https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-642-Not-a-Miscalculation-Just-Pure-Carelessness-/13464605/
Chapter 641: Effort, Sweat, and Talent
Chapter 641: Effort, Sweat, and Talent
In the lush mountains, a few peaks had become barren, stripped of all their trees and vegetation.
In their place stood several giants.
At the forefront was Blackbeard, Marshall D. Tee!
To his right, Chisas Basas stood with his arms raised in a strongman pose, laughing heartily. To the right of him was Bask Jote.
On the left, the more slender Rafete, wearing a top hat and twirling a cane, stood alongside Catarina Depone, who had one hand on her hip and the other resting on her sword hilt.
"Heh heh heh."
Depone let out a peculiar laugh. "Tee, can we hunt for beauties this time? A few of Sagel's subordinates are quite good-looking, especially that Lily."
"Ha ha ha, as enemies, of course we can! But that woman isn't easy to deal with. She's not here; she set sail with Sagel. Thanks to you, Rafete!" Tee laughed.
"Oh ho, it's my duty. I won't fall behind in gathering intelligence. But, Admiral Tee, are you really going to start a war with Sagel? That guy isn't easy to handle."
"There's no choice!"
Tee's grin turned sinister. "We were supposed to be allies, but he didn't share anything with me. There's only one Pirate King, and only one One Piece! If this continues, I'll end up being his lackey! That can't happen. I have to rely on myself!"
There's no such thing as a smooth and obstacle-free path to success. Sagel wanted Tee to guard the rear, manage the unruly pirates who didn't swear allegiance to him, and continuously exchange the loot for weapons to boost the economy.
But it all depended on whether Tee was willing.
When they first entered the New World, everyone needed to seize Whitebeard's territory, and they enjoyed a brief honeymoon period as they completed their initial plans.
During that time, everyone was on the rise. Sagel needed to maintain his rule, and Tee was busy expanding his influence. Cooperation had more benefits than drawbacks.
Back then, he truly needed the weapons Sagel produced and found it convenient.
But as Sagel's power grew, the alliance based on mutual interests naturally weakened.
Now, if Tee didn't act, he would become nothing more than Sagel's subordinate, responsible for weapon exports and keeping an eye on Shanks.
The latter half of the New World was his territory, not Sagel's exclusive domain!
Especially since Sagel wouldn't share the Poneglyphs!
"Ha ha ha, Sagel, you won't see this coming. I know you have three! How infuriating, you didn't give me the second one. I was so naive to think you were holding it as leverage!"
Tee laughed loudly, clenching his fist. "Men, go and take it. As pirates, we must seize what we want with our own hands!"
"Admiral Tee, something's not right."
Just as he finished speaking, Rafete looked at the massive city outline, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "It seems others have beaten us to it."
In the outline, a faint glow of Firelight could be seen.
"Ha ha ha, isn't that even better?"
Tee bared his teeth, a few missing. "Let's use this opportunity to storm in!"
...
At Ohara Royal City Port.
Moria, now lean and gaunt, was doing his best to stop Shanks' advance.
"Shadow Sorcerer!"
"Shadow Revolution!"
"Shadow Horn!"
"Shadow Step!"
"Scattered Bats!"
Moria used his shadow abilities to launch a barrage of attacks on Shanks, but despite his cunning and agility, all his efforts were neutralized by Shanks' overwhelming presence.
Shanks' swordsmanship was on par with Mihawk, not the world's greatest swordsman, but definitely at the top tier.
Moria, after regaining his willpower, had indeed become much stronger. As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he was one of the few formidable pirates capable of battling an Emperor.
Just as Jinbe could once knock Big Mom back with a single punch, Moria could certainly engage Shanks in battle.
However, their fighting styles were entirely different.
"Divine Evasion!"
The clash of Western and Japanese swords was intense, with their Haki canceling each other out. After slicing through Shanks' clothing and cloak, Moria's own defenses began to crumble under the pressure of Conqueror Haki, leaving him vulnerable. Shanks seized the opportunity and delivered a powerful strike.
Clang!!
The swords clashed again, but this time, the red lightning generated by Haki penetrated Moria's defenses, causing his lean frame to swell back to its bloated form.
His abilities were being affected by the pressure of Conqueror Haki.
Sizzle!!
Without even needing to cut through the sword, the sheer force of Haki passed through the blade and concentrated on Moria's chest, creating a large gash that spurted blood.
Moria stumbled back several steps, his body swaying as if he were about to fall.
"Damn, you're persistent."
Shanks took a few deep breaths, wiped the blood from his cheek, and spat out a mouthful of blood. "A former Warlord of the Sea, now one of the Triarchs, you are indeed strong. But you're no match for me. Stand aside."
"Never... never..."
Bang!
Moria shakily raised his katana, ready to fight again. However, on the other side, Hawkins, who was under the combined attack of Beckman and Rochelle, couldn't hold on. With Rochelle slightly injured and Beckman unscathed, the latter smashed Hawkins in the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him unconscious.
Moria's last bit of determination couldn't hold, and he fell to the ground.
The rest, including Paru and others, were no match for Jesop, who pierced three of them with a single thrust, shattering their iron shields, turtle shells, and iron-like bodies. Lead bullets pierced Paru's abdomen.
Gombaru's massive stone figure crumbled after being hit by a single bullet, and he fell amidst the shattered stones.
Miot and a guy named Gabo from their Pirate crew were evenly matched, with Miot using a sound wave ability to gather and roar, while Gabo, whose ability was unknown, could also roar. However, they were eventually subdued by Honsho and Benedict Snake.
As for the three thousand Pirates left behind, they were completely incapacitated by Shanks' Conqueror Haki, all knocked unconscious.
They were all officers, but the absence of a decisive figure in the Apocalypse Pirates' lineup led to the collapse of the battle from the start, and they were easily defeated.
Beckman inserted his spear into his waist and looked at Shanks. "Should we finish them off?"
"There's no need for that. We just need to neutralize their resistance. We're not here to kill."
Shanks smiled and gazed at the bustling city, a place like no other. "What a vibrant place. That guy Sagel is more capable than any king."
"Indeed, I've never seen a place like this. It's beautiful!"
Jesop slung his spear over his back and surveyed the buildings beyond the port, grinning. "We've been to Augustus Castle before, and although it was large, it can't compare to what it is now."
"The most important thing is..."
Beckman's eyes shifted from the buildings to the ground, where a dense crowd was gathering, their faces showing clear signs of alarm. "These people aren't afraid of us."
"So what if we're Four Emperors!"
The leading civilian, holding a firearm, shouted fiercely, "This is Lord Sagel's territory! It's our home! No one is allowed to step foot here! Absolutely not!"
"That's right! We've all survived the Pirate chaos! We're all in this together, and the people of Ohara have their own principles!"
"Good for you!"
"Red Hair Pirate Crew! Go to hell!"
How many years has it been!
Before Sagel arrived, the wars brought in many Pirates, though they didn't enter the city. The atrocities committed by the nobles within the city and the plundering by the Pirates outside were on the same level, both leading to deaths.
It was Lord Sagel who changed the situation!
For so many years, the oppressive nobles were gone, replaced by Lord Sagel, whom they willingly served. Even Lady Lili worked for the same salary as everyone else, making them all equals.
They just wanted to live without constraints, and anyone who threatened their way of life would face their resistance!
Sagel's allowance of weapons, even encouraging the use of firearms, was now proving beneficial.
With everyone armed, the city's population of over a million, including children, had taken up pistols, ready to drive the Pirates out.
"Indeed, a rare sight."
Jesop took a deep breath. "But this makes them our enemies."
"There are too many of them."
Beckman shook his head. "In this aspect, Sagel is truly terrifying. Even the most capable kings don't have his level of influence."
They had seen kings, both good and bad, and their captain, with his generous nature, had made friends with some, whether in allied or non-allied nations.
But none of those kings had the terrifying power that Sagel possessed now.
This was what made Sagel the most formidable.
Strength?
Influence?
Those things were common, but this level of influence was rare, even the Rebel Army didn't have such power!
"Courageous indeed."
Shanks, holding the Griffin, stepped forward. "But we are Pirates and don't care how the locals view us."
Bang!
With that step, a civilian couldn't resist pulling the trigger. The lead bullet was split in half by Shanks' sword, and his eyes glowed crimson as Conqueror Haki surged forward, overwhelming the gathered crowd, causing them to fall unconscious.
"But I have no intention of being your enemy. Why not preserve your lives and do something more meaningful?"
Shanks looked at the crowd far away, who hadn't been affected by his Conqueror Haki yet, and shouted loudly, "Otherwise, you're just wasting your time."
He didn't need to intimidate a million people; just expanding his Conqueror Haki to a certain range would be enough. Those within it would naturally lose consciousness, unable to withstand its power.
Numbers meant nothing to someone with the right qualifications, especially someone with the quality of Shanks' Conqueror Haki.
With no one blocking their path, they quickly reached the royal city. The people inside couldn't withstand the Conqueror Haki either, allowing Shanks to enter without any hindrance.
"That guy sure is extravagant."
The group burst into Sagel's bedroom, and Beckman pulled out a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet. After uncorking it and taking a whiff, he said, "A twenty-year-old Musigny red wine, worth three million Berries and hard to come by."
"Any rum? I love that stuff", Shanks asked.
"Ha ha ha, Captain, Sagel, the king of treasures, wouldn't have that kind of common, cheap wine", Rochelle laughed.
Shanks laughed for a while, then walked through a side door into the training room, where he saw three massive Poneglyphs standing upright.
"Not a landmark."
He walked over and examined the Poneglyphs closely, noticing several fist marks on the front. Shaking his head with a smile, he said, "No wonder they're here. They're used for training. This guy's punches are really heavy."
Despite his smile, his eyes showed a deep sense of surprise.
It was common for martial artists to use hard objects for training, but most used steel. This was the first time he had seen someone use Poneglyphs for training.
He was very familiar with their hardness.
To leave fist marks on them
"Isn't just a matter of talent."
Beckman also walked over and examined the fist marks closely, sniffing the air, "There's a scent of blood. These marks are Sagel's sweat and blood. No wonder he's the best in the sea."
Even the Red Hair Pirates, who acknowledged Sagel's title as the best in the sea, were impressed by the effort they saw. It was something even an enemy could respect.
"It's not here. Let's go. It's definitely not upstairs. We'll check downstairs."
Shanks smiled, "I sensed something down there. It might be there."
The underground passage wasn't hard to find. Sagel didn't hide it because he believed that if someone could make it this far, hiding it wouldn't matter.
This allowed the Red Hair Pirates to easily find the underground passage and enter the spacious first underground level. The powerful guards at the intersections of the passage were no match for them and were easily knocked out, allowing Shanks to find the steel-encased wall, eroded by Haki.
Then, Shanks broke through it.
As soon as a crack appeared, a golden light almost blinded them.
Gold! Everywhere was gold!
And it wasn't just any gold; it was of high quality, in the form of crowns, scepters, and other jewelry. The mountain of gold coins piled beneath them seemed less impressive by comparison.
The gold mines in Sagel's territory weren't worthy of his treasure vault. Only these gold and jewelry pieces, filled with historical information, were worthy of being here, making the quality extremely high.
At first, the group was amazed by the gold, but they were soon drawn to something else.
In the center of the treasure vault, three massive red Poneglyphs lay quietly.
"Take them."
Shanks smiled, "The truth can't be buried underground. The world needs to know."
The gold and jewelry were secondary.
Bang!!
Just as he finished speaking, the ceiling above them suddenly shook violently, creating a large hole.
"Hehehe, hehehehe! I knew you'd be here! I sensed the presence of a strong warrior! I saw your ship at the port, Shanks!"
Tee's manic laughter echoed from above, followed by several massive figures landing on the Poneglyphs.
"These can't be taken by you! I need them too!"
Tee's hand was filled with darkness, and the other glowed with a white light. He laughed, "I'll take control of them!"
"I've been wanting to face you for a while, but I couldn't find you. Now that we've met..."
Shanks gripped his sword hilt and looked up at Tee, "Perfect. I'll take care of you along with everything else. In my eyes, you're more dangerous than Sagel."
"Hehehe, if you have the ability! I've been wanting to face you too. There can't be two Pirate Emperors in the second half of the New World!" Tee laughed.
They stared at each other, and in an instant, one punched, and the other swung his sword.
Boom!!
In the depths of the Red Land's cavern, a massive explosion sent lava flowing and dark light scattering. The mushroom cloud expanded horizontally, reaching the edge of Paradise, where the continental rock split open, revealing a fissure.
(End of Chapter)
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