Chapter 36: Battle

Chapter 36: Battle

(Updated with Shakky)

Charlotte never imagined that the name of Black-Armed Zefa would rise to fame by stepping on his own name.

The Navy seized the opportunity to carry out extensive propaganda. After all, they had been suppressed by the Rocks Pirates in the New World for over a year, and this was a rare victory.

"Vice Admiral Zefa, the Black Arm, pursues Rocks Pirates' 8th Division Captain, Blood Swordsman Charlotte!"

When Charlotte saw the headlines in the newspaper, he was furious.

He became a laughingstock among the Rocks cadres, and even some minions dared to mock him behind his back.

However, with his Observation Haki covering the entire island, Charlotte swiftly silenced those who dared laugh at him, cutting them down with sword energy.

His actions spread fear and reestablished his reputation as the Blood Swordsman, though now with an even more infamous reputation.

---

The Navy soon recalled its key figures back to headquarters, including those Charlotte recognized: Garp, Sengoku, and Zefa.

Their retreat gave Charlotte a renewed sense of confidence. The very next day, he set out to sea, eager to prove himself.

Charlotte became a storm of destruction, obliterating pirates in a single move. His attacks were so relentless that he outpaced even the Navy in taking down pirate crews.

But Charlotte wasn't indiscriminate. He specifically targeted evil pirates and slave traders identified by the Rocks intelligence network, led by Shakky.

These pirates, who also engaged in human trafficking, had blood on their hands.

Charlotte's actions, however, drew the ire of the Navy.

The continuous disruption of slave shipments caused chaos in the Holy Land of Marijoa. Celestial Dragons, deprived of their "luxuries," pressured the World Government to act.

Unable to ignore the demands, the Navy dispatched Zefa once more.

---

It had been a year since their first encounter. This time, Charlotte chose not to flee.

For Charlotte, retreat wasn't shameful—it was tactical. But now, he needed Zefa as a whetstone to test his growth.

Over the past year, Charlotte had undergone a transformation. His relentless training, coupled with the knowledge of advanced techniques provided by Rocks, had made him a different man.

He had mastered the advanced uses of Haki, the Six Powers, and even the Life Return technique.

The Life Return, in particular, was a perfect fit for Charlotte. Combined with his expertise in the Six Powers, he achieved perfection in using techniques like the Rokuogan.

This battle would be a measure of his progress.

---

On the shores of an uninhabited island, Charlotte and Zefa faced each other.

"Zefa! Long time no see. You came!" Charlotte chuckled, a fiery eagerness for battle burning in his eyes.

"Pirate Charlotte, I will arrest you in the name of justice!" Zefa declared, throwing off his justice cloak. His body was immediately coated in Advanced Armament Haki, hardened to the extreme.

Charlotte smirked, drawing his sword and pointing it at Zefa.

"Then let's begin!"

Charlotte unleashed a flying slash over a hundred meters long as a greeting. His attack was imbued with Conqueror's Haki, a skill he had recently started to master.

"Pirate Charlotte, die! Black Arm Viper!"

Zefa roared, his fists radiating with pitch-black Haki. With a single punch, he met Charlotte's slash head-on.

Boom!

The clash of their attacks caused the entire island to tremble. Sand and debris flew everywhere.

---

"Big news! Big news!"

High above the battlefield, Morgans hovered, watching the intense fight unfold.

"This battle between Vice Admiral Zefa and the Captain of the Rocks Pirates' 8th Division will shake the world!"

Behind him, countless news gulls flew out, carrying reports to all corners of the sea.

Interestingly, it was Charlotte who had called Morgans. After the humiliation of the previous pursuit, he vowed to reclaim his reputation.

---

Beehive Island

Bang!

Rocks slammed his fist on the table, shaking the room.

"Everyone, assemble! Head to the Edelwal Sea!" Rocks ordered.

The pirates immediately sprang into action. Even the seven other major cadres began to move.

"Hahahaha! This kid actually made such big news," Golden Lion Shiki remarked with a grin.

"Hahahaha! He's got guts, I'll give him that," Whitebeard Edward Newgate added, taking a sip of his wine.

Using Shiki's Float-Float ability, countless pirate ships rose into the sky, heading towards the Edelwal Sea under Shakky's guidance.

---

Marine Headquarters

The alarm blared loudly as the Navy mobilized.

Admiral Steelbone Kong led the fleet, with Garp and Sengoku flanking him.

"Destination: New World, Edelwal Sea. Rescue Zefa!" Kong commanded.

The Navy warships set sail, carrying reinforcements on World Government-specialized vessels.

---

Charlotte hadn't anticipated the magnitude of his actions. His intention was merely to test his strength against Zefa while Morgans observed.

Zefa, on the other hand, sought to capture Charlotte and drag him to Impel Down.

Neither expected their clash to spark a massive conflict between the Navy and the Rocks Pirates.

---

On the island...

"Hahahahaha! Zefa, why does your punch feel weaker?" Charlotte mocked, blood dripping down his face.

Despite his injuries, Charlotte grinned wildly, his fighting spirit unbroken.

Zefa, with blood at the corner of his mouth, tightened his guard and glared at Charlotte.

Charlotte's sword lay shattered. While he had honed his swordsmanship to near perfection, the blade was merely an ordinary one, not a famous sword.

At first, Zefa had been elated, thinking a swordsman without a blade was no threat.

But to his shock, Charlotte's strength increased without the sword.

Free of his weapon, Charlotte unleashed a relentless flurry of punches, his martial prowess honed from years of mercenary training in his previous life.

Zefa, though seasoned and formidable, found himself struggling against the onslaught.

"How is he even stronger without a sword?!" Zefa thought, gritting his teeth as Charlotte's attacks rained down.

Charlotte's background as a mercenary in his past life had given him an edge. His knowledge of physical combat and killing techniques had only sharpened in this world.

The two warriors clashed again, their fists meeting with an earth-shattering impact.

The fight raged on, neither willing to back down. The battlefield itself seemed to groan under the weight of their power.

Charlotte laughed maniacally.

"This is what I live for!"

---

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