Chapter 343: Fairy Queen
Vice Admiral Tsuru said lightly, "It's over."
"Yeah, it's over." Gion nodded in agreement.
Vice Admiral Tsuru turned and ordered, "Change the ship's course, and leave quickly."
"Lost?" Hina asked in disbelief, "A Seven Warlord... actually lost to a regular member of the Dawn Pirates?"
"That guy was too overconfident in his abilities." Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke with the tone of someone who had been through it, "On the seas, those who think too highly of their own strength are usually short-lived. Remember, Hina, don't rely too much on your own abilities."
"...Yes." Hina answered weakly, her spirits deflated.
"You're still young, and life's journey allows for plenty of failures," Vice Admiral Tsuru continued, "Strength requires steady progress. Never aim too high."
"Yes!"
"Mm—"
"Tsuru -chan really is strict~" Gion smiled, patting Akame's shoulder, "But Tsuru -chan is doing this for your good. Remember the special training that Captain Garp did for you before? That was really helpful."
Vice Admiral Tsuru picked up the transponder snail, "Sengoku, are you still there?"
"...I'm here."
"The battle is over. The 'Seven Warlord' Duke was defeated by 'The Devil Cyborg' Genos . However, Genos is in a state of exhaustion right now."
Sengoku's voice was filled with exhaustion, "Is there anything else?"
"The only information I need to report is that the captain and key officers of the Dawn Pirates haven't shown up."
"I understand." Sengoku replied before hanging up.
The battleship changed its course, and as the battlefield beach was fading from view, Akame looked back one last time, burying her frustration deep inside, allowing it to ferment into the fuel for her growth.
...
A large amount of sand and stone, turned into crystals, cracked with a rumbling sound, and vast quantities of sand and stone collapsed, as molten iron blossomed in the dust, shining in a bright orange-red color.
The yellow-brown dust covered the entire area, while the white clay puppets under Deidara's control flapped their wings, blowing the thick smoke away.
Atop a small hill made of sand, a towering figure stood, like an iron tower.
It was impossible to distinguish the original skin color, only the charred, blackened body and slightly twisted, deformed limbs.
Chiron's large hand moved in front of the young girls, ushering them back toward the ship.
Meanwhile, the pirates, who had already reached the shore, saw their captain in this disfigured state and immediately understood that their captain had lost the battle, and his life was forfeit.
They quickly turned, swimming away like they were paddling a boat, their limbs flailing as they swam toward the distance.
"Tch, is this how it ends?" Deidara muttered, tossing a large amount of explosive clay into the sea, quickly entangling the pirates, creating water columns as they exploded like sea mines.
Genos staggered toward the mound of dirt, a horrible burnt smell in the air.
"Is he still alive?" His electronic eye quickly transmitted the gathered information to his brain. Whether it was a spasm or a struggle, Duke's arms were protectively covering his head, waving uselessly in an uncoordinated fashion, reaching forward aimlessly.
"Ugh..."
An unwilling breath, accompanied by a pungent scent, erupted from his pores, fiercely attacking Genos 's scent sensors.
"If... if I wear... a few more layers..." His eyes, dehydrated by the intense heat, shriveled, and his two hollow eye sockets stared vacantly ahead, unable to focus on anything.
"Crack!" A piece of charred skin on Duke's cheek cracked, and the sound was as sharp as the sound of a firing gun. The burnt, carbonized skin continued to crack like a crumbly biscuit, Breaking apart and falling away.
Deidara covered his nose and approached, a look of disgust on his face. "How is it that he hasn't died yet, looking like this? What's the human anatomy like in this world?"
"I... can't... lose... to you..."
"Truly ugly." Genos spoke with a cold tone, shattering Duke's dreamlike illusion with his words. "If this fantastic world didn't exist, the only reality would be the result—you just lost to me because your strength was lacking, nothing more."
"…Ah—" Duke opened his mouth wide in silence, his charred skin leaving only a few patches, revealing the fat layer beneath.
His ability was defeated by Genos 's flames, and his frustration was shattered by Genos 's words. His arm drooped unwillingly as his life force left him at that moment.
[Achievement unlocked: "Defeated one of the Seven Warlords, Nap Duke," Achievement Points: 3]
Eric and Kurumi, along with a few others, appeared from a distance, greeting them, "Yo, it's over? We're late."
"Ugh…!" As they neared the mound of dirt, the group immediately covered their noses.
Eric asked quietly, "This guy… he's a Devil Fruit user, right?"
"Yeah," Genos nodded. "His ability allows him to absorb steel and sand to convert them into armor."
"We saw it. There was too much dust earlier, so we waited before coming over." Eric glanced at Genos 's arms. "Is this the new weapon Da Vinci designed for you?"
"Yes."
'When I get the time, I'll ask Da Vinci to make me a mech suit to try out…'
"Let's just treat him as the next summoning medium." Eric turned and ordered, "Deidara, mold a clay doll for transporting him."
Deidara reluctantly started his work.
...
As they neared the charred corpse, the stomach protested violently against the indescribable smell. Eric fought to suppress the vomit rising in his throat, the sharp burning sensation spreading down his esophagus, until finally, he couldn't hold back anymore, and the half-digested food cascaded down like a waterfall.
"Ugh—"
"Brother-in-law, are you okay?" Ulti gently patted Eric's back in concern.
Esdeath, hands on her hips, remarked, "You've seen severed limbs and remains, but can't handle the smell of a charred corpse? You still need more training."
"After all, Eric's lightning usually turns his opponents to ash." Akame, who had spent the longest time with Eric, nodded in understanding.
After regurgitating the street food and the small amount of stomach acid, the vomiting finally ceased.
"Here." A handkerchief, lightly scented with a faint fragrance, was handed to Eric.
"Thanks." Eric hesitated as he wiped the remnants from his lips. "I'll clean it..."
"Ah, no need to be so polite with me." Kurumi retracted the handkerchief, "I'll clean it myself. But hurry up with the summoning, that guy's Devil Fruit is about to regenerate~"
A delicate fragrance lingered in Eric's nostrils, and the taste of stomach acid remained in his mouth. He regained his composure and extended his right hand, chanting a completely pointless spell:
"Spirits wandering the Tower of Paradise, the self-replacing Valkyrie of transformation—"
"Listen to my call! Appear, Fairy Queen!"
The blood-red summoning markings lit up, emitting a dazzling white glow. Duke's charred body melted like snow, reforming into a human shape within the light.
"Here—!" Esdeath furrowed her brows, sensing the presence of the one arriving.
"Clang, clang" The sound of medieval plate armor echoed as the figure walked forward.
A woman with crimson long hair, wearing silver-white armor on her upper body, a blue skirt, and black thigh-high boots.
Eric immediately recognized who it was—Erza Scarlet !
Her eyes conveyed bravery and strength, yet still retained a sense of gentleness. She swept her gaze across the group before finally settling on Eric, her silver sword planted on the ground. "Where am I?"
The basic information about the pirate world instantly transmitted into her brain. Her neurons exploded like firecrackers, and a sharp, needle-like pain spread across her brain.
But after a brief moment of furrowing her brow, Erza swallowed the pain and whispered, "I see, the Great Pirate Era..."
[Name: Erza Scarlet ]
[Age: 17]
[Physique: Seven Stars]
[Swordsmanship: Seven Stars Half]
[Gunnery: Seven Stars]
[Armament Haki: 0]
[Observation Haki: Six Stars]
[Conqueror's Haki: 0 (Unyielding charisma and leadership not inferior to men)]
[Devil Fruit: Six Stars]
[Bond Level: 1 (Normal Friend)]
[Comprehensive Combat Power: Six and a Half Stars]
[Note: Known as the Fairy Queen, the youngest S-rank Mage in the guild, possessing the transformation magic that allows her to instantly summon and wear armor, weapons, clothes, or equipment from specific spaces.]
"This is Sasso, the third island of the seventh route of the Grand Line," Eric introduced. "I'm Darren Eric, a so-called celebrity. Erza Scarlet , would you like to join me as a companion?"
"..." After a brief silence, Erza seemed to let go of a burden in her heart, closing her eyes and answering gently, "Of course. However, I cannot tolerate the existence of evil."
...
"This is our new companion—Erza Scarlet ! Everyone, let's give her a warm welcome~"
Wendy's eyes sparkled as she approached, "Is this Miss Erza ?"
"Wendy, is she famous?" Kurumi asked curiously, before realizing, "Did you two come from the same world?"
"Yes! I've heard of Miss Erza at 'The Inn of the Cursed Cat'. They say she's both powerful and beautiful!"
"Wendy-chan is
cute too~"
"Stop it, Big Sis Miku, you're teasing me again..." Wendy blushed.
Erza frowned slightly as she tried to recall Wendy's name, eventually shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't remember you."
"Of course, I'm not famous. How could Miss Erza have heard of my name?"
Erza extended her right hand, "But since we're companions now, let's get along well."
"Yes!" Wendy happily extended her hand, shaking Erza 's gauntlet.
"Even the kind, timid girls are willing to stay in the Dawn Pirates, so you're clearly not an evil group."
"Ah, do you think we're irredeemable villains?"
"Who told you to carry the pirate title?" Erza chuckled lightly, "I'm glad you're not evil."
Eric retorted, "It sounds like if we were villains, you'd be ready to clean us up."
"I actually planned to do that when I boarded."
"Hey!"
"Don't worry..." A warmth glimmered in Erza 's eyes, "The atmosphere here is really nice. I—like it."
Eric smiled, "I'm glad you like it."
The new newspapers set sail along with the Invincible ship, thanks to the newsbird, everyone in the world, except for those in windless zones, was able to quickly catch up with the latest gossip.
In the tavern, drinking and boasting were the favorite pastimes of all men, often leading to heated arguments about things that didn't belong to them.
"Ha!" The spicy beer went down Eric's throat, moistening his parched lips.
With a thud, the wooden mug hit the bar, and the bartender, used to it, smiled while wiping the cutlery.
The man grabbed a plate of bar snacks with his left hand and tossed it into his mouth, chewing loudly. With his right hand, he picked up the newspaper he had just bought.
Two boys sat on bar stools, clearly displeased, sipping their fruit juice.
The boy with the straw hat stretched his arm to grab the cup on the table.
"Smack!" Makino scolded, slapping Luffy's right hand, "Kids can only drink juice!"
"Ah—" Ace immediately stood up and bowed in apology, "Sorry, Luffy's causing trouble for you." Then, he pressed Luffy's head down, "No causing trouble for Makino!"
"The Seven Warlord, 'Iron Man' Duke, was killed by the Dawn Pirates... I think this is the third Seven Warlord they've taken down, right?"
Upon hearing about someone they knew, Luffy and Ace perked up.
"Yeah, another Seven Warlord spot is open now," said a villager in the tavern, "Other people immediately jumped in to continue."
"At first, I thought the Dawn Pirates were friendly, but then they went to the capital of the Goa Kingdom and slaughtered the nobles."
"Yeah, it's terrifying," the villagers sympathized with the nearby tragedy.
"But those nobles weren't good people!" Luffy shouted, "They're the ones who made Sabo leave early!"
"Luffy! Calm down," Ace said, restraining the flailing Luffy, "Sorry, Makino, I'll take Luffy away now."
"Be careful on the road!" Makino walked out from behind the bar, watching the two leave.
On the way to Corbo Mountain, Luffy, dejected, walked behind Ace, "Sorry, Ace, I messed up."
"No," Ace reassured his brother while leading the way, "That's why we need to grow up quickly, go out to find Sabo, and catch up with them."
"Right, we still need to find Sabo!" Luffy became excited again, shouting his catchphrase, "I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
(END CHAPTER)
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