Chapter 39 – Assassination! The Terrifying Defense of a Top-Tier Monster!
The crimson blade, wreathed in blazing fire, cut through the air toward Barrett's neck.
Seeing Yoriichi Tsugikuni suddenly appear at Barrett's side, Aokiji couldn't help but sigh.
The plan had been simple: Aokiji would move in first, draw attention, and freeze the weaker members of the Roger Pirates. Then, once the battlefield was prepared, Yoriichi would arrive to deliver the finishing blows.
But things hadn't gone as planned.
Aokiji had barely frozen two pirates when someone intercepted him—and by the time Yoriichi finally showed up, Barrett had already shattered the ice and counterattacked.
So much for perfect timing… Aokiji thought bitterly.
But Yoriichi wasn't paying him any mind.
Every fiber of his being was focused on the man before him. Until Barrett's head was separated from his body, Yoriichi would allow himself not even a breath of carelessness.
From the instant their eyes met, Yoriichi recognized the man's strength.
Barrett's head would not come easily.
"A brat?!" Barrett's lips curved into a grin.
"Not bad… that's quite the slash!"
Just as the fiery blade was about to reach him, Barrett's eyes narrowed. His hand, which had been gripping Aokiji's arm, withdrew instantly and shot out to grab the incoming sword.
Yoriichi's pupils contracted sharply.
He's trying to catch my blade with his bare hand?!
He'd seen it before—from Zephyr, and again from Garp.
Was this man's Haki truly strong enough to do the same?
I can't gamble on that.
In the blink of an eye, Yoriichi changed his strike.
Instead of slicing across Barrett's neck, the blade twisted and flashed sideways—aimed straight for his abdomen.
"Hmm?" Barrett's hand grasped at empty air—then a searing pain flared through his midsection.
His eyes widened slightly.
When he turned, Yoriichi had already leapt back several meters, landing beside Aokiji. Both men stood ready, eyes fixed warily on Barrett.
Despite his youth, Barrett's power was monstrous. Even with their coordinated attack, the two of them hadn't been able to finish him in a single strike.
With the ice-strewn battlefield still crawling with other members of the Roger Pirates, Yoriichi and Aokiji silently chose to disengage for now, rather than get caught in a prolonged clash.
"…Too shallow," Yoriichi muttered, glancing at the wound he'd dealt.
His Haki is unbelievably dense. That defense… it's terrifying.
He had put his full strength into that strike—yet it had only grazed Barrett, barely enough to draw blood.
Barrett's Haki was on another level entirely.
"That brat… actually cut me?!" Barrett growled, lowering his gaze.
A long, charred gash—ten or more centimeters wide—marred his abdomen. The skin around it was blackened and red, as if scorched by fire.
It wasn't deep, only cutting through muscle. The bleeding was minor—hardly enough to hinder him.
Still, Barrett's eyes burned with fury… and excitement.
He'd been injured.
Since boarding the Oro Jackson, only Captain Roger himself had ever managed to wound him—and now, this little upstart had done it too.
The kid looked no older than Shanks. A greenhorn. A child.
Barrett's teeth flashed in a feral grin.
"Barrett! You okay?!"
"You're hurt!"
Members of the Roger Pirates, finally realizing what had happened, shouted from behind. The ambush had been so swift that only those with the keenest Observation Haki had even noticed it in time.
Shanks, wide-eyed, stared at the thin line of blood on Barrett's waist.
"Hey, that's bad—are you sure you're all right?"
For all Barrett's rough edges, he was still their crewmate. The Roger Pirates' bonds ran deep.
Barrett straightened, the smirk never leaving his face.
"It's nothing," he said coolly.
"A scratch like this… doesn't even count as an injury."
The fiery aura around him began to surge again—stronger, darker, and infinitely more dangerous.
The real fight was only beginning.
"Come to think of it, Shanks," Barrett drawled, his tone half-mocking, half-impressed, "that kid looks about your age, doesn't he?"
"So young, yet so powerful… reminds me of myself back in the day!"
Though barely in his twenties, Barrett spoke with the air of an old veteran, as if he were some seasoned relic of the seas. And while his words were a rare compliment aimed at his opponent, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, his relaxed tone made it clear—he didn't see Yoriichi or Aokiji as real threats.
While Barrett was speaking, the other members of the Roger Pirates also turned their attention toward the red-haired youth standing beside Aokiji.
Aokiji's reputation had already reached their ears. The "Marine Prodigy," the youngest colonel in naval history, and a user of a Logia-type Devil Fruit—the Ice-Ice Fruit.
But the boy next to him?
Sword in hand, crimson hair flowing in the sea breeze, and an aura so sharp it made even seasoned pirates uneasy—he was a complete mystery.
"So that kid's the one who cut Barrett?"
"Unbelievable… his power's insane. Is he one of Garp's recruits?"
"Wait—wasn't his blade glowing red just now? Why's it black now?"
The Roger Pirates whispered among themselves, studying Yoriichi from a distance, their tone oddly casual despite the tension.
Meanwhile, the two men Aokiji had frozen earlier were dragged before Barrett.
Without a word, Barrett's Merge-Merge Fruit ability activated.
The ice encasing their bodies melted instantly and was absorbed into Barrett's own flesh before being expelled as harmless vapor.
In situations like this, his fruit was absurdly convenient.
The freed men—Elio and Yamon—shook off their stiffness, unharmed. They joined the rest of the crew, all of them now glaring warily at Aokiji and Yoriichi across the frozen battlefield.
At the same time, on the dog-headed battleship, the Marines who had withstood the shockwave from Garp and Roger's earlier clash were regrouping.
Led by Bogard, they quickly assembled behind Aokiji and Yoriichi.
Each man was an elite—a soldier hardened enough to endure the pressure of Conqueror's Haki—and their unified presence caused the Marines' side to surge with renewed momentum.
"Oho?"
A familiar voice, tinged with amusement, carried over the ice.
"Didn't know Garp had so many promising youngsters on his ship. Looks like the Navy's been raising some fine talent lately."
The Roger Pirates turned in delight toward the source of that voice.
It was Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King himself—striding across the ice alongside Kozuki Oden and several others.
Oden was drenched and gasping slightly, but aside from a crooked jaw, he looked as lively as ever. Having been punched straight into the ocean by Garp and surviving with little more than that—his durability was monstrous.
As expected of the man who had once taken Whitebeard's punches head-on… and survived Roger's "Divine Departure" with nothing but bruises.
"Vice-Captain!"
"Rayleigh-san! Oden-san!"
The crew erupted in cheers at their return.
Rayleigh smiled faintly, walking to the front line. His gaze swept briefly over Barrett's still-bleeding wound, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, before he calmly drew his own blade.
"Well then, Marines," he said, voice soft but sharp as steel.
"Brace yourselves."
"You've crossed the Roger Pirates—don't think you'll be leaving this place unscathed."
(End of Chapter)
⭐ Enjoying the story?You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon!Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects.Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims