บท 17: Chapter 17 : Wilhelm's Proposal, Bet?
"Bang... bang..."
"Boom... boom..."
"Clatter... crash..."
Black cannonballs flew through the air one after another, tracing arcs like parabolas.
From a far distance, they bombarded the pirate ship carrying Wilhelm, Smoothie, and the others.
Many cannonballs splashed into the sea, causing huge bursts of water. The calm ocean turned chaotic, with waves rolling endlessly.
Even the flagship, carefully built under the supervision of Smoothie, the "Minister of Juice" from Totto Land, began to shake. Its bow proudly displayed her cartoon-like figurehead.
"The Marines? Just what I wanted!"
Snapon, who had grown restless with boredom, laughed loudly, full of excitement.
Drawing the long sword at his waist, he shouted, "Alright, you lot! Fire back at them! Show those Marines what we're made of!"
Shelling?
When they left Totto Land, they brought plenty of Homie cannonballs—special weapons created by their mother, Charlotte Linlin, using her Soul-Soul Fruit powers. These cannonballs weren't ordinary—they had "life" and could lock onto targets and even chase them down.
Even though the Marines had more warships, and they only had a medium-sized pirate ship, Snapon wasn't the least bit worried.
"Yes, Lord Snapon!"
"We're ready to fire!"
"Let's sink those Marines!"
The pirates and the Homie soldiers shouted excitedly, showing no signs of fear.
The gunners quickly got into position, adjusting the naval cannons, while the Homie soldiers carried the cannonballs in small groups.
Boxes of ammunition were hauled up from the ship's hold. When opened, the black cannonballs inside had faces that looked alive.
"Use me~~~ Use me~~~"
"Let me blow them up, boom haha~~~"
The sight was eerie, enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Boom..."
Before long, the first few animated cannonballs were launched into the air.
After locking onto the target, one by one, the cannonballs shifted their trajectory, striking incoming artillery shells at incredible speed.
The two exploded mid-air, flames rising into the sky, and smoke filling the air.
The Marines on the distant sea watched in awe and confusion.
"Is this battle unavoidable? This is going to be a pain..."
Smoothie, watching the threatening Marine fleet, let out a helpless shrug.
Gripping the long sword at her side, her gaze sharpened, revealing a determined warrior's spirit.
Unlike her younger sister Snapon, who is reckless and eager for battle, Smoothie prefers to avoid unnecessary confrontations. If possible, she avoids conflict altogether.
If only her two younger sisters were here.
Smoothie didn't want to face the Navy Headquarters' Vice Admiral in this way—directly engaging in battle wasn't something she enjoyed or found useful.
But Wilhelm was different.
Even against elite Vice Admirals, the three sisters knew they could rely on Wilhelm's strength.
At just fifteen years old, Wilhelm, the "perfect masterpiece of the Charlotte family," had inherited his mother Charlotte Linlin's monstrous talent. His abilities were extraordinary, far beyond those of ordinary people.
He was an undeniable "natural monster," far beyond what most could comprehend.
Wilhelm, the "trembling noble son," had spent years honing his skills, constantly pushing his potential to new limits.
No one truly knew how powerful he was.
Age no longer limited him. With his incredibly durable body, built like steel and iron, Wilhelm's strength surpassed logical limits. "Youth" wasn't a hindrance to him—it only made him stronger.
Within the BIG-MOM Pirates, only Katakuri, Smoothie's older brother, was seen as his equal.
Yet Smoothie had her doubts.
Even Katakuri might not be a match for Wilhelm.
So far, no one had witnessed Wilhelm's full strength. Despite his youth, most believed Wilhelm had potential, but they underestimated his current power, which had grown rapidly through relentless practice day and night.
Years ago, in a duel against Cracker, Wilhelm remained calm and collected until the very end.
Cracker, who was twenty years old at the time, was a formidable Paramecia Devil Fruit user with a powerful biscuit armor. Despite its durability, Wilhelm shattered it with ease during their match.
At just nine years old, Wilhelm knocked Cracker down with a single punch.
Now, years later, how much stronger must he be?
The nickname "trembling noble son" was more than fitting.
While outsiders might be unaware of his true strength, the three Smoothie sisters, who had witnessed Wilhelm's growth firsthand, knew exactly how powerful he was.
Over the past few years, Wilhelm had spent most of his time training, but he often joined Katakuri in brutal, life-or-death battles to further sharpen his skills.
Many ambitious pirates who dared to challenge the BIG-MOM Pirates in Totto Land were easily defeated by Wilhelm's overwhelming strength. Not a single one had succeeded.
Yet, because Wilhelm was so young, he kept his achievements mostly hidden.
The outside world believed that those pirates had been dealt with by Katakuri, the strongest general.
"Three warships?"
At that moment, Wilhelm had finished his training and arrived.
He looked at the three warships coming toward them, relentlessly firing cannonballs.
Raising his right hand lightly, Wilhelm flicked his fingers repeatedly.
"Whoa, whoa..."
Blood-red, almost invisible air blades, moving at lightning speed, tore through the incoming cannonballs.
One after another, the volleys exploded mid-air.
Black smoke filled the sky, and the roar of the battle echoed.
"Would you like to place a bet and test it?"
Wilhelm smiled lightly, looking at Smoothie and the others.
"Oh? What kind of comparison do you have in mind?"
Smoothie raised an eyebrow, curious and smiling.
Stron, Snapon, and the others also had fiery eyes, intrigued by the challenge.
"I don't need the power of a Devil Fruit," Wilhelm said confidently. "One person will handle the battleship in the middle, and you two warships can be managed by the rest of your crew. Finley can assist too..."
He gestured toward the fierce BIG-MOM pirates and Homie soldiers. "It's a matter of who ends the battle first!"
"Aww!"
Finley, the snow mastiff, lay lazily in the corner. At Wilhelm's call, he swiftly came over, baring his teeth and shaking his white mane, standing proudly beside Wilhelm.
"Then, what if we win?"
Stron crossed her arms, her tone confident.
If Wilhelm used his incredible Transferring Fruit ability, she doubted she could win.
"But if I promise not to use my Devil Fruit ability, I'm still confident," she added.
"I'll make one promise," Wilhelm said with a shrug.
Hearing this, Smoothie's eyes lit up.
She asked with a smile, "And what if we lose?"
"If I win," Wilhelm responded, "the three of you will have to follow the training plan I create in the future. No shortcuts, no excuses."
Smiling, Wilhelm turned to Smoothie, the leader of the three sisters. "What do you say?"
Stron and Snapon were eager, but Wilhelm had higher expectations for Smoothie.
She had given up her Paramecia, the Squeeze Fruit (Shibo Shibo no Mi), in hopes of finding a more powerful Devil Fruit in the future
Wilhelm believed her talent rivaled that of Katakuri, though her laziness often got in the way. Sometimes, a little pressure was necessary.
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