Chapter 226: When Emperors Meet
"Whoa!! He's finally here!"
"The World's Greatest Swordsman, Shane!"
"Hey, don't push! You're stepping on my foot!"
The deck of the Moby Dick erupted in a frenzy as Vista's speedboat came into view. Pirates from every division swarmed to the starboard side.
Marco took flight, his blue flames unfurling. He saw Vista's boat, and standing on it, a familiar figure he hadn't seen in a long time. "He really came," he chuckled, landing back on the deck. He looked at the teeming crowd of his comrades and shook his head. "Hey, all you rookies! Get below deck, now!"
"Eh? Why, Commander Marco?" a new recruit asked, confused.
"Hahaha, you idiot," one of the veterans laughed. "When Emperors meet, there's always a clash of wills. You rookies can't handle that kind of pressure. You'll pass out."
"Can... can we handle it, Commander?" another veteran asked nervously.
"Hard to say," Marco said. "That guy's Haki is said to be among the strongest in the world, maybe even on par with Pops... huh?"
His face suddenly changed. The clear blue sky was rapidly being consumed by dark clouds, shot through with flashes of black-and-red lightning. The very air grew thick and heavy.
"To have this kind of presence from so far away... what a monster," Marco murmured. Jozu and Thatch appeared at his side.
"He came alone?" Jozu said, cracking his knuckles. "A shame. I wanted to see what his 'Three Calamities' were made of."
"They're probably busy," Thatch said with a smile. "Otherwise, it would have been a perfect matchup for you three."
"Zehahaha! Don't be so modest, Commander Thatch!" a gap-toothed veteran called out from behind them. "You're one of our top commanders too!"
"Me?" Thatch's heart warmed. He clapped the man on the shoulder. It was Teach, a good, honest fellow. But Thatch knew his own limits. He was more of a support fighter. He was no match for a "Calamity."
Just then, the sky roared, and the sea began to tremble.
"He's here!" Marco's expression hardened.
Vista's speedboat pulled up alongside the Moby Dick. The handsome, dark-haired young man stepped onto the ramp.
Thump.
The first step. The massive Moby Dick dipped slightly, and a silent ripple spread across the sea. The noisy deck fell silent.
Thump.
The second step. A rookie near the ramp collapsed, his eyes rolling back in his head. Then another, and another, like dominoes.
Thump.
The third step. He was on the deck. The very air seemed to freeze.
Even more pressure than I imagined... Marco thought, his face grim. It wasn't just the rookies. Even many of the veterans were on their knees, clutching their chests, struggling to breathe. Teach, who had been standing near him, was on the ground, twitching and foaming at the mouth.
THUD.
The fourth step. Whitebeard, who had been watching from his throne, finally stood up, a wide grin on his face. He slammed the butt of his giant bisento on the deck.
"GURARARARA! That's enough of that, you little punk, Shane!"
BOOM!
An equally terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, slamming into Shane's.
CRACK!!!
The very heavens seemed to split in two. Two massive, coiling dragons of black-and-red lightning shot out across the sky, stretching to the horizon and beyond.
"So this is a clash between the strongest Haki in the world..." Marco's hair stood on end. It had been years, decades, since he had seen anyone who could match Pops's Conqueror's Haki. Now, only the division commanders and a handful of the strongest veterans were still standing.
"Gurarara! Now that's what I'm talking about, you little punk, Shane!" Whitebeard laughed, his excitement palpable.
"You're not so bad yourself, Whitebeard," Shane said, his own eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Hey, Marco! This doesn't look good!" Jozu said nervously. "I think... I think they're actually going to fight!"
"No, I know they are," Marco said with a sigh. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Hey! Pops! Calm down! He's a guest, not an enemy! And you just had your bandages changed yesterday! You're not in any shape to fight!"
"That's right, Pops!" Vista, who had just come aboard, cried out, running between them with his arms outstretched. "Even if you're fine, the Moby Dick and the rookies can't take it!"
"Eh?" Marco blinked. "Who are you?"
"It's me, Vista! You idiot!" he roared. "Just because I don't have a mustache anymore, you don't recognize me?! I'll pluck that pineapple head of yours right off!"
That's Vista?!
"Gurarara! You're right," Whitebeard said, his aura finally receding. "I just haven't had a real opponent in so long, I got a little carried away." He sat back down and gestured for Shane to join him. "Come, kid! Let's drink!"
He tossed a giant gourd of sake to Shane and raised his own massive glass. "Don't hold back! This is the good stuff, aged for twenty years! If you weren't an honored guest, I'd never bring it out!"
"Then I'd be a fool to refuse," Shane said with a smile. He walked to the center of the deck, sat down across from the legend, and the two Emperors of the Sea began to drink.
...
"What... what just happened?" one of the rookies mumbled as he came to.
"I think... I think I saw the sky split in two..."
"That's the power of an Emperor... it's terrifying..."
"Hey, Teach, you alright?" Thatch asked, kneeling beside his friend, who was leaning against the railing, pale and shaken.
"Zeh... zehahaha..." Teach managed a weak grin. "I'm fine, Commander Thatch. That guy's presence... it's terrifying... I almost thought I was going to die..."
"You're an old-timer. You shouldn't have been affected that badly," Thatch said, then smacked his forehead. "Oh, I get it..."
Damn it, did I overdo it? a shadow of doubt crossed Teach's eyes.
But Thatch just threw an arm around his shoulders and laughed. "You haven't eaten since last night, have you? You're just weak from hunger! Don't worry, I'll go get you something from the galley!"
"Hehe, you saw through me... Thanks, Commander." Teach put on his best humble grin. But as soon as Thatch was gone, his smile vanished. He wasn't hungry. Just like he never slept. He didn't know why, but he hadn't needed to since... since he'd eaten that damn fruit.
His eyes drifted to the center of the deck, where the handsome, dark-haired young man was laughing and drinking with Pops. His fists clenched in his sleeves. It's all your fault... He quickly looked away, a cold hatred in his eyes. If it weren't for you... if you hadn't brought out that Fly-Fly Fruit... I wouldn't be like this! He was no longer interested in normal food. He now craved leftovers, spoiled, rotting food. He had even started sneaking into the galley at night to eat from the slop bucket. And that wasn't the worst of it... The smell of the latrine... it was starting to become... appealing.
"Zeh, ha, ha, ha..." Teach let out a strange, quiet laugh. Just you wait, Shane. I may not have the Dark-Dark Fruit, but if I ever do make it to the top... I'll make you feel this same, utter humiliation!
"Hey, you over there," Shane's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts. Teach looked up to see the new Emperor looking right at him. "I remember you. You were with Marco on Fish-Man Island. You ate that crappy fruit, right? That was my fault. As an apology, have a drink."
He tossed his gourd of sake to Teach. Teach fumbled with it for a moment, then caught it. As the gourd flew through the air, a nearly invisible liquid swirled into the sake, mixing completely before it landed in his hands.
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