At the horizon where sea and sky met, a faint glimmer of dawn appeared, heralding the arrival of a new day.
In the inner bay harbor of the G2 Branch Island, densely packed Navy soldiers, armed with swords and rifles, surged onto the moored warships like an unstoppable tide.
They unfurled sails and turned the ships' bows, advancing in the direction of attack as commanded by Rorschach, led by officers and commanders.
The morale ignited by Rorschach's words burned like oil on a roaring fire—utterly unstoppable.
With such boiling morale, all enemies standing in their way would be smashed to pieces by these brave Navy warriors.
"Leave Magic Valley Town to me. As for the rest of the Chaotic Seas, it's up to all of you! My only demand is this: as long as the target is a criminal, open fire without hesitation! Don't concern yourselves with their identity or background. I will take full responsibility for the consequences!If you encounter a powerful enemy you can't handle, call nearby comrades. Don't sacrifice your lives for a bunch of scum—we have a greater future ahead! Now go!"
At the port, Rorschach stood in a pristine white Navy uniform, the wide Justice cape billowing behind him in the wind. His black boots gleamed, and his whole presence radiated a stormlike, awe-inspiring intensity as he looked at the officers standing rigidly before him.
"Yes, Rear Admiral Rorschach!"
The officers, faces flushed with excitement, shouted hoarsely in response.
Then they immediately turned and boarded their respective warships, leading their subordinates out of the harbor.
Vice Admiral Gumir also departed.
Only Rorschach and the still-recovering Rear Admiral Kadalu remained at the port.
"Rear Admiral Kadalu, you're familiar with the route to Magic Valley Town. Guide us—we'll get there as fast as possible."
"No problem! I've memorized the course to Magic Valley Town like the back of my hand. You can count on me, Rear Admiral Rorschach."
"Good. Apologies in advance."
Rorschach reached out and grabbed Kadalu by the shoulder. With a single leap, he soared like a white seagull, streaking across the sea surface toward the moored Kirin.
Onboard, Hibari and the others were already prepared, having lowered the three enormous white sails.
Magic Valley Town was over 600 li (approx. 300 km) from G2 Base. Flying the Kirin there using Rorschach's powers alone would be too physically taxing.
Therefore, they would combine wind propulsion with steam engine power to accelerate their journey.
With a loud roar from the internal steam engine, the Kirin's paddle wheels on both sides began turning with a thunderous rumble.
The three large sails swelled with wind as Rorschach manipulated the air currents into a powerful gust.
The massive warship rapidly picked up speed, sailing swiftly in the direction indicated by Kadalu.
Elsewhere on the vast sea, a large sailing ship with black sails drifted aimlessly.
On the prow and at the top of the mast's lookout tower, men in black suits stood watch with binoculars, scanning the waters around them.
At the bow, a fat, bald middle-aged man lounged on a snow-white fur-covered couch, puffing on a thick cigar.
"Business has really gone downhill lately. The clever merchant ships are all avoiding this route—haven't even caught any decent cargo, let alone trash. If this keeps up, I won't be able to report back upstairs…"
The man grumbled while exhaling cigar smoke.
"It's all that stiff Gumir's fault. He knew he couldn't take us down, so he sent the Navy to forcibly drive away the merchant ships. Now none of them enter these waters," said a burly man with slicked-back hair standing nearby, grumbling in frustration.
Just then, the lookout shouted down from above:
"Lord Pessen! Warship spotted dead ahead—it's headed straight this way!"
"A warship? Let's see who it is. Kadalu? Or Gumir? I was just thinking of having a little chat with them. I bet they don't even know that their G2 Branch is under serious scrutiny from the top."
The fat man named Pessen showed no concern.
"Looks like it's Vice Admiral Gumir himself!" the lookout called again.
"Well now, how convenient. Saves me the trouble of going to G2 myself."
Pessen stood up from his plush sofa, cigar still in mouth, and looked toward the rapidly approaching warship.
Within seconds, the ship had closed in from several hundred meters away—its speed shocking. Pessen and his burly companion could now clearly see the Mediterranean-style naval officer standing at the prow.
It was indeed G2 Base Commander Gumir.
Pessen's lips curled into a mocking smirk.
"So what if he's a Vice Admiral of Navy HQ? In the end, he still has to obey."
Despite holding no official title, Pessen served the World Nobles—which made all the difference.
"Even the strongest dog is still just a dog."
"Wait! Lord Pessen! Something's wrong!"
The brawny man beside him, whose strength was considerable, immediately sensed something amiss.
His eyes locked onto the warship barreling toward them at high speed.
"Gumir's ship isn't slowing down—they're ramming straight into us!"
"What?!"
Pessen's fat face paled. He looked again—
—but Gumir and his warship were gone from view.
Instead, two blinding sword slashes filled his entire field of vision, streaking toward him at a speed far beyond any normal human reaction.
On the slave ship, only the burly man beside Pessen—secretly a CP5 agent—barely escaped death. He tumbled wildly, leaping off the deck and using Moonwalk (Geppo) to hover above the sea, eyes wide in terror as he stared at the swordsman aboard the warship—Gumir, blade drawn.
Pessen never had a chance.
Gumir, standing alone at the prow, drew his dual blades and slashed down.
Two massive sword beams, each dozens of meters long, tore through the air with blinding brilliance, slicing straight across the black-sailed slave ship.
With a crisp crack, the ship—over 60 meters long—was cleaved into three parts from bow to stern. Wood groaned and splintered as the wreckage collapsed and sank into the sea.
The sword beams had cut through it like butter—completely unhindered.
Pessen's body split cleanly down the middle.
On the deck behind him, within the cabin and hull of the ship, there were also people who, like the black slave-hunting ship, were sliced into pieces and silently sank into the sea along with it.
"Gumir! You... what are you doing? You actually dare—"
The CP5 strongman, stepping on Geppo, looked at Gumir with a terribly grim expression.
Swish!
Two intersecting sword lights flashed through the sky, slicing his body into four pieces like scattered building blocks, crashing into the sea.
Gumir returned his blades to their sheath and remained standing at the bow of the warship.
The massive warship surged through the broken slave-hunting ship without pause, continuing to accelerate toward the distant sea.
Nearshore waters in the direction of Magic Valley Town.
"Hahaha, Kulikai, this time I believe that 'City of Gold' you've been going on about is real. With all this gold, if I offer it to Lord Doflamingo, maybe I can finally join the Donquixote Family."
The tall and brawny Bellamy stepped on the head of the bun-haired strongman Kulikai, holding a golden statue over a meter tall in his hand with a satisfied smile on his face.
Around him, pirates from the Hyena Pirate Crew each held gold-covered statues caked in dirt, their faces full of greed and cruelty.
Not far away, the ground was strewn with more than a hundred bodies, blood flowing everywhere.
Kulikai, his head firmly stomped into the dirt by Bellamy, looked at the horribly mutilated men and women with bloodshot eyes, letting out a low, anguished growl.
Those people were pirates from the Gorilla Pirates and the Ape Pirates.
Though pirates, they weren't evil by nature. Their work involved salvaging sunken ships from the seafloor.
That's how they became friends with him, frequently diving together to search for gold.
Somehow, word got out. The news that they had struck a lucky haul of gold today reached the notorious Hyena Pirates of Magic Valley Town.
Under the leadership of their captain, Hyena Bellamy, the Hyena Pirates attacked Kulikai's wooden hut, mercilessly slaughtered the Gorilla and Ape Pirates, and stole the gold.
"I'm sorry! Gorilla, Ape… I failed you! Damn you, Bellamy, you will die horribly! And the Donquixote Family, they are ruthless criminals too…"
Kulikai growled through clenched teeth, voice full of rage and hatred.
Bellamy grinned wide, applying more pressure with his foot, driving half of Kulikai's head into the dirt.
"You can say I'll die horribly, that's fine. Pirates live with their heads hanging by a thread anyway. But to insult the Donquixote Family, who I respect and admire the most? That's not okay. Sarches! Bring the knife! I want to chop off his head and offer the descendant of Noland's skull, along with the gold he found, to Young Master Doflamingo!"
At Bellamy's shout, a cloaked man chuckled and handed over a machete.
Bellamy took the sharp blade, waved it around Kulikai's thick neck a few times, then raised it high, ready to strike.
The next moment—
Crack!
A brilliant lightning bolt struck from the sky, hitting the machete in his hand.
Blinding electricity surged through the blade into Bellamy's body, instantly making him twitch violently, his tall figure stumbling backward.
"What the—?!"
The pirates of the Hyena Crew stood dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events.
No one expected that, out of nowhere, their captain Bellamy would be struck by lightning—his body scorched black, face contorted.
"Hahaha! Struck by lightning—karma for all the evil you've done!"
Kulikai couldn't help laughing. While the pirates stood stunned, he gritted his teeth, quickly scrambled to his feet, and rushed to the fallen Bellamy. He snatched the machete from his hand and, gripping the hilt, swung it hard at Bellamy's neck.
"You bastard Kulikai! How dare you?!"
The Hyena Pirates' first mate, Sarches, turned pale and lunged.
But he was too late.
With a sickening thud, the blade cleaved halfway through Bellamy's throat, cutting his windpipe.
A gush of blood spurted from Bellamy's neck like a fountain, causing the pirates' eyes to bulge in horror.
"Damn it! He killed Captain Bellamy!"
"Kill him! Kill him now! Get the Captain to Magic Valley Town—maybe we can still save him!"
The pirates went mad, eyes red, brandishing blades and charging at Kulikai.
But Kulikai showed no fear. Instead, he laughed heartily, yanked the machete from Bellamy's neck, and stood firm, coldly watching the charging pirates.
He had already killed Bellamy—he had avenged the Gorilla Pirates.
"It's just a pity… I couldn't find the golden city our ancestors once reached. Forgive me, ancestor Noland. I couldn't prove to the world you weren't a liar…"
Kulikai closed his eyes.
Crackle crackle crackle…
Suddenly, the sound of electricity buzzed in his ears.
Then came a series of heavy thuds.
Kulikai froze. He opened his eyes and saw the dozens of pirates who had been charging at him—including the 30-million bounty first mate Sarches—now all lying on the ground, bodies scorched black, lifeless. Clearly dead.
All the pirates, except him, had been struck by lightning from afar and died on the spot!
Even if he were dull, Kulikai knew this couldn't be a natural phenomenon.
"Someone saved me!"
A jolt ran through Kulikai's heart. He quickly looked around.
Then his pupils contracted. In his vision, a pale blue warship was riding the wind and waves, speeding toward Magic Valley Town.
The warship brushed past the small island where he stood.
Faintly, Kulikai saw a tall and upright Navy officer standing on the dragon-headed prow of that warship.
(End of Chapter)
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