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Chapter 110 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
"Ungh..."
Aki seemed to sense the looming danger. Her eyelids fluttered, and she opened her eyes, her gaze clouded with confusion.
"Ah! Who—who are you?!"
The moment she woke, she saw a massive, dark silhouette looming over her, watching her with a predatory glint. Her skin crawled. Instinctively, she clutched her pillow and scrambled back into the corner of the bed.
"Haha! Who am I? You don't need to know that," Rahn laughed. His eyes were alight with a manic, bloodthirsty excitement that made Aki feel as though she were being pricked by a thousand needles. "All you need to know is that we're here to kill you!"
Aki curled into herself, hugging her knees tighter in a desperate search for security.
"Alright, time to go," Lola said, stepping forward. A terrifying aura radiated from her hands.
"No! Please, stop!" Aki cried. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks, and her entire body trembled violently as Lola closed in.
"Illusion Break!"
Just as Lola's hand was about to make contact, she suddenly froze. A look of agonizing pain flashed across her face.
"You little...!"
Lola looked down. Aki's hands were stained crimson, gripping a sharp dagger. Blood was gushing from Lola's abdomen like a fountain.
It was something Shiro (Baishui) had told her once during a joke. He had pointed out a specific, vulnerable spot under the ribs, claiming that if a person struck there correctly, even a civilian could take down a pirate with a multi-million Berri bounty.
Aki had thought he was just teasing her. But in that moment of desperation, her strike had been true.
"I grew careless..." Lola hissed, her face pale as she pressed her hand against the wound to staunch the bleeding.
Rahn was stunned. He never expected a girl like Aki to actually wound Lola—let alone with such surgical precision and lethal force. By the time he snapped out of his shock, Lola had collapsed into a sitting position, a pool of blood the size of a basin spreading beneath her.
Just as Shiro would go berserk if Aki were in danger, Rahn lost all reason seeing Lola hurt. He didn't care that Aki was a girl or that she was defenseless. In his eyes, she was simply an enemy to be destroyed.
THWACK!
Aki's frail body was no match for Rahn. She was sent flying like a sandbag, slamming into the wall with enough force to leave a crater in the masonry. The sickening sound of snapping bones echoed through the room.
Rahn's kick had landed squarely on her midsection. If she dared to hurt his woman, he would ensure she suffered the ultimate consequence. He wanted to strip her of her very essence as a woman forever.
"Pfft!"
Aki couldn't withstand the power of Rahn's strike. She crumpled to the floor, coughing up a huge spray of blood flecked with fragments of internal organs as she struggled to prop herself up. Her face turned the color of wax; she looked like someone with one foot in the grave.
Aki had never known what it felt like to be truly broken. Now, she knew.
Her insides felt as though they were being consumed by fire, yet the pain was freezing. Her entire ribcage had been shattered into a soft, mangled mess of flesh. Every tiny movement felt like her body was being torn asunder.
"Lola, are you okay?" Rahn knelt beside her, his face etched with frantic concern.
"I'll live," Lola rasped, her usual "Ice Queen" demeanor shattered. She leaned weakly against Rahn's shoulder. "But I need medical attention. Fast."
"Yes, yes! We'll find a doctor. Right now!" Rahn said, relieved she was still conscious.
"What about her?" Lola pointed at Aki, who lay prone on the floor.
"Don't worry about her. She can't survive that kick," Rahn sneered as he scooped Lola into his arms. "Internal hemorrhaging and a shattered ribcage... I'd be impressed if she lasted the hour."
As he reached the door, Rahn paused. Dipping his foot in Aki's blood, he scrawled several words across the floor: The Killer: "Savage" Rahn.
Shiro, I'm sorry... I won't be able to watch the stars and the moon with you anymore. If there is a next life, I want to grow old with you...
Aki felt her eyelids growing heavy. The world was fading to black. With one final, silent thought, her breath hitched and stopped. A single tear traced a path down her pale cheek. Her white dress was now dyed a brilliant, tragic crimson.
"Boss! Lola's hurt!"
Rahn ran straight into Xunyang and Muyan outside. Both were shocked to see the state of their comrade.
"Save it. We're heading to sea to find a doctor. Lola can't wait!" Rahn barked, sprinting toward the harbor.
The two subordinates exchanged shrugs and followed. As for Aki? If Rahn had dealt the blow personally, there was no doubt she was dead. They could already smell the thick scent of blood wafting from the house.
At that very moment, across the island...
Shiro had just found the best jewelry smith to craft an engagement ring when he felt a sudden, sharp pang—as if a knife had been driven into his heart. He gasped, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he doubled over in agony.
"This feeling... it can't be..." Shiro hissed, clutching his chest. His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Pedestrians around him recoiled in fear, treating him like a monster as they gave him a wide berth.
Aki, please... stay safe! Shiro prayed internally.
There was only one reason his body would react this violently. Something had happened to Aki. It had to be her.
Two hours later, Shiro stepped onto the unnaturally silent Kuro Island. The sense of dread peaked, making his heart skip a beat. The island felt oppressive and cold, the whistling wind the only sound.
In the distance, he saw the wreckage of Marine ships and debris floating in the bay. Then, he found him: "Ship-Cutter" T-Bone, lying in a pool of his own blood, unconscious and gravely injured.
Shiro's heart sank. In the East Blue, who could possibly possess the power to beat T-Bone into such a state?
"Aki! Hang on!" Shiro ignored everything else and sprinted toward his home.
Before reaching the house, a small part of him clung to hope. But the moment he crossed the threshold, it felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him.
The scene before him was a nightmare. He rubbed his eyes, praying it was a hallucination. But reality is indifferent to hope.
"NO!"
Shiro fell to his knees, a harrowing cry of grief tearing from his throat. He coughed up blood, staining the floorboards red.
"WHY?!"
He howled at the ceiling like a wounded animal, a lonely silhouette of pure despair. He never thought tears could taste so bitter, or that the world could turn to monochrome in an instant.
"Aki..."
He crawled to her side and lifted her. When he saw the massive indentation in her chest, his knuckles cracked from clenching his fists so hard.
"Who did this?"
His eyes were no longer human; they were the eyes of a feral wolf that had lost everything. Then, his gaze caught the writing on the floor.
"Rahn... 'Savage' Rahn, is it? Fine. Let's see how many heads you have for me to take!"
Shiro bared his teeth in a ghoulish grin. He reached for his Den Den Mushi to call Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but suddenly, he froze.
Wait... this feeling...
He looked down. Aki's nose was twitching. A faint, nearly imperceptible breath.
"She's still breathing!"
Terrified it was a delusion, he pressed his ear to her chest. There it was—a heartbeat. Weak, thready, but present.
"Haha! There's hope! Aki, hang on! Stay with me! I'll get help!"
The crushing despair vanished, replaced by a frantic, manic joy. He almost wanted to fall to his knees and thank every god in the sky.
The only ones with the resources to save her now are the Marines. It looks like I have no choice.
In that moment, for Aki's sake, Shiro chose to abandon his life as a wanderer. He couldn't take her to Drum Island—the climate was too harsh, and she needed surgery immediately. He couldn't leave her side to find a doctor elsewhere.
The Marines were the only safe bet. He dialed the Den Den Mushi.
"Hello? Fleet Admiral Sengoku? I'm joining the Marines. But on one condition: you save someone for me!"
Shiro spoke before Sengoku could even say hello. His tone was cold, absolute, and devoid of emotion. It made Sengoku frown on the other end; he had never heard Shiro sound so... dead inside.
"Fine. You've finally come to your senses. I welcome you to the Marines."
Sengoku wasn't about to pass up a talent like Shiro. As for saving a life? The medical staff at Marineford were the best in the world.
"Fleet Admiral, I need you to find someone else for me. This is important. Vital."
"Who?" Sengoku asked, curious.
"Savage Rahn," Shiro spat.
Sengoku's brow furrowed. "What do you want with him?"
The name was familiar. Just days ago, reports had crossed his desk about Rahn attacking several Marine branches in the East Blue. Until those reports, Sengoku hadn't even realized that "Saber-toothed Tiger" Torsen was Rahn's younger brother.
"Rahn, epithet 'Savage.' A North Blue pirate with a 200 million Berri bounty. You captured his brother, Torsen," Sengoku recited from memory. "His crew is small but elite: 'Illusion Queen' Lola, 98 million; 'Boiling Man' Muyan, 120 million; and 'Acid Ghost' Xunyang, 140 million. They are a dangerous group."
"200 million, huh... click."
The line went dead.
"That kid... what's the rush?" Sengoku muttered, bewildered. Then it hit him. "A 200 million Berri pirate is a lot of pressure for a new recruit. Is he going after them already?"
"So, a 200 million Berri bounty is why you're so arrogant," Shiro whispered to the empty room. "Good. You hurt Aki. The only way to settle this is with your head."
He dialed another number—the Marine base at Ship-Cutter Island.
"Major Reggie? T-Bone has been critically injured on Kuro Island. Send a medical team immediately!"
The news sent a shockwave through the branch. T-Bone, defeated? It seemed impossible, but they recognized Shiro's voice. They didn't stop to wonder why Shiro was unharmed while a Captain was down; they just scrambled.
By the time Reggie arrived at Kuro Island and found the unconscious T-Bone, Shiro was already gone. He had taken a Marine ship and was pushing it to its absolute limits toward Marineford.
Despite being in the East Blue, Shiro was determined to get her to the HQ surgeons. In Marineford, Sengoku had already cleared a landing strip and gathered the top trauma surgeons. He had heard the desperation in Shiro's voice.
A day later, Shiro arrived at Marineford, looking haggard and exhausted. Vice Admiral Garp was waiting at the docks.
"What happened?" Garp asked, seeing the raw agony on the young man's face.
"Aki is dying," Shiro said bluntly.
"Who did it?" Garp's face darkened instantly.
"I'll handle it myself," Shiro replied, his teeth grinding together. "I'll make them pay for every drop of blood she lost."
"Relax. Now that she's at HQ, she'll be in good hands," Garp said, patting Shiro's shoulder. "But you—have you really thought this through? Joining the Marines?"
"Once you're in, you can't just walk away until your service is up. If you desert, you're a traitor. And if that happens... I might be the one sent to hunt you down."
"I'm certain," Shiro said without hesitation. "Only the Marines have the power to keep her safe. Being a pirate, a drifter, or even joining the Revolutionary Army... none of that guarantees her safety like this."
"Good!" Garp slapped Shiro's shoulder with a grin that made Shiro wince. Dammit, that hurts!
"So, are you enlisting now, or after you get your revenge?"
"Heh, you know me too well, old man. I'm enlisting after I find Rahn. I can't find peace until I have him in my grasp."
Aki was whisked away to the ICU. Shiro and Garp waited outside.
As the adrenaline wore off, terror began to seep in. What if even the Marine doctors couldn't save her? Her body was so fragile. It was a miracle she hadn't died on the spot.
He paced the long, sterile corridors of the hospital. Every time he turned, he looked at the red "In Surgery" light, praying it would turn green. He looked small, helpless—like a child lost in the dark.
Ten hours passed. Garp sat like a stone statue on the bench, while Shiro had walked miles in circles. Finally, the light changed.
"Aki!" Shiro lunged toward the door.
"Easy, Shiro," Garp cautioned, grabbing his arm. "A green light doesn't always mean success. It could just mean they've finished... and she didn't make it."
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Shiro roared, snapping around and grabbing Garp by the collar, his face a mask of fury.