Chapter 25
Bang! Bang!
The thunderous sounds of shells, artillery, and gunfire echoed through the air, intermingled with the desperate cries of humans.
Three colossal ships unleashed a devastating assault on the slumbering whale-island floating peacefully on the sea.
A band of bounty hunters and mercenaries, adorned with distinctive tattoos of crossed rapiers and crossbones set against a backdrop of light-purple wings, encircled the massive whale-island alongside an enigmatic old man. Despite their relentless efforts, they found themselves unable to inflict harm upon him.
"Damn it!! This old man is truly fearsome!!" exclaimed one, frustration evident in his voice.
"Didn't we learn our lesson last time? Who would have thought that this whale would be guarded by such a meddlesome old man?!" replied another, equally exasperated.
"Let's retreat for now... This old man is proving to be quite the formidable opponent... We'll regroup and come back later!!" decided a third, recognizing the futility of their current efforts.
Acknowledging the inevitable outcome, one of them reluctantly gave the order to retreat. It was the third time they had attempted to attack this whale island, and each time, their plans had been thwarted by the old man's unwavering presence.
The old man stood resolute, his mere presence serving as a shield for the slumbering whale-island, showing no inclination toward aggression.
"These despicable individuals possess truly terrifying medicines... Their origins must be more complex than they appear..." he muttered to himself, casting a concerned glance towards the tranquil Laboon before turning his attention back to the departing band of assailants.
However, suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise as he looked towards Reverse Mountain down the canal in shock.
At that moment, a tremendous force descended like a terrifying storm. Whether clouds, seawaves, or even the ground, everything seemed to retreat before this overwhelming power.
Black, purple, and red lightning flickered all over, painting the sky with an ominous hue. Even the space seemed to stand still, turning the whole world grey while time stagnated for a moment.
The red grounds cracked under the pressure of this will, and even the three vessels weren't spared. They fragmented and cracked into pieces.
The mercenaries, shocked to their cores, were left in a stupor, with only a blue-haired young girl standing there in fear. Though the will didn't directly attack her, it still imprisoned her movements.
The old man's body shivered, beads of sweat trailing down his forehead. Even though previous sieges hadn't made him sweat a drop, this time, just the momentum coming from a distance made him solemn.
"What powerful haki!!!" he exclaimed in awe.
...
Seconds ago...
"Yahoooo!!!"
As the Merry surfed on the waves and approached the end of the down canal, amidst the elated exclamations of Luffy, Usopp, and Nami, Zoro, who was standing at the side, had his ears perked.
"Did you hear it? Someone is fighting up ahead... I can hear the sounds of shells and gunfire..."
Luffy and Usopp stopped their running game, while Sanji sipped on his cigarette.
They all looked ahead as their eyes seemed to penetrate the misty clouds.
Luffy shouted in anger,
"Damn cowards!! They're actually attacking an old man and his fish pet!!!"
Usopp also clenched his hands, his emotions mirroring Luffy's, while Zoro and Sanji looked at the old man with interest.
It was their first time seeing such a tough old man in reality...
Zoro commented with interest,
"That old man doesn't seem like a simple role..."
Sanji analyzed further,
"It's almost like the Vice Admirals we fought in the virtual training simulations..."
Nami chimed in, equally intrigued.
"The old man can actually withstand the bombardment of three huge vessels. That's definitely the so-called Armament Haki..."
Seph hugged the intrigued Nami as he looked in surprise, his thoughts racing.
'It seems that the plot has gone awry. Baroque Works actually attacked Crocus and Laboon. Fortunately, this old man has quite the stamina... Vivi is also there, which is relieving...'
Suddenly, he was taken aback as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji began emanating and flaring their Conqueror's Haki in excitement. They launched an indiscriminate, terrifying will storm towards the three huge ships.
"Slow down... slow down!!"
However, it was too late...
Seph hurriedly melded his will with theirs, protecting the poor Vivi from the onslaught.
However, this fusion also amplified the force of their attacks to a shocking degree. Even Crocus, a person who had witnessed the King's Haki of Gol D. Roger himself, was terrified...
For a moment, the entire sea seemed to stand still. Whether sea waves or clouds, everything retreated in front of this compact regal Haki.
As the Merry finally landed on the ocean and sailed slowly amidst the wreckage of the ships, it approached the sleeping huge island whale and the nervous old man.
Vivi, who had been spared, floated on a small wooden platform, shivering with fear. Her eyes looked towards the strange and beautiful-looking vessel slowly but surely approaching her.
She could even hear a voice admonishing her.
"Seph!! Why did you protect that woman? She's definitely a bad person!"
"Luffy, you idiot! How can you question Seph's decisions? Did you forget that his Haki is special?"
"Eh, now that I look at it, this woman seems like a good girl..."
"Oh my god!! Such a beautiful woman!! Did I almost attack a woman?!! Impossible... impossible..."
"Shut up, you perverted chef..."
"What do you know, you greenhead!!!"
"Asshole, I will kill you!!"
Crocus, who had been tense, finally relaxed as he saw the rowdy gang.
While deeply shocked by their auras, the eye-catching straw hat filled him with peace and reminiscence.
"What a lively bunch... Thank you for saving the old man..." Crocus looked towards the approaching vessel as he showed his gratitude.
Such a powerful attack deftly avoided him, along with Laboon and this little blue-haired girl, which clearly showed their intention.
Luffy laughed happily, his hand resting on his straw hat.
"Old man, you're strong!! Even without our help, you should be able to cope with it..."
While Luffy showed interest in Crocus and the island whale sleeping on the sea surface, Seph, Sanji, and Nami had already jumped onto the wooden platform where the shivering Vivi lay.
Sanji inspected her closely, sighing in relief. "Fortunately, this young lady isn't harmed..."
He looked at Seph with tears of gratitude.
Seph was speechless. Nami approached the fearful, closed-eyed Vivi, putting a gentle smile on her face as she patted her head to relieve her fear.
"Those three idiots actually used such a heavy hand on such a small girl..."
"Don't be afraid... Since Seph protected you from the attack, doesn't that mean that we have no ill intentions towards you..."
Hearing the comforting voice, Vivi's tense features slowly relaxed.
She slowly and timidly opened her eyes. What came into her view was a very beautiful orange-haired young woman, a very familiar handsome blond man with strange eyebrows, and...
"Fallen Angel-sama!!!"