Chapter 338: Just Take This Punch First!
"Reinforcements?"
"Besides Admiral Kizaru, there's an even more powerful reinforcement?"
"No wonder Admiral Kizaru isn't here… he went on a mission like that!"
Saint Nusjuro's words had an immediate effect. Although some Marines were still fleeing, the situation had largely stabilized. Many of them looked relieved and their fighting spirit rekindled. After all, as everyone could see, even the Five Elders themselves were still fighting here! With their teleportation abilities, if they truly had no confidence and wanted to abandon them, they would have left long ago!
Hold on!
We can still fight!
As long as they could hold on until Admiral Kizaru and that mysterious reinforcement arrived, victory would ultimately be theirs!
"Asking for help?" Akainu was a little suspicious. The Celestial Dragons were all here. He didn't recall any other significant combat power available. But Kizaru's sudden transfer before the war was indeed strange, and Nusjuro didn't seem to be lying… Could there really be a powerful fighter in the New World he didn't know about?
Shane naturally heard Nusjuro's roar. He paused slightly, his eyes narrowing.
Something's wrong.
This wasn't his first encounter with the Five Elders. Those old men were cowards who would run at the first sign of trouble, regardless of their Celestial Dragon pride. Yet, at a time like this, Nusjuro was still fighting, even setting an example for the Marines. That meant they really had something up their sleeves.
Shane's mind raced, connecting the dots. Garling's ramblings before his death, Nusjuro's "final step," Kizaru's unusual absence, and… the hasty departure of Whitebeard and Marco.
"Sphinx?" Shane repeated the name. Angewomon had already informed him of the attack on Whitebeard's hometown. But he hadn't thought much of it then, assuming it was just a diversionary tactic by the Marines. He hadn't cared, because the combat power on the main battlefield was already sufficient. Even without Whitebeard, he was confident he could defeat these Marines.
But now… it seemed the Five Elders' plot went deeper than that!
Why Sphinx? Why Whitebeard's hometown? With the Whitebeard Pirates out in full force, Kizaru could have just attacked their core territory to draw them away. Why go to such a remote, distant place?
Hometown… hometown…
Wait! Shane suddenly looked up, his pupils shrinking slightly. He finally understood! From the beginning, the World Government… no! That person's goal was to lure Whitebeard to his hometown! Just like God Valley!
Wasn't Rocks, a native of God Valley, "corrupted and dominated" by Imu in his own hometown?! This was information he had only recently learned from the latest manga chapter he had bought. At the time, Shane had been puzzled. He couldn't understand how Rocks, whose Haki was almost as strong as his own, could be instantly corrupted and controlled by Imu without any effective resistance. In just a split second, the King of the World, the strongest pirate of that era, had been completely dominated!
Now he realized. Besides showing negative emotions, there was another basic condition for Imu to forcefully corrupt these powerhouses… They had to be in their hometown!!!
There was no mistake! It must be so! Wasn't it in Elbaf that Imu had corrupted the giant warriors, turning them into demons?! The more he thought about it, the clearer it became!
"Mochi! Phone!" Shane roared at the sky.
"Yes!"
SWISH!
A small Den Den Mushi was thrown from high above, flying straight towards Shane.
"Puru puru?" The little snail felt like its brain was being scrambled, but before it could pass out, Shane caught it.
"Victor," Shane dialed his intelligence chief directly.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
"Tell the agents scattered around the Conomi Islands to stop hiding their identities and execute the contingency plan immediately!"
Change of plans? Victor paused. The Conomi Islands were where Lord Shane's hometown was located. Shortly after the Curtain Call had established itself in the New World, they had quietly extended their reach there, sending several skilled agents to keep watch in case the World Government made a move. This was just an extra layer of insurance. The chances of Cocoyasi Village being targeted again were low, as Shane's family had publicly severed ties with the place. The contingency plan was a second layer of insurance: if there was any sign of trouble, they would abandon their surveillance and evacuate the villagers to the New World immediately.
But the CP agencies had been quiet…
"I understand. I'll do it right away," Victor responded decisively. Lord Shane's orders were always top priority.
"Yes, as soon as possible!"
After hanging up, Shane put away the Den Den Mushi and looked up at Nusjuro, who was still fighting in the distance. He snorted. "You're lucky." If he hadn't realized this plot, his first target would have been to get rid of this annoying old man in the kimono.
But now… he had to get to Sphinx immediately! He had to stop it!
Publicly speaking, if Whitebeard were corrupted and restored to his peak physical condition, plus Kizaru as reinforcements, it would undoubtedly have a huge impact on the battlefield! And privately… though the old man was stubborn, he was one of the few pirates Shane respected, a true man. Their relationship had always been good. He shouldn't have to die!
The timeline where he died at Marineford had already been completely changed by him. It would be absurd if he ended up dying a few years early, beaten to death by Shane after being corrupted!
Shane's eyes were cold as he gathered strength in his right leg. Old relics of the past, if you can't keep up with the new era, just go retire in the back! Dying before your sons… what kind of ending is that!
"Mochi!" Shane roared at Angewomon in the sky. "I'm leaving this place to you and Kuina for now! I'll be back soon. If the situation changes there, I'll call you!"
In the next instant! BOOM!
The ground exploded, and Shane shot into the sky, breaking the sound barrier in an instant, sonic booms exploding behind him. Maximum power Flight Technique!
WHOOSH!
The tens of thousands on the battlefield saw a black-and-red streak of light flash overhead. When they looked up again, the figure had already disappeared into the horizon like a meteor.
"Eh? Master?" Angewomon only had time to cry out before he was just a small black dot in her vision.
So fast! Nusjuro was also startled. This monster was powerful in every way—strength, durability, and speed!
But… Hmph, even so, he won't make it. At that speed, it would take at least half an hour to get to Sphinx. And Whitebeard had left over an hour ago. By his calculation, he should be arriving there any minute now… Shane rushing over there actually saved them some trouble. After all, their master had only acted on a whim, wanting to watch a cockfight. Both roosters had entered the ring. As for where they fought, it didn't matter. Hehe… Nusjuro's lips curved into a smile.
A light rain fell on Sphinx Island. This remote island on the edge of the New World, despite its limited geographical conditions, was vastly different from most poor and desolate borderlands. Green wheat fields swayed in the drizzle, dotted with quaint farmhouses, a picture of pastoral tranquility. The central town, though not bustling, was neat and orderly, peaceful and serene. Occasionally, children could be seen running barefoot in the rain, and old people chatted under the eaves.
There was no hunger, no war, no oppression here. Because this island… was the hometown that the man named "Whitebeard," Edward Newgate, had sworn to protect with his life!
Marine Admiral Kizaru was currently leaning against the clock tower at the highest point of the town, looking down at the island with a complex expression.
"It's a place that's easy to fall in love with," he sighed into the Den Den Mushi on his wrist. "Fleet Admiral, do we really have to go through with this plan? It seems a shame to destroy such a beautiful place…"
The Den Den Mushi's expression suddenly became sinister, staring at Kizaru and speaking in a cold, old voice, "Borsalino! This is a direct order from the Five Elders! As a Marine Admiral, just follow orders! Put away your useless sympathy!"
"What a scary expression~" Kizaru pouted. "Destroying the town is fine, but there seem to be a lot of children here. There's no need to involve them, right…"
"Have you forgotten your orders?! You must ensure with 100% certainty that Whitebeard flies into a rage!" the voice on the Den Den Mushi snapped. "Whitebeard is an orphan! He's never had a home since he was a child! If not for that, you could have just targeted his family. But since he has no ties, why are you bargaining? If you don't use all these methods, how can you be sure he'll completely break down!"
Kizaru was silent. The rain drifted down, condensing into tiny droplets on his gold-rimmed glasses, blurring the lenses and obscuring the expression on his wrinkled face.
"Understood," he finally said. "Don't worry, I'll do it, Fleet Admiral."
The call ended. Kizaru turned and took one last look at the town, then transformed into a beam of light and went to the port. His Observation Haki had long been extended, and he could faintly sense it—two extremely powerful presences were rapidly approaching!
He could see movement on the horizon. That blue flame was Marco, right? As for the massive figure hanging below him…
Kizaru took off his glasses, wiped away the mist, and put them back on, smiling. "So you're finally here, Newgate…"
"Faster, Marco!" Whitebeard roared, the wind and rain whipping at him, his coat blown away long ago, leaving only his shirt flapping.
"Got it, Pops!" Amidst the howling wind and rain, Marco the Phoenix gritted his teeth, his wings erupting with blinding blue flames as his speed increased again!
In just a few flaps, the outline of Sphinx Island became faintly visible in the distance. But Whitebeard had no time to be relieved. His pupils shrank—
From the direction of the port, a blinding golden beam of light shot into the sky, followed by a deafening explosion.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The entire town collapsed amidst continuous flashes of golden light. Wheat fields burned, the clock tower crumbled. The cries of children and the screams of residents were swallowed by the explosions, and billowing smoke mixed with sparks shot into the sky.
"KI! ZARU!!!"
A roar of rage and despair tore through the rain, echoing across the coast!
"You're late. I've been waiting for a long time, Whitebeard," Kizaru's voice drifted over. He pursed his lips and raised a finger. "How is it? Are you satisfied with this welcome ceremony prepared especially for you?"
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
PEW PEW PEW!
Golden light exploded again. Hundreds of light bullets rained down like a storm, but just before they hit, they were swallowed by massive cracks that suddenly appeared in space.
Gripping his Murakumogiri, the enraged Whitebeard let go of the phoenix's wing and leaped down, using Moonwalk. His bisento, wreathed in black-and-red lightning, slashed down!
"DIE!!!"
Kizaru shrugged and used his elemental form to teleport away, leaving a thousand-meter-long trench where he had been standing.
But Whitebeard didn't pursue. Instead, he landed on the ground and, with red eyes, charged towards the burning town! In the sky, Marco the Phoenix hurriedly followed. Saving people was more important than teaching this dog a lesson!
However, just as Whitebeard was about to run past Kizaru and into the fire…
BOOM!!!
A black-and-red bolt of lightning tore through the clouds, and a slender, black-haired figure suddenly descended from the sky, his right fist wreathed in terrifying Conqueror's Haki lightning.
Then, under Kizaru's stunned gaze, he punched Whitebeard!
"Wait outside the island, Newgate! Leave this to me!" Shane shouted.
RUMBLE!
Whitebeard only heard that one sentence, and then something like a ball of paper was shoved into his hand. In the next moment, his massive body crashed through the mountain, shattering countless rocks, and fell into the sea several kilometers away…