Chapter 49: I Am Very Calm. That's Why I'm Going to Destroy Him!
At this moment, aboard the cola-bottle warship.
The Detention Unit Marines felt like everything happening was a bizarre dream.
First, while celebrating their mission's success, they ran into the 'Spade Pirates'.
Then, Roy displayed that power.
Of course, the Marines had seen Roy's Wave Fist many times before.
But... what they just saw was beyond exaggeration, wasn't it?
A single punch that almost split the sea, shattering the famous 'Fire Fist' Ace's defense and wiping his ship's deck clean?
It made them question reality—were they really in the Detention Unit, the unit famous for being weak?
But that wasn't even all.
What baffled them most was what happened after Ace fled. Another big shot appeared.
"The Lizard King... he's actually here."
Cold sweat dripped down Fal's face. Even the usually carefree Hans gripped his flintlock nervously.
They couldn't help it.
Even though the prestige of the Warlords had taken a hit with Crocodile's death...
A Warlord of the Sea was still a Warlord of the Sea!
One of the Three Great Powers, rulers of the Grand Line.
And 'Lizard King' Hanafuda was one of the oldest and most notoriously violent among them.
It was rumored that this great pirate, who once dominated parts of the New World, had even fought against Kaido of the Beasts, earning his respect and becoming a close ally.
Just then...
"Captain Roy! Sergeant Major Hans, Sergeant Fal! That explosion just now—it was a stray shell hitting the stern! The rudder and engine room are damaged, the hull is breached, and..."
A Marine rushed up from below deck, his face frantic.
"Moore and Lanster, who were fixing the rudder and engine, were caught in the blast. Their status is... unknown."
"What!?" (x2)
Fal and Hans's expressions changed instantly.
They gritted their teeth, eyes burning with rage.
"Damn pirates..."
Anyone with eyes could see that Hanafuda was aiming for the fleeing Spadille. Their ship just got hit because his aim was terrible.
This kind of indiscriminate bombardment was exactly the violent style the 'Lizard King' was known for.
At that moment...
"Fal. Hans."
They heard a voice.
Turning around, they saw Roy standing with his back to them.
"I told you before—there's an old saying from my hometown: 'Only those who can keep a straight face while a mountain collapses before them are fit to be Generals'!"
"What you should be doing right now is organizing the men to search for Moore and Lanster, patch the hull, and take cover."
"Calmness is the first rule of combat!"
Because his back was turned, Hans and Fal couldn't see Roy's face.
But they could see his clenched fist, and the veins bulging on it.
"Captain, calm down! I know about Moore and Lanster..."
Hans tried to speak, but Roy cut him off.
"I am very calm, Hans."
Roy raised his hand, adjusted his sleeve, and cracked his neck.
"In fact, I have never been this calm."
He looked at the ravaged deck and the Marines behind him.
As said before, Roy had no loyalty to the Marines' Justice.
Usually, even if pirates sailed past him, unless they were his target or did something truly heinous, he wouldn't bother lifting a finger—pirates were worth less than a fat Sea Beast to him.
He had chosen to fight the Spade Pirates not for 'Justice,' but for his own reasons.
To fight Ace, analyze the Flame-Flame Fruit, and use the battle damage as an excuse to go to Water 7.
He also wanted to test the power of the Daibutsu Fruit and his own growth.
Even if Ace escaped and he didn't get the fruit, it didn't matter. He wasn't Sengoku; he had no grudge against the Pirate King's bloodline. Besides, he already had the Magma-Magma Fruit, the superior version of Ace's fruit.
The Flame-Flame Fruit was just a +1 to his collection.
That was his goal. Nothing more. He was confident and in control.
But now, things were different.
He remembered Moore and Lanster. One was a cheerful shipwright, the other an engineer with two daughters.
Again—Roy didn't care about Marine Justice. But the men he had lived and worked with for eight years... that was different.
So...
"I am very calm. That is why... I am going to destroy him."
He said coldly.
No! That doesn't sound calm at all!
Hans and Fal thought.
But seeing Roy's reaction, they were moved.
Still, they tried to reason with him. "Captain, I know you're angry. We are too. But he's a Warlord... we shouldn't attack him..."
Before they could finish, Roy laughed.
"Idiots. I told you... observe first."
Roy looked into the distance.
"Look. It's not about us attacking him."
"It's the opposite."
Following his gaze, Fal and Hans noticed.
The 'Great Dinosaur Fleet' belonging to Hanafuda was now dangerously close.
And those massive pirate ships... showed no signs of slowing down.
No—as Marines, Fal and Hans knew. At this distance, even if they dropped sails now, they couldn't stop!
They were going to ram them!
...
"Admiral Hanafuda, are we really maintaining full speed?"
On the bow of the flagship Tyrannosaurus, a pirate wearing a dinosaur helmet asked the towering Warlord beside him hesitantly.
"..."
Beside him, 'Lizard King' Hanafuda stood with his hands behind his back.
His breathing was heavy and rough, like a dinosaur.
He completely ignored Roy's warship, his gaze fixed on the distant Piece of Spadille.
The Spadille was already far away, visible only by the flames propelling it.
"Using a Logia ability to power a ship... wasting stamina just to run away... Portgas D. Ace. Such a weak rookie," Hanafuda sneered.
He didn't know about the battle that had just occurred. When his fleet spotted the Spadille, it was already fleeing.
But he knew one thing.
"Consuming power like that... he can't run far. I will catch him, and I will tear him apart."
He grinned savagely, baring his teeth.
"He destroyed one of my weapon transport fleets, making me miss my quota for Big Brother Kaido... This shame must be washed away with his blood."
"A dinosaur's hunt... goes to the ends of the earth."
No, I don't think actual dinosaurs held grudges like you do, his subordinate thought.
Besides, that wasn't what he asked.
"Admiral, I mean... are we really not turning? The ship ahead seems to be a Marine Detention Unit warship..."
The subordinate asked again.
WHAM!
With a cry of pain, he was kicked flying by Hanafuda.
"Idiot!"
Hanafuda glared at the subordinate.
"You said it yourself—Detention Unit! Not Garp's ship, not an Admiral, not an elite unit... They are weaklings!"
"I am a Warlord! My relationship with the World Government is just business. If a weak bug is blocking the road, crush it!"
He sneered.
"Power is authority! It is only natural for the weak to be destroyed!"
This was the creed he lived by.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Other pirates scrambled to drag the unconscious subordinate away.
But before they could...
THUD! THUD!
The entire pirate ship shuddered violently. Its speed dropped noticeably, and sounds of collision came from below.
Pirates were thrown off balance. They scrambled up in panic. "What happened!?"
"What's going on!?"
They rushed to the railing and looked down.
"So... so cold!"
A biting chill hit their faces.
Then they saw what they had hit—ice floes, rapidly forming on the sea surface below.
"Why is there ice?"
They were confused.
But they knew what to do. "Admiral, don't worry! We'll go immediately and..."
Turning back, they realized their Admiral was ignoring them.
The 'Lizard King' stood on the deck, his body tense. His pupils had contracted into vertical slits, like a reptile's. He looked like an alert beast.
He was staring at the nearby cola-bottle warship.
There...
Bang! Bang!
A figure was leaping from the warship into the air.
"Geppo..."
Hanafuda recognized it instantly.
The figure's Marine coat flapped in the wind.
And on his left fist...
VMMM!
Golden light and shockwaves were erupting.
But unlike before...
This time, within the pale gold light, there was a distinct blue hue.
Cold air burst forth along with the shockwaves.
The ice forming on the sea around them was caused merely by the overflow of this energy.
Just the overflow had this effect—Hanafuda could imagine the true power of that punch.
"Hard to starboard!"
He roared.
But clearly...
It was too late.
The next instant, Roy, walking on air above the sea... punched!
"Ice Wave Fist: Permafrost!"
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