https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-741-Who-Are-You-Fighting-Pirate-/13539108/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-743-Great-Mystic-Art-Endless-Illusion-Kill/13539110/
Chapter 742: I Will Never Escape Again
Chapter 742: I Will Never Escape Again
Ever since obtaining the Yokai Blade, Kuro had drastically improved his mastery of Killing Intent. Thanks to his innate ability, after just a few rounds of combat, he'd already discovered advanced applications of the technique.
Beyond merely manipulating blood, by combining it with the 'Shin' technique of his Shinmeiryu Style, he’d developed new methods. He no longer needed to land a decisive strike in an instant—merely creating an opening to allow Killing Intent to penetrate the body was enough. Through his ability, he could induce terrifying hallucinations.
Like earlier, when Giruon unleashed that powerful technique, he believed he was striking Kuro directly. But to onlookers, he’d merely flailed at empty air while Kuro stood motionless, observing.
Kuro glanced at his Yokai Blade and muttered, "Still needs more refinement... What should I name it? Mirror Flower Water Moon? Nah, I’ll think of something later."
Giruon stood before him, teetering on the brink of death. His heart had been pierced, his shoulder cleaved open, and his neck half-severed. That he still lived spoke volumes about his monstrous vitality.
"A shame", Kuro sighed. "A warrior like you could’ve caused serious trouble for New World pirates if sent to the Grand Line."
Naval service in the New World differed greatly from operations in 'Paradise.' Here, brute strength was secondary to strategy. The New World's pirate syndicates were sophisticated criminal organizations, not mere raiders. Deploying men like Giruon could only amplify the chaos.
Decades ago, Marine Headquarters controlled much of the New World. But when full-scale war erupted against pirates, the Navy's resources stretched thin. Eventually, they withdrew from the New World entirely, retaining only strategic choke points between the New World and Mariejois. They funneled dangerous pirates into the region, establishing the world's current balance.
Even so, pirates still proliferated. Someone of Giruon’s caliber would challenge even the Four Emperors. Yet such men often harbored strange codes—preferring to lose limbs rather than retreat. Kuro couldn’t help but admire that resolve.
"It ends now." Kuro sheathed his Yokai Blade, assuming a drawing stance as he glared at Giruon. "Let me send you off."
Hmph!
His form vanished. A black thread glowing faintly gold streaked toward Giruon.
"One Line Sky!"
At his current state, this strike would surely kill him.
Giruon’s eyes widened as the deadly line hurtled closer. He had the ability to dodge—even now, with 'Wave' empowering him, these injuries wouldn’t impair combat effectiveness. But then…
In his mind’s eye: the charred ruins of his dojo. His wife and child lay in pools of blood. A gaunt youth stared blankly at them, eyes bleeding fury, before collapsing to his knees with a beastlike roar.
If only I hadn’t been so naive back then...
Why did I trust in their mercy? Why listen blindly to my wife? I should’ve taken them with me. I shouldn’t have clung to this dojo or my reputation.
If I hadn’t escaped…!
"You're Giruon—the legendary Fist Technique Master. I wanted you as my subordinate, but you dared ambush me? I am a magnificent World Noble!" A grotesque figure with a bubble helmet, his head bobbing absurdly, sneered.
Before him, the ragged youth kneeled, wounds covering his body. Two emotionless Blackbeard agents restrained him.
"You murdered my wife and child!" the youth roared, eyes blazing.
"Huh? What’s he talking about?" the World Noble asked.
"Azarello Saint, you visited his island years ago, remember? When you tried recruiting him, he was away. You took interest in his wife, but she refused you. So you killed her", a servant explained, chuckling.
"Did I? Forgot. Whatever. He ambushed me, so no more subordinate—slaves it is. That defiant glare? I’ll break it!"
If only I were stronger…
If my fists were unstoppable, I could’ve taken revenge. They wouldn’t have dared cross me—I could’ve protected them.
Taige climbed the Red Line. From that inferno, the youth fled, beginning his quest for vengeance.
Becoming a pirate, forming a crew, eating a Devil Fruit—all for revenge. Yet through years of adventure, he gained comrades he couldn’t abandon.
Perhaps he should’ve left the past behind, sailing the Grand Line with his crew…
"You're the 'Fist Technique Master' Giruon? Hahaha, sorry, but those determined eyes? Admire it, really. But I’m Navy—I arrest you!"
The broad-smiling man, Garp, Navy hero, decimated his pirate crew and captured him.
It was over. His dream of becoming a renowned dojo master—crushed. His family—gone. His comrades—gone. Even his thirst for revenge—gone.
"Strength alone suffices. Strength needs no companions, no bonds. Only through absolute power can one surpass all!"
In the abyssal depths of Impel Down, that man Bartholomew spoke those words.
The youth awakened.
No more fleeing, no more hesitation—only the path to ultimate power. Reaching the peak was enough. Reaching the peak was everything.
Never run from the peak!!
Giruon lowered his nearly severed neck, muttering, "I will never flee again."
His life aura had plummeted to critical levels, yet his overall aura blazed like a supernova, surging.
"I… will Never Flee Again!!!"
Blue veins bulged across his body. Muscles, already monstrous, swelled further. His tattered upper body exploded into shreds as he pulled his hands backward.
"Unparalleled Wave!"
Air twisted as arcs of blue lightning erupted around his wrists. With a thunderous roar, he drove his fists forward—
"Pierce Thrust!!!"
The shockwave erupted like a barrier, halting Kuro’s incoming 'One Line Sky' mid-strike.
Boom!!!
The black line stopped dead. A split second later, a wisp of afterimage soared skyward.
The colossal wave blast cratered the ground beneath him, tearing through forward terrain to expose seawater below, carving a path toward the open ocean.
Half of Gran Tesoro’s commercial district vanished in an instant—obliterated.
Kuro reappeared mid-air, gritting his teeth: "You bastard…!"
Suddenly, his eyes widened, locking onto Giruon’s chest.
"That mark…!"
The three spectators froze. Kaku stroked his chin: "That emblem… Was this man one of them?"
At the center of Giruon’s chest, a grotesque imprint remained—a World Noble’s hoofmark.
A former World Noble slave!
(End of Chapter)
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