novelnext Chapter 302 - 301: The Death
Chapter 302 - 301: The Death
Several days later.
One of the only two remaining End Point islands — Secon Island.
Strangely, there wasn't a single Marine stationed here. The entire island was empty.
At the center of the island, atop the massive volcano.
The members of the Red Hair Pirates stood at the edge of the crater, their faces solemn.
Using their Observation Haki, everyone could easily sense the bomb buried deep beneath the magma...
The energy it contained was enough to make one's heart tremble.
Beckman took a deep breath:
"This is the Marines' confidence, huh."
"They even withdrew all personnel. If some lunatic really attacked the last two islands—"
"The entire New World would burn to ash in magma..."
They couldn't walk away from this trouble even if they wanted to.
The existence of the massive magma reservoirs buried beneath the three End Point islands, as well as the network of geological veins connecting them to the islands throughout the New World, had already been confirmed shortly after Sakazuki revealed the information.
But all four Emperors had tacitly suppressed this news to avoid unrest among the people.
Not long ago, when Bullet rampaged through the Red Hair Pirates, he revealed a piece of news:
"The Marines have already withdrawn from the last two End Point islands."
"If you want to save the New World, then you'd better protect those places."
"And don't try to destroy the bombs inside the islands, or the New World might be completely wiped out..."
Even though they had doubts, they couldn't afford to take such matters lightly. They turned around immediately and headed for the nearest End Point island.
Once they arrived, everything was just as Bullet had said — all Marines and residents had been evacuated.
An island with no one left...
If some madman came here and set off the volcano... the New World would be destroyed in an instant...
Yasopp's face was full of disbelief:
"Oi oi, that Sakazuki bastard's really gone insane, hasn't he?"
"This is way too strange."
"This is supposed to be an island the Marines should be guarding, yet they just threw it away like it's nothing..."
"If an accident happens and the New World is destroyed, the number of civilians who'd die would reach tens of millions. Tell me, who's the pirate here — them or us?"
Beckman's expression was grim:
"That's exactly what makes Sakazuki so terrifying."
"Though he wears the cloak of justice, with his way of doing things, he couldn't care less about ordinary civilians."
"When he revealed the truth about the End Point islands, he must've already planned for this day."
"These two remaining End Point islands aren't a Marine weakness — they're leverage he can use against us."
"If the Marines stayed here and some lunatic attacked, the loss would be on their side."
"But if they withdrew and let us know about it, do you think we — or Kaido, or Big Mom — would just sit and let the New World be destroyed?"
"He threw this ticking bomb right into our laps."
"And not just that — the bombs buried beneath the magma are still under Marine control."
"If the Marines lose the war, they can just detonate them and destroy the New World."
"He's blatantly telling us that only he has the power to flip the table."
"He had us cornered from the very beginning..."
After hearing Beckman's analysis, a cold chill spread through everyone's hearts.
Lucky Roux shook his head:
"Then if we lose, can't we use this place to threaten Sakazuki?"
Beckman sighed softly:
"Did you not hear what I just said?"
"Sakazuki doesn't care about any of this."
"From the moment he declared war and said he'd drag the New World down with him if he lost, you should've understood..."
"Whether the New World is destroyed or not is just a side condition — his real goal is to wipe out all pirates."
"If the Marines win and we blow this place up, what then? People will only know that pirates destroyed the New World. All the sins will be pinned on us."
"If the Marines lose and this place is blown up, same thing — all the sins will still be pinned on us."
"From start to finish, he's painting himself as the world's 'great hero.'"
Lucky Roux finally understood, anger flashing in his eyes:
"Damn it... Let's expose that bastard's hypocrisy."
But even he didn't sound very confident... Mostly because no one would believe them anyway.
Who would people trust? The pirates, or the new Fleet Admiral who had spent decades fighting to destroy pirates?
Shanks' face was a little heavy, but he didn't lose heart:
"Seriously... got played again."
"But that guy's too arrogant. If he thinks he can corner us with just this—"
"Then he's underestimating those who bear the title of Yonko."
Everyone froze for a moment, and even Beckman was slightly puzzled:
"Oh?"
"You've got a plan?"
Shanks' lips curved into a confident smile:
"Nope."
Beckman slapped his forehead. He knew it... Why did he even expect something from this idiot...
He said irritably:
"Then where's that confidence coming from!"
Shanks scratched his head and laughed loudly:
"Hahahaha, let's call the others and discuss it together."
"The more brains, the better!"
Beckman's expression eased slightly:
"Fair enough..."
"It's a mine waiting to blow anyway. Better to study it together..."
"I'll contact them."
He got up and walked out. The tense atmosphere eased slightly after Shanks' interruption.
Shanks still wore a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, but the weight in his heart was something no one else could see...
...
The Grand Line, Marine Recruitment Office.
The heat of the World Military Draft had slowly begun to fade. Those who wanted to enlist had already set out.
But every day, many underage youths or hesitant recruits still came here to inquire and sign up.
"Hey! Look over there!"
"Hiss—"
"An ability user!"
"He's so tall!"
The crowd's astonishment also drew the attention of the Marine recruitment officers:
"This is..."
In the distance, a tall, broad-shouldered man approached, dressed in green with a roguish charm. Flowers and grass sprouted wherever he walked, as if he were some kind of envoy of nature.
"Yo, soldier, I wanna sign up."
...
East Blue, unnamed waters.
A naval battle was raging here.
The two sides — the Alvida Pirates and the Marines from the 117th Branch — were locked in a chase.
The distance between them was rapidly closing.
Boom—Boom—
Cannonballs slammed into the deck of the pirate ship, nearly shattering the mast.
The violent tremor made everyone's heads spin.
Freckle-faced and obese, Alvida hefted her spiked club as she barked orders at her crew.At the same time, she turned to look at the slave laborer on deck — Koby:
"Koby!!!"
"What the hell are you dawdling for! Get those cannonballs up here!"
"And don't even think about running! I'll kill you first if you try!!"
Since the World Military Draft began, the number of pirates across the Four Seas had plummeted.
Part of it was the shift in the global tide, and part of it was the countless Marine warships hunting pirate crews for combat drills before being deployed to the New World.
Even someone like Alvida, who used to tyrannize the East Blue, had fallen on hard times and decided to flee to the Grand Line.
But after endless evasion, she was still discovered — and the chase had begun.
Koby trembled violently:
"Y-Yes!!"
His body trembled slightly as he pushed the crate of cannonballs forward, his face pale.
As one of the slaves captured by Alvida and forced to work as a deckhand, part of him hoped the Marines would take Alvida down, while another part feared she'd lash out at him in a final frenzy before her death...
Whoosh—
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air and reached everyone's ears on the ship.
Those with experience could tell—this was a direct hit aimed at the center of the target...
Many pirates slumped to the ground in despair. Alvida, clutching her spiked club, swallowed hard, psyching herself up. Then she suddenly leapt forward, swinging the spiked club down at the incoming cannonball.
Boom!
Alvida's palm split open from the impact, a wave of dizziness hit her, but she thought the danger had passed.
Yet the next whistling shell came immediately after, slamming directly into her head.
She collapsed unconscious...
Seeing Alvida go down, many pirates' faces turned to hopelessness. None of them had her brute strength—they were only good at bullying ordinary people on land.
Now that their strongest pillar had fallen, the thought of sneaking away inevitably arose.
Koby, on the other hand, was filled with joy.
Because this meant he could finally escape...
Boom boom boom——
The distance grew closer and closer. More cannonballs hit their mark. The pirate ship was being shredded under the dense barrage as the Marine warship closed in...
There was no boarding battle. To adapt to warfare in the New World, Marine branches had adjusted their combat methods.
They abandoned old close-range tactics, aiming to wipe out all enemies with cannon fire.
...
By evening.
Only a small part of Alvida's pirate ship remained above the water—most of it had sunk to the bottom.
On the Marine warship, supplies were piled high, showing that the battlefield had already been cleared. A Marine soldier stood before the commanding officer and reported:
"Report to Lieutenant Commander Norris!"
"Battlefield cleanup completed! No survivors from Alvida's pirate crew!"
"Awaiting your orders!"
Ever since Sakazuki had taken command, all Marines had been given strict orders—leave no survivors.
Lieutenant Commander Norris, a middle-aged man with a stubbled face, nodded slightly.
"Withdraw."
The soldier rushed back excitedly to relay the order. Norris's eyes, however, carried a trace of sorrow.
He knew why the soldiers were so excited to hear the withdrawal order.
Because it meant they would be sent to the Grand Line—or even the New World...
Maybe it was an incredible opportunity to see a wider world... but...
Many might not live to see that day.
...
Late at night.
Norris stood atop the branch's tallest building, silently watching the silhouettes below as they busily loaded supplies onto the warship.
Behind him, the Base Commander, Colonel Archie, approached.
He walked up beside Norris, held out a cigarette, and asked,
"What's wrong, Norris?"
"Feels like your faith's been a little shaky lately."
Their "faith," of course, was Sakazuki...
Norris smiled faintly.
"How could that be... don't slander me."
He accepted the cigarette, but his fingers holding it trembled slightly.
Noticing it himself, he fell silent for a moment.
"This is already the third batch this year..."
One by one, familiar faces had been summoned to fight in the New World.
And one by one... they vanished without a trace...
Archie understood Norris well. They were both men of mediocre talent, saved by Sakazuki, trained, and assigned to branch bases.
After twenty or thirty years together, their bond had grown like that of brothers. But the others had already been summoned one by one to the New World—none of them returned. How could it not hurt...
Archie took a deep breath.
"The war's only just begun. Casualties are inevitable. It's too early to grieve now."
"No news might just be the best news."
"The final victory will be ours."
"Trust in Fleet Admiral Sakazuki."
He patted Norris on the shoulder, not sure how to comfort him further, and walked away.
Norris opened his mouth as if to say something... but in the end only nodded silently.
...
New World, Dakhra Island.
Located within the territory of one of the Four Emperors—Kaido—a small peripheral island had just been captured by a fleet of six Marine warships.
Many soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield and counting the number of evacuated civilians.
Inside one of the warships, Colonel Bach, who had just survived a deadly battle, felt a chill of lingering fear. He'd nearly lost his head in the fight.
When the fighting ended, he found himself unconsciously walking back to his quarters.
Picking up a pen and paper from the desk, he slowly began to write. Ever since his comrade who came with him had died in battle, he hadn't been able to find the right words...
But after today's battle, he realized—if he didn't send a letter home, he might not get another chance.
If he died... they'd wait for him in vain.
Time passed quietly. The sky grew dark. Several pages were filled.
After some thought, he added a final line at the end:
"All is well. Don't worry."
"Bach."
He sealed the letter and stepped out of the room, only to realize night had fallen.
"It's already this late..."
Shaking his head, he found the ship's clerk.
"Dink, help me send this letter tomorrow."
Dink, the clerk, accepted the envelope with a small smile.
"Alright. Where to?"
Bach smiled.
"East Blue Branch 117, to Archie-san and Norris-san."
Dink made an OK sign without further comment. He'd seen this many times.
It wasn't that they didn't want to use the Den Den Mushi. It was because the moment the line connected... tears would start to fall uncontrollably. (Anyone who's served in the military knows that feeling—after three months of boot camp, when you finally call home, you just can't stop crying.)
Relieved of the weight on his heart, Bach grinned.
"Thanks."
Dink waved him off.
"Don't mention it. Let's go grab a drink."
No one knew that a powerful pirate ship was already heading toward them...
...
The next night.
Led by a powerful Zoan user, the pirate ship quietly circled around the back of the island and slipped into the harbor.
"Damn Marines... daring to attack my territory."
"They must be tired of living."
The speaker was a beastly lion-man. As a precaution, he activated his Devil Fruit ability before landing, just in case.
But after scanning the island, he discovered the highest rank here was only Rear Admiral.
That made him relax.
He wasn't a big name under Kaido, and the territory he ruled wasn't large.
But he'd been surviving in the New World for many years.
Compared to these unknown Marine Rear Admirals, his strength was far greater.
He licked his long fangs, a cruel grin spreading across his face.
Boom—
A Marine warship burst into flames.
Under the lion-man pirate's command, it took only moments to sink the warship.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!!"
The sound of heavy footsteps and the roaring of gunfire and cannon echoed everywhere.
Several Rear Admirals rushed out.
"Damn it... where did this guy come from..."
"Has Headquarters been informed?!"
"Yes, but reinforcements won't arrive until tomorrow morning."
"That's too late."
"We'll hold him off first. Karami! Go get the thing!"
"Got it!"
Whoosh whoosh—
The Rear Admirals split up. While several charged at the powerful pirate, Rear Admiral Karami ran to retrieve the item...
Each flagship carried a specially made container holding something glowing with a faint purple light—Dyna Stone.
This special container was created by the Marines' research division. It could only be opened with authorized fingerprints from the database, or by a powerful Haki attack—preventing accidental detonation.
Karami ran to the flagship's lowest deck, located the carefully stored container, and pressed his finger against it.
The specially reinforced cylindrical container slowly split open, revealing the Dyna Stone inside. At the same time, a mechanical voice sounded:
"Thank you for your sacrifice in the name of justice..."
Before it could finish, Karami grabbed the handle and sprinted out.
Unlike the outer casing, the inner container was fragile and could detonate easily...
Just as he reached the hatch—
Boom!!!
The shattered bodies of the Rear Admirals and several soldiers were hurled in, forcing Karami to shield the Dyna Stone as he fell back—
But then a blur flashed past.
Rip—
Karami's arm holding the Dyna Stone was torn clean off. His chest caved in as he slammed into the wall and slid down.
A massive beastly paw snatched the Dyna Stone.
"Oh?"
"Dyna Stone... what a dangerous thing..."
The lion-man pirate's expression turned dark. Ever since the war began, pirates had suffered heavy losses from these things... when they couldn't win, the Marines just blew everything up.
Absolutely shameless.
He gently set the Dyna Stone aside and walked toward Karami, his voice cold.
"You Marines really are disgusting..."
"I think I killed you all a little too quickly just now. Slowly torturing you to death is much better."
"But it's not too late..."
He stomped down on Karami's knee.
Crack!!!
The bone shattered completely.
Karami glared wide-eyed, biting down hard on his teeth, refusing to make a sound.
The lion-man pirate's lips twisted into a cruel smile as he grabbed Karami's remaining arm.
He slowly crushed it, bone by bone, the sickening cracking sounds echoing through the ship's hold...
Until the last piece of bone was pulverized.
Rip—
The arm was torn off and thrown aside.
A massive beastly paw wrapped around Karami's throat, ready to crush it slowly. But even as blood bubbled from his mouth and his consciousness blurred, Karami smiled strangely.
His whole body trembled with each bloody cough.
"Cough... cough..."
He spasmed a few more times... and died.
The lion-man pirate's pupils shrank sharply.
He slowly turned his head—damn it, when—
Lost in his sadistic fun, he hadn't noticed...
Among the Marine bodies that had been smashed inside.
Bach, whose chest had been pierced with a massive hole, somehow hadn't died. He'd regained consciousness.
His hand pressed against the container of Dyna Stone on the floor...
A faint smile spread across his face.
He clenched his hand.
Crack—
Purple liquid leaked out. Bach's life quietly faded away...
As his awareness dissolved, flashes of his life raced through his mind like a lantern show—his mountain village childhood, his kind parents, the day pirates massacred them all... being saved by Sakazuki...
Joining the Marines, training, being assigned to East Blue... nearly twenty years of service... then the war, entering the New World with his comrades... and now...
His life had been bitter, but in truth, he'd been very lucky... Bach thought, the smile on his lips growing wider.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"The letter... was it sent?"
Boom——
In the dark night, it was as if a sun had risen.
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total