Chapter 46: Whiskey Peak Annihilated

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"Captain Ian, up ahead is Whiskey Peak. Our next stop will be the Twin Capes, the entrance to Reverse Mountain."

Several days had passed since Ian and Tashigi departed Skypiea. They had witnessed a world isolated from the Blue Sea for centuries, a self-contained ecosystem where the difference between shells and snails was negligible.

He had no desire to involve himself in Skypiea's affairs. Even after defeating Enel, if they couldn't restore their home to its former glory, it was a reflection of their leadership, not his responsibility..

His sole purpose in visiting Skypiea had been to acquire the coveted Rumble-Rumble Fruit. He was a selfish man, seeking only to live his life freely and without attachments. In his life, no one had offered him a helping hand when he had faced his demise.

Instead, he had been met with scorn and mockery, a testament to the ugliness of human nature, revealed only in the face of despair.

As Tashigi spoke, a cactus-shaped island emerged on the horizon. This was Whiskey Peak, its cactus spines replaced by a macabre collection of tombstones, marking the final resting place of countless pirates.

Known as the "Pirate Graveyard," Whiskey Peak housed the remains of numerous deceased pirates. Ian could sense a massive convergence of souls, rivaling the concentration found on Thriller Bark. After all, their next destination was the Twin Capes.

Like Sabaody Archipelago, it was a point where the Grand Line intersected with the Red Line, serving as the entrance from the four seas. The sheer number of souls in this region was staggering.

Many pirates, upon their demise, were buried by their comrades in this symbolic location. Bounty hunters, recognizing this pattern, had gathered here in droves.

Countless rookie pirates had fallen prey to their schemes. However, Ian recalled that Whiskey Peak was supposedly under the control of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

It was an outpost of Baroque Works, his clandestine criminal organization. It seemed they had seized control of the Pirate Graveyard, transforming it into one of their bases.

But this was three years in the past. Crocodile had only just begun plotting his takeover of Alabasta and his search for the ancient weapon, Pluton.

These secrets held no significance for Ian. He was here for the souls, and any obstacles in his path would be eliminated without hesitation.

The outcome remained unchanged. This was Ian's straightforward approach. Bounty hunters were individuals who profited from capturing pirates, driven by the allure of their bounties.

The world viewed them as jackals and hyenas, willing to do anything for money, their morals often more corrupt than the pirates they hunted.

Their true nature was impossible to discern. The righteous ones had likely been recruited by the Marines, enjoying a comfortable salary and a sense of security. The rest, whether driven by a thirst for freedom or a desire to unleash their brutality upon those they deemed equally wicked, remained a volatile and unpredictable force.

If any of them crossed his path, Ian would show no mercy.

With that thought in mind, they set sail once more, aboard a small vessel requisitioned from a nearby Marine base, towards Whiskey Peak. He had to acknowledge Tashigi's value as a Marine. Her knowledge of navigation, intelligence gathering, and various other skills had proven invaluable, easing their journey considerably.

Despite her expertise in those areas, her swordsmanship lagged behind that of Zoro, She had dedicated most of her energy to other pursuits. However, under Ian's tutelage, with his guidance on the Clear-Clear Fruit and his swordsmanship, she had progressed significantly.

Twin Capes… It had been several months since they had parted ways with Brook. He wondered if the skeletal musician had successfully reunited with Laboon, the giant whale. There was no need to rush; they would pass by eventually.

As their ship approached Whiskey Peak, both Ian and Tashigi sensed something amiss. A pungent, metallic scent filled the air, a horrifying testament to bloodshed. Even from a distance, they could see a crimson haze hanging over the island. And an unsettling silence enveloped the entire area.

Had a battle just taken place? That would explain the absence of welcoming bounty hunters. Or perhaps it was due to their Marine status? But what about the eerie silence? He closed his eyes, utilizing his Observation Haki to scan the island.

"I see." He nodded, a flicker of interest in his pale green eyes. Tashigi, her face contorted in disgust, asked, "Captain Ian, what's going on? This stench is unbearable!"

She covered her nose and mouth with her hand. While she wasn't a stranger to the smell of blood, its intensity was overwhelming.

"Don't like it? Then let's make this island disappear." Whiskey Peak might be a haven for bounty hunters, a place where they preyed on pirates, but not everyone deserved to die. There were adventurers like Luffy, explorers seeking the unknown.

Even notorious pirates like Shanks and Whitebeard, two of the Four Emperors, could be considered explorers in their own right. Perhaps allowing such powerful individuals to rule over vast territories, free from direct Marine intervention, served a greater purpose.

Countless lives were lost each year in challenges against the Yonko. Big Mom and Kaido were particularly ruthless.

But bounty hunters cared little for such nuances. If the island held no value, then it would be eradicated.

"What?!" Tashigi was taken aback, but she recalled Ian's battle against Enel on Skypiea. If not for the presence of the giant beanstalk, the island might have been destroyed, the shockwaves of their clash spanning several kilometers.

Ian's pale face remained emotionless, his green eyes reflecting a cold determination. He raised his right hand, crackling with electricity.

White and blue lightning coalesced in his hand, growing larger and larger, forming a massive sphere of energy over ten meters in diameter. It was Enel's signature attack, "El Thor."

Its scale paled in comparison to Ace's "Entei," which had engulfed half an island during his battle with Blackbeard. But this time, it was in Ian's hands.

With his 40% fusion rate, he possessed not only Ulquiorra's full spiritual pressure but also the abilities of Many Devil Fruits.

The sphere crackled with raw power, sending shivers down Tashigi's spine. She was witnessing this display of power at close range.

If he unleashed its full power without compression, it would surpass even Ace's "Entei." After all, Ian's strength rivaled that of a Yonko commander, a level comparable to Charlotte Smoothie or Queen the Plague.

He was slightly weaker than Admiral Aokiji, but still among the strongest Warlords..

"Let's make it go boom." Ian chuckled, noticing Tashigi's flushed face and labored breathing.

With his superhuman strength, exceeding twenty tons, he effortlessly reduced the weight of the "El Thor," utilizing the Spring-Spring Fruit to launch it towards Whiskey Peak.

The sphere soared through the air, covering several kilometers in an instant, landing directly in the center of the island. Then, it exploded, the shockwaves cascading outwards, bypassing the initial stages of destruction and leaping straight to levels four and five.

Like the giant beanstalk on Skypiea, Whiskey Peak met a similar fate. As if an invisible brush had painted across the island, it was consumed by a wave of black, the colors and sounds of destruction merging into a single, deafening silence. Then, white.

For when colors and sounds reached their extremes, they became indistinguishable from their opposites. A mushroom cloud erupted above the island, a spectacular display of annihilation.

A transparent barrier shielded them from the blast. It was the Arrancar technique, "Caja Negación," a defensive shield capable of protecting allies. He had only deployed a single layer, similar to the Barrier-Barrier Fruit's capabilities.

This world had no Hueco Mundo, so they remained in their current location, entering a pocket dimension for a brief moment.

Their small vessel bobbed gently amidst the residual shockwaves. When the world returned to normal, only a spherical crater remained where Whiskey Peak had once stood. The cactus-shaped island, the tombstones, the pungent stench of blood… all gone without a trace. Tashigi stood there, speechless, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

It had all felt like a dream… Was such destructive power truly attainable by a human? He was… terrifyingly strong.

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Word Count [2785]

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To Be Continued..

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