Chapter 95: Truly Splendid Fireworks!
"Recovering quite quickly. Able to move after just two days?"
Sag said gravely, "Honestly, I have no interest in you lot. I already let you go once before. If you knew what was good for you, you should have stayed further away."
He truly had no interest in these people. It had nothing to do with being Whitebeard's son or anything like that, because there was no conflict of interest.
Whether it was Ace, Smoker, or Straw Hat, it was all the same.
As pirates, they were colleagues. Unless their individual goals differed and led to conflict, battles wouldn't normally occur.
As for Marines, it was a matter of stance. Marines catching pirates was only natural on the sea.
Sag's view on Marines was: run if you can, fight if you can't, and run again after fighting.
He was a pirate, the kind who did whatever he wanted. His dream was to accumulate wealth and become a Landlord King, not some ultimate destructive Killing King.
He didn't feel the need to fight everyone he saw to the death.
Haoshoku Haki didn't manifest in lunatics.
Otherwise, the Four Emperors would have long ago waged a great war against the Marines.
"I don't have much interest in you either, especially since you seem to know that old man. Compared to you, I have more important things to do."
Ace smiled, "Regarding Pops, I can't beat you now. After I finish my business, I'll come find you to correct things. But right now, my younger brother needs to defeat his enemy. As his older brother, I can't let others interfere."
Smoker bit his cigar and raised his head. "You're not a Shichibukai. Marines catching pirates is perfectly justified."
Whether it was Natural Disaster or Straw Hat, neither was actually a higher priority than Crocodile.
He inherently disliked the Shichibukai, especially a guy like Crocodile who had always been shrewd.
Now his objective was exposed. But as a Marine, he couldn't even wait for his superiors to react. By the time they reacted, perhaps that sand crocodile would have already devoured this country.
But bound by regulations, he couldn't act against a Shichibukai. Placing hope on a pirate was already shameful enough. Logically, he shouldn't even be here.
But Natural Disaster being here gave him a reason. As long as he entered Alubarna under the pretext of catching him, no one would say anything.
He didn't know what Sag's plan was, or that he would cooperate with Crocodile, but stopping him here was enough!
For the rest, he could only trust Straw Hat!
"Your younger brother, Straw Hat Luffy?"
Sag turned his head, glanced towards the royal palace, then shook his head. "Did you misunderstand something? I'm not interested in Crocodile's plan. Whether he wins or loses doesn't matter to me. What he wants to do is his business; what I want to do is mine."
It was just that, just in case, it was best if that crocodile's plan succeeded. That way, his investment plan would be more stable.
But if he really failed, it truly didn't matter to Sag. He just needed Crocodile not to get caught.
It was something outside the original plan anyway. His initial plan was just to rob Rainbase and Alubarna.
"However…"
Chih!
A white breath sprayed from Sag's nose, spreading out onto the ground. His figure suddenly expanded at this moment, muscles turning into ferocious armor. In Ace and Smoker's sight, he gradually grew to a height of about three meters.
"Taking such great pains to specifically seek me out… if I didn't accept the challenge, I'd feel somewhat sorry for you. Just right, my mood isn't too good. Let me accompany you for a bit. If you die here, I won't care that much!"
Sag pointed at the two. "80%, enough to deal with you."
"What is this?!"
Smoker was slightly startled. He hadn't seen Sag in this state before. Back in Nanohana, he had fainted relatively early…
But no matter what it was, now was not the time to be surprised!
"White Blow!"
Smoke erupted from Smoker's right arm as he sprayed it directly outwards.
"Hiken!" (Fire Fist!)
Ace's left hand burst into flames, transforming into a pillar of fire launched parallel.
Smoke and fire entangled during launch, wrapping around each other. The flames brought high temperature to the smoke, and this high temperature fed back into the flames, making their power even greater.
Smoke versus fire might be inconclusive, but smoke combined with fire would have even greater power!
As for Sag…
It looked somewhat familiar.
"Treating me like Bullet?!" (Reference to Douglas Bullet from One Piece: Stampede?)
Sag's hands wrapped in Haki like pitch-black flowing fire. He brought his hands together, concentrating the Haki within his palms, and pushed forward fiercely.
"Hadōken: Tenshō Honretsu!!" (Wave Motion Fist: Heaven Commander Rushing Violent!!)
Boom!!
A beam of black-fire-like light fiercely collided with the interwoven pillar of smoke and fire. It engulfed the smoke and fire, bursting outwards, emitting a huge sound while also scattering the smoke and fire in all directions, splashing around.
Like a splendid fireworks festival.
"Truly splendid fireworks, Sabo-san… No, Ace-san, Smoker-san!"
Frieza-Sag revealed a fierce grin. (A reference to Frieza from Dragon Ball, likely a humorous comparison due to the overwhelming power display) His hands forcefully pushed forward. The issued Haki shockwave stubbornly pushed against the pillar of smoke and fire, gradually advancing towards them.
Even facing the slightly superior power of the smoke-fire pillar, faced with his rapidly recovering, near-infinite Haki, it was useless!
In a beam struggle, he was extremely confident!
…
"Lady Marika! Found it!"
On the other side, in a street near the royal palace, several pirates found some gold and silver treasure in a luxuriously decorated house. One pirate, holding a handful of necklaces and bead strings, excitedly ran outside, shouting to Marika in the opposite house.
Marika poked her head out and smiled gently, "Very good. Please keep up the good work."
The buildings near the royal palace were naturally more luxurious, likely the residences of nobles and wealthy people. It was perfectly normal for them to have money inside.
Seven or eight subordinates ransacked chests and overturned cabinets in that house, putting valuable items into a box, and ran out happily, about to search another building.
But just then, two figures rapidly charged over.
Bang!
Chih!
Only the sounds were heard. Two pirates had blood spurt from their chests as they fell to the ground.
And the pirate holding the box had his face almost caved in by a fist wearing an iron gauntlet, sending a few teeth flying as he collapsed to the ground.
"Put those things down, hateful pirates! Fall before the fists of Lord 'Iron Fist' Fullbody!"
A pink-haired man wearing a Marine hat stepped on the pirate on the ground, clenching his fist and shouting.
"And me, Jango!"
Behind him, a man wearing heart-shaped glasses quickly approached, sharp rings on both hands.
From behind them, a squad of Marines was rapidly approaching.
At the very front was a woman with pale pink long hair, holding a cigarette.
"Captain Hina! No need to come over at all! We will resolve them for you!" Fullbody shouted excitedly.
"Yes, Captain Hina! Please watch us perform for you!" Jango shouted loudly.
"Nn!!"
Just as they were speaking, Miote quickly rushed out of the house, drew the large tachi from his back, and swung it fiercely towards them.
Clang!!
The sharp blade edge struck Fullbody's iron gauntlet. The immense force sent him and Jango flying backward, retreating.
"A man with great strength, but it's useless! You can't deal with us Dance Brothers!" Fullbody landed on his heels, quickly adjusting his posture.
"Yes, partner! Let us offer him the Marine's sanction! Let's dance!" Jango twisted his body, shouting excitedly.
"No, Hina finds this troublesome."
The pink-haired woman walked past the two of them towards Miote. "A pirate of the Natural Disaster Pirates, Miote with a bounty of six million Beli?"
"Ngh!"
Miote issued a threatening whimper, his body slightly bent, and rapidly charged towards the woman.
The woman pulled her right glove slightly, completely ignoring Miote's charge. Just as he approached and swung his blade, her arm opened wide, directly moving towards the blade.
"Pass through…"
Her hand, upon contacting the blade, rapidly elongated, wrapping around Miote's huge body, passing straight through, and slamming upwards.
Bang!
A black circle appeared around Miote's upper body, firmly binding his hands along with it. The back of his sword was even pressed against his face by this binding, causing him to fall down completely.
No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free from this black circle.
"Don't waste your effort. Hina's ability is harder than steel."
She exhaled smoke, looked at the woman standing inside the window, and said, "Shouldn't you surrender too? Natural Disaster Pirates cadre, Marika, bounty thirty million Beli."
Marika's expression remained unchanged, still smiling. "Ara, Marines? Truly surprising. An ability user?"
Marine HQ Captain, 'Black Cage' Hina!
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