Chapter 33: The Officers' Last Stand—Hammond's End
High above Fishman Island, tangled in the massive tree roots that formed the island's upper boundary, Noah hung suspended—a sword of Damocles over the kingdom below.
Shirahoshi had led it here, trying to draw it away from the island, but now...
It was falling.
Vander Decken, the man who'd thrown Noah at his beloved, lay slumped on the ark's deck. Behind him, Hody slowly withdrew his trident from the corpse.
"Betray me? Make me a sacrifice?" Hody's grin was feral. "Don't make me laugh."
He stared down at Fishman Island, visible far below. "Now your ability's失控. Noah falls. Perfect."
"STRAW HATS—DIE FOR ME!"
His laughter echoed across the sea.
Outside Noah's bubble, Prince Ryuboshi and Prince Manboshi watched in horror from the water.
"NOAH! IT'S OUT OF CONTROL!"
"IS THIS THE END?!"
Prince Fukaboshi, carrying Luffy on his back, raced toward the falling ark. He'd rescued Luffy from Hody's underwater pursuit—Hody was UNBEATABLE in the sea.
"We have to STOP Noah!" Fukaboshi's voice was desperate.
Hody emerged from the ark's interior, trident gleaming.
"STRAW HAT BRAT!"
His eyes fixed on Luffy. "You want to stop Noah, don't you?!"
"Then STOP RUNNING! FIGHT ME!"
"Beat me, or Fishman Island DIES! GYAHAHAHA!"
Luffy's teeth ground together. "I'LL STOP THAT SHIP!"
"LUFFY-KUN!" Shirahoshi suddenly swam toward Noah. "PLEASE—KEEP AIMING AT ME! Don't let Noah hit the island!"
She wept. "My country—my people—I LOVE THEM!"
"SHIRAHOSHI!" Fukaboshi thrust the bubble containing Luffy toward her. "PROTECT STRAW HAT BOY! I'LL TRY AGAIN!"
His eyes blazed. "I WON'T let Noah destroy our home!"
"And Shirahoshi—TRUST ME! Don't leave Noah! Protect YOURSELF!"
He swam at Hody.
"FUKABOSHI-NISAN! You're no match for him!" Luffy shouted.
He stretched—Gomu Gomu no Pistol—but Hody was too fast in water, and Luffy too hampered. The shot missed.
"YOU FIRST!" Hody met Fukaboshi's charge.
Fukaboshi threw a punch. "Even with stolen power, I can't hurt you—I know my weakness!"
"BUT I WON'T—GWAHHH!"
Hody's shark-like back fin pierced through him.
Luffy froze. Shirahoshi screamed.
Then—she remembered. Her brother's words. She swam desperately toward Noah.
"COWARD STAR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Luffy couldn't understand. Why wasn't she helping Fukaboshi?!
The Den Den Mushi on Luffy's wrist rang.
He answered.
"LUFFY-SAN! This is Gyro—we spoke earlier!"
Fukaboshi's words came back: To beat Hody, you can't fight in water. Lure him onto Noah—there's air there.
Gyro's voice was urgent. "We see Noah sinking! To inflate its bubble—there's ONE way. ONE chance!"
In Gyoncorde Plaza, Itachi paused mid-swing.
A voice carried from behind the murloc ranks.
"Hey, you slave scum! MOVE IT!"
"Pathetic trash!"
"Where's Boss Hody?! Why aren't the Straw Hats dead yet?!"
The murlocs parted. A dozen human slaves carried a palanquin made of leather chairs.
Seated upon it—HAMMOND.
The same Hammond who'd first confronted the Sunny. The same Hammond Itachi had left in Tsukuyomi.
He was gulping Energy Steroids, his eyes already feral.
"Lowly humans still resisting?!"
"WHAT IS THIS MESS?!"
He grabbed a passing murloc. "Why are human pirates FIGHTING BACK?!"
"H-HAMMOND-ANIKI!" The murloc pointed desperately. "We're having... PROBLEMS!"
"The Straw Hats are TOO STRONG!"
"STRONG?!" Hammond's eyes blazed. "You call that DESPICABLE SPECIES STRONG?!"
While he raged, Itachi moved.
Blade sang. Murlocs fell. A path of corpses led straight toward Hammond.
"WHO IS THAT?!"
"HAMMOND-ANIKI! THAT'S THE STRAW HAT!"
Hammond looked—and RECOGNIZED.
Those eyes. That face. The man who'd sent him to hell with a single glance.
"IT'S YOU!!!"
His scream drew every eye.
Jeo spotted him. "Hammond? He's here."
Muushi raised his harpoon. "Going after the man in black?"
"Look at those steroids he took." Jeo crossed his arms. "Let's watch the show."
Hammond's slaves trembled as Itachi approached, cutting down murlocs without pause. No one could stop him. No one even SLOWED him.
"This guy's a KILLER GOD..." a murloc whispered.
"KILLER GOD?!" Hammond's fury exploded. "You call a HUMAN that?!"
He punched the murloc senseless.
"WATCH ME!"
He crouched. Coiled. LAUNCHED.
Jeo smiled. "Here it comes. First Straw Hat death."
Robin saw. "ITACHI! WATCH OUT!"
Itachi's blade paused. He looked up.
Hammond was mid-air, claws extended, murder in his eyes.
"DIIIIIIE!"
The murlocs cheered—
SHINK.
Autumn Water rose through Hammond's throat and exited the back of his neck.
His body spasmed. Blood sprayed.
He fell.
Decapitated.
Jeo's smile CRUMBLED.
"A CADRE?! STEROID-FUELED?! ONE STROKE?!"
Itachi didn't pause. Didn't look back. He stepped over Hammond's corpse and kept cutting.
(End of Chapter)
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