Chapter 318: A Brief Future
Chapter 318: A Brief Future
Boom!
On the ruins of the castle, Saget landed a punch on Whitebeard, who had activated his ability, and the aura coiling around him stopped the vibrations from reaching their side.
Rumble!
But that was only on Saget's side; the ground and air in other directions continued to vibrate violently.
The power of will could be used offensively to indirectly block an ability's attack, and the same applied to these vibrations. However, he could only protect this side.
In comparison,
"Oh! This power is truly over the top, even for a Whitebeard in his prime,"
Saget said with a smirk, his arms bulging with popping veins as he forcefully withstood the intense vibrations and pushed forward.
Bang!
The fist that emitted the vibrations was forcefully pushed forward by Saget, breaking through the white light representing the vibrations and landing a punch on Prime Whitebeard's arm, causing a cloud of blood to burst forth.
Prime Whitebeard's arm went limp and hung by his side. Saget took advantage of this and closed in, his fist sliding along the arm and slamming into Whitebeard's head. With the dual strike of a pressure point and aura, a single punch caused half of Whitebeard's face to explode.
Boom, boom, boom!
Immediately following this, the strange force that traveled along with the attack into Whitebeard's body caused his entire body to explode, spraying blood in all directions before he disappeared into the mist.
"Not bad."
Saget laughed, "Aside from his aura being a bit weak, everything else was pretty good. Any more where that came from? Bring out some more."
Using him as a target wasn't very appropriate. After all, his aura wasn't strong enough, and it would be better to go into the historical narrative and fight there.
However, being able to see a young Garp and Whitebeard allowed Saget to at least make a comparison.
He wasn't sure if it was perfect or not, but Saget felt that this prime form, with their battle prowess, had an aura far superior to the one he had seen who was on his deathbed and the other who had already died.
But overall,
"He doesn't count as a goal for me to surpass. For now, only Kaido can be considered a worthy opponent."
Saget looked into the mist and said, "Have you ever seen a young Kaido? Summon him out so I can take a look. I want to know if he's at his peak now or if his prime was his true peak."
The mist swirled for a while before a hoarse voice emerged from within.
"Never seen him."
The mist contracted, revealing Maroni, who was in a less-than-ideal state. He was half-kneeling, clutching his chest, with a large patch of blood on it. As he panted for breath, blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.
"Oh? It took a lot of energy, huh? Seems like simulating Garp and Whitebeard in their prime wasn't cheap."
Saget smiled, "Or is it that after taking a hit from me, you can't hold on anymore?"
Maroni pressed his lips together and didn't answer.
It was a combination of both.
He was only a superhuman type, and although he could merge with the mist, the mist was also his true body. If it weren't for the need to use this memory body technique, he wouldn't have done something so stupid.
Both the energy expended to use his ability and the injury he sustained when he was hit were taking their toll.
He had no choice; the pressure from his opponent was just too overwhelming.
From the moment he appeared, Maroni knew that this person was not to be trifled with.
Maroni wasn't some novice; over twenty years ago, he had his own turf in the New World, right here! After being defeated by Whitebeard, he was captured by Garp and thrown into Impel Down, completely disappearing from the sea. During these twenty-plus years in Impel Down, his fighting spirit gradually diminished.
But coincidentally, Saget escaped! And he did it right before Maroni's eyes!
On that day, he witnessed the young white-haired man swagger out of Level 6. Then, vibrations shook the upper levels, and soon after, news spread that someone had escaped.
Compared to the new generation, Maroni knew more about the past. Over twenty years ago, there was also an escapee—Golden Lion Shiki. He had witnessed that escape as well.
However, Shiki's escape had relied on cutting off his own legs and using his flying ability to flee. The previous warden of Impel Down was also not as strong as Magellan.
Maroni hadn't thought much of Shiki's escape because it wasn't something that could be replicated.
But over twenty years later, Saget's escape shook him to his core.
A pirate who had never set foot in the New World might have some reputation in Paradise, but he was far from a formidable opponent. Yet, with exceptional physical prowess, he had not only escaped Impel Down but also injured Magellan! Had the times changed?
Or had he truly grown old?
At that moment, a sense of crisis resurfaced within him.
If he didn't do something soon, perhaps he really was getting old.
Not long after, Blackbeard came to break out his crew.
In the chaos of that incident, Maroni also escaped. Not long afterward, he heard news of Whitebeard's death, and it was this news that made Maroni resolve to return to this place.
This place...
"Mist Form!"
Maroni seemed to have made a firm decision, and his body burst into mist once more. This time, instead of creating figures, the mist simply transformed into fists, much like...
"Smoker's boring move!"
Boom!
Saget punched out, and the released aura from his fist completely scattered the mist. He then flashed and appeared in front of Maroni.
"Is that all? In that case—"
Before Maroni could react, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
"Then I won't keep you."
Saget's fist embedded itself in Maroni's chest, and the overpowering aura inside destroyed his chest cavity first. The special force also spread to his five viscera and six bowels. Maroni's body, which hadn't even stood up yet, fell to its knees.
Saget retracted his hand, his eyes calm and unperturbed as if this were only natural.
"You..."
Maroni tried to say something, but his eyes suddenly widened, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"This isn't right! It's not fair! How can you be so strong?" His voice was even hoarser than before.
"Isn't it natural for me to be strong? Have you been in Impel Down for so long that your brain's turned to mush?"
Saget looked down at him and said, "It seems you don't understand. The main reason I was able to occupy this place for half a year is because I'm strong enough. And the reason you can't occupy it is that, in my eyes, you're too weak."
"Your physique is not strong, so when I hit you, you die. Your aura is not strong enough, so you can't exchange many blows with me. And even if your ability is exceptionally well-developed, it's still just a single ability."
Saget proudly raised his thumb to himself, "But me? I excel in all three areas!"
To surpass is to crush.
Although the North Star Divine Fist was almost considered a 'cheat' in the Grand Line, for those with weak bodies, a single punch, even if it didn't cause an immediate explosion, would still be fatal.
"The same goes for guys like him."
"No, no!" Maroni's body hunched further, but his aura intensified at this moment. "It's not enough, there's not enough time. I'm not ready yet, and you shouldn't be the one to kill me."
"Heinrich."
He murmured as if in a dream, and as he struggled to lift his head, his face flushed with blood rushing upwards. "Do you think you've won?"
"The sea is cruel! You'll never win in the end. No matter how powerful someone is, they will grow old and eventually die. And on that day, they will still fail!"
"No one can win in the end. Only through legacy can there be victory! The traditions of the sea are correct; it is the will passed down through generations that endures forever!"
His trembling hand reached out, his eyes turning crimson. "There isn't enough time. I can't die yet. This place needs someone to carry on my will and guard it so that my homeland..."
"...will be protected from people like you, Saget!"
Once upon a time, when he became a pirate, he had also protected his homeland.
He had become a pirate because there were too many pirates around, and he had to become one himself to deal with them. Later, as his reputation grew, he gradually lost his initial resolve and began to lay his hands on this territory.
Eventually, after he was defeated by Whitebeard, he came to his senses, but it was too late.
Whitebeard took over his territory, and Maroni didn't try to take it back. Firstly, he didn't have the face to, and secondly, not long after, he was captured by Garp.
While in prison, he occasionally heard rumors about Whitebeard, learning that he was becoming more and more powerful, which gave Maroni some peace of mind.
Until half a year ago...
He died!
The man who was supposed to be strong in Maroni's eyes had ultimately perished, and with his death, his territory once again fell into chaos, including his homeland, Cerent.
It was then that Maroni had an epiphany, and the urge to escape prison took hold of him. However, seeing the state of his homeland, he truly made up his mind.
Going back to protect it... that would be too shameful. Moreover, protection alone was useless; the cruelty of the sea couldn't be countered by mere protection. Whitebeard's personal experience taught him that this would lead to trouble.
Without sufficient strength, one shouldn't set sail or expose oneself!
As long as he could turn this place into a country of fear, keeping people from coming close and preventing those inside from leaving, while constantly training, one day, someone would surely surpass him.
The one he had high hopes for was a child named Heinrich, a mixed-race boy with long arms and legs like his own.
He had a plan: as long as he kept training, and the boy could surpass him before he died, everything would be fine.
By cultivating fear, he would create enemies, and as long as the chosen one could overthrow him, he would surely be able to lead his people to survive.
At that time, through the Mist ability, he could force the chosen one to have hallucinations, and as long as he figured out a way to devour him alive, he would surely be able to inherit his ability! He had also researched Devil Fruits.
For powerful ability users, eating a second Devil Fruit wouldn't be a problem because it would simply be expelled. In simple terms, if a Devil Fruit user's body couldn't be occupied by the Devil, it would escape.
And for ordinary people, if they didn't have a Devil Fruit, there was another way.
Devour them alive!
The fruit inhabited by the Devil was called the Devil Fruit, and the person inhabited by the Devil was essentially the same.
All he had to do was devour them, and his ability could be inherited. The chosen one would surely understand this when the time came.
Because the sea was truly too cruel.
But now, he wouldn't even get to see that day. This sudden intruder had completely shattered his plans.
"I... I..."
Maroni glared at Saget, gritting his teeth as his will surged wildly, but Saget just shook his head.
"It's useless if your body can't keep up. I've never seen a dead man with any willpower. A Pirate King who gets his head chopped off is still just a dead man."
"Give up. It doesn't matter what you're trying to do. Just know that right now, you're a flickering candle in the wind, easily snuffed out. Like this."
Saget flicked his thumb, sending out a thread-like aura that struck Maroni's forehead, knocking him backward and ending his life.
Dead was dead; there was no point in struggling anymore.
He really didn't feel like listening to or watching someone else's story. The reason he became a pirate was that Ennio, that dead father of Lily's, had used his life to tell him a story.
"On the sea, there are dreams, willpower, and regrets. It's not just your family that has them."
Saget looked at Maroni, who was kneeling, his head thrown back, his eyes wide open, and dead. He sighed, "Everyone dies with regrets. To die without any regrets is a difficult achievement. So, you're not the only one who feels cheated. Dying at my hands is better than dying at the hands of some nobody."
"Saget."
Just as he finished speaking, Lily landed gracefully using Moon Step and glanced at Maroni, looking surprised. "Is that 'Maroni of the Mist Fear'?"
"Do you know him?" Saget asked.
Lily repeated what Hawkins had said, and Saget nodded. "I know he's a washed-up has-been, but I didn't expect him to be washed up this early. Looks like he ended up in Impel Down in his twenties. Never mind, it's not important."
"Indeed, it's not important. But I do have some good news."
"There's a kid who says there's gold here," Lily said.
"Excellent!" Saget laughed. "Gold, huh? I love that! That kid deserves a reward. Reward him handsomely!"
He patted Lily on the back and started to walk away. "Take me to the gold. Where is it...?"
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly stopped and turned his head instinctively toward the sea, and the red dots in his eyes almost spiraled.
He saw it...
"Attack!!!"
BOOM!!!
As countless cannonballs were fired, more Pacifistas landed, and the indiscriminate attack of the cannonballs and the Pacifistas caused the remaining Grim Reaper's Flagship to be unable to set sail, and the entire ship was blown to pieces.
...
"Impressive!"
Saget's eyes blazed with red light, covering his entire eye sockets, and he stepped forward, rushing toward the direction where the Grim Reaper's Flagship was docked.
He had seen it...
That brief future!
(End of Chapter)
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