Chapter 351: A Decisive Battle and Zephyr's Retreat
Chapter 351: A Decisive Battle and Zephyr's Retreat
A dark cloud slowly descended onto the Death Prophet, settling on the deck as it dispersed to reveal Sagres standing atop it.
"Sagres!"
Lily rushed forward, intending to lend a hand, but Sagres waved her off, halting her movement.
She sheathed her sword and stood by his side, ready to support him at any moment.
Sagres was not in a good state at the moment.
His chest heaved, and his breathing was labored, indicating significant exertion.
"Captain, Red Hair actually escaped!"
Palu exclaimed, "Let's chase after them and finish off the Red Hair Pirates while we have the chance! Captain, your fame will reach new heights!"
After all, they were one of the Yonko crews!
Their captain had finally driven off one of the Pirate Emperors after battling the previous two.
"Oh? I didn't realize your ambition was greater than mine, wanting to eliminate a Yonko crew. Palu, how many people do you need? I'll let you fulfill this dream single-handedly."
Sagres rolled his eyes, "If it were that easy to wipe them out, the Pirate Emperors wouldn't reign at the top of the seas."
"Hey, Captain, weren't you suppressing the Red Hair Pirates? They seemed pretty formidable!" Palu exclaimed excitedly.
That level of combat was beyond their capabilities, and they could only watch from a distance.
Even Lily and Moria couldn't venture too deeply into the captain's storm of attacks, but that didn't stop them from witnessing the battle.
The captain controlled the storm and thunder, and even alone on the enemy ship, he remained unchallenged.
"Captain Sagres, you're amazing!" Bellamy exclaimed, full of admiration.
Sagres glanced at the excited and adoring junior officers and then at the senior officers before settling his gaze on Lily.
"Lily."
"It's not like that," Lily analyzed, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have used your full power from the start."
"Good." Sagres smiled, "Not everyone can push me to my limit in just a few moves."
It appeared that he had the upper hand, but after such a prolonged battle, he had only managed to injure Shanks slightly and gained no advantage.
Unlike his fight with Big Mom, Sagres dared not underestimate Red Hair.
From the moment they clashed, he had unleashed his full power without holding back.
His opponent was not one to be trifled with, and engaging in a slow warm-up would likely result in being struck down by his Haki-imbued sword.
While Sagres' Haki intensity wasn't sufficient, he could withstand Shanks' attacks due to his augmented physique.
Otherwise, when he first came into contact with Shanks' attack, the Haoshoku Haki might have knocked him unconscious, resulting in a complete defeat.
As pirates, whether they wanted to kill or show mercy was not determined by their subjective intentions.
The only truth was to fight with full force and incapacitate their opponents immediately.
The lack of Kenbunshoku Haki to sense danger did not hinder Sagres' judgment, so he started the battle with his full power.
Even then, it was a challenging fight.
He had considered calling for backup, but whether it was Lily or Moria, joining the battle might do more harm than good.
Fighting alone allowed him to stay focused, and the storm he controlled was not conducive to his crew's intervention.
Overall, there were advantages and disadvantages.
In close-quarters combat, it was challenging for a single person to deal with such a well-balanced Yonko crew. If he hadn't disengaged quickly, he might have been held back.
However, in long-range combat, he had the upper hand.
Manipulating storms, using his abilities, and employing his Haki effectively, few could match him in naval battles.
But the cost was indeed too great.
This was not an infinite supply of Haki; using Homei's power drained his mental energy, and amplifying and combining his abilities with Homei's storm while further augmenting himself required an enormous amount of physical energy.
If this battle continued, either Red Hair would have to retreat, or Sagres would be forced to.
The expenditure was too high, and his stamina couldn't keep up for much longer.
However, it was an improvement from before.
The 'Complete Form' was developed based on the 100% state, and as his physique continued to grow stronger, he could maintain this form for longer periods.
He extended his hand, his gaze lowering to his palm, which he clenched tightly.
"When I can stabilize this form for an extended period through training, I won't allow anyone to stand in my way! Red Hair, mark my words; I will settle this debt!"
It had only been a year since he arrived in the New World.
Now, the most important thing was his plan.
"Lily, give Teach a call. Marco, prepare a feast, I'm hungry. Letty, go check on the ships and see where they're damaged. The rest of you, divide some people to stand guard and make sure everyone on the fleet wakes up."
The Grand Fleet had basically lost all of its combat capability. Aside from the Death Prophet, which could still move, the other ships couldn't even set sail.
It seemed that the Death Prophet would have to head to their destination alone.
The plan must not fail.
Just as he entered the captain's room, before Lily could make the call, the Den Den Mushi rang.
Sagres sat on the throne in front of the desk and picked up the receiver. The Den Den Mushi's anthropomorphic face contorted into a rowdy, toothy, gap-toothed silly grin.
"Sagres, AiBo! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"You're laughing heartily."
Sagres said, "Looks like things went well."
"Of course! I won!"
The Den Den Mushi cackled, "I beat Marco. Those guys weren't a match for me. From now on, no one can stop me! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Sagres' eyebrows furrowed. "Did you get them all?"
"No, some of the captains escaped, including Marco. But their ships and Whitebeard's Jolly Roger have been completely taken down. They've lost the qualification to regroup. I'm the winner!"
The laughter paused, and the Den Den Mushi asked, "But where are you? Weren't we supposed to fight together?"
"I'm at the Aite Woel Sea and just encountered Red Hair."
Sagres said solemnly, "Teach, you owe me a big one."
The Den Den Mushi paused for a moment, then laughed, "Ha ha ha ha ha! Red Hair, huh? That guy's really unpredictable. I get it now. So, we both participated in the battle, and you didn't go back on our deal, ha ha ha ha ha! We're still great partners!"
"Cut the nonsense," Sagres scoffed. "Do you think I'm the type to scheme and take advantage just because I made a promise to work together?"
The idea of letting Teach and Marco fight it out while he reaped the benefits, or taking the opportunity to plot and gain more for himself, was beneath him.
When it came to what pirates wanted, all they needed to do was take it by force!
Even Teach, with his deep gambling tendencies, had the spirit of a pirate.
Sagres wouldn't stoop lower than that fool.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Indeed! If you win, come to Honeycomb Island. I'll be waiting for you there."
The Den Den Mushi's face split into a mischievous grin, "Last time I went to your place, so this time, you come to my turf! Let's throw a grand banquet!"
...
New World.
Marine Headquarters.
A Marine rear admiral rushed into the office of the fleet admiral, intending to salute, but he was startled by the scene before him.
In addition to Akainu, who was sitting at the desk, puffing on a cigar, there was Kizaru, lounging on a sofa nearby, clipping his fingernails nonchalantly.
On the other side of the room was the retired Sengoku, his hair now fully white, serving as the Inspector General, along with Garp, who sat with his legs crossed, and Tsuru, who maintained an elegant posture in her own seat.
"Report!"
The rear admiral took a deep breath and saluted before Tsuru waved her hand, interrupting him. "I've already informed you of the situation. Thank you for coming. You may leave now."
"Yes, ma'am!"
As the rear admiral left, Tsuru sighed and said, "Blackbeard won his battle against Marco. I thought they would be locked in a prolonged fight, but who would have thought that in just a year, a victor would emerge. And there's also Kuzan..."
She paused, glancing at the carefree Garp, who was laughing raucously, and sighed again. "And that natural disaster."
"He made contact with Red Hair in the Aite Woel Sea and even managed to make Red Hair retreat. Intelligence suggests that he seems to have gained some kind of power that can summon storms."
"Storm... Aite Woel..."
Sengoku stroked the goat's head next to his leg, a faraway look in his eyes as he reminisced, "It's just like Roger and Shiki, but this time, it's not Roger who comes out on top."
"Puhahaha! The sea will never lack ambitious pirates. It's surprising to see Red Hair at a disadvantage. Just thinking about his frustrated expression makes me want to laugh!" Garp's laughter echoed through the room.
"Oh, how terrifying."
Kizaru, lounging on the other side of the room, crossed his legs and joined in, feigning surprise.
"Has that natural disaster grown to such a level? But there are only four Pirate Emperors, right? They're all pirates, so why haven't they engaged in an all-out battle? It's quite peculiar."
"That's merely a title bestowed by the people."
Sen Goku explained, "For those fellows, it's not that the title exists and then they come to be; it's that their existence precedes the recognition as Pirate Emperors."
"Enough!"
A puff of smoke rose from the desk as Akainu slammed his fist on it. The fist turned a blazing red, and he lifted his head, the cigar still clenched between his teeth. His eyes were clouded with anger.
"At the end of the day, these so-called Pirate Emperors are just a bunch of pirates! I don't understand why we didn't take the opportunity to strike, why those guys disagreed with this course of action, and what that fool Kuzan is thinking! And—"
He seemed to recall something, and his eyes nearly spewed fire, causing the red hue of his fist to intensify. The temperature in the room surged.
"Hahahaha! Being the Fleet Admiral is tough, isn't it?" Sengoku's smile mirrored Garp's.
Akainu glared at him and roared, "Did you come here just to rub it in, you semi-retired old man?!"
"Sakaski, face reality," Sengoku said. "We must act according to the rules."
Leaning back, Tsuru crossed her arms over her abdomen and continued in a slow, relaxed tone, "The Navy's duty is to protect the maritime interests of the affiliated countries and can only act within the jurisdiction of the World Government. We cannot intervene in private disputes among pirate crews."
"If it doesn't involve countries or the government, then it's a lawless area. You, as an Admiral, should understand this. And as the Fleet Admiral, you have even more to consider."
"Are you here to rub it in as well, Tsuru-obasan?" Akainu's voice sank.
"We came here for another matter," Tsuru sighed. "Regarding the vacancy in the Shichibukai, it needs to be filled. Aside from Baggy, who joined a long time ago, the World Government has started sending out invitations again."
In addition to Baggy, who had joined a long time ago, Trafalgar Law had recently entered the ranks of the Shichibukai by offering a hundred pirate hearts as a token of his pledge.
The owners of those hearts were all pirates with substantial bounties in the New World, not ordinary foes.
However, compared to this, the person they had chosen to fill the Shichibukai vacancy was the real reason for their gathering.
"The World Government has invited Edward Weevil, the so-called 'Whitebeard Jr.,' to join the Shichibukai." Tsuru's voice turned solemn.
Edward Weevil, who claimed to be Whitebeard's son, had been attacking the Whitebeard Pirates relentlessly since Whitebeard's death. It was likely that after Blackbeard's victory over Marco, Weevil would become even more rampant.
But they had known about Edward Weevil long before that.
Eight years ago, this man had attacked a rookie training camp led by Coby, using the rookies as leverage to threaten Coby. He had cut off Coby's arm and slaughtered a large number of the trainees.
"Coby knows about this."
Sen Goku's expression darkened. "He left the Navy. I don't know what he plans to do, but he's changed."
The smile faded from Garp's face, and he fell silent.
Kizaru paused in the act of clipping his fingernails, his sunglasses reflecting the light so that his expression was unreadable.
Akainu lowered his head slightly, his hat brim casting half his face in shadow. The smoke from his cigar also obscured his features, but the fist he clenched grew hotter and redder.
The atmosphere in the office turned oppressive.
It wasn't until the temperature in the room rose further, and the cigar in Akainu's mouth completely melted into lava, dripping down viscous liquid that burned through the desk, that he spoke.
"Pirates."
His voice was scorching and hoarse, but his tone was icy.
Tsuru pursed her lips. "In any case, you know the situation now. It's not just Coby who has left the Navy. As the Fleet Admiral, it's up to you to decide what to do. Now, let's get down to business."
"Marshall D. Teach has defeated Marco and destroyed the Whitebeard Pirates centered around him, causing them to disappear from the seas."
"Noton Sagares repulsed Red Hair, and in addition to his previous battles with Kaido and Big Mom, it shows that he, too, is unstoppable."
"Their rise to the top cannot be stopped, and we know that they are in a cooperative state. It seems they won't fight over the title of Pirate Emperor, but Whitebeard's territory will likely be divided between them."
"Then, the reassessment of their bounties must be calculated anew to let the world know of their danger."
(End of Chapter)
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