24: Chapter 024 This…
Is a True Hero 24: Chapter 024 This…
Is a True Hero “No way…
that strong…” Crocodile’s footsteps faltered.
He had been walking toward the bow of his own pirate ship, but for some reason…
even across such a great distance…
he had a vague feeling that if he took one more step, everything would turn upside down.
Richard and Mihawk…
they were indeed people not to be trifled with.
Both of them possessed the strength of great swordsmen.
A swordsman was an indispensable asset on any ship.
It wasn’t just about “someone who uses a sword”…
they needed a true swordsman, someone who had immersed themselves in the way of the blade for years and still possessed formidable slashing power and combat talent.
Once a pirate crew acquired such a swordsman, their combat status would immediately rise to that of a main fighter.
Clearly, both Richard and his younger brother Mihawk met those criteria…
and far surpassed them with exceptional excellence.
Great Swordsmen.
But the reason most top-tier pirate crews lacked swordsmen was simple: Swordsmen were mostly solitary wanderers.
They were too proud and aloof to be befriended or recruited.
“Damn…
no wonder he said they were nothing to worry about.
Our ships can’t compare to Golden Lion’s flagship…” A pirate from the Blue Sky Sea muttered to himself.
All the onlookers finally understood why Richard had so brazenly declared himself Roger’s friend back then.
Back then, they had thought he was just using Roger’s name to boost his own standing.
Turns out…
he was simply stating a fact.
A friend of Roger.
So now, he stood on Roger’s side.
Now this was getting interesting.
Quite a few people curled their lips upward, their eyes gleaming.
They had thought this battle would be a one-sided affair…
but the sudden appearance of these two swordsmen had immediately filled the gap in Roger’s crew.
A Great Swordsman with devastating slashing power was a terrifying presence on the open sea.
Aside from elite pirate crews that focused on quality over quantity, ordinary pirate crews would be finished the moment their ships were cut in half.
Out on the endless sea…
there would be no one to save them.
“Th-this…” Golden Lion’s smile froze, a stammering sound escaping his throat.
The abilities of these two swordsmen clearly exceeded his expectations.
One slash…
had cut through this massive warship he had spent years meticulously crafting.
Even if it hadn’t been fully severed, the part that exploded had already become a mass of scrap metal sinking to the seabed.
Through the smoke, Golden Lion rose into the air…
anything he touched would float, apart from himself.
That was the effect of his Devil Fruit ability.
“You brat…” Golden Lion’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared down at Richard from the sky, his expression dark and menacing.
“Now…
we’ve got a real grudge.” Richard nodded.
“Yes…
we do.” “From the moment you said those words…
we did.” “Aren’t you afraid?” Shiki stared blankly at Richard, then said gravely: “Was this all calculated?
To arrive at this exact moment, using me and Roger’s name to skyrocket to fame?” “You’re a schemer.” Golden Lion thought Richard was a strategist.
In truth…
that was partly true.
It was convenient, after all.
Richard remained as calm as ever, offering no explanation for himself.
In his wine gourd was the Nine-Dan Golden Elixir…
a tribute-quality brew made using ancient methods…
strong, yet rich and mellow.
“Try this wine,” Richard nodded toward Roger, completely ignoring Golden Lion.
“It’s like a Great Swordsman…
across nine mountains and ten seas, there is nothing it cannot cut.” A simple statement…
it referred to both himself and the wine.
So potent that words failed to describe it.
A gleam of light flashed in Roger’s eyes.
He uncorked the gourd…
the fragrance of the wine was so powerful that even the fierce winds and storms of the sea couldn’t suppress it.
Peach blossoms, osmanthus, and the aroma of aged liquor…
it was as if one were standing in a forest.
“HAHAHAHA!!!” Roger suddenly burst into laughter.
He tilted his head back and took several large gulps…
from his throat to his stomach, it burned like fire.
“Ah!
Excellent wine!!
What a fine Nine-Dan Golden Elixir!
Potent!!!” Richard nodded slightly.
“Roger…
you’ve remembered my wine.
Today, I hope you’ll also remember my blade.” This swordsman, clad in a simple black robe billowing in the wind, with seven-quarter sleeves wrapped around his arms and a pattern of a qilin devouring the heavens emblazoned on his back, wore a slightly tipsy expression with a distant, dreamy look in his eyes.
“I am a hero…” Richard drew his blade…
Shintei, as noble and regal as an emperor’s scepter, shone with a brilliant golden radiance.
“The wandering dragon belongs to the sea…
if the sea does not welcome him, he comes of his own will!” “The cloud crane belongs to the heavens…
if the heavens do not welcome him, he is a wine sword immortal!” “The fierce tiger belongs to the mountains…
if the mountains do not welcome him, he is a great hero!” “The mountains and seas return to one…
if they do not welcome him, he comes of his own will.” Richard stood at the bow of the Oro Jackson, under the gaze of countless heroes and great pirates, surrounded by wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, before the raging waves…
chanting a stirring poem that shook the heart.
If they do not welcome him…
he comes of his own will.
“Ah…
this is a true hero.” Roger’s expression grew somber as he stared intently at Richard.
This man radiated an infuriating charisma from every pore.
Shintei’s blade-light flickered.
Richard leaped into the air.
His body moved like a phantom, his form like a fierce tiger.
Sword beams shot out around him, howling like the roar of demons.
Richard’s low, husky voice murmured softly: “One-Sword Style – Nine Mountains Ten Seas…
Slash – Absolute Severance!”