Chapter 237: A Change in Style
Chapter 237: A Change in Style
In a safe haven within the Shabondy Islands, a group of people stared at the screen, transfixed by the white-haired man and the Celestial Dragon who lay on the giant tree. A heavy silence fell upon them.
"Run!"
Someone shouted, and despite being in Shabondy, the panic was palpable. As that voice rang out, the gathered crowd fled in all directions, not caring about their path as long as it led away from this place.
It was an instinctual reaction.
To the eyes of those who had sought refuge in Shabondy and Marinford, the Celestial Dragons were not just rumors of terror but a tangible, visible source of fear.
Over the years, the prestige and power of the Celestial Dragons had deeply rooted themselves in the hearts and minds of the people. The mere presence of a Celestial Dragon instilled an overwhelming sense of suppression and reverence.
It was common knowledge that any mishap or offense involving a Celestial Dragon would bring about dire consequences for those nearby. And now, one lay dead—killed before their very eyes. This fear transformed into extreme panic, driving people to flee in the hopes of putting distance between themselves and the source of their terror, even if they hadn't been physically present to witness the act.
Meanwhile, the news reporters, trembling with shock, continued to record the events. Some used their Den Den Mushi, others took photos, and a few wrote down what they witnessed with pen and paper.
The war in Marinford had taken an unprecedented turn with the intrusion of pirates, and now, the execution of a Celestial Dragon was being broadcast to the world!
This was a sensational scoop, an explosive headline!
As for whether the World Government would intervene and stop them, that was not their concern. Their duty was to deliver this explosive news to their headquarters, and the rest was up to them.
While the people of Shabondy fell into a panic, those in other locations who received the audio and video feeds were struck with utter astonishment.
In a certain Navy base within the Grand Line, a group of Navy officers, sitting with an air of arrogance, cigarettes dangling from their mouths or clutched between their teeth, stared at the image of the dead Celestial Dragon on the screen. Silence reigned.
Some clenched their jaws, veins popping out in anger. Others wore looks of shock, but their mouths curved up at the corners, their thoughts unknown.
Across the Four Blues.
There were those who panicked.
There were those who were stunned.
There were those who laughed.
And there were the old folks whose eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
In one small market town, an elderly man with a bald head and tattoos puffed on his smoking pipe, slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Oh world, a remarkable era is upon us."
...
"Capture the culprit who killed the Celestial Dragon!"
After a brief moment of silence, the Navy personnel snapped back to reality. Without waiting for Sengoku's orders, a group of them rushed forward, their guns aimed at Sag as he stood atop the giant tree.
Bang, bang, bang!
A horizontal barrage of bullets was unleashed, raining toward Sag from below.
A cruel smile stretched across Sag's face as he taunted, "Want him? Here you go!"
Boom!
With a stomp of his foot, he sent the Celestial Dragon's body flying upward, using it as a meat shield to block the onslaught of bullets. The body trembled in the air, riddled with bullet holes, before falling back down like a cannonball.
The Navy personnel, startled by this sudden move, froze in their tracks.
Even if it were a corpse, it was still a Celestial Dragon—an entity that must not be desecrated.
"I'm not that despicable," Sag continued. "I was just borrowing it for a bit. Here, you can have it back!"
With a kick, Sag sent the body plummeting downward. It crashed into the crowd of Navy personnel, who instinctively dodged and scrambled out of the way, leaving a clear space where the Celestial Dragon's body now lay, reduced to a mangled mess, unrecognizable in its current state.
Boom!
At the same time, Sag stomped on the giant tree beneath his feet, reducing it to splinters and sending a cloud of sawdust flying. From within the cloud of wood chips, his figure emerged, descending swiftly.
"Fire!"
The Navy personnel snapped back to attention and pulled their triggers once more. Bullets and cannonballs launched from their guns and the cannons they carried on their shoulders, all aimed directly at Sag.
The participants in this war were elites—what defined an elite?
Aside from precision and timing, these bullets and cannonballs were imbued with Haki, a visible manifestation of their users' intent and willpower.
"Were you holding back before, or have you already recovered? No matter," Sag mused with a smile. "Either way..."
Sag stood his ground, not even bothering to dodge. He simply stretched out his arms, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished. The barrage of bullets that had been hurtling toward him also disappeared without a trace the moment Sag's arms faded from view.
As for the cannonballs, he casually sidestepped them with a slight tilt of his head, causing them to fly past and explode in the distance, kicking up debris and dust.
It was only then that the Navy personnel caught sight of Sag's arms. He stood with his fists clenched and crossed before him, a playful smile on his face as he addressed the charging Navy personnel. "Your Haki levels are too low. Here, have them back!"
Whoosh!
In a flash, Sag flung out his hand, and the bullets he held vanished without a trace. The Navy personnel at the forefront could only catch a glimpse of the bullets' afterimages as they whizzed by, striking their charging bodies and causing a burst of blood flowers. Their momentum halted abruptly, as if they had been slammed into by an invisible force, and they went flying backward before crashing to the ground.
Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!
More blood sprayed from the backs of the Navy personnel behind, and one by one, they fell to the ground.
In front of Sag, a noticeable swath of the densely standing Navy forces had been 'cut down' like trees.
"This isn't enough!" Sag threw back his head and laughed heartily.
"As expected..."
Sengoku spoke in a solemn tone, "Yellow Monkey's intelligence was correct. This guy has obtained the ability of Bonney World."
The fact that killing someone could grant him their ability didn't surprise this battle-hardened old Navy veteran. It only meant that the ability had chosen him, and he had quickly found a nearby Devil Fruit to parasitize.
What was troublesome was this ability itself.
"Garp, we can't let him be. Otherwise, the seas will have one more unstable element."
Their plan was to take down Whitebeard and reduce the number of Emperor-level pirates in the New World, not to smoothly hand over power to the next generation.
"I understand," Garp replied, clenching his fists as his body lowered slightly. "As a Marine, I won't let dangerous individuals enter the New World so easily, even if..."
Boom!
A sudden vibration startled everyone, and Garp pounced towards Sag like a tiger, his fists emitting two black lightning bolts that shot out with a thunderous roar.
"You, my acknowledged foolish disciple!"
Boom!
The fist struck the air, creating a burst of sonic boom, but it hit nothing but thin air.
Sag's figure had appeared on the remains of the shattered execution platform, looking down at Garp below with a sinister smile. "It's too early for you to be my master. I only acknowledged your kindness, but in your current state, you're not qualified to fight me!"
He was even more perplexed.
Even that previous punch hadn't felt as powerful as when they were in Water 7.
Sag wasn't interested in dealing with this old man, especially since he was someone who valued gratitude.
Back in Water 7, the old man had clearly held back, and he wouldn't take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.
"Pahahaha! Don't spout such big words, Sag! I'm still as vigorous as ever!" Garp flexed his arms and laughed heartily.
Boom!
Just then, a vibration shook the ground, causing the entire island to tremble violently.
Whitebeard's fist was surrounded by a faint halo, and with one punch, he cracked the air, creating several fissures. The tremendous shockwave that followed sent countless Navy personnel flying, causing the Marineford island to shake once more.
"Take down Whitebeard!"
The rest of the Navy didn't bother thinking about the Celestial Dragon anymore. They refocused their attention on their original target—Whitebeard.
At that moment, Whitebeard was buying time for his crew to escape, holding off wave after wave of Navy forces.
After throwing that punch, Whitebeard held his naginata with both hands, and the blade emitted a radiant glow. With a single slash, he seemed to cleave through the air itself, causing the already tilting and crumbling building to split further, and the Navy forces in front of him were all sent flying by the powerful shockwave.
"Gurara rara rara!"
Whitebeard laughed, "Don't underestimate me, you young'uns!"
"Tsk, to still have such power even at death's door. Truly worthy of being a Pirate Emperor," Sag sneered.
"How's it, Whitey? You want this old man's head too?" Whitebeard slammed the butt of his naginata on the ground and laughed. "If you've got the guts, come and take it yourself!"
"I'm not interested in someone who's about to die. Even if I kill you, no one will acknowledge me as the new Emperor," Sag shook his head, still smiling as he glanced at Whitebeard.
It was clear to any onlooker that Whitebeard was on his last legs, his sturdy willpower the only thing keeping him standing.
He was already old and frail, and his severe injuries only made it worse. When Sag had arrived, he had seen that half of Whitebeard's face was missing, and his upper body had two gaping holes. It was surprising that he could still fight, but that was all there was to it.
If they continued to wear him down, his death was inevitable.
Moreover...
"Is it old age, or have you grown complacent?" Sag scanned Sengoku and Garp with a smile. "Can't you sense that something's approaching?"
"Zeha ha ha ha!"
A coarse, hearty laugh rang out from behind Sag.
"There's something! There's something there!"
The other Navy personnel felt a massive shadow engulf them, and when they looked up, they saw an enormous figure standing next to the already gigantic Marineford building.
It was a giant!
No!
It was something even bigger than a giant!
It was a giant with a chestnut head, wearing a prisoner's uniform. The unruly long hair on his head was parted on both sides, and he covered his mouth as he spoke in a thick, heavy voice.
"Ah, we've been spotted."
Above Sag, a group of giants descended from the sky, taking their place beside him.
"Hahaha! Sag, were you just waiting for me?! " Marshall D. Teach roared with laughter.
Leading the group was none other than Marshall D. Teach himself!
"Cut the crap," Sag said, his lips curling into a smirk as he glanced at the man beside Teach. "Oh? Did you come out with Teach, pal?"
This man, dressed in the uniform of Impel Down, with his cape and military hat, chewing on a cigar, exuded a cold, stern aura.
Back at Impel Down, this man had faced off against Sag—a formidable swordsman.
"Indeed, I chose him," the man replied with a low chuckle.
"Shiliew!"
SenGoku grit his teeth. "What's the meaning of this?! Why are you here?! What happened to Magellan?!"
The news of Blackbeard's intrusion into Impel Down had reached Sengoku, but he believed that with Magellan there, Blackbeard wouldn't pose much of a threat. However, Shiliew's appearance changed everything!
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Shiliew looked down at Sengoku and said, "Our presence here explains it all. If someone like 'The Disaster' can break out, why can't we? As for that stubborn fool, you can go check on him later. Anyhow..."
He lifted his head and laughed. "From now on, I'll be working with these guys. Please, give me your guidance in the future."
"Damn it!" Sengoku clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on Teach. "Is this your goal, Teach?!"
"Of course! Hahaha! Becoming a Shichibukai was all for these partners of mine!"
Teach took a step forward, arms outstretched, and laughed loudly. "They are the foundation for my future conquest!"
Aside from Teach's original crew, there was also the 'Giant Warship' San Juan Wolf!
With his blue hair and horns, there was the 'Evil King of the Earth' Avalo Pizarro!
The long-nosed woman was 'The Moon Hunter' Catarina Devon!
And the one with the similarly long nose but a more rugged appearance, his tongue lolling out as he wore a drunken expression, was the 'Big-time Drunk' Vasco Shot!
All of them had committed heinous crimes, were imprisoned in Level 6, and had their existence erased!
And...
"You too, 'The Disaster'?!" Sengoku exclaimed.
"Don't be ridiculous," came the reply. "One look and you can tell we have different styles."
Sag slightly shifted his position, separating himself from Teach. He smoothed his white hair and smiled. "I'm a man of taste and refinement. It's obvious that we can't be part of the same group. Vulgar men can only associate with their kind; how could I be compared to them?"
"Hey, Sag, that's a bit hurtful!"
Teach burst into laughter. "What's wrong with having vulgar companions? Strength is all that matters! Besides, we're all partners now! I won the bet, Sag!"
"Mmm..."
Catarina Devon glanced at Sag and smiled faintly. "So we're not companions, but an interesting young man. It's a shame you're a man; otherwise, I'd want your face."
As a relative of Robin, Sag naturally had good looks, though his nouveau riche demeanor tended to obscure that fact.
However, someone like Catarina Devon didn't care about such things. She valued beauty and youth, as her epithet suggested.
The Moon Hunter—the moon representing beauty and youth.
She favored young, vibrant women with attractive appearances, and she enjoyed peeling their faces off for her collection.
"Hmm?"
Sag glanced at her sideways, his mouth twisting into a smirk. "Teach, watch your crew's mouths, or you might have to find a new vulgar companion."
"Ahahaha! We're all partners now, so let's get along peacefully. Hey, Catarina, keep your mouth shut. This guy isn't someone to be trifled with; I won't help you if he kills you!"
Teach wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow and laughed out loud.
At this critical juncture, the one person they couldn't afford to offend was Sag.
"Hey, Sag, what about our partnership? You won't stop me, will you?!" Teach looked ahead at Whitebeard, who was currently engaged in battle with the Navy.
"I dislike going back on my word, but I'm not some lowly pirate. If you have the guts, go ahead and do it yourself," Sag replied with a smile.
"Teach!!!"
A shout rang out from the front as Whitebeard tightly clenched his fist and threw a punch forward. The shockwave that emanated from his fist quickly spread, shattering everything in its path. The force of the punch even caused the platform carrying the remains of the execution stand to crumble and collapse.
However, in the midst of this destruction, Teach descended from above, joining his new recruits as they moved forward.
"Old man, long time no see! Hahaha!"
(End of Chapter)
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