"Tsk tsk tsk, what an intense battle. It's getting my blood boiling, making me want to jump in and fight myself."
"No wonder in the original story, Kaido dared to take on Imu with his club right after stealing the Azure Dragon Fruit. Aside from his natural stubbornness, he must have been caught up in the heat of battle too."
"Wait, what? Why did Kaido suddenly transform? What is that? The Eight-Headed Serpent?!"
Charlie stared dumbfounded at the scene before him.
"Mythical Zoan Type Snake-Snake Fruit Eight-Headed Serpent Form!"
"Incredible, is Kaido's luck really that good? I just intercepted the Azure Dragon Fruit, and now he's obtained the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit. That's truly something else."
As a legendary creature, the Eight-Headed Serpent was born with eight heads and eight tails. Each head possessed independent consciousness and controlled different abilities.
Most importantly, each head represented a separate life. Its power was undoubtedly formidable.
Of course, no matter how powerful the ability, it required someone to wield it effectively. The same fruit in Kaido's hands versus in Kurozumi Orochi's hands would unleash completely different levels of power.
Gazing at the rampaging Eight-Headed Serpent in the distance, Charlie chuckled lightly.
"It looks rather ugly, far inferior to my Azure Dragon."
Which was stronger between the Azure Dragon Fruit and the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit? No one could say for certain. But in terms of coolness, the Azure Dragon left the Eight-Headed Serpent in the dust!
As the saying goes, power might be temporary, but style is forever!
Therefore, even if the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit were placed right in front of him, Charlie would still choose the Azure Dragon Fruit without hesitation.
Immediately after, Charlie turned to leave, decisive and straightforward.
The battle before him was still too high-level for him. If before obtaining the Azure Dragon Fruit he was an ant, then after obtaining it, he was at best a slightly stronger ant. Still an ant, with no real difference.
Moreover, the outcome of this battle was already predetermined, beyond his ability to change. Rather than risk wading into troubled waters, it was better to leave early and make other plans.
...
Soon after,
Charlie arrived at a remote cliff edge. The cliff was steep, standing dozens of meters high, with turbulent waves crashing below.
The sea was deep blue, violently pounding against the rock walls, splashing countless droplets of water.
In the distance, Marine warships still blockaded the Valley of the Gods, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.
However, from Charlie's observation, compared to the initial Marine blockade, the current one appeared quite weak.
After successive "devastation" from the Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates, only about a dozen scattered Marine warships remained on the sea. Compared to when the Marines first appeared, the number of warships had nearly halved.
Of the remaining dozen or so warships, several were distributed around, barely maintaining the sea blockade. Their main duty was to monitor the nearby waters and prevent other ships from approaching.
The remaining warships were fully engaged in besieging the ships and the remaining crew members of the Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates, with cannon fire raging incessantly.
Observing the distant Marine surveillance ships, Charlie remained unmoved. He descended along the rope he had prepared earlier, making his way down the cliff.
Then he untied another rope fastened to the reef and pulled hard, causing a small submarine to slowly surface.
This submarine was one of the escape routes Charlie had prepared for himself.
Lifting the hatch, Charlie entered the vessel and skillfully started the engine. The submarine gradually descended.
After submerging about thirty meters and evading the Navy surveillance ships and the ongoing battle, it swiftly headed toward the open sea, moving away from the Valley of the Gods.
...
Several days later.
Ohara.
A blue-painted submarine gradually surfaced, docking at the pier behind the Tree of All Knowledge.
"Arrived safely!"
Charlie stepped onto the familiar land once more, taking deep breaths of fresh air.
"Phew, I should head home first. No rush to return the submarine yet. After being gone for a month, my sister must be worried."
Over a month ago, Charlie had left without a word, only leaving a note, which had greatly distressed the sixteen-year-old Olvia.
After their parents passed away, Olvia had taken on the roles of both mother and father for her two younger brothers. They were her everything. If anything had happened to Charlie, she wouldn't know how to cope.
On his way home, Charlie ran into several acquaintances. When they saw him, they all greeted him, chattering excitedly.
"Hey, little Charlie is back! You've got some nerve, kid, daring to venture out to sea alone at such a young age!"
"Charlie, you're in big trouble! You better hurry home. If you don't go back soon, your sister is really going to give you a beating!"
"Poor Olan has been taking the fall for his brother these days, getting scolded more than a few times."
"Hohoho, 'The world is so vast, I want to see it all'—what a great line! I'm so envious; it makes me want to go out and explore too," a middle-aged man sighed wistfully.
His wife immediately scolded him, "Don't you dare! I'll break your legs if you try!"
The middle-aged man chuckled awkwardly and waved his hands, "Darling, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."
Charlie: "..."
Wait, did Olvia tell others what I wrote?
Charlie shook his head. "Never mind, I should focus on how to cheer up Olvia. She won't hit me, but she'll definitely cry her eyes out."
As for his younger brother Olan, that kid was tough. A few scoldings wouldn't hurt him—it might even do him some good. If he wasn't disciplined as a child, he'd grow up bullying his niece!
...
Charlie's home was in the town, not far from the Tree of All Knowledge. His parents had been merchants during their lifetime, leaving the family with considerable wealth. Thanks to their kindness and the goodwill they had built with others, the three siblings were able to grow up safely and focus on their studies.
As he got closer to home, Charlie's footsteps grew heavier, and his anxiety intensified.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the slender figure ahead. He murmured softly,
"Sis, you've lost weight."
No sooner had he spoken than he was pulled into a tight embrace. Olvia trembled, tears welling in her eyes as she choked out,
"Waaah, it's so good to have you back finally."
"You foolish little brother, how could you leave Olan and me behind and go out to sea alone? Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"What if... what if something had happened to you? How could Olan and I go on living?"
"Yeah, big brother, if you hadn't come back soon, I would've been beaten to death by big sis!" Nico Oland emerged from the house upon hearing the commotion, his resentful gaze sending a chill down Charlie's spine.
"Get lost. If you got beaten up, it's because you pissed off big sis. What's it got to do with me?" Charlie glared at Olan, his tone filled with warning.
Olan shrank his neck in fear and didn't dare speak again.
Over the past year, Charlie had always found excuses to beat up Olan whenever he had free time—truly living by the motto "eat, sleep, bully the little brother," all to vent future anger on behalf of his future niece.
Then, Charlie gently patted Olvia's back and comforted her:
"Alright, sis, stop crying. I know I was wrong, I'm sorry."
"If you keep crying, you won't be pretty anymore. Be careful no one will marry you later."
"Hey, if nothing else works, just hit me to vent your anger."
Charlie grew anxious. No matter what he said, Olvia remained silent, only crying incessantly.
Helpless, Charlie could only shoot Olan a look, asking him to help console Olvia. But Olan just shrugged and spread his hands, indicating he couldn't help.
"You caused this mess, you fix it," Olan muttered under his breath before walking away without looking back.