Chapter 389 - 228

Chapter 228: The Roar of Justice and the straw hat's Ruckus!"The most urgent task is to find out the exact time Golden Lion appeared, and where he's headed next!"Fujitora's voice was as heavy as ice, as if emerging from a frozen abyss.His knuckles, gripping the cane sword, were white and bloodless, the intensity almost embedding them into the hilt.It wasn't the first time he had encountered such a hellish scene.It was precisely because he had seen too much that he had personally gouged out his own eyes.Rather than watching the endless tragedies of this world, it was better to plunge into eternal darkness.But what peace could darkness bring?The despair and wailing'seen' through Observation Haki were more real and heartbreaking than seeing with his eyes, impossible to avoid.The evil of this world was suffocatingly thick, a congealed stain of blood at the bottom of his heart, dragging his conscience into the abyss, making every breath feel like a suffocating prick.Even he, an Admiral, was almost choked by this turbid air.Every breath was laden with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and whenever his Observation Haki spread out, it encountered recently cooled departed souls.This heavy weight made the wooden clogs on his feet feel as if they were stuck in mud, making every step an effort.But at this moment, surging anger and gut-wrenching sorrow burned hot in his chest, forging into a sharp, straight beam of light.He slightly raised his weather-beaten face, and though his eyes could not see, he seemed to 'fix' his gaze precisely on the direction Golden Lion had fled, on the resentment formed by countless wronged souls, and their unspoken expectations."Find him."Fujitora's voice wasn't loud, but each word was like a nail, driven firmly into the air, carrying an undeniable resolve."Then, slaughter Golden Lion Shiki."He paused, his cane sword gently tapping the ground, the tip shaking loose crumbling stones, and an invisible pressure spread out inch by inch from him."For all those who died unjustly, whose blood hasn't even cooled yet...""Demand blood for blood!"..."Admiral Fujitora, report!"A messenger soldier strode over, skidding to a halt amidst the rubble, his chest heaving from the rapid run.He glanced at the hellish scene around him, swallowed hard, and his voice trembled:"Preliminary questioning of survivors... confirmed, Golden Lion Shiki and his fleet suddenly stormed this island three hours ago!"He took a deep breath, as if the next words weighed a thousand pounds:"Before he left, he declared his next target—"The soldier's throat seemed to be choked by something; after half a second, he finally shouted the name with all his might:"It's... Alabasta!"These five words were like an ice pick, instantly piercing the deadly silence in the air.From Yamakaji to Onigumo, all the Marine generals present froze.Even the soldiers busy with rescue work instinctively stopped, looking over with shocked expressions.Alabasta.This was not just the name of a World Governmentaffiliated country.It was an ancient kingdom ruled by the Nefertari family, one of the twenty 'creators' who founded the World Government, with a lineage traceable back eight hundred years.It was also the only 'original royal family' that refused to move to Holy Land Mary Geoise to enjoy a comfortable life, choosing instead to remain in their homeland.The symbolic significance and political weight of this kingdom within the World Government were far greater than that of ordinary affiliated countries.If a legendary great pirate like Golden Lion set his sights on Alabasta, the resulting shock would undoubtedly be a hundred times more devastating than the tragedy on this island.That would be more than just the devastation of a city; it would be a slap in the face to the World Government, enough to ignite a political storm across the entire Grand Line, and even the whole world.By then, the pressure the Marines would face from Mary Geoise would be unimaginable.In the deadly silence, only the whimpering of the wind passed through the ruins.Fujitora's Observation Haki spread out silently,'seeing' everything around him clearly.He'saw' the solemn faces of the generals, the unconcealed fear in the soldiers' eyes; he also'saw' in the distance, the dozen or so people who had luckily survived.They huddled among the broken walls, wrapped in blood-stained blankets, their eyes hollow as they gazed at their ruined homes.But deep within those hollow eyes, there was not only despair. There was also something burning hot, almost bursting from their chests.It was the bone-deep hatred for the perpetrators after witnessing everything being taken away and loved ones being slaughtered, a monstrous rage that wished to devour their flesh and flay their skin.This rage was so fierce that it even overshadowed their own grief and fear.Fujitora's face was taut like a cold, hard stone.He slowly turned, facing the vast sea, which now seemed stained with blood, and his cane sword struck the ground heavily."Immediately use the highest emergency channel to contact Marineford directly!"His voice was no longer deep; instead, it was like a drawn sword, cutting through the heavy air with decisive clarity:"Report the crisis in Alabasta and request the highest level of response!""At the same time, directly order AdmiralBorsalino. Tell him to rush to Alabasta with the fastest speed!""Tell him that what happened here must not be repeated in another country!"The sea breeze lifted his wide robes; he seemed to'see' Golden Lion's flamboyant golden hair and his arrogant smiling face, approaching the ancient kingdom step by step.The veins on his hand, gripping the cane sword, bulged one by one.After a moment of silence, Fujitora's voice sounded again. This time, every word was like an iron vow squeezed from his lungs, heavily impacting the heart of every Marine:"This time...""The Marine's 'justice'—""Must not be late again!!"...At the very same moment, hundreds of nautical miles away from that hell on earth.The Grand Line's sun was warm and somewhat languid, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, brushed against the sunny's orange-and-yellow sails.The clamor and vitality on the deck were like two completely different worlds compared to the tragedy over there."Four of a kind, Twos!!"Usopp slammed four cards onto the lawn, his voice trembling with excitement, the only eye not covered by a paper strip glinting with the light of a 'comeback victory'.He brought his face extremely close to Luffy's, his long nose almost poking the other's face:"Hahahaha! Luffy! You're out of moves now! Ace Bomb! It's your turn!"In the center of the lawn, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper sat cross-legged, a pile of hand-drawn playing cards, with crooked, somewhat crude edges, spread out between them.Usopp and Chopper's faces were already covered in white strips, making them look like two comical scarecrows, with only their eyes and mouths visible.Luffy, on the other hand, had a clean face, sporting the 'innocent' smile unique to a winner."It's... over..."Chopper looked at his messy hand of cards, then at Usopp's last remaining card, his two reindeer ears drooping dejectedly, "Usopp only has one left...""Hehe!"Luffy grinned, revealing his signature white teeth, casually drew two cards from the pile, and with a flick of his wrist,'slapped' them onto Usopp's 'four of a kind, Twos',"Double Aces!"The air instantly froze.Usopp and Chopper's eyes simultaneously widened, their jaws almost dropping to the ground.Then, Luffy slowly, with an infuriating leisureliness, flicked out another card."A Four!""Pass..." Usopp muttered weakly.He clutched his last card tightly, beads of sweat the size of beans trickling down his forehead, sliding along the edge of the paper strip.His fingers trembled incessantly on the card, as if it were burning hot."Yay! I won!"Luffy cheered, raising his hands high, leaning back, and falling directly onto the lawn, laughing carefree:"So your last card was a weakling, Usopp! Hehehehehe!""You—bastard——!!"After a brief moment of stunned silence, Usopp, like a lit firecracker, sprang up from the ground.With a standard 'long-nose charge,' he pounced on Luffy, poking his rubbery face with his long nose:"Thirty-seven rounds! It's been thirty-seven rounds!! And you don't have a single paper strip on your face!!""Tell me! Did you use Observation Haki to peek at our cards?!""Wh-what are you talking about..."Luffy's cheeks were distorted from the poking, his eyes guiltily drifting towards the cloudless blue sky, and he started whistling an off-key tune,"Whoosh whoosh whoosh... It-it's just that I'm particularly lucky today! Right, Chopper?""Liar!" Even the usually easily persuaded Chopperpuffed out his cheeks, pointing at Luffy and shouting,"Your heart was racing just now! I heard it clearly! A doctor's ears are very sharp!""Busted!"Usopp simply straddled Luffy, wrapping his arms around his neck,"What about fair play and friendship first! You're being a cheat! This is shameful cheating!""Gomu Gomu... Denied!"Chopper also joined the 'crusade,' tiptoeing to scratch Luffy's ticklish spots."Ahahaha! That tickles! Stop it!"Luffy squirmed to dodge, while arguing stubbornly, "Zoro said! 'It's not cheating if you don't get caught!'""That's Mosshead's twisted logic! And you've already been caught!" Usopp roared in anger."I'm never playing cards with Luffy again! Absolutely!" Chopper announced indignantly, turning as if to leave."Eh?! Chopper! Don't go! Let me explain!"Luffy instantly stretched out his arm, pulling the little reindeer back.The three of them immediately rolled into a ball on the lawn, causing a ruckus.For a moment, the sunny's deck was in chaos.Luffy's exaggerated laughter and screams, Usopp's roars, and Chopper's indignant protests almost blew the roof off the ship."These rascals..."Sanji leaned against the kitchen doorframe, a wisp of blue smoke rising from the cigarette in his mouth.He shook his head helplessly, but his usually sharp peach blossom eyes curved into a gentle arc, and a smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of his mouth.Meanwhile, in the shadows at the edge of the deck."I give up."Trafalgar Law, holding kikoku, leaned against the ship's rail, exuding a strong aura of 'having nothing left to live for'.He glanced at the three seemingly eternally childish individuals, then quickly averted his gaze, as if another second of looking would defile his noble 'Surgeon of Death' demeanor."Is this a Four Emperors crew, or some unlicensed daycare?!"He roared silently in his heart.This is too ridiculous! It really is too ridiculous!That's Monkey D. Luffy! The Fourth emperor of the sea of the New World, with a bounty of 3,946,000,000 Berries, who turned the Marineford War upside down, a formidable character who dared to challenge the World Government!Theoretically, his core crew members, even if not all fierce and intimidating, should at least be calm and competent elites, right?But what did he get?A foolish Captain who cheats at cards using Observation Haki and stubbornly denies it!A long-nosed sniper who pounces and pokes people with his nose when he loses!And a reindeer doctor who, despite being tricked, tried to reason, and finally got angry enough to join the melee... surrounded by a laughing perverted cyborg, a skeleton musician who loved to watch the chaos, and a cook who complained endlessly but had incredibly gentle eyes... Where was the oppressive and dangerous aura a 'emperor of the sea's' crew should have?!The art style is completely off the rails!Law felt his common sense and worldview being thoroughly shattered on this noisy ship, leaving not even a speck behind.He quietly pulled his hat brim down, trying to block out all the overly vibrant noise.Just then."Creak."The door to the luxurious cabin near the ship's interior was gently pushed open.Nami, who had just finished tidying the room, emerged.She had changed out of her usual practical clothes and into a well-fitted white mini dress, the hem gently swaying with her steps, outlining her graceful curves.She wore exquisite white high heels, which made her calves appear even more slender and long. Her orange hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders, and simple gem earrings adorned her earlobes.The sunlight fell upon her, making her look fresh and radiant, so fashionable that one couldn't take their eyes off her.She still had a satisfied smile from tidying the room, and she elegantly closed the door behind her.