Chapter 146: Black Mist Encounters a Sandstorm!!
In the early morning, just as the Morning Sun peeked out, Crocodile opened his eyes, got out of bed, and opened the Attic Window. A rush of fresh Air immediately greeted him as he quietly observed this Other World City called Yashiro Station.
Yesterday, while eating Roast Chicken, a man named Tian Jiang came to find him. Apparently, he was the Chief Steward of this City, a role similar to a Mayor.
He actually wanted to invite him to be his Samurai Steward, which utterly amused him. He immediately gave them a demonstration of his Gasping Laugh on the spot.
This naturally drew dissatisfaction from the other party and the other Samurai, but after he flicked the Wooden Skewer from his finished Meat Skewer, hitting and breaking a Blade that a Samurai had just drawn, these people became calm again.
This provided a very stable foundation for friendly Communication between the two sides.
See? Now he could even stay in this comfortable little Attic as he pleased. Crocodile felt that the people here were quite nice too.
Enthusiastic!
Looking out, he could clearly see the tall Shaft Platform and the massive Crane in the distance. This Yashiro Station seemed to be a City built around the Mining Industry.
At the center was a large-scale Ore Layer, dug out layer by layer, and that Crane was likely used to transport Minerals. At the same time, there were also two sets of Train Tracks running north and south of the City, connecting the East Gate and West Gate.
After gaining a basic understanding of this place.
The first thing Crocodile thought of was the World Government's Star Gate Base, which had already invaded this World.
That's right, in his opinion, given the World Government's Typical Style, it was impossible for them to engage in friendly Cooperation. They would definitely carry out large-scale conquest and occupation after figuring out this World's Combat Power level.
This Yashiro Station, sitting on such a large Metal Ore Vein, would 100% become one of the World Government's key targets!
But what did that have to do with him?
The matter Crocodile was currently contemplating was still about himself. After observing for the past few days, he had confirmed that this was truly the New World.
The World Government, unexpectedly, hadn't tricked him.
"Army, huh?"
"It really is a multiple-choice question with no options. As Haki as ever, ha—ha—ha——"
He didn't know what he was thinking, but looking at the gradually rising Morning Sun outside the Window, he started his classic Gasping Laugh again. But he was actually just mocking himself.
"I actually felt tempted, tempted enough to want to agree to them... But what if I don't agree? Am I really going to grow old and die in this boring World full of Living Dead?"
Crocodile muttered to himself, asking the question.
"Then how am I supposed to challenge that Monster, 'Whitebeard', in the future?"
"And that bastard Douglas Barrett, if I'm imprisoned in this broken World, he'll definitely find an opportunity to flaunt his power in front of me!"
At the same time, the hateful, condescending Gaze of Bullet, after becoming an Army Admiral, automatically appeared in his mind. Just thinking about it made him grit his teeth in anger.
"Hmph!"
"It's just the Army. I remember the Marines have an Establishment of three Marine Admirals, so the Army is probably the same. If that's the case, I'll become an Army Admiral first, and then an Army Marshal in the future. By then, I'll make that bastard my subordinate!"
What he didn't know at the moment was that Fleet Admiral and Admiral were actually both Admiral Ranks, on the same level, differing only in their Position.
But he probably wouldn't care even if he knew, after all, Fleet Admiral just sounded higher than Admiral.
[Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!]
Suddenly.
Just as Crocodile was lost in thought, looking at the Crane that was several times larger and taller than a normal Crane, a dense Bombardment startled him awake, and also startled the entire Yashiro Station.
All the Residents rushed out of their homes or pushed open their Windows to look towards the East Gate. The City Gate and Drawbridge that Crocodile had 'passed through' last night were the West Gate.
At this moment, the East City Gate had completely fallen into chaos and panic.
Although the incredibly loud Cannons were trying to boost the Soldiers' Morale, the Colossus outside the City Wall, constantly approaching while enduring the Cannon fire and explosions, was utterly despair-inducing.
[Thud]
A Soldier collapsed weakly by the City Wall, his face pale, giving a miserable smile. He had completely lost his Courage, not even having the Courage to look back.
"It's over, it's all over, we're all going to die..."
"'Black Mist', that's 'Black Mist', we can't stop it... This Yashiro Station is going to be Fallen immediately!"
For his behavior and Remarks that so disrupted the Military's Morale, not a single person stood out to accuse him, because apart from the Soldiers frantically firing Cannons, everyone on the City Wall felt pretty much the same way he did.
Didn't they see that even those Samurai who were usually high and mighty had abandoned their Duty and Spirit, desperately fleeing Inside the City?
Chaos, complete chaos!
Just then, the young soldier trembling all over as he lay on the ground, suddenly felt a Sandstorm blow around him. Immediately after, a somewhat Familiarize voice sounded next to his drooping ear.
"Kid, I remember you. Tell me, what is that thing?"
The young soldier's stiff Neck slowly lifted. From the black Leather Boots, brown Pants, the hem of the black Coat, and then the black Shirt, he finally saw the Face of the person who had arrived.
"L-Lord, it's you!"
He naturally remembered Crocodile, who had given him a Koban yesterday. Last night, he had even used it to buy two portions of Meat to take back and let his parents and little sister have a taste.
In this City where the outside land had been lost due to Kabane, a City where there wasn't even much space to grow Rice, Food itself was very scarce, let alone Meat.
"Less nonsense."
Crocodile looked at the Big Monster in the distance that looked like a large mass of thick Black Smoke gathered together, revealing many Gunfire Flashes, and felt a strong interest in his Heart.
This Other World had finally brought him a surprise!
Those Living Dead from before were quite novel at first, but later they became annoying to the point of explosion, as bothersome as a swarm of Flies. Later, after collecting enough Currency, he simply used his Speed to bypass them, leaving them behind.
"Ah, yes, yes!"
The young soldier quickly stood up, clutching the Steam Gun in his arms. For some reason, standing beside this Lord made him feel a sense of safety, and his Body regained some Strength.
"That thing is what we call 'Black Smoke'. It is said that when enough Kabane gather in a small area, one Kabane becomes the 'Core', and it absorbs the other Kabane onto its Body to form a larger Body."
"Although it looks like a scattered collection, they are actually an Entity. Their Strength is very Strong, and their Speed is also very fast. Coupled with a Body Size that is nearly level with the City Wall, or even slightly higher, they can easily cross the Moat or Defensive Pit, and then smash through the City Wall beneath our feet to break in. At that time..."
Speaking of this, the Young People's Face was once again filled with despair and terror. That would truly be a Living Hell.
At this moment, the 'Black Mist', standing thirty to forty meters tall, had approached an open area about three hundred meters from the City Wall, with bare, undulating gray hills stretching out on either side, devoid of any vegetation.
"Oh~~"
"A bit interesting. A Combined Monster even taller than the Giant Race?" Crocodile's face showed a playful smile, eager to try.
"I also know a Combined Bastard..."
[Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh————]
The next moment, under the dumbfounded gazes of countless Soldiers and Samurai around him, he transformed into a yellowish-brown Quicksand Cyclone and flew out of the City Wall, seemingly heading towards that terrifying 'Black Mist'!
(End of this chapter)