Chapter 126: One Punch K.O. Garp! The Pluton Activates!
The sea trembled, and waves instantly turned into tsunamis, nearly capsizing the warship.
Inside the warship, a chorus of cursing erupted as countless marines, who had been sleeping soundly, were thrown into chaos by the violent turbulence.
The CP0 members stood in stunned silence.
This was a phenomenon that only occurred when two top-tier Haki users clashed.
"Why are they fighting?!"
The CP0 members were shocked and immediately grabbed a Den Den Mushi to report the situation to the Five Elders.
It was the dead of night, and after a long wait, the call finally connected.
"What is it this time?"
"My lords, there's a battle breaking out in Wano!"
"What?!! Didn't we order you to wait for reinforcements from Marine Headquarters?"
"My lords, it's not us—it's the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army! They're fighting!"
"They... what?! Hahaha! So Shanks has made this choice after all. As expected of the Figarland bloodline."
Five distinct laughs echoed from the other end of the call. Clearly, this news delighted the Five Elders.
"On the enemy's home turf, the Red-Haired Pirates might not be able to win. Fortunately, Garp is nearby, and reinforcements from Marine Headquarters are on the way. Stall for time however you can..."
With that, the Five Elders hung up, leaving the CP0 agent holding the receiver in despair.
Stall for time?
They might as well just tell me to die!
Some things didn't need to be said outright—CP0 was just a disposable pawn to them.
With a bitter expression, the CP0 agent relayed the orders to the navy.
The marine fleet assisting CP0 in surveillance was led by a Vice Admiral, with two Rear Admirals under his command.
Against most forces, this lineup would have been enough to exert considerable dominance.
Unfortunately…
Their opponents were the Revolutionary Army.
"We have no advantage in close combat. Maintain distance and bombard them! Use our firepower to suppress the revolutionaries on shore!"
At the Vice Admiral's command, the fleet formed ranks and slowly advanced toward the coast.
The Revolutionary Army quickly detected the movement and began mobilizing for a counterattack.
Just like that, the battle erupted out of nowhere.
Cannon fire filled the sky, but it had no effect on the duel between Chu Yang and Shanks.
Shanks even had the leisure to joke: "When did the navy get the guts to launch an attack? I thought they'd stay put like decorative mascots."
Chu Yang grinned. "They probably think we're having an internal dispute."
Shanks burst into laughter. "Then they're in for a bad time."
Even as they spoke, their Haki clashed fiercely, sending black lightning crackling through the air.
The Conqueror's Haki radiating from Shanks surpassed even Kaido's—his talent in this aspect was truly unrivaled.
In contrast, when it came to pure Conqueror's Haki, Chu Yang was slightly inferior.
"Your Haki is even stronger than I expected. I thought my progress these past few years would put me far ahead of you."
Despite saying this, Shanks was actually pleased. The stronger Chu Yang was, the more at ease Shanks felt letting him go his own way.
Chu Yang gripped his sword, Fengdu, and casually swung it.
A massive fissure, over a hundred meters wide, split the sea apart.
A massive Sea King lurking beneath the surface was instantly bisected.
Shanks' expression grew serious—this was already on par with his full-power strikes.
Drawing his saber, Gryphon, Shanks' battle spirit soared.
He had a feeling…
This might be their final battle.
Shanks launched a flurry of sword slashes, each one infused with Conqueror's Haki, radiating terrifying power.
Chu Yang dodged them effortlessly with Shunpo.
Missed strikes either shattered mountains into dust or carved deep rifts into the sea—each blow no different from Chu Yang's own.
Both combatants were serious.
Even members of the Red-Haired Pirates, who knew the truth, were getting the impression that this was a life-or-death battle.
For everyone else, it was outright terrifying.
With the sudden appearance of the marines, suspicions arose.
The samurai, unfamiliar with the Red-Haired Pirates, stepped forward aggressively, questioning them.
"What's wrong with your captain?! Why is he starting a war out of nowhere?"
"Despicable scum! I knew it! You brought the navy here, didn't you?!"
"Pirates working with the navy—what are you really plotting against Wano?!"
Benn Beckman's face darkened. He had been planning to watch from the sidelines, but now they were being dragged into the mess.
"You idiots! Yang was part of our crew. He fought with the captain every day back then. What's so strange about this?"
Jesus Burgess couldn't hold back anymore and snapped at the samurai.
"Exactly! If we really wanted to attack you, do you think we'd need the navy's help?! Don't underestimate the Red-Haired Pirates!"
Lucky Roux sneered in disdain. His words only added fuel to the fire.
The samurai, already harboring resentment toward pirates due to Kaido's rule, had only tolerated the Red-Haired Pirates because of Chu Yang.
Now, their pent-up hostility exploded.
Tempers flared, and a fight was about to break out.
Fisher Tiger quickly stepped in, trying to mediate between the two sides, explaining the situation to the samurai while also calming the Red-Haired Pirates.
Meanwhile, Dragon was leading the Revolutionary Army against the marines and had no time to deal with the chaos behind him.
A massive brawl erupted, each faction fighting their own battles.
Chu Yang and Shanks remained fully focused on their duel, undistracted by the chaos.
They had already transitioned into close-quarters sword combat.
Aside from Haki and swordsmanship, Chu Yang refrained from using any other abilities.
Even so, he held an overwhelming advantage.
Having honed his skills in wuxia and Fengyun-style swordsmanship, Chu Yang's mastery had transcended to another realm—one Shanks couldn't comprehend.
He didn't deliberately use Taiji Sword or Dugu Nine Swords; instead, his movements were natural and effortless.
The essence of swordsmanship in the One Piece world was simplicity and directness. Chu Yang was refining it further—stripping it down to its purest form.
His every strike carried an indescribable sense of "Dao."
From Shanks' perspective, it was as if Chu Yang were using magic with his sword.
Let alone countering it—he could barely understand it.
By the time the fight neared its end, Shanks' expression was mostly one of bewilderment.
What had started as a duel had turned into an impromptu swordsmanship lesson.
"Your swordsmanship was already strange before, but now it's completely incomprehensible. Even Mihawk wouldn't be your match."
Shanks sheathed his sword and looked at Chu Yang with a complex expression.
Before the fight, he had never expected to "lose" this way.
"Surpassing yourself is more important than surpassing others—whether it's in swordsmanship or Haki."
Chu Yang smiled.
Shanks fell silent for a moment, then forced a grin. "You're leaving the crew?"
Chu Yang took a deep breath and nodded. "Captain, my journey has come to an end. Saying goodbye here is the best way."
Shanks let out a long sigh. "Journeys always end… but I still haven't gotten used to it."
Chu Yang looked at Shanks sincerely. "Even after leaving, I will always be a member of the Red-Haired Pirates."
Shanks smirked. "Obviously. Beckman even wanted to make you vice-captain."
The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
Then—
A massive iron ball whizzed past, demolishing an ancient building.
A booming voice followed.
"Red-Haired brat! I'm here to catch you again!"
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