章 7: The Unlikely Alliance
"Jihahahahahah! Brat, you truly amazed me. I admit defeat; consider this your victory," Shiki said, blood leaking from his mouth.
"You're not completely defeated, though I am far superior to you in raw power. However, I still have much to learn in terms of actual combat," Franz replied calmly.
"So, what's your plan, brat, after this?" Shiki questioned.
"Well, to be honest, I want to train and become even stronger. Strong enough to change this world," Franz solemnly declared.
Shiki's thoughts raced, "This lad is a madman, but I can see the burning will in his eyes. I've never seen anything like it. My blood boils with excitement, wondering what actions he'll take next. I'm curious to see how far he can go with this kind of determination. It might be worth tagging along. Maybe he can achieve the goal I have yet to reach."
With a laugh, Shiki said to him, "Jihahahahah! Brats, would you mind if I accompany you on your journey? I'd like to see how far you can go."
Shocked by Shiki's offer, Franz thought for a moment. "I didn't see this coming, but having a legendary pirate like him join my crew would be badass." He smiled and welcomed Shiki, "Welcome to my crew, 6th Commander Shiki!" He tossed a rejuvenating bottle to him, saying, "Drink it."
Shiki laughed and downed the bottle in one go. Suddenly, a strong glow enveloped his body, and his injuries vanished. He felt vitality coursing through his veins, his muscles bulging, and his skin regaining its youthful appearance. In short, he became young again, as if in his mid-thirties.
Shocked and amazed, Shiki asked, "How did you do that?"
Franz chuckled and replied, "It's a secret! Consider it your reward for joining my crew."
Feeling the warmth of Franz's words, Shiki bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace, Captain. I, Shiki, Captain of the Flying Pirates, solemnly swear to follow and dedicate my life to you, Captain Azrael D. Franz."
"Get up, Shiki. You don't need to do that. We are family from now on, and your loyalty is enough for me," Franz said, extending a hand to help Shiki up.
"But before that, I have something to take care of," Franz said, vanishing and reappearing on the island of G-3, which had been split in half because of him.
Garp and Aokiji stood on guard, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads. Franz stared at them, his gaze fixed like that of a predator eyeing its prey.
"Cold Purple Demon, surrender, or we might have to use force to capture you," Garp said firmly.
"Hah! Don't make me laugh. I could easily kill the 5,000 marines on this island, and neither of you could stop me. Shall we make a wager?" Franz replied.
Aokiji flinched and asked, "What's your offer?"
Grinning slightly, Franz said, "Good thinking, Iceman. But all I need is to have a conversation with Garp. Let's avoid further damage and settle it peacefully. Can we, Garp?"
Garp and Aokiji looked at each other and nodded. They vanished and reappeared on Shiki's flying island.
"Jihahahahahaha! Long time no see, Garp. I'm so excited to see you again. Come, let's have a fight, legendary Marine hero!" Shiki exclaimed.
"Bwahahahahaha! In our last fight, you were gravely defeated, and it seems you still haven't learned, you chicken head!" Garp bellowed. However, upon seeing Shiki's youthful appearance, Garp was shocked. He asked, "Hey, old Shiki, why do you look so young? Can you tell me how you did that? If you answer, I promise to clear all your debts to me and never use my 'fist of love' on you." Garp looked at Shiki with puppy eyes.
Veins popped on Shiki's face as he yanked Garp's face towards his own and yelled, "Hell no!"
Meanwhile, Franz, observing the two idiots bickering, coughed and said, "Will you two stop that? Both of you sit down."
"First, Garp, my name is Azrael D. Franz. Nice to meet you," Franz began, looking serious. "I called you here because I want to talk to you about this world."
Garp looked confused and asked, "What do you mean?"
Franz proceeded to share with them the history of the world, the Will of D, and the dark side of the government, including the objective of the World Sovereign IM. He showed them the book he obtained from the Gold Island, shocking them to their core. Tension filled the room, and a serious atmosphere settled in. Garp clenched his fist and furiously said, "Because of the government, I lost my family. I believed they would provide justice and shield us from the hypocritical pirates. But I was naive to believe that, and now, the one behind it all is the biggest threat to this world. But what will you do? Do you think your meager strength can achieve your goal? You're pathetic, maybe you defeated the old Shiki, but it's still not enough!" Garp sarcastically taunted.
"Oh, you want to test me? Why not? I love training. Come, let's have a dance," Franz replied furiously. Garp dashed towards Franz and unleashed a punch coated with his top-notch Armament Haki. The impact caused an explosive boom. However, to their astonishment, Franz stood his ground. When the smoke cleared, they witnessed an awe-inspiring sight. Franz had caught Garp's punch with his bare hand, without any Armament Haki. Infuriated, Franz unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, overwhelming Garp and causing him to kneel, struggling to breathe. Still holding Garp's fist, Franz raised his left hand, coated in golden Haki, and aimed for Garp's head. But Garp softly said, "I yield."
Franz released Garp's fist and said, "Next time, don't test my patience." Garp nodded repeatedly.
In Garp's mind, a flashback played. After using his full strength in a punch with the power of the Six King Gun, he thought the lad would not survive it. Yet, his fist stopped, leaving him unscathed. Then, he felt an immense pressure, unlike anything he had experienced before—a pressure that made him feel as if a god had descended upon the world, demanding everyone to kneel. And to make matters worse, when he looked into Franz's eyes, he saw a resemblance to a demon king capable of slaughtering any obstacle in his path. The pressure intensified when he noticed Franz's left hand covered in golden Haki—the legendary power rumored to be wielded by those who could control the world. Fear and despair gnawed at Garp's mind and soul. He made a promise to himself to never provoke Franz again.
After the intense confrontation with Garp, Franz instructed Shiki to fly to the Grand Line and find Rayleigh. He also gave Garp a bottle of rejuvenating water he refined from the water essence. Upon drinking it, Garp also regained his youth, returning to his prime strength. Both Shiki and Garp decided to postpone their battle until after finding Rayleigh.
As Franz silently contemplated the events that had transpired, he gathered all his new crew members, including those tutored by Shiki, and spoke. "Now, gentlemen, that we are all gathered here, I would like to announce the formation of an alliance called Devas. The alliance will consist of thirteen division commanders, with me serving as the chairman. We will gradually build our forces and, once prepared, declare war on the World Government. We need to uproot them, save our dying world, and protect it from being absorbed by otherworldly beings. Garp, you will be the 1st division commander. You shall return to the Marines and act as our spy, recruiting trustworthy Marines to join our cause. Additionally, locate the person who wields the corrupt law of pride. We need to eliminate him as soon as possible."
"Shiki, your crew will try to establish communication with the Revolutionary Army and attempt to contact Dragon as well. Build connections with other merchants to gather our own intelligence. That's all, and I hope to see positive results. Both commanders nodded and silently dispersed, determined to fulfill their respective missions.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット