Chapter 639: Red Hair!
Chapter 639: Red Hair!
In the cave filled with lava, a volcanic eruption rapidly filled the entire cavern. At the entrance before Sagel, the lava coalesced into the form of Akainu.
"Nekomimi!"
A powerful and swift lava claw nearly grazed Sagel's face. In the blink of an eye, Sagel quickly raised his arms to block the highly penetrative attack.
Bang!
The force of the attack forced Sagel to fly backward. After flying for a few seconds, he crossed his arms and deflected the attack, causing the lava claw to strike the cave ceiling at an angle, creating a deeper hole.
The vibration caused the lava on the ceiling to flow downward, dripping onto the already scarce rocky ground and searing it. The lava also flowed to Sagel's feet, hissing as it touched his skin.
White steam rose from Sagel's body, healing the deep burns on his hands. He lifted his head and glared at Akainu, sneering, "Continue!"
Lava flowed profusely from Akainu's head, but within the lava, his injuries were still visible. Blood trickled from his left eye and mouth, quickly evaporating in the intense heat.
He didn't respond, but the lava in his clenched fist grew more intense.
The two locked eyes for a moment before simultaneously taking a step forward.
"Great Fire Eruption!"
"Hundred Demons Rush!"
Boom!!
The intense shockwave expanded the cave walls even further. The ground sank, allowing more seawater to rush in, turning the lava into obsidian and creating a hellish environment of high temperatures and steam.
In the center of the now wider tunnel, the lava and seawater-soaked obsidian formed a clear boundary. The two stood on opposite sides, their fists colliding, one covered in lava and the other enveloped in steam, both remaining motionless.
The lava-covered fist had a distinct shade of bright red, while the steam-covered fist was gradually restoring its charred and carbonized flesh to its natural color.
Specializing in martial arts didn't provide much of an advantage against a Logia user. This was why powerful warriors often carried weapons; otherwise, facing a powerful Logia user with just their fists would put them at a disadvantage.
But this wasn't a problem for Sagel.
His extraordinary regenerative ability allowed him to engage in sustained battles with Akainu until one of them ran out of stamina.
"Evil brat, my stamina is no joke!" Akainu growled.
"Conveniently, my endurance in this form is different from before!" Sagel sneered.
He wasn't like some Nika, whose physical strength couldn't keep up with his abilities. His growth was comprehensive.
In this form, he was ready for any high-intensity battle.
They locked eyes again, and without any hesitation, Akainu's fist, now blazing with lava, condensed a massive, dark red lava flow from his arm, forming a ferocious, snarling dog. The dog's mouth opened and closed, melting the surrounding rock and expanding the cave.
"True Nekomimi!"
There was no second round; Akainu launched his attack immediately.
Sagel showed no fear, standing firm in the intense heat that could cook a person alive. He placed his other hand on his fist, and as they clasped together, a black-red beam burst out, shattering the cave walls.
"Great Redertia!"
Boom!!
A horizontal mushroom cloud deepened the crater, the lava and light merging to obscure the two figures.
Five days later.
Outside Red Line.
Lily stood at the ship's prow, staring at the massive hole that was as tall as the Gate of Justice. Even after five days, faint vibrations could still be heard from within the hole.
As for their presence,
It was no longer detectable.
"First time they've fought this long."
Maria's voice came from behind. Lily turned to see her approaching with a tray, offering her a drink.
Lily took the drink, her red lips touching the straw and sipping gently. She nodded and said, "Even Kaido didn't last this long. Fortunately, Sagel is very enduring."
Sagel's uniqueness allowed him to maximize his Haki in every battle. After so many fights, lasting a half-day or a day was normal. A battle lasting five days without a clear victor was unprecedented.
As for deliberately holding back to create a passage, it would be faster to just fight.
The fact that the battle had reached this level indicated that the Marine Admiral was truly formidable.
"The landscape will be permanently altered."
Maria gazed at the massive cave, half of it still filled with molten lava, the other half cooled into obsidian, and sighed, "The power of a Logia user is truly evident in the hands of such strong individuals."
There was no need to worry about whether Sagel would win; they had that confidence. What concerned them was the strength of the Marine Admiral.
Sagel was undeniably the strongest, a fact universally acknowledged. However, Akainu, as a Logia user, proved to be unexpectedly difficult to deal with.
Sagel once said that Logia Devil Fruits were the most enduring combat abilities, and the power of will was mainly to counter these Logia types. They were naturally powerful, and unless there was a specific method to counter them, their destructive capabilities alone were enough to leave many Haki users at a loss.
Lily thought for a moment before continuing, "If the goal is to break through the Red Line, this battle might not end anytime soon. Perhaps, there will be a clear winner."
A prolonged battle in the confined space, and Akainu's reputation for relentless fighting was well-known in the seas. Unlike Aokiji and Kizaru, who could pause their battles, Akainu would likely drag the fight out and decide the outcome here.
"Killing a Marine Admiral? That would probably cause an even greater upheaval."
Maria smiled gently, her gaze shifting to the distant warships. "I doubt they would think so. Otherwise, Fujitora would already be in our hands."
They were certain that Fujitora was on one of those warships.
Yesterday afternoon, they had sensed the presence of a powerful individual, a Marine. They remembered Kizaru's aura, and although they had less contact with Fujitora, there were only so many powerful individuals. The sudden appearance could only be him.
"They're all waiting."
Lily said, "If Sagel dies, the promise won't need to be kept. By then, it will be too late, and Akainu definitely won't pass up the chance to eliminate us here."
"Similarly, if Sagel has the chance to take down Akainu, he won't hesitate. At that point, re-recruiting Fujitora to fight us would be a simple matter."
She gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist. "But there's nothing to fear. As long as Sagel exists, no matter what difficulties we face, we can overcome them."
"Buruburuburu."
Before she could finish her sentence, the Den Den Mushi rang.
Lily pulled out a small Den Den Mushi, frowning slightly.
"Oh, I remember you issued an order an hour ago."
Maria smiled. "Are the Admirals unable to complete their tasks? Maybe it's time to recruit better talent."
In truth, not only did Lily spend most of her time on the ship handling official duties, but even Maria, who was responsible for logistics, had important matters to handle every day.
While the Admirals were in charge of specific tasks, the decisions were made by the Ohara ministers. One set the direction, and the other implemented the specifics.
In the world of martial rule, this system worked well because the ministers were personally selected by Sagel and possessed exceptional strength.
Having brains but no strength?
Then they could only be Admirals.
"Our school has only been built recently. It's too early to expect more suitable people to appear, but I have plans to retrain these Admirals and the Pirate Captains stationed on the islands. Lately, these people have been too lax."
Lily shook her head. "Especially those with bounties over a hundred million. Apart from Barnaby, who is relatively easy to manage, the rest are a headache. They can't handle tasks properly, either overdoing it or having no effect at all."
Useless except for their combat skills!
The structure of the Catastrophe Pirates was such that each manager had subordinates to handle affairs. The subordinates under the ministers were called Admirals, and the captains stationed on the islands had vice-captains to assist them with local matters.
People like "the remarkable Barnaby", "Blast Gun" Leonardo, and "Dual Axes" Barron, who had bounties over a hundred million, were among these captains.
But while the first one had managed his island efficiently, the rest couldn't be called fools, but they were at best half-trained.
The vice-captains were usually well-respected locals with leadership skills and could complete tasks when given instructions.
However, many tasks still required the captains to take personal responsibility, but these less capable individuals, apart from their loyalty, were not efficient in their work.
These people were either not up to the task and relied entirely on their vice-captains, who would struggle with difficult matters, or they were too reckless, causing destruction.
Despite Lily's recent efforts to improve this, the results were minimal.
There was no easy fix; it was a legacy issue.
Sagel was generous and wouldn't disappoint his subordinates. He also didn't pay much attention to such matters.
They were all his subordinates, some of whom had followed him since the East Blue era. As long as they did their jobs reasonably well, he didn't mind.
These people were absolutely loyal and wouldn't violate Sagel's rules, but due to their lack of frontline combat, they had become lax.
Some even shamelessly claimed that they had already done their part in the East Blue and Paradise, and now their only job was to enjoy life.
But Lily, who valued efficiency, couldn't tolerate this. She could handle one issue, but the accumulation of numerous tasks was a significant time drain.
Ohara had bigger things to deal with!
With the school now open, she planned to send these people and some Admirals who still needed improvement to study. At the very least, they should not be novices in managing islands.
“Hello.”
She answered the call, ready to hear about yet another issue that required her direct intervention.
“Lily! Something’s happened!”
But the voice coming from the Den Den Mushi wasn’t from one of her admirals. The image formed into a spirited, freckled face, looking extremely anxious. The voice belonged to Renee.
“The Red-Haired Pirates are here!”
“What?!”
Lily’s pupils dilated, and her hand instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword. “Why now? How did they find out?”
“Red-Haired Pirates?”
Maria opened her eyes, her usually warm gaze turning cold. “Did they deliberately choose this moment? But how did they know we were here?”
Sagel’s operation this time had been kept low-key. Since it involved negotiations with the World Government, even the World Government had deliberately kept the information under wraps, not wanting this ‘embarrassing matter’ to come to light.
The only ones who knew about the operation were the Cross Organization, but the mastermind there was Crocodile. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to reveal this information.
Even if he couldn’t control his subordinates, the timing was off. In five days, even if his base of operations was constantly moving, it would be impossible for him to travel from the second half of the New World to the first half. Either he had been patrolling the surrounding waters and decided to launch a surprise attack, or...
He had started moving the moment he learned Sagel had set sail from Ohara.
Lily’s eyes widened. “We can’t let him—”
“Click.”
The Den Den Mushi abruptly hung up, the signal cutting out.
Lily tried calling back, but none of the Den Den Mushi on Ohara could be reached.
“Conqueror’s Haki!” Her expression darkened.
Only this could affect such a wide area of Den Den Mushi.
Shanks must have arrived in person!
“Retreat?” Maria’s expression was grave.
“It’s too late.”
Lily shook her head, gritting her teeth. “We can only trust Renidia and the others. Our defenses on Ohara aren’t joke. It won’t be easy for him to break through. But why did he act so suddenly? For Pluton? No, it’s still in transit and hasn’t reached Ohara yet.”
Treasure?
Shanks wasn’t that trivial. Wealth was only a means to make his territory flourish, not because he lacked money. For a Yonko, wealth was useful mainly for expanding their fleet, not for personal gain.
The risk of offending another Yonko to raid their home island couldn’t be just for treasure.
Then it must be...
Lily and Maria exchanged a glance and spoke in unison: “The Log Pose!”
Only that!
Sagel had three of them, and just one more would complete the set!
If his guess was correct, the last one was likely in Alabasta. If Shanks could obtain the remaining three and successfully decode them...
He wouldn’t be far from becoming the Pirate King!
“Just for this... it’s manageable.”
Lily calmed down. “As long as it’s not Pluton. That’s what’s crucial for us. The Log Pose isn’t the main goal. Sagel’s aim has never been One Piece.”
“I’m worried about Renidia...” Maria’s face showed concern.
After all, this was their home territory. They would fight back, and if anything went wrong...
“Make the call!”
Lily shouted to her subordinates on the ship. “Call Jinbe and Katakuri. Have them head to Ohara as quickly as possible and provide support!”
They were too late to get there in time. If they set sail now, it would be too late.
Lily understood that much.
And she had to stay here, in case Sagel needed support when he emerged. If he was weakened, someone needed to be there to back him up. That was the key.
As long as Sagel was safe, everything would be fine!
...
At Ohara’s port, the sky was half-covered by dark, ominous clouds that were rapidly approaching, engulfing half of the port.
Numerous pirates drew their weapons, loaded their firearms, and aimed their cannons at the Red Force, which was approaching the shore along with the clouds.
“Attack—”
The pirate who was about to give the order suddenly rolled his eyes and fell to the ground.
The same happened to the large number of pirates on the port, leaving the once-crowded area half-empty in an instant.
A wave of Conqueror’s Haki swept over the entire port, quickly spreading throughout Ohara.
At the bow of the ship, Shanks held the hilt of his sword and smiled at the port. “It’s time to find it, right, Beckman?”
Beckman took a drag on his cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and slowly replied, “One Piece.”
(End of Chapter)
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