https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-988-Where-the-Enemy-Dares-to-Tread-I-Shall-Follow/13540617/
Chapter 987
Chapter 987
Klah didn’t understand. It wasn’t just that he was unaware of Ethan Kadi’s deeds—he simply couldn’t grasp the logic behind them even if he knew.
Klah had once been a pirate too, but after Kuro recruited him into the Navy, he’d devoted himself entirely to his new path. Even now, he still regarded Kuro as “Captain,” but even if this “Captain” weren’t around, he would remain a Navy officer. He had already become one with the Navy.
To someone like Klah, Ethan Kadi was a walking contradiction. This man had lost all sense of identity—whether he was a Navy officer or a pirate no longer mattered, for he had betrayed both.
As a pirate, he had betrayed his own crew.
As a Navy officer, he had betrayed his organization.
He couldn’t flatter either side, couldn’t stand firmly in either camp. Even now, after luring Kuro here, he still dared challenge him to a duel.
Was he seeking death?
“You’re not even worth Captain Kuro’s time, you confused fool! You’re nothing but a fool who’s lost his way!”
Klah bared his teeth. His body swelled rapidly, black fur erupting across his skin like wildfire. Within moments, he had transformed into a towering werewolf over five meters tall.
“Come, let Officer Klah deal with you!”
His voice sounded like multiple overlapping growls, heavy and oppressive.
At that moment, the moon emerged from behind dark clouds, its full, round form casting silver moonlight onto the battlefield. The lunar glow shimmered across Klah’s fur, amplifying his already monstrous frame.
His body grew even larger.
“Awoooooo!!”
Klah threw his head back and howled at the sky, a guttural, ear-splitting roar that sent tremors rippling through the island.
The fur along his spine bristled like steel needles, adding an even more gruesome aura to his form.
Boom!
Klah dropped onto all fours, the impact sending a shockwave of smoke and dust exploding outward. His body now stretched eight meters long, radiating raw, terrifying power.
The Moon Wolf’s true form could only be unleashed under a full moon. This was Klah’s ultimate, perfected state!
This was his killing strike against Ethan Kadi!
Meanwhile, Ethan Kadi’s aura surged as well.
He raised his Longsword, its blade flashing with a spiral pattern of Armament Haki. With a sharp backward pull, he assumed a slashing stance. “Try to keep up!”
“Oh?”
On the ship’s deck, Kuro watched with mild surprise. “Has he reached the farming step of Haki External Release? Even in the South Sea, that’s rare.”
“Awooooo!”
Beside him, Golden Lion howled excitedly, his eyes locked on Klah’s monstrous form. He crouched low, mimicking the werewolf’s posture as if eager to join the fight.
“Why are you envious of a wolf?”
Kuro flicked Golden Lion’s forehead, shook his head, and turned toward the fortress.
“Kuro?” Lida glanced at him.
“I’m done watching. Someone who’s clung to self-delusion to avoid collapse for years isn’t worth my time.”
Kuro exhaled a plume of smoke from his cigar. “This man’s already lost. He’s just chasing a quick death. Why bother watching? Klah can handle it.”
Even at this level of Haki External Release—without factoring in Devil Fruit abilities—Ethan Kadi might be unmatched in the South Sea.
But Kuro knew Klah’s strength intimately.
Even in this beast form, Klah would win if the fight dragged on.
If he lost under the full moon’s power…
Kuro would have to send him back to Headquarters to start from the bottom again.
Bang!!
A thunderous crash echoed behind them. Kuro paused mid-step, shook his head, and muttered, “Foolish.”
Then he vanished into the fortress.
Back on the island, Klah and Ethan Kadi stood back-to-back, their figures blurred by the aftermath of their clash.
Klah staggered slightly, shrinking back to his half-beast form. He glanced at the shallow wound across his chest, frowning.
Crack!
Ethan Kadi remained frozen mid-swing, his Longsword emitting a sharp, ringing sound as its blade fractured and shattered into shards. His body swayed, then he looked down at the gaping wound on his chest and chuckled bitterly.
“So… the Navy wins.”
With those words, he collapsed, lifeless.
Klah reverted to human form, adjusted his glasses, and without glancing at the corpse behind him, said coldly, “Yes, the Navy wins. Because I, a former pirate, will never pity another pirate. The Grand Line is merciless—it only accepts unwavering choices. Hesitate, and you’ll be swallowed by the tide. That’s what Captain Kuro told me to remember.”
“Was that it?”
In the fortress corridor, Lida shrugged, her aura sensing the aftermath. “What was he even fighting for?”
“A fleeting peace of mind.”
Kuro ascended the corridor, his voice steady. “He wanted to convince himself he’d done right by the Navy or the pirates, but in the end, he only angered both sides. Lida, don’t become someone so stubborn.”
“Me? Never!” Lida tossed her head proudly, raising a tiny fist. “I’m strong! I’ll achieve whatever I set my mind to—and you’ll help me, right?!”
“Don’t expect me to keep rescuing you with snacks. Handle it yourself!”
Kuro rolled his eyes in exasperation but fell into thought.
Ethan Kadi’s case was a warning.
He wasn’t an exception.
There were likely many like him.
Within the Navy’s Sword division, countless undercover agents had spent years in the field, their identities blurred between Navy and pirate.
A sudden crisis could trigger the same self-destructive confusion.
That wouldn’t do.
Undercover work was inherently high-risk—not just for life, but for the soul.
Humans were emotional creatures. Even pirates, for all their cruelty, shared bonds. No pirate crew survived on betrayal alone.
The longer these agents stayed undercover, the more they’d grow attached to their pirate comrades, developing a sense of belonging.
That was dangerous. These agents had once been fervent Navy loyalists.
After all, who would volunteer for such a mission without passion?
But if left unchecked, they’d all end up like Ethan Kadi.
Recalling them all wasn’t feasible—the Sword division was the Navy’s backbone. Intelligence networks relied on them. Even the Cipher Pol couldn’t match their effectiveness, given their direct subordination to the World Government, not the Navy.
The two were parallel institutions.
A solution was needed—something to stabilize these agents, to prevent identity crises. The newer ones might be fine, but the veterans… the risk was real.
“Summon Klah later,” Kuro told Lida. “He’s the deputy captain. Let him brainstorm a way to stop this from happening again.”
(End of Chapter)
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