Chapter 487 Luffy, I'm Not Going to Be a Pirate
A series of chaotic sounds rang out in his ears, and Sabo could no longer hold on, fainting.
Sabo once thought the word "Justice" was hypocritical. After all, growing up hearing and seeing it, he knew that those Noble and Upper-class People openly despised this spirit.
But today, seeing a stranger from the Navy dare to wield his Sword against an Enemy countless times stronger than himself for the sake of ordinary Civilians, this act of knowing he might die yet still not retreating truly shook Sabo's heart.
Perhaps the Navy is filled with some scum, but more of them are striving for these two words, dedicating their entire Life, even their lives.
He used to have a better impression of Pirates, feeling that they were free, bold, and unrestrained, able to do anything they wanted.
But this Battle taught him a lesson. Perhaps there are Good Person among Pirates, but more of them are like those guys who attacked Windmill Village today.
Thinking of the Villager who died tragically before his Eyes, Sabo suddenly woke up from the Bed and sat up, looking down at the Bandage on his Chest. Sabo realized that Everything was over.
Windmill Village, inside the Navy Temporary Garrison.
"Vice Admiral Garp, the injured Villager have all received treatment. Colonel T-Bone has also escaped danger after emergency treatment. The Villager who died in Windmill Village have all been buried. However, according to the News from the Soldier we sent to the Royal Capital, the Royal Capital of Goa Kingdom has completely turned into Ruins."
A man wearing a Suit, a Hat, a Justice Coat, a Long Sword at his Waist, and Sunglasses reported.
"Everything has been properly arranged, not bad, Bogart."
"How are those two Kids now?"
Vice Admiral Garp asked, looking at his Vice-Captain.
Although Sabo and Luffy's Strength was already quite good in the East Blue, it was clearly not enough compared to the Great Pirate Valdo. The absolute Gap in Strength is not so easily bridged.
"They've both woken up, but they seem to have suffered a considerable Blow."
Bogart hesitated for a moment and sighed softly. Someone had notified him as soon as the two woke up. Knowing the relationship between these two and Garp, he went to check on them as soon as possible, but their State was indeed a bit bad.
Garp was taken aback, then moved his Foot.
"Go take a look!"
Before long, two more Figures appeared in Sabo's Room. As for the original medical staff, they were dismissed.
Garp casually pulled over a Chair and sat opposite him.
Sabo leaned against the Bed, glanced at him, then lowered his head.
The Room was silent, and neither of them spoke first.
"Tell me your Feel, Sabo!"
After a long Silence, Garp spoke first.
"..."
Sabo remained silent in response to Garp's question.
"Speak up, after all, you had the Opportunity to have such close contact with the Pirates you yearn for, talk about your Feel."
Garp said in a deep voice, his Tone becoming very serious when he mentioned yearning.
Even when he saw the tragic state of Windmill Village, he was incredibly angry.
Sabo was silent, not answering.
The Death of the Village Chief and familiar Villager, Dadan's unknown Life or Death, and the Village destroyed by Pirates made him completely unable to say Anything at this moment.
"About your Family, my condolences..."
Speaking of this, Garp suddenly paused and didn't continue.
The Room fell silent again. He originally wanted to Taunt these little guys' Ideal of wanting to be Pirates, but after seeing Sabo's State, he didn't want to say it anymore.
After a long while, Garp suddenly spoke.
"Sabo, are you willing to become a Marine? Like T-Bone, the Marine who desperately protected you that day."
Hearing these Words, Sabo slowly raised his head. In his Eyes, the Figure of the Marine who braced his Seriously Injured Body and used his Flesh and Blood Body to block the Shell flying towards ordinary Civilians seemed to reappear.
He stared into Garp's Eyes and answered with utmost seriousness.
"I might regret it for a while if I don't become a Pirate, but if I don't become a Marine, I will regret it for a Life!"
Hearing these Words, Garp's Eyes lit up, quite satisfied with Sabo's answer.
"You will definitely become a great Marine!"
Garp stood up and walked towards the door. There was still a Troublesome Kid waiting for him to visit.
"Thank you!"
Sabo thanked him seriously. He somewhat understood Garp's good intentions when they were young.
"Vice Admiral Garp, what about Valdo? We've been delayed here for too much Time."
Vice-Captain Bogart beside Garp reminded him softly.
Valdo is a Great Pirate famous in the World after all, and ordinary Navy are not Opponent at all, while the other three Admirals are staring at the New World and have no spare Energy.
"Don't worry, that Weapon is dead for sure. There's a terrifying guy in a state of rage who will get rid of him for us."
Garp said with certainty. After all, when he received the News that day and rushed to Windmill Village, he also captured a familiar Aura coming from the Distant Sky, in a state of rage. Even he himself would not dare to say that he could contend with that guy, let alone Valdo, who had been imprisoned in Impel Down for so many years and whose vitality had long been depleted.
In the blink of an Eye, three days had passed since the Goa Kingdom was attacked.
On this day, Sabo was finally able to move his Form simply.
He used all his Strength to struggle down from the Sickbed, then used the Cane beside him to support his Body and walked outside.
"Sabo, the Doctor said your Body hasn't fully recovered yet, you can't move around!"
Luffy's anxious Sound rang out, but Sabo's Complexion was Calm.
"Take me to see the Village Chief."
Luffy, who was familiar with Sabo, of course knew that Sabo was Seriously, and for a Time, he didn't know what to say.
"Where are you going?"
Garp and Bogart appeared, looking at Sabo and asked in a deep voice.
"Go see those dead Villager!"
Sabo raised his head, sweat beading on his Forehead due to the severe pain in his Body, and his Form was also trembling, but his Eyes were very firm.
Hearing these Words, Garp didn't say anything more, just waved his Hand: "Luffy, take him there!"
Half an hour later, the Back Mountain not far from Windmill Village.
In front of them was a newly built Grave, and in front of each Grave was a simple Tombstone made of Timber, with familiar names written on it.
In front of one Tombstone, there were some Thing and bunches of Flower placed, among which the most conspicuous was a roughly made Rag Doll.
The breeze gently blew, making Sabo Feel suffocated in his Inner Thoughts.
He took a deep breath, wanting to vent the knot in his Inner Thoughts, but he felt even more uncomfortable.
"Luffy, I'm not going to be a Pirate anymore."
Looking at the Tombstone in front of him, Sabo said seriously.
"But, Sabo, didn't we make an appointment with Ace?"
Hearing Ace's name, Luffy immediately asked anxiously.
But Sabo just looked at the Tombstone in front of him, without explaining Anything.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 488 Dorag, I Understood
Sabo didn't explain too much. After all, Luffy was too simple-minded. But it was precisely because of this personality that he *is* Luffy.
"Sabo, you've arrived." When he arrived at the door of Garp's Temporary Office, Bogart, who was standing outside, greeted him with a smile.
Sabo responded politely. He knew that the other party was Garp's Vice-Captain, and for a long time to come, he would be learning from him.
"Lord Garp has been waiting for you for a long time, quickly go in!" Bogart said with a smile, then pushed open the door, gesturing for him to enter. Clearly, their short time together had made Bogart quite satisfied with this young man.
After Sabo entered the Office, the first thing he saw was Garp, who had none of the airs of an Elite Headquarters Vice Admiral. At this moment, he was casually resting his feet on the desk, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
"Hmm? Sabo, you've arrived! And how many times have I told you, don't call me Vice Admiral, call me Grandpa." Garp, seeing Sabo standing in front of him, looked up and said with a smile.
Hearing Garp's words, Bogart realized that Sabo's status in Garp's heart had risen another level. He knew that in the Marine Headquarters, although the Vice Admiral Garp in front of him was a nice guy and friendly to everyone, Bogart knew that, apart from Sengoku and Tsuru, he had a slight sense of detachment from his Navy Colleagues.
"Grandpa Garp, what did you call me here for?" Sabo asked.
During this time, Sabo learned many things he didn't know before from Bogart, and Bogart also frankly told Sabo about the problems and good aspects of the Navy.
In Bogart's words, although there are some Parasites within the Navy, compared to the thousands upon thousands of Marines who fight Pirates for Ordinary People, those problems are minor. At the same time, he also hoped that Sabo could become a good Marine who upholds his own Justice in the future, engraving Justice and protecting the Weakness into his Instinct.
"Sabo, Grandpa wants to ask you, is that Kid Luffy still thinking about becoming the Pirate King?" Mentioning his grandson, Garp felt a headache for a moment and said to Sabo with some helplessness.
Back then, because he was busy fighting Pirates, and also because of that good-for-nothing eldest Son who dumped Luffy on him and disappeared, Garp had always had a headache regarding Luffy's Education.
Originally, when he was a child, it was okay. Although Luffy was a bit naughty, he was at least manageable. But it was because of the time he was away that Shanks took advantage of the Gap and made Luffy go astray.
Even after hearing the News that Shanks had been in contact with Luffy for a long time, Garp's first reaction was that Shanks had ulterior motives.
After all, whether it was himself, who had great prestige in the Navy, or Dorag, who ran around the World and had inextricable links with a certain guy, and who thought about overthrowing the World Government all day long, both were Existences that could have a Huge impact on the Balance of this World.
And as his grandson, Dorag's Son, with relationships to both the Navy and the Revolutionary Army, Luffy's Future was destined to be different.
This made Sabo stunned. He really didn't expect that Navy Hero Vice Admiral Garp would also have a headache about his grandson's Education Problem.
While he was in a daze, Garp had already pushed a pile of Documents in front of him. "Take a look!" Sabo stepped forward, picked up the Documents, and began to read through them.
During this time, because he was in the East Blue, the outside Situation and Information could only be understood through Documents sent from Marine Headquarters.
It seemed that because Impel Down was breached and a large number of dangerous elements escaped, Various Locations Worldwide had fallen into Turmoil.
In just a few days, countless Places had suffered Pirate Attacks and Plunder.
It was difficult to say whether this phenomenon was due to the Retaliation venting behavior of those Impel Down guys after escaping Impel Down, or because the Pirates believed that with the appearance of those Villains in Impel Down, the Navy's Military Strength in Various Locations Worldwide would become Weakness, so they became unscrupulous in their actions.
In short, the fact that these Pirates acted almost simultaneously in a short period of Time brought unimaginable Disasters to countless Ordinary People.
Even Member Nations protected by the World Government were also subjected to Threats from Pirates. As for those Non-World Government Affiliated Nation, they had become Hell on earth.
It was as if this period of Time had become a Revelry for Pirates. As long as it was a prosperous Place, you could almost see arrogant Pirates.
The constant News of requests for help coming from Various Locations Worldwide made Marine Headquarters somewhat overwhelmed.
In order to quickly replenish the Gap in Military Resources, the Navy launched a large-scale World Conscription Action.
This Conscription mainly targeted middle and lower-level Navy Core Members. In other words, as long as you are not a Pirate and have Strength, as long as you pass the Navy's Internal Affairs Assessment, you can directly become a Navy Officer. Of course, this also applies within the Navy; as long as you have Strength, you can rise.
"As you can see, Kaido that guy has caused no small Trouble this time. Those World Government guys are probably already overwhelmed." There was no Taunt in Garp's Words. If the World Government had encountered Trouble in the past, Garp would definitely have been sarcastic.
Just like when Nicholas attacked Mary Geoise and Roger sank Justice Island. But Garp was not happy at all about Kaido breaching Impel Down this time, causing the World Government to lose Face and become overwhelmed.
Because he knew that, apart from the Level 6 guys in Impel Down, who could make him Value them, he didn't pay any Attention to the other guys at all.
But this was only for him. How many People in the Grand Line had his Strength? Those Level 1-Level 3 Villains were simply not something that Ordinary People and some remote Branch Navy could contend with. As for the Level 5 and Level 6 guys, they could easily destroy some Weakness Countries.
The Intelligence revealed in the Documents startled Sabo. He could imagine that at this Time, there were many Places in the Grand Line, just like the Goa Kingdom, that had been attacked by Pirates.
"So, the Grand Line has become very chaotic. I don't want that Kid Luffy to get caught up in this Vortex at this Time. If his small Body is caught in this Vortex, he might not even make a ripple before being mercilessly swallowed up," Garp said with a serious expression.
… As the Conscription News spread to the World, due to the persecution brought by Pirates, a rebound Effect occurred in Various Locations Worldwide. A large number of Citizens actively responded to the World Conscription Action issued by the Navy.
At this Time, Nicholas, who was on his way to Shambles, also learned about these Things through his Intelligence Network.
"Kaido, that guy really knows how to stir up Things. But this time, I guess those Ordinary People in the Grand Line are in big Trouble," Nicholas said with some emotion as he looked at the Intelligence in his hand.
This Intelligence came from the Underground Market. With the appearance of a large number of Impel Down Pirates, the Pirates in the Grand Line became active, and the Navy's Military Strength was somewhat stretched for a Time. Even the Revolutionary Army, which was originally operating Underground in many Countries...
...had no choice but to stand up and lead the Citizens to resist the Pirate invasion. Even so, the Situation was still quite pessimistic.
When he read Manga before, Nicholas had thought that with the number of Prisoners accumulated in Impel Down over so many years, even if a large part was digested within Impel Down, the number of Villains left over would definitely be quite large.
Even if Buggy and Blackbeard took away a portion, there would definitely be a large portion left. So, how much Influence would these guys have on the Grand Line after they came out?
Katie came out of the Ship Cabin carrying a few glasses of Iced Lemon Tea. Seeing Nicholas frowning slightly, she knew that Something had happened.
"Thank you," Nicholas said, looking at the Iced Lemon Tea that Katie had put down. Katie also nodded. She was now a cool and aloof Female Swordsman. Then she turned and walked into the Ship Cabin to prepare Ingredients in the Kitchen.
"Captain, Den Den Mushi." On the Mast of the Ship, Simon was sitting on it, holding a Den Den Mushi in his hand that was constantly making "Puru Puru" sounds.
Hearing Simon's Words, Nicholas put down the Intelligence in his Hand and said, "Throw it over." "Understood." Simon smiled slightly, then gently tossed it.
The Den Den Mushi, which was originally doing its job of "Puru Puru" in Mid-air, felt the change in the surrounding environment and the Wind Sound, and was immediately frightened to the point of cracking its voice. Its Body drew a graceful arc in Mid-air and finally landed accurately in Nicholas's Hand.
However, from the rapid "Puru Puru" sounds, one could vaguely understand that this was the 'beautiful' Language of the Den Den Mushi. Ignoring the little guy's anger, Nicholas picked up the microphone on the back of the Den Den Mushi and connected the Phone Call.
As the Phone Call connected, the appearance of the Den Den Mushi changed, bearing several points of resemblance to Dorag's appearance. "Nicholas, it's me," Dorag's Voice came from the Den Den Mushi.
"Yo, Dorag, it's been a while since we last contacted each other," Nicholas said with a smile. Nicholas looked at the Den Den Mushi and asked, "How have you been recently?"
"Hmm, not good at all. Recently, with the breach of Impel Down, everywhere is uneasy. Now the Navy in some Places no longer has the Energy to deal with us. But similarly, these Pirates have also caused very troublesome Problems for our work." Dorag also had a headache. Originally, he should have been very happy that the Navy was Restrained by Pirates, but those Pirates were not Good Person. The harm they caused to Ordinary People was huge, and as the Revolutionary Army that wanted to liberate the World, they naturally couldn't sit idly by.
Back and forth, in some Non-World Government Affiliated Nation, the Revolutionary Army had become the backbone force in resisting Pirates.
"Isn't that a good Thing?" When Nicholas heard Dorag's Words, he couldn't help but show an "old man subway phone" expression. After all, the current Situation was somewhat similar to the Situation faced by the great man back then.
"What's good about it? We were originally prepared to liberate a Non-World Government Affiliated Nation that practiced Slavery. That Place was in Internal Affairs, and the Navy's Attention was attracted by those Great Pirate who escaped, which was a good Opportunity for 'liberation' for us. But suddenly we were attacked by Pirates. In order to protect Ordinary People, we suffered heavy casualties. If Bear hadn't happened to pass by, it is estimated that our Efforts of so many years would have been wasted." Dorag tried his best to use a calm Tone to describe the current Situation of the Revolutionary Army, but the Regret in his Tone could not be concealed.
"Dorag, it seems it's Time to impart to you the second half of 'How to Overthrow the World Government' that I didn't pass on to you back then." Then Nicholas explained in detail to Dorag how to make the World Government fall into the vast Sea of the People, and elaborated on the important role of the People in the historical process, and also gave Dorag a detailed analysis of the current Grand Line Situation.
Revolutionary Army Headquarters, listening to the Guiding Principle coming from the Den Den Mushi, Dorag and the surrounding Eastern Army Commander Karasu "The Crow", and Eastern Army Commander Belo Betty all fell into constant thought.
When Nicholas's Words fell, Dorag only wanted to say one sentence: "Master, I Understood." (End of Chapter)
Chapter 489 Value of the Fruit
During his conversation with Dorag, Nicholas also received unexpected News.
The Great Pirate who escaped from Impel Down, World Destroyer Bondi Waldo, was killed on an unknown Island in East Blue.
Based on the analysis of the Battlefield environment, it's clear that the one who struck was a considerably powerful Swordsman. The remaining Battle traces left many Marines who investigated feeling lingering fear.
Nicholas easily guessed who was responsible. After all, his Wife was almost killed; no Man could tolerate that.
However, Valdo was truly formidable. Although Windmill Village is just an insignificant little place on the Grand Line, the Big Shots hidden behind it are numerous: Roger, Garp, Dorag, and some Broken Arm hotshot from the New World.
...
Sabaody Archipelago can be considered the unavoidable path for countless Pirates heading to the New World.
After a long period of Development, Shambles has also developed its own unique Business system.
Pirates, who typically only cause destruction to Islands, upon arriving at Sabaody Archipelago, not only did they not cause significant harm, but due to the vast Wealth they brought from the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, they actually brought prosperity to Sabaody Archipelago.
The reason for this phenomenon is entirely because Sabaody Archipelago, in addition to normal Business districts, has also designated a Lawless Zone on the Island specifically for Pirates and Outlaws to conduct Transactions.
It's worth mentioning that after Doflamingo announced the Donquixote Family would abandon the Slave Trafficking Business on Sabaody Archipelago, the Human Trafficking trade in Sabaody Archipelago did not decline. Instead, it showed a trend of becoming even more prosperous.
After all, Human Trafficking is an extremely lucrative Business. So, with one less Donquixote Family, another 'Don-duck-ixote Family' will naturally take over.
Many people even cheered. After all, with the Donquixote Family gone as a competitor, the Profit they could gain would be even greater.
This has led to the Slave trade on Sabaody Archipelago becoming increasingly lucrative.
The primary reason the Trade in Sabaody Archipelago is so lucrative is that the high and mighty Celestial Dragons are always willing to spend lavishly on Slaves they fancy. Perhaps a high-quality Slave that catches a Celestial Dragon's eye could bring enormous profits to a Slave Trader.
This, in turn, leads to...
Countless Pirates arriving at Sabaody Archipelago, if they lack sufficient Wealth, will bring a large amount of 'Goods' plundered along the way on their Ships.
In the Lawless Zone of Shambles, Slaves are, to a certain extent, equivalent to walking currency, used to trade for various Supplies.
On the noisy street...
A Woman wearing a hooded Cape was walking quickly down the street.
The wide Hood obscured her Face, revealing only a pair of sensual lips. In her Hand, she held a large piece of Meat.
"This World is truly becoming increasingly disgusting."
The Woman took a hard bite of Meat, while her eyes flickered towards a group of Pirates in the Distance.
In the hands of those Pirates was a Chain, and on that Chain were five Women, clearly dolled up and with pretty faces.
The direction these Pirates were heading was a Slave Shop located in the Lawless Zone.
Clearly, these Pirates understood that the Appearance of the Goods would greatly influence the price they could fetch.
The Woman knew that these Women would become Beli in the Pirates' pockets in just over ten minutes.
She glanced at them and then indifferently averted her Gaze. She herself was in a precarious situation, let alone able to help those People.
The Woman, seemingly wanting to avoid hearing the disgusting Sound of the Pirates any longer, swallowed the remaining Meat in her Hand in one gulp, then quickened her pace, striding in another direction.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the Woman, who had walked some Distance, abruptly turned her head to look behind her.
There, several Figures were standing.
The leader, holding down a Female bound by Chains, couldn't help but sigh.
"Shambles is filthy once more."
Then, a Female Swordsman with Dual Swords at her Waist moved directly. There were no flashy Skills, just a simple Drawing Sword flash. When her Figure reappeared behind the Pirates and sheathed her Sword, the group of Pirates, along with their Swords, were cleanly sliced in two.
"What a terrifying Swordsman!"
"These guys are not Ordinary People!!!"
"Let's get out of here, let's get out of here."
Many seasoned onlookers quickly realized the troublesome Degree of this suddenly appearing group and immediately turned and fled.
After all, who knows if encountering such killing gods, they might casually kill them with a Sword if they're displeased.
The Woman in a Hood Robe had a solemn look in her Gaze.
From just that attack, she could see the troublesome Degree of these People.
"These guys... just what is their background?"
The Woman under the Hood Robe was astonished.
But then the Woman shook her head, ceasing to delve further.
Regardless of these People's background, it had nothing to do with her.
"I need to get to the New World quickly..."
The Woman shook her head and then intended to turn and leave.
Whoosh—
Just then, amidst a faint Sonic Boom, a Blowgun Dart shot out from the shadows towards the Woman.
The Woman was highly alert, and almost instantly, she reflexively made an evasive Action.
But clearly, her Body Technique was quite lacking.
In other words, her brain reacted, but her Body couldn't keep up.
Thwack!
The small Blowgun Dart accurately pierced the Woman's Neck.
"They caught up this quickly? They truly are a pack of Hyena."
The Woman reached up and pulled the Blowgun Dart from her Neck, looking solemnly in the direction it had come from.
That direction was a messy Slums.
Soon, a group of People wearing White Robes and various Masks emerged from the dilapidated Slums.
As for the original owners of these Buildings, one didn't need to imagine their fate.
And among these masked People, one of them held a blowpipe in his Hand, clearly the one who had launched the sneak attack.
"Ara, blocking you is proving to be quite difficult. But… you shouldn't be able to escape now, after being poisoned by my uniquely crafted concoction that will leave you weak all over for three days and three nights."
From under the Mask of the Person holding the blowpipe came a somewhat aged male Sound.
At the front of the group...
A tall masked Person indifferently looked down at the Woman below.
"Jewelry Bonney, your 'Ability' is extremely important to the World Government. We can't allow you to run around the World freely."
"..."
The Woman wearing the hooded Cape looked up at this group of World Government lackeys.
Seemingly, with her Status exposed, she no longer bothered to hide, and directly threw back her Hood.
She coldly stared at this group of World Government CP0 Members, without uttering a word.
She hadn't expected to be targeted by the World Government so soon after setting out to Sea. As for the Reason they were after her, it was simple: her Ability.
Although her Fruit cannot alter a Target's Lifespan, it can change their Life State. For example, it could restore a feeble old man to his most vigorous prime, though his Lifespan remains unchanged, his state of Life is completely different.
And for those aged Celestial Dragons, this was an incredibly alluring prospect.
After all, they possessed immense Right and Wealth, but their Feeble bodies were no longer sufficient to support their continued indulgence. How could they possibly accept that?
And Bonney's Devil Fruit Ability was, in their eyes, nothing short of a divine gift. To a certain extent, Bonney's Degree of Value in their eyes was extremely high.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 490: Oh My, Look What I've Found
A loose white robe combined with a variety of masks.
This attire could be said to be the symbol of CP0, the most secretive department under the World Government.
And for Bonney, these guys who specialized in doing the World Government's dirty work were simply not people she could contend with.
The group of CP0 members, stationed at various points throughout the slum, locked onto Bonney with their presence, completely undisguised.
It could be said that whenever they were deployed, their main objective was usually to kill the target, but towards Bonney, they showed no killing intent.
Clearly, the Celestial Dragons had used their privilege to issue a death order to these CP0 members to capture Bonney alive.
Bonney herself was also very clear on why the World Government was pursuing her.
She scanned the CP0 members who were eyeing her like a tiger on its prey, while also secretly checking her body's condition, almost immediately during her confrontation with CP0.
The small wound on her neck left by the blowgun dart was rapidly healing, and at the same time, she forced herself not to show any abnormality.
After all, activating her ability only changed her body's state; it couldn't make the drug inside her body disappear out of thin air. What she was doing was rapidly catalyzing her body's state to make the drug lose its effect.
The next instant, Bonney's body suddenly became weak and powerless, and her entire being slumped limply towards the ground.
"Such a potent drug, the World Government really spared no expense..." Bonney, lying on the ground, cursed inwardly as she looked at the distant CP0 members.
However, quickly, as her ability activated, the drug's effects within her body were rapidly disappearing, and strength began continuously surging from her limbs.
And these CP0 members were also clearly worried about unforeseen changes, so almost immediately after seeing Bonney's drug take effect, the leading CP0 coldly stated, "Make your move."
The moment the words fell, two CP0 members standing nearby, one tall and thin, one short and stout, whose white robes were respectively inscribed with the characters for 'Life' and 'Death,' leaped forward, pouncing towards the limp Bonney on the ground like large birds.
As colleagues, they were well aware of the concoctions developed by that old poisoner, especially since their superior had promised to apply to have the drug used on him once after capturing Bonney this time, which was enough for that aging fellow to use his ultimate creation.
And even knowing that Bonney was controlled by the drug, as the two CP0 members lunged towards Bonney in the air, they directly took out a pair of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs from within their wide robes.
Clearly, besides seawater, the most effective tool against ability users was Sea Prism Stone handcuffs.
But Bonney, who appeared completely weak and powerless, precisely when the CP0 members intended to handcuff her with the Sea Prism Stone handcuffs.
Suddenly erupted, directly delivering a Cloud Dragon Claw, reaching out and slapping the short and stout CP0 member in front of her on the body.
"Hmm?"
Caught off guard, his body was touched by Bonney, and the eyes behind that CP0 member's mask suddenly changed.
They were filled with panic; clearly, as participants in this operation, they were very well aware of Bonney's ability.
Before he could react, his entire body instantly changed. His originally black hair turned gray, his figure became hunched, transforming him from a short, stout handsome man into an old person ready for the grave at any moment.
And the tall, thin CP0 beside him also changed expression, but quickly reacted, directly kicking out with his long leg towards Bonney, sending her flying.
Crack—
The sound of brittle bones cracking echoed.
It turned out that the short and stout CP0 member had cried out in pain and sat down hard on the ground.
Clearly, due to the change in his body's state, his bones could no longer bear his weight.
And when he fell to the ground, several more distinct sounds of bones breaking rang out.
The Sea Prism Stone handcuffs he had been holding also flew out of his hand and fell to the ground, making a loud clatter as they struck each other.
Bonney climbed up from the ground, wiped the bloodstain from the corner of her mouth, and coldly eyed the surrounding CP0 members.
And this scene that unfolded in a flash of lightning and fire caused the surrounding CP0 members watching from a distance to simultaneously reveal expressions of surprise.
"What's going on? Didn't you say your drug was absolutely fine?"
"The drug is indeed fine. You all saw the effects," the CP0 member holding the blowgun said with great certainty in an aged voice.
Among the group, the CP0 member who was clearly the leader said in a deep voice:
"The drug did take effect, but that woman used her ability on her own body. From our perspective, although only a brief second or two passed, under the effect of her ability, her body state went through the entire effective duration of the drug."
"No wonder she could evade our pursuit for so long. She's indeed a troublesome individual."
"Hey, now isn't the time for chatting."
Someone spoke up to remind them, then raised a finger pointing at Bonney, who had taken the opportunity to run a considerable distance while they were discussing.
"Chase."
The leading CP0 member leaped directly, then forcefully stepped down with both feet in the air.
Bang bang.
Accompanied by bursts of air explosions, the leading CP0 used Moonwalk and his body suddenly shot towards Bonney.
And the other CP0 members wearing various masks also successively used Moonwalk and chased after her.
Bang bang bang...!
Continuous bursts of air explosions came from the air.
Bonney sprinted wildly across the ground.
Hearing the commotion from behind, she turned back to look at the group of CP0 members pursuing her at extremely high speed through the air, and her heart couldn't help but sink.
These guys weren't like those foolish Marines on the sea; deceiving them couldn't be evaded by turning into a child or an old person.
As for turning around and eliminating these pursuing CP0 members, she didn't even consider it.
After all, she might be able to take someone out by surprise in a one-on-one fight, but with so many people, turning around to fight back was clearly the sign of a severe mental illness.
"I still have to find Kuma, I absolutely cannot be caught by them here!!!"
Bonney ran with all her might.
She knew what her fate would be if she were captured, so she absolutely could not let these guys catch her.
Suddenly.
She saw several figures standing on the street ahead.
On the ground not far from them, lay bloodied corpses one after another.
"That guy..."
Bonney looked at the group of people standing there and instantly had an idea.
These guys looked like they weren't to be trifled with.
If they clashed with those annoying CP0 guys, wouldn't she be able to take the opportunity to escape?
As for whether these guys lived or died after clashing with CP0, what did that have to do with her?
Thinking thus, a glimmer of hope rose in Bonney's heart.
"Help... bad guys are chasing me, woo woo...!!! Someone, please save me!"
As Bonney ran, she quickly changed her body state, turning into a little girl of only seven or eight years old.
While running towards Nicholas and the others, she let out frightened cries for help.
Nicholas was contemplating how to tell Bonney about his relationship with Kuma when he suddenly heard cries for help.
Following the sound, he saw Bonney, clearly in her younger state, running towards him with her head down.
"What's going on?"
Nicholas was startled, but soon, his Observation Haki caught the group of CP0 members coming with Moonwalk behind Bonney, and his eyes couldn't help but narrow.
Bonney looked up at Nicholas and the others who were close at hand, gritted her teeth slightly, and with a resolute heart, she directly tripped over her own feet, her body suddenly tilting forward and losing balance, then falling heavily to the ground a few meters away from Kitty.
After all, among this group, only this flat-chested missy seemed to have any sympathy.
Whoosh—
As she fell, Bonney also went full method acting, turning her body sideways and looking at the rapidly approaching CP0 behind her with tear-filled eyes full of despair.
Nicholas inadvertently glanced at Bonney.
It would be a shame if this acting skill wasn't included in Beijing Film Academy textbooks.
In the air.
The group of pursuing CP0 members, upon seeing Nicholas and his group, quickly circled around them while secretly remaining vigilant.
As for the corpses scattered on the ground, they were ignored after a mere glance.
After all, their target was Bonney; other matters were irrelevant to them.
"World Government business, unrelated personnel step aside!"
Among the CP0 members, someone said loudly.
For them, the mission came first.
They would prevent any unexpected incidents during the mission as much as possible.
"Captain, it's the World Government."
Simon said jokingly beside Nicholas.
"Yohohoho, World Government CP0 members.
It seems this little girl is quite important in the World Government's eyes."
Just then, Brook, wearing a hood, also raised his head and said.
At this point, even the dullest CP0 members realized that something wasn't right.
Soon, the appearance of these people in front of them matched certain individuals that existed in their minds.
Almost simultaneously, all these CP0 members suddenly scattered, and they all had expressions as if facing a formidable enemy.
The appearance of the CP0 members directly stunned Bonney.
"Ya ya ya, look what I've found.
Aren't these our comrades from CP0? You've worked hard."
Nicholas greeted the group of CP0 with a smile, and this smile caused many CP0 members' cold sweat to flow directly down from the gaps between their masks and faces into their collars.
Many even unconsciously swallowed.
The truth was, this guy's past record was simply too ferocious.
In fact, their ability to become the backbone of CP0 was largely because, during those wars back then, a large number of CP0 members and CP members who had been given great expectations were killed by the man standing before them.
End of Chapter
Chapter 491 You're blushing like a bubble teapot!
And just at that moment, Katie suddenly made a move, directly swinging her Sword and unleashing a giant Flying Slash, flying through the air towards the surrounding CP0 Members.
"Hmm?!"
Seeing the Flying Slash flying towards them, the group of CP0 Members were shocked.
This Slash of such power, even they had to treat it with caution, as carelessness could truly lead to death.
As everyone dodged, the Flying Slash passed them and flew directly towards the Distant Yalqi Man Red Tree.
Crack!
The huge Slash directly struck the thick Tree Trunk of the Yalqi Man Red Tree.
Accompanied by a sound of cutting, the thick Yalqi Man Red Tree was directly severed in two.
The upper half of the Tree Crown, losing its support, slowly crashed towards the Ground.
With a deafening sound, the upper half of the Tree Crown crashed down, and the entire Island felt the tremor.
"This is really reckless."
The CP0 Members who had dodged the Slash looked at the half of the Yalqi Man Red Tree that had fallen to the Ground, their expressions gloomy.
Clearly, with the appearance of Nicholas and the others, their Mission was as good as failed.
The CP0 all turned their heads in unison to look at Katie, who was slowly sheathing her Sword.
From just that one Strike, they could tell that even Katie's Strength was formidable, definitely not the kind of Target they could easily handle.
If a fight broke out, they could be instantly annihilated.
The leading CP0 weighed the pros and cons almost instantly.
"We want that Woman."
He raised a finger and pointed at Bonney, who still looked like a little girl on the Ground, and said coldly, "So as long as you leave now, I can pretend nothing happened."
"Interesting."
Hearing the CP0's Words, Nicholas couldn't help but chuckle.
It seemed that his absence from the Grand Line for so long had made many forget about him.
Nicholas stared at the group of CP0.
Almost simultaneously, Katie and Brook drew their Weapons, Simon raised his Flintlock Gun from his back and firmly locked onto the leading CP0, while Urouge grinned and hefted the massive hexagonal iron pillar from his back.
The CP0 Members understood their intentions and revealed fierce glares. They were well aware of the World Government and Celestial Dragons' high Value of this Woman; failure would mean dire consequences.
Bonney watched the tense standoff between the two sides, a secret delight blossoming in her heart.
Her gamble had paid off.
"Slipping away, slipping away..."
Taking advantage of the distraction, Bonney's small, girl-like Body began to carefully shuffle away into the Distance. She wasn't running because she wasn't foolish; running would surely attract attention from both sides.
Bonney's Action, however, did not escape the CP0's notice, and it was undoubtedly a slap in their Face.
"Courting death."
The leading CP0's Eyes turned cold, and he unleashed a Tempest Kick towards Bonney.
In a Lightning Flash, a Figure appeared In front of Bonney.
A textbook Drawing Sword Slash cleanly bisected the Tempest Kick in mid-air, scattering it into fragments.
However, before he could react, Katie's Attack arrived even faster.
For Katie, she had almost lost her Captain once, and she would never allow it to happen again.
Almost Instantly, Katie closed the Distance between them and stood before the leading CP0.
Although the leading CP0 instinctively used Iron Body and Shave, almost as soon as Iron Body was activated, a sharp pain erupted in his Chest.
"Hmm?!"
The leading CP0's Body shuddered, and he slowly lowered his gaze.
He saw a horrifying Wound that stretched across his entire Chest from his right shoulder to his left abdomen, gushing Blood outwards.
"Th-this...?"
In an Instantly, the leading CP0 felt an icy chill spread through his Body, shooting up his spine to the Crown of the head.
To be defeated in a single Strike, he truly hadn't anticipated it.
However, the life force within his Body was clearly insufficient to let him finish his Words.
The Lightning Flash-fast exchange and its outcome stunned the surrounding CP0 Members.
They were acutely aware of their leader's Strength. Yet, their strongest member had been instantly killed by Katie Face-to-face, leaving them with expressions of shock and horror.
They realized then that against these individuals, they were nothing more than fodder.
… *Ptooey*…
A CP0 Member wearing a Mask of a boar collapsed to his knees, his Chest heaving, and vomited a large mouthful of Blood onto the Ground.
His Gaze towards Urouge was now filled with terror.
Initially, facing Urouge's seemingly ultimate Armament Haki, he had been quite serious. But when he realized his opponent didn't seem to be offensively inclined, his attacks became more unrestrained.
At first, he had fought with gusto, but as Time passed, he gradually grew uneasy. He realized his Attacks seemed to inflict no effective Damage on Urouge.
And as Time wore on, Urouge's Smile seemed to become increasingly perverse.
Just moments ago, a casual slap from Urouge had nearly killed him outright.
Looking around, he realized he seemed to be the only one still breathing on his side of the field.
"How is this possible!"
He stared wide-eyed at the Scene around him.
"It's been long enough, time to end this. We can't keep the Captain waiting," Urouge said, his already towering Body suddenly swelling, almost Instantly transforming into a Giant over ten meters tall.
"Karma Retribution!"
As Urouge's Words echoed, his Fist, coated in Armament Haki, came crashing down.
*Bang*—!
With a deafening roar, the last CP0 Member fell, defeated by Urouge's Iron Fist.
The terrifying Strength displayed by Katie and the others undeniably shocked Bonney.
"Jewelry Bonney."
Nicholas looked at the stunned Bonney and slowly spoke her name.
Hearing her name, Bonney's heart jolted, and she put on an innocent expression, looking at Nicholas as if to say, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Stop pretending. Your Acting Skills are terrible. Compared to the old foxes I know, your acting is as clumsy as a Kid's. Don't try to run; you can't."
The Thought of escape had barely formed in Bonney's mind when a suffocating Presence emanated from Nicholas, a terrifying aura locking her firmly in place.
Merely being targeted by this aura sent alarm bells ringing through Bonney's Body.
Realizing the Gap in Strength between them, she finally gave up resisting.
"Very good."
Seeing Bonney's cooperation, Nicholas withdrew his Presence.
"Although I don't know the Reason CP0 is pursuing you, I have a decent relationship with Bear. So… if you really have some connection to Bear, I don't mind Protecting you for a while."
"!!!"
When Bonney heard Nicholas mention Bear, her Pupils constricted slightly, and the Figure of that incredibly gentle Man flashed through her mind.
However, she wouldn't easily believe Nicholas's Words.
Seeming to sense Bonney's hesitation, Nicholas took out a Den Den Mushi, dialed a Number, and tossed it to her.
Looking at the Den Den Mushi in her hand, Bonney stared at Nicholas, Dumbfounded, unsure of his meaning.
Nicholas calmly explained, "That's Bear's Number. Call it, and you can ask him about our relationship."
Moments later, as the Den Den Mushi connected, Bonney's Face flushed an unnatural red.
"Here." Bonney's blush lingered, and her Chest rose and fell slightly.
Watching Bonney's Look, Nicholas was puzzled. It was just a Phone Call with Bear, wasn't it?
You're blushing like a bubble teapot!
(I saw photos of the Supernova and Seven Warlords of the Sea as children in the Manga. Jewelry Bonney was clearly a wanderer as a child. Could it be that Bear took Care of her for a long Time back then? You know Bear's Personality.
Also, in that Cross Guild chapter, Cat and Dog pulled another disgusting move. The Status of a Kozuki Family Samurai is indeed more important than the King of the Mink Tribe.
It seems the Mink Tribe in the Onigashima battle and when Zou was attacked by Jack were indeed just Tools, confirmed.
And in the latest chapter, I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but that Storyteller is truly disgusting.
Also, the statement that Kurozumi should burn fiercely was said by the Storyteller, not Hiyori herself. Don't get caught up in the hype from some people on Douyin. Otherwise, Wano Country would truly be a binary switch from one extreme to the other. Although the Wano Country arc is indeed much worse than what came before…)
(End of Chapter)