Chapter 56: The Invincible Old Exodia Falls—Wait, Not Yet
"Ah, it's Weevil." Hayato didn't have a good impression of Weevil inherently, but Yugi had no idea about how disgusting Weevil was. Instead, he had a slight fondness for Weevil, who had informed him about the existence of the "New Rule." So, seeing Weevil appear, he was quite welcoming. "Weevil, have you traded for any powerful Cards?"
"Heh heh, the Cards used for trading couldn't possibly be the strongest Cards of the Duelists. At most, you can only trade useless Cards for other useless Cards. Besides, I have great confidence in my Deck." Weevil leaned over enthusiastically, his gaze wandering over the Round Table. It quickly locked onto the Golden Sarcophagus that Yugi had just taken out the Time Wizard from, before he had a chance to close the lid.
"And no matter how powerful a Card is, it won't be a match for your Exodia, Yugi."
Hearing even a strong Duelist like Weevil, who had won the National Duel Monsters Tournament, affirm his friend's Strength, Joey Wheeler looked proud. "Of course! Exodia is an invincible Monster!"
Anyone who didn't know better would think Exodia was his Card, not Yugi's.
"Although there isn't just one set of Exodia Cards, they aren't as rare as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which only has four copies. But among the Duelists I know, only you, Yugi, have managed to Assemble Exodia, Yugi."
Weevil seized the opportunity, constantly steering the conversation towards Exodia. Hayato, knowing his intentions, just sat by the side, watching this malicious guy, waiting for him to expose his true purpose.
Yugi was a little embarrassed by Weevil's words. He scratched the back of his head and said with a smile, "Don't say that. Actually, this set of Exodia isn't my Card either. It was my Ji-chan who collected them all."
"Collecting Cards is just the basic requirement. Being able to Assemble Exodia in a Duel, you're still very impressive, Yugi." Weevil smiled and walked over to Yugi's side. "Hey, Yugi, I've never seen a rare Card like Exodia before. Can you let me take a look?"
The simple-minded (?) Yugi didn't think too much of it. He readily took out the Deck stored in the Golden Sarcophagus, selected the five Exodia Cards from it, and handed them to Weevil. "Of course, no problem."
"So this is Exodia? As long as you Assemble the five Cards in your Hand, you can achieve Victory in a Duel regardless of the situation. So powerful, truly too powerful." Weevil held the five Cards in his Hand, speaking in an overly flat tone, putting on an act.
"Hey, Yugi, do you know? From the moment I heard about Exodia's invincible Power, I started thinking about one question: If I were to Duel you, how should I deal with Exodia?" Weevil paused, then turned his head to look at the Sea Surface under the night sky.
The Wind on the Sea Surface had grown stronger, and the waves had also increased significantly. The bright moon that had been hanging high in the sky was now covered by dark clouds. Looking out, the sea was just a pitch-black expanse. It was as if it was deliberately giving someone time to do something.
Yugi himself was a smart person. Although he was relatively easy to Trust others, he could somewhat hear the hint of something off in Weevil's words at this moment. "What are you trying to say, Weevil?"
"I finally confirmed it. Under Exodia's Infinite Power, I cannot defeat you." Weevil suddenly revealed a smile, having already retreated until his back was against the Railing. "But the moment I got these few Exodia Cards from you, I finally got the answer—the answer to how to defeat you!"
Seeing Yugi about to rush towards him, Weevil, holding the Exodia Cards, suddenly flicked his Hand towards the outside of the Railing. The five Cards were thrown out by him, fluttering towards the Sea Surface. "If I can't defeat Exodia, I just need to destroy it!"
"Ji-chan's Cards!" Yugi desperately raised his Hand, wanting to grab the Cards, but the distance between them was too great. Amidst Joey Wheeler 's shock, Yugi's anxiety, and Weevil's joyful gaze, the few Cards thrown by Weevil were about to drift off the ship. But just then, several Bug Nets suddenly extended from the Lower Deck, catching all the Cards precisely.
Only then did Hayato leisurely get up from his chair, walk to the Railing, and lean over to look down. He spoke, "Thank you for waiting so long. Please bring the Cards up."
"Yes, Mr. Hayato." The voice of the Black-Clothed Staff came from below. It was clear they were the ones who had caught the falling Cards with the Bug Nets.
Seeing his plan fail, Weevil was about to run away, but the reacting Joey Wheeler grabbed him by the Collar and lifted him up. Weevil's feet flailed in Struggle, and he looked at Hayato with disbelief. "You guys were prepared? I clearly didn't tell anyone!"
"Ask yourself, can your acting hide your thoughts? The moment I saw you in the Ship Cabin, I smelled it—that disgusting stench unique to Villains, worse than frog pee." Hayato paused. "Trying to destroy his Cards by taking advantage of Yugi's kindness and Trust, you're worse than rat droppings in a toilet."
Several Staff members walked up the Stairs holding Bug Nets. One of them held the five Exodia Cards they had just saved. He came before Yugi and respectfully handed them over.
"Yugi, quickly check if the Cards are all there," Joey Wheeler asked anxiously. Exodia's Power is based on having all five pieces; even if one is missing, it won't work. Yugi spread out the five Cards and, after confirming, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Hayato, thanks to you this time, the Cards Ji-chan gave me weren't thrown into the sea." Yugi sincerely thanked Hayato. If it hadn't been for Hayato just now, those five Cards would have already fallen into the sea.
Hayato waved his Hand. "I suspected something when that guy Weevil kept bringing up Exodia, but I didn't have any proof. Acting preemptively would have put me in the wrong."
"But luckily, the VIP Treatment Pegasus gave me was genuine, allowing me to direct the Industrial Illusions Staff. Although it scared you guys, we've got a Handle on this guy Weevil."
Seeing that the others' attention was temporarily not on him, and the Industrial Illusions Staff were glaring at him, caught red-handed, Weevil was terrified. He had taken such a big risk, not only failing to destroy Exodia but also getting caught. He secretly became ruthless.
He grabbed Joey Wheeler 's Hand that was holding his Collar, twisted his head, and bit down. Joey Wheeler cried out in pain and couldn't help but let go. The moment Weevil's feet touched the ground, he immediately lunged towards Yugi's Body.
...
(End of Chapter)