Chapter 351 - 190

Chapter 190: Legendary-Level Drowning Scene!Nearly a hundred nautical miles away, atop the peak of an isolated island.Silence.The cigarette between Sanji's fingers had long since burned out, but he had forgotten to flick off the long ash.Law's arm, which was wrapped around kikoku, was stiff as iron.The two of them were like stone statues eroded by the sea breeze, frozen in place, with only the depths of their pupils reflecting the purgatory scene in the distance where heaven and earth had changed color:The spatial rift that devoured everything, the eternally burning chaotic nebula, and that absolute void of sea where even the ocean itself seemed to have been "erased."Even from such a terrifying distance, the lingering power of that destruction still manifested as a tangible pressure, weighing heavily upon their hearts."Is this... the true form of the monsters at the very pinnacle of this sea?"Sanji finally took a deep breath, his voice dry and hoarse, as if his throat had been scorched by the sight of that destruction.He relit his cigarette, the faint light illuminating half of his face shrouded in shadow, which was filled with unprecedented gravity and silence.The gap was like a chasm!!But under this immense impact, a path belonging to him, that vague realization regarding a deeper integration of Diable Jambe and the power of lightning, seemed to have had its mist blown away by this storm of ultimate power, revealing a clear outline.'As for my path... I finally have some clue.'This thought, like a spark ignited in the darkness, quietly lit up in the depths of his heart."Heh..."A very low, very complex bitter laugh came from Law beside him, filled with self-mockery and disbelief,"Even seeing it with my own eyes, it's hard to believe... that the monster creating this 'doomsday' is a person of the'same generation' sailing in the same sea as us."In the eyes of the masses, he, the Surgeon of Death, and Black Leg Sanji were already "heaven's favorites" who needed to be looked up to.But only they themselves knew that among this group of favorites, the existence of Monkey D. Luffywas such an unreasonable anomaly.It was a pure "strength" that ignored common sense, trampled on logic, and forcibly dragged all "impossibilities" into the realm of "possibility."An indescribable feeling of powerlessness and suffocation quietly gripped Law's heart.Being born in the same era as such a monster was a stroke of luck to witness a legend; but it was also immense pressure, as if all light would be swallowed by that overly scorching sun.A thought of being "born at the wrong time" uncontrollably sprouted and spread in his heart, causing him to fall into a brief silence and self-doubt."Hey, Torao!"Sanji's voice interrupted his thoughts.Law turned his head and saw that Sanji was not looking at him, but was still staring at the destructive spectacle in the distance, his tone firm and decisive:"Don't use that clever head of yours to compare yourself to that single-minded Idiot Captain."He took a deep drag of his cigarette, the smoke instantly dissipating in the gale,"In this world, there is only one fool named 'Monkey D. Luffy'."The sparks of the cigarette butt illuminated Sanji's brilliant blonde hair in the dim sky, and also illuminated the vicissitudes and insight in his eyes that far exceeded his age.He was one of the earliest witnesses!The growth trajectory of that man was, in itself, the loudest mockery of all "common sense" in the world.Once upon a time, Sanji also held the belief that he could closely follow, and even protect, the side of his Captain.For this, he ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, known as the "strongest Logia," and integrated the power of lightning with his own kicking techniques.He had thought he could narrow the distance, but the reality was... while he became stronger, Luffywas widening the gap between them at a more exaggerated and unbelievable speed, so wide that he could barely see the edge of that chasm.Sanji reached out and patted Law's shoulder hard, trying to dispel the heaviness with a relaxed tone:"Look on the bright side. At least... having such a monster as our Captain, isn't it a huge sense of security?""When the sky falls, there's always that tallest guy to hold it up first."The sea breeze whistled more violently, completely messing up Sanji's blonde hair and blowing away the smoke rings he exhaled.Law raised his head, and through his messy hair, he saw Sanji's profile.Under that seemingly relieved and comforting expression, Law's sharp insight captured something deeper.In the depths of those eyes, there was clearly a strong unwillingness similar to his own, as well as deep concern about being unable to bear that ultimate pressure side by side.Sanji's calmness was more like a tenacity of recognizing reality, pushing all complex emotions to the bottom of his heart, and turning to focus on his own path.He was far from as calm as he appeared on the surface...."Speaking of which,"Law was still hugging his long sword, kikoku, his gaze not withdrawn, still locked on the center of that destructive scene, his voice sounding particularly clear in the sea breeze,"Mr. Rayleigh... seems to have fallen into that sea area."His tone was as flat as stating the fact that "seawater is salty," and one could not hear any worry or tension that should be felt for a legendary figure falling into the water."Yeah."Sanji's reply was equally brief; he took a deep drag of his cigarette, let the pungent smoke circle in his lungs, and then slowly exhaled, instantly being torn into strands in the gale."There's nothing to be done about that."He turned his head slightly to look at his fingers holding the cigarette, where faint arcs of electricity flashed and disappeared."Both you and I are Devil Fruit users... what we can do now,"Sanji flicked the cigarette butt toward the cliff below, the spark quickly extinguishing as it fell,"—is to wait for him to crawl out of the sea himself."He said it so matter-of-factly, without the slightest doubt.Hearing this, the corners of Law's mouth under his hat brim seemed to move imperceptibly.Sanji gazed at the super-giant whirlpool in the distance that was still slowly rotating and devouring everything,His voice had a hint of complexity, as if sighing, or as if stating a distant legend:"That is... a legendary figure!!"He paused, fragments of rumors about the old era flashing through his mind,"The 'Pluton' Silvers Rayleigh, who could swim alone across the Calm Belt filled with giant Sea Kings just by his own body and reach the island of women."He turned his head and looked at Law, a look of near "relaxation" appearing on his face, as if convincing the other party, and also as if convincing the last trace of uncertainty in himself:"For an old monster of that level... we should have more trust.""After all, drowning a legend in the sea, that kind of ending sounds too lame, doesn't it?"His words dissipated in the sea breeze, and the two fell into silence again....Just at this moment—Breaking through the surging waves mixed with the embers of energy, a magnificent pirate ship towed by two giant sea serpents broke into this sea area that looked like the end of the world.—It was precisely the flagship of the Kuja Pirates.On the bow deck, two peerless figures stood side by side, letting the sea breeze with a burnt smell blow their long hair and clothes."My god..."Yamato's crimson pupils shrank sharply,Reflecting the hideous spatial rift in the sky, the terrifying whirlpool on the sea that devoured everything, and the destructive energy turbulence in the air that had not yet dispersed and stung the skin."Is this... is this really just sparring?" Her voice was full of unbelievable shock,"Even if it's a life-and-death battle... I'm afraid it's just about this much, right?!"This destructive power was, compared to the catastrophe caused by Luffy when he fought Kaidoon Onigashima, I'm afraid no less!Hancock on the side was silent. Her sky-blue eyes, which were enough to make everything in the world lose its color, were now covered with a layer of deep haze.Worry, like cold vines, wrapped around her heart, making her almost unable to breathe.—Luffy is here, fighting that old man, will he...?And this worry, while scanning this completely reshaped world, quickly fermented and transformed into a raging anger towards a certain culprit that was about to condense into substance.Just at this moment—Zzzzt!A beam of bright blue electric light cut through the heavy air without warning and landed precisely in the center of the deck of the Kuja Pirates ship.The electric light dissipated, revealing Luffy's figure!"Luffy?!" The two women exclaimed almost in unison.However, when they saw Luffy's appearance clearly, their hearts sank.He was covered in blood, his aura, although still vigorous, carried the disorder of exhaustion.And the most shocking thing was the terrifying sword scar that ran from his left shoulder diagonally to his right abdomen!The edges of the wound showed an ominous grayish-white color, not only showing no signs of healing, but also faintly exuding a breath of silence that resisted vitality and froze healing, still constantly oozing blood."How could you be hurt like this?!"Yamato stepped forward, her red eyes full of anxiety. She subconsciously grabbed Luffy's wrist,The scalding blood immediately stained the cuffs of her plain white kimono, but she was completely unaware,"Let's go! We'll return immediately and find the best doctor!""No need!"Luffy's voice rang out, although with exhaustion, it still had his consistent cheerfulness.He gently broke free from Yamato's hand, sat down on the deck, and showed the two women a signature, somewhat mindless smile:"Don't worry! After a while, it will grow back by itself!"He waved his hand indifferently, then remembered something, and his expression became a bit subtle,"...It's that guy Rayleigh—"—Don't mention him!"Before Luffy could finish his sentence, he was suddenly interrupted by a cold rebuke from Hancock full of anger.Empress's beautiful face was now covered with frost, and her eyes that could topple the world were burning with the fire of reversed scales."If it weren't for that old man who doesn't respect his age, insisting on having this kind of reckless'sparring' with you, how could you..."She looked at the wound on Luffy's chest, her voice trembling slightly because of heartache and anger,"How could you be hurt like this?!"——————In the distant seabed, Rayleigh, who was relying on his strong vitality and willpower to fight against suffocation and serious injury, and struggling to surface, seemed to shiver in the dark:...?!—Is it possible that I am the one who was forced to accompany him to the end?Luffy on the deck blinked his eyes, recalled the process of getting more and more excited and unable to stop, and felt a little guilty in his heart:...!!—Is it possible that I was actually addicted to fighting and insisted on deciding the winner?——————————"Cough, cough,"Luffy scratched his head, deciding to throw out the most critical question first. His tone was a bit helpless and urgent,"What I want to say is, if we don't hurry up and save someone now—"He raised his hand and pointed to the edge of the terrifying whirlpool in the distance that was still roaring and rotating, as if it were the entrance to hell."—Rayleigh is going to drown in the sea!!!"On the deck, silence fell instantly.Hancock: "..."Yamato: "..."Kuja warriors: "...!!!"The anger in the Empress's eyes instantly solidified, turning into a trace of astonishment and unbelievable confusion.That legendary "Pluton"... would drown?This reality, which was too absurd but reasonable in the current situation, made everyone's thinking go blank for a moment.