Chapter 37: The Unrest of the Situation
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With ultimate Armament Haki and unparalleled wrist strength, no matter how Charlotte attacked, he couldn't deliver a decisive blow to Zefa's vital points.
The two fighters were locked in a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.
"Phew!"
"Zefa! How does it feel? My fists must hurt, don't they?" Charlotte smirked, seizing a brief pause in their intense battle.
Zefa glared at him, his face grim.
"Pirate Charlotte! We all underestimated you. We thought you were just a swordsman—on the cusp of becoming a great swordsman after this battle. But we never imagined you'd also be a powerful taijutsu master!"
Zefa's low voice carried a tone of disbelief as he unleashed a punch toward Charlotte, only to meet his impenetrable Armament Haki defense.
"I didn't expect you to master the internal destruction technique of Armament Haki or the Conqueror's Haki entanglement. What kind of hellish training have you been through this past year?" Zefa asked, his amazement evident.
After all, just a year ago, this young pirate was barely a challenge. He was someone Zefa had chased down and defeated easily. Yet, now, Charlotte was fighting him to a draw.
"Hahahaha! Zefa, you should know that people grow stronger! After my defeat last time, I've been training nonstop. I've blown up four mountains!" Charlotte said, his eyes filled with madness as his Conqueror's Haki intensified.
Red and black lightning crackled around him, disrupting Zefa's Observation Haki. This gave Charlotte a slight edge in their battle.
"What overwhelming Conqueror's Haki! I can't fathom why someone like you would join the Rocks Pirates!" Zefa shouted as he landed a punch on Charlotte's chest, forcing him back.
"Why did I join?" Charlotte smirked, brushing off the attack. "It's because you navy fools were useless! You let Rocks find me. Do you know I wasn't planning to go to sea until I turned eighteen? But thanks to you, I started three years earlier. I'm only seventeen now!"
Charlotte's eyes narrowed as he recalled his recruitment by Rocks. It was a memory that still filled him with frustration and shame.
Zefa fell silent.
Part of him felt a pang of guilt for failing to prevent Charlotte's descent into piracy. But another part couldn't help but feel dread. If this seventeen-year-old pirate was already this strong, what would he become in the future? Would he surpass even Rocks?
"Enough talking! I'll take you to Impel Down and lock you up for good!" Zefa roared, charging at Charlotte with a punch wrapped in advanced Armament Haki.
"Hahahaha! If you think you can, then bring it on!" Charlotte countered, his fist also coated in advanced Haki.
Their fists collided with earth-shaking force.
Boom!
The ground cracked, trees were uprooted, and waves surged violently. The entire island trembled from the impact.
The violent clash even caused the naval and pirate ships anchored offshore to shake uncontrollably.
Both sides, previously firing at each other, halted their battle.
"Lieutenant General Zefa!"
"Boss!"
The marines and pirates alike turned their attention to the shore.
"The sky… it's cracking!"
One sailor pointed upward, his voice trembling.
Everyone, whether pirate or marine, looked to the heavens. The sky itself seemed to split apart under the overwhelming force of Zefa and Charlotte's battle.
"This is insane! Big news! Big news!" Morgans exclaimed, furiously snapping photos of the fight. If it were possible, he'd have gone live to show the entire world this extraordinary clash.
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Meanwhile, in the Edelwal Sea…
"Wahahahahaha! Boys, head in that direction!" Rocks roared, pointing toward the source of the chaos.
Upon entering the Edelwal Sea, Rocks immediately sensed the violent clash ahead.
Hearing his order, all the pirate ships changed course toward the source of the battle.
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At the same time…
"We can't let the Rocks Pirates get there first! We must capture Charlotte before they do!" Kong commanded, his voice booming across the fleet.
"Admiral Kong! The battle is ahead, in that direction!" Sengoku pointed toward the disturbance visible in the distance.
"Set course immediately!" Kong ordered, his arm pointing forward.
Over a dozen naval warships sailed swiftly toward the location of the fight.
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The battle between Zefa and Charlotte was no longer a simple confrontation.
It had escalated into a larger conflict, drawing the attention of both the Navy Headquarters and the Rocks Pirates.
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On the Sabaody Archipelago, Island 17…
Inside a dimly lit tavern, a Roger Pirates' intelligence officer burst in, holding a stack of papers.
"Captain Roger! It's bad—something big is happening! A fight has broken out between Vice Admiral Zephyr and Blood Swordsman Charlotte of the Rocks Pirates in the Edelwal Sea!
"The Navy Headquarters has deployed thirteen warships, while the Rocks Pirates have mobilized sixteen ships. A massive conflict is imminent!"
Roger grabbed the papers and scanned them quickly, his brows furrowing.
"This is serious…"
Silver Rayleigh handed Roger a newspaper.
"Roger, it's not just rumors. It's real."
Roger took the newspaper and glanced at it before turning to his crew.
"Everyone, our journey is about to take a detour. We're heading back to the New World to join this fight!"
The crew erupted in cheers.
"Let's go, Captain!"
"Hahahaha! Coating the ship—next stop, the Edelwal Sea!" Roger laughed, his spirit as high as ever.
The Roger Pirates began preparing their ship for the journey through Fish-Man Island to reach the New World.
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Holy Land of Mary Geoise
In the grand chamber of the Five Elders, the air was tense.
Bang!
A fist slammed onto the table.
"This is unacceptable! Summon Kong immediately. Now is not the time for a direct confrontation with the Rocks Pirates. Order him to withdraw!"
The elder, known as Satan, bellowed, his voice echoing through the room.
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