two Marine Headquarters vice admirals and took a step forward, vanishing from the stage.
Reddog's eyes narrowed as he sensed something and took half a step back. Steam billowed from his mechanical fist as he prepared to strike.
At the same time, the guillotine-wielding vice admiral swiftly drew out the blade and threw it forward.
Clang! A spark appeared just three steps away from them as Sag's leg blocked the blade, imbued with Haoshoku Haki. Sparks flew as his leg deflected the blade, and with a powerful kick, he sent it flying back. Sag then lunged forward, his hands shooting out to grab their heads, leaving them no time to react.
"Whoo-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Sag burst into wild laughter, and with a mighty heave, he slammed the two vice admirals onto the ground. Black flames of Haki erupted from his fingers, piercing their skulls. As they landed on the ground, their heads exploded in a burst of blood.
The floor at the entrance caved in, forming two indentations as stone chips flew in all directions. At that moment, two figures broke free from Sag's grip and quickly retreated.
Sag straightened up and nodded. "Not bad. Your reaction speed is decent."
The two vice admirals before him were now covered in blood, oozing from their eyes, noses, and mouths. They glared at Sag with grim determination.
Their attacks were certainly not easy to defend against.
Although they had used their Haoshoku Haki at the last moment, it was already too late to negate the damage.
"Calamity! We've heard about your lawless ways. Wherever you go, destruction follows!
Reddog roared, "This is a World Government-affiliated island! Do you intend to provoke the World Government as a mere pirate?"
A cruel smile curved Sag's lips as he replied, "You already called me a pirate, so as a pirate, I do what I want."
Whoosh!
"I do as I please!"
His figure vanished again, only to reappear in front of Reddog in an instant. His fist, like a torrent of black fire, slammed into Reddog's face.
Boom!!
Instinctively, Reddog raised his mechanical fist, emitting a burst of steam. He infused his Haoshoku Haki into the fist, blocking Sag's punch. The force of the impact, however, caused him to take several steps back.
The guillotine-wielding vice admiral seized the opportunity and reached up to grasp the blade above his head. But before he could act, a dark shadow darted towards him.
Bang! Sag's leg shot out like a sword, infused with flowing Haki, and pierced through the vice admiral's chest.
The vice admiral's body trembled, and he hunched over, spewing a mouthful of blood.
"You're weak," Sag remarked as he retracted his leg and, with a casual kick, sent the vice admiral flying. The momentum of the kick didn't diminish as his leg lashed out like a whip, striking Reddog's body.
"As for you, how many hits can you take?"
Boom! Reddog's left arm glowed with Haki as he blocked Sag's kick. The force of the blow caused him to grit his teeth and involuntarily sidestep, but his body didn't fully move out of the way. Sag's fist was already on its way.
The special steel of the mechanical fist could block the Haki-imbued punch, but Reddog only had one such fist. The rest of his body was unable to withstand Sag's attacks. Each time Sag struck, Reddog was forced to move with the impact, like a punching bag being knocked around, unable to mount a counterattack.
What's going on with this guy's Haki?
Four hundred million?
Impossible!
If this keeps up, his Haki will be depleted!
"You... You..."
Reddog had just managed to block an attack and was about to speak when Sag's fist suddenly whipped around his mechanical fist and struck his long neck.
Boom!
With just one punch, Reddog's neck caved in, his head completely detached from his body, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Six punches."
Sag shook his hands and commented casually, "Not bad for a vice admiral."
Among the Marine Headquarters vice admirals, who were already far superior to regular people and dogs, these two were decent but not elite. They weren't in the top tier.
They weren't like Garp; they were just regular elite vice admirals.
Sag hadn't encountered any other elite vice admirals, but if they were all at this level, they wouldn't be the ones calling the shots on the high seas.
(End of Chapter)
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