Chapter 676: Today, the Star of Death Shines
Chapter 676: Today, the Star of Death Shines
The enlarged spear, enveloped in lightning, instantly struck the sea, accompanied by fierce winds and flames. It combined to form massive pillars of light, like a light cannon, forcing those in the water to instinctively shield their eyes.
But whether they shielded their eyes or not made little difference.
For the moment the pillars of light appeared, it marked the end of their fate.
If they were going to be blinded, they might as well be completely engulfed.
The seawater formed a massive whirlpool, welcoming the arrival of the light pillars. As the pillars descended from the sky, the entire area transformed into a blinding curtain of light. Apart from the intense aura of destruction, nothing else could be sensed.
"God's Avoidance!"
"God's Avoidance!!"
"God's Avoidance!!!"
Beneath the light curtain, red slashes cut through the air like a red paintbrush, drawing lines in the light.
But the light curtain was too vast, and Red Hair's slashes were too small.
"Retreat! Everyone, retreat! Retreat quickly!!"
Red Hair slashed through a few descending light pillars without even looking back, shouting loudly.
Everything was different now!
The previous lightning-wielding pillars, though powerful, could still be blocked with the help of Haki. As long as the ship was agile enough, he could lead his crew to safety.
Back then, Red Hair was quite indifferent. Whether it was pirates or Marines, he was quite lenient. He didn't really care about victory or defeat.
For example, when he found Bartolomeo, who had burned his village, he was quite indifferent. When Bartolomeo chose Luffy over poison, Red Hair let it go.
But his subordinates couldn't let it go. The authority of the Four Emperors needed to be maintained.
So Jesop shot and destroyed the ship.
As for life and death, it was left to fate.
Similarly, when he was mocked for fleeing from Sagel, he didn't care much.
Because he had the confidence, so he didn't take these matters seriously.
But things were different now.
The ship was gone, and his subordinates lacked the means to evacuate. Most importantly, Sagel's move had become much more powerful!
The power was manageable, but the range was too wide, and he couldn't block it all by himself.
And
"It's already too late!"
Just as Red Hair was about to deliver the next slash, Sagel's manic voice echoed from outside the light curtain.
The light curtain gradually faded, revealing massive whirlpools in the seawater. Apart from the whirlpools, only the ruined reefs remained intact.
Three people stood on the reefs, the 'Three Musketeers' of the Red Hair Pirate Crew.
And Red Hair himself, maneuvering in the air.
"Oh ho"
Sagel feigned surprise: "Where are they? The Red Hair Pirate Crew is made up of elite pirates who can swim well and haven't eaten Devil Fruits. Did they dive to the bottom of the sea to avoid my move?"
"Sagel!"
Red Hair landed on a reef, pointing his sword and speaking with deliberate emphasis: "I want to fight you!"
"You only want to fight now? Weren't you just playing before? I had to reveal my collection to the public because of you and Titch!"
Sagel bared his teeth in a sinister smile, his fingers twitching, "Your ship is gone, and most of your subordinates are dead. Your days as a pirate are numbered. How about considering letting Boa Hancock save you? After all, you are from Shimizu."
"You—"
Red Hair's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his weapon.
"Oh~ You even know that?" Boa Hancock exclaimed in surprise: "I thought that was a deeply hidden secret."
"Secrets are meant to be discovered, aren't they?"
Sagel turned and smiled: "All the secrets in the world will eventually be known. Sometimes, it's better not to hide things, as the more you hide, the more suspicious it becomes. Right, Shanks?"
"I'm just Shanks. I prefer the freedom of the sea over the constraints of Marineford", Red Hair said gravely.
"Actually, on the high seas, I don't dislike anyone, even those who attacked Ohara. If you hadn't joined, I might have lost some subordinates to Titch, but I wouldn't have disliked him."
Sagel smiled: "But not disliking someone and admiring or liking them are different. According to reports from my subordinates, you did hold back, and I acknowledge that. So I owe you a favor. But from a personal standpoint, I don't dislike pirates, but I won't be friends with you, Red Hair."
"Pirates are either about interests or principles. I touch both, so there's a possibility that Titch could offer me a significant enough interest to ignore the invasion of Ohara and the severe injuries to my subordinates, leading to a collaboration."
“Similarly, if the World Government offers enough incentives, I’m willing to continue playing the game on their chessboard. That’s why I can coexist peacefully with the Marine admirals here.”
“But there’s no way I’d ever cooperate with someone like you, who disregards both benefits and principles.”
Sagel smiled and said, “You’re a mystery to me. I still can’t figure out what you’re really after.”
Shanks, the Red-Haired Pirate, was the Yonko that Sagel understood the least and also looked down upon the most.
In Sagel’s eyes, Big Mom adhered to her ideals and was close to achieving them, even if her methods were flawed. She was making a sincere effort to reach her goals.
In a way, the living standards in Totto Land were once higher than those in Ohara.
Ohara valued hope, where everyone worked to earn their rewards, improving productivity and value, and collectively creating their prosperity.
Sagel set the standards and enjoyed the material wealth and satisfaction that prosperity brought.
Totto Land, aside from the fact that the food was all sweet and the residents only had ten months of life each year, with the other two months belonging to Big Mom, was almost like a heavenly paradise.
Work?
Who cares? Do it if you feel like it, or don’t. The sweets are endless anyway.
Chaos?
Except for the Cake Island itself, which was a bit less peaceful due to Big Mom’s presence, the other areas were indeed very tranquil, thanks to the Yonko’s reputation.
Money?
Not needed.
For the common people living under Big Mom’s protection, Beli had little meaning.
The residents spent their days aimlessly wandering around, and when they were hungry, they could even eat their clothes.
The only downside was that if Big Mom died, this lifestyle might not last long.
When Sagel arrived, he naturally wouldn’t let the available labor go to waste and turned them into a sweet export trade.
Big Mom truly created a territory without discrimination, not through collective effort but by sheer force, even setting an example by giving birth to many other human races, including Fishmen.
Her dream was genuine, as her children were of various races, naturally attracting people from all over the world.
Kaido’s methods were crude, but his values were sound, and he remained steadfast.
He wanted to find a way to bring the high and mighty nobles down to compete equally with the common people.
However, his chosen method was war, and he pursued it relentlessly, aiming for a massive upheaval. Unfortunately, his ambitions were too grand, and he never achieved them.
If Kaido had recruited Sagel when he first set sail, Sagel might now be the heir to the Beast Pirates, married to Orochi, and serving as the second governor.
Similarly, Wano would have become a place like Noxus, a society that values bloodline and hierarchy, making it the perfect place to break the mold with war.
Military merit and strength speak the loudest!
He had defied his native values to this extent, envisioning a way to redefine the social hierarchy and ensure capable individuals wouldn’t be held back by their lineage.
That’s already quite impressive.
Better than the Revolutionary Army, even.
Tee, on the other hand, had always been working towards his dream, even if it meant going undercover and joining the most powerful force at the time, which was still Whitebeard’s even when the Yonko structure emerged.
He once believed that if he couldn’t find his place under Whitebeard, he would serve his father for life.
To this day, he still calls Whitebeard “Dad.”
Their methods differ, but it’s not that he’s disrespectful; it’s just that their dreams and goals are different.
During their honeymoon period of cooperation, Sagel and Tee had discussed these matters.
If it hadn’t been for his captain getting the Devil Fruit, and the rule that the one who obtained it had the right to decide its fate, Sagel wouldn’t have acted the way he did.
If he had been the one to get the Dark Dark Fruit first, he would have stayed as a captain on Whitebeard’s ship until his father’s death, then inherited the Quake Quake Fruit, and carried on his father’s legacy and pirate crew in that manner.
As for whether the rest of the crew would agree or if Tee’s character would be accepted, that wasn’t within his consideration.
A pirate crew is like a ship and its captain; without the ship, the crew loses its symbol, but a new one can always be built.
Without the captain, the crew falls apart.
The Whitebeard Pirates, even without the Marineford War, wouldn’t have lasted much longer. Edward Newgate was too old, and the outcome was clear.
It’s better to use his remaining strength, with a powerful Devil Fruit user making a grand appearance. Who wouldn’t be afraid?
Even a younger one couldn’t stir up a fight.
To some extent, Tee managed to integrate the remnants of Whitebeard’s crew, preventing them from splintering and instead leading them to a united defeat.
Even so, many members of the Whitebeard Pirate crew chose to leave at the time.
They had their dreams and goals, and they pushed forward by any means necessary!
Only this Red Hair, a street thug of the sea, a charlatan, who once seemed bold and grand, but now appears to be driven by the arrogance of a world noble, truly confounds people.
Dreams?
To be a troublemaker?
They aren’t shit, after all!
Always striving for balance, whether it’s this balance or that balance.
When Ace was captured, he rushed to persuade Whitebeard to calm down and avoid greater casualties.
When that didn’t work, he went to block Kaido, preventing further chaos, and then hurried over to stop the war from escalating.
By the time he arrived, the battle was nearly over!
It was the perfect time to reap the spoils of war, but he came to mediate.
He even showed up in Wano, whether to prevent the Marines from occupying it or to save the Straw Hats, it’s unclear. But this guy is obsessed with balance.
Shimizu’s nature hasn’t changed at all, even though he was raised by Rozairogy from a young age as a pirate, he hasn’t changed much.
He also values balance, and even after becoming a pirate, he still focuses on it.
Not content with being a world noble, he now acts as a world policeman.
Pirate?
He’s a noble!
A world noble!
What kind of pirate!
Tired of it, he can return to Marineford and continue his life as a lord, with no fear at all. That’s why he has that calm and so-called bold demeanor.
Sagel has never understood his thought process. He is good at making plans and understands the personalities and psychology of every worthy adversary, which allows him to make the most accurate plans.
He doesn’t know Red Hair’s true thoughts, but according to this pattern, whenever balance is involved, this guy will always show up.
That’s why Sagel is confident that the first one he will eliminate is Red Hair!
Sagel’s power has grown to the point where it’s too big to control, disrupting a major balance. Not to mention, he is now advancing into the second half of the New World with a plan for indiscriminate attacks if they don’t surrender. Red Hair will definitely appear.
In the Totto Land incident, the World Government communicated with him, and it’s possible they also communicated with Red Hair. They are essentially one and the same.
“I find it strange that you focus on balance here, and balance there. Now that Big Mom’s interpretation is out, it’s just about the Straw Hat’s Sun God Nika.”
Sagel couldn’t help but ask, “Focusing on balance for so many years, whether it’s you or those old men, was it all just to wait for Sun God Nika?”
“When Rozairogy found One Piece and didn’t make it public, instead encouraging people to continue searching, creating a bustling era, was it all to set the stage for Sun God Nika?”
“What are you, really? The World Government’s backup plan? A guide Npc in the game? Or a true charlatan who puts hope in prophecies? To liberate the world? That kind of thing doesn’t need One Piece.”
“Breaking the Red Line to connect the four seas? Give me time, and I can do it myself. If you really have this idea, why not join me? I’ll sit on the Void Throne and become the ruler of the world, and I’ll still preserve the Marines to fight pirates.”
“What’s the point of having so many Shimizu, who still bully others? I’m different. I’m just one person, and my family won’t be as vast as the Shimizu. At most, I’ll choose one successor to inherit my privileges, and the rest will be treated equally. Those without ability can just be wealthy gentlemen. Hey, Lily, write this down.”
Sagel took a moment to speak to Lily and continued, “Most importantly, I don’t bully the weak. They already pay tribute, so bullying them is unethical. I’d be a better world ruler, ruling the entire world.”
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t say things like that,” Boa Hancock laughed bitterly.
Sagel ignored him and extended a finger, “I don’t know what you’re up to, and I don’t care anymore. The sea will still churn without you, but if you’re still around, my thoughts won’t be clear!”
A spiral of light quickly gathered at his fingertip and was instantly released.
“Today, you will see your death star!”
(End of Chapter)
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