Chapter 153 Doflamingo's First AppearanceInside the transport ship, Lin Tian looked at the pile of treasures before him, his face filled with awe, and the Revolutionary Army members beside him were no different.A golden glow radiated into their eyes, and as far as they could see, they could only make out several golden mountains, each over ten meters high, a dazzling golden expanse that blinded the eyes.This transport ship was laden with golden treasures, mostly gold ingots specially melted down, with a smaller portion of exquisite gold artifacts, which, though fewer in number, were far more valuable than the ingots.Having lived for so long, Lin Tian had never seen such a sight, even in photographs, let alone in reality. The over one billion Berries he obtained on Saxton Island didn't evoke such a strong sense of shock. It's hard to imagine how one would feel when a small mountain of gold suddenly appeared before them.After gazing for over a minute, Lin Tian finally came to his senses. There was no helping it; with so much gold laid out before him, anyone would react the same way, especially Lin Tian, who was a bit of a money-lover.Looking at the gold mountain, Lin Tian shifted his gaze to the side, where piles of gems, pearls, and precious jewelry lay. Although not as numerous as the gold, they were stacked over a meter high and were no less valuable than the gold.Lin Tian asked in a low voice, "What are the statistics? What are the specific figures for these gold and silver treasures, and what is their value?"Hearing Lin Tian's question, the Revolutionary Army soldier beside him quickly reacted, picked up the newly compiled record, and replied to Lin Tian."Because some gold, gems, and pearls are embedded together, we only have an approximate count. This transport ship primarily carries treasures, including several tens of tons of gold, valued at over ten billion Berries. There are about two tons of gems and one ton of pearls, worth about ten billion Berries, and some other treasures, valued at roughly tens of billions of Berries."Pushing up his slightly slipping glasses, the Revolutionary Army soldier continued, "In total, we obtained over thirty billion Berries from this transport ship.""Hiss…" Hearing these figures, everyone present couldn't help but show their shock. Over thirty billion Berries—what an astounding sum.No wonder the entire Grand Line went wild when news spread that the Heavenly Gold was being transported without an Admiral escort, with countless pirates gathering at Coro Island.Because this fortune was truly immense, enough to drive people mad. Even getting a tiny bit would be satisfying."If one transport ship has this much, how much wealth would two transport ships have?"As this thought arose,Everyone gasped again. If every ship was like this, then there would be at least sixty or seventy billion Berries—what an enormous fortune.Thinking of this, everyone's faces couldn't help but show a hint of excitement. With such a large sum of money, not only would the Revolutionary Army's financial crisis be immediately resolved, but there would be enough funds for several years to come. At that time, the Revolutionary Army would experience explosive growth.However, Lin Tian did not share their excitement. Having seen the Heavenly Gold transport manifest, Lin Tian knew that this ship likely contained almost all of the Heavenly Gold's wealth.The other transport ship was basically filled with unique items from various allied countries of the World Government. After all, the Celestial Dragons cared about enjoyment; having so many treasures, besides looking at them, wasn't of much use. Everyone believed there were few things in this world that Celestial Dragons needed to buy with money; they simply "took" them."Indeed, all the treasures are on your transport ship," a voice suddenly said, startling everyone.Everyone quickly grabbed their weapons and turned around, looking behind them warily. They saw a group of figures slowly walking in from outside the door. Recognizing the newcomers, everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief, lowered their weapons, and a hint of joy appeared on their faces.As Dragon and the others entered, they were equally stunned by the treasures covering the floor. Their steps halted, and they stared at the treasures in utter amazement. This scene was expected by Lin Tian and the others, who did not speak to disturb them, as they had just reacted the same way.After a while, Dragon and the others slowly recovered. "Straw Hat Baby, I didn't expect you to be so lucky. You chose the transport ship with the most treasures."Ivankov said unhappily. The transport ship he chose was empty, containing nothing. He had thought it was the real one because of the tight security, but after opening all the rooms, there was nothing inside.Among the three of them, only Dragon found the real one, and Kuma's was also fake. Of course, what Dragon found were only some special products from various allied nations, the most important being some Devil Fruits, and some other things he couldn't understand.However, what Lin Tian found here surprised Dragon. Although he had a rough estimate of the Heavenly Gold's wealth, he didn't expect there to be so much."I didn't expect that among all of us, Lin Tian would have the most harvest," Dragon said with a slight smile."Luck, just good luck," Lin Tian said, scratching his head awkwardly. "However, we should still transport these treasures out. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes."Dragon nodded. "Precisely. That's why I brought everyone except those on the other transport ship. I anticipated that you might be short-handed here."Turning sideways, Lin Tian pointed to the mountains of gold and silver treasures behind them and said, "Since that's the case, let's start moving them. But be careful when you do; these things are very dazzling.""Hahahaha…" Everyone burst into laughter.Another ten minutes passed. With everyone's help, the mountain-like treasures disappeared at a visible rate, until the last batch was moved."Finally, it's all moved. This is the first time I've felt tired moving money," Koala complained, rubbing her sore arms, clearly displeased that a delicate young girl like herself had to move such things.Ivankov exclaimed, "The Heavenly Gold for one year is tens of billions of Berries. Over all these years, how much money do the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise have? How much would it pile up to?""It's simple," Lin Tian walked over and said with a smile. As everyone looked at him confused, he continued to explain, "In the future, when you, the Revolutionary Army, take down Mary Geoise, you'll know.""Right…" Sabo chimed in, "That's a good idea. When we conquer Mary Geoise, I want to see how rich those Celestial Dragons are.""Perhaps by then, you might be shocked. The wealth accumulated over so many years would be enough to build an entire Mary Geoise out of gold."The usually silent Dragon also joined in, "The era is changing. More and more people are pursuing freedom. One day, our Revolutionary Army will crush this corrupt rule."…And at this moment, in the bright moonlight sky, a figure was flying towards Tsuru and her group. On the sea, several pirate ships were slowly approaching the Marines.Doflamingo, flying, looked at the moon in the sky, and a chilling, unique laugh escaped his lips."The Marines, Marine Headquarters, those pirates—everyone is being played in the palm of my hand. The Marines think they have a brilliant plan to use fake Heavenly Gold to attract all the pirates' attention, while the remaining Marines escort the real Heavenly Gold.""And those ridiculous pirates think they can get the Heavenly Gold. In reality, it's all just their fantasy. Everything is under my control.""Whether it's the Marines or the pirates, they all think they've achieved their goals, but they're all being played in the palm of my hand. In this Heavenly Gold incident, I will be the biggest beneficiary, Fufufufufu."Just wait for me, Heavenly Gold!…Seeing all the treasures transported onto the ship, everyone's faces showed a hint of joy. Once on this ship, it was already in the hands of the Revolutionary Army.As long as they used the same method to slowly slip away, the Revolutionary Army would be the biggest beneficiary of this Heavenly Gold incident. Not only did they obtain the Heavenly Gold without expending a single soldier, but they also didn't reveal their identity in the slightest. No one would have thought that the Revolutionary Army gained the most from this.And with this batch of treasures, the Revolutionary Army would have ample funds. In a short time, the Revolutionary Army would experience explosive growth, both in strength and in its influence in the world.And all of this was because of the person before them, the Marine's strongest genius, Lin Tian. Now, all the Revolutionary Army members looked at Lin Tian with kindness. Any resentment they had towards Lin Tian because of the Marines and the World Government had completely vanished.Now, everyone in their hearts regarded Lin Tian as a comrade, not just a Marine. They had come to accept Lin Tian's identity.Lin Tian, of course, felt the change in everyone and was somewhat happy. He hadn't expected to receive the Revolutionary Army's goodwill, which held a different significance for him.Dragon asked, "Is everyone accounted for? Are all the treasures properly stored?"A Revolutionary Army soldier quickly replied, "Yes, everyone is here, and the treasures have been sorted and stored. Everything is ready.""Good. Evacuate using the method we discussed earlier. This is the final stage; do not make any mistakes at this last step of success.""Yes!" Everyone responded in unison, rushing to their posts.Looking at the Marine warship at the very front, Lin Tian secretly apologized to Granny Tsuru in his heart. Lin Tian knew that the complete disappearance of the Heavenly Gold would be a huge earthquake for the World Government, and Granny Tsuru would probably be blamed by Marine Headquarters this time.In fact, Lin Tian would rather Tsuru be blamed by Headquarters. This way, Tsuru could retire earlier and not have to fight pirates on the high seas in her 60s.But Lin Tian knew that someone would take the fall for them in this incident: Donquixote Doflamingo.Through the latest information the Revolutionary Army had obtained regarding the battle between the Marines and pirates, only the Donquixote Pirates were seen, but they weren't observed making any moves. After all, Doflamingo was the mastermind behind this, so he was a key observation target for the Revolutionary Army.Since Doflamingo, as the mastermind, was not on the battlefield, the outcome was predictable. Doflamingo must have also known about the Marine's plan. How exactly he knew, Lin Tian didn't know, but Doflamingo wouldn't have put in so much effort just to watch the Marines and pirates fight."Lin Tian baby, why did you go back in for no reason?" Ivankov asked, puzzled. Dragon and the others also looked at Lin Tian with confusion."Hehe, I left something inside." (To be continued.)
Chapter 154: Mingo AppearsOn the deck, Tsuru turned her head from time to time to look at the four transport ships behind her, the bad premonition in her heart growing stronger."Ain, how is it? Is there anything unusual with the communications from the transport ships?" Tsuru turned and asked."No, everything is normal. There's nothing out of the ordinary," Ain quickly replied. Ever since she knew Marcus was on the transport ship, Ain had been helping him cover his tracks.Just as Tsuru turned her head back, her eyes caught something inadvertently, and her pupils suddenly constricted, a look of shock appearing on her face.Seeing Vice Admiral Tsuru with such an expression, Ain was incredibly curious. What did Tsuru see? She also turned her head to look, and under the bright Moonlight in the sky, a figure was flying through the air, heading straight for their fleet.As a long-time rival, Tsuru immediately recognized this person as Mingo. Although they were far apart, Tsuru could instantly sense the dark aura emanating from Mingo, which was very unpleasant.Before Tsuru could notify the other Marines to defend, the observers above had already spotted Mingo's figure. Suddenly, a loud alarm rang out, several searchlights were switched on, and the entire sea area was illuminated by the intense light.All the lights on the marine warships, which had been turned off, lit up. Countless Marine Soldiers rushed out of the cabins, and the cannons began to rotate their muzzles."Enemy attack, enemy attack, enemy attack... There's an enemy attack from the sky!"But when they heard the attack was coming from the sky, the Marine Soldiers were momentarily stunned. They couldn't help but look up, and sure enough, a figure was rushing down from the heavens.Well! Since the attack was coming from the sky, what was the point of turning the cannons? All the Marine Soldiers quickly pointed their guns toward the sky, and a series of gunshots rang out, echoing across the entire sea.Although no one knew if firing blindly like that could hit anyone, it was currently the only countermeasure the Marines could take.Having calmed down, Tsuru did not immediately direct the Marines to counterattack, because she knew Doflamingo's combat power and methods. This method of firing at the sky would at most cause Doflamingo a little bit of trouble.Tsuru quickly took out the den den mushi she used specifically to contact Kuzan. In the Marine, only Kuzan could defeat Mingo."Puru puru puru, puru puru puru... Clack.""This is Vice Admiral Kuzan's unit, may I ask..."Tsuru had no time to listen to such nonsense.She interrupted directly and said urgently, "I am Vice Admiral Tsuru. Quickly notify Vice Admiral Kuzan to come and support us; we are under attack here.""What! Vice Admiral Tsuru, you are under attack? I will notify Vice Admiral Kuzan immediately!"Looking at the hung-up den den mushi in her hand, Tsuru glanced at Mingo in the sky and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Two years ago, she could still chase the entire Donquixote Pirates into flight.But over the past two years, she had grown older, and her combat power had begun to decline. Meanwhile, Mingo's strength had grown rapidly since entering the New World. Now, she was no longer his match and could only rely on calling for help.Such a large commotion from the Marines startled the Revolutionary Army members who were about to escape. They thought they had been discovered by the Marines, and all the revolutionaries couldn't help but pick up their weapons, preparing for battle.Then, they saw the Marines pointing their searchlights at the sky and firing continuously. Everyone realized that someone was attacking the Marines from the sky.Everyone was curious about that figure in the sky. Who was so powerful that they would attack the Marines alone from the sky?When Dragon and the others saw the figure clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes. This person was actually the man they had a conflict with in the bar, Donquixote Doflamingo. How did he also know that the real tenryuubito tribute was here?Lin Tian was not very surprised by Mingo's arrival. Instead, a smile appeared on his face because he had already guessed Mingo would come, and at the same time, Lin Tian hoped Mingo would show up.In the sky, Mingo casually swung a transparent silk thread, slicing all the incoming bullets to pieces, his speed undiminished as he dived downward.He muttered to himself, "A group of lowly weaklings. Do you think you can deal with me with these ordinary bullets?""Super Whip Slash!"Mingo extended his palm backward, and dozens of silk threads suddenly sprayed from it. These threads intertwined to form a pillar of lines. He thrust his palm forward rapidly, striking the marine warship closest to him.The powerful pillar of lines, carrying the sound of breaking air and glowing with a red light, was so dazzling in the darkness. This was a phenomenon caused by the intense friction with the air due to the pillar's extreme speed.Seeing Mingo's move and knowing its power, Tsuru quickly called out, "Dodge, quickly!"But the pillar of lines was so fast it arrived in an instant, without any obstruction, before the stunned eyes of the Marines on the warship.From top to bottom, it sliced diagonally into the marine warship. The massive body of the ship, dozens of meters wide, offered no effective resistance. The pillar of lines passed straight through and entered the seawater.The sounds of breaking wooden planks rang out one after another. The entire warship began to shake, the middle slowly tilting up while the sides sank, eventually plunging into the sea.Watching this strike, both the Marine Soldiers and the hidden Revolutionary Army soldiers were incredibly shocked. A single blow had destroyed a massive marine warship.Although Lin Tian was not shocked, he had a solemn look on his face; he was still far from being a match for Mingo. As for Dragon, Kuma, and the others, they remained expressionless. They could easily do such a thing, perhaps even more effortlessly.Having shocked all the Marine Soldiers with one move, a smug smile appeared on Mingo's face as he landed lightly on the main mast of the transport ship.Looking down from above, he scanned all the Marine Soldiers. Suddenly seeing Marine Vice Admiral Tsuru on the deck, he smiled and said, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, we haven't seen each other for a year. Why is it that after not seeing you for a year, you look so much older? But then again, you are at that age.""Speaking of which, Vice Admiral Tsuru is already so old, yet she's still sent to execute such an important mission. Has Marineford run out of people, that they've sent out such an old hag?"Seeing this pirate being so arrogant and daring to insult the Marines in front of thousands of them, many Marine Soldiers couldn't take it anymore. They aimed directly at Mingo and pulled their triggers."Bang bang..." Dozens of gunshots rang out. Mingosmiled slightly, his body moving subtly, and all the bullets were perfectly evaded.He raised his right hand and pointed his finger at the Marine Soldiers who had fired, a cruel smile appearing on his lips. "I hate it most when I'm interrupted while speaking. Overheat!"A cluster of fine lines shot from his finger, piercing the heart of one of the Marines at extreme speed. With a light flick of his finger, the white lines carried the Marine Soldier and knocked all the surrounding Marine Soldiers flying."Stop!" an angry shout rang out. Tsuru, seeing Mingo being so arrogant, was also fuming with rage. "Donquixote Doflamingo, after a year, you're still the same as ever—cruel and arrogant."Doflamingo didn't get angry at Tsuru's scolding; instead, a triumphant smile appeared on his face, as if it were a compliment. He disconnected the fine lines from his finger and said disdainfully."For these ants, the word 'cruel' doesn't apply. You should say I've helped them find release. If you ask me, Vice Admiral Tsuru, you should just go back and retire. The battlefield is no place for someone like you now."Mingo's tone and words made the hidden revolutionaries frown, and Dragon was no exception."This pirate is a complete source of evil, someone who grows through wickedness and lives by sin."Tsuru frowned. "Doflamingo, I'm not here to reminisce with you. Tell me, what are you doing here? Attacking marine warships... aren't you being too arrogant?""No, no," Mingo wagged his finger, saying no several times. "This isn't arrogance; it's confidence. It's confidence in my own strength.""As for the purpose of my visit, I shouldn't need to say more; you should understand," Doflamingo's expression changed, and he said in a heavy voice.Tsuru's eyes narrowed as she thought to herself, "It seems Mingo has received word. Otherwise, how would he know the real tenryuubito tribute is here instead of appearing on that other battlefield?"But following that was a flood of questions. Only the Headquarters Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals present at the meeting knew the details of the plan. These people were all high-ranking officers of Marineford. How could there be a spy for Mingoamong them? Tsuru didn't believe it, nor did she dare to.Tsuru threatened, "Is that so? Doflamingo, are you sure you want to seize the tenryuubito tribute? If you do, the ones you'll be offending won't just be the Marines, but also the World Government and the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons.""How much longer do you think you can remain free under the wrath of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government? I'm afraid before you can even use this wealth, you'll be hunted by the Marines until you have nowhere to run."Tsuru's threat held no weight for Mingo. If he were truly afraid of such things, he wouldn't have planned to seize the tenryuubito tribute in the first place. But when he heard the words 'Celestial Dragons,' a smile appeared on Mingo's face that was hard to describe in words."Celestial Dragons, Celestial Dragons, Celestial Dragons... Fuffuffuffuffu.""Celestial Dragons? What do the Celestial Dragons even matter?" Mingo said loudly, a wave of intense resentment flowing across his face as he spoke.But in an instant, Mingo regained his calm. This scene, however, had a great impact on Tsuru. She had been dealing with Mingo for many years and had never seen him like this."However, Vice Admiral Tsuru, who used to chase me all over the place, is now using such simple threats just to get me to leave. It seems people get more cowardly as they get older."Feeling the irony and disdain in Mingo's tone, a surge of anger inevitably rose in Tsuru's heart. But as the Marine Chief of Staff, Tsuru's control over her mindset was very strong, and she suppressed the anger in her heart in an instant.Right now, her main priority was to keep Mingooccupied and try her best to buy time so that Kuzancould arrive in time."Is that so? Mingo, I'll say it again: with your strength alone, you cannot withstand the combined wrath of the Marines, the Celestial Dragons, and the World Government."Mingo snorted and said, "I've spent so much effort and planned for so long just to have you Marines and those moronic pirates follow my plan step by step toward my desired outcome. Do you think a mere threat from the World Government and the Celestial Dragons will make me give up?""What?" Vice Admiral Tsuru exclaimed, saying with a face full of disbelief, "You're saying all of this was your plan? That everything is going according to your plan?"
Chapter 155 Furious Mingge"Fufufufufu…"Tsuru looked surprised, while Doflamingo's face was full of smugness. "Of course, you Marines have always been in the palm of my hand. I went to great lengths to persuade Emperor Kaido to throw the New World into chaos, attracting the Marines' forces.""Then, I spread this news, luring pirates from the first half of the Grand Line. Given the nature of your Marine Headquarters, you would never miss this opportunity to promote 'justice,' and you would surely dispatch enough elites to eliminate these pirates.""But with the New World tying up Marine forces, and the Marines wanting to eliminate pirates while also protecting the Heavenly Tribute, they would undoubtedly use this tactic of 'luring the tiger away from its mountain lair.' This is how I got my chance to strike. The Marines and pirates are fighting a great battle there, while I reap the benefits here.""How about it, Vice Admiral Tsuru? What do you think of my plan?"Compared to Doflamingo's smugness, even Tsuru, a grand staff officer of the Marines, was so shocked that she didn't know what to say. Should she say Doflamingo was too formidable, or that the Marines were too incompetent?The esteemed Marine Headquarters was being toyed with by a pirate, believing it was a good opportunity, yet faithfully following someone else's script.Even their proud plans were already within his expectations. If this news reached Headquarters, who knows what kind of storm it would stir up.Knowing Doflamingo, he was a complete devil and would certainly not let this opportunity pass. This matter would surely be spread by him, and by then, the Marines' reputation would be utterly ruined."I never imagined that the Grand Line, the Marines, and the pirates were all calculated by this pirate," Ivankov said in shock upon hearing these conversations.Although Lin Tian and the others didn't speak, their shock was no less than Ivankov's. They never expected that this world-shaking event, everything, was within Doflamingo's calculations, even the Marine's plan.One must know, even Lin Tian had always thought that Doflamingo knew the plan through a Marine informant, but who could have guessed that all of this was within Doflamingo's plan? Lin Tian didn't know whether to praise Doflamingo's intelligence or to describe it as terrifying.Presumably, to deal with someone like Doflamingo, one would need someone who doesn't play by the rules, because even they themselves don't know what they are thinking.Suppressing the shock in her heart, Tsuru sternly questioned, "Doflamingo, since you knew the Marines had no forces to escort the Heavenly Tribute, why did you spread this news? That only complicated things.""Tell me, what is your true objective? Someone like you always has a purpose for doing things."Clap, clap… Doflamingo applauded, praising, "As expected of Headquarters' Grand Staff Officer, Vice Admiral Tsuru. Everyone only thought my goal was the Heavenly Tribute; how many would guess I had another objective?"But just as Tsuru thought Doflamingo was about to state his reasons, Doflamingo changed the subject, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, do you think by asking me these things here, you can stall for time, waiting for Marine reinforcements from over there?""What?" Tsuru's face showed shock. She had thought Doflamingo, in his smugness, wouldn't notice this, but she never expected Doflamingo had realized it from the start.Immediately after, Doflamingo said something that shocked Tsuru even more, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, you are stalling for time, but so am I. I can't transport all these things by myself."A sound of waves crashing arose, and the shocked Tsuru quickly looked in the direction of the sound. She saw a huge pirate ship slowly emerging from the darkness, with the Donquixote Pirate Crew's flag fluttering in the wind.The sudden appearance of the pirate ship startled all the Marines. Except for a few who were still rescuing Marines in the water, the rest picked up their weapons and stood ready. The muzzles of the cannons slowly began to turn, aiming at the pirate ship, waiting for Tsuru's command to launch the fiercest counterattack.But Tsuru, who was familiar with Doflamingo's strength, knew that if the Marines made a move, Doflamingo would certainly not stand by. At that time, it would be difficult for the Marines here to stop Doflamingo. The best approach was still to meet changes with no change.And so, this Donquixote pirate ship, as if no one else was there, passed through the area where the warship Doflamingo had just sunk, openly sailing into the Marine encirclement and heading towards the transport ship where Doflamingo stood.The Marines watching this scene were understandably furious, but without Vice Admiral Tsuru's command, the Marines could only stand still.The transport ship and the pirate ship, pushed by the seawater, collided with a bang. A group of pirates quickly used ropes to tightly secure the two ships together.Before long, a large group of pirates disembarked from the pirate ship. Leading them were several Donquixote Family executives, followed by a group of pirates who were also quite strong. Everyone's face was beaming with smiles.This was a given; the Heavenly Tribute was right before their eyes. So much wealth was just quietly sitting there, waiting for them to move it. As for the Marines nearby, they no longer paid them any mind.In their eyes, it was fine if these Marines didn't act, but if they did, they wouldn't mind taking some time to send them to the bottom of the sea."Doffy, Young Master, Captain!" A large group of people shouted in unison with different titles.Trebol, looking like a slovenly uncle and equally disgusting, glanced at the massive transport ship. "Doffy, your plan was indeed brilliant. It's so simple; we got our hands on the Heavenly Tribute with hardly any effort."He sniffled, sucking back a snot that was over ten centimeters long and disgusting, praising, "Doffy, you truly are the man destined to become king."Doflamingo's lips curved into a smile, and he waved his hand, "Trebol, don't flatter me here. Don't you think you should go in first and see how much wealth the Heavenly Tribute truly is, and then tell me the good news?""Bwahahaha, I say, Doffy, that's the main point! Then I'll go in first, and I'll come out later to tell you the good news."With that, he disregarded the gazes of the Marines outside and directly led the pirates into the ship's cabin to see what this world-shaking Heavenly Tribute actually contained.Seeing everyone go in, Doflamingo then turned his gaze to Tsuru. He noticed that Tsuru's face remained perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened, and a hint of confusion flashed across Doflamingo's face."Vice Admiral Tsuru, didn't you ask me earlier why I went through so much trouble? Why not just enjoy the Heavenly Tribute's wealth alone?""That's right," Tsuru nodded, asking curiously, "Is our Joker finally going to tell us?"Doflamingo directly admitted, "Of course. Don't you think this world has been a bit too quiet lately? It lacks vitality; it's time for one or two major events to shake the world again."Hearing Doflamingo's words, Tsuru didn't answer. After a long silence, she replied in a deep voice, "Someone like you, Doflamingo, is an anomaly among pirates. Perhaps 'scum of the sea' is a more fitting title. I deeply regret not sending scum like you to Impel Down back then."Although her tone was steady, anyone could hear the hidden anger in Tsuru's words. Just because Doflamingo said the world was too quiet, countless people went to war for this damned Heavenly Tribute, and innocent people died in the process."Hahahaha…" Doflamingo burst into laughter, saying coldly, "Scum? Relatively speaking, I am merely someone who doesn't hide the darkness in my heart, unlike you Marines who pride yourselves on justice every day, and those innocent ordinary people, who outwardly display justice and kindness.""But in your hearts, you hide a darkness that surpasses mine. Your kindness and innocence are merely a humble facade put on before strong individuals like me. The moment you encounter someone weaker than yourselves, the darkness in your hearts will emerge, becoming even more terrifying than I am now. What's the use of a world filled with lies and deceit like this?"Doflamingo's words shocked everyone, whether they were the Revolutionaries in the shadows or the Marines. No one knew what to say.Only Dragon murmured, "This is a man born of evil, and grown in evil, a spark of wickedness."Ignoring everyone's shock, Doflamingo tapped his head with a raised finger, muttering to himself, "Today, I've actually said so much to you ants. But it's fine; you're all going to be buried in this vast ocean anyway."With that, Doflamingo's face was filled with a ferocious smile. His right hand formed a beast claw, slightly raised towards the Marines below. Just as Doflamingo was about to attack, a figure rushed down from below at an extremely fast speed.Standing on the main mast, he urgently said to Doflamingo, "Doffy, we've been tricked! There's nothing inside this transport ship, it's completely empty, not even a single person. The Heavenly Tribute isn't here!""What?!" Doflamingo's face was filled with rage, the veins on his forehead bulging with anger, looking quite terrifying. "Trebol, what exactly is going on with all of this?!"After hearing Trebol's words, Doflamingo's anger intensified, his entire body filled with fury. He turned back to Tsuru and said, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, tell me, what exactly is going on with all of this? Why is there nothing inside?"Hearing this, Tsuru's face showed a hint of a smile. She knew the reason: out of the four transport ships, only two had cargo, and the other two were empty. And Doflamingo and his crew had chosen the empty one.But Tsuru knew she couldn't simply tell Doflamingo. She shrugged and calmly said, "How would I know? The transport ship is right under your feet. We are only responsible for transportation.""Fufufufufu… Is that so?" Doflamingo's anger turned into a sneer. He turned back to Trebol and said, "Trebol, send someone to check the other three transport ships and see if it's there.""Yes, Doffy, I'll go check myself immediately," Trebol reacted after Doflamingo's reminder.The Marines wouldn't exert so much effort for a few empty ships; otherwise, they would truly be insane. Since this ship was empty, it was very likely on one of the other ships.Trebol turned and rushed down, calling a few executives to each lead a small squad of pirates. They got into small boats and rowed towards the nearby transport ships.Seeing Doflamingo immediately understand, a hint of disappointment flashed in Tsuru's eyes. Tsuru wasn't surprised that Doflamingo could figure this out; she would only be surprised if he hadn't.It was just that he figured it out so quickly, shattering Tsuru's plan to stall for more time. (To be continued.)
Chapter 156 Killing the CraneMeanwhile, the Revolutionary Army and Lin Tian, who were hidden among them, carefully broke through the Navy's encirclement, taking advantage of the standoff between Doflamingo and the Navy.Although the Revolutionaries all wanted to see how the Celestial Gold would ultimately end, they knew that a major battle was inevitable between the Navy and the pirates. Staying there any longer would likely expose them to danger.Thus, the Revolutionaries had no choice but to seize the opportunity to escape with all the Celestial Gold. After all, the treasure was already in their hands, and they couldn't afford any mistakes at such a critical juncture.However, Dragon, Kuma, Ivankov, and Lin Tian remained behind, quietly observing the events from a distance.Dragon and the others stayed not only to see the final outcome but also because of Lin Tian. Lin Tian knew that Grandma Tsuru was no match for Doflamingo.He feared that an enraged Doflamingo might take his anger out on the Navy, and there was no telling when Kuzan's reinforcements would arrive. Grandma Tsuru would then be in danger.Lin Tian didn't want to idly watch Grandma Tsuru fall into danger, and since he himself was no match for Doflamingo, he hoped that Dragon and the others would stay and lend a hand at the crucial moment.At the time, Lin Tian thought Dragon would consider it, as it could potentially expose the Revolutionary Army's theft of the Celestial Gold. But to his surprise, Dragon immediately agreed. This meant Lin Tian owed the Revolutionary Army a huge favor, but to save Grandma Tsuru, Lin Tian would pay any price, no matter how great.Seeing Trebol make his move, Doflamingo turned and stared intently at Tsuru below, saying grimly, "It seems you Marines still haven't grasped the situation. Your lives are now in my hands. I originally planned to deal with you later, but since you're so uncooperative, I'll have to make a small move to show you what I mean."With a sinister smile, Doflamingo's figure flickered, instantly appearing above a warship. He raised his right hand, shaped like a beast's claw, and without a word, violently struck downwards."Bang, bang..." The Marines, reacting, quickly raised their guns to retaliate, but such weapons, effective against ordinary small-time pirates, were useless against Doflamingo.Five transparent strings, like piano wire, extended from his five fingers and, following Doflamingo's right hand, sliced towards the Marine warship below.The massive warship instantly split into several pieces under these strings, emitting loud creaking sounds of huge wooden planks. Many Marine soldiers who couldn't dodge were directly cut in half by these sharp strings, their blood flowing from the broken deck onto the sea.In an instant, another massive Marine warship vanished into the sea,leaving behind only wreckage and a sea stained red with blood.Witnessing this, the surviving Marines were instantly enraged. They no longer cared about Vice Admiral Tsuru's orders. A volley of gunshots rang out, accompanied by several booming cannon shots.Doflamingo merely flickered, dodging these attacks with extreme speed. His figure reappeared above Vice Admiral Tsuru's Marine warship, and seeing the ship full of female soldiers, a hint of disdain appeared on his face."I didn't expect Vice Admiral Tsuru to have these female soldiers under her command. The battlefield is a man's domain; women shouldn't be here. In that case, I'll send you on your way for free."Doflamingo extended his right hand behind him, and a column of red-glowing threads, accompanied by a tearing sound, sliced towards the Marine warship below."Overheat!"Seeing another attack, the female Marine soldiers on the warship showed panic. Everyone had witnessed the power of that move just now, which had cut a massive Marine warship in half with a single strike.An aged figure appeared in mid-air—it was Vice Admiral Tsuru. Facing Doflamingo's powerful attack, Tsuru calmly extended her hand and grabbed towards the column of threads.This column of threads had cut a Marine warship in half, so its sharpness was undeniable. Yet, Vice Admiral Tsuru intended to grab it with her bare hands, without using Busoshoku Haki.The moment Tsuru's palm touched the thread column, the extremely fast column instantly slowed down, becoming an ordinary thread, which Tsuru firmly grasped. Doflamingo's powerful attack was thus effortlessly resolved by Tsuru, demonstrating Vice Admiral Tsuru's extraordinary strength.Seeing Grandma Tsuru block Doflamingo's attack, Lin Tian's worried heart immediately settled. Although he knew Grandma Tsuru was strong, he had never seen her fight, so he couldn't help but be a little concerned.Doflamingo said calmly, not surprised that Tsuru could block his attack, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, it's been a year, and your strength is still the same; it hasn't declined much."Tsuru casually tossed away the thread in her hand and retorted sarcastically, "It seems, Doflamingo, that you've grown more and more arrogant these past years in the New World. I wonder who it was back then who was chased all over the place by our female Marine soldiers."Hearing the sarcasm in Tsuru's words, Doflamingo's face darkened. This was something Doflamingo had always been reluctant to bring up, as being chased around by a group of female soldiers was indeed very humiliating.In a flash, Doflamingo smiled, "However, after today, I suppose you won't have the chance. The only female combat unit in the Marines, I never expected it to vanish at my hands.""Is that so?" Tsuru countered, not showing any weakness, "Although I've gotten older in the past two years and my combat power has declined a bit, I'm not someone who can be easily manipulated, let alone by someone like you who I used to chase all over the place.""Whether you can or not isn't up to you. Let me test how Vice Admiral Tsuru's combat power is holding up."As soon as his words fell, Doflamingo's figure vanished from his original spot. Tsuru's expression also immediately grew serious, as it had been over a year since they last fought, and she wasn't entirely sure of Doflamingo's current strength.Tsuru's right hand formed a palm, and she turned around, without thinking much, gathering strength for a strike.Doflamingo, who appeared behind her, quickly retreated. His left hand formed a beast's claw, and five fine threads, like piano wire, glinted with cold light as they sliced towards Tsuru's palm.Without dodging, Tsuru continued to strike at the retreating Doflamingo. The sharp threads, upon touching Tsuru's palm, softened again, just as before, and fell away.This was the power of the Wash-Wash Fruit, which could turn people and objects into clothes, wash them, and then dry them. It could wash any item, causing washed objects to lose their form, and living beings to lose their strength. It could also slightly wash away a person's "evil" heart, weakening their "evil."This was why Doflamingo retreated, not wanting to be touched by Tsuru. But Tsuru's palm approached with extreme speed."Busoshoku Haki!"Doflamingo raised his pitch-black fist and met Tsuru's palm without backing down. The two collided like meteors with a thunderous crash.An invisible shockwave was generated by their immense power, dissipating in all directions. Their capes flapped loudly under the shockwave.In a pure contest of strength, the aged Tsuru was no match for the younger Doflamingo. After only a few breaths, Doflamingo exerted force, and Tsuru was instantly sent flying.The moment Tsuru flew back, Doflamingo's steps also faltered, and he almost fell from the sky. This was due to Tsuru's Devil Fruit ability, which caused Doflamingo to temporarily lose strength.Tsuru staggered back several steps before she could dissipate the force. Taking a deep breath, Tsuru continued to meet Doflamingo's attack.Bang, bang... Two figures attacked each other with extreme speed. Haki, martial arts, and Devil Fruit abilities were used fluidly by both, without any awkwardness.Tsuru's strength was not weak, and coupled with her familiarity with Doflamingo's fighting style and abilities, she was able to fight on equal footing with the stronger Doflamingo for a short period."Bullet String!"Doflamingo raised his index finger, creating fine threads that shot out like gunshots from his fingertip, forcing Tsuru to retreat. He closed in, raised his arm downwards, and swung it down."Slicing String!"Five almost transparent, thin threads were created from each of his five fingers, forming five prong-like threads similar to a "leaf rake," and he violently slashed them towards Tsuru below.Tsuru quickly dodged, but at such close range and with such fast attacks, one of the threads still grazed Tsuru's arm, leaving a wound over ten centimeters long that continuously bled."Five Color String!"Not missing this opportunity, his left hand formed a beast's claw, and five transparent fine threads extended from his fingers, slashing towards Tsuru.Tsuru quickly extended her hand and grabbed the five threads. The Wash-Wash Fruit's ability took effect, and Doflamingo's threads softened, held in Tsuru's palm.At this moment, Doflamingo had already appeared beside Tsuru and kicked towards her. Tsuru, unable to dodge, had no choice but to cover her arm with Busoshoku Haki to block Doflamingo's kick.Doflamingo chuckled softly. Eight transparent threads emerged from his toes, and the sharp, straight kick imbued with these threads directly sent Vice Admiral Tsuru flying, leaving several bloody marks on her arms."Foot Razor!"This move was a new technique created by Doflamingo, possessing immense power, which even Busoshoku Haki couldn't fully resist.Stomping his right foot heavily in the air, Doflamingo, using the elasticity of the fine threads spread throughout the air, instantly shot forward, more than twice as fast as before, and immediately caught up with the retreating Tsuru."Vice Admiral Tsuru, it seems after a year, your combat power has declined significantly. Now you can't even stand against me. The Marines are no longer suitable for you. Let me put you out of your misery.""Doflamingo, it seems the New World is indeed a place where you pirates can rapidly increase your strength. Although I don't know why you're stealing the Celestial Gold, after today, you will be hunted by the entire world. Such a vast treasure isn't so easily taken."Doflamingo raised his right hand, palm facing Tsuru, and said indifferently, "That's no longer your concern. Even if it comes to that, you won't live to see it. Die, Vice Admiral Tsuru."A thick bundle of threads emerged from Doflamingo's palm, stabbing towards Tsuru's chest.Seeing this, Lin Tian's face was filled with anxiety, and he quickly looked at Dragon. Without Lin Tian needing to say more, Dragon knew that this was the last moment to act; any later and it would truly be too late.Just as Dragon was about to step forward to save Tsuru, his outstretched foot suddenly retracted. In Lin Tian's confused and anxious gaze, he said, "I don't need to act; someone has already arrived."On the calm sea, a white line suddenly appeared, extending forward. It moved incredibly fast, like the wind. Wherever the white line passed, the temperature dropped linearly, instantly falling below zero degrees Celsius, and the sea immediately froze, forming a strip of ice over a meter wide across the surface. (To be continued.)
Chapter 157: Kuzan vs. MingoFrom Mingo's palm, a pillar of string, glowing with a crimson light like a sharp longsword, lunged toward Tsuru's heart. Clearly, Mingo was already in a killing mindset.In that split second, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed the String Pillar. The pillar stopped instantly, and its crimson light gradually faded.Centering on the hand, a cloud of white cold qi rose. As the cold qi dissipated, the String Pillar was frozen into a pillar of ice. Furthermore, the frost continued to spread upward, heading straight for Mingo's hand.Seeing this, Mingo did not hesitate. He immediately detached the String Pillar from his palm and retreated explosively, stepping on silk threads in the Void Realm.Floating in mid-air, Mingo looked at the figure that had appeared, his face showing a hint of both caution and fury.He had thought that by gathering those trash pirates and adding some decent ones to block the Marines, he could buy himself a significant amount of time.He hadn't expected those trash to be so useless, being dealt with by the Marines so quickly. It was a waste of his energy to gather them and provide them with intelligence. To be taken down so fast... trash is truly trash.But thinking of the chips in his hand, a confident smile appeared on Mingo's face: "Fuffuffuffuffuffu... I didn't expect the Marines to deal with those pirates so quickly. It seems Marine Headquarters sent out quite a powerful force this time, sending you, Vice Admiral Kuzan."Kuzan did not respond; he just took a deep breath of cold air. Rushing here so quickly had consumed a lot of his physical strength. With a light squeeze, a cracking sound echoed, and the several-meter-long ice pillar shattered into several pieces, falling to the ground.He turned back to look at Vice Admiral Tsuru on the ground and asked, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, are you alright?""I'm fine!" Tsuru slowly stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "I've just suffered some injuries. It's a good thing you arrived in time, otherwise, I would have lost my life here.""Oh, right, how is it on your end? Have the pirates been dealt with?" Tsuru asked.She couldn't help but think suspiciously: "According to the time, they should still be in battle. How did Kuzan get here so quickly? Did he abandon the fight there to rush here?"Now was not the time for detailed explanations. Kuzan briefly told Tsuru what had happened. After that explosion, Kuzan had received Tsuru's distress signal.So Kuzan immediately acted, freezing that stretch of the sea once again. The powerful pirates who had survived the explosion were already injured from the blast, and many were frozen directly.Even though some pirates managed to break free from the ice,they were instantly defeated under Kuzan's full-force attacks. After dealing with the powerful pirates, the remaining Marines were enough to handle the rest, so he rushed to support Vice Admiral Tsuru.To arrive at maximum speed, Kuzan used his Devil Fruit Ability to travel, creating a frost belt across the sea and then turning himself into ice to travel through it. That was the only way he could arrive so fast.Seeing the endless frost belt on the sea, a look of realization flashed in Tsuru's eyes. No wonder Kuzanwas panting when he appeared.In mid-air, Mingo looked enraged. These two Marines were acting as if he didn't exist, showing such blatant disregard for him.After finishing his explanation, Kuzan finally turned around to look at Mingo in the air. After a long silence, he spoke."Donquixote Doflamingo, leader of the Donquixote Pirates, atrocious and wicked, with a bounty of 340 million Berries. You once personally destroyed three towns. However, looking at it today, we'll have to add another line: an extremely intelligent pirate.""A single plan has turned the entire Grand Lineupside down, deceiving both the Marines and the pirates. For a pirate like you to only have a 340 million bounty, the Marines' estimation was likely too low."Mingo laughed: "Fuffuffuffuffuffu... As a pirate, to receive such an evaluation from a Marine Vice Admiral, I feel very honored. I just wonder what bounty would be considered appropriate for me."Hearing Mingo's question, Kuzan shook his head. "You no longer need a bounty.""Oh?""Because after today, you will no longer be a pirate, but a common prisoner—a prisoner who can only stay in Impel Down for the rest of his life."Mingo smiled slightly and said calmly, "Is that so? I don't think so. Impel Down cannot hold me. Besides, whether you can catch me is something we'll only know after a fight."Although Mingo's expression didn't change much, his hands were already prepared to resist Kuzan's attack. From the brief exchange just now, Mingo had already realized that he was not yet a match for this Marine.Without another word, Kuzan didn't want to say anything more to such a pirate. Once he caught him, it wouldn't be too late to question him.Kuzan leaped forcefully, his hands turning into ice. However, Kuzan did not attack Mingo. Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, a massive surge of ice erupted from his hands and plunged into the sea."Ice Age!"With a low shout, the moment the two clusters of ice touched the sea surface, the entire sea surface froze instantly, centering from that point.*Hiss...*"How is this possible?" Mingo looked shocked and incredulous.The Marines and pirates present were stunned by the scene. Freezing the ocean—was this something a human could do? Even for a Devil Fruit User, this was too powerful; it was a truly Heaven-Defyingfeat.Relatively speaking, Mingo, seeing such a scene for the first time, was also incredibly shocked. But his will was exceptionally strong, and his face immediately returned to a calm state, though the caution in his eyes deepened significantly.Looking out, everything was a vast expanse of white. On the ice surface, one could clearly see many Sea Kings with their heads poking out, frozen in their previous poses. Fortunately, the Marines who had fallen into the water earlier had been rescued; otherwise, their chances of survival would have been extremely low.Under the freezing effect, the temperature dropped sharply. The air, which had been somewhat sultry, suddenly became freezing. Many Marines and pirates shivered from the cold, but in this situation, who would care about the cold?"How is this possible? Although a Marine Vice Admiral can face a thousand enemies alone, how could they have such high combat power? This kind of power should only be possessed by an Admiral," Ivankov said, covering his face in disbelief.If a Marine Vice Admiral's combat power was like this, then the Revolutionary Army was doomed. They couldn't even beat the Marines, let alone the World Government, especially knowing that there were more than ten Vice Admirals in the Navy.Even Kuma, whose expression had remained unchanged, was slightly moved. Dragon's eyes were also full of gravity; clearly, everyone understood what Ivankov was worried about.Marcus spoke up: "Don't worry, Vice Admiral Kuzanis a second anomaly in the Navy. He holds the rank of Vice Admiral but has the combat power of an Admiral. He is commanding this Marine operation to prepare for his promotion to Admiral; this is a secret within the Navy."... Kuzan glanced at the frozen pirate ship and transport ship. The reason he froze this sea area was to prevent the pirates from leaving and to prevent them from choosing to perish together by sinking the tenryuubito tribute into the sea.Ice Block: "Pheasant Beak"!His right arm, which had turned into ice, suddenly extended, releasing a giant ice bird. Flapping its massive frozen wings, it flew toward Mingo. Everywhere it passed, the air was frozen by the extreme temperature, leaving a pale blue trail in the Void Realm."Spider's Web!"Mingo waved his left hand, and countless threads emerged, instantly forming a spider-web wall in the air. The ice bird spread its wings and crashed into the spider wall at extreme speed.There was no loud bang or earth-shattering commotion. When the ice bird hit the spider wall, its frozen body was sliced into countless pieces by the sharp spider threads, while the threads themselves were also frozen by the ice."Ice Crystal Arrow Rain"Kuzan's figure flashed, appearing above Mingo. A whirlwind of cold qi erupted from his hands, and the moisture in the air was instantly frozen, eventually condensing into countless blue ice arrows.With a push of his hands, the countless ice arrows suspended in the air reflected a pale blue cold light under the Moonlight. Carrying an invincible momentum, they shot down fiercely toward Mingo.Looking at the attack from above, Mingo took a deep breath. He extended both hands, and a pillar of string emerged from each palm, shooting toward the sky."Overheat!"It wasn't that Mingo didn't want to dodge, but the attack range was too large. The entire sky was filled with pale blue ice arrows. Just as the Move's name suggested, "Ice Crystal Arrow Rain" was impossible to dodge.The two String Pillars in Mingo's hands were like two long whips, lashing straight toward the sky. Wherever they passed, the ice arrows were instantly cut into several segments, clearing a path directly toward Kuzan above."Mega Overheat"Without a word, he thrust his right hand forward. A thicker String Pillar emerged from his palm, glowing with crimson light. It appeared before Kuzan in an instant and pierced straight through his abdomen.The String Pillar did not stop; instead, it continued to fly into the sky, even cutting through and dispersing the massive clouds with this single strike.Unfortunately, this kind of attack was useless against Kuzan. What was pierced was merely a block of ice. Shattered ice fell from the sky, growing larger and larger, instantly turning into an Ice Mountain as big as a small hill. Kuzan's figure slowly appeared atop the Ice Mountain."Ice Block: Ice Mountain!""What?" The watching Marines and pirates were shocked, their expressions varied. The Marines felt excitement alongside their shock, while the pirates felt worry and fear."Five Color String!"With a low shout, Mingo formed a claw with his right hand and swiped at the Ice Mountain above. Five sharp, thin threads sliced into the massive Ice Mountain.The tall Ice Mountain offered no resistance as it was sliced with five huge cracks. However, as the threads cut deeper, they were tightly frozen. Under Kuzan's control, the cracks healed, and the Ice Mountain returned to its original state, even growing a bit larger."Five Color String, Five Color String, Mega Overheat..."Even though Mingo attacked with all his might, these powerful Moves had no effect against the massive Ice Mountain. It was like small stones falling into the sea, only causing tiny ripples.Instead, under Kuzan's control, the Ice Mountaincontinued to grow. It had now become a behemoth several hundred meters high, blocking out the Moonlight.And this behemoth was now smashing down toward Mingo with world-destroying momentum
Chapter 158: Mingo Defeated"Devil Fruit Ability Awakening!" Mingo muttered to himself.Suddenly, with Mingo as the center, within a radius of hundreds of meters, the ice field underwent a dramatic transformation; those solid blocks of ice turned into countless white threads under Mingo's power.The entire ice field instantly became an ocean of white threads. Under Mingo's control, the waves formed by the white threads churned, and Mingowas the Dominator of this localized area."Thousand Arrows Piercing Heart: Feather Strike: Thread!"Mingo let out an angry shout as thousands of white threads rose from the sea of white threads, surrounding the massive iceberg in mid-air and Kuzan on top of it in the shape of flamingo wings. To increase the lethality, Mingo covered the sharp ends of the threads with Armament Haki.The threads, already incomparably sharp, had their attack power enhanced by the Armament Haki. And with thousands of them, even Kuzan felt his scalp tingle at the sight."Ice Block: Ice Shield!"With a spread of his arms, a massive ice wall extended from the iceberg, tightly enveloping Kuzanbehind tens of meters of ice.If it were an ordinary physical attack, he would have nothing to fear thanks to the properties of his LogiaDevil Fruit, but with Armament Haki attached, it was a different story; Kuzan had to respond with caution.Watching Kuzan, who was wrapped in ice and completely out of sight, Mingo sneered, "Vice Admiral Kuzan, do you think hiding in a turtle shell will allow you to escape my attack? This Move isn't so easily avoided. Prepare to die!"Mingo, now Awakened, saw his combat power increase sharply, approaching that of an Admiral. However, Mingo knew that approaching and actually possessing were worlds apart, especially when facing an opponent who truly held the combat power of an Admiral.Ordinary attacks were useless against Kuzan and would only waste his own stamina, so Mingo went straight for his strongest Moves.Thousands of threads shimmered with a dark, chilling gleam as they pierced toward the entire iceberg. Without any effective resistance, these threads sliced straight through the solid ice; Mingo's strongest Move was no mere boast.In an instant, the hundreds-of-meters-high iceberg shattered with a boom, countless shards of ice flying in all directions and crashing down onto the ice field.One could only imagine the immense impact force of ice blocks weighing tons or tens of tons falling from the sky; countless cracks spread across the entire ice field, and the whole ice field collapsed instantly."Is this the power of a Devil Fruit Awakening? Truly powerful," Marcus exclaimed, watching the scene with a look of admiration and yearning in his eyes.He had always heard how powerful a Devil Fruit Awakening was, and seeing Mingo unleash it today, it was certainly no exaggeration; Awakening a Devil Fruit Ability boosted one's combat power significantly.Mingo looked serious, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings. Although he had shattered the entire iceberg, he hadn't forced Kuzan out. Mingoknew Kuzan must be hiding within one of the ice blocks.Suddenly, a whistling sound came from behind. Mingo didn't even think, quickly turning and retreating. He saw a hand emerging from a block of ice behind him, clutching an ice blade and slashing toward his back.Mingo kicked out, eight thin black threads emerging from his toe. The straight-line kick, enhanced by the sharp threads and Armament Haki, only sent the ice block flying without a single crack—and this was a Move capable of slicing a building in half.Yet, a smile appeared on Mingo's face. This was proof enough that Kuzan was hiding inside that ice block; otherwise, how could a piece of ice be so hard?Pushing off with one foot, Mingo accelerated rapidly to catch up to the ice block, and the countless white threads on the ground moved in the direction of his movement.Tens of thousands of transparent white threads arranged themselves horizontally, forming a raging wave-like attack that surged up from beneath the opponent. They gradually closed in on the ice block in the center, eventually forming a massive, braided wave of white threads that trapped the ice block and crushed it to pieces with a crunching sound.Seeing this, Mingo's expression changed, and he hurriedly dodged, but it was too late to react. Kuzanhad emerged from behind Mingo, wielding an ice blade and slashing directly at Mingo's arm.The bone-chilling cold air flowed along the ice blade and instantly invaded Mingo's arm, which was immediately covered in ice.Mingo shook his arm hard, shattering the ice, but in the blink of an eye, his entire arm was frozen over again.Kuzan spoke, "Don't bother struggling. The cold air has entered the inside of your arm. Unless you clear the cold air from within your arm, it will remain frozen."Mingo glanced at his frozen right arm and retorted sarcastically, "I didn't expect the Marine to use sneak attacks. That doesn't seem to align with the 'Justice' you claim to uphold."Exhaling a puff of cold air, Kuzan raised his right arm toward Mingo, "As a pirate, you should understand better than I do that there is no such thing as an honorable or dishonorable method in battle. Besides, I didn't sneak attack; your observation was simply too poor just now."Ice Block: Pheasant Beak. An ice bird flew out from his arm, its form growing wildly like a gust of wind, instantly transforming into a giant ice bird with a wingspan of over a hundred meters."This Move again? Do you think increasing its size strengthens its power? It's still useless if it doesn't hit!" Mingo flashed away, standing on a raised high-density white thread.Kuzan didn't say much, remaining expressionless. He pressed down with one hand, and the ice bird spread its wings, soared into the air, and opened its mouth to spray at Mingo below.A massive cold storm erupted from the ice bird's mouth, growing as it met the wind, and surged straight toward Mingo below, carrying countless shards of ice."Shield White Thread!" Several huge white threads emerged from the ice surface, supporting Mingowithin them.The massive ice storm, carrying a tremendous whistling sound and an invincible momentum, struck the earth like a meteorite. With a loud bang, the storm and the white threads made intimate contact.The fierce cold wind blew from the distant battlefield, knocking many Marines and pirates directly to the ground; they had to grab onto something tightly to keep from being blown away by the gale.The others could only stand with their hands shielding their faces, but after a few seconds, they could no longer stand; this storm was formed from cold air.The temperature in the air plummeted. Within seconds, the gale was mixed with a blizzard of goose-feather-sized snowflakes. Everywhere was filled with snow and storm; never mind seeing others, even opening one's eyes was extremely difficult. Everyone had to hurry into the cabins to escape the blizzard.At such a cold temperature, staying outside would inevitably result in freezing into an ice block, not to mention being blown away. For the sake of their lives, they decided not to watch the battle outside.Meanwhile, Marcus and his group had nowhere to hide. Their shields couldn't block the temperature, and they couldn't cast shields at this time, or they would definitely be discovered by the battling Mingoand Kuzan.In the end, it was Dragon who acted. Without any visible movement, he lightly stomped his right foot, and a whirlwind expanded from him as the center. Like a wind wall, the massive blizzard outside had to stop in its tracks before this wall of wind.On the battlefield, having reached this point, the fight between the two had entered a white-hot stage. The ice bird above was still spewing cold wind, and Mingo's Shield White Thread had not been withdrawn.The two had entered the most intense close-quarters combat. In the blizzard, two streaks of light danced everywhere, sometimes in the air, sometimes on the ground.Mingo turned and swept across, directly hitting Kuzan. However, he only hit a block of ice. Mingowas not discouraged by this; if this Marine were so easy to deal with, would he have had to Awaken his Devil Fruit Ability so soon?Flashing away, he dodged Kuzan's counterattack. Kuzan flew in pursuit, two ice arrows appearing in his hands, which he threw at Mingo. Mingo couldn't dodge in time and was hit instantly.But Kuzan hurriedly turned, his fist covered in Armament Haki, meeting the black fist that came to sneak attack from behind."Click, click, crunch... bang!" The cabin door of the warship, which had been frozen shut, was kicked open. Tsuru's figure emerged, followed by a group of female Marines.On the side of the pirate ships and warships, the Marines and pirates also walked out, stepping on the fluffy snow and making rustling sounds.Although visibility was low in the night and everything was a vast expanse of white, even the massive warships, pirate ships, and transport ships were buried in heavy snow. Everyone quickly scanned the area, searching for the two figures locked in battle.Not far away, it was the only place not covered by the ice field, revealing the seawater. Many huge ice floes floated on the sea surface, and Mingo and Kuzan were standing on the ice floes, staring at each other.Although they were far away and it was night, making visibility very poor, looking at their postures, Mingo was hunched over and swaying slightly, while Kuzan stood straight. Clearly, Kuzan had the upper hand.On the sea, Kuzan's white suit vest was torn in many places and stained with blood, which appeared even more vivid against the white. His Justice cloak behind him was also only half left. After the great battle just now, even Kuzan had suffered no light injuries.Wiping the blood from his mouth, Kuzan said calmly, "You shouldn't have much strength left to fight now, so don't force yourself here. You'd better just surrender honestly."Patting the bloodstains off his clothes, Kuzancontinued with a strange look, "I don't know what you pirates are thinking. You keep fighting even when you can't win, and you won't admit defeat even after losing. It seems I'll have to do it myself; what a hassle."Opposite him, Mingo was covered in sweat, his stamina greatly depleted, with bloodstains at the corner of his mouth. Compared to Kuzan, Mingodidn't have many wounds, but his body was covered in ice in various places. He was constantly exhaling cold air, and his whole body was trembling slightly.In these frozen areas, the blood vessels inside were already frozen, so Mingo could only try his best to remain standing. To regain free movement, he would have to melt the ice and get the blood vessels inside flowing again.Hearing Kuzan's words, Mingo laughed loudly, "I said Impel Down cannot hold me, and the Marinecannot deal with me. I have noble blood flowing through my veins; how could you Mortals dare to attack a God like me?"Kuzan frowned. Mingo's words gave Kuzan an inexplicable feeling of unease. For Mingo to say such things at a time like this, he must have some powerful trump card.Although he didn't know where Mingo's confidence came from, to avoid any complications, Kuzandecided to act quickly to finish Mingo off and return the tenryuubito tribute to the Marines.Just as Kuzan was about to strike, a "brrr-brrr" sound rang out. The only den den mushi he carried was the one from Marine Headquarters. With a message coming from Marine Headquarters at this time, Kuzan had to answer.Glancing at Mingo, Kuzan took out the den den mushi and answered.Suddenly, a look of shock appeared on Kuzan's face, while Mingo wore a smile. (To be continued.)
Chapter 159: This Scapegoat!"Hello, is this Vice Admiral Kuzan?" A steady voice came through the den den mushi.Kuzan immediately recognized who it was and replied with confusion: "Yes! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Kuzan. The plan is proceeding very smoothly, and only... remains."Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Sengoku, "Vice Admiral Kuzan, I am not asking about the plan. I want to ask, have you engaged the mastermind, Doflamingo?"Hearing Sengoku's inquiry, Kuzan glanced at the smiling Mingo beside him, his confusion deepening. Why was Fleet Admiral Sengoku suddenly asking about this pirate? Thinking back to what Mingo had just said, Kuzan seemed to realize something."That's correct, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Doflamingosaw through our plan and seized the real tenryuubito tribute, but he has now been defeated by me. I am preparing to capture him and retrieve the tenryuubito tribute.""No, retreat now. We cannot deal with Doflamingo. All Marines must retreat immediately."Kuzan was instantly shocked. He had finally managed to defeat Mingo, and with just one last step, he could send this notorious pirate to the never-ending darkness of Impel Down.Yet now, Marine Headquarters had given him such an order to retreat and not deal with Doflamingo. At this moment, even the usually laid-back and calm Kuzan could no longer remain composed and couldn't help but ask angrily."The culprit who plunged the entire Grand Line into chaos, causing countless Marine Soldiers and ordinary people to sacrifice their lives—you are telling us to retreat at the final moment of his capture? Does Fleet Admiral Sengoku know the consequences of this order?"After a pause, Kuzan added, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if there isn't a reasonable explanation, I will not follow this order."To make the famously laid-back Kuzan this angry and even say he wouldn't follow orders, one can imagine how furious and confused he was.Yet for this, Sengoku felt helpless. It wasn't that Sengoku didn't want to act, but because of Mingo's identity; not even the Marines or the World Government had the authority to touch him.Sengoku said in a deep voice, "Doflamingo is a Celestial Dragon!""What?" Kuzan exclaimed, his tone filled with disbelief. How could a Celestial Dragon, one of the World Nobles, become a pirate? They were World Nobles; wealth was just a number to them.Furthermore, the tenryuubito tribute was originally meant to be offered to the Celestial Dragons. How could a Celestial Dragon rob what was already his? Moreover, if Marine Headquarters knew he was a Celestial Dragon, why send reinforcements and have them carry out this plan?In an instant, Kuzan's mind was filled with "why!"Although he wasn't by Kuzan's side, Sengoku could understand this feeling and confusion, because he had the same expression when he heard the news.Kuzan asked again, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you sure this news is true?""Yes, it is true. It has been confirmed by the Holy Land Mary Geoise," Sengoku replied with a tone of certainty. "Mingo's background is somewhat complicated, but his status as a Celestial Dragon is confirmed. As for the specific reasons, ask me when you return to Marine Headquarters."Kuzan's tone was somewhat low, "Understood! But after we withdraw, what should we do next?""There is nothing left for the Marines to do. Mingo's identity is not something the Marines can interfere with. At that time, specialized personnel from the World Government and representatives of the Celestial Dragons will speak with him. Our mission is now complete," Sengoku's voice came through."Understood!" Kuzan hung up the den den mushiand stared intently at Mingo.Mingo laughed, "How about that, Vice AdmiralKuzan? I was right, wasn't I? Impel Down doesn't have the qualifications to lock me up. Oh, no, actually, the whole world has no one qualified to lock me up."His fists clenched and unclenched, clenched and unclenched. A look of struggle appeared on Kuzan's face, but in the end, he released his fists and said in a deep voice."I didn't expect you to have such an identity. This must be where your confidence comes from."After speaking, Kuzan said nothing more. With a few leaps, he charged toward the marine warships. Since he couldn't take action against Mingo, why stand there and continue looking at that disgusting smile?Everyone present was confused to see Kuzanabandon the fight against Mingo and head toward the marine warships, including Marcus and his group who were watching from the shadows.Everyone only saw Kuzan take a call and then abandon the capture of Mingo, making them curious about the call. Whose call could make Kuzan give up?The pirates cheered instantly, while the Marines were full of confusion and anger. So many comrades had died at Mingo's hands, yet Vice Admiral Kuzanhad let this pirate go at the final moment. How could everyone remain calm?With a thud, Kuzan stood on the deck. Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces, a hint of helplessness flashed across his face as he said in a deep voice, "This matter will be handled by the World Government. It is no longer under our Marinejurisdiction. All forces, retreat."Faced with everyone's confusion, Kuzan had to use this excuse to explain, and it was the only reason he could give. Everything was for the sake of the Marines' reputation.Upon hearing this news, the Marines' expressions improved slightly, and they reluctantly walked to their posts.On the ship, this excuse was immediately seen through by Tsuru, but Kuzan must have had his reasons for doing so. Although Tsuru also wanted to understand the cause, the current situation was clearly not suitable, so Tsuru could only bury her confusion.The massive sails billowed, and with Kuzan clearing the way, a path free of ice appeared, and the two marine warships sailed off into the distance.Marcus and his group also left. Since the Marines had all gone, staying behind was pointless, though this final scene left all four of them confused.Back on the floating ice, seeing the Marines depart, Mingo opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, but the ice on his body slowly began to fall off. Mingo's Devil Fruit could not only attack but also heal.Just as Mingo was secretly healing himself with strings, the cadres of the Donquixote Piratesarrived. By the time they reached him, Mingo's injuries had already improved significantly.With a light leap, he landed in front of his subordinates. Seeing their silent and grim expressions, Mingo frowned, and several premonitions flashed through his mind.He asked, "Why do you all have those expressions? What happened? Have you found the tenryuubito tribute?"But no one answered Mingo's question. After a long while, Trebol bit the bullet and replied, "Something went wrong with the tenryuubito tribute. Those four transport ships were empty; there was no tenryuubito tribute at all.""What? What on earth is going on?" Mingo asked, suppressing his anger, the veins on his forehead bulging.Diamante moved forward two steps and said in a low voice, "Doffy, when we boarded the remaining transport ships, we searched them all. There was nothing, not even a single person."The tenryuubito tribute had been taken away by Marcus and his group, and the people on board had also been taken away by the Revolutionary Army. Marcus was worried that the enraged Mingo would kill them all.Dragon also took a liking to those Marines. Those sent by Tsuru to guard the tenryuubito tribute were all elite Marines. If these people could be recruited into the Revolutionary Army, it would be a significant benefit for them. So, the two of them hit it off and took those people away, bringing them to the Revolutionary Army for education.Mingo was breathing heavily through his nostrils, his brow furrowed into a "river" shape as he stared at Trebol, "So you mean we were all fooled by the Marines, and the real tenryuubito tribute is still at the Marine base and never came out?"Mingo did not believe this inference. If this wasn't the tenryuubito tribute, just empty ships, why would Vice Admiral Tsuru guard them to the death, and why would Vice Admiral Kuzan rush over so anxiously? All these pointed to the fact that this was indeed the real tenryuubito tribute."No, the Marines were protecting the real tenryuubito tribute, but someone snuck in before us, right under the Marines' noses, and secretly transported all the tenryuubito tribute away," Trebolexplained in a low voice.Actually, Trebol didn't want to believe this explanation either, but the facts were just that. The discarded boxes everywhere in the cargo hold, the broken safes, the footprints all over the floor, and some gold coins dropped in the corners—all these without a doubt indicated that a group of people had stolen the tenryuubito tribute.That was why everyone's expression was grim; they didn't know how to tell Doffy. Trebol knew how high a price Mingo had paid for this plan. Not to mention anything else, just getting the Four Emperors Kaido to make a move was a high price, not to mention offending so many pirates at the same time...Now all of this was in vain. Having paid such a price, they had done the work for someone else's benefit. Most importantly, the subsequent plans were ruined because the step of seizing the tenryuubito tributehad failed."Sea of White Waves!"With an angry roar from Mingo, the entire ice surface instantly turned into an ocean of surging, raging waves formed by strings. The rolling waves of strings swept toward the transport ships frozen on the ice surface.A series of cracking sounds rang out. Under the tide of white strings, these sturdy transport ships instantly shattered into countless small pieces, leaving not even a slightly larger piece of wreckage.After Mingo finished venting, Trebol asked in a low voice, "Young Master, with the tenryuubito tributelike that, what should we do now?"Mingo thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Proceed according to the original plan. Use the tenryuubito tribute as a bargaining chip to force the World Government to let us join the Shichibukai.""But, we..."Trebol was about to say that now that they hadn't seized the tenryuubito tribute and had no bargaining chip in hand, how could the World Government possibly negotiate cooperation with them, but he was interrupted by Mingo.Mingo said unwillingly, "That group of rats, stealing the tenryuubito tribute sneakily, they definitely won't reveal that the tenryuubito tribute is in their hands. This way, the World Government will think the tenryuubito tribute is still in our hands, and we will still have a bargaining chip."Now that the tenryuubito tribute had been stolen, Mingo could only come up with this method; otherwise, having paid such a huge price, he would have gained nothing.But once this was done, it would confirm that the tenryuubito tribute was in their hands, and then the whole world would believe that they had taken it.Even if they said the tenryuubito tribute wasn't in their hands and had been stolen by others, no one would believe them. This was equivalent to Mingotaking the blame for Marcus and his group. Mingowould offend the world, while Marcus and his group would get the tenryuubito tribute without any consequences.What made Mingo feel the most stifled was that he had to carry this blame. If he told the whole world now that the tenryuubito tribute wasn't in their hands, not to mention whether the world would believe him, he would definitely lose the Shichibukaiqualification.Moreover, no one would believe him if he said it. In front of a Marine Vice Admiral and thousands of Marines, two whole ships worth of wealth were transported away without anyone noticing. Who would believe that?Therefore, Mingo knew that he was destined to carry this blame."Also, Doffy, we found a note!" (To be continued
Chapter 160: Foosha VillageOn the calm sea, the rising sun shone across the water. With clear skies for ten thousand miles, it was indeed pleasant weather as a small boat moved leisurely across the surface.Marcus had a large bump on his head and glared indignantly at Garp, who sat in front with his eyes closed. Marcus's hands moved the oars incessantly, heading east toward the rising sun.Garp was extremely angry about Marcus's behavior—forgetting the pain once the wound healed—of snatching the tenryuubito tribute. If discovered, Marcus's career in the Marine would be over; even Garp wouldn't be able to protect him, let alone the life-and-death danger involved.But since Marcus had already done it, anything Garpsaid was useless. However, it was hard for Garp to let his anger subside without doing something, so Marcus had been given a beating.Although Garp's eyes were closed, his mind was still on the tenryuubito tribute. Marcus hadn't said much, but Garp understood that another group was involved behind the scenes. Otherwise, how could Marcus have seized the tenryuubito tribute with his strength alone?Marcus didn't speak, and Garp didn't ask, but Garpwas still very worried. No matter who those people were, they were certainly enemies of the World Government. If Garp knew that the one collaborating with Marcus was his own son, one wonders what he would think.With a loud bang, the momentum sent Garppitching forward. Opening his eyes, Garp hadn't yet reacted to what was happening.With another bang, Garp's head slammed directly into a giant boulder. The man-sized rock shattered instantly, sending countless fragments flying in all directions, which landed in the water with several splashes, kicking up waves.Marcus gave a light wave of his hand, and a shield appeared in front of him, blocking both the waves and the stone fragments. Watching Garp tumble onto the beach, Marcus couldn't help but chuckle.A figure flashed, and with a bang, Marcus let out a miserable cry and flew toward the sea. After stepping through the air a few times, Marcusmanaged to stop his backward momentum. Clutching his head, he looked at Garp on the boat with a face full of anger.Blowing some dust off his fist, Garp cursed, "Stinky Kid, you actually dared to scheme against me. It seems your courage is growing. I need to teach you a proper lesson.""Hey, hey..." Seeing Garp about to strike, Marcusquickly said, "Stinky Old Man, you're the one who told me to keep going east. This is east!""Is that so?" Garp muttered doubtfully. He looked up at the sky, checked the position of the sun, and indeed, this was the east. His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings to identify the location.Pointing to a cliff extending from a small hill a few hundred meters away, he said, "Go over that cliff, and you'll see a small coastal village. That's the destination."After saying this, Garp sat back down in the boat without another word and leaned against the side to rest with his eyes closed.Sigh. Marcus gave a deep sigh and could only walk helplessly back to the boat. This was the consequence of not having enough strength.Grabbing the oars, Marcus turned his back to Garpand rowed in the direction Garp had indicated. After a moment's thought, Marcus asked, "Hey! Stinky Old Man, why are you taking me there?""Stinky Kid, why do you care so much?" Garp said with his eyes closed. After a long pause, Garp spoke again, "I'm taking you to meet someone this time—my grandson! He's about three years younger than you."As he spoke, a nostalgic smile appeared on Garp's face. He loved his grandson very much and had always hoped to make him the strongest Marine Soldier.But he hadn't expected that during the year he didn't return three years ago, the boy would be led astray by that bastard Shanks and actually want to become a pirate. Garp thought to himself that after leaving him with Dadan, the Stinky Kid's mindset should have changed by now.Seeing that Marcus didn't respond and just sat there rowing in silence, a flash of confusion crossed Garp's mind. He opened his eyes and asked, "Stinky Kid, why don't you have any reaction?"Marcus turned his head and looked at Garp. "What kind of expression do you want? Shock? Stinky Old Man, isn't it perfectly normal for you to have a grandson? It would be more abnormal if you didn't.""That's true, Stinky Kid," Garp said, resting his chin in his hand as if enlightened, then leaned back against the boat's edge to rest again.In fact, Marcus hadn't replied because he was imagining what his first meeting with Luffy would be like and what would happen between them. Thinking of this, Marcus couldn't help but feel expectant.Rounding the several-dozen-meter-high cliff, the silhouette of a village gradually appeared before Marcus's eyes. What he saw was a plain like a green emerald embedded in a forest.This was Foosha Village, a great village. Perhaps its reputation wasn't prominent now, but one day it would be world-famous.Scattered houses dotted the plain, along with several giant windmills that were slowly turning, driven by the wind.By the sea was a small pier. In the nearshore waters, several fishing boats were out, and a few figures could be seen standing by the boats casting nets.Following the path up from the pier was a small street, which was quite good for such a small village and could even be considered prosperous. Many people were on the street, stopping at stalls to pick through items."It seems this village is quite peaceful and tranquil, with no attacks from pirates or Bandits," Marcusthought to himself. But it made sense; since Garpwould leave Luffy to grow up here, it indirectly proved the village was safe and quiet.The boat Marcus was in wasn't particularly large or small, being several meters long. When such a boat suddenly appeared on the sea heading toward the village, the nearshore fishermen spotted it immediately.One patted his companion, who was pulling in a net, and said, "Hey, what's that? It looks like someone is coming toward us."Hearing his companion, the villager quickly looked in the direction of the finger and saw a small boat slowly approaching.He rubbed his eyes and looked closely, barely making out two figures in the boat, one of whom was rowing.The villager leaned down and picked up a homemade trident used for spearing large fish. He said to his companion, "Move closer, let's see who it is."Nearby, several other fishing boats noticed this as well and made the same move, steering toward Marcus's direction... "Hey, hey, everyone, let's talk this through. we have no ill intentions, we're just here to find someone."Surrounded by several fishing boats, Marcus stood in the small boat with his hands up, explaining with a bitter smile to the villagers who were staring at him tensely, clutching various fishing tools.Earlier, when he saw the fishing boats heading toward him, Marcus had been happy, thinking they were coming to welcome him. He hadn't expected to face this; he could only describe it with a bitter smile.If he really fought, Marcus could deal with these villagers in an instant, but he understood they were just being cautious. They had no real malice. After all, in this Great Pirate Era, there were a lot of pirates.Seeing that the villagers still didn't believe him, Marcus scanned around for something to prove he was a good person and spotted the still-sleeping Garp behind him.Marcus quickly turned around. Seeing him move, the villagers thought he was about to do something and gripped their weapons tighter, looking alert."Hey, Stinky Old Man, wake up! We've arrived!" Marcus shouted right into Garp's ear, startling him awake.Digging at his ringing ear, Garp cursed angrily while swinging his right hand toward Marcus. "Stinky Kid, what are you trying to do?"Marcus slid back to dodge Garp's attack and quickly said, "Stinky Old Man, we've already arrived. Hurry up and explain to them."Only then did Garp look up and realize they were surrounded by several fishing boats, with several fishing tools pointed at them.The anger on his face quickly turned into a smile. "Everyone, it's been two years. How have you all been?""Phew..." Recognizing the man, the villagers breathed a sigh of relief, lowered their weapons, and said with smiles, "So it's Lord Garp! We haven't seen you in two years; you've aged quite a bit. How do you have time to come back today?""Ah, I've been a bit busy these past two years, so I haven't been able to return," Garp said, rubbing his head sheepishly.Then he turned and shouted to Marcus behind him, "Stinky Kid, get over here!" He then introduced Marcus to everyone as his student.A villager smiled and said, "Sorry, we misunderstood you just now. We thought you were a pirate. Lately, pirates have been passing through this area often. We didn't expect you to be Lord Garp's Disciple."Marcus waved his hand and replied with a smile, "It's nothing. It was also my fault for not clarifying sooner."... "Ah, Lord Garp, you're actually back! Long time no see!""I had some time, so I came back. This is my student, Marcus!""Hello, I am Marcus, Garp's Disciple.""Hey, Garp, you're finally back. You still owe me a round of drinks from last time. You have to pay me back this time.""Fine, I'll definitely pay you back this time.""Oh, and who is this?""My new student, Marcus.""Hello, I am Marcus, Garp's Disciple."...Although answering so many people was a bit tiring, Marcus really liked this warm atmosphere and felt very happy in his heart."Hey, Garp, you still know how to come back!"An energetic old man wearing a striped hat and glasses, leaning on a cane, squeezed out from the crowd and used his cane to whack Garp directly on the head.Rubbing the bump on his head, Garp smiled bitterly. "Mayor, why did you hit me? I just got back."Hearing Garp's words, Marcus looked at the old man. This man was the Mayor of Foosha Village. In his past life, there had been many discussions about this Mayor; many people felt he was a major foreshadowing in the story of the Pirate King, as one of the few who knew of Luffy's background.The Mayor said angrily, "Garp, you have the nerve to say that? It's been two years, and you're only just back. Are you going to look after Luffy or not?""Luffy? What's wrong with Luffy?" Garp asked urgently, looking at the Mayor."Over these past two years, Luffy hasn't changed a bit. Every day he and that boy named Ace argue about wanting to be pirates. If you ask me, Garp, leaving Luffy with those Bandits was a complete mistake."Garp clenched his fist and said through gritted teeth, "That Stinky Kid, still arguing about being a pirate. I'll make sure to teach him a good lesson this time!" (To be continued.)