LightReader

Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Come at Me, One by One

In the aftermath of the Summit War, the people of Fish-Man Island had developed an unwavering belief—any human who arrived at their home was an enemy, a bringer of persecution.

This conviction had become deeply ingrained in their hearts.

The sudden influx of pirates gathering at Gyoncorde Plaza, as well as the presence of Charlotte Smoothie, one of the Three Sweet Commanders under the Yonko Big Mom—both posed undeniable threats to Fish-Man Island.

Yet, Maude had descended upon them like a savior. First, he had purged the pirates at the plaza. Then, in just a few moves, he had overwhelmed Smoothie, a top officer of the Big Mom Pirates.

His actions had shaken the very foundation of the towering hatred that had been built upon the countless corpses of their kin. Perhaps, he might even tear that foundation apart entirely.

Hody Jones, however, would never allow that to happen.

"Leave no one alive! Kill everyone in Ryugu Palace!!!"

Jones, fully aware of his intentions, exuded a murderous aura so frigid it could chill one's bones.

He had no idea what was happening inside Ryugu Palace at that moment.

But one thing was certain—Maude, who had emerged from the palace, was undoubtedly the one responsible for capturing Princess Shirahoshi.

That accusation alone was enough.

Once they slaughtered everyone in Ryugu Palace without a trace, the blame would naturally fall on Maude.

And with the corpses of Neptune's family and the royal guards, the final brick of his Tower of Hatred would be laid.

Peace? Stability?

Nonsense.

Fish-Men and humans were meant to be at war—to the death.

His cold-blooded killing intent was interwoven with a madness that saw the lives of his own people as nothing more than fodder.

"Captain Jones hasn't even taken 'Energy Steroids'…"

The officers and crew of the New Fish-Man Pirates looked at Jones in shock.

Save for a few, the rest were already trembling from the sheer bloodlust radiating from their captain.

"Move! Every second counts!"

Jones strode out of the chamber onto Fish-Man District's streets, gazing up at Ryugu Palace.

"The will I inherit is the only true path!!!"

"Humans, who can't even breathe underwater, are nothing but livestock meant to crawl beneath our feet!!!"

...

At Gyoncorde Plaza, the fall of Charlotte Smoothie had shattered the last remnants of hope within the Big Mom Pirates.

Already at a disadvantage, their morale crumbled further, and the battle turned into a full-blown rout.

The outcome was no longer in doubt.

"Hoho… The Yonko, Big Mom, huh…?"

Lafitte licked his blood-red lips, his rarely unleashed killing intent surging forth as he eyed an approaching captain-level opponent.

"Well, this was inevitable."

With a flash of his figure, Lafitte moved past the enemy in a streak of steel and shadow.

A spray of blood arced through the air.

The captain's face twisted in shock as he looked down at the fatal wound on his chest.

"The… Maude Pirates…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed lifelessly.

Having dispatched a formidable opponent, Lafitte twirled his cane sword elegantly before sheathing it.

Then, his gaze turned toward Maude, who remained seated upon his dark throne. The madness and bloodlust in Lafitte's eyes swiftly receded, replaced by a calm smile.

His kill seemed to have set off a chain reaction, as Brook and the others followed suit, eliminating their own formidable foes.

After all, the Big Mom Pirates were no ordinary crew. Led by one of the Sweet Commanders, every member of this force was proficient in Armament Haki—they were no mere cannon fodder.

As their core fighters fell one after another, the battle neared its conclusion.

Yet, despite suffering grievous wounds, Smoothie remained standing.

Her body had visibly shrunk, a result of expending her own fluids, yet she clutched her longsword tightly.

Though battered and bloodied, her fighting spirit had not waned.

"It's not over yet!"

The pride of a Sweet Commander compelled Smoothie to lift her sword once more.

The blade shimmered, fluid flowing along its edge.

Dehydration Blade!

She swung her sword in a furious slash toward Maude.

A pink-tinged wave of sword energy surged forward, carrying an overwhelming force capable of tearing apart anything in its path.

The pink radiance illuminated Maude's figure.

But he remained utterly unfazed.

As if that deadly, razor-sharp attack was nothing more than a passing breeze.

"Huh?"

Seeing Maude's indifference, Smoothie gritted her teeth, the humiliation of defeat magnified tenfold in that instant.

"Room."

As the pink glow enveloped the battlefield, a deep, magnetic voice echoed.

A translucent domain materialized, encompassing both Maude and Smoothie.

"Shambles!"

With a simple flick of his fingers, Law made the Dehydration Blade vanish into thin air.

A second later, the same attack reappeared behind Maude, hurtling harmlessly into the distance, triggering a violent explosion far away.

"What?!"

Smoothie's eyes widened in shock.

Law, who had just used his Op-Op Fruit's ability to divert the attack, paid no heed to Smoothie's reaction.

Instead, he stepped toward the throne, tilting his head as he gazed at Maude, who sat as if nothing had happened.

"You're way too calm, Maude…"

Law sighed. "If I had been just a second slower, that attack would've hit you right in the face."

Before Maude could reply, Jim's voice cut in.

"Even if you were slower, it's fine. I would've blocked it for Captain."

Law glanced over to see Jim standing on the other side of the throne, his Zoan-transformed form accentuated by three sharp horns jutting from his head and snout.

"With what?" Law asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My body."

Jim's deep voice carried absolute certainty.

"Your body…? You do realize she's a Sweet Commander, right?!"

"I do. But that attack wouldn't have killed me. And if I took it head-on, my regeneration speed would probably improve a little."

"Then should I 'compensate' you with two cuts?"

Law's brow twitched as he thumbed the hilt of Kikoku.

"Go ahead, but don't use that weird power that cuts without real damage."

Jim's answer was straightforward.

"…"

Seeing that Jim was dead serious, Law's lips twitched.

Is this guy… some kind of battle masochist?

He let out a sigh and gave up arguing.

Jim, noticing Law's lack of action, tilted his head. "Not gonna do it?"

Law simply turned away, ignoring him completely.

"Yohohoho… I was hoping to experience a Sweet Commander's power firsthand."

Brook strode in gracefully, sliding his cane sword back into its sheath as he walked.

Clearly, he too had been ready to intercept Smoothie's attack just now.

"Brook, you're all bones. Could you really have blocked it?" Jim asked, curious.

"Probably." Brook tipped his hat with a chuckle.

"You guys…"

Law glanced between Brook and Jim, exasperated.

"Are you seriously arguing over something this trivial? How much free time do you have?"

Perona floated over with her little parasol, gently landing on the back of the throne and casually sitting down.

Adjusting her posture slightly, she looked at Brook and the others with a deadpan expression.

Seeing Perona perched on the chair's backrest, Bailey instantly reverted to his original form, jumped onto the backrest, and waved his tiny paws in an attempt to shoo her away with a look of disdain.

"!"

A cross-shaped vein bulged on Perona's forehead. Closing her parasol, she swung it down toward Bailey's head.

Bailey dodged backward and scoffed, "Smelly Chest Girl."

"W-What did you just call me?! You stinky weasel, go to hell!"

Perona was momentarily stunned before flying into a rage, jabbing her parasol furiously at Bailey.

"Smelly Chest Girl, just die already!"

Bailey furrowed his thick black brows, leaping up to exchange blows with Perona in an all-out scuffle.

"..."

Watching Perona and Bailey brawl atop the throne's backrest, Maude's forehead twitched with irritation.

Jim and Brook couldn't help but be drawn to the spectacle, momentarily distracted.

Meanwhile, Law, his eyes dull and weary, massaged his forehead but remained vigilant, keeping his gaze locked onto Smoothie.

The battle was far from over.

Yet Maude's crew was busy engaging in… roughhousing.

Smoothie's face darkened, nearly turning black with rage.

As one of the Sweet Commanders, when had she ever been humiliated like this?

Dehydration Blade!

Fueled by burning fury, Smoothie swung her sword with all her might, unleashing a pink blade of compressed moisture rippling with power toward Maude.

Law instinctively prepared to use Room to neutralize the attack, but noticing Jim and Brook itching to step in, he decided against it.

Just as he expected, Jim and Brook immediately moved in front of Maude, ready to intercept Smoothie's attack.

However, before they could engage, a white figure suddenly cut in.

It was Lafitte, in his half-beast transformation. With narrowed eyes, he swung his sword against the pink sword energy.

Slash! Slash!

The force behind the attack pushed Lafitte back four or five meters.

"Hoho… As expected of one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders."

Feeling the power of the Dehydration Blade, a fervent excitement flickered in Lafitte's half-lidded eyes.

It had been so long…

Since he'd faced an opponent of this caliber.

Unfortunately, she was already heavily injured.

Lafitte's sword-wielding arm, coated in Armament Haki, tensed with power as he forcefully deflected the pink energy slash aside.

The attack veered off course, slicing through the ground and heading straight for the rocky cliffs at the plaza's edge.

Boom!

A towering rock formation was cleaved in two, its severed halves sent flying before crashing down with a thunderous impact.

Lafitte smirked at the destruction caused by Smoothie, his battle spirit reignited.

Even a wounded Sweet Commander was still a worthy opponent.

Seeing Lafitte handle Smoothie's attack alone, Jim and Brook—who had been eager to fight—immediately felt disappointed.

Since Lafitte was their senior, they couldn't complain outright.

Meanwhile, the scuffle atop the throne's backrest continued.

Maude couldn't be bothered to stop Bailey and Perona. Resting his chin on his hand, he calmly looked at the furious Smoothie.

"Lafitte, Jim, Brook, Law—this is a good chance for some practice. Take turns fighting her."

"I'll pass."

Law immediately refused.

Maude gave him a look.

Under the pressure of Maude's gaze, Law sighed in resignation and muttered, "Fine."

"Hoho, then I'll go first."

Lafitte eagerly stepped forward, his desire for battle stoked by Smoothie's previous attack.

"I'll be next."

Jim was just as eager.

Brook, though hoping to go second, accepted the unspoken hierarchy and didn't protest.

As for Law, who wasn't particularly interested in fighting, he didn't care about going last. In fact, he secretly hoped Lafitte and the others would take Smoothie down before he had to step in.

"That woman looks severely injured. She won't last long. Want me to patch her up a little? That way, you can enjoy your 'practice' a bit more."

Philo, wearing her signature crow mask and exuding an overbearing presence, had silently approached the throne. She offered the suggestion in an indifferent tone, as if merely fixing a worn-out piece of furniture.

"You bastards…!!!"

Being treated with such blatant disdain and ridicule, Smoothie was on the verge of coughing up blood.

Maude, unconcerned with his enemy's emotions, said flatly, "Don't waste time. Get to it. But leave her breathing."

"Hoho, understood!"

Lafitte's pale face twisted into a frenzied grin as he lunged at Smoothie like a blade.

Maude's decision was an undeniable act of oppression against Smoothie.

Someone who had spent her life wringing others dry…

Was now the one being drained dry.

Meanwhile, the conflict in the plaza was far from over.

The hundreds of pirates who had fled earlier had reached Coral Hill, the port town.

Without pausing for even a second, they rushed toward their ships, desperate to leave this forsaken place.

Thoughts of plundering riches had long since vanished the moment they saw Maude.

Within minutes, numerous pirate ships activated their bubble membranes and set sail for the exit of Fish-Man Island.

Before long, over a dozen pirate vessels had emerged from the depths of the sea, sailing away.

"We actually made it out…"

"Thank god!"

On the decks of the fleeing ships, pirates breathed sighs of relief, barely believing their luck.

They truly had reason to be grateful.

In Hody Jones's original plan, any pirate ship leaving Fish-Man Island was a target for destruction.

But at this moment, the New Fish-Man Pirates had already reached the turbulent current shielding Ryugu Kingdom. They had no time to intercept the escaping ships.

"Move in."

Jones was the first to charge into the chaotic currents surrounding the palace.

Only Fish-Men could navigate such waters and break into Ryugu Kingdom.

As Jones vanished into the turbulence, his crew quickly followed suit.

Minutes later, under Jones's leadership, the New Fish-Man Pirates successfully infiltrated the palace.

What they saw were the unconscious bodies of Ryugu Kingdom's soldiers strewn across the floor.

"Hah?"

Jones was momentarily surprised by the scene before his lips curled into a cruel grin.

"Well, this makes things easier."

He strode forward and stomped down on the head of a nearby soldier.

Crunch.

With a sickening sound, the soldier perished instantly.

"Kill them all."

With a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes, Jones led the massacre of the defenseless soldiers.

The slaughter was swift, and soon, the palace floor was awash with blood.

Covered in gore, Jones finally reached the entrance to the palace chambers, where he spotted Neptune and his three sons, bound and restrained.

"Ha! What a joke."

Staring at Neptune, Jones sneered, "The so-called 'Great Knight of the Sea'… yet you couldn't even protect your own palace."

"Hody Jones!"

Neptune and his sons gasped at the sight of Jones approaching from behind the palace.

Their eyes quickly fell on the blood staining his body.

"That blood on you…!!?"

"Heh."

Jones' sinister grin widened, his razor-sharp teeth gleaming.

His unrestrained killing intent sent a chill down their spines.

—————————

Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parentheses ( )]

NOTE: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon!

More Chapters