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63.48% One Piece: The Strongest Female Pirate Crews / Chapter 113: Chapter 113: It Really Is Kuke

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: It Really Is Kuke

The entire world held its breath.

Everyone desperately wished the smoke would clear instantly.

They wanted to know if the person they'd just seen was Kuke. If not him, then who?

And what of Admiral Sengoku's fate after that intense clash?

"He'll be fine. That display was terrifying, yes, but Sengoku is the Fleet Admiral, once an Admiral himself, one of the world's strongest. He'll handle it with ease."

Those not present couldn't grasp the true scale of the impact.

"Barely survived…"

Having been teleported away by Belo Betty at the last moment, Doflamingo had still felt some of the residual shockwave. Coughing up blood, he drifted in low altitude, shaken, and gave a look of gratitude to Betty.

If she hadn't helped him…

He would have died.

Though he knew she just wanted him out of the way, to avoid wasting attacks on him, Doflamingo could only think, You must have really overestimated me. What did I do to deserve such confidence?

Nearby, Edward Weevil, also thrown aside, staggered to his feet, rage distorting his face. "Who was that? I'll kill them!"

"Shut up!" Barked Bakkin, clutching her son's leg in terror as they tumbled through the air.

She glanced down at Weevil's heavily bruised chest. Just one blow had nearly crushed him.

Her gaze shifted, trembling, to Hancock in the distance, terrified. And even more so when she noticed Gion and the others standing beside Hancock, quickly looking away. "We can't provoke them. Don't even think about it."

"No! I'll kill her!" Weevil raged, barely able to contain himself.

Then, a shadow appeared behind him.

"Who exactly do you plan to kill?"

Before Weevil could answer, he found himself airborne again, his feet still rooted to the ground.

"Y-y-y-you?" Bakkin was too terrified for her son's safety to even think straight, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of Kuke.

But Kuke didn't look her way, dragging the defeated figure in his hand forward as if hauling a limp animal.

Bakkin stared at Kuke's back in fear. "His aura… it's even more terrifying than those monsters. Maybe only Kaido could match him." She hadn't seen such a fearsome monster in years.

"Kuke's alive?" Mihawk's face lit with excitement.

"Not only Kuke—Gion's strength was impressive as well." Mihawk recalled Gion's earlier attack, his pupils dilating. It wasn't just Kuke he had to worry about; even against Gion, he wasn't sure he'd have an easy victory.

A grin slowly spread across his face. The thrill of facing strong opponents was exhilarating. There were still so many worth his full effort on this sea.

"Kuke is still alive?" Bartholomew Kuma felt a surge of joy.

Not only was he alive, but whatever method he'd used to survive could prove invaluable for the Revolutionary Army.

"What is Kuke's plan for today? He only attacked Sengoku… Could it be…?"

Kuma's own thoughts startled him. This could be an unprecedented act.

"If he intends to pull it off, then I'd gladly abandon my title as a Warlord to help him," Kuma resolved, a newfound determination in his heart.

Jinbe was also elated.

"When I returned to Fishman Island, they told me Kuke was still alive, that he'd even come by to visit."

But back then…

Jinbe hadn't believed it. He'd dismissed it as a scam, thinking it was some pirate pretending to be Kuke to gain favor, even advising the royal family to treat any self-proclaimed "Kuke" as a fraud in the future.

But now…

"It's real. He's really alive," Jinbe whispered, filled with emotion.

"Kuke's alive… which means he truly intends to protect Fishman Island. The reputation of the Sun and Moon Pirates is worth far more than my position as a Warlord. Today…"

Jinbe's gaze grew firm, his determination sharpening.

He had only accepted the role of Warlord to ensure Fishman Island's safety. Now, with his admiration and respect for Kuke renewed, the choice was obvious.

"Perhaps the Sun and Moon Pirates are accepting new members?"

Jinbe began considering the idea of joining them, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of self-doubt, realizing the immense strength of Gion and her comrades far surpassed common knowledge.

"This is real power."

Crocodile stared in a daze at the fading rings of the explosion.

The power displayed just now… he'd never seen anything like it.

Not even in his battle with Whitebeard had he seen such overwhelming force.

The combined might of Kuke and Gion was unmatched, surpassing the peak attacks of anyone else on the seas.

Kuke's explosive strength alone was enough to rival the strongest.

"Is this level of power even humanly possible?"

For once, Crocodile felt dejected.

Compared to these monsters, he seemed like little more than trash.

"It seems I do need an ancient weapon; otherwise, I'll never compare to these creatures in this lifetime. But to research ancient weapons, I need someone who understands the ancient scripts."

Crocodile paused, realizing something.

The only historian known to understand ancient texts was Nico Robin.

And everyone knew Robin was with the Sun and Moon Pirates.

After Kuke's supposed death, Crocodile had indeed thought of approaching Nico Robin.

Of course, to Shakky, he was merely a small player of little significance.

But now… it seemed Kuke was alive.

Or even if he wasn't, he was among allies as powerful as Gion and the others.

Crocodile let out a nervous chuckle, his scalp prickling with unease.

The world was in shock.

The dust was quickly clearing.

Ignoring any sense of propriety, people around the world crowded closer to their screens, eager for the truth to finally be revealed.

Cough… cough…

In the smoke, the sound of violent coughing mixed with spurts of blood.

"That's Sengoku's voice?"

"He's… still alive?"

"He sounds like he's in a terrible state."

Whitebeard watched the screen intently.

His fists clenched, palms slick with sweat. Sengoku had been his longtime adversary, but never had he seen Sengoku reduced to such a pitiful state.

"Betty, make sure to hold that steady. What's about to be shown needs to reach the entire world. Let everyone witness this," Shakky said to Belo Betty beside her.

Belo Betty cradled the visual Den Den Mushi in her hands.

Had it not been for her ability to teleport objects, every Den Den Mushi on the island would have been destroyed in the explosion.

"Betty, aim it to the left—our Captain is coming out," Hancock urged, gesturing to Belo Betty.

Their voices broadcast to the world.

All around the world, mouths gaped, eyes wide in astonishment. Their Captain? Could he truly still be alive?

Belo Betty adjusted the Den Den Mushi.

Through the smoke, a dark figure slowly came into focus.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

The silhouette cut through the haze.

Emerging before them, standing in front of the visual Den Den Mushi, appearing on screens across the globe.

Hiss—

The world erupted in disbelief.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 144+ at patreon.com/Emik01.

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next chapter

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Akainu and Kizaru: Have We Seen a Ghost?

Kuke stepped out of the smoke, visible to all.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

"It's Kuke! It really is him!"

"Kuke is alive… but how? Why is he still alive?"

"Is he human or ghost?"

"Could Kuke have some kind of resurrection ability?"

"Impossible. No one's ever heard of a Devil Fruit that grants resurrection."

"Then maybe the Navy lied—they didn't actually kill him after all."

"No, that can't be. If they hadn't killed him, the Navy wouldn't dare lie about it. They'd look ridiculous once exposed."

No one could make sense of it. No matter how much they thought it over, Kuke's survival defied all logic.

Seeing it with their own eyes… there was no denying it.

"There is a Devil Fruit that grants resurrection," Whitebeard mused aloud, convinced by his knowledge. With all the Devil Fruit abilities he'd seen in his life, he was confident in his knowledge.

"But, Pops, isn't Kuke rumored to have an invincible defensive ability? How could it be resurrection too? What kind of fruit is this?" Whitebeard's sons looked at him, their curiosity piqued.

Their minds reeled from this unprecedented twist.

"No, Kuke's no Devil Fruit user. Remember, he came from the sea just now."

Even Whitebeard was baffled.

"I've been alive a long time, but I've never seen anything this strange. What's really going on?"

Seeing Whitebeard's confusion only made his crew even more puzzled as they looked back at Kuke on the screen.

"Maybe the Navy just made a mistake. They didn't kill him after all."

"Would the Navy be that foolish?"

Whitebeard shook his head. For centuries, the Navy hadn't made such an error. With someone as powerful as Kuke, they wouldn't make any announcement unless they were absolutely certain.

Conversations like these were taking place all over.

Once more, Shanks turned to his first mate, Ben Beckman, with a look of pleading.

"Can you explain? What's going on here?"

Under Shanks' gaze, Ben Beckman's face turned green. "Do you think I'm a god? I have no clue either! I was as lost as you were just a moment ago!"

Everyone pulled back, disappointed.

"Kuke is a true enigma. He's practically a living miracle. I can't make any sense of it," Shanks shook his head, feeling that Kuke was even more extraordinary than Captain Roger.

"Captain, whether or not Kuke is amazing, it doesn't change the fact that you're in trouble." Yasopp and the others looked at Shanks with a strange sympathy.

Shanks blinked in confusion, question marks in his eyes. "Why am I in trouble?"

"Captain, did you forget what you announced to the world?" Lucky Roo smirked with a bit of schadenfreude.

Shanks' face twisted as he remembered, pained as though he'd eaten something rotten.

"Quick! Quick, I need to take back everything I said!"

Everyone watched Shanks without reacting.

It's been almost a hundred days. No taking it back now.

Kuke must've spent the past three months hidden away, planning how to make life difficult for their captain.

"This…," Shanks muttered, feeling numb.

He looked at his crew, pleadingly. "When it comes to it, you'll back me up, right? You wouldn't just stand by and watch me get beaten up, right? For the sake of appearances, let's forget any pirate code of honor and all go in together."

"Heh…" They only chuckled in response.

"Shanks, even if we wanted to help, we might not be able to," Ben Beckman said seriously, pointing at the screen. "Though it was brief, we've just seen that the Sun and Moon Pirates have grown to unimaginable strength."

Shanks recalled the scene from moments ago, his jaw dropping.

He was at a loss for words.

The news of Kuke's survival spread across the seas, shocking all.

The entire Grand Line fell silent.

And nowhere was quieter than the New World, where Akainu and Kizaru were enjoying a drink together.

Then, everything changed.

The two sat, frozen in place, staring at the screen.

"No, this can't be!" Akainu shot up, flipping over the table, unable to accept it. "I killed him myself, watched him die in front of me, melting in magma. You saw it too, didn't you, Borsalino?"

Akainu looked to Kizaru, almost pleading.

Tell me this isn't real.

That this is just a trick.

Kizaru wanted to reassure him, but the truth was staring them in the face. His face wrinkled with disbelief, he couldn't hide the shock as he replied with a wry smile:

"Yes, I can confirm, Kuke died right in front of us. But… Sakazuki, he's standing there now, as alive as ever. Are we seeing things?"

"Yes… seeing things," Akainu muttered, clutching his head.

This had to be some kind of ghostly vision.

The man he'd killed was back among the living, leaving Akainu's decades-old sense of reality shaken.

In his entire life, he'd never experienced anything like this.

"If Kuke's alive, then everything we've done…"

Kizaru shuddered, a chill running down his spine. His expression darkened.

"It's over." Kizaru collapsed back into his chair, drained.

All the spirit seemed to drain from him.

Kuke's survival meant the four of them, who'd participated in the mission, couldn't escape responsibility. Failing to kill him was one thing, but this… this was falsifying a report.

Kizaru didn't even want to return to Navy headquarters, dreading what the Gorosei's reaction would be.

Kizaru's worry struck a chord with Akainu, who slumped down onto the deck. "Borsalino, what's the point of worrying about that now? We need to think about Sengoku's safety. We have to return and help him immediately."

Akainu suddenly leaped up, bellowing, "Full speed to Sabaody Archipelago! If we could kill him once, we can kill him again. I refuse to believe he's truly immortal. If he can't die, then let's just hand him the world!"

"Is it even possible? We're in the New World—it'll take us at least two days at full speed."

Kizaru remained limp in his chair, resigned. "Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore."

Facing an opponent like this, he'd accepted his fate.

Kizaru had no desire to go and even tried to dissuade Akainu. "Sakazuki, my advice is to stay as far away from Kuke as you can. If you hear his voice, run a thousand miles."

Akainu's eyes narrowed, glaring at Kizaru. Was he scared already?

Was he really spooked by this strange revival? Had he started seeing Kuke as some kind of god?

Not a chance. Akainu wouldn't—

"Sakazuki, think it over," Kizaru continued, trying to reason with him. "Whenever you've crossed paths with Kuke, have things ever gone well for you? The first time, you were so confident, but when you met his mysterious invincible defense, you could only watch as he left with the Mythical Zoan Phoenix."

"The second time, we had four Admirals together. Even if Roger himself had returned, we could have taken him down. But Kuke? He's there now, standing proudly on what we thought was his grave."

"Next time… who knows what new mystery he'll bring?"

Akainu opened his mouth, wanting to argue against Kizaru's discouraging words.

But no words came.

Glancing back at Kuke on the screen, he felt a chill rise along his spine—an unfamiliar sense of dread blossoming within him.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 144+ at patreon.com/Emik01.

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