https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-205-Don-t-Dump-the-Remaining-Pirate-Ships/13536461/
Chapter 204: Becoming One Piece Requires Time Travel First
Chapter 204: Becoming One Piece Requires Time Travel First
Marineford.
As Shanks and the Whitebeard Pirates withdrew, the Seven Warlords of the Sea also vanished, leaving only the Navy to begin treating their wounded and collecting their fallen comrades.
No one escaped unscathed.
In such an intense battle, not a single Navy officer left the battlefield unharmed.
From lowly Headquarters Ensigns to the mighty Headquarters Fleet Admiral, everyone bore wounds.
Kuro sat on a boulder, chewing on a cigar while Navy personnel bustled around him. Lida crouched beside him, tending to his injuries.
"I already said you don't need to bother with bandages—they’re almost healed", Kuro sighed, exasperated.
"No way!"
Lida finished wrapping his head, then stood with hands on hips. "What if there’s some hidden injury you haven’t noticed? You’re getting bandaged, period!"
Nearby, Klah adjusted his glasses, itching to point out that bandages wouldn’t help hidden injuries. But seeing Lida’s fierce glare, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
"Hey, toss me one."
A voice suddenly called out.
Kuro glanced over and casually tossed a cigar. Smoker caught it, lit it, then sat beside Kuro, exhaling a perfect smoke ring.
"The war’s over", Smoker muttered, gazing at the sky. "But the fallout won’t be easy. Whitebeard’s last words were broadcasted live."
"Yeah", Kuro replied, letting Lida straighten his arm to wrap the bandages. He shook his head as she worked carefully. "We’ve got our hands full now, but at least Navy losses weren’t too bad."
Smoker exhaled another stream of smoke, his expression distant. "So that guy’s really dead?"
Kuro knew he meant Luffy.
After taking so many injuries, even with Jinbei’s protection, Akainu’s punch through his chest and Kuzan’s pursuit, followed by Garp’s attack—Luffy’s survival seemed impossible.
To Smoker, Luffy was already a corpse.
"That kid who wanted to be One Piece…" Smoker clenched his cigar, face shadowed with complexity.
Pirates dying was inevitable, but Luffy had been different. Smoker couldn’t decide how to feel about his death. It left a hollow ache.
"Thing is", Kuro picked his nose lazily, flicking a tiny dirt clod away. "A person’s fate depends on both their struggle and the tides of history. I doubt he’s gone so easily. Might pop back up healthy as ever."
"But becoming One Piece isn’t simple. He’d need to time-travel first—and avoid getting caught by the cops", Kuro added with a wicked grin.
Smoker shot him a puzzled look, then shook his head. "You and your nonsense."
The man was lazy and cryptic, spouting phrases no one understood. Smoker couldn’t grasp the meaning, but he recognized Kuro’s signature brand of sarcastic humor.
"What?!"
As Kuro and Smoker talked, a distant roar erupted.
Kuro twitched his ears and glanced over, seeing Sengoku bellowing at a Navy officer.
"How could the World Government think this way? For the second time already—this is unacceptable!" Sengoku’s face flushed purple with rage, veins bulging.
The officer swallowed hard, stammering, "If we don’t hide it, the government fears reputational damage, so—"
"Silence!"
Sengoku glared, then slumped onto a rock, his face stormy.
Kuro and Smoker exchanged glances, both sweating slightly, expressions incredulous.
"The World Government wants to cover this up?!" Smoker whispered, wide-eyed. They’d been close enough to overhear.
That Navy officer had mentioned Impel Down—Magellan’s critical injuries, the escape of sixth-level prisoners. Blackbeard’s crew wasn’t the only one who vanished. Several notorious escapees, erased from records by the World Government, now posed a looming threat.
The erased "residual energy" of certain heinous criminals being swept under the rug for reputation’s sake would only invite disaster.
Kuro spat out a puff of smoke. "Typical baffling move."
Failing to alert the world and issue Wanted Posters for those pirates—were they expecting these rookies to start from square one again?
It wouldn’t just endanger arrogant pirates. Civilians and the Navy alike would suffer.
"There! Done!"
Lida slapped Kuro’s bandaged arm, nodding proudly. "Perfect!"
"Great…"
Kuro stood, surveying his mummy-like body. He stretched his arms and strode off.
"Where are you going?" Lida called.
"Home to sleep."
Thanks to his luck, his house still stood. With nothing left to do here, why stay?
…
Though the war ended, everyone remained busy.
"Hello, yeah, got it. Old man’s informed."
Inside Lucius Kro’s office, the skyscraper had nearly collapsed, leaving no need for doors. Kuro could see the wreckage of Marineford from outside.
The Navy had begun basic repairs. Uninjured and lightly wounded officers mobilized immediately—dispatched to the Grand Line or to patrol the Four Seas.
Whitebeard’s dying words reignited the Great Pirate Era, which had been weakening since Roger’s time.
Treasure hunters, raiders, power-hungry crews, and true aspirants to the title of One Piece flooded the seas. The Navy’s burden grew heavier. Even with lighter casualties this time, the chaos hadn’t eased.
Marine Headquarters now stood eerily empty.
Sengoku and Garp had departed for Mariejois. Akainu, though injured, pursued the Whitebeard Pirates to expand their victory yesterday. Kuzan, alarmed by Magellan’s condition, personally headed to Impel Down to contain the mess. Vice Admirals led forces worldwide to confront the surging pirates.
"Kuro! Join old man for a trip to Mariejois? The World Nobles are getting jumpy with the world in chaos. Old man needs to stay there a while."
Kuro rolled his eyes. "You joking, Gramps?"
"Guess not", Lucius Kro chuckled, scratching his head. "Then off to patrol! The Navy’s swamped. Your subordinates are ready—head to the Grand Line and do your job."
So that’s where you were waiting for me today?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
