https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-195-As-Long-as-I-m-Worthless-No-One-Can-Use-Me/13536253/
Chapter 196: Where Can I Save Face?
Chapter 196: Where Can I Save Face?
“Oh well?”
Kuro chuckled. “Seemed like it didn’t work. You’ll need to bide your time a bit longer.”
Abaro Pizarro burst into raucous laughter. “Hahaha, didn’t work, huh, Marshall D. Teach? Then disband, or you can acknowledge me as your captain instead!”
Bang!!!
Marshall D. Teach’s fist slammed into Pizarro’s head, sending him crashing down with bone-rattling force.
“Blackbeard’s Laugh!”
Marshall D. Teach let out a few sharp laughs, his composure steadying. “Pizarro, stop spouting nonsense. This is just a temporary setback. That matter doesn’t matter—what I seek, I’ll always find. As long as my power remains, follow me, and I’ll give you what you desire!”
Marshall D. Teach had never been weak. His formidable body, bizarre vitality, and the existence of the Yami Yami no Mi already made him a massive threat, even without the Gura Gura no Mi.
This single punch silenced the restless pirates who had begun to waver.
“That hurt, Marshall D. Teach.” Abaro Pizarro clutched his bleeding head, glaring at him before bursting into laughter again. “Hahaha, I’ll trust you for once, meow!”
“Mmrrr-hahaha.” Catarina Devon chuckled softly. “As long as it emerges, it’s fine.”
“Eh, we’ve already joined forces. No need to rush,” Shiryu muttered, biting down on his cigar.
Marshall D. Teach had bided his time long enough. A minor setback wouldn’t shake him—his goals were already mostly achieved. These sixth-level criminals were the allies he needed. As for the Devil Fruits, he’d find them eventually. Even without the Gura Gura no Mi, there were other options.
“Perhaps your power isn’t bad either.”
Marshall D. Teach glared viciously at Kuro, nodding subtly at Daidon. With a single outstretched hand, he roared, “Dark Water!”
A sudden suction yanked Kuro forward. Instinctively, he soared toward Marshall D. Teach.
Shiryu tightened his grip on the Raikō. Daidon raised his spear, Van Augur aimed his sniper rifle—the pirates collectively turned hostile toward Kuro.
Even Kuro couldn’t block them all at once.
But—
Boom!!
A golden light flared. From it emerged a massive palm riding a faint shockwave, hurtling toward Marshall D. Teach and his crew.
With that single strike, the shockwave sent Marshall D. Teach’s group reeling backward, blood spattering from their mouths.
“Arrogantly assuming you can take whatever you want…”
Sengoku’s hooded cloak billowed in the wind as he tore off his upper garments. His bare torso transformed into a colossal golden giant, each movement echoing like thunderous temple bells.
“You dare treat the Navy as nothing, brat!” Sengoku rumbled.
Kuro’s interference was trivial in Sengoku’s eyes. A strongman like him wouldn’t fall so easily.
Sengoku naturally knew about the Yami Yami no Mi’s abilities—this Devil Fruit had appeared before. He understood its powers intimately.
But no one could consume two Devil Fruits. Thus, Marshall D. Teach’s reaction intrigued Sengoku.
Still, it was time for him to act. If he delayed longer, Kuro might perish.
“Evil Laugh, Sengoku Fleet Admiral! So you’ve finally decided to strike!”
Marshall D. Teach staggered, wiping blood from his lips, then grinned at Sengoku.
“Truly twisted vitality.”
Kuro, floating above, couldn’t help but admire.
After suffering a shockwave strike and a blade wound, Marshall D. Teach still bounced back—such vitality was enviable.
“Though I didn’t get what I wanted…” Marshall D. Teach rose, his palm darkening. “We’re enemies now. The Seven Warlords of the Sea are relics. As a farewell, let me show you the destruction of Marineford!”
He slammed his palm downward. A torrent of darkness surged across the battlefield.
“Dark Hole!”
Buildings, stone fragments, abandoned weapons—all vanished into the abyss. When the darkness cleared, Marineford lay hollowed.
“Brat!”
Sengoku raised his palm, unleashing a thunderous resonance, then struck.
“Dark Water!”
Marshall D. Teach spread his five fingers. The darkness resisted Sengoku’s shockwave, gradually swallowing it.
“Blackbeard’s Laugh! Your abilities are useless against me!” Marshall D. Teach cackled.
“Captain, leave him to me!”
Bazas leapt skyward, attacking Sengoku, only to be flung away by a swift shadow.
“Garp.” Sengoku glanced at him. “You’re joining in too, huh?”
Garp exhaled sharply, his fists cracking. “Can’t let the young ones hog all the action. Makes us old-timers feel irrelevant, doesn’t it?”
Ace’s death had shattered him, trapping him in grief.
But now, with his old comrades stepping in, this wasn’t the time to mourn.
And this man before him…
…was the culprit.
“Blackbeard’s Laugh! Two old relics are here too? Then join your father in death! And you—”
Marshall D. Teach glared at Kuro midair. “Lucius Kro! I won’t let you escape!”
“You’re still fixated on me? Focus on surviving first, Marshall D. Teach,” Kuro replied.
“Kuro, reinforce the battlefield. Don’t let our gains go to waste,” Sengoku ordered.
Kuro surveyed the battlefield, clicking his tongue. “That situation? I can’t stop it. You’re overestimating me, Sengoku-san.”
The Navy’s advantage was huge, yet something felt off.
Casualties were lighter than expected. Kuro alone had crippled a third of the enemy captains and commanders.
The remaining pirates were being cornered, retreating under Navy onslaughts.
The overwhelming advantage, combined with Whitebeard’s death, had inflated the Navy’s confidence. Meanwhile, the pirates, driven by despair, unleashed terrifying combat power. The battlefield became a bloodbath.
Once you entered such a slaughterhouse, escaping unscathed was near impossible.
Fighting with such fervor invited losses.
Whitebeard’s commanders wouldn’t fall easily. If they were so vulnerable, they’d have perished in the New World long ago.
Underestimating them meant underestimating yourself.
But to counter the Four Emperors, someone must preserve strength.
Garp and Kuzan’s interventions aimed for this. Even Kuro, holding back his full power, prepared for that contingency.
Though intelligence suggested Red-Haired Shanks had stalled Kaido, who would actually arrive remained uncertain.
Huh? The original plot?
Even if Kuro dared to speak, Sengoku wouldn’t believe him anyway. Besides, Sengoku himself maintained a cautious distance from such matters—he couldn’t risk being wrong.
If they truly went all-out, some opportunistic third party might swoop in, and then everything would collapse.
Red-Haired Shanks? What could he possibly be trusted for? He was just another pirate. For all anyone knew, he might launch his own attack next.
"Kuro!"
Kuro had just turned to leave for Gramps’s position when a familiar voice rang out behind him.
He spun around, eyes widening as he saw Lida struggling in the massive paws of the Dire Wolf.
Kuro’s eyes flared. His body erupted into motion, Autumn Water blazing with golden lightning as he cleaved straight toward the beast’s wrists. "Let her go, you bastard!"
But in an instant, his instincts screamed danger. His charging form twisted mid-air, blades flashing upward to block—
When!
The "Lida" figure now lunged with a spear, slamming the weapon against his blade.
"Muwahaha! Sharp reflexes!"
The false Lida transformed into Karinna Daidon, grinning at him.
Boom!
In the midst of the Garpentangle clash, Pizarro and Bassars fought alongside Van Augur and Toxic Q. Suddenly, the latter two simultaneously fired bullets and a cannonball toward the sky.
This opening move earned both a pair of Garp’s fists crashing into their faces.
"You brats! Daring to ignore me even now?!" Garp roared.
The projectiles streaked toward Kuro, but two swords materialized to block them—cutting the assault short.
"Playing dirty?"
Kuro glared at the Dire Wolf’s massive paw sweeping toward him, a cold smirk forming. "Still thinking about me, huh? But this level of trickery won’t work."
Dark Water!
Blackbeard intercepted Sengoku’s shockwave while extending a hand to pull Kuro toward him.
Kuro barely dodged the Dire Wolf’s strike when a sudden force yanked him toward Blackbeard. In that split second, the Dire Wolf’s paw slammed down where he’d been—
Hiss!
Boom!
The Dire Wolf’s monstrous strength launched Kuro like a cannonball, sending him soaring past Marineford’s battlefield—nearly a falling star.
"Ugh! That really hurt!"
The Dire Wolf opened its palm, inspecting the deep gash now carved into its flesh.
"Blackbeard’s laugh? Now you know what it’s like to get harassed, huh?" Marshall D. Teach laughed.
Finishing off that slippery brat wasn’t possible right now, but inflicting some damage? Absolutely.
When it came to settling scores, he’d never been outdone.
Sink to the ocean floor!
"Oho~ Kuro!"
Lucius Kro glanced over, surprised. "Got hit, huh? Sometimes being high up isn’t all advantage."
"Stop looking around!"
A Marine captain lunged while Lucius turned his head. The strike missed entirely—Lucius transformed into a beam, reappearing to the side with a brutal sidekick that sent the captain flying.
Far away, Kuro plummeted toward the sea. Just as he neared the surface, his body twisted mid-air. A single slash from Autumn Water tore the ocean apart, bringing him to an abrupt halt above the opened waters.
"Truly—"
Kuro’s face darkened, rage practically dripping from his eyes as he glared at Marineford. "Well done, Marshall D. Teach! Dark Water!"
His palm skimmed the sea surface before his body erupted into motion toward Marineford. The parted waters surged upward, transforming into a massive Grand Line wave that trailed behind him like a tidal dragon.
Meanwhile, the battlefield grew increasingly brutal. Navy and pirates alike danced to the symphony of slaughter—fallen Marines left unaided as comrades stepped over bodies to continue fighting.
Akainu, locked against half of Whitebeard’s commanders, had completely lost himself in the carnage. Bloodied and battered, he’d already left two burned corpses in his wake.
"End it here!!!"
A figure blocked Akainu’s strike.
Koby sobbed, tears streaming. "Stop this madness! We’ve already won! Navy men have families waiting for them! We should be saving lives, not wasting them pointlessly!!!"
The battlefield fell silent at his cry.
"Oh? Someone actually dares?"
Kuzan glanced at Koby. "A shame."
Akainu fixed Koby with a glare, molten lava surging from his arm as he swung. "The Navy needs no cowards!"
Boom!
As Akainu’s fist descended, a blade intercepted the molten strike.
"Good timing, Marine. That moment might save countless lives."
The swordsman deflected Akainu while smiling at Koby.
As his words hung in the air, ships roared onto the shore. A group stood behind the swordsman, their presence electrifying the field.
"Is that—"
Garp scanned them, snarling. "Red-Haired Shanks! The bastard who led Luffy into piracy!"
"Isn’t he here to stop Kaido?"
Sengoku narrowed his eyes. If Red-Haired Shanks had come, stopping Kaido must’ve succeeded. But why? And for what purpose?
Kaido and Red-Haired Shanks—both pirates. No difference.
"Marco, enough! Stop this! This only brings pointless carnage! Whitebeard is gone—there are more important matters!"
Red-Haired Shanks raised his blade toward the Navy, about to speak when he suddenly frowned. Something felt off—
The Navy’s losses weren’t as heavy as expected. Most fallen Marines had been injured during pirate pursuits. The majority, though wounded, could still fight.
Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates were in tatters. Except for their commanders, nearly all others lay in dire condition—
Including Jozu.
The New World captains’ injuries worsened from delayed treatment, their bodies riddled with slicing wounds.
Jozu himself bled heavily on the battlefield, not from energy attacks, but sheer physical force.
That defense—broken so thoroughly without any energy source?!
"Captain."
Ben Beckman called to Red-Haired Shanks. "This situation won’t end easily. Glad we came."
Shanks gripped his blade, shouting, "If you still thirst for battle, we’ll fight too! But if not, grant me this favor—End This War!"
As his words echoed, a colossal shadow darkened the sky.
A tsunami?!
The monstrous wave surged forward, and at its forefront, someone flew toward them at blinding speed.
"Oho~ Back already." Lucius Kro smirked.
"Grant you face?"
Kuro’s two fingers trailed along Autumn Water, sparks flying as the blade plunged into the tsunami. With his body rising, the tremendous wave transformed into a swirling sea water dragon coiling around the blade, ascending with him.
Gripping the sword with both hands, he locked eyes on Marshall D. Teach’s direction before roaring at Red-Haired Shanks, "Then where’s my face?!"
Shinmeiryu Style: Mystic Art · Azure Dragon!
(End of Chapter)
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