Bab 160: Chapter 150
Phew, this chap took quite a long time to be finished! But man, it felt nice to finally catch up all the way to the chap 1052 of One Piece. Now, I am finally able to begin another manga as well. Depending on which one it may be, I may even start a new fan-fic based on that.
As stated in notice, not sure as to when the next chap will come by; still not fully recovered. With that said, hope y'all enjoy this chap!
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[Coconut Seal; September 6th, 1522]
The island itself was constituted of a white and puffy platform that resembled a pudding. By its first glance alone, Coconut Seal seemed to be a pleasant and fun island to live by.
And yet, there existed no civilization. When looked closely enough, it was a barren land with naught but strange-looking coconuts that were washed up to a shore. This was due to the fact that there existed a huge storm at some distance away, and that the land of Coconut Seal simply wasn't nutritious enough to grow crops.
However, in comparison to its usual scenery, Coconut Seal today was booming with the countless number of people, whether they were the pirates, bounty hunters, or something else.
For many of them, it was the worst scenario that they could encounter. No building to shelter themselves, no way to restock their ship for the next sail, and surrounded by their enemies all over. In addition, they were all competing for one thing in the end: Tremor Tremor fruit.
In such a situation, what will happen?
*BOOOOOM*
"DIE!!!"
*CLANG*
"Kill! Plunder! Take everything that they got!!!"
They fight.
"Tremor Tremor fruit is ours!! It isn't a place that a weakling like you can compete for!!!" One pirate shouted as he slammed his mace onto the fallen pirate's body, ending the latter's life brutally.
This was the current state of the Coconut Seal. The previously white and puffy platform was rapidly being stained with red, and the numerous mutilated corpses were laid across the whole island; every single person on the island was crazed for blood.
And the true powerhouses, whom Buena Festa was intending to gather up, weren't a part of such a chaotic battlefield. Instead, they simply stayed on their ships on the outskirts of the island.
"Are the Grimheart pirates here yet?" Marco, who stoically gazed at the gory sight in the front, asked Ace.
"I don't think so—hey, why are you asking me, Marco?" Ace tilted his head in confusion, "You are the one who can fly, not me! You'd have a better chance of sighting them!"
"Because Marco doesn't have any attention to spare." Vista replied in Marco's stead, "Just at the other sides of the island; there are three noteworthy forces waiting by, just like us. Currently, our ship is on the West side of the island, the marines are on the North, Big Mom is on the East, and Kaidou is on the South."
Jozu gritted his teeth in a cold sweat, "So the Emperors themselves have made an appearance here."
Ace couldn't help but speak up, "Are you sure that we will be able to attain the fruit? Against them?"
Narrowing his eyes, Ace subsequently asked in suspicion, "Don't tell me that we are going to rely on the Grimheart pirates just like the last time. We already owe our lives to them, and now we are going to ask them to give us the fruit? There's no way we are stooping that low, are we?"
For a moment, Marco didn't answer but continued to stay alert in a stoic manner. Eventually, he sighed, "I... don't know, yoi. At this point, we can only hope that the Tremor Tremor fruit here isn't real."
From the back, Rakuyo, previously the 7th commander of the Whitebeard pirates, opened his mouth, "Just in case you guys forgot about it,"
Everyone turned their heads to Rakuyo, who stated with uneasiness in his tone,
"Blackbeard and his crew still didn't make their appearances either."
Marco pulled on his hair out of stress hearing this,
"F***. I don't know anymore."
Meanwhile, on the North side of the island,
"Oh boy, what a gruesome sight... is what I'd expect for the island to be ongoing right now, according to what I am able to hear." The marine officer with x-shaped scar that goes over his closed eyes, the newly conscripted Admiral 'Fujitora' Issho, stated casually.
Without much care, he munched on a piece of cracker in his hand, while asking a marine officer on his right,
"What's your name again? I'm new here, so forgive me for repeating myself."
"T-Bone, sir!"
"Hm, I see. What's your rank?"
"Commodore, sir!"
The marine officer was none other than T-Bone, who recently was promoted from the rank of Captain. Currently, he stood in a strict manner while answering Issho's simple questions.
Issho scratched the back of his head while speaking up, "I'd like to ask you a question, T-Bone. I heard that this Tremor Tremor fruit is an extremely powerful devil fruit, however, is it really worth it to risk the lives of our marine soldiers to attain it?"
"Naturally, sir!" T-Bone stated firmly, "If I were to voice my belief, such a dangerous weapon can't be fallen into the hands of the criminals, who may abuse its power to harm the innocents!"
"Hm..." Issho nodded in a thoughtful manner, "That's plausible."
But at the same time, Issho could sense that the incredibly strong individuals, Kaidou and Big Mom, were lingering on the other sides of the island. The Phoenix pirates also were the ones that the Marine had to watch out for. Additionally, according to the prediction made by the intelligence department, the Grimheart pirates too should make their appearance soon.
The gathering of three Emperors on one small island—Issho couldn't predict how this catastrophe will turn out.
<Issho! You will be tasked to serve as a distraction and to prevent any enemy from consuming the fruit! After you, we've sent the second fleet led by Tokikake; they will be the ones who will enter the scene at the crucial moment and acquire it!>
'...Two Admirals are sent on the mission to acquire one devil fruit, while the innocent civilians from various islands are suffering due to the sudden surge of the pirates.' Issho couldn't help but grimace, 'Is this the right thing to do?'
While a notable number of marine soldiers were awating by on the Northern sea, the Southern sea of the island was occupied by Kaidou and Queen, who were sitting on top of a submarine.
*BOOMBOOMBOOM*
"What do you think, Kaidou-san?" Queen grinned deviously as he showcased his weapons by shooting them toward the island without any care, "It's pretty strong, isn't it?"
"Worororo!! It's as weak as a bug bite!!" Kaidou laughed out loud before gulping down the huge barrel of alcohol that he brought along with him somehow.
"Aw, come on!! Don't you see over there that I killed somewhere around twenty pirates at once?!!"
"Twenty? Only Twenty?! Worororororo!!!!" Kaidou's laugh didn't know when to cease, and judging by the blush on his cheeks, he seemed to be drunk.
Much to Queen's annoyance, Kaidou rolled on top of the submarine, finding himself amused, "That was a good one, Queen!"
"Hmph~!! Fine!! I'll simply kill more then!!!" Queen growled childishly before blasting his weapons in an uncontrolled manner.
*BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM*
The pirates who were fighting among themselves helplessly died as Queen's attacks bombarded the island non-stop.
"Watch, Kaidou-san! I must have killed more than a hundred by now!"
"Twenty or hundred... it doesn't matter!" Kaidou's mood abruptly switched into an angry one as he snorted, before lifting up his barrel once again, "Do you count the number of bugs that you kill, Queen?!"
Ignoring Queen's rants, Kaidou shifted his eyes to the Eastern sea of the island.
'Linlin... so you came as well, I see...!'
And finally, on the Eastern sea,
"Mamama! Even that Kaidou brat is here!" Linlin, who was standing on top of a giant cloud-like entity, Zeus, clapped in excitement while looking around.
"Ah~ I can't wait! When will the highlight of this event arrive? The acquisition of Tremor Tremor fruit... haa... how blissful it must be! The very thought of having the Whitebeard's power for myself... mamamama!!!"
Linlin sighed in happiness as she placed her hands on her face, drooling as she imagined what may possibly be a future,
"And then Grimheart! If they are going to arrive, so will that Farul! Mamama, I truly can't wait for tomorrow!!"
And on Linlin's side, one ferocious-looking man with short spiky crimson-coloured hair and a ragged scarf, Charlotte Katakuri the strongest among the four Sweet Commanders, sat by with his legs crossed.
<Listen, Katakuri! Tremor Tremor fruit... perorin, whatever, forget that! Mama is strong in her own right, and will be able to attain it by herself! The problem lies in what will come afterward... she took interest in the Grimheart pirates! And in the deadlock where Kaidou's Wano sits right next to us, we can't afford to go to war against a newly-risen Emperor! Got that, perorin?!>
Those were the words that Perospero spoke to Katakuri prior to their departure. Due to the urgent case where not much time remained, Linlin travelled on top of Zeus, and only one person was able to go along with her; it was Linlin herself who decided to bring along her strongest child.
And thus, the whole commotion within the Coconut Seal island has grown to an astonishing extent, and now, no one knew what will be happening on the day after.
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[Miles Away from the Coconut Seal]
"We stop here." Rowan raised his hand up calmly as Prominence was flying at a high altitude.
'Phoenix pirates. Marine fleet. And those two individuals with the strengths above any other... they must be Big Mom and Kaidou.'
Something felt wrong to Rowan.
'Within the island, there are the mindless killings of one another, with no particular area safe. The fact that they don't have a particular target means that Tremor Tremor fruit has not made its appearance yet. If so, the seller isn't on the island right now.'
Even with the maximum operation of his Observation Haki and his eyesight, he couldn't find any other presence of life around the island.
'The seller plans to stay anonymous.' Rowan placed his hand on his chin while thinking, just as Prominence came to a stop.
"Rowan." Carina called in a serious manner, "Is Kaidou over there?"
Rowan nodded stoically, "Kaidou and Big Mom as well, as far as I can deduce."
Carmen frowned, "Now that sounds dangerous."
Sighing, Rowan turned his head away from the direction where the island lied.
"No matter. Whether the Tremor Tremor fruit turns out to be true or not will be decided when the time actually comes by. Take a good rest for now, and ready yourselves for potential combat at any second."
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[Unknown Location]
"Hehaha! How convenient! Being able to escape by the sky—I'm luckier than ever, all thanks to you, Morgans!" Dwelling within the hot air balloon, the headquarter of the World Economy Newspaper, was Buena Festa.
With Morgans still locked by the Seastone cuff, and his subordinates simultaneously having the gun barrels, held by Festa's Festival pirates, aimed at their heads, Festa had full control of the hot air balloon.
"Even that Grimheart shouldn't be able to sense us from this distance away!" Festa smiled as he took a seat on the nearby chair.
"Auction... hehaha! As if I will be dumb enough to present myself! Instead, I've set a fun mechanism that will be set off by tomorrow! Therefore, the pirates, marines, and bounty hunters all alike... enjoy the surprise that I've set off for all of you! Then..."
Festa shifted his attention to the screen that was projected by the Visual Den Den Mushi that was sitting in the front, showing what was happening in the Coconut Seal,
"...the world shall witness the greatest festival that will subvert everything that they knew of!"
Morgans secretly turned his eyes to a particular location, where a Den Den Mushi was seen to be active within the shadows. Through discrete means, one of his workers managed to turn it on at the last moment.
'The Black Den Den Mushi variants that are able to eavesdrop... that is my only hope...!'
Although the chance of Morgan's hope actually coming true seemed unlikely within this vast sea, Morgans hasn't given up yet.
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[Miles Away from the Coconut Seal, 13 hours later; September 7th, 1522]
"It's midnight, where the day turned to 7th just now. Are you sure that this will be the case, captain?" Urouge asked, not sure if Rowan's judgment is correct.
"The seller intentionally gathered all of us up here, Urouge." Rowan replied as he gazed off toward the island unviewable to the rest of his crew, "I doubt that such a person will be patient enough to wait for a second longer."
Looking around at each and every single member of his crew, all who looked ready to follow his command, Rowan spoke up while lifting up his palm, "Listen well."
*BoomBoBoomBoBoomBoom*
The booming sounds blasted out from Rowan's palm subtly.
"When you hear this at a much larger scale, bring Prominence toward the island as fast as you can. This signal indicates that we aren't in a position where we are able to escape from the scene by ourselves."
After all, even Carina wasn't able to teleport them from this distance in one go. The scope of her ability relied on her Observation Haki, and her's wasn't as wide-ranged as Rowan's.
Just then,
*VROOOOOM*
from the Coconut Seal, the quaking sound was heard. Something underground was moving and shifting, stressing the whole island. Then,
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
an incredible pillar of water surged from the middle, in the middle of the night. Subsequently, the puffy white platform of Coconut Seal began to glow brightly, illuminating the scenery.
It seemed that the Festival pirates surely had a lot of time to arrange their plan.
"That's our cue."
Rowan clearly saw one chest that was floating atop. And he could tell right away, that whether the news of Tremor Tremor fruit was real or not...
—the truth will only be found out when the chest was opened.
"Carina, Dan, Alfred. Let's go."
From the Prominence, four individuals shot out from the Prominence toward the island at an incredible pace.
And just in time,
"Zeus!!! Bring me up there, right now!!!"
"Worororo!!! This is going to be fun!!"
"You guys, block the marines! Leave the fruit to me!"
The auction, where the bidding is done through one's strength instead of one's wealth, has begun!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone