https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-169-The-Wind-and-Rain-Enter-But-Sag-Can-t/12610971/
Chapter 168: Luffy Has a Blue Giant, Sarge Has a Homebody
Chapter 168: Luffy Has a Blue Giant, Sarge Has a Homebody
The infamous Shichibukai, or Seven Warlords of the Sea, are certainly more renowned than your average pirate, and Hawkins naturally recognized them.
Sarge turned around and sized up the giant before him.
This guy was about the same height as Moriah, wearing a trapezoidal hat with white spots and a pair of bear ears. Below the hat, he sported a pair of rimless glasses that reflected the lightning, adding a touch of mystery to his stoic face.
"What are you doing here after finally convincing someone else? I don't recall the Shichibukai having a particularly close relationship."
Sarge laughed. "Are you here to have a quick meal with Moriah?"
"Gomu!"
Moriah snapped, "This is between Sarge and me. We don't need your interference, so scram!"
The giant named Bear stood there like a statue, unmoving. After a while, his eyes, hidden behind the rimless glasses, shifted slightly downward, and a calm voice emanated from him—a voice that seemed out of place coming from such a massive creature.
"Norton Sarge, I'm mainly here to see you."
Bear spoke, "The World Government has asked me to deliver a message to you."
At these words, Sarge seemed dazed for a moment.
"As long as you surrender quietly, the World Government, represented by the Five Elders, is willing to negotiate."
His expression turned strange as he said, "You're not going to tell me this, are you?"
Bear paused for a moment, then nodded again. "Very insightful."
"Your threat level is high, but you are also open to cooperation. If you reveal the secrets you obtained from Alabasta and provide them with even more secrets, while refraining from privately researching the original text of history, then you can take Crocodile's place as one of the Shichibukai. That is their offer."
Sarge stared at Bear, as if witnessing something utterly unbelievable, and his mouth twisted into an exaggerated grin as he burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Ho ho ho ho ho!"
He laughed heartily, "This is the biggest joke I've ever heard!"
Sarge pointed at himself, his laughter subsiding, "They want me to be a Shichibukai? Me, the man who plundered a World Government member nation, robbed countless nobles and wealthy individuals, and raided a World Government-owned island? Hahahaha!"
Bear remained silent, simply observing him.
"Good, good, very good!"
Sarge laughed again and said, "Go tell the World Government that we can discuss the latter, but not the former. After all, I'm illiterate, ho ho ho ho!"
"It seems you've refused," Bear said slowly, putting away his book and removing one of his gloves. "Then, I shall execute the order given by Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
In the instant Bear removed his glove, a gust of wind sounded around Sarge, and in the blink of an eye, Bear's palm appeared beside Sarge's fist.
Boom!
A massive blast of air rippled outward, flipping over countless stones and embedding them into the walls surrounding the hall.
A huge depression appeared beneath Sarge and Bear's feet, and Sarge's fist was enveloped in a mass of black flowing fire as he forcefully struck Bear's incoming palm.
On the palm that met his fist was a strange, almost adorable, paw pad.
"An order from the Navy Admiral?"
Sarge's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he exerted force with his fist, actually managing to bounce Bear's palm away. Simultaneously, he swept his leg up like a sword, aiming directly for Bear's head. "I don't think you'll be completing that task today!"
Bang!
Bear swung his palm and struck Sarge's kicking leg, as if possessed by some sort of elasticity, causing it to rapidly deflect to the side. The force of the rebound even made Sarge's body spin.
Bear's expression remained unchanged. As Sarge's spin brought his back to face Bear, the giant quickly extended his hand, and the paw pad on his palm made contact with Sarge's body, enveloping him in an air mass shaped like a bear's palm.
Crack!
As soon as the air mass appeared, Sarge's eyes widened, and his body was covered in a layer of black flames that surged upward like burning coals, cracking the air mass as if it were made of glass.
The black flames poured like a tide into Sarge's leg, and as he continued to spin a full 180 degrees, he faced Bear directly. With a sound of tearing through the air, Sarge viciously kicked toward Bear's head.
It was at this moment that Bear once again extended his palm and struck Sarge's chest.
Boom!
The giant's head tilted, and his massive body crashed heavily to the ground, further deepening the huge depression that had already formed.
At the same time, Sarge's body flew backward, slamming into the wall. The impact seemed to carry a tremendous force, as the wall caved in, forming a semi-circular indentation, with Sarge's limbs embedded within it.
Sarge lifted his limbs and dropped to the ground, spitting a mouthful of blood to the side as he chuckled, "A shockwave, huh?"
Ignoring the blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, Bear rose to his feet and extended his hand, the paw pad on his palm aimed at Sarge.
"Abilities are indeed convenient things, capable of deflecting even my attacks."
The massive bear paw-shaped air mass from earlier possessed incredible elasticity; without his Busoshoku Haki to counter it, Sarge would've been sent flying who-knows-where by that blow.
And the subsequent strike was a pure shockwave, no less formidable, piercing through his body with the force of an internal explosion.
Whether it was the utilization of his ability or his Haki, Bear was impressive.
"What a waste," Sarge shook his head. "Such a shame."
Any pirate who became a Warlord of the Sea, especially the original seven, was a hand-picked powerhouse of the seas, each with formidable strength.
And Bear was no exception, his ability manipulation and Haki, which had deflected Sarge's kick to his head, were both remarkable.
Sarge's memory of this man was limited to knowing that he was a Revolutionary Army member who, for some unknown reason, had joined the World Government, becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, only to be transformed into a weapon, losing his consciousness and becoming a slave.
The kind of person who would become a slave?
It was beyond comprehension!
"Is serving the Navy really that interesting? Why not join me instead? Whatever it is you want to do, I might be able to make it happen." Sarge proposed.
After all, who wouldn't covet such formidable strength?
Bear remained silent, his outstretched palm now gathering another bear paw-shaped mass of air.
"So, it's a refusal?" Sarge's lips curled upward. "As expected."
Something about that kick felt off.
Though Bear was bleeding, Sarge knew his internal structure had completely changed.
If his memory served him right, he was on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Then don't waste it!"
Sarge flexed his body and cackled, "I'll gladly take that ability for myself!"
Bang!
In an instant, Bear unleashed a bear paw-shaped shockwave that shot at Sarge like a bullet. With a slight tilt of his head, Sarge stepped forward, his figure becoming a blur as he rushed towards Bear, his fist clenched and overflowing with Ryuka Haki.
Expressionless, Bear lowered his palm to meet Sarge's oncoming fist.
Swish!
Just then, a white puff of breath escaped Sarge's nose as his body seemed on the verge of breaking free of its limits.
"That's enough!"
In the moment their attacks were about to collide, a twisted shadow erupted between them, its forefront transforming into several sharp spikes, half aimed at Sarge and the other half at Bear.
"Get out of my castle!"
A vein bulged on Moriah's temple. "The next person who wants to fight, I'll take them on together!"
He glared at Bear first. "There's no need for you to cause trouble in my castle, Bear!"
Then, he turned his angry gaze to Sarge. "And you, Sarge! I refuse your proposal. I have my own methods!"
The power of Kagezaki was indeed formidable.
While Sarge wasn't afraid, there was no need for him to take on two Warlords of the Sea at once.
He had come to deliver a message, not to take lives, and fighting these two wouldn't end quickly—regardless of victory or defeat, it would delay his plans.
If they kept fighting, he might not make it to the Judicial Island incident in time to seize the Seven Waters Capital.
Especially now that Bear had already retracted his hand.
Sarge retracted his fist, and with a flourish of the black and crimson fur cape draped over his shoulders, he turned and strode towards the entrance.
"Let's go, boys! I've delivered the message, hohohoho!"
He laughed heartily, then glanced back at the two towering figures, his gaze moving from Bear to Moriah. "Think carefully about what I said, Moriah."
With that, he left the castle with Lily and the others in tow.
"Damn that guy!"
Moriah glared at Sarge's retreating figure, his teeth grinding in anger. He lowered his head to look at his shadow. "Shadows...are far from that weak! He's just an exception!"
He admitted that Sarge's words had struck a chord, but after obsessing over his goal for so many years, he couldn't just give up.
He had simply been lost in memories for a moment and hadn't reacted in time. Now that he thought about it clearly, Sarge was no newcomer!
Newcomers didn't possess such a profound Haki mastery!
He wouldn't give up on resurrecting Oz!
"Hehehehehe!"
Moriah let out a sharp laugh. "Wait until I resurrect Oz, and then we'll have a proper fight, Sarge. You may not have the advantage of my Oz to rely on!"
"Ohara," Bear responded calmly.
"Oh!"
Moriah's eyes widened in surprise. "So, he's from the Western Sea!"
Being a pirate from the Western Sea himself, Moriah was familiar with the matters of Ohara.
"What are you doing here? I don't recall inviting you to help," Moriah said, his expression turning stern.
"Orders," Bear stated calmly. "The World Government has invited him to become one of the Seven Warlords, and I am acting under Sengoku's orders as well."
"Hehehe, I know you follow the World Government's commands, but I didn't know you'd obey the Navy's orders too?" Moriah cackled.
"Sengoku wants him to go to Impel Down, and I'm willing to lend a small hand with that," Bear explained.
"If he doesn't want to go, then so be it. The Seven Warlords are not obligated to cooperate with the Navy," Bear added, his figure fading away and disappearing from its original spot.
"One after another, damn these guys!" Moriah growled. "Do they think they can just waltz into my territory like this?"
The Devil's Triangle, hidden for eight years, had been breached time and again with surprising ease. Was this hiding even meaningful?
Moriah's expression darkened with uncertainty.
"Lord Moriah, that man named Sarge is about to leave. We can use our zombie army to..." Perona interjected urgently.
"Never mind, Perona. Open the door and let them go!" Moriah ordered through gritted teeth. "A hero of the Western Sea wouldn't do something so petty. If I don't win, then I don't win!"
...
In the eerie Shadow Town, the group of five walked unhindered by zombies. Renetia curiously asked Sarge, "Sarge, why aren't you continuing to recruit?"
"He's not qualified yet," Sarge replied, surprising her. "We'll talk about it when he is. For now, I just wanted to say hello."
"Not qualified for the Seven Warlords?" Hawkins blurted out. "Sarge, the Seven Warlords are a formidable force."
"Am I not as strong as them?" Sarge chuckled.
"I used to think he was qualified, and I wanted his power. That's why I went to greet him and introduce myself. But it was...embarrassing," Sarge admitted, his smile turning wry.
This visit had indeed been a spur-of-the-moment decision—a simple hello to give Moriah a stronger impression of him. That way, when he entered the New World, they would at least have met before.
However, as the fight progressed, he realized Moriah's will had weakened far beyond what he expected.
How could a once formidable fighter who had faced Kaido become like this?
Was slacking off addictive?
This was the second time!
The last time with Crocodile and his lazy attitude had ruined his investment plans, and he still remembered it clearly, taking it as a lesson.
Whether it was recruiting subordinates or working with others, partnering with slackers always led to failure.
No wonder he was so frustrated.
Thankfully, he could tell that the man's will was different now compared to when they were fighting.
"That's no ordinary subordinate; he's a Seven Warlord, a hero of the Western Sea who made a name for himself as 'Shadow Mage'!" Moriah exclaimed.
"Such people have their pride. Give him time, and he might surprise us. Besides, it's not that easy to recruit someone of that caliber successfully," Moriah acknowledged.
Whether they were slacking off or qualified, it wasn't easy to recruit someone of the Seven Warlords' caliber. Otherwise, Moriah wouldn't be one himself; he would've been Kaido's subordinate.
Sarge spread his hands and said, "Regardless of what we want to do, it's too early. We don't even have a territory yet. To attract someone of that strength, we need to build a reputation in the New World first. That way, more powerful individuals will be willing to follow us!"
Now certainly wasn't the time. Aside from his core members who had followed him since the East Blue, only Hawkins had joined along the way, and that was because he was the type to follow destiny's calling.
At this point, Sarge's reputation could only attract someone like Hawkins. He recalled how the Straw Hat Kid had gained a reputation in the New World and managed to recruit a certain blue fat man.
Well, with a reputation, Sarge should be able to attract a homebody to join him too, right?
"Let's go! To the Seven Waters Capital! No more wasting time!" Sarge laughed heartily. "Everything else can wait; our plan takes priority!"
(End of Chapter)
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