Chapter 470: I Don't Want to Live Either, You Know!
Chapter 470: I Don’t Want to Live Either, You Know!
Dawn.
“Huh? You’re saying Gramps went to Totto Land?”
Kuro was woken by a call, only to hear a shocking piece of news.
The Transponder Snail’s appearance was now a bespectacled, perpetually adjusting-his-glasses caricature of a scholar—Klah.
“Yes, Kuro, sir. But he returned the same night. He only went for a quick stroll.”
“A stroll? Just a stroll?” Kuro sat up halfway, instinctively hissing in pain as he clutched his chest.
It really hurt.
Was Gramps there to cover for him?
“Forget it. Who cares about that? If Gramps went, they’ll probably drop their suspicions for good,” Kuro muttered.
“Ah, Kuro, sir… we need to know where you are.”
“Where the hell do you think I am? The stratosphere! You idiot! Wait for my signal. I’m exhausted, starving, and freezing. Bring Ju Geng when you come pick me up!”
Kuro hung up, slipping the wristwatch onto his wrist.
He stood, stretching his aching body. Every part of his upper torso screamed in pain.
“That damned steel balloon… Just wait. I’ll outlast you yet!” he growled.
Fight her? Don’t be ridiculous. Who in their right mind would challenge such a monster?
Compared to her, even Kaido was manageable. At least Kaido’s thick bloodline regeneration could still be hurt by damage.
But that steel balloon… Her defense was insane. Pure physical resilience, barely needing Haki at all. Her strength rivaled Kaido’s, and she wasn’t even a Zoan-type, let alone a damn dragon.
Trying to match her strength was like fighting a thug with a toothpick. And her elemental powers? Area-of-effect skills galore.
She had him completely countered.
But not fighting didn’t mean he couldn’t endure.
She was nearly seventy. He was only twenty-five. Time was on his side.
What? She absorbs lifespans? Not if she’s not using it on herself.
Even if she could, he had Pure Gold. What was there to fear?
She couldn’t kill him with one strike.
Worst case, he’d survive to the final showdown.
“Damn, it’s cold.”
Kuro shivered, instinctively reaching for a cigar—only to realize he had none left.
His combat-worn jacket and hooded cloak were gone, along with the cigars.
He scanned the island. Not a single tree or creature remained.
Earlier, when he’d fused the island into a finger, he’d crushed everything—trees, animals, all of it. No time to spare for survival back then.
The sea was still there, at least, teeming with sea beasts.
Boom!
A dinosaur-like sea beast erupted from the waves, smashing the empty ship anchored nearby. Roaring, it charged toward the lone figure on the island.
It was hungry.
There was nothing left to eat.
Wreckage scattered like shrapnel. A particularly annoying piece hurtled toward Kuro’s head.
“Are you nuts?!”
Kuro drew Autumn Water, slicing the incoming ship’s rudder into splinters. He cursed at the sea beast, then unleashed a wisp-like Slash Wave. The blade of air shredded through the creature, nearly cleaving it in two. It collapsed, blood staining the sea crimson.
“Damn it!”
Kuro sheathed Autumn Water, muttering curses as he stomped onto the rudder wreckage. He strode toward the island’s edge, where the sea had receded.
“This stockpile’s useless. Not enough. Next time, I’ll just drop a full-scale Tathagata Palm. If I can’t kill her, I’ll crush her for five hundred years.”
The Float-Float Fruit’s ultimate technique had proven its worth. Who knew it’d be so handy?
If not for using the island’s mass to block two of Charlotte Big Mom’s attacks, he’d be in far worse shape.
This thing was both offense and defense. With his current control, he could even shape a giant guardian, hiding inside while attacking.
Man, everyone dreamed of piloting a mobile suit.
Even a dirt-made one counted as a mobile suit.
At the island’s edge, he peered down. Below the clouds, endless white mist stretched endlessly. No Skypiea here.
A cold gust blew upward as he leaned out, making him shiver.
“Let’s see where I am. If there’s a town, even better.”
He stepped forward, preparing to fly down—then paused, pulling back.
He straightened his chest, inhaled deeply, and suddenly roared: “Ruaaa!!”
“I Don’T Want TO Live Either! …Just kidding.”
With that, he dove headfirst into the void, plummeting freely.
Kaido sure had it easy.
Kuro fell headfirst through the mist, soon spotting dark clouds below, crackling with lightning.
Boom!
A muffled thunderclap echoed as Kuro pierced the clouds, his body instantly drenched.
The storm lashed his body, soaking his hair.
“No wonder it’s so cold. Storm!”
Boom!
Another bolt streaked toward him.
Kuro waved his hand. The air warped, dispersing the lightning as he continued his freefall.
Soon, the sea emerged below, and a tiny black speck on its surface—a distant island.
“Town? Hmm?”
Kuro locked onto the direction—then froze.
Below him loomed a familiar, massive island.
Bald and newly formed, it resembled a mighty lion’s head.
“This thing…”
Kuro’s eyes widened. He glanced at the town-bearing island’s direction, then dove downward.
Boom!
Just meters above the sea, he halted mid-air. The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the water.
He hovered, studying the colossal lion’s head.
It dwarfed him—a speck on its crown. A gaping hole pierced the lion’s head, as if something had burst from within.
But the real surprise?
He felt it.
“Aha!”
Kuro slapped his fists together, realization dawning.
“This is the Planetary Devastation Sphere I trapped Kaido in! So it ended up here.”
He clenched his fist, ready to lift the lion’s head.
Perfect. He needed more stockpiles.
“Roar!”
A guttural roar erupted from the lion’s head’s far end.
Kuro turned.
A feathered lion, thick-furred and massive, charged toward him, fangs bared, breath reeking of decay.
The Grand Line—especially the New World—spawned nothing but monsters.
Kuro narrowed his eyes, barely glancing at the charging beast.
“Cold? Let’s borrow your fur.”
“Ruaa?!”
The lion hesitated mid-leap, instincts flaring. It spread its wings to flee—
Too late.
A blade flashed.
Autumn Water cleaved upward, disemboweling the beast in one strike.
Kuro grabbed the wound’s edge, tearing the skin clean off.
Slap!
He shook the pelt, flinging off flesh and sinew.
A pristine fur coat lay in his hands.
“Enough.”
He drew his blade again, slicing the pelt into shape.
In moments, he draped it over his body—a long coat reaching his knees, split at the hem, open at the chest. The feathers formed padded shoulders, reminiscent of his ensign days.
Clack!
Autumn Water returned to its sheath.
He ignored the skinned lion twitching below, nodding in satisfaction.
“Much better.”
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(End of Chapter)
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