Chapter 331: The Intimidation of That Man!
There were only seven of them. But the invisible pressure they emitted was like a tidal wave sweeping across the battlefield, freezing the very air!
Especially when the black-haired man in the center, flanked by his six top officers, looked over. Almost every Marine officer felt it difficult to breathe, as if their hearts had skipped a beat. Even the ten Pacifistas stopped their attack and instinctively took a few steps back.
Before this, Marine Headquarters had been absolutely confident of victory against the Whitebeard Pirates. Even the most conservative estimates had only predicted a difficult, drawn-out battle. But with these seven… it was different! The situation, the outcome, everything had changed!
"It's suddenly gotten scary quiet," Marco the Phoenix chuckled from the sky. "Just showing his face scared tens of thousands of Marines into silence? That man's intimidation is truly ridiculous."
Below him, Moria was kneeling on the ground, his face beaten swollen like a pig's head, clearly having lost the fight. Even though Marco wasn't known for his offensive power, as the second-in-command of the Whitebeard Pirates, he had been known as the strongest man under the Yonko before the rise of the Curtain Call. A Warlord who had lost his ambition and neglected his Haki was no match for him.
"Hey, hey, this is bad," Moria clutched his swollen cheek, ignoring Marco as he stared at the distant figure, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
Why the Curtain Call! Why Shane! The level of the opponent is completely different now!!!
Why was he so unlucky? Had he really not been able to avoid this guy? Although it was their first meeting, he had heard of this man's reputation a year and a half ago… Back then, rumors were flying around Paradise about a vicious newcomer who had ruthlessly killed two Warlords as soon as he entered the Grand Line! Even Admiral Akainu had failed to take him down after a fierce battle!
That had scared Moria so much he had sailed Thriller Bark deep into the Florian Triangle overnight, not daring to come out. After all, of the remaining five Warlords, four were in the New World, and he was the only one still active in the first half! It looked like this monster was coming for him!
It wasn't until he heard that the guy had gone to the New World and cut off Dark King Rayleigh's arm on the way that he had breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have escaped with his life. But in the end, he still couldn't escape this fate!
Moria regretted it so much his guts were turning green. He wished he could slap himself twice. When he received the summons, he was certain the Marines were going after Whitebeard, and eager to witness the old man's downfall, he had rushed over. But now! Whitebeard was fine, and his own life was on the line!
Just as Moria was trembling in fear, he suddenly noticed that Hawk-Eye and the Pirate Empress, on his left and right, had completely different reactions.
"Hmm?" "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk looked up, his sharp gaze piercing the battlefield and locking onto the black-haired figure.
A pleasant surprise.
"Have I finally waited for this day…" he murmured, his voice filled with an indescribable fighting spirit. Fate had seemed to toy with him, making him miss his chance time and time again, leading to disappointment after disappointment. But now, he finally saw the man himself!
Thud! Mihawk didn't hesitate. He strode forward.
"Hey! Mihawk!" Vista raised his twin swords indignantly. "Where do you think you're going? Our duel isn't over yet!"
"Get lost," Mihawk said coldly without looking back. With a casual swing, he unleashed a terrifying sword slash that sent Vista flying hundreds of meters.
Hah? Feeling the intensity of the slash, which was on a completely different level from before, Vista was stunned. Wait, was this guy holding back the whole time?
On the other side, Hancock's cheeks were flushed a sickly red, like a ripe apple, and her legs rubbed together uncontrollably. "Lord Sh-Shane… it's Lord Shane! What an honor for this concubine to finally see him again with her own eyes…" She suddenly clutched her chest and stumbled, curling up like a cooked shrimp under the terrified gazes of her sisters. A pink, heart-shaped wave rippled out uncontrollably, instantly turning a dozen unlucky Marine soldiers to stone before they even realized what was happening.
"Sister!" Sandersonia rushed to support her. "Please pull yourself together! We're on a battlefield!"
"Ugh, it can't be helped, this concubine… this concubine can't take it anymore…" Hancock's eyes were misty, her breathing ragged. "Damn it, this reunion is too rushed! This concubine didn't bring her best outfit! Quick, go get my dress!"
"Who brings that kind of thing to a battlefield?!" her other sister, Marigold, screamed in despair.
Crazy! Moria cursed inwardly. What's wrong with these two freaks? That's Shane over there! The terrifying man whose reputation surpasses even Rocks of the past! Instead of thinking about how to run away, one is eager to fight him, and the other is swooning over him!
I'm not playing along! Moria didn't hesitate. He secretly activated his fruit ability. His shadow suddenly seemed to come alive, slipping quietly behind the warship… According to his plan, he would send his shadow far away, and when no one was looking, he would switch places with it and escape.
But just then, Shane's gaze swept over. Moria froze, feeling as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss. Even his shadow didn't dare move. But… Shane's gaze just passed over him, not lingering at all. Or rather, he didn't even notice the onion-headed otaku. After scanning the entire battlefield and taking in the situation, he looked away.
"Newgate," Shane looked at the giant man holding the Murakumogiri in the distance and grinned. "It seems we're not too late. From the looks of it, you haven't suffered much yet?"
"Of course not," Whitebeard snorted, slamming the Murakumogiri into the ground. "Didn't I say I didn't need your help! The Whitebeard Pirates can handle a few Marines on their own!"
Though he said that, looking at the six imposing officers behind Shane and then at his own sons, who had all suffered some injuries in the bitter fight, Whitebeard had to admit it to himself. These guys really came in the nick of time! But with his pride, he could never admit it out loud.
"Yes, yes, I know you're strong," Shane waved a hand, too lazy to argue with the stubborn old man who was about to kick the bucket. His gaze turned to Akainu and Greenbull.
"…" Greenbull wanted to say something tough, but seeing that face, a dull ache throbbed in his shoulder where his arm used to be. After swallowing hard for a while, he didn't dare speak. He would never forget that day in the Galaxy Sea. Although he had fought Issho for a day and a night and was not in peak condition, the fact remained that the man had cut off his arm with a single stroke. That overwhelming gap in power still terrified him.
"Hey, this is bad… Senior Sakazuki, what do we do now?" Greenbull instinctively looked at Akainu beside him, only to find that the veteran Admiral he respected most also had a face as dark as iron, looking extremely ugly. His gaze was fixed on Shane, the monstrous anger in his eyes almost solidifying.
"It's you again, Shane, it's you again!!!" Akainu gritted his teeth. "At this point, Aramaki, do you still need to ask me what to do? Compared to Whitebeard, this guy is our biggest enemy! He's standing right in front of you. Is there any other choice?!" As a soldier, facing such a mortal enemy, the word "retreat" should not be in his dictionary!
"But…" Greenbull hesitated. "Facing both of them at once, don't we lack the combat power? By the way, where is the Admiral-level fighter the higher-ups promised?" They still hadn't shown up!
How should I know! Akainu's face was dark. Even if the higher-ups hadn't anticipated that the Whitebeard Pirates had left their base and ambushed them here, the battle had been going on for a while. They should have…
"What's the rush, Aramaki? Haven't I already arrived?" An old, steady, cold voice suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.
In the next instant—BOOM!!!
Space in the center of the battlefield suddenly twisted, and a massive purple-black pentagram appeared out of thin air. A purple-black lightning bolt pierced the sky, dyeing the entire heavens an ominous dark color!
"That's… the Five Elders' teleportation circle?!" Greenbull jumped in fright, then burst into joy. Since joining the Marines, he had been to the Holy Land and met those great figures. But this was the first time he had seen the Five Elders descend to the mortal world!
Beside him, Akainu's pupils shrank, and he looked up in disbelief. The voice that had just spoken was extremely familiar. He had heard it countless times over the years, but it wasn't any of the Five Elders! Could it be…
VWOOM!
Amidst the violent tremors of space, a massive figure slowly stepped out of the magic circle. It was a pitch-black demonic Buddha, nearly a hundred meters tall! Its body, with peeling gold paint, was wreathed in purple-black hellfire, and purple-black flame-clouds floated behind it. The face that should have been compassionate was now twisted like a demon's, with six crimson demonic eyes on its forehead, blinking with blood-red light.
In the silence, the demonic Buddha looked down and spoke coldly, "Sakazuki, and Shane, Newgate… it has been a long time since we last met."