https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-358-The-Old-Marine-The-New-Pirate/12612786/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-360-Can-t-You-Be-More-Respectable-/12612788/
Chapter 359: I Will Send You Off
Chapter 359: I Will Send You Off
A few days later.
The central square of Storm City was packed with onlookers, surrounded by live-streaming Den Den Mushi relaying the visuals to various islands.
Even without the Den Den Mushi, the announcement of the traitor's fate would be broadcast, proclaiming to the world the consequences of betrayal.
Xiuzuo, bound in shackles and bruised all over, was escorted to the square.
Lass kicked Xiuzuo's leg, forcing him to his knees.
The latter turned his head, glaring at him with hatred.
"Your gaze won't kill anyone, not even with the Conquer's Haki."
Lass said indifferently, then walked to the temporary platform erected in the square and addressed the crowd.
"We have finally found the traitor among us! Now, we will execute him live through the Den Den Mushi to send a message to all those on the sea. If you have the strength, come and take it by force, and we will fight you with the ways of pirates."
"If you intend to assassinate, then come directly. Pretending to join first and then betraying us later is the most serious provocation to the Calamity Pirates! The Captain particularly despises such behavior, so we will execute this traitor according to our internal rules!"
Lass looked down at Xiuzuo, who was kneeling below, and raised his fist. "You joined the Calamity Pirates, regardless of the duration. Even if it was just for a brief minute, you were once one of us."
"As the Captain, the Captain has the infinite power to pursue and punish his subordinates. For those who join the pirate crew and then assassinate their comrades, such traitors are unforgivable and heinous! Therefore, we will punish these betrayers with the 'Blood Eagle Execution'!"
"Oh!!"
The onlookers shouted in response.
Most of them glared at Xiuzuo with hatred, while a small minority looked afraid and reluctant.
However, they did not try to stop the execution.
"How dare you all!" Xiuzuo glared at the cheering crowd and shouted, "Don't be too proud, supporters of pirates! You're just as evil as them, and you will eventually be killed by my teacher! Only my teacher represents justice!"
As he spoke, he turned to look at the nine-year-old child, his heart filled with pain and anger.
Despite his young age, his actions were so cruel!
It was all the fault of these pirates!
If we don't eliminate all these pirates, we can't stop such tragedies!
"You miscalculated!" Xiuzuo laughed loudly. "They won't come because we share the dream of eradicating all pirates. If you think you can lure them by using me as bait, you're wrong! Kill me if you want, but I won't utter a single plea!"
He had been brought here some time ago, and they had not taken action until now, obviously intending to mimic Whitebeard's strategy during the Summit War.
But they had miscalculated; his teacher had transformed and was no longer the person he used to be.
This plan was completely useless!
"No one is plotting anything," Lass said, looking down at Xiuzuo indifferently. "You're not even worthy of seeing the Captain, so do you really think someone is plotting against you? Rest assured, no one can escape. The Captain knows that the one called Zefa won't come, so..."
"It's already over."
A smile played at the corners of his mouth, and he waved his hand downward. "However, you won't get to see the executioner!"
Two Fish-man, one on either side of Xiuzuo, held him down while the other stabbed him in the back with a knife and pulled it downward forcefully.
...
Slap!
On an island with mountains on its edges but a flat interior, a blue-haired woman with long curls hung up the Den Den Mushi that had been playing the live feed. She closed her eyes, her face filled with reluctance.
Beside her were a group of people in black uniforms, distinct from the navy's white uniforms, and a tall, sausage-mouthed man in a ninja outfit.
Not far away, a burly purple-haired old man sat on a large stone, his face grim.
"Teacher Zefa," the blue-haired woman began to speak, but Zefa interrupted her with a hand signal and shouted, "Ayn, I am 'Z' now!"
"Yes, Mr. Z," Ayn replied, biting her lip. "We will definitely avenge Xiuzuo, won't we?"
Zefa was about to speak when he suddenly paused and quickly took out something that resembled a respirator, pressing it to his mouth and nose. After the respirator emitted a mist, his body relaxed.
"Ahem!"
Zefa coughed lightly, his face tense. "It was all for a meaningful cause! Xiuzuo sacrificed himself for this great dream of eradicating pirates. I will not forget his contribution. As long as pirates are thoroughly wiped out, we will emerge victorious!"
"Yes, Mr. Z!" Ayn bowed respectfully.
Having recently withdrawn from the Navy, they were still in a state of limbo with their resignations unapproved. Although they had gained a group of like-minded individuals, their numbers were insufficient, and they lacked adequate resources.
Thus, their mission to eradicate pirates served not only to uphold Mr. Z's ideals but also to bolster their forces with the pirates' riches.
After all, without money, they couldn't even afford their next meal.
But in just a short time, Xiuzuo had been captured and subjected to a cruel execution.
She didn't want to watch, and she dared not.
But one thing was certain—
"Pirates are evil!"
Ayn proclaimed loudly to the remaining 'NEO Navy', "Only by eliminating all these evil pirates can we usher in a new era for the world! The incompetent old Navy failed to accomplish this, but we, the NEO Navy, the new naval force..."
"Will achieve it!"
Before she could finish her sentence, a loud and clear voice interrupted from a distance.
Dark clouds covered the once bright sky, bringing with them a chilling wind.
It sent shivers down one's spine.
Ayn looked up instinctively and saw a massive black cloud hovering beneath the gloomy sky, carrying a figure that swiftly approached.
Under the dark canopy, the streak of white hair stood out starkly.
White Hair
Just behind the approaching black cloud, a massive black ship had docked at the landing point. People disembarked from the ship via the side ladder, rushing straight toward them.
At the bow of the ship stood a huge dragon beast with a gaping maw, and the starlight skull flag on the sail shone brightly beneath the dark sky like stars in the night sky, sparkling brilliantly.
"The Calamity Pirates!" Ayn exclaimed, sweat breaking out on her forehead.
Zefa, who had been seated, stood up abruptly, his eyes fixed on the sky above. His face was taut, filled with gravitas.
The black cloud descended to the ground and dissipated like cotton candy meeting water, revealing the figure of the white-haired man.
He wore a snow leopard-spotted shirt, its chest buttons casually undone to expose his chest and the black jade bead necklace around his neck. Below the lavish gem-studded belt was a pair of black martial arts pants, and his calves were tightly bound by leather boots.
On his left wrist, he sported a golden dragon-patterned armguard, and his fingers were adorned with golden rings and jewels.
He didn't exude elegance, but he certainly portrayed the image of a nouveau riche.
Yet, not a single person dared to question his sense of style.
Because this was the pinnacle of fashion among the top pirates of the vast ocean.
With a bounty of twenty-eight billion seven million berries, Norton Sag, the man known as 'Calamity', had arrived!
Whoosh!
The black-based velvet cape with red tips fluttered loudly in the howling wind as Sag flexed his shoulders, gazing at the transformed Zefa before him. A boisterous laugh escaped his lips.
"Old man, did you call me here just for you?"
Zefa's lips curled up at the corners. "You've come specifically for me, haven't you, Sag?"
"Yes, I knew you wouldn't come to me, so I took the initiative to come find you!"
Sag scanned Zefa up and down, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"I heard you withdrew from the Navy, and look at you now—what a difference from last year! You look quite formidable now. But at your age, do you even have time to build up your momentum for a fresh start?"
The current Zefa was a far cry from his appearance last year.
Back then, his purple hair had been smooth and sleek, and he wore a pair of rimless glasses, giving off the air of a strict instructor.
This year was different.
His hair now stood on end, reaching for the sky, and his black cape bore the emblem of a cross-shaped sword piercing through a skull.
The glasses had been replaced by a pair of sunglasses, and his face, which should have been stern, now carried an air of malevolence. It wasn't exactly evil, nor was it wanton, but it gave Sag the impression of...
Despair.
"A fresh start?" Zefa sneered. "I'm not like you young bucks. I've transformed, and now I aim to wipe you pirates off the face of this world! That's the difference between you and me!"
Zefa's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Any pirate deserves to die! Sag, you're no exception. I didn't come here to reminisce!"
"I never said I was blameless," Sag laughed. "But... can you really pull it off?"
"Reminisce? Do you think I came here to assess whether you'd join my crew?"
"You came to my place to be an instructor? Hahaha, stop joking. Of course, I came to settle the score with you!"
"Your subordinates came to my territory and killed three hundred and sixty-three people stationed on my two islands, causing some of my goods to be transported slowly and indirectly causing quite a lot of economic losses!"
He clenched his fists, his smile turning grim. "Also, I said a long time ago that you can only die by my hands!"
Boom!
As his voice fell, a thunderbolt exploded in the sky, stirring up the raging winds.
Behind him, people gradually gathered.
Lili was the first to arrive, like a bolt of lightning moving across the ground. She stopped behind Sag, her hand pressing on her sword hilt, staring at the crowd in front of her as if they were dead men.
Soon, Marika, Reneetia, Akin, Palu, and Miote, all former subordinates who had robbed Loguetown, surrounded them as well.
"It's all familiar faces."
Zefa waved his right mechanical arm and snarled, "Perfect, now I can kill all of you here!"
"Ah, I was thinking the same thing."
Sag laughed, "Old man, when you get old, just retire peacefully. The consequence of not accepting your age is an early death. Look at you now. I'm kind-hearted, and I can't bear to see people fall from grace. We all have some sentiment for you since you were my teacher, so I'm here to grant you your final wish."
"You, a pirate, are calling me fallen?!'
Zefa's temples throbbed with anger, "I'm not fallen; I'm seeking my own justice! There are things in the vast ocean beyond your imagination, Sag! Once I locate their position, you will all..."
"EndPoint, the endpoint."
Sag's words made Zefa pause.
"How do you know?" Zefa asked, taken aback.
"Endpoint? Is it the one I know?"
Lili blinked, unsure, "Rumor has it that there are three endpoints in the New World, connected to the huge molten volcanoes in the sea. If they are all destroyed, the three endpoints will connect, the sea veins will move altogether, and the New World will be plunged into destruction?"
Many people knew about this news, but the World Government had dismissed it as false.
But now, from Sag's implication, was it true?
"Don't joke around,"
Sag said, "The New World is the latter half of the Grand Line. The so-called Grand Line is merely separated by the Calm Belt. Without the Calm Belt, the latter half is just the West Blue and North Blue. There's no such thing as something that can destroy just one route."
"Moreover, the so-called 'endpoint' is just near the Red Line continent. How could it be that if the New World's latter half, or even the former half, hasn't been thoroughly explored, those few islands, even if they are confirmed as the real target, what can they do?"
This news had been circulating for a long time. Sag had taken note of it after noticing Zefa, and had Lili investigate the so-called 'endpoint.'
The results were startling; the endpoint was right near the entrance of the Red Line continent.
Could the destruction of this thing really threaten the New World?
That was ridiculous.
He looked at Zefa and smiled, "I don't think that thing is real. If you pin your hopes on that, aren't you being a bit delusional? You're not that young anymore; even dreams shouldn't be pursued so blindly."
"And even if it's true, the New World is home to more than just us pirates. What, are you going to target civilians now, too? Oh, I suppose that makes sense, considering you left your disciple to die. So, I'm right to say you've fallen, aren't I?"
"It's all for justice!"
Zefa shouted, "Whether it's real or not, once I find those three islands and destroy them, you'll know!"
Although Zefa was surprised that his plan had been discovered, he didn't mind.
This would all come to light eventually.
"So,"
Sag clenched his fists, making a creaking sound, "I think what you're doing is wrong, so I'll kindly send you on your way. Rather than dying as a vagrant or a pirate at the hands of others, it's better to die now that you've just retired; at least you'll have some dignity left."
He wasn't the type to beat around the bush or hide his thoughts.
He spoke his mind.
If he thought Zefa had fallen, he'd say so.
And he'd also speak of his intentions.
After all, they were all going to die, and dying at the hands of a pirate like him was a fitting end to their identities.
It was better than dying later in an ambiguous state, without any identity to speak of.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
