Eroking
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Chapter 174: Worlds Apart
🕑 Added 2025-09-06 13:39:21 +0000 UTCChapter 174: Worlds Apart
"P-Please! Our merchant ship is sinking in the storm! All of our crew members are injured! Can you come and save us…"
It was the same old story. The female Marine had it memorized. But this time, the response from the other end was different—
"Of course," a calm, youthful voice said. It seemed he had just taken the receiver. "Don't panic. Take your time. How many people are on your ship?"
At the door, Akainu, who had one foot out, suddenly stopped.
"Over a hundred…" the female Marine was taken aback. She hadn't even mentioned the reward yet. She quickly added, "If you can come, we're willing to give you…"
"What are your coordinates? Are there any conspicuous landmarks nearby?"
The female Marine's brain was a little fried. She subconsciously answered, "The coordinates are… there's a small island nearby, with an old, abandoned lighthouse on it…"
"That makes it easy to find. It's not far. We can be there in a few hours. Just hold on. We'll be there right away."
Click. The call was disconnected.
The female Marine turned and looked at Doll, at a loss for what to do.
"Not a pirate," Vice Admiral Doll said, pursing her lips in disappointment and lighting a cigarette. "Purely for the sake of saving people… a guy like that is a rare sight in the New World. Call them back and tell them not to come."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
Just as the female Marine was about to pick up the receiver, a large, rough hand clamped down on her wrist.
Doll looked up, a look of surprise on her face. "Mr. Sakazuki?"
"Not a pirate?"
Akainu's face was still impassive, making it impossible to guess his thoughts. "How could he not be… Doll, you've done well. Not only have you caught a fish, but you've caught a big one."
That young man's voice…
So familiar, so hateful.
It had only been six months. How could he possibly forget!
"Shane…"
Akainu subconsciously touched the scar on his shoulder, his eyes as cold as ice. This time, he would not give him a chance to escape!
…
On The Curtain Call, the call was disconnected. As per Shane's instructions, Nami began to consult her partially drawn sea chart and directed Jack to turn the helm, heading in the direction the other party had mentioned.
"Boss," Smoker said, frowning. "This call is a little suspicious. I don't think we can trust it. It might be a trap set by pirates."
"And what if it's real? It's over a hundred lives. We can't just leave them to die. As for whether it's a trap…"
Shane smiled and said no more. He went back to the dinner table and began to stuff sushi into his mouth.
Smoker thought for a moment and then let out a speechless laugh.
That's true.
What am I so worried about? A trap? Does the captain even need to care about that?
So what if it's a trap?
The Four Emperors aren't that bored, and the three Admirals are usually not in the New World.
And as for everyone else, whether it's pirates or Marines, if they try to bait them, they'll only end up with one result—
…asking for it!
…
A few hours later, an old, moss-covered lighthouse appeared on the horizon. It was on a small island, only a few thousand square meters in area.
On the shore, there was indeed a shipwreck, but The Curtain Call was already within a few hundred meters, and they still hadn't seen a single person.
"That's strange,"
Nami said, leaning over the second-floor railing and scanning the area with her spyglass, a look of confusion on her face. "I don't see anyone at all."
Whether they're crew members who really need to be rescued or malicious anglers…
There should be someone here, right?
Was that call a complete prank?
She subconsciously looked at her brother, but she saw that Shane wasn't even looking at the shipwreck. His gaze was fixed on the old lighthouse.
After a moment's thought.
"You guys stay here. I'll go and take a look."
With that, he left the deck and, with two Moonwalks, he landed steadily on the small island.
…
Inside the lighthouse.
"He's here! He's here!"
A Marine Lieutenant Commander nearly jumped to his feet and turned to shout excitedly, "That guy really took the bait!"
"Don't get excited! What are you shouting for?! Stay hidden!"
Another Marine Rear Admiral frowned and shot him a glare.
"It doesn't matter. We can't hide from that guy's Observation Haki anyway. We're just bait,"
Doll said, a cigarette between her lips, leaning against the railing. She then turned to the communications officer. "Hey, confirm again. Where are the fleets from the G-1 and G-5 branches?"
"Reporting, Vice Admiral! Both allied fleets have reached their designated positions and, with our fleet, have formed a triangular encirclement! They can blockade this area at any time!"
"Very good,"
Doll said with a cold smile. "This battle, we must end it once and for all. That pirate ship, and the other pirates on it, not a single one of them will escape!"
G-1, G-5, G-14.
Three Marine branch bases, all with their commanding officers personally leading the charge!
Such a force was already close to the scale of a Buster Call. To wipe out a small pirate crew was more than enough!
Speaking of which, there was one thing that had surprised her.
The commanding officer of the G-1 branch had come personally, that was to be expected. They were old acquaintances, and she had just had to ask.
But the commanding officer of the G-5 branch, Vergo, was a well-known eccentric who, though he was said to care for his subordinates, was also known to be a loner who rarely responded to requests from other branches.
But this time, when he had heard that the target of the encirclement was the Curtain Call Pirates, he had been extremely enthusiastic and had immediately set out with his troops.
Does he have an old grudge with the Curtain Call?
But this pirate crew has only been around for a little over six months, and they've never been to the New World before.
Doll couldn't figure it out, and she didn't bother to think about it anymore. At this moment, her eyes were fixed on the ship on the distant sea.
As for Shane himself?
He was not someone she could handle. Of course, he would have to be left to…
Doll's eyes shifted upward, to the top of the wooden staircase.
A tall figure, in a Justice coat and a cap, was standing in the shadows, his arms crossed, his gaze cold as he stared at the approaching figure outside the window.
…
Shane pushed open the door of the lighthouse, and the rotten wooden door creaked loudly.
Dust rained down, and the air was filled with a musty smell.
He walked in slowly, his gaze sweeping over the empty first floor, and then he looked up at the spiral staircase.
"Get him!"
Doll roared, and she suddenly drew her sword and leaped down from the second floor, her blade coated in a dark Armament Haki, and she slashed at Shane's face!
A Marine Vice Admiral?
And she looks a little familiar?
Shane glanced at her and, without any movement, he let the sword strike him on the forehead.
CLANG!
The sound of metal on metal rang out, and sparks flew. The blade was instantly repelled.
Doll's pupils constricted, and her heart clenched in terror.
Her sword could easily cut through steel, but when it hit Shane's forehead, it was as if it had struck the hardest of diamonds, not even leaving a white mark!
How is that possible?
She knew she was no match for Shane.
But… with him not even using Haki, she couldn't even break his skin?
She was about to retreat when she saw Shane slowly raise his right hand and flick his index finger—
BOOM!
A compressed, pure black Haki shot out and slammed into Doll's chest.
Her body was sent flying like a cannonball, and she crashed into the wall, a large mouthful of blood spraying out, her face instantly turning pale.
"Vice Admiral Doll!"
Angry shouts rang out.
A dozen or so elite Marines charged out from the staircase and the secret doors, their guns and blades all aimed at Shane. And the Marine Rear Admiral rushed over to help Doll up.
"So, you're all just bait,"
Shane said, not even glancing at the Marines, and he looked at Doll. "If the Marines are setting a trap, you're not nearly enough. Who's hiding upstairs? Borsalino? Kuzan? Or that old geezer Garp?"
There was still someone upstairs who hadn't come down.
That was for sure.
But from the aura he had sensed, it was no different from the other Marines.
Observation Haki was not omnipotent. If a powerhouse was determined, it was easy for them to hide their aura in a crowd, and even at close range, it was difficult to detect anything unusual.
Just like Blackbeard, who had been on the ship for thirty years and had only ever been seen as an ordinary crew member.
But there were also limitations.
The moment they revealed even a hint of killing intent, or made a move, they could not hide from an opponent of the same level.
And sure enough, the moment he had said those words, Shane had felt a fluctuation in the aura from above. His opponent had finally given up on hiding.
In the next instant.
Slap!
The ceiling suddenly exploded, and a giant magma fist fell from the sky, its aura one of utter destruction, and it shot for Shane's head!
But Shane had been expecting this. He had already flashed away, disappearing into an afterimage.
BOOM!
The giant magma fist slammed into the ground, instantly melting a huge crater in the first floor of the lighthouse, steam hissing.
Akainu slowly walked out of the smoke and, slowly, he looked up at Shane, who was now standing on the staircase.
Shane was looking down at Akainu from above.
Their gazes met.
This time, there were no cherry blossoms fluttering between them.
"You've been watching for a long time. Have you seen enough?"
Shane said calmly. "I didn't expect it to be you. It's been a long time… Sakazuki."
Akainu didn't answer. He just slowly raised his right arm.
Magma gathered on his fist, forming the shape of a giant dog's head, and it radiated an intense heat.
And behind him, Doll quickly stood up and, with her subordinates, she pushed open the door and left the lighthouse. Shane just glanced at them and didn't stop them.
"In Thor Island, six months ago, I underestimated you and let you escape, and you've been causing more and more trouble ever since,"
Akainu said, waiting until Doll and the others were gone. "And from what I've just seen, your strength has indeed improved a lot. But none of that matters… because today, here, is where you die."
So he was watching from the shadows to gauge my strength.
"A lucky escape?"
Shane sneered. "It seems a Marine Admiral's memory isn't very good. I seem to remember giving someone plenty of time, and they still couldn't take me down, and instead, they were left with a permanent scar."
Akainu's face darkened, and a murderous aura exploded from him. The magma churned violently, and the temperature inside the lighthouse suddenly shot up again!
"You insolent brat!"
He took a step forward, and his right fist shot out!
"Hell Hound!"
The searing magma shot forward, almost filling the entire first floor, the terrifying heat distorting the air!
Shane's handsome face was instantly bathed in a fiery red light. He looked at the snarling dog's head that was getting closer and closer, and a grin spread across his lips.
He didn't dodge. His right hand suddenly clenched, and he threw a punch!
BOOM!
The two terrifying forces collided in mid-air, and the searing heat and the dark Armament Haki intertwined and then exploded, sending out a violent shockwave!
The old lighthouse, which had been standing here for who knows how many years, couldn't possibly withstand such an impact.
The entire tower instantly crumbled, and in a shower of flying debris and dust, it collapsed!
In the swirling dust, Akainu narrowed his eyes and looked at the figure.
He clearly noticed that, under such a powerful shockwave, his opponent was still standing his ground, unmoving, not even taking a single step back.
Compared to six months ago, his improvement really is too great…
Hmm?
Akainu's expression suddenly changed.
In his vision, Shane had suddenly vanished! And he hadn't even seen his movements.
SWISH!
In that instant, Shane's figure had already appeared behind Akainu, his right leg as sharp as a blade, and he kicked upward at Akainu's back.
THUMP!
With his rich combat experience, Akainu had reacted in time. He turned and subconsciously raised his hand to block, and his magma-fied arm collided with Shane's leg, creating a deafening roar.
However, the force of the blow was far beyond his expectations. Akainu was sent flying, shooting into the sky!
Before he could even readjust his position, Shane had already, with a swish, shot up after him. In the blink of an eye, he was directly above Akainu.
"How does that taste, old dog!"
Shane grinned, and his arm was suddenly wrapped in Conqueror's Haki. A massive, black and red bolt of lightning shot out in all directions, and at the same time, his right fist came crashing down like a meteor!
"And if you're still not full, then have another one of these!!!"
BOOM—!!!
The punch landed squarely on Akainu's chest, and the terrifying force of the impact sent him plummeting like a cannonball. The sea was instantly blasted with a crater hundreds of meters in diameter, and a massive wave shot into the sky!
Akainu's body sank deep into the sea. The surrounding water was vaporized by the high temperature, and a cloud of white steam rose. But soon, more seawater rushed in, and in a short while, he was completely submerged.
A dead silence fell over the sea.
"..."
The Marines who had been hiding in the lighthouse as bait, who had just retreated to the opposite shore, were now watching this scene, their jaws agape.
"Mr. Sakazuki!"
Doll's face was pale, and she screamed in terror.
How could this be…
A Devil Fruit user has fallen into the sea! How can he possibly fight now?!
