Chapter 216: Outsider
Chapter 216: Outsider
The revelation left an eerie silence hanging in the office.
"Woah, it sounds terrifying now! I never realized back then..." Lida gave her chest a nervous pat, rummaging through her backpack for snacks to calm her nerves.
Hugo scoffed in disbelief, "Impossible! I've been here two years and nothing happened to me."
Kuro snapped his book shut, exhaled a puff of smoke, and muttered, "Klah."
Klah met Hugo's gaze. "Commander Hugo, when you arrived, didn't you sense anything strange?"
Hugo scratched his chin. "I took over two years ago when the previous base commander died of illness. I couldn't access the internal archives, but I did hear that three years ago, some personnel were summoned inside and later replaced. Since then, the base couldn't recruit any new Navy members."
Nodding, Klah added, "According to my intelligence, Tada Kingdom maintained residual diplomatic ties with land nations until ten years ago. These contacts gradually diminished afterward. This suggests the events described in the book began manifesting in reality ten years ago, but the Kingdom officially severed ties with neighboring nations five years ago."
Lida, chewing on an apple, tilted her head thoughtfully. "So you're saying the Kingdom spent five years failing to capture Bluebeard while the disaster worsened domestically, forcing them to isolate themselves?"
"Precisely", Klah continued. "Lida, when did you last visit here?"
"Before coming to East Blue", she shrugged. "Can't remember exact dates, but not too long ago."
"So this book wasn't ancient. At the time, Bluebeard's power must've been weak, but it's become increasingly contagious over time."
Klah adjusted his glasses, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Three years ago, the Kingdom banned the book, sealed its borders, and replaced Port City's population. No one's allowed to sail out anymore. That means the internal disaster is severe."
"Absolon's ability causes illusions", Kuro interjected. "Mr. Kuro saw an illusion-wrapped signboard at the port. Since it targeted outsiders, their strategy has shifted from internal containment to external deception."
Klah pushed up his glasses, his voice tight. "The Kingdom's internal situation is likely catastrophic. Possibly..." His throat tightened, leaving the rest unsaid.
Kuro caught his meaning. Entire populations could be devastated—tens of thousands.
Hugo finally grasped the implications. "But wouldn't Tada Kingdom have contacted the World Government if this were true?"
"Exactly why they can't report it", Kuro snapped, tucking the book into his coat with a sigh. "If the book's power manifests reality, then everyone here is dangerous. People transform into monsters at night, revive the next day, and repeat endlessly. Without finding the Devil Fruit user, we're blind. Reporting this would trigger the World Government's standard protocol—" He let the unspoken conclusion hang: total annihilation.
"Tada Kingdom probably anticipated that", Kuro muttered. "They chose self-seclusion over instant destruction. But now it seems they only delayed their fate."
Rubbing his temples, he muttered, "Another damned mess."
"Where now?" Hugo asked.
"To find this Gurgas. The strange woman mentioned him. If they're connected, he knows something."
"Hell no!" Hugo exploded, leaping up. "Officer Gurgas would never side with pirates or evil-doers! He's my greatest mentor—I won't let you slander him!"
Kuro glared. "Say that after you've shed that uniform, Commander Hugo!"
"I'll go too! I'll prove his innocence!" Hugo stormed after him.
...
At Tada Town's edge, a massive bridge stretched over an endless abyss. The island appeared hollowed from here—no other approach existed.
Kuro led Navy members to the gate, surprised by the eerie emptiness. The once-heavily armed bastions flanking the entrance stood abandoned, cannons caked in dust from years of neglect.
"Gurgas! Gurgas!" Hugo bellowed.
"Forget shouting", Kuro said, eyeing the small bastion above the gate. "He noticed us the moment we arrived. His Observation Haki is sharp."
A metallic scraping echoed across the gate—like steel dragging across stone.
The figure emerging above wore a cultivator's robe, clutching a doctrine book in one hand while chanting prayers with closed eyes. Round glasses framed his scholarly face, incongruous with the massive axe trailing behind him. Each step scraped the Axe Blade against the ground, creating the eerie sound.
This man radiated power.
Kuro narrowed his eyes.
"Gurgas!" Hugo called. "It's been a while! I'm Base Commander Hugo! I need to ask—"
Gurgas' eyes snapped open, ignoring Hugo as he fixed Kuro with a piercing stare. "Outsider."
A chill ran down Kuro's spine. The word felt like a death sentence. If he weren't certain this was the Devil Fruit user's doing, he'd flee on the spot.
"Leave now. It's not too late", Gurgas said calmly.
"You know something. Spill it", Kuro pressed, pulling out the book. "We've seen this. Tell us how to counter the ability, and I'll walk away."
He'd usually avoid this mess, but Absolon's words left no choice. Everyone at the port saw the signboard—that meant universal infection.
"I've had enough of these damned Devil Fruit users!" Kuro spat, teeth clenched. "Tell your damn backer to undo this! You can atone all you want afterward!"
Who knew what triggered this ability or its scale? Absolon used illusions to make people read the book—once seen, it activated. This bug-like power was dangerously unpredictable!
Did they expect him to walk away knowing this? Not a chance. He'd tear the truth out of them if he had to.
(End of Chapter)
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