Chapter 97: Weapon, I Have One Too
Chapter 97: Weapon, I Have One Too
"Really? Can you actually do it, Big Brother?"
"Have you heard of Superman? Powerful Supermen can fly. Look, I can fly too!"
Kuro slowly rose from the ground, hovering in midair. "Superman can solve any problem."
He's flying!
Molly stared in awe at Kuro floating above her. In that instant, hope surged in her heart.
Maybe it's actually possible...
"Please! You have to save me, save my family, save everyone here!"
Molly threw herself to her knees before Kuro, shouting desperately.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
Kuro shot into the sky, soaring over the towering wall toward Castle. Lida and Klah followed closely behind.
However, Kuro didn't head straight for Castle. He halted at the Amusement Park, perching on a streetlight.
It wasn't reluctance to enter Castle that made him stop—it was the enemies blocking his path.
"Quite a crowd."
Klah, who had just arrived, opened his suitcase and fitted his hands with Ten Blades' Cat's Claw.
Outside Castle's gates, guards were gathering. At their forefront stood Kai Shao—the same one Klah had kicked unconscious earlier.
The number? Easily over three thousand men.
"This saves me the trouble of hunting you down."
Kai Shao gripped his Jutte, slashing the air with a cruel grin. "I underestimated you before, but not this time. Three thousand guards—Morgant's full defense force! You three can't possibly stop us!"
The army bristled with weapons—blades, guns, even cannons—all aimed at Kuro's group.
Kuro remained silent, his gaze fixed instead on a window in Castle's central tower facing the Amusement Park. Three figures stood there.
Dr. A Kas in his white coat stood flanking Siva. Leaning casually against the windowsill with both hands was the Prince of Pleasure, who smiled at Kuro.
"Yo, Navy-san. What did 'Morgant' do to make you so angry? Perhaps my prince can offer a peaceful resolution."
No speech impediment this time—he was faking it before.
"Your Highness, let me eliminate them! It's just three people!" Kai Shao turned to the Prince of Pleasure.
The prince gave him a cold glance. Kai Shao immediately clamped his mouth shut, sweat streaming down as he knelt on one knee. "Forgive my impertinence."
"Siva."
At the prince's command, Siva vanished. In a blink, he reappeared before Lida and Klah, holding a black suitcase. He opened it, revealing stacks of cash.
"Two billion Beri—my prince's apology gift." Siva placed the case on the ground before retreating silently.
"Choose", the Prince of Pleasure declared. "Accept my apology... or face three thousand guns and cannons. You're just an Ensign—this is the utmost respect I'll ever give. Today you've seen Morgant's darker side, and admittedly we've fallen short. But this is your only choice—otherwise, I'll have the World Government handle you."
Connected to the World Government too? Makes sense for those bastards...
Kuro stood atop the streetlight, matching the prince's gaze head-on. "I don't understand. With your abilities, ensuring regular meals and fair wages—even if strict—would let people survive, right? That's how it should be." He couldn't grasp it. With such power, countless people would willingly serve someone like this prince.
The prince frowned. "But I've already been respectful!"
"You call starving them to death respect?" Lida scoffed.
"Aww, such a cute girl." The prince smiled at Lida. "I'm already showing immense respect—letting them live in Morgant! Comparatively, their lives offered in service to me... isn't that perfectly natural? Respect should be mutual."
"So you see", he spread his arms toward Lida, "I grant them the privilege of meeting me in Morgant. They repay with their lives. What could possibly be wrong with that? After all—I am the Prince of Pleasure!"
As he laughed, Lida remained unaffected. Klah, however, instinctively drove his claw blade into his own thigh, panting in pain.
That laughter... Klah felt his consciousness fracturing, an overwhelming urge to adore the prince surging within him. He suddenly saw the prince as magnificent, ambitious—someone worthy of absolute loyalty.
"Oh? They actually resisted my ability. Defeating Kai Shao means you're no ordinary Navy."
The prince glanced at Klah, then the others. "I ate the Adoration Fruit—the 'Worship-Worship Fruit' in common tongue. My specialty is making people worship me. Few can resist my Devil Fruit power. How about joining me? Your Navy ranks are lowly. With me, you'd bask in others' admiration effortlessly."
Bang!
His response came as a gunshot.
"Iron Body!"
Kai Shao leapt skyward, shielding the prince. The bullet shredded his coat, striking his body but only sparking against his skin.
"Want to attack my prince? You'll have to go through me first!"
The prince's eyes narrowed slightly, watching Kuro lower his pistol. "Negotiations collapsed, I see. That's a fine piece indeed. Observe the exquisite engravings, the perfect grip, the masterful craftsmanship. Only those truly content could create something so beautiful. The weapons sold to other nations aren't nearly this refined—though admittedly decent."
"Oh, and one more crime—arms dealing."
Kuro lowered the smoking pistol, his voice cold. "Assassination of Navy personnel, arms trafficking, poison manufacture, illegal population control... those charges alone should be enough for execution."
The prince chuckled.
"I am a prince though. Without orders from the World Government, you Navy have no authority to arrest me. But I could charge you with illegal activities on Morgant's sovereign territory. That would legally justify your execution."
He gestured at the army. "Three thousand soldiers, three thousand weapons. What can one little Navy do?"
Still smiling, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"Kill them."
His voice was soft, yet in the silent night, it rang like a death knell.
The three thousand guards surged forward in unison. Leading the charge was Kai Shao.
If even he could be instantly downed, these Navy weren't ordinary opponents. But they were just regular Navy—nowhere near the Headquarters' true powerhouses. Numbers would even the odds.
Three thousand versus three?
Suddenly, a faint light flickered across the sky.
Before Kai Shao could react to the sound, a saber's hilt protruded from his chest. The blade had completely pierced him, the weapon's entire length buried within his body.
No warning. No visible attack. The speed had overwhelmed his "Iron Body" defense before activation.
"You..."
Clutching his chest, Kai staggered back. Before he could speak, his face contorted in stunned disbelief, staring at Kuro perched on the streetlight.
From the heavens, thousands of weapons descended.
Blades, swords, firearms, sharp iron implements—all shapes and sizes—gathered around Kuro like a storm cloud.
Kuro holstered his pistol, crossed his arms, and glared down at them.
"Three thousand weapons? I have those too."
(End of Chapter)
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