The cold current froze the seawater around the warship, spreading like tree roots.
Snowflakes drifted down, coating the deck with a layer of chilling silver.
Ice particles scattered from the ends of Griffin's ice-blue hair, crimson patterns visible on his face.
...
Doll felt a warm power flowing into her from behind, alleviating the intense pain throughout her body as she collapsed weakly into his embrace.
Turning to look at Griffin, she frowned.
The knife wound on Griffin's chest was still bleeding. At such close distance, she could hear his slightly labored breathing.
...
She roughly guessed that Griffin had left some kind of mark on her that allowed him to accurately locate this place.
But she had never dared to hope that Griffin would actually make it in time.
The moment the attack occurred, she had contacted the G-14 Navy Branch. Even from this closest Marine outpost, reinforcements would take over three hours to arrive.
The Base Commander had indicated he would send people as soon as possible to take custody of the pirates defeated by Instructor Zephyr.
He wasn't nervous at all, even having the mood to mock which blind pirate dared to attack Zephyr.
Didn't they know he was a former Marine Admiral, the highest combat power of Marine Headquarters?
Who gave them the courage?
...
Actually, before Buckingham demonstrated her ability to control the new recruits, no one thought the situation would become this serious.
Weevil could do nothing but endure beatings under Zephyr's hands. If not for his thick layer of fat providing substantial defense, and Zephyr never dealing fatal blows to pirates, the battle might have ended quickly.
On the battlefield, capturing alive is always more difficult than killing the opponent.
Zephyr had always been fighting with shackles, exercising extreme self-restraint.
...
...
"You're that recently famous Marine rising star..."
Buckingham pulled out a small notebook from her sleeve and flipped through it, frowning. "Strange, why isn't there a bounty for someone like you on the black market?"
"Not worth anything..."
While appearing nonchalant, her other hand secretly pressed the communication button on a Special Den Den Mushi.
This Den Den Mushi would broadcast her signal - anyone she knew within range would receive the message and come to help.
She originally wanted to keep Zephyr's bounty all to herself, but if the other side got reinforcements first...
...
Griffin scanned the area. Dozens of Marines had sacrificed their lives, few with complete bodies intact, with dismembered limbs and corpses scattered everywhere.
When his indifferent eyes fell upon Buckingham, he saw her raising and shaking both hands, activating her ability.
Griffin clearly saw invisible ripples spreading out, attempting to invade his mind and alter his consciousness.
"Griffin! She's a Paramecia Anti-Anti Fruit user! She can change people's malice toward her into goodwill, and can even control others to attack their comrades!"
"Don't let yourself be affected!" Doll urgently shouted.
...
"Heh heh heh heh ha..."
Buckingham sneered repeatedly, looking Griffin up and down.
"I heard you survived under that Red Hair's hands. I admit your strength is decent."
"But you're too foolish!"
"That wound on your chest... the person you fought earlier must have had quite high-level Haki."
"I don't know where you came from, but rushing here with such injuries must have drained your stamina significantly!"
"I've seen too many hot-blooded fools like you who act without considering consequences - none of them come to a good end!"
"Worthless trash, just die here!"
...
"Hmm... no!"
Buckingham shook her head.
"No bounty doesn't matter. The Marines would definitely hate to lose their poster boy. Even if they're unwilling to pay ransom, with looks like this, we could get a huge sum selling you to the slave market!"
Still not right. Buckingham shook her head again.
"Such a waste to sell him... maybe we should keep him..."
"Hey, kid, would you like to be my second son—"
Wrong!!
Buckingham's pupils contracted sharply, her subconscious sensing something was amiss.
I clearly wanted to kill this brat to get back at the Marines.
How did I end up wanting to spare his life...
Buckingham stared at those magnificent crimson eyes, thinking to herself.
Such beautiful eyes... it would indeed be a shame to extinguish them...
Taking a deep breath, Buckingham forced an ugly smile and opened her arms.
"Come, be my—"
Whoosh——!
A gleaming long sword pierced through her chest, her open arms as if welcoming death.
...
In her vision, those eyes grew larger and larger, the sky itself seeming to be dyed blood red.
"Having fun?"
Griffin's voice became clearer as he approached. Buckingham looked down at the sword piercing her body, then raised her eyes to him, yet couldn't muster any hatred.
Why is this happening...
Why is he attacking me... I clearly used my ability on him...
At his age and with his strength, how could he be unaffected...
No...
Realizing something, Buckingham's eyes filled with despair.
He's about to kill me! Why don't I hate him!!
...
...
"Bastard!! How dare you hurt my mother!! I'll kill you!!!!"
Weevil, who had climbed onto the ice from the sea, saw this scene and roared with crimson eyes in furious rage, his golden hair standing on end!
Buckingham struggled to raise her hand covered in jeweled rings, revealing a gentle smile Weevil had never seen before: "No, Weevil..."
"Don't avenge me. You must get along well with him..."
Weevil, holding his great sword, froze.
Mother always said that anyone who dared harm her must be avenged at all costs.
But now Mother is saying...
...
...
This is wrong!! Completely wrong!!!
What are you standing there for, you fool! Hurry up and kill him! I'm not dead yet, I can still be saved!!
Buckingham seemed like a schizophrenic patient, her thoughts and actions in complete chaos.
One part of her mind wanted to chop Griffin into mincemeat, while another part completely didn't want to harm him - and this latter thought was dominating.
Griffin gripped Spring Rain's hilt.
Whoosh—
Withdrawing the blade brought forth a spray of blood mist. Buckingham staggered and knelt on the ground.
...
"I asked you, are you having fun?"
Griffin repeated the question, raising his long sword.
"What a pity. There's no one important in your heart, so you can't truly understand others' feelings."
"If Paramecia-type Fruits could possess consciousness, tell your next generation."
"Every ability has weaknesses and flaws."
"Your weakness... is me."
Swish—
The blade flashed, separating Buckingham's head from her body!
Only at the final moment did the outline of three tomoe faintly appear in her eyes.
...
"Mother!!!!!!!!"
Weevil's mournful scream echoed across the sea.
Buckingham's feelings for him were fake, but his feelings for Buckingham were real.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Weevil roared wildly, pounding his chest desperately.
"I won't listen to Mama anymore!! How could I possibly get along with the bastard who killed Mama!!"
"I'm definitely going to kill you!!!!"
Weevil shattered the ice beneath his feet and leaped high into the air, his massive body blocking out the sunlight as terrifying black and red lightning erupted from his form.
Everyone in the area except for Doll was knocked unconscious by this terrifying pressure!
Conqueror's Haki!!!
...
Griffin's pupils contracted sharply.
Even though Conqueror's Haki users were as common as carp swimming across a river in the New World, there was no reason this fool should have awakened it.
So...
Griffin was becoming increasingly convinced that Conqueror's Haki had hereditary properties, similar to a Bloodline Limit. Once one generation awakened it, the probability of subsequent generations awakening it greatly increased.
Buckingham Stussy had joined Vegapunk's laboratory, and CP's Stussy was her clone.
It was easy to imagine that this so-called "Whitebeard Jr." was a replica created by Buckingham using Whitebeard's Bloodline Factor.
...
...
Ah... I don't want to think about these things anymore.
Sssshhh—
Griffin bent his knees and lowered his stance, assuming an Iai Quick Draw posture. His blade and arm formed a straight line, covered in pitch-black Haki and crackling with black and red lightning.
Recalling the two clear sensations his body had experienced before, Griffin took a deep breath.
As Weevil's mountain-heavy slash descended...
He gently exhaled a turbid breath and murmured softly.
"Divine Departure."
...
...
————