Chapter 130

Bone Plague Island, New World.

The island, once the stronghold of the infamous Morgan Pirates, was now under siege by the Marines. The pirates had recently attacked a Marine base in the New World, slaughtering hundreds of Marines and drawing the ire of the Navy. Three marine ships had encircled the small port where the pirate vessels were moored, making escape to the open sea impossible. Knowing they were cornered, the pirates clashed with the Marines with ferocity, refusing to yield an inch.

The captain of the Morgan Pirates, Henry Morgan, and his vice captain, David Morgan, were both Devil Fruit users, with respective bounties of 412,500,000 and 400,400,000 Belly. Leading the Marine contingent was Vice Admiral Momonga, who watched the ongoing battle on the island from the deck of his ship. The main combatants from the pirates had yet to join the fray, and Momonga was waiting for them to take action.

Standing next to Momonga, just a step behind, was a teen with a custom-crafted seastone pole slung to his back. The grip was wrapped in leather to prevent it from affecting the teen, as he was a Devil Fruit user himself. Despite his young age, his Marine coat sported the epaulets of a commander, and the pressure he emitted was comparable to that of Vice Admiral Momonga.

"Vergo, Zephyr-san said that you were ready, so I am going to leave this matter to you. Do you think you can handle it?" Momonga asked, his gaze fixed on the island where his Observation Haki detected the strongest presence.

"Yes, Vice Admiral!" Vergo replied firmly. Vergo was the rising star of Marine HQ, having recently graduated from the elite camp at the tender age of 18. Everyone in the Marines believed that Vergo would become one of the pillars of the Marines in the future; some even called him the next Marine Hero.

With a gesture from Momonga, Vergo shot past him using Geppo and rapidly made his way toward the island.

"Die, you Marine bastards!" A sinister-looking pirate with a bandana swung a cleaver at a Marine who had lost his footing in the middle of the battle. Just as the cleaver was about to descend on the defenseless Marine, a figure appeared in front of the pirate.

"Tekkai!"

"Clang!" The blade clashed against the metal-like body of the newcomer, and to the pirate's shock and disbelief, the cleaver snapped into pieces.

"You..." Before the pirate could recover from the shock, Vergo imbued both his arms with jet-black Haki.

"Busoshoku Koka!"

"Sai Dai Rin: Rokuogan!" A massive burst of pressure burst through the pirate, tearing a gaping hole in his chest. The pirate choked on his own blood and lay dying with shock etched on his face.

"Commander Vergo!" The Marine who had fallen earlier finally registered who his savior was. Vergo, however, didn't wait to exchange pleasantries and moved on to the next target, piercing bloody holes through more than half a dozen pirates using Shigan.

The battlefield was a chaotic mix of clashing swords, gunfire, and the cries of the wounded. Vergo moved through it all with deadly precision, his movements a blur as he dispatched pirate after pirate. His mastery of the Rokushiki techniques was evident; each attack was executed with a level of skill and power that left his enemies reeling.

The remaining pirates, realizing the formidable foe they faced, began to regroup and focus their attacks on Vergo. Yet he stood undeterred, his steely resolve and combat prowess overwhelming them. The once confident pirates now faced a relentless force, their morale dwindling with each fallen comrade.

As Vergo advanced deeper into the fray, the presence of the Morgan brothers grew stronger, signaling the imminent arrival of the pirate leaders. The tension on the battlefield reached a peak as the Marines and pirates alike prepared for the climactic showdown.

"Boom... Boom... Boom!" The cannon fire rang out in a relentless symphony as both sides fired shells at each other, the clash escalating with each passing moment. Casualties began piling up on the pirates' end, especially with Vergo joining the fray.

Just as Vergo batted a cannon shell back toward the pirate side, his Observation Haki picked up a slight disturbance beneath him. Instantly, he used Soru and repositioned himself as a massive spike of earth pierced the spot where he had stood moments earlier.

Vergo immediately sensed the presence of the two leaders of the Morgan Pirates. The captain, Henry Morgan, was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi, which allowed him to assimilate and control anything he could merge with, transforming into an "assimilation human." His younger brother, David Morgan, was an ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit user of the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Saber Tiger.

"Brat! Are you so eager to die?" Henry bellowed, his voice rumbling like an earthquake. He merged with the ground, transforming himself into a massive golem made of stone and earth, towering over the battlefield at over ten meters. Beside the colossal golem, David morphed into a fearsome sabertooth tiger, his size and ferocity matching the ancient predator he had become.

The ground shook as Henry, now a towering stone giant, took a step forward. "You Marines think you can crush us? I'll turn you all to rubble!" he roared, his voice echoing through the battlefield. He swung a massive stone arm, sending boulders flying toward the Marines.

Vergo, unfazed, activated Tekkai to withstand the onslaught, the boulders shattering against his iron-hard body. "You picked the wrong fight, Pirate!" Vergo declared, his voice steady and filled with resolve. He used Geppo to leap into the air, aiming to strike from above.

David, in his sabertooth form, lunged at Vergo with incredible speed, fangs bared and claws extended. Vergo twisted in mid-air, narrowly dodging the attack, and landed gracefully on the ground. "Shigan!" he shouted, thrusting his finger at David, but the sabertooth's thick hide absorbed the blow.

Henry, the stone golem, tried to crush Vergo under his massive fists, but Vergo was too quick, using Soru to dart around the battlefield. "Busoshoku Koka!" Vergo coated his arms in Haki, increasing his offensive power. He leaped toward Henry, delivering a devastating punch that cracked the stone exterior of the golem.

"Rokuogan!" Vergo unleashed a shockwave of compressed air, hitting David squarely in the chest and sending the sabertooth reeling back.

Vergo, completely clad in Armament Haki, held his own against the Morgan brothers despite the two-on-one battle. His superior Haki and relentless assault began to push them back. The addition of his seastone pole further complicated matters for the pirates, who primarily relied on their Devil Fruit powers. The Marines, inspired by their commander's prowess, fought with renewed vigor, driving back the remaining pirates.

Henry, sensing that the tide was turning against them, tried to rally his crew. "I'll bury you all!" he screamed, raising both arms to summon a massive wave of earth. Vergo moved swiftly.

"Tekkai Kenpo: Don Poro," he muttered, his entire body hardening as he launched himself at Henry. The impact shattered Henry's stone golem, sending him rolling across the ground. Quickly assimilating into the earth again, Henry re-emerged as a towering behemoth, larger than before, casting a shadow over the battlefield and the Marine battleships.

"David, keep the kid in check. I'll handle the rest of the Marines," Henry commanded, understanding that directly engaging Vergo was a disadvantage. He shifted his focus to the other Marines.

"Sky Slicer!" Vergo shouted, firing a massive flying slash aimed at the descending arm of the behemoth. David, in his hybrid form, intercepted the attack. Though he couldn't completely defend against it, he managed to redirect it, only to be sent flying into a building. However, the vitality of his Zoan fruit was overwhelming, and he quickly picked himself up from the debris, the slash marks on his body already healing.

"Rankyaku!" An attack from the Marine ship severed the behemoth's arm just as it was about to crush the Marines. Vice Admiral Momonga landed gracefully on the ship's railing after launching the attack. With a massive thud, the stone arm crashed to the ground, sending dust and debris flying across the battlefield.

"Hahahaha! You dumb Marines think such an attack would stop me?" Henry mocked, his form expanding as the arm quickly reformed.

"Hehe, my brother is an assimilation human. As long as he's connected to the island, no one can defeat him," David chuckled, preparing to face Vergo again. Henry's golem form now towered over fifty meters tall, his shadow engulfing the entire battlefield.

"Vergo! There is no need to hold back," Vice Admiral Momonga commanded from the ship. Vergo simply nodded, sheathing the seastone pole securely on his back. The remaining Marines, who had been clashing ferociously, immediately retreated, confusing Henry and David.

"Hahaha, run you bastards! Run while you can," Henry bellowed, thinking the Marines were fleeing in fear. However, David sensed something was wrong. His bestial instincts screamed at him, warning of impending danger. Despite his ancient Zoan powers, the pressure emanating from Vergo was bone-chilling.

Vergo's eyes locked onto the massive golem and the saber-toothed hybrid. "You've overestimated what you can achieve with your mediocre strength," he said calmly. With the Marines out of harm's way, he focused on his transformation, causing the air around him to crackle with energy. and the ground trembled as his transformation began.

In a blinding flash of light, Vergo's form expanded and shifted, his body growing larger and more formidable. Blood-red scales, each shimmering like polished rubies, emerged and covered his entire body. Muscles rippled beneath the scales, exuding raw power and strength. As the light faded, eight massive heads emerged, each one glaring at the stone golem with predatory intent.

David, standing in his saber-toothed hybrid form, froze in shock as he laid eyes on the mythical beast that Vergo had transformed into. It was Yamato no Orochi, a legendary serpent from ancient myths. Each of the eight heads, with eyes glowing like molten lava, fixed their gaze on the Morgan brothers, who suddenly felt a chilling fear seep into their bones.

The sunlight glinted off Vergo's scales, casting a blood-red hue across the battlefield. The sheer size and presence of the Orochi dwarfed even the massive stone golem. Each of the serpent's heads let out a low, rumbling growl, a sound that resonated deep within the earth and sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

Henry, still in his golem form, tried to muster his courage. "What kind of monster are you?" he bellowed, but his voice lacked its previous confidence.

David, sensing the gravity of the situation, took a hesitant step back. His bestial instincts screamed at him to flee, but he was rooted to the spot by the sheer presence of the mythical beast before him.

The eight heads of Yamato no Orochi moved in unison, each one glaring at the stone golem as if it were prey. Vergo's voice, now a deep, resonant chorus emanating from all eight mouths, echoed across the battlefield. "You are simply a waste of my time; I have bigger fish to fry."

With a deafening roar, the Vergo lunged forward. The ground shook violently as Vergo's massive form collided with the stone golem. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, knocking over trees and sending debris flying in all directions. The sheer force of the attack shattered the golem's arm, leaving Henry scrambling to reform it.

David, caught in the path of one of the serpent's heads, tried to dodge but was too slow. The head snapped at him with lightning speed, sending him crashing into the rubble once more. This time, the saber-toothed hybrid didn't rise as quickly; his body was battered and bruised.

"Shit, it sends a chill down my spine every time Commander Vergo transforms into his mythical Zoan form," one of the Marines who had retreated couldn't help but comment. They watched in awe as the massive Orochi tore through the stone golem like a ravenous beast. Vergo, in his terrifying eight-headed serpent form, was a sight to behold. Each head moved with deadly precision, striking with the force of a natural disaster.

Vergo's attacks were not just brute force; they were calculated, each strike imbued with the dark, swirling energy of Armament Haki. The combination of his mythical Zoan form and his mastery of Haki made him an unstoppable force. Each of the eight serpent heads moved independently yet with a singular purpose, their eyes glowing with an intense, predatory focus.

The Marines, watching from a distance, cheered as their commander displayed his overwhelming power. The once-confident Morgan brothers now understood why the Marines had retreated so abruptly. They weren't fleeing in fear; they were making way for the true beast of the battlefield.

Henry, his golem form crumbling under the relentless assault, looked up at the towering Orochi.

"This... this can't be happening," he muttered, his voice filled with despair.

Vergo, with all eight heads glaring down at his enemies, let out a final, earth-shattering roar. "Draco Meteor!!!" he declared as a massive pillar of flames descended on the hapless golem, each head unleashing a devastating attack in unison. The combined force of the attacks obliterated the stone golem, reducing it to nothing but rubble.

David Morgan, in his hybrid saber-toothed form, attempted to counterattack his sabertooth form, swelling to the maximum. He lunged at one of the Orochi's heads, his claws extended, but Vergo was ready. With a swift, serpentine motion, one of the heads struck him mid-air, sending him crashing into the ground. David's form lay in the rubble, struggling to rise, his body battered and bruised.

Before David could react, two massive serpentine heads closed their jaws on him—one on his neck and the other on his rear. With a guttural roar, Vergo, in his Yamato no Orochi form, pulled apart the saber-toothed pirate, despite David's desperate screams for mercy. The horrific sound of flesh tearing and bones snapping echoed across the battlefield as David's body was ripped in two, his blood and guts splattering the ground.

"Nooo!!!!" Henry, now lying on the ground, watched in horror as his brother was brutally torn to pieces. Overcome with rage and grief, he clutched a nearby cutlass and began to assimilate the metals and swords scattered around the battlefield. Transforming into a massive metal giant, he charged at the beast that had killed his brother, his roar echoing with primal fury.

But Henry's charge was short-lived. As he took a few steps forward, one of Vergo's massive heads lunged forward and clamped down on the metal giant's head. With a sickening crunch, Vergo bit off the head of the golem, killing Henry instantly. The metal giant collapsed, lifeless, as Vergo's monstrous form loomed over the battlefield.

Vergo then reverted to his human form, calmly dusting off his Marine coat as if the gruesome battle had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. The remaining pirates, who had witnessed the brutal deaths of their captains, shivered in terror. Their weapons clattered to the ground as they surrendered, the lifeless forms of Henry and David serving as a stark reminder of their fate should they choose to resist.

The battlefield was eerily silent. The surviving pirates dared not move, their eyes wide with fear as they gazed upon the young Marine who had single-handedly decimated their leaders. Vergo's display of power had shattered their will to fight.

The Marines, now confident in their victory, moved in to secure the area and take the remaining pirates into custody. One of the Marines, still in awe of Vergo's transformation, muttered, "It gives me goosebumps every time."

"You could have handled that more delicately, Vergo! They were Devil Fruit users; they should have been captured," Vice Admiral Momonga addressed the teen, who was assisting the injured Marines.

Vergo glanced up briefly, his face impassive. "I'd rather save one additional Marine than worry about these pirates. If I hadn't killed them, the other pirates would have continued fighting," he replied before returning to his task, bandaging a Marine's wounds with practiced efficiency.

Vice Admiral Momonga couldn't help but smile briefly at the young Marine's response. Vergo's pragmatism and dedication to his comrades were qualities that set him apart, even at such a young age. His actions, though brutal, had been effective in quelling the pirates' resistance.

"Secure the remaining pirates and get them into custody!" Momonga bellowed, his voice carrying authority and urgency. The Marines sprang into action, rounding up the terrified and demoralized pirates, who now offered no resistance. The clatter of shackles and the murmured orders of the Marines filled the air as the once-chaotic battlefield began to come under control.

Vergo moved methodically among the injured, his hands steady and sure. His presence seemed to reassure the wounded Marines, many of whom looked up at him with a mixture of gratitude and awe. Despite the harshness of his methods, they knew Vergo had saved many lives today.

Momonga turned to Vergo, placing a hand on the young Marine's shoulder. "You did well today, Vergo. Your strength and resolve saved many lives. Remember, our duty is to protect, even if it means making tough decisions."

Vergo nodded, his expression serious. "I understand, Vice Admiral. I'll continue to do what's necessary to keep our comrades safe."

The Vice Admiral nodded in approval, his eyes reflecting the pride he felt for the young Marine. "Good. Now, let's finish securing the island and get our men the medical attention they need."

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Currently updated until Chapter 173.

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