Behind every famous great pirate, there stands a Marine who tirelessly pursues them across the seven seas.
Silas was no exception to this universal rule.
When "Crimson Snake" Rona first began chasing him, she was merely an ordinary Marine petty officer with ambitious dreams. Silas had practically watched her ascend step by step through the ranks: from petty officer to warrant officer and from warrant officer to field officer.
Finally, three years ago, she had achieved the pinnacle and become one of the current three Marine Admirals.
Five years ago, Rona already possessed strength infinitely close to Admiral level. From their brief but intense exchange just moments ago, Silas was absolutely certain she had crossed that legendary threshold.
In this world, the so-called "Admiral-level" and "Emperor-level" designations did not refer to specific, measurable realms of power. Rather, they represented a critical watershed of strength that separated the truly elite from the merely formidable.
In this crucial regard, the World Government, with its intimidating 800-year history, held ultimate authority, with strength assessments typically conducted by the previous generation of three Admirals.
If your power was deemed insufficient, no matter how many glorious achievements you had accumulated, you would never qualify to become an Admiral.
Consequently, there was a well-known saying that circulated throughout the pirate world: only those who could face Marine Admirals head-on in combat and even defeat them were true rulers of the seas. If you could not accomplish that feat, you remained merely a great pirate.
Silas had sailed these treacherous seas for countless decades and had encountered approximately four or five Marine Admirals during his career. This included not only the current three Marine Admirals but also several legendary figures from the previous generation.
He had never managed to defeat even one of them.
So there was another, more painful saying that echoed through pirate circles: if you could defeat White Wolf Silas, you would automatically become the new overlord of these seas.
He had essentially become the gatekeeper to achieving Emperor status.
Silas had been unconvinced and defiant at first, but after suffering multiple defeats at the hands of various Admirals, he could only accept his bitter fate and acknowledge his apparent limitations.
His Devil Fruit abilities had been awakened to their fullest potential. His Haki had been trained to the absolute highest level achievable. But somehow, he still could not claim victory. He was always just one crucial step short of that final, decisive breakthrough.
Even losing to Rona five years ago had completely crushed his fighting spirit, which was precisely why he had entertained the idea of disbanding his crew and finding some peaceful place to retire.
The aptitude for Conqueror's Haki was entirely innate, determined at birth. But the actual strength of one's Conqueror's Haki depended entirely on the user's spirit and will to dominate.
He had sailed these seas for so many decades, accumulating vast experience and wisdom. Could his spirit really only be equivalent to that of some rookie pirate who had just set sail on their first voyage?
Absolutely impossible!
Therefore, there was only one logical possibility: even Silas himself no longer truly believed he was qualified to become an overlord of the seas. Only he possessed the power to deny himself, which was precisely why his Conqueror's Haki remained so frustratingly weak.
This half year of peaceful rest had not been merely about waiting for a new ship to be constructed, or simply about improving Rocks and Ripley's combat abilities.
More importantly, it had been about rediscovering himself! About reclaiming the spirited, ambitious version of himself who had first set foot on these seas with boundless dreams!
So what if she was a Marine Admiral?
So what if he had failed countless times in the past?
The system had compensated for Silas's lack of natural Conqueror's Haki potential, and the multiple cellular activity enhancements had not only rejuvenated his aging body but also allowed him to break through his original physical limitations.
He had originally planned to struggle and survive as an ordinary person, but all he had received in return was failure and mockery from those who considered themselves his superiors.
Fine, then. He was completely done pretending to be weak.
Time to reveal his true power!
"Frost Bite!"
In the swirling mist of the frozen forest, a massive white wolf emerged from the shadows like a phantom of winter itself. It carried a gleaming long sword clenched firmly between its powerful jaws. The creature's enormous body launched itself skyward with explosive force, bringing the blade down with vicious, predatory intent.
"Crimson Snake" Rona, demonstrating the supernatural awareness that only an Admiral could possess, managed to block Silas's near-perfect surprise attack despite being effectively blinded by the thick ice fog surrounding them.
"Hmph, always resorting to such petty tricks," she commented with obvious disdain.
The ice fog now completely enveloping Rona had been created by Silas using his awakened Devil Fruit ability, covering a devastating range of several kilometers in every direction.
It not only completely obstructed normal vision but also carried waves of extreme, bone-penetrating cold.
An ordinary person would suffer severe frostbite from a single moment of exposure.
But Rona was anything but ordinary. Even swordsmen who aspired to reach the absolute pinnacle of their craft had to possess genuinely powerful physical abilities that surpassed normal human limitations.
This level of ice fog would not affect her significantly even if she remained within it for an entire day and night.
"Haha, this is simply part of my natural ability. How exactly is that despicable?" Silas retorted with genuine amusement. "If we are discussing what is truly despicable, is it not despicable for a young person like you to come here specifically to bully an old man like me?"
Having missed with his initial strike, Silas quickly melted back into concealment among the swirling ice and mist.
The reason he had chosen to transform into his full animal form rather than using his most powerful human-beast hybrid form was that he was mentally prepared for an extended, grueling battle of attrition.
If Rona were not a swordsman but rather a Devil Fruit user, or perhaps another Admiral who purely excelled in Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki applications, Silas would never have adopted this particular fighting style.
His speed advantage simply did not give him any meaningful benefit against those physical monsters who had developed their bodies to the absolute peak of human potential.
But swordsmen were different. No one understood the strengths and weaknesses of swordsmen better than he did.
In terms of raw, destructive power, Rona, who had already achieved genuine Admiral-level strength, definitely surpassed him by a considerable margin.
Just from their single exchange of blows, the evidence was clear. Rona's sword-holding hand showed no trembling or wavering whatsoever, while Silas's mouth, which had been gripping his long sword, had been torn by several small but painful wounds from the residual energy of Rona's Haki.
But that was the extent of her advantage.
Rona was undeniably strong, possessing truly Admiral-level combat power. Even Silas at his historical peak would not be a match for the current version of Rona in a straightforward confrontation.
However, that assessment was only accurate for battles fought on the open sea under normal conditions.
If Rona's exceptional physical constitution could endure a full day in the supernatural ice fog he had created, what about two days? Three days?
This was winter in Elbaf, and he was the white wolf who commanded winter itself.
There could be no better battle environment than this for his particular abilities.
Silas had made a firm decision. He would not run away this time.
Why should he eternally remain merely the gatekeeper to becoming an Emperor? Why could he not be a true ruler of the seas? Why could he not become the undisputed overlord of this entire era?
"Hahahaha, 'Crimson Snake' Rona, let us have an absolutely exhilarating battle to the death!" Silas roared with renewed passion. "This time, I refuse to run away again!"
The white giant wolf's relentless attacks never ceased for even a moment. He would strike with lightning speed and immediately withdraw, but in the very next second, he would reappear before Rona from a completely different angle.
He was determined to pin Rona down in this location and force her into the kind of prolonged engagement that favored his abilities.
Rona had never harbored any intention of retreating from this confrontation. As the demonstrably stronger combatant, even when fighting in a disadvantageous environment, she retained complete confidence in her ability to achieve victory.
She simply remained somewhat silent as the battle intensified, lost in her own thoughts.
She seemed to perceive a legend of the old era who was declining due to the inexorable passage of time.
Silas was merely a great pirate when measured against the absolute pinnacle of power.
But none of the Marine Admirals had ever made the mistake of underestimating him.
This was because Silas was the only pirate of this entire era who could still successfully escape capture after encountering them multiple times across the years.
Nevertheless, she did not believe Silas could actually defeat her in this confrontation.
The reason was simple and undeniable.
She was a Marine Admiral!
"Crimson Color!"
A brilliant crimson blade of compressed energy followed Rona's precise sword swing, seeming to possess a life of its own as it circled protectively around her body. It collided with devastating accuracy against Silas as he charged from yet another unexpected angle.
Silas deliberately avoided engaging Rona in direct, head-on confrontations because he understood that in such exchanges, a master swordsman's overwhelming destructive power would instantly place him at a complete disadvantage.
Instead, by cleverly using the ice fog's interference with normal Observation Haki perception, he could constantly adjust his angle of attack, always striking at Rona's weakest defensive positions while maintaining the optimal combat stance.
However, his strategy was not without significant costs.
"As expected, it is not nearly that simple!" Silas grimaced as the crimson blade of energy left several bloody marks across his transformed body.
He made the tactical decision not to use Armament Haki for defense, choosing instead to absorb the hit with his natural flesh and enhanced constitution.
The greatest strength of Zoan Devil Fruit users was their supernatural physical resilience and recovery ability.
If he had used Armament Haki combined with his natural physical defenses, he might have been able to absorb this attack without sustaining any injury. However, doing so would also consume precious Haki reserves.
If he was forced to expend Armament Haki to defend against even this level of attack, his spiritual energy would be completely depleted long before Rona's superior stamina finally ran out.
At this critical juncture, neither Silas nor Rona showed any inclination to retreat from their deadly dance.
The battle would continue!
Meanwhile, in the giants' village, while Silas and Rona were engaged in their fierce battle, Rocks gradually awakened from his sleep.
Silas's supernatural ice fog covered an impressive range of several thousand meters, and the location of their epic confrontation was not particularly far from the giants' village to begin with.
Consequently, even Rocks, sleeping within the village, could feel the bone-piercing cold seeping through the walls of his shelter.
His well-honed instincts immediately told him something crucial: he absolutely must not venture toward the forest.
"What in the world is happening out there?" he muttered to himself.
Half a year of residing peacefully in Elbaf had not diminished Rocks's natural vigilance by much. After all, Silas would launch surprise training attacks from time to time, and if Rocks was not sufficiently careful and allowed himself to sleep too deeply, he would inevitably receive a painful beating.
All under the supposedly noble excuse of "training his Observation Haki."
Rocks was not without legitimate complaints about this harsh training regimen. However, after learning from other giants that Observation Haki was indeed traditionally developed through such methods, he could only swallow his grievances and continue.
He had to train! Why would he not train with everything he had?
He, Rocks D. Xebec, was destined to become the overlord of the seas! If he could not even endure this relatively minor hardship, how could he ever hope to grow strong enough to achieve his ultimate goals?
With heightened vigilance, Rocks looked out his window and observed thick fog completely covering the edge of the village. Intense collision sounds occasionally emanated from within the unnatural mist.
"It is Captain Silas!" a giant's booming voice rang out from somewhere outside the house.
"Captain Silas is fighting someone, but the fog is too thick. We cannot get close enough to assist him!"
The extremely cold ice fog seemed capable of freezing even roaring flames. Several giants had just rushed into the supernatural mist carrying bright torches, only to watch helplessly as their flames were instantly extinguished by the unnatural cold.
Moreover, due to their massive physical size, the giants were affected far more severely by the ice fog than smaller beings would be. Combined with not having consumed any food for a full week due to their religious observance, their stamina was simply insufficient to endure such brutal conditions for extended periods.
"This is terrible! Quickly notify Lord Yoruru and Lord Yaruru, and contact His Majesty Harald immediately. This is not a battle we can safely interfere with!" the giants shouted in growing alarm.
The giant tribe indeed possessed many excellent warriors scattered throughout their kingdom, but these capable fighters were distributed across different villages rather than being concentrated in a single location.
Currently, in the entire Western Village, only three or four giants were truly qualified to approach the center of the supernatural collision. However, these giants did not dare act rashly without proper coordination.
Who could say how many additional enemies might be lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike?
The giants possessed a clear understanding that the Winter Solstice Festival represented their weakest and most vulnerable time. Since these enemies had specifically chosen to attack Elbaf during the Winter Solstice Festival, they obviously harbored malicious intent.
"Is that old man actually fighting someone of this caliber?" Rocks wondered aloud.
Observing the brilliant red and white lights that occasionally bloomed spectacularly in the night sky, Rocks took a deep, steadying breath. He had genuinely believed that after half a year of intensive training, he should have significantly narrowed the gap between himself and Silas.
Who could have predicted that when faced with the reality of Silas's true battle, he could not even get close enough to observe properly?
Rocks's fingernails dug painfully into his palms as frustration overwhelmed him.
He still was not strong enough!
"Hey, hey, what is wrong with this particular brat?"
"So incredibly hard, we cannot knock her unconscious at all!"
"Forget about her for now. While the giants are all distracted by Admiral Crimson Snake's battle, let us quickly take the other two children and withdraw."
Faint voices drifted to Rocks's enhanced hearing, causing his expression to change dramatically.
During this intensive training period, although he had not yet fully mastered Observation Haki, his physical abilities in all aspects had made tremendous progress, and he could now skillfully employ several techniques from the Six Powers.
He was absolutely certain these were not the voices of giants.
Moreover, the mention of "Admiral Crimson Snake" caught his attention immediately.
Was that referring to the Marine Admiral he was thinking of?
Rocks did not have time to contemplate this development further, because right next door were the children from the House of Lambs. He did not particularly care about the welfare of the other children, but that little girl called Charlotte Linlin was someone Silas had personally entrusted to his protection. No mistakes could be tolerated.
However, before he could take any decisive action, he heard a small, plaintive voice.
"I am so hungry!"
He heard a tremendous crash that made Rocks genuinely believe the entire house structure was about to collapse around him.
Then he witnessed something that defied all reasonable expectations.
A figure dressed in a pristine white suit flew out of the house like a discarded rag doll, crashed heavily into the ground, rolled for dozens of meters, and carved a long, deep furrow in the frozen earth.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to be doing?
Outside the House of Lambs, Rock lay spread-eagled on the ground, staring up at the giant tree branches that covered the night sky, looking as though he was questioning his entire existence and purpose.
Just moments ago, he had attempted to knock unconscious what appeared to be a harmless little giant girl.
But somehow, that little giant girl had suddenly shouted and delivered a devastating punch that had sent him flying.
He had maintained constant vigilance against external threats throughout the entire operation.
Rock never would have imagined that a small giant girl could pose any meaningful threat to a trained CP0 operative of his caliber.
But after that impossibly powerful fist had connected with his body, he realized his assumption had been catastrophically wrong.
Even though he had managed to activate his Haki defensively at the last possible moment, that single punch had definitely broken at least three of his ribs!
"Boss!" his subordinates called out in alarm.
"Boss, are you injured?" they asked as they quickly emerged from the building.
Rock spat blood and gritted his teeth against the pain. "Do not worry about that particular brat anymore. Let us take the others and retreat immediately!"
That devastating hit would definitely attract the attention of the giants.
Although the giants had been weakened considerably due to their Winter Solstice Festival fasting, the three of them could not possibly hope to defeat an entire village of giants in direct confrontation.
"Did you remember to leave the letter?" Rock asked urgently.
"Left it exactly as instructed."
"As long as we can successfully avoid the giants' immediate pursuit, the initiative will return to our hands."
Rock's plan was elegantly simple: abduct two giant children and take them out to sea as hostages.
Once they departed from Elbaf's territorial waters, no matter how martially virtuous and capable the giants might be, they would be unable to pursue effectively across the open ocean.
With such leverage, Carmel would have absolutely no choice but to compromise with their demands.
Fortunately, besides White Wolf Silas himself, there appeared to be no other White Wolf Pirates members present in this location.
On the upper floor of a nearby building, Rocks observed the three CP0 agents departing with two unconscious giant children. However, he made the tactical decision not to pursue them.
First, he could sense a genuinely dangerous aura emanating from those three individuals. If he revealed himself now, the three of them might not require much time to eliminate him as a threat.
Moreover, the other giants had already noticed the commotion in this area, so pursuing those CP agents was not necessarily his responsibility.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, he had discovered something deeply unusual about Charlotte Linlin's current condition.
The little girl in her floral dress emerged from the damaged house.
The aura emanating from her small body made even Rocks feel genuinely alarmed.
"No wonder that old man took such special notice of her," he muttered with growing understanding.
But when he saw Charlotte Linlin beginning to walk determinedly toward the forest, sensing the incredible danger present in that direction, Rocks made his decision.
He leaped down from the upper floor and landed directly in front of Charlotte Linlin, blocking her path.
"That is far enough," Rocks declared, facing Charlotte Linlin with a cold, authoritative voice.
"Children should stay exactly where children belong. You should not go around wandering..."
Rocks never finished his stern lecture.
Halfway through his sentence, he found himself staring directly at Charlotte Linlin's millstone-sized fist.
Coming straight toward his face.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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