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Chapter 135: The Deterrent of a Name
🕑 Added 2025-08-17 13:58:50 +0000 UTCChapter 135: The Deterrent of a Name
BOOM!!!
The shockwave from the punch was deafening. The entire area around The Curtain Call, a radius of several hundred meters, was instantly caved in, forming a massive bowl in the sea!
Squelch, squelch, squelch. A waterfall of dark green blood gushed out.
The giant Sea King let out a piercing wail, its severed tentacle twitching as it crashed into the sea, sending up massive columns of water.
But it wasn't over!
Shane's figure flickered, and he shot down along the severed tentacle, his right fist charging again, a dark Armament Haki rippling around it.
"GET—"
He plunged into the sea, his fist slamming into the Sea King's head, which was just above the water.
"—OUT OF HERE!!!"
Ikoku Kai!
BOOM!!!!
The entire sea trembled. The terrifying force of the blow shot through a thousand meters of water.
The giant, octopus-like Sea King's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. The sound of its massive skull cracking was sickening, and its enormous body was sent crashing into the deep sea!
Splash—
Shane shook the water from his body and gracefully landed back on the deck with a Moonwalk.
The whirlpool had gradually subsided, leaving only expanding ripples and the dark green blood that was slowly floating to the surface.
"As expected of Boss Shane,"
Smoker said, at the helm, exhaling a puff of smoke. "A beast that big is a rare sight even in the Grand Line. A single tentacle is a hundred meters wide. Its whole body must be five or six thousand meters long."
A true island-sized behemoth!
And yet, it couldn't even withstand Boss Shane's second punch. It had been seriously injured and had fled in terror.
To be able to do that with pure physical strength…
In the entire Marine Headquarters, you could probably count the number of people who could do that on one hand.
"Yeah!"
Nami and Nojiko high-fived, overjoyed and relieved.
The apocalyptic scene from before had been terrifying. They had almost thought that The Curtain Call was going to be shattered.
Thank goodness they had their big brother!
"My training hasn't been in vain,"
Shane said, looking at the dark green sea around them and nodding in satisfaction.
Back on Thor Island, when he had fought Akainu, he had had to revert to his true form to use "Ikoku," and a single blow had drained nearly half of his stamina.
It was a trump card, something he wouldn't use unless he had to.
But now, he could unleash its full power even in his "Paper Art: Martial Body" form.
And it only consumed less than twenty percent of his stamina.
And even the "Ikoku Kai," which had been upgraded by combining it with the Ripple Fist, consumed less than thirty percent.
That meant that in the future, he could use this killing move in battle without having to worry so much.
The constant positive feedback is so satisfying!
Back to training!
Shane was about to step into the cabin when a giant wave, stirred up by the storm, made The Curtain Call rock violently. He stumbled, nearly falling.
Hey, hey, hey, what's with this?
Is this a deliberate attempt to sabotage my training schedule?!
The black-haired young man gritted his teeth and looked up at the thick, dark clouds.
Normally, he wouldn't interfere with the weather. Sailing on the sea, sunny days were an experience, and stormy ones were too.
But now…
He was in the middle of a good workout, and it had to go and cause trouble.
So inconsiderate, you sea!!!
In the next moment—
VWOOM!
A terrifying, invisible pressure suddenly erupted!
A crimson light burned in Shane's pupils, and his Conqueror's Haki shot up from him, sweeping out in all directions!
RUMBLE—!!!
The churning black clouds, as if they had been torn apart by a giant, invisible hand, began to disintegrate under the force of the Haki, revealing the long-awaited blue sky behind them.
The torrential rain stopped abruptly, and the raging wind died down in an instant.
The sea, in a visible wave, completely calmed, as if the apocalyptic scene from before had just been a hallucination.
The sun shone down again, casting a golden halo around Shane.
"This…"
Robin, who had just come out of the library and onto the deck, had witnessed the entire scene. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she was a little stunned.
He can even change the weather?
This was the first time she had seen Conqueror's Haki unleashed at full power.
Smoker let go of the helm, lit two cigars, and looked up at the suddenly clear sky, a small smile on his lips.
There it is again…
Compared to in Loguetown, this Conqueror's Haki was clearly much stronger.
This innate kingly disposition was not something that could be strengthened through ordinary training. But it seemed that as Boss Shane's status and spirit grew, it was becoming more and more terrifying.
At the bow.
"Continue on our course,"
Shane said, cracking his neck. After that casual remark, he strode into the cabin and headed for the training room as if nothing had happened.
On this sea called "Paradise," he could do whatever he wanted.
A mere storm had no right to judge him now!
————
Jaya Island, Mock Town tavern.
A light rain was falling outside, and the damp air made the wooden floor smell faintly of mildew.
Hawk-Eye Mihawk was still sitting in the corner by the window, the tequila in his glass long since empty.
But he didn't call the bartender for another. He just stared at the empty glass.
"...ck,"
Tashigi, beside him, looked at the calendar on the bar and was about to speak, but she held her tongue.
————
On The Curtain Call.
It was now late at night. Considering that they hadn't had a feast in a while, Zeff was directing everyone to prepare food. The deck was filled with grills and barrels of liquor, the air thick with a fragrant aroma.
Shane, who had been training all day, finally came out of the training room, satisfied. After a quick rinse, he changed his clothes and went out onto the deck.
"Hmm?"
Nojiko, who was in the crow's nest, suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Hey, everyone! I think there's someone over there!"
Everyone followed her gaze.
In a cluster of reefs several nautical miles away, a large, dilapidated ship was half-submerged in the sea. Its hull was tilted, its masts were broken, and the edges were crowded with miserable-looking survivors.
"A shipwreck? There are quite a few of them, thirty or forty,"
Zeff said, turning to Shane. "Captain, should we go and take a look?"
"Of course,"
Shane nodded without hesitation. "Saving people is the priority."
"Understood!"
Smoker immediately adjusted their course, and The Curtain Call quickly approached the ship.
As they got closer, the situation on the distressed vessel became clearer—
It was a passenger ship that had clearly been caught in a storm. Its hull was damaged in several places, and seawater was constantly pouring in. The survivors were in rags, some clinging to floating planks, others desperately holding on to the ship's railing, their faces filled with terror and despair.
And when they saw a large ship sailing toward them from a distance, many of them were first stunned, and then they burst into cheers.
"W-We're saved!"
"Hey—! Help us!"
"Please! The ship is about to sink!"
However, when The Curtain Call got closer and the survivors on the ship saw the symbol on its sail, the cheers abruptly died down.
In their place was a dead silence.
"T-That flag is…?!"
Someone's eyes were filled with disbelief, their face instantly pale.
"There's no mistake. The guy at the bow…"
A middle-aged man in noble attire stared at Shane at the bow of the ship, his voice trembling. "…is the Tachi Swordsman, Shane! The man who's been all over the front page of the newspapers lately!"
"It really is him!"
"The great pirate with a bounty of a billion from the World Government?!"
In an instant, the survivors' expressions changed from despair to an even deeper terror.
On this sea, pirates didn't just save people for no reason, especially not a monster of this level!
Many of them even began to shrink back, as if the ship before them was not a savior, but an even more terrifying disaster.
"Tsk,"
Smoker blew a smoke ring and sneered. "It seems our reputation is even more frightening than a storm."
"It's probably only a little better around Loguetown and Alabasta," Robin also shook her head slightly.
"..."
Shane stood at the bow, his gaze sweeping over the group, his expression calm.
The survivors on this passenger ship were a mixed bag.
There were nobles dripping with jewels, wealthy merchants, and plainly dressed commoners and sailors, and even a few burly men in shackles.
The class distinctions were clear, but in the face of a terrifying natural disaster, they were all equally miserable.
"Hey,"
he suddenly said, his voice not loud, but it made everyone tremble.
"If you want to live, climb up yourselves."
"..."
The survivors looked at each other, and for a moment, no one dared to move.
"What?"
Shane raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to come down and invite you?"
"N-No! We wouldn't dare!"
Finally, a sailor gritted his teeth and, mustering his courage, was the first to climb the rope ladder that had been thrown down from The Curtain Call.
Smoker, a cigar between his teeth, stood guard at the top of the ladder. Seeing that the sailor was weak, he even reached out a hand and helped him up.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed. The nobles and merchants, though terrified, in the face of death, finally chose to board the ship.
Soon, all thirty-some survivors had been rescued and were on the deck.
They huddled together, their heads down, not daring to even breathe, afraid that the slightest misstep would anger these infamous great pirates.
"..."
Nami, who was grilling meat, looked at the trembling group and facepalmed. "Do we really look that scary?"
"We can't help it. My brother's reputation has gotten a little too big lately. With a billion-Berry bounty, anyone would be scared,"
