Kurt Saint's strength was formidable.
Especially after using his Devil Fruit ability to enhance himself, he was no weaker than those notorious pirates worth over two hundred million berries who excelled at physical combat.
But at this moment—
Facing Magnus, Kurt Saint was like a dead dog pinned to the ground.
"White Wolf Magnus!?!"
Even with half his face smashed in, Kurt Saint widened his eyes in disbelief when he saw Magnus.
"Why are you here!?"
"Why can't I be here?"
Magnus sneered. He didn't even use his beast form; just in his human state, he pinned Kurt Saint down so tightly he couldn't move.
"You thought your deputy leader could hold me back?"
"!!!"
Kurt Saint originally assumed Magnus hadn't run into Grand Reed Saint, or perhaps Grand Reed Saint was slacking off, which was why Magnus appeared here.
But from Magnus's words, did it mean he had actually defeated Grand Reed Saint?
How could that be!?
Leaving aside Grand Reed Saint's immortality, even without it, his strength was on par with a Marine Admiral.
There's no way he could've been defeated in such a short time.
Unless…
"Did the Marines betray us too?"
As the thought struck him, Kurt Saint's expression darkened.
He was convinced this was the only explanation.
Otherwise, no matter how strong Magnus was, he couldn't possibly defeat someone with immortality in such a short span.
There had to be a traitor among the Marines!
"Damn it, let me go!"
Noticing that Magnus hadn't covered his ears, Kurt Saint had an idea and shouted loudly.
"Careful, Captain! His Devil Fruit ability can control others—if you don't want to be controlled, you have to block your ears!"
Breaking free of Kurt Saint just barely, Newgate quickly warned after hearing those words.
"A Devil Fruit that can control others?"
Magnus raised an eyebrow. This was the first he'd heard of such a thing.
Unlike the String-String Fruit that controls indirectly.
Just now, when Kurt Saint spoke, Magnus did feel an impulse to let him go.
But such a weak ability…
Voom—!
The Haki within Magnus burst forth, crushing that impulse with ease.
Then—
The hand pinning Kurt Saint's head shifted to his neck.
Crack!
Kurt Saint could even hear the sound of his own bones breaking.
"You… what… are you…"
His words came out broken, but Magnus couldn't be bothered to listen.
Snap!
Magnus snapped his neck outright, then froze the body with his power.
And tossed him into the sea.
"Clean up the mess first. The danger isn't over yet."
A member of the Holy Knights, with strength on par with a pirate worth two hundred million, was taken down by Magnus as if it were nothing. Though there had been an element of surprise, the strength Magnus displayed still shocked everyone.
"So that's the White King Magnus?"
"He's terrifying. Just standing there makes my body tremble."
"That Celestial Dragon… taken out in an instant…"
…
Rocks looked at Magnus with a complicated expression. Even though he had awakened the Conqueror's Haki in the heat of desperation—something he had longed for—he couldn't feel any joy.
At this moment, he realized once again the gap between himself and Magnus.
If Magnus could one-shot Kurt Saint,
he could one-shot him too.
Years had passed, but the gap between them—
was still the same as when they had first met.
Like an unbridgeable chasm.
"What's wrong, Rocks? Don't tell me one defeat has discouraged you already?"
Noticing Rocks's mood, Magnus asked.
"Captain, Rocks-nii destroyed his own hearing to fight that Celestial Dragon. He can't hear anything now."
Thinking of the sacrifice Rocks had made in this battle, Newgate's nose stung, though he held back his tears.
A man of the sea—how could he shed tears?
"Don't worry."
Magnus placed his hand on Newgate's head.
Newgate was already taller than Magnus; if not for being seated, Magnus wouldn't have been able to reach.
"There are countless ways to heal damaged ears. Do you think your captain would let his crewmates end up crippled because of battle?"
Missing limbs might be troublesome.
But damaged hearing? Even Kureha had treatments for that.
Not to mention the miraculous powers of Devil Fruits.
"Dean, these zombies fear seawater. Use your water jets to soak them—they'll lose their strength."
Seeing the merman Dean still fighting the zombies, Magnus shouted instructions.
Had it been another Fruit ability, he might not have known what to do.
But as for zombies created by the Shadow-Shadow Fruit—no one understood them better than him.
He just hadn't expected…
that the Shadow-Shadow Fruit would end up in the hands of the Holy Knights.
"Newgate, protect the ship and take care of Rocks. I'll check on Ripley and Linlin. We need to prepare to retreat!"
Magnus had sensed the dire state of Rocks and Newgate, which was why he rushed over first. By comparison, Ripley and Linlin's conditions weren't nearly as bad.
"Mm!"
Hearing Magnus's words, Newgate nodded firmly.
In his mind, now that Magnus was back, any problem could be solved with ease!
But only Magnus knew—
the situation wasn't optimistic. The world government's top fighters were gathering, and to aid Rocks and Newgate, he had only briefly repelled Ortega and the other Marine officers.
In truth, retreating now would be the best choice.
Having gone through the coating process once already, the Thousand Sunny's second coating would take very little time. By the time Magnus had been wandering the auction house, Dean had already prepared everything.
Whenever Magnus decided, they could dive into the sea and head to Fish-Man Island.
And in the water—
even ten Admirals wouldn't dare recklessly fight them.
But—
"If we leave now, wouldn't my crew have suffered for nothing?"
Even though he had already defeated two Admirals and a deputy leader of the Holy Knights, Magnus wasn't satisfied. If they fled now, they would abandon countless slaves in Mary Geoise.
That was something Magnus refused to allow.
With his guidance, Dean quickly destroyed the zombies surrounding the Thousand Sunny. Freed slaves looked around at the devastation, relief washing over their faces.
Since the White King Magnus had returned, did that mean they could leave now?
But soon, Magnus disappeared before their eyes again.
"Wait, aren't we supposed to leave now?"
"Where is Captain Magnus going?"
"Captain Magnus, we can't lose you!"
…
Witnessing his overwhelming power firsthand, the slaves wished Magnus would stay with them always.
But Magnus wasn't their babysitter.
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 43.
Magnus appeared at the battlefield of Ripley and Linlin, the place with the greatest number of zombies in the entire archipelago.
Without Admiral-level opponents to hold him back—
he moved as if in an empty field.
(End of Chapter)
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