[The Drifter], a small town on the western edge of the sea.
Tonight, Dante was determined to continue causing trouble, which could be considered reckless behavior, but recklessness could be divided into two types: mindless recklessness and calculated recklessness.
After the explosion incident last night, the pirates had noticed the perpetrator's modus operandi and had deployed additional personnel to observe the sea surface beneath the foundation at all times.
Moreover, with the east wind blowing tonight, and after realizing that the explosive barrels were set using calculations of the sea current, there were no apparent abnormalities on the surface of the eastern edge.
However, a network that could cover both heaven and earth had been laid out, waiting for the perpetrator to show themselves.
In this situation, many people felt that even if the perpetrator were foolish, they wouldn't dare to act again tonight.
This wasn't complacency but rather confidence gained from being prepared.
What they could think of, Dante could also think of. So tonight, he planned to do the unexpected.
"Check the oxygen tanks!"
"Number 1 ready!"
"Number 2 ready!"
"...!"
"Check the explosive barrels!"
"Number 1 ready... Number 2 ready..."
After a series of checks and ensuring that everyone was prepared, Dante waved his hand.
"Set off!"
This was when the chaotic technology tree of the One Piece World was highlighted.
In the One Piece World, the technology tree was in complete disorder, even basic infrastructure was appalling. Yet, somehow, they managed to create black technologies like War Behemoth and the peacekeeping Pacifista.
Fortunately, items like oxygen tanks had been researched early on in this world set on the stage of the sea, supported by scientific forces, and they were using the most advanced model available.
Sharkskin-patterned diving suits, single-person mini oxygen tanks, multifunctional night vision goggles, single-handed spear guns - the Marines were dressed like special forces soldiers.
But what they were about to do was quite unpleasant - using sealed insulated barrels and specially made explosives to maintain a cannon fire advantage over the pirates and blast their fortifications!
The disorderliness of this technology tree was simply mind-boggling!
In a world where the powerful could split mountains and seas, all technology was aimed at serving the human body itself, while research into weapons that could easily achieve the same destructive power was disregarded. After all, the same destructive force could be obtained through practice.
Upon receiving the command, the soldiers slowly descended into the water, resembling fish swimming into the dim sea, transporting barrels of high explosives from the seabed to their destination.
"Still no sign?" Tonight, countless places were brightly lit, and everyone was prepared to flush out the culprit.
Among them, Lafitte was undoubtedly the most attentive.
After all, if they couldn't catch the culprit, their self-directed performance would never be erased, and the League meeting would become a complete joke.
"Yes, I don't think they'll show up."
Captain Edie shrugged, clearly implying a play of asking the monarch to enter the urn. How could they willingly walk into the trap?
"Or maybe we should do as I suggested, find a few scapegoats, and for the sake of everyone getting along well, I can lend you the dead men on our ship."
"No, we're not there yet."
Lafitte rejected the proposal.
Once they did that, they would confirm their self-directed actions. Even if they could temporarily stabilize the pirates, people were complex, and no one was a fool. They would all be more suspicious. So, before the situation worsened beyond repair, Lafitte couldn't agree to this plan.
"Alright, your call." Edie shrugged, feeling very sorry as he clicked his tongue.
After all, dead men couldn't be loaned out for free...
Under the cover of darkness, moving forward from the pitch-black underwater, the pirates who occasionally pried open planks to observe couldn't detect the group of people delivering explosives beneath their feet.
Before long, everyone completed their quests and returned to the ship, where Dante excitedly pulled out the detonator and pressed it down.
Boom... Bang!
The intense explosion instantly startled the entire [The Drifter]. Those "Fire Humans" who hadn't been killed by the blast ran out of the sea of fire, screaming miserably as they jumped into the sea to extinguish the flames.
The first three explosive barrels detonated successfully, and Dante was excitedly watching the show when suddenly his expression changed.
"Wait, the interval between explosions is only one second. Why hasn't the next one detonated yet?!"
There was only a one-second interval between each explosive barrel to maximize the destructive power. But it had been three seconds since the last explosion, and the next barrel hadn't exploded as expected.
"This isn't good!"
Suddenly, a chill rushed over him, and Dante instinctively drew his sword, relying solely on intuition to strike towards his side.
Ding, Ding!
A white figure descended rapidly from the sky, and two thin blades quickly intertwined in the air, resembling two silver snakes intertwining rapidly. In the blink of an eye, they clashed dozens of times, emitting a dense sound of metal clashing.
Moonlike Stream Murdering Sword·Moon in the Water!
At this moment, Dante's sword turned into an afterimage, ethereal and elusive, seeming to exist between reality and illusion as it slashed towards the opponent.
"Illusions? So, it's you!"
The newcomer made a light sound of surprise, and their cane sword pierced forward, ignoring the blade that was slashing towards them, and accurately pierced the "Flower in the Mirror" behind them.
What seemed like a light collision was actually immensely powerful. Bright orange sparks blossomed in the air as Dante felt a surge of immense force coming from Clear Spring. He was pushed back three steps, finally flipping backward and heavily embedding Clear Spring into the deck.
Clang!
His feet carved two intersecting furrows into the wooden planks as he retreated more than ten meters, finally dispelling that terrifying sword intent.
Puchi...
A stinging sensation spread across his face, a smear of blood appearing, but Dante had no time to attend to it, his expression grim as he stared at the newcomer. "Demon Sheriff Lafitte, what are you up to?"
"At this point, there's no need for pretense anymore, is there, Mr. Whird?"
Lafitte didn't recognize the person in front of him. After all, he didn't have much interaction with "Sword Ghost" Whird. After escaping from the West Blue, he had only heard the name in passing.
"Don't you find it strange why your explosives didn't detonate?"
'So I am exposed!' Dante's face darkened as he thought of this.
But luckily, it wasn't his real identity! "Indeed, care to explain?" Dante signaled to the stunned people around him, standing up and holding his sword with one hand, pointing it at Lafitte.
"Naturally, because you're about to die soon, I'm willing to let you die with an understanding!"
A hint of amusement appeared on Lafitte's terrifyingly pale face as he was about to speak when suddenly the soldiers, whom he had previously disregarded, swiftly pulled out fist-sized objects and ruthlessly smashed them to the ground.
Bang, bang!
Slight explosions occurred, and a large amount of smoke emerged. Simultaneously, the explosion caused a deafening noise, enough to rupture the eardrums of ordinary people, making him involuntarily step back.
"You're wicked! Don't even think about escaping!"
Lafitte had intended to buy time until Burgess arrived, but he hadn't expected the opponent to be so decisive. Immediately, he rushed towards the smoke, intending to catch the mastermind, Whird.
However, as he rushed in, Lafitte felt a sudden tightness in his scalp. A strong sense of death emerged in his mind, prompting him to instinctively raise his cane sword.
Bang!
Ding!
A high-speed spinning Seastone bullet struck the sword, causing Lafitte's palm to tingle. His Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) temporarily failed, leaving Lafitte to rely on his eyes to find the enemy.
Moonlike Stream Murdering Sword·Full Moon!
At this moment, a sword shadow suddenly appeared beside him. Faced with a formidable opponent who could repel him with a single move, Dante resolutely chose to fight back first, risking it all to seize the initiative.
"Arrogant!"
Lafitte felt the substantive killing intent and sensed that something was wrong, but he couldn't afford to think too much at the moment. He had to block the sword shadow with his horizontal sword.
Ding!
As the two swords clashed again, sparks flew. Despite being recruited into the pirate crew by Teach, Lafitte was undeniably strong. Faced with the sudden attack, he remained calm and steady, his adept swordsmanship contrasting sharply with his seemingly comical appearance.
With a missed blow, Dante remained unfazed, unleashing the Moonlike Stream sword method. Like the moon illuminating the earth, the brilliance was dazzling, leaving no gaps.
Such a fierce attack momentarily put Lafitte, who initially chose to defend, in a passive position. Unable to find an opportunity to counterattack, he could only continue to defend, waiting for a chance to strike.
Ding, ding, dang, dang!
The dense collision sounds gathered into the most unpleasant noise in the world. But Lafitte was not in a hurry; he didn't believe that his opponent could maintain such a fierce attack indefinitely. As long as he seized one opportunity, he had the ability to subdue him.
At this moment, a roar sounded from outside the port. Burgess, carrying seven or eight barrels of explosives on his shoulders, rushed over upon hearing the commotion, with half of a Vivre Card clenched in his mouth.
"Hehehe, Lafitte, have you found the culprit yet?"
Burgess laughed heartily, tossing the hundreds of pounds of explosives into the air with one hand, then snatching the Vivre Card back and throwing a punch backward.
"Don't you guys like explosions, assholes? Taste this!"
Slap, slap, slap, slap!
The falling barrels of explosives were one after another slapped away by Burgess, and as Dante watched the fuses being ignited on them, his face turned pale.
"Oh, shit!!!"
Bang, bang, bang!
This time, the explosions were even more spectacular!
(End of this chapter)
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