https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-589-When-Old-Friends-Meet-It-s-a-Showdown-/13080759/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-591-Rob-Decapitate-Receive-and-Unify-/13080765/
Chapter 590: Time to Make a Move
Chapter 590: Time to Make a Move
The moon above exhibited strange phenomena, as meteors emerged from the moonlight, streaking across the sky.
It was as if a signal had been given, marking the start of the battle.
Sage took the initiative, leaping high into the air with a smoke ring beneath his feet. He bent one leg, resting his left hand on his right palm, and a black light flashed like a black sun, unleashing a massive black pillar.
"Hao Mie Zhan Kong!"
"Gatling Gun?"
Kuro was visibly startled, his steps faltered as he assumed a sword-drawing stance. The black blade sheathed and then drawn in a flash, it emitted a golden electric aura, slicing the black pillar in half from its center, causing it to dissipate like foam.
"Extreme Armament Color?" Sage frowned slightly, "Not quite the same."
"A manifestation of unified Aura, where all Auras are combined into one, similar to your Extreme Armament Color."
Kuro chuckled lightly, pointing the black blade at Sage, "If that's all you've got..."
Pop!
Similarly, like ripples on water, the foam dissipated, and the figure holding the sword suddenly shattered. A sharp aura emerged from behind Sage, piercing straight towards his neck.
"You're no match for me!"
The voice came from behind Sage, and Kuro maintained his sword-swinging motion, the sharp blade almost reaching Sage's neck.
Bang! But at that moment, without turning his head, Sage kicked his legs backward, striking Kuro and causing a turtle-shell-like defense to appear on Kuro's body. However, the immense force also sent Kuro flying.
Sage, at that instant, lost his ability to hover, and his entire body fell heavily to the ground.
Kuro's figure, after flying for a moment, came to a halt in mid-air, and the two of them stared at each other from above and below.
"You noticed? Impossible," Kuro clicked his tongue.
"In this world, no one can ambush me," Sage said.
Kuro was taken aback, "No Thought Dark Kill?"
"Correct."
Sage laughed, "And what's that you're using? One of the Four God's Ultimate Arts?"
Having come from the same place, they had a general understanding of each other's techniques.
"A move from the old home that can't be broken, huh?"
Kuro thought for a moment, then raised his hand towards the sky, "Then let's try it! Lion's Roar!"
The already dark night sky suddenly turned gloomy, and the moonlight was almost completely shrouded. A massive stone, nearly half the size of the island, descended from the heavens.
From such a great height, combined with the abnormal speed of the falling boulder, if it hit, the island might instantly disappear!
However...
Bang!
Sage quickly drew the flintlock pistol from his waist and aimed it at the descending meteor. The bullet, upon leaving the gun, instantly enlarged to a diameter of over a meter, becoming a shadow that resembled a fleeting meteor. It pierced through the meteor, reaching its center and exploding, turning the meteor into a firework that shattered into a rain of stone fragments.
Sage sneered, "Heavy? No, not quite. Float-Float?"
"Speed-Speed? Isn't that Momo?" Kuro was stunned.
"What a strange fruit," they both said in unison, then froze.
"How strong is Float-Float? And you, a swordsman, actually ate a fruit?" Sage raised an eyebrow.
"It's the same for me. How good can Momo be? I thought you were just a street brawler. To eat a fruit, it should at least be an Animal-type," Kuro retorted.
Sage had never encountered the Golden Lion and had little interest in such a loser, nor did he think Float-Float was particularly strong.
Kuro, on the other hand, had easily defeated Wald, and likewise didn't believe Momo could be that powerful.
Moreover,
How dare he insult the power he had consumed!
"You try it and see how strong Float-Float is!"
"Lion's Roar: Earth Roll!"
Kuro clenched his hand, and the island's ground surged like a wave, forming a spiral beneath Sage's feet. Within the spiral, countless earthen spikes emerged, resembling the gaping maw of a monster, ready to devour Sage.
"Mokuda!"
Sage crossed his arms, and two Aura bombs erupted from his palms, blasting open the spiral ground. Simultaneously, his body sprang into action, using his limbs and even his head to strike the spiral and contracting ground, shattering it. The fragments, under his swinging fists and feet, mysteriously enlarged and accelerated, shooting towards Kuro in the sky.
"You're using what I control to attack me?"
Kuro furrowed his brows, extended his hand, and with incredible speed, the stones that emitted a sonic boom as they flew through the air came to a halt around him before being sent back down.
"Here, catch!"
"I don't want this junk!"
Sage ignited black flames with his fists, and his arms moved too fast to be seen, unleashing numerous Aura bombs that shattered the falling boulders into dust.
The moonlight continued to illuminate the island, and the wind turned colder. The two of them, one high and one low, stared at each other for a moment before both breaking into sinister smiles.
"Ordinary methods won't work on you, Four Emperor. It seems you're not like those upstarts of the New Era; you're a true Pirate Emperor."
"Kuro laughed. "Similarly, you're not some ordinary Admiral; you're a traditional old Admiral."
Sage grinned, baring his teeth. "Let's get serious."
"Sure thing!"
Kuro released his grip on Qiushui, and the scabbard rose with it. He reached up towards the sky, and under the moonlight, a dazzling golden object descended.
It was a long strip of gold, but the aura within was extraordinary, as if something was sealed within.
"Go ahead, the stage is set for you to reveal your true power!"
The golden strip fell before Kuro, who grasped it with his hand. The gold unraveled like a bandage, revealing a hilt and an incredibly long blade filled with a bright, sharp aura.
"One of the Twelve Great Fast Swords!"
Kuro gripped the hilt and swung it to the side, causing a bloody aura to erupt from him. It was like a river of blood pouring down from the sky, engulfing Sage and covering the entire island.
"Unleash your might, Ro Gui!"
"Then!"
Kuro, holding Ro Gui, suddenly contorted his entire body. The air around his face seemed distorted, giving him a bizarre appearance. His aura and killing intent merged, materializing into a substantial force that transformed into a suit of armor covering his body. Six ribbons appeared on his shoulders, waist, and thighs.
"Aura, ability, and swordsmanship, all combined!"
Kuro grinned menacingly. "This is my power!"
Sage's body tensed for a moment, his expression turning solemn, but he quickly regained his composure. "The Twelve Great Fast Swords? I've never heard of this one. But I can guess what Lily's future path might be."
The dense killing intent was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
"You're giving it your all? Then let's see what I've got!"
A white cocoon-like aura became tangible and rose from Sage's body, enveloping him. Soon, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, the top of the white cocoon spiraled open, revealing a head of hair as white as flames, six battle marks on his cheeks, and a black armor-like covering from his back to his waist, leaving only his chest exposed.
The Tyrant Aura was retracted and pulled back into his body, ready to unleash at any moment.
There was not a single flaw in his entire being!
"Full Form Fiftyfold!"
Sage looked up at Kuro. "Come on, let's see who's stronger!"
"Oh, Super Saiyan? I can guess Lily's future path too, assuming we remember it."
Kuro tightly gripped the hilt with one hand and raised the other, forming an invisible barrier around him that only Sage could sense.
The air around them seemed to become chaotic and disorderly.
Sage narrowed his eyes. A domain? No, that couldn't be right.
"Have you awakened?"
Sage clasped his fists together, emitting a black and red light.
"Let's have a real fight!"
Kuro hoisted Ro Gui onto his shoulder and glared at Sage below. In an instant, their bodies clashed, one above the other, transforming into two beams of light that collided head-on.
"Wuseng Kongsha!"
"Great Crimson!"
BOOM!!! A mushroom cloud resembling a nuclear explosion appeared in the sky, shaking the island to pieces and causing the seawater to surge. It even tore a gaping hole in the sky. At the center of the mushroom cloud, black and red light intertwined with black and gold radiance, spreading out in a blinding flash that covered the seawater and sky, gradually silencing the surroundings.
"Sage spoke, "Because of such matters, wasting my time on the vast sea, but it's made my stance clear. The World Government should no longer bother us."
There was no question that they would fight. Regardless of their intentions, intruding into the territory he'd marked out was unacceptable.
He needed to make his stance clear, so that those enemies would understand his position and naturally refrain from taking action.
However, it wasn't long before Sage realized that the World Government was currently too occupied to deal with them.
Within the palace, Lily found Sage and immediately announced, "The Revolutionary Army has made their move!"
"Hmm?" Sage asked, clipping the end of a cigar and lighting it with a lighter.
"The Revolutionary Army is on the move. They've surrounded Mariejois, preventing the Navy from providing support and cutting off the supply routes. It seems they intend to trap the Celestial Dragons. Even with the Navy's vast forces, the revolutionaries seem to have a way to hide and avoid direct confrontation, only cutting off the ascending elevators."
"Hahaha! There are some smart people out there," Sage laughed.
"If they do this, the World Government might just agree to the Revolutionary Army's demands. After all, the Celestial Dragons are their taboo," Lily explained.
"No, it's not that simple," Sage blew out smoke. "This is an irreconcilable conflict. The Revolutionary Army's main goal is to strip the Celestial Dragons of their status, liberate the slaves, and overthrow the ruling class. The World Government's foundation lies with the Celestial Dragons. Without them, it wouldn't be the World Government anymore."
"But let them stir things up. The bigger the chaos, the better it is for my business."
"There will be consequences," Lily added.
"Population trade has halted on both sides, and we can't expand now. Our population and workforce are already saturated. There's also another matter."
She placed a newspaper on the table, showing a zombie wearing a Navy uniform.
"What? Has Moria's action figure come to life?" Sage asked.
"Navy Vice Admiral T-Bone has been murdered," Lily revealed.
"According to our intelligence, the person responsible has reached the Cross Guild. It's said that the Cross Guild has issued a Navy bounty, and T-Bone was killed by a civilian. We've investigated that kingdom; on average, a thousand people starve to death every year due to famine. With a valuable bounty on someone's head, it's natural for assassins to strike."
Sage was taken aback. "A civilian killed a Vice Admiral? An unknown expert?"
"No, just an ordinary person. I find it strange that a Vice Admiral could be killed so easily," Lily shook her head.
Even if a Vice Admiral was considered weak against someone like Sage, they were still formidable against pirates on the high seas. A regular Vice Admiral could easily handle pirates with bounties over 100 million, and elite Vice Admirals could even take on pirates with bounties of several hundred million or more.
An ordinary civilian couldn't possibly be a match for a Vice Admiral, not even in an ambush.
Yet, this strange incident had occurred.
"Also, Teach has captured the recently renowned 'Navy Hero' Coby."
Lily thought for a moment and said, "No wonder we sensed Red Hair when we dealt with Kaido. That guy wasn't being watched; he simply left and went to the Navy."
"Hmph, what a mess," Sage stood up, biting his cigar as he looked out the window, overlooking the increasingly prosperous city of Ohara.
"The population is insufficient, and the trade is not saturated enough! It's not enough to satisfy me!" Sage's smile turned sinister, revealing his white teeth. "Since things have escalated this far, I can't be blamed for taking action myself. Those small countries are no longer enough; we need to conquer larger and stronger nations, seize their markets, and make them work for us!"
"What do you mean...?"
"Isn't Cobra dead? Didn't Vivi go missing? I don't care what happened, but Alabasta definitely needs my help!"
Sage chuckled, "Let's go there! Their massive population and market are exactly what I need!"
The Grand Line had few great nations; Totto Land was one, but it relied on military might, not population.
Wano Country was decent, but its internal market wasn't large enough, and its vast territory was already being absorbed.
The businesses in the North and West Seas were limited to pressuring small nations with populations of a few hundred thousand. Most had populations just over ten thousand, and some were even smaller.
These markets were insufficient.
It was time to shift their focus to the powerful nations! Once they secured those nations, Sage would gain access to greater prosperity! Their large populations and vast territories were characteristic of powerful countries.
Alabasta, in particular, had an army of a million.
Equipping their soldiers was a business opportunity, not to mention the civilians beneath them.
Small countries couldn't provide much support, so it was time to target the great nations!
(End of Chapter)
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