Chapter 682: I Will Uphold Your Justice
Chapter 682: I Will Uphold Your Justice
From that day onward, Aof changed.
Since the highest Justice in the world proved powerless, he would take revenge into his own hands.
Aof gathered the corpses from his village and took its remaining valuables, then built a wooden raft to reach the nearest town. With what little wealth he had left, he bought supplies and single-handedly hijacked a Pirate Ship.
Except for a few pirates needed to steer the vessel, he slaughtered every last one aboard. The fist technique his master had painstakingly taught him—one that once only wounded but never killed—now began claiming lives. That day, blood flowed across the Deck in a crimson pool.
With that Pirate Ship, he waged war on other pirates across the East Blue and South Sea. Under the name [Evil Fist], he entered the Grand Line.
If the [Evil Blade] pirate crew hadn’t vanished, they surely would’ve noticed this name. But he never found them—no matter how long he searched.
For twenty years, he wandered. That pirate crew seemed to have disappeared entirely.
Eventually, Aof lost his way. Time eroded his original purpose. He forgot why he’d set sail in the first place. Why was he adrift in the Grand Line?
“Captain, there’s an island ahead! Looks like a village!”
“Burn it down! Plunder everything—it’s all fuel to make us stronger!”
Such exchanges repeated endlessly across the Grand Line.
Keep going. Just keep going.
The original Aof was long gone. What remained was only the ‘Evil Fist’ Aof.
Twenty years passed. From the Grand Line to the New World.
Burn, kill, and plunder—everything done to grow stronger, ever stronger!
He forged a fearsome reputation, forgetting everything. His sole purpose was power!
---
“Opportunity!”
Seeing Aof lost in thought, Donald seized the moment, instantly flashing behind him. Haki Infusion surged through his cross-shaped spear. Twisting his wrist, he spun the long spear like a spiral, piercing Aof’s body.
Thud!
The spear plunged through his back, emerging from his chest.
Aof lowered his gaze to the bloodied spearhead protruding from his torso, then whirled around, throwing a devastating punch.
“Get lost!!”
The air itself split into a wispy shockwave, rocketing toward Donald.
Bang!
Donald yanked his spear forward to block, but the shockwave sent him flying backward.
Clutching his chest, Aof coughed, blood seeping through his fingers and dripping from his lips.
“Despicable, eh? Ambushing me from behind. Truly your style, Kas,” he laughed, staring at Kas.
“Justice cares nothing for despicability.”
Kas closed his eyes, and the hole in his Colossal Shield regenerated.
“My friend, evil will not be forgiven.”
White energy surged around him, a monstrous tidal wave devouring everything in its path as it engulfed Aof.
“Tenfold.” Kas’s calm voice echoed.
Simultaneously, Wilbur activated his ability. “Tenfold!”
A swarm of Navy surged forward like cascading white energy.
Amidst the onslaught, Aof’s fingers flickered. With a sudden clenched fist, he ignored the charging Navy and drove a punch straight into the white shield.
Boom!!
The Colossal Shield trembled. This time, he failed to shatter it.
Yet Aof showed no frustration. As Navy slashed at him with ten-meter weapons, leaving fresh wounds, he kept punching relentlessly.
Boom!! Another punch landed.
Boom!!
Boom!!!
His body became a blood-soaked specter, but he struck the shield unflinchingly, blow after blow.
“My ability is incredibly strong,” he roared at the shield. “No matter the strength—physical or spiritual—I will break through it all!”
If…
If he’d left with Kas back then, would he now stand side by side with him? Would he fight as Kas’s vanguard, battling alongside him for Justice, like that spear-wielding Navy officer?
He inhaled deeply, planting his feet. Drawing his fist back, he unleashed one final punch.
The blow scattered the surrounding white energy like Justice itself, rejected and repelled.
Crash!!!
The Colossal Shield shattered again, revealing Kas’s tear-streaked face—and the flintlock pistol aimed directly at the hole.
“My friend…”
Aof locked eyes with Kas, smiling. “You’re still the same as ever.”
Bang!
The gunshot rang out, carrying an indescribable force.
In that instant, Aof tried to dodge, but seeing the Navy still fighting hard to harm him, he hesitated. His legs tensed—then relaxed. He stood motionless.
“If you ever encounter the ‘Evil Blade’ pirate crew, destroy them for me. Not for Justice, but as a friend.”
In his final moments, Aof spoke slowly to Kas.
Thud!
The bullet pierced his forehead, bursting through in a crimson mist.
“He gave up?”
Outside the white energy, Donald narrowed his eyes, watching silently before shaking his head.
Whether he resisted or not no longer mattered.
Navy and pirate—only one side could survive.
The world was no fairy tale. There was no happy ending.
Regardless of Aof’s resolve, he had already lost. Even if he resisted, it was only a matter of time.
Kas upheld Vice Admiral Kuro’s Justice—there was no room for mercy.
As the white energy faded, Aof lay lifeless on the ground, his expression empty.
“I will.”
Kas lowered his pistol, his tears now dried.
“My friend… I will uphold your Justice, carrying forward both your legacy and mine!”
---
That night, heavy rain poured.
Aboard the Golden Lion, Sengoku savored noodles prepared by Ju Geng. He pointed his chopsticks at Kuro beside him, smirking.
“Kuro, back in the East Blue, did you ever face any troublesome pirates?”
“Troublesome pirates? When did I ever meet pirates?” Kuro shook his head, sipping his noodle broth. “You’re imagining things. I did nothing in the East Blue. If you keep spreading lies, I’ll sue you for defamation—even if you’re no longer Fleet Admiral.”
“Huh?”
Lida nearby interjected, “Wait, didn’t you mention during our chat the other day—what was his name again? ‘Old Gou Bi’? Someone who lingered in the East Blue for decades, far too strong for its limits, then you casually defeated him. Wasn’t his name ‘Evil Blade’?”
“Don’t swear, Lida!”
Kuro glared, then turned to Sengoku’s probing gaze, smirking. “I don’t remember. Such matters aren’t important.”
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten.
The [Evil Blade Pirate Crew] was an elite pirate band. Small in number, yet every member was a swordsman whose strength could forge a fearsome reputation even in the Grand Line.
But their ideology was… unique.
What left such a vivid mark on Kuro was their insanity—
They never pursued fortunes in the Grand Line, choosing instead to slaughter freely in the East Blue, treating it as their personal playground.
This was the very first battle Kuro fought as a Navy officer.
(End of Chapter)
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