69novels Chapter 163 Fishman Island, Punk Hazard
Chapter 163 Fishman Island, Punk Hazard
P.S.: I revamped the leave request for chapter 160 today. This chapter's extra chapter is an old draft that was rejected by the editor because the pacing was too slow. Please bear with it.
I've taken two consecutive days off, and there's a lot of work to catch up on; I'll need a few days to adjust.
………………
Major General Nick glared fiercely, launched himself forward, and charged quickly toward Kaido.
His enormous fist clenched, as if an invisible force was wrapped around it.
This is because Kaido has not yet awakened his Observation Haki and cannot see the "color" of Haki.
However, it doesn't matter at all. Knowing Armament Haki doesn't necessarily mean you can crush someone who doesn't know Armament Haki.
Close combat, to put it bluntly, is still a contest of strength and physical skills.
The offensive and defensive capabilities enhanced by Armament Haki, before reaching a certain level, are roughly equivalent to wearing a full suit of iron armor.
When your foundation is solid enough, it's not difficult to shatter armor with bare fists.
Kaido stood still and threw a straight punch at Rear Admiral Nick, who was rushing towards him at high speed.
The two fists collided, and the shockwaves created a howling wind.
Suddenly, a red light flashed in Admiral Nick's eyes, and he dodged Kaido's sweeping leg with a bridge-like movement.
The next second, a red light flashed in his eyes again.
However, it was because after Kaido swept his leg across, he used the momentum to kick out another sweeping leg with his other foot.
However, Kaido was faster than him, and he hadn't had time to return to his position from the iron bridge.
So he used his waist, abdomen and legs together to spin in mid-air and successfully dodged Kaido's sweeping leg.
but……
Kaido, however, smiled.
What we want is for you to be off the ground with nowhere to hide.
For Kaido, dealing with someone who understands Observation Haki is still a little troublesome.
But once you're off the ground and have nowhere to grab hold, you're a lamb to the slaughter.
After Kaido finished his sweeping leg kick, he continued to sweep his large hand horizontally with the momentum of the kick, grabbing the ankle that was spinning in the air.
then……
boom!!
Major General Nick felt a tightness in his ankle, then his body spun around, and the next second his back made zero-distance contact with the ground.
The terrifying force of the recoil penetrated into his internal organs from his back.
Major General Nick gritted his teeth and tensed all his muscles, managing to withstand the blow.
but……
This is just the beginning.
Boom boom boom boom boom...
Hold onto the ankle tightly and keep slamming it left and right, then rotating and smashing it violently.
Major General Nick gritted his teeth and tried his best to use Armament Haki to harden his back and skin.
But the recoil was pounding against his internal organs, and he was about to collapse.
Just then, Kaido took two running steps and leaped into the air.
He switched from using one hand to both hands to grab Major General Nick's ankles, and then did a 720-degree spin in mid-air.
"Thunderbolt Bomb!!"
A loud shout, a deafening roar.
A circular depression, nearly ten meters in diameter and more than ten centimeters deep, appeared in the center of the banquet hall.
Countless precious tiles shattered into tiny fragments, which were ejected dozens of centimeters into the air before falling back down.
Major General Nick lay in the very center of the crater.
At this moment, he truly and completely fainted.
Kaido grinned menacingly, twisted his neck, and cracked his knuckles.
They casually tossed Major General Nick away like a piece of trash.
My gaze swept across the entire banquet hall.
The three naval captains who had just been slammed against the wall had already peeled themselves off.
Large numbers of navy personnel who were on guard outside the gate also began to pour in.
"Kaido!! Surrender and..."
A flash of black and red lightning appeared in Kaido's eyes.
A soft buzzing sound filled the air, and an invisible aura swept across.
clap clap clap...
The navy soldiers who had rushed in, ready to utter harsh words, rolled their eyes before they could finish their sentences. Their consciousness vanished, their limbs went out of control, and they foamed at the mouth and fainted.
Even the three strongest Marine Headquarters captains could only put up a fight for two seconds before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
Kaido chuckled and turned to look at Vodka IV, whom he had deliberately let go.
"You...you stay away!!"
"Don't come any closer!!"
Vodka IV looked horrified, knowing that Kaido had just used Conqueror's Haki.
But it is precisely because we know this that we are even more terrified.
Because those who possess Conqueror's Haki are true kings, and they would not fear killing a true king.
despair!
step.
despair!
Two steps.
Kaido stepped up the stairs, and with each step, Vodka IV's heart seemed to skip a beat.
His gorgeous clothes were quickly soaked with sweat.
His thick lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.
His not-so-strong legs couldn't muster any strength.
He longed to escape from the throne, just like the head maid before him, even if it meant losing all his dignity, at least he would have left this terrifying banquet hall.
only……
I can't move.
It wasn't the Devil Fruit power that rendered him immobile; it was simply extreme fear that caused him to lose control of his body.
despair!
Finally, Kaido stood on the highest level of the throne.
He stands tall, looking down at the king who sits on the throne.
Vodka IV's breathing almost stopped.
He struggled to lift his head; he dared not look at Kaido, yet he dared not look away from Kaido.
His eyes were filled with the fear of death, and only now did he finally recall it.
The person before him was none other than the strongest warrior in his kingdom!
Four years ago, when Kaido was only 9 years old, he was already one.
Although he is still only 13 years old, he has already experienced at least a hundred battles, both large and small.
The number of enemies killed by Kaido's own hands, and the number of heads severed, could not be counted even if one spent an entire day doing so.
"No...don't kill me..."
Vodka IV tried to muster his courage and at least show the dignity befitting a king before his death, but all he could say was beg for mercy.
In the reflection of his trembling eyes, Kaido slowly extended that large, childlike hand that had slaughtered countless lives.
"Am I... am I going to be strangled to death?"
An instinctive thought arose in Vodka IV's mind.
He desperately wanted to escape, but his body was completely out of his control; it felt as if he were being held down by the claws of a bloodthirsty beast.
Even lifting a single finger feels like lifting a heavy mountain.
In despair, Vodka IV finally chose to close his eyes in resignation.
'To die...so be it...after all, I betrayed Kaido first...but at least in the end...I'll maintain the dignity of a king...'
Snapped!
Snapped!
My cheeks were gently patted twice.
Vodka IV, who was already prepared to die, was suddenly stunned.
There was neither the suffocation of being strangled nor the pain of being struck on the head, just...
It was just a couple of light taps on the cheek?!
"You've gotten so fat from eating!"
Kaido's words, calm yet tinged with disdain, reached his ears.
Suddenly, a wave of humiliation surged into my heart.
He was prepared to die, and yet he was humiliated like this!
This is intolerable!
Vodka IV opened his eyes in fury, a surge of anger rising in his throat. He was ready to unleash a torrent of rage on the rebellious Kaido.
But the moment he opened his eyes and saw Kaido's young and innocent face, all his anger was replaced by fear once again.
"Vodka IV, remember this!"
Kaido looked down at him with amusement.
"In the Kingdom of Woka, I, Kaido, acknowledge you as king. You are the true king of this country!"
"I don't acknowledge you as king, you're nothing but a piece of trash!!"
Words filled with humiliation and contempt echoed in his ears, and Vodka IV wanted to loudly refute them, or even insult Kaido in return.
But when all the words, following the train of thought in the brain, reached the lips, what came out was—
"I...I understand..."
"You admit... I... I am the king..."
"You won't admit... I... I'm nothing..."
Kaido was very satisfied with his answer, and his original intention to humiliate him was thus abandoned.
"Let's go, take me to the royal treasury."
"Yes……"
Although Vodka IV still felt deeply humiliated, in the end, it was because he himself was not strong enough and lacked backbone.
Of course, he himself would never admit it.
But since things had come to this point, in order to survive, he had no choice but to obey Kaido's will and take him to the royal treasury.
Chapter Seven: The Royal Treasury
Push open the heavy doors of the royal palace treasury.
The dazzling golden light, reflecting off the lamplight, almost blinded Kaido.
Fortunately, having plundered many islands before, he was prepared and had already narrowed his eyes beforehand, while secretly guarding against possible sneak attacks from within the treasure vault.
In the end, everything calmed down, and there were no treasure vault guardians in the vault.
Step into the royal treasury.
The countless gold coins physically formed a small mountain, with a peak height of at least 4 meters, making it half a head taller than Kaido at present.
The Kingdom of Woka, strictly speaking, was not so poor that it could not afford to pay the Heavenly Gold.
However, none of the country's largest asset holders, the king and the nobles, were willing to use their wealth to pay for the heavenly gold.
Therefore, in order to maintain its status as a member state, this country has been forced to continuously wage wars of plunder.
Even if the war is won, the lion's share of the spoils will be taken by the king and nobles.
The last remaining money was the share belonging to the Heavenly Gold, and the reward that the soldiers would receive.
Only occasionally, when there simply isn't enough gold from the sky.
The king would then claim it was a sacrifice for his people and take a portion of his spoils to make up the difference.
The entire population of the Kingdom of Woka knows exactly what's going on in this country.
But apart from Kaido, no one thought there was anything wrong with the king and nobles, or with the war and the distribution of spoils.
This world is a world where the nobility reign supreme, and these rotten rules of the game are the rules that the vast majority of people in the world accept.
Therefore, Kaido did not do those theoretically correct but useless things.
Within the current rules of the game, the rewards that belong to the soldiers should be delivered to them without any loss.
As the saying goes, when poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when rich, one should benefit all under heaven.
He's still in the "poor" stage right now; it's good enough if he can just take care of himself.
I'll consider helping others when I'm truly "rich".
Bypassing the enormous mountain of gold coins, Kaido wasn't particularly drawn to them.
Within this treasure trove lies a goal far more valuable than these gold coins.
Kaido headed straight for the display case where rare treasures were displayed, ignoring one exquisite or crude crown after another.
And they ignored the dazzling array of exquisite jewels.
They arrived at the rack where the weapons were displayed.
Luxury, splendor.
The firearms, swords, and knives displayed here are all top-quality works of art.
Gold and silver form their bodies.
Gemstones, pearls, jade... these adorn their appearance.
It's very expensive and beautiful, but it's all show and no substance.
Aside from serving as a valuable decorative item, its actual combat effectiveness may not be better than weapons made of ordinary steel.
but……
A gorgeous appearance is not exclusive to decorative weapons.
Take, for example, the knight's sword on the sword rack in front of Kaido.
It may look like a beautiful work of art, but it actually ranks very high on the list of famous swords.
The Great Swords of the Twenty-One, ranked third, is Morpheus, the Pure Gold Sword.
This sword is shaped like a knight's sword and is 360 centimeters long.
The blade is 245 cm long and 16 cm wide, and the whole body is golden yellow.
The sword guard is 27 cm long and 62 cm wide, decorated with various exquisite gold carvings and inlaid with countless gold and blue diamonds.
The handle is 88 centimeters long, with a base color matching the blue diamond, and is surrounded by intricate gold carvings, which increases grip friction while exuding exquisite beauty and luxury.
At the end of the handle, there is also a gold gemstone that reflects a dazzling light.
If I had to describe this sword in just one word, it would be—expensive!
If you use this sword to kill someone, you might feel sorry for the sword being stained with blood afterward.
But it is definitely not just a simple decorative weapon.
Originally, it was also a famous sword that dominated the battlefield.
Legend has it that this sword originated from a king of a great nation who, after obtaining the legendary pure gold, ordered the most skilled craftsmen of the time to forge a royal sword using pure gold as the raw material.
Because of the legend that pure gold can grant immortality, it is coveted by many.
Fearing that the pure gold he had so painstakingly acquired would be stolen by thieves, the king came up with the idea of forging swords from pure gold.
Crafted with the special skills of artisans, this sword only emits a pure golden light that can grant immortality when held by the king himself.
To any other outsider holding this sword, it is merely an ordinary sword.
Furthermore, since the king who ordered the forging of this sword was himself a master swordsman, the sword was required to be perfect not only in appearance and craftsmanship, but also in battlefield practicality.
Therefore, even in this day and age, this sword would still rank among the top swords.
As for how Kaido knew about the existence of this sword, we have to go back to when he was 8 years old.
That year, when he was with his team attacking a non-member country and storming a noble manor.
The owner of that manor wielded such an exquisite ceremonial sword.
Kaido has always looked down on these kinds of handicrafts, finding them beautiful but useless.
Moreover, he was using a spiked club at the time.
When a blunt weapon collides with a sharp weapon, who will break? It goes without saying!
But in the end, when the two clashed, Kaido's spiked club was cut in two like tofu.
If it weren't for the fact that the opponent didn't know how to use a sword at all and just slashed around randomly.
Kaido, being careless at the time, probably wouldn't have been able to dodge at all.
His weapon was cut off, and in the one or two seconds before he could even react, he would either die or lose an arm or a leg.
This, in turn, proves that what split Kaido's spiked club in two was purely the power of this sword.
It has nothing to do with the user.
It was also from that time that Kaido abandoned his spiked club and began to learn how to use a sword to kill people.
In this world where swordsmanship is almost a self-contained training system, the development potential of blunt weapons seems to be lower than that of swordsmanship.
Unfortunately, there were too many people besieging that manor at the time, and Kaido was neither strong nor of high status enough to possess the sword.
After the manor owner was killed by a concentrated barrage of gunfire from a distance, the sword was presented to Vodka IV by the general at the time.
When Vodka IV received this sword, he also happily played with it.
But in the end, perhaps because it seemed too expensive and they were worried about accidentally bumping into it and causing damage, they put it away in the royal treasury and kept it hidden away.
now.
Kaido came before it a second time.
This magnificent and practical sword can finally become his property!
Kaido reached out and grasped the hilt of Morpheus's sword.
Slowly lift it up and hold it upright in front of you.
It's just the right weight, not too light, not too heavy, and feels perfect in the hand!
This golden sword, which is 360 centimeters long, is a little long for Kaido, who is only 3 meters tall now, but it is suitable for use as a two-handed sword.
Even if he grows to 7.1 meters tall in the future, he will still be very suitable for use as a one-handed sword.
"What a fine sword!!"
Kaido let out a sigh of admiration; he had been coveting this sword for quite some time.
And behind him.
When Vodka IV saw that Kaido hadn't taken the gold coins, the crown, or the jewels, he was relieved, thinking that Kaido wanted the thing deep inside the treasure vault.
And now...
The fact that he had chosen this precious sword, which even he had to take extra care of, caused him such heartache that he almost felt suffocated.