Chapter 168: Slaying CP0 Deputy Chief Carlo

Carlo's body was blasted into the air, directly towards Li Yuan's descending trajectory.

"It was all calculated!" At that moment, Carlo realized the meaning behind Li Yuan's eerie smile and why his entire body was covered in Armament Haki.

The explosion was a trap set by Li Yuan, waiting for this very moment.

Seeing Li Yuan so close, Carlo tried to flap his dragon wings to dodge, but they were reduced to bare bones, barely able to move.

He attempted to raise his hands, covering them with Armament Haki to block Li Yuan's sword, but his hands were also just bones, unable to muster Haki.

"Die!!" Li Yuan gripped the Budou Yuhun with his left hand and the Seven Stars Sword with his right, stabbing both into Carlo's heart and throat.

The next moment, the violent explosion's shockwave struck, sending Li Yuan flying as well.

"What happened!!!"

The sudden, intense explosion not only blew Carlo's body apart, allowing Li Yuan to kill him, but also sent Garp, the Golden Lion, Zephyr, and John flying from the blast radius.

A fifth of Sando Island was obliterated by the explosion.

Such a tremendous blast caused everyone except those besieging Branton—Sengoku, Steel Bone Kong, and Janor—to pause and look toward the explosion's epicenter.

That was the center of Li Yuan and Carlo's battle, and they knew Li Yuan aimed to defeat Carlo before Branton fell.

"Could this explosion have been Li Yuan's trap to kill his opponent?"

A chilling realization struck them, combining Li Yuan's actions with the improbability of Carlo having planted explosives. It seemed likely.

If true, did Li Yuan succeed? Was Carlo dead?

These were questions everyone present wanted answers to.

They didn't have to wait long. Li Yuan appeared in the sky, clutching a body as he descended.

With a casual slash from his Seven Stars Sword, he forced Sengoku away from Branton's siege.

"Hahaha, Navy, you tried to trap us, but we tried to kill you!" Li Yuan laughed, tossing Carlo's corpse down.

"Damn Li Yuan!!!"

The Navy was furious, their plan to capture Branton thwarted, and now CP0 Deputy Chief Carlo, a top-tier force, had been killed.

This left Sengoku, Steel Bone Kong, and Janor feeling humiliated.

The three of them couldn't capture Branton, yet Li Yuan had slain one of their top fighters.

Even if Carlo was weaker than an Army Admiral, considered the weakest among them, it was still a disgrace for Sengoku and the others!

With Li Yuan's powerful slashes, both Sengoku and Steel Bone Kong were forced back.

Even they dared not take Li Yuan's slashes head-on.

"Jihahaha, let's go!" The Golden Lion, seeing the tide turn, repelled Garp and used his powers to lift massive rocks.

The others followed suit, retreating to the floating rock, Branton included.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yuan and the six other pirates left the island!

"Hahaha, this was just a lesson. The New World is pirate territory!"

"Next time you enter the New World, be prepared to die!"

Li Yuan laughed heartily at the eight grim-faced figures below, thoroughly enjoying himself.

He hadn't anticipated that his pre-set explosives would help him kill a CP0 Deputy Chief.

If Carlo hadn't stubbornly tried to hold him off, leading to such severe injuries that the explosion could devastate him, Li Yuan wouldn't have had the chance to kill him.

Had Carlo fled earlier, Li Yuan wouldn't have been able to stop him with his Ancient Zoan Windwing Pterosaur powers.

Unfortunately, Carlo refused to flee, losing even the chance to escape.

"Jihahaha, well said. Don't think that with Rocks gone, the Navy can meddle in the New World!"

"Even without Rocks, we're here. The Navy won't touch the New World!"

"The New World is mine, the Golden Lion's domain. My Flying Pirates will surpass the Rocks Pirates, becoming the New World and world rulers!"

The Golden Lion laughed, watching Garp and the others grind their teeth below.

Now, they had no choice but to admit defeat. Despite having eight on their side, they couldn't stop the seven pirates from leaving.

Among their nine, only Carlo specialized in aerial combat, with flight capabilities.

Now with Carlo dead, catching the Golden Lion using Moonwalk was impossible!

"Damn Li Yuan, he outsmarted us!"

Sengoku gritted his teeth. With just an hour, no, half an hour more, they could've captured Branton. But things went awry.

They never expected Li Yuan to have planted so many explosives here.

"Plan failed. Inform the distant warship, let's return."

Steel Bone Kong suppressed his anger.

When he failed to capture Li Yuan before, he foresaw Li Yuan as a great threat to the Navy.

He hadn't anticipated Li Yuan's rapid growth, as his slashes could now breach his Armament Haki defense!

Hearing Garp's tales was one thing, but experiencing it firsthand was another.

"Yohahaha, Li Yuan, thanks to you, we avoided a disaster."

John laughed, looking at Li Yuan.

They thought they were doomed, but a dramatic turnaround occurred.

Not only was the Navy shocked, but even Li Yuan's allies were surprised by his use of explosives.

Such tactics usually wouldn't work at their level, given their keen senses.

But Li Yuan timed the detonation perfectly, when his opponent couldn't evade the danger, blowing apart the already wounded foe.

"Hehe, it's nothing. I don't like unprepared battles and prefer leaving myself an out."

Li Yuan lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag, exhaling smoke rings calmly.

Hearing him, the others fell silent.

They realized they had been overconfident, thinking their alliance was invincible.

They forgot the World Government's vast resources. If not for Li Yuan, they would've been caught off guard.

Especially Branton, who nearly died!

Li Yuan's words reminded them to always plan and have a backup, ensuring they wouldn't be outplayed.

"Jihahaha, whatever the case, this alliance was a success. Hopefully, we can collaborate again!"

The Golden Lion laughed, departing upon reaching another island town.

Their alliance stood, but with the seven member nations conquered, the New World's territory had dwindled.

Once they fully claimed their territories, they'd start expanding, turning from allies to rivals, even enemies.

"Hahaha, farewell, everyone. Until we meet again!"

Li Yuan extinguished his cigarette, waved nonchalantly, and left.

"My God, seven World Government member nations gone, what happened?"

"Seven great pirates raided seven member nations simultaneously. Is the Rocks Pirates' resurgence imminent?"

"Shocking: Even with both the Navy and Army Marshals in action, they couldn't defeat the New World's pirates. Is this the Navy's incompetence or the pirates' strength?"

"The World's Greatest Swordsman title is well-deserved. The Infinity Swordsman, after slaying an Army Admiral, kills another top warrior. His sword is the world's strongest!"

The news of the member nations' plundering dominated headlines the next day.

A storm loomed over the world, reminiscent of the Rocks Pirates' reign of terror.

This left the world in turmoil, fearful.

These were World Government nations, seven of which fell to pirates. Despite the Navy and World Government's efforts, even deploying two Marshals, they failed.

This left the world deeply disappointed with the World Government.

Especially the headlines praising Li Yuan, with Shakky subtly fueling the narrative.

Holy Land Mariejois:

"Damn, a nine against seven battle, and we still lost!"

Saturn Saint, the God of Scientific Defense, fumed over Steel Bone Kong's report.

Regardless of the details, they failed.

The Five Elders anticipated the pirates' ambush, sending both Navy and Army Marshals to capture one pirate, reassuring the member nations.

Yet, even with such a clear advantage, they failed.

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