Chapter 52: Old Man, Just You Wait
Chapter 52: Old Man, Just You Wait
On the deck, in addition to the piled-up stones, there was now a large gathering of people, quickly occupying half of the once spacious area.
"Fire the cannons! Hurry up and fire! !"
Argin was directing the pirates on the ship, moving cannonballs to the side of the ship, bombarding the spot where Garp had fallen to prevent him from getting up.
Boom!
But just then, the black ship shook, and an explosion rocked the left side of the vessel, shrouding it in black smoke.
It was a cannonball!
Swish!
The dog-headed warship, now missing one of its masts, had also sailed over, its main cannon spewing smoke as it fired a barrage of cannonballs directly at the deck.
If the cannonballs landed, the people who had just climbed aboard would surely be thrown back into the sea.
While this ship could withstand cannonballs, no one knew what would happen if there were too many, especially if they hit the deck and detonated the ammunition stored onboard—that would be a real problem.
"Iron block!"
One of the cannonballs came hurtling with tremendous force, about to smash onto the deck, when a figure leaped onto the ship's railing and effortlessly caught the incoming projectile.
Boom!
The exploding gunpowder sent a gust of wind and black smoke billowing in all directions. As the smoke cleared, the silhouette of Paru emerged on the railing.
He turned his head, flicking the moon-shaped tuft of hair on his forehead, baring his gleaming teeth as he gave a thumbs-up to the crowd, "I am the invincible Paru!"
"Oh! You're amazing too, you iron blockhead!" Renitia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, Lady Renitia, I—"
Before Paru could finish, his eyes rolled up, showing the whites, and his smile froze as he toppled backward onto the deck.
"Just one hit?!" Renitia screamed in anger.
Whoosh!
As the remaining cannonballs continued their assault, a nimble figure leaped from the deck. Argin, with his crutches, swung and struck the cannonballs with the iron balls at the ends, knocking them into the sea, where they exploded in splashes of water.
"Leave it to me, Lady Renitia!" Argin landed on the deck and said earnestly.
"Leave it to you, my foot! They're changing directions! Get ready to defend!" Renitia shouted.
The dog-headed warship, after firing its frontal cannons, swiftly turned its body, positioning its side parallel to the black ship.
The front and back of a ship have smaller surface areas, so they naturally have fewer cannons compared to the sides. Although it was unclear why this particular warship hadn't fired its main cannon, it was evident that the number of cannons on its side was substantial!
Bang, bang, bang!
A row of sparks lit up the body of the dog-headed warship as its cannons fired in rapid succession, sending a barrage of black streaks toward the black ship.
There was no way they could defend against that many cannonballs!
"Just a little further!" Renitia gritted her teeth. She released her tool hammer and spread her small hands.
On the other side of the broken bridge, there were still people jumping toward them. If they could just hold on a little longer, they could rescue all the slaves around the bridge. It was so close, but now a decision had to be made.
"Engines..."
Just as Renitia was about to press her fingers against the deck, she heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Lily leaped onto the end of the railing, brandishing her rapier and dashing forward. As she neared the trail of cannonballs, she leaped high into the air, her body and sword slicing through the night sky like a bolt of bright silver, cleaving through the night.
Clang!
That dazzling light extended from the tail end of the cannonballs to their front, slicing them all in half. The divided projectiles exploded in mid-air, resembling fireworks against the night sky.
"Reti!"
Lily landed on the second floor of the deck housing and shouted resolutely, "Set sail!"
In that brief moment, all the slaves who had been jumping down landed on the deck.
There was no one left trying to reach the ship. Renitia bared her sharp teeth, and sparks seemed to dance between her fingers as she forcefully pressed them against the deck, "Full speed ahead!"
The black ship, which had been stationary in the center of the bridge, suddenly surged forward on its own, even though no one was adjusting the sails or steering the ship. It retreated from the warship's line of fire and sped out to sea in the opposite direction.
They had escaped!
They had accomplished their goal.
Whoosh!
As soon as the words left her mouth, a massive stone block hurtled towards them at a speed faster than the cannonballs. The force of its approach was so powerful that it sent shockwaves through the air, and one could sense its might just from the sound.
Boom!
Argine leaped up swiftly, and the iron balls at the ends of his crutches swung with force, colliding with the stone block. The impact caused Argine to spit out blood as he was knocked backward onto the deck.
Pa!
Just as he was about to crash into the deck, Malika slapped her hand against the stone block. The veins on her gentle face bulged, and her forehead veins popped out as she grimaced with concentration, holding back the stone block. Her footsteps further dented the deck, creating a furrow in the wood as she pushed back with all her might, finally coming to a halt.
Malika felt a tingling sensation in her hands. Instinctively, she glanced toward the bridge's ruins and saw a bloodied, burly figure emerging from the wreckage, laughing boisterously at them: "I won't let you escape!"
The dog-headed warship had now reached the center of the broken bridge, and Garp jumped right into the gap, standing on the side of the ship. He reached out and grabbed a cannonball, then forcefully hurled it toward the black ship.
"Fist of Meteorites!"
Boom!
The cannonball slammed near the ship, and the resulting explosion sent up a splash even larger than the warship itself. The shockwave caused the black ship to sway more violently than it had before.
"What power!" Malika muttered, her lips pressed tight. "We can't hold out against that."
They could barely stop the stones, and now they had to deal with these smaller but more powerful cannonballs.
"Fist of Meteor Shower!"
Boom, boom, boom!
Like black phantoms, the swiftly incoming cannonballs gave them no time to react. One after another, Garp threw the projectiles, bombarding the area around the black ship and creating splashes that resembled falling meteorites.
Among these cannonballs, several struck the ship directly. The explosions that followed caused the black ship to tilt precariously, making it rock more violently than it had in the stormy weather.
At least, during the storm, the ship had managed to maintain a steady course.
It was only because the ship's body was sturdy, built with the finest materials from the Eastern Sea, combined with Renitia's expertise, and further bolstered by their swift sailing speed, that the cannonballs hadn't dealt a decisive blow.
However, the sections of the ship that had been struck were already showing signs of damage!
"Hehehe! Quite resilient, aren't you? Then how about this!"
Garp suddenly laughed, and somehow, a massive iron ball that took up half the deck appeared, chained to his hand as he swung it around, making the giant sphere spin a few times before he hurled it directly at the black ship.
The shadow cast by the iron ball as it flew through the air was enough to blanket half of the black ship.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Argine stared dumbfounded at the massive iron ball bearing down on them, the shadow of its approach alone feeling like the end of days. If this hit, half the ship would surely sink!
Lily grit her teeth, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her sword hilt. Her eyes blazed with determination, and though she knew the odds were against her, she was prepared to give it her all and try to deflect the attack, even if it meant sacrificing herself!
Clank!
Just as she was about to move, the pile of stone rubble on the deck suddenly shifted, and with a loud crash, a figure burst out from the wreckage, leaping high into the air.
Thud!
A dull sound rang out as the figure collided with the iron ball, altering its trajectory and causing it to tumble down toward the vast ocean below.
Boom!
A tsunami-like wave rose as the iron ball plunged into the sea, sending ripples in all directions.
"Oh?"
Garp's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the man standing at the ship's bow, a laugh escaping his lips. "You're quite the resilient one yourself, aren't you?"
The man standing there was none other than Sag.
Bogart suddenly appeared on the side of the ship, his eyes narrowing as he took in the figure of Sag standing opposite him. His eyes then widened in shock, and he immediately gave the order, "Open fire!"
The Navy sailors on the ship swiftly moved to the cannons, but just as they were about to fire, their bodies stiffened, their eyes rolled up, and they collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Bogart's eyes widened further, cold sweat trickling down his face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You..."
Even Garp had lost his smile, his expression turning grave.
"Old man."
A crimson gleam flashed in Sag's eyes, and the flowing blackness on his fist seemed to ebb away like a receding tide, leaving behind a coat of black that gradually faded.
He stared at the increasingly distant figure of Garp and curled his lips in a sinister grin. "Next time we meet, I won't be so miserable. You wait and see!"
(End of Chapter)
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