dmims Chapter 276 Another Side: The Whitebeard Pirates vs. Hassan
Chapter 276 Another Side: The Whitebeard Pirates vs. Hassan
Chapter 276 The Other Side: The Whitebeard Pirates vs. Hassan
The dark crystal shattered, the black cage collapsed, and the resentment of death in the canyon rose in the light, turning into countless points of light that rose towards the sea.
They can finally rest in peace.
The chains binding King Hassan broke completely. He moved his wrists and turned the skull mask toward Roger.
"Amazing," said the old man in the mountains. "To shake the concept of death with the will of the living—you truly deserve the title of Pirate King."
Roger grinned, the light faded from him, and he staggered a step before being supported by the crowd that rushed up to him.
"Uncle! Are you alright?!"
"I'm a bit exhausted—" Roger laughed. "After all, this Noble Phantasm consumes one's very existence. But thankfully, with Noah's power holding me up, I won't die."
Zoro looked at the three Hassans.
Tranquility, Cursed Wrist, and Hundred Faces still kneel on the altar, but their bodies are gradually becoming transparent.
Azrael's departure has made their existence unstable.
"You guys—" Luffy frowned.
"We were merely fulfilling our contract." Bai Mao looked up, his voice calm beneath the skull mask. "Now—it's time for us to leave."
The three of them simultaneously transformed into black mist and vanished into the deep sea.
The canyon returned to silence.
Only the wreckage of the sunken ship and the faint glow that had not yet completely dissipated remained.
"Let's go back." King Hassan turned around. "Dragon Palace should be safe now."
Dragon Palace.
When Luffy and his crew returned, the battle was already over.
The council chamber was a mess, but Jinbe and Kojiro were standing, and Brook was sitting in his chair unharmed, though his bones were still humming slightly.
"Luffy!" Jinbe breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you guys alright?"
"I'm fine! Uncle Roger was amazing!" Luffy grinned, then looked at Brook, "Brook, how are you?"
"Hohoho—I almost really died," the skeleton musician said with a wry smile.
"However, at the crucial moment, the blessing that King Hassan left on me came into play, and Azrael's extraction was blocked."
Kojiro walked over, the sword already sheathed: "So—that Shinigami was driven back?"
"Temporarily," Wang Hassan said, "but he has not truly perished. As long as death exists in the world, he will not completely disappear. He will return."
"Then next time I come, I'll beat him to a pulp again!" Luffy clenched his fist.
Roger leaned against the wall and smiled: "That's the spirit we need. But before that—"
He looked into the distance, towards Impel Down.
"We need to address the more practical issues first."
The expressions on everyone's faces turned serious.
Blackbeard, Earl, Arjuna the God.
And there's that deeper shadow looming over the entire Holy Grail War.
"Let's rest for the night," Jinbe said. "Tomorrow, we'll discuss the next steps."
Late at night.
The night beneath the deep sea is eternal darkness. But the lights of the Dragon Palace still shine brightly, like stars on the seabed.
Roger stood on the terrace, looking out at the deep sea.
Wang Hassan appeared silently beside him.
"Thank you for today," said the old man in the mountains.
"You're welcome," Roger chuckled. "But to be honest, I didn't expect that Noble Phantasm to have such an effect—"
"Passing on the will transcends life and death. It's easy to say, but to truly achieve it, what's needed isn't strength, but unwavering conviction."
Are you sure?
"I'm sure." Roger looked into the distance.
"Because I have seen that after my death, this sea has become even more vibrant. My will is indeed being passed on."
Wang Hassan remained silent for a moment.
"However, if what Azrael says is true, and he wants to reshape the cycle of life and death—that legacy may be interrupted."
"Then don't let him succeed," Roger said, his voice filled with an unwavering determination.
"Aren't we, the dead, fighting to pave the way for the living?"
The red light beneath King Hassan's skull mask flickered slightly.
"really."
The two stopped talking and simply gazed silently into the deep sea.
Meanwhile, on the sea thousands of miles above, deep within Impel Down, Blackbeard Teach was laughing loudly.
"Failed? Hahaha! That Azrael guy actually got repelled!"
Behind him, the count slowly raised his wine glass.
"As expected." The count's voice was deep. "That Pirate King—he has never been someone who can be judged by common sense."
"But it doesn't matter." The black-bearded man grinned, revealing his broken teeth. "The resentment of death that has lingered in Shipwreck Canyon for three hundred years has been released. The balance of life and death in this sea has begun to tilt."
He turned and looked at the other end of the prison.
There, Arjuna sat in meditation with his eyes closed, his divine bow resting on his lap, his body radiating a breathtaking light.
"Next—" A greedy glint flashed in the black-bearded man's eyes, "it's time to get Davy Jones's secret."
O
Both the deep sea and the sky are brewing an even bigger storm.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, at the Whitebeard Pirates' base.
Seven days have passed since the Battle of Konos.
The Moby Dick was quietly moored in a secluded bay. The ship's repairs were mostly completed, but the somber atmosphere on the deck remained unchanged.
Ace sat on the gunwale, his legs dangling over the outside of the boat, watching the undulating waves below.
It's been seven days.
Ever since that showdown that shocked the entire ship, it's as if there's an invisible wall separating him and his father.
He understood his father's intentions; it was a father confirming his son's protector in the most masculine way, and also proving to his son that he was still strong.
But despite his understanding, worry clung to his heart like vines, tightening its grip.
Karna's trembling golden armor, the wounds his father sustained after their fight, Marco's somber expression in private —
Every detail reminded Ace that his father's body had truly reached its limit.
"Hey, just standing here all alone?"
Marco's voice came from behind.
Captain Phoenix walked over to Ace, sat down, and handed him a bottle of wine.
Ace took it and gulped down a large mouthful. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't quell the irritation in his heart.
"Marco—how is Dad's injury?"
Marco remained silent for a moment, his lazy expression disappearing.
"To be honest, it's not good." He sighed.
"When it came to Karna, it looked like only a crack appeared in his armor, but the shock was mutual. My father's internal organs—which already had old injuries—were affected by the shock again."
11
He looked at Ace: "So Ace, your concerns are not unfounded. Dad is very strong, strong enough to cause cracks in the armor of the Son of the Sun. But this strength is now being sustained at the cost of his life."
Ace gripped the bottle tightly, the glass groaning under its weight.
"Then what should I do? Tell him not to go? Do you think Dad will listen?"
"No," Marco said firmly. "Precisely because he's Whitebeard, and precisely because you're his son, he's even less likely to listen."
He looked at Ace, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Ace, don't you understand?"
"For my dad, protecting his family isn't a choice; it's an instinct."
"Let him sit in the back and watch you go to Fishman Island to face Blackbeard and those monster Heroic Spirits? That's worse than killing him."
"But if he goes, really—"
"He might die," Marco said calmly, acknowledging the cruelest possibility, "but at least he died standing, protecting his family."
"Instead of lying in a hospital bed, watching helplessly as your son goes to his death, and dying of old age while you are powerless to do anything about it."
Ace whirled around, staring intently at Marco: "You—"
"I'm telling the truth, Ace." Marco met his gaze.
"You are the most beloved younger brother of all of us, but it's time for you to grow up. Some choices are not about choosing the best, but about choosing the least bad."
He stood up and patted Ace on the shoulder.
"We've received a reply from Shanks. They're in Elbaf and said they'll join us after they've taken care of some things. But time is of the essence; Fishman Island—"
Marco didn't finish speaking, but Ace understood.
Fishman Island can't wait.
Karna appeared silently beside him.
The Son of the Sun was not wearing armor today, only a simple white robe, but his golden eyes were still like the molten sun, able to see through all the fog.
"I received news from Lord Roger that Luffy and the others are safe, Brook is safe, and although Noah is still asleep, the crisis has been temporarily averted."
Ace took a deep breath. "But that's precisely why I'm even more worried."
He turned to look towards the cabin.
Although his father always walked out of the cabin with his back straight and his laughter loud, Ace could feel that the signs of him putting on a brave face were becoming more and more obvious.
"Dad's body can't withstand another big battle." Ace's voice was very low, as if afraid that the sea breeze would hear it.
"But Blackbeard—that bastard's current power, and that count beside him—if we run into him head-on, Dad will definitely—"
—
"I'll stand in front of you," Karna replied calmly, "just as all fathers would."
"That's why I can't let him go!" Ace slammed his fist on the mast, sending splinters flying.
"Little Sun, don't you understand? If Dad dies because of me, then I—"
"Then you will live on carrying this sin, just as he carried the regret of not being able to clean house in time."
Karna interrupted him, his tone unusually stern, "Master, you are insulting your father, and even Lord Roger is being insulted by you."
Ace was stunned.
"The reason why Lord Whitebeard is known as the strongest man in the world is not only because of his strength."
Karna looked into the cabin, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wooden planks.
"More importantly, it's because of his magnanimity, his sense of responsibility, and his determination to protect his family. To deprive him of the right to fight is tantamount to denying the meaning of his existence."
"To deny the father who sheltered you all under his wings for years."
"I—" Ace opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.
Just then.
"Enemy attack—!!! Approaching at high speed from the northeast!!!"
The roar from the lookout tower shattered the tranquility of the sea!
Almost at the same instant the alarm sounded, a murderous aura carrying a naked will to retaliate pierced through the entire sea like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath!
That wasn't the somber, deathly aura of Azrael, but a more intense, more twisted hatred that seemed to want to burn everything to ashes!
Ace and Karna simultaneously leaped onto the bow of the ship.
On the northeastern horizon, a long, narrow, black speedboat is cutting through the waves at an astonishing speed.
There were four people standing on the speedboat.
The man at the head of the group was wearing a black suit, and his face was as cold and sharp as if it had been carved by a knife.
Many people in the Whitebeard Pirates know that guy, Rob Lucci.
The most powerful killing machine in CP9's history now exudes an aura of danger even greater than before.
His gaze was fixed on the Moby Dick, the hatred in his eyes almost tangible.
Behind him stood three figures in black robes.
Hassan is completely different from the three on Fishman Island.
The man on the left, whose slender figure was vaguely visible beneath his black robe, held a strangely curved scimitar in each hand, the blades gleaming with a dark golden luster in the sunlight.
The man in the middle was hunched over, leaning on a strangely shaped pipe cane, with pale purple smoke constantly drifting out from the gaps in his black robe.
The woman on the right is quite slender. She is the most unique one, as she is not wearing a mask like the other two.
"Lucci—" Ace gritted his teeth, "Are there—three more Heroic Spirits we haven't seen before?!"
Karna's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
Lucci's speedboat came to a sudden stop a hundred meters from the Moby Dick.
Karna knew that battle was inevitable, and his golden armor appeared naturally as he gripped his spear.
"They exuded a clear killing intent, and their target was locked on—"
His golden eyes looked at Ace.
"You and me."
Lucci slowly raised his head, his cold gaze sweeping across the sea and fixing directly on Ace's face.
"Portgas D. Ace," Lucci said, his voice eerily calm, yet more chilling than any roar.
"And there is—Karna, the Son of the Sun."
"It's been half a year," Lucci said slowly. "Since Shamulok died at your hands, the only meaning of my life has been this moment."
On deck, the Whitebeard Pirates quickly assembled. Jozu was half-diamond-clad, Vista drew his twin swords, and Bramanck pulled a massive hammer from his pocket—
Everyone went into battle mode.
Whitebeard pushed open the hatch and stepped out.
He was still wearing that captain's coat, with Murakumo Kirito slung over his shoulder, his steps steady, as if the injuries from the duel three days ago had never existed.
"Kuralalalala—" he laughed loudly, "It's really lively here, it's been a long time since it's been this lively here."
He walked to the bow of the ship and looked at the three Hassans across the sea.
"Gentlemen, what brings you all from so far away to my territory?"
Rob Lucci took a step forward, his voice as cold as iron.
"Hand over Portgas D. Ace, and his Heroic Spirit Karna. The rest of you may be spared."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air over the entire sea froze.
It wasn't a metaphor; it was a true solidification, an eerie mist emanating from the woman holding the staff.
It has silently spread into the air, forming a deadly zone invisible to the naked eye!
The smile on the white-bearded man's face vanished.
"Hand over my son?" His voice deepened, each word carrying the weight of a mountain. "You—say it again?"
The only male of the three Hassans raised his right hand, palm facing the Moby Dick.
"Our lord, Azrael, has a pact with Lord Rob Lucci."
He said hoarsely, "Lord Lucci's disgrace stems from the Alabasta Grail War, from the death of Lord Shamrock. And Lord Shamrock died precisely because of—"
His finger pointed at Karna.
"Son of the Sun, Hand of Karna".
"Revenge is the continuation of the contract." The three of them spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping to form a chilling harmony.
"Hand over the mastermind and his accomplices, or else—"
All the Hassans raised their weapons at the same time.
"The Whitebeard Pirates are hereby expelled—"
silence.
A deathly silence.
Then, the white-bearded man laughed.
It wasn't the previous hearty laughter, but a low, guttural laugh, like the prelude to a volcanic eruption.
"Ku-la-la-la-la-la"
He slowly raised the Murakumogiri blade, its tip pointing at the three Hassans.
"I've roamed the seas for decades and seen countless madmen. But who dares to say to my face that they'll kill my son and wipe out my entire gang—"
His voice suddenly rose to a high pitch, like a thunderclap!
"You're the first!!!!"
"boom-!!!"
The terrifying Conqueror's Haki, like a tangible tsunami, erupted with a deafening roar centered on Whitebeard!
The clouds in the sky were torn apart, the sea surface was pressed into a depression several meters deep, and the gray mist surrounding the three Hassans was forcibly dispersed!
"Are you ready to die?"