Facing Norton, his silver hair dancing wildly in the wind, the palace guards felt as though they were staring into an abyss.
Especially after discovering the king’s decapitated body beneath the rubble.
“He killed His Majesty!”
The guards immediately directed their fury at Norton.
Without investigating anything, they pinned the king’s murder on him.
To them, it was only natural.
Who else would they suspect besides the man who had stormed into the palace and destroyed half of it?
Unless they had personally witnessed Mongola killing the king…
There was no way Norton could ever clear his name.
At that moment, the dust-covered Saint Ari crawled out from behind the throne and pointed at Norton.
“That’s right!”
“He killed the king!”
“Arrest him!”
“You!”
“And you!”
“Protect me!”
The CP agents immediately surrounded Saint Ari.
The palace guards exchanged uncertain looks.
“Idiots!”
One of the CP agents shouted.
“This is the honorable Saint Ari of the Celestial Dragons!”
“He’s far more important than your king!”
“Protect him immediately!”
“A Celestial Dragon?”
“What’s one doing here?”
“Who cares?”
“If it’s fake, fine.”
“But if it’s real…”
“No one here can bear the consequences.”
After only a brief hesitation…
The palace guards formed another defensive wall around Saint Ari.
“I almost forgot about you.”
Norton’s gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the Celestial Dragon.
Seeing so many people protecting him…
Saint Ari regained his confidence.
He sneered.
“Just wait, silver-haired brat!”
“When I return to the Holy Land…”
“I’ll immediately report your crimes to the Holy Knights!”
Norton smiled faintly.
“You think you’ll make it back alive?”
“You don’t actually believe…”
“That numbers are enough to stop me?”
“…What do you mean?”
Although surrounded by layers of protection…
A chill still crept over Saint Ari.
“Still don’t understand?”
Norton’s grin slowly turned savage.
“If I decide to kill you…”
“It doesn’t matter how many people stand in my way.”
“No one can save your miserable life.”
“Not good!”
One of the CP agents suddenly realized what was happening.
“Protect Saint Ari!”
Too late.
The instant the words were spoken…
Norton disappeared.
Vanished as though he had never been there.
“He’s gone!”
The guards and agents frantically searched in every direction.
No sign of him.
“Forget him!”
“Protect Saint Ari first!”
someone shouted.
Everyone immediately turned around.
Then…
They froze.
The silver-haired young man stood in a pool of blood.
In one hand…
He held a grotesque severed head.
At his feet…
Lay the headless corpse of Saint Ari.
Blood poured from the neck like a fountain.
Without anyone noticing…
Norton had crossed the human wall…
And casually removed the Celestial Dragon’s head.
He smiled broadly.
“Ladies and gentlemen…”
“It’s time to dance.”
Everyone instinctively took a step backward.
“Call for reinforcements!”
“Send an emergency report to Marine Headquarters!”
“Notify every nearby Marine base!”
“Bring everyone!”
“This monster…”
“…isn’t someone we can fight!”
…
…
Nami stood frozen in the middle of the street.
Before her stretched an enormous trench.
It carved across nearly half the island like a giant dragon.
Only moments earlier…
She had watched it appear.
As though some invisible force had swept through everything in its path.
She hadn’t seen anything else.
Following the trench back toward its origin…
She saw the palace wall completely blown open.
Something…
Had burst out from deep within the palace…
Erasing everything along its path.
“What happened in there…?”
Nami murmured.
Furning and the Duke stared at the trench in stunned silence.
Neither could speak.
Suddenly…
The sky darkened.
A massive shadow fell over them.
“Found you.”
A familiar voice came from above.
The three looked up.
Norton crouched atop a rooftop.
Resting casually on one hand…
Was a hundred-meter-long ship.
The White Pearl.
“…No way!”
Nami’s jaw dropped.
“That’s even bigger than a Marine battleship!”
“You’re holding it with one hand?!”
“M-Mr.
Norton!”
Furning’s eyes filled with tears.
“You brought the White Pearl out!”
“Of course.”
Norton grinned.
“It belongs to me.”
“It took a while to find all of you.”
“Now…”
“Let’s head for the sea.”
“Wait!”
Nami pointed toward the gigantic trench.
“Explain this first!”
“Don’t tell me the palace fired some kind of laser cannon!”
“I didn’t even see a laser!”
“Oh.”
Norton shrugged.
“I made that.”
“It was a little louder than I expected.”
“But it’s fine.” Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
“I defeated all the enemies.”
“…You made that?!”
Nami sucked in a sharp breath.
Could a human even do something like that?
The Duke swallowed nervously.
“What happened inside?”
“And the Celestial Dragon?”
“I told you.”
Norton replied casually.
“They’re all defeated.”
“The Celestial Dragon.”
“CP0.”
“The palace guards.”
“The World Government agents.”
“All of them.”
The Duke collapsed onto the ground.
“It’s over…”
“Everything’s over…”
Once a Celestial Dragon died…
The World Government would send their most powerful people.
Every connection…
Every clue…
Would be investigated.
The wrath of the World Nobles would consume everyone involved.
Norton glanced at him.
“Pull yourself together.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“The Celestial Dragon is dead.”
“The king is dead.”
“That CP0 agent probably won’t survive either.”
“Even if the World Government investigates…”
“They won’t find anyone who knows the truth.”
“As long as I leave this country…”
“You’ll all be fine.”
“The guards and agents only saw my face.”
The Duke’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“If that’s true…”
“Then there’s still hope.”
“Back to the castle.”
“We leave immediately.”
Everyone hurried back.
Preparations for departure began at once.
“Sanosuke.”
Norton gave an order.
“Bring the remaining pirates aboard.”
“We have to leave before the Marines and the World Government send stronger people.”
Norton wasn’t afraid of either.
But avoiding unnecessary trouble was always preferable.
“What happened?”
Sanosuke still looked confused.
“Why are we leaving so suddenly?”
“It’s a long story.”
Norton shrugged.
“I killed a Celestial Dragon.”
“…What?!”
Sanosuke was completely stunned.
“Everything’s ready!”
Nami had already packed the treasure and supplies.
She was the first aboard the White Pearl.
The chefs…
Shipwrights…
And everyone who had gone shopping earlier…
Had also returned.
They quickly loaded supplies onto the ship.
Beside the White Pearl…
Another vessel waited.
The Duke was helping his relatives and descendants board.
Servants carried chest after chest of gold and treasure aboard.
Nami’s eyes nearly sparkled.
After what had happened…
The Duke had also decided to put to sea and hide for a year or two.
“Furning!”
“Hurry aboard!”
“What are you staring at?”
the Duke called.
Furning didn’t answer.
She stood quietly…
Watching the White Pearl being lowered into the sea.
“…The launching ceremony is complete.”
“My White Pearl…”
“…is finally setting sail.”
The Duke paused.
He followed her gaze.
After stroking his beard thoughtfully…
He walked over.
“Do you want to board that ship?”
He smiled gently.
“The ship you built.”
“…Dad?”
Furning froze.
Joy slowly filled her eyes.
“Your reluctance is practically overflowing.”
“You silly girl.”
He gently patted her head.
“Of course you can.”
“Mr.
Norton is incredibly strong.”
“To be honest…”
“Even I don’t know whether I’ll survive what’s coming.”
“But beside him…”
“I’m sure you will.”
“I trust Mr.
Norton…”
“…to protect my precious daughter.”
A Celestial Dragon had died here.
The World Government would investigate relentlessly.
The Duke knew…
Even fleeing to sea might not guarantee safety.
The Government’s eyes reached every ocean.
They could be found at any time.
But if Furning stayed with Norton…
Even being found wouldn’t matter.
Nothing…
Could withstand that man’s fists.
At least…
That was what the Duke believed.
Though it pained him to let her go…
Her safety mattered more.
“Go.”
He gently ruffled her white hair.
“Didn’t you always dream of sailing around the world aboard your own ship?”
“Your chance…”
“…is right in front of you.”
Furning bit her lip.
She looked at her father’s ship.
Then…
At the White Pearl.
Finally…
She made her decision.
Throwing her arms around her father…
She hugged him tightly.
“Dad!”
“You have to stay safe!”
“When I’ve fulfilled my dream…”
“I’ll come back!”
The Duke laughed softly.
“We’ll see.”
Furning couldn’t help smiling through her tears.
She wiped her eyes.
Then looked toward Norton…
Who was sitting atop the White Pearl’s figurehead, gazing out at the sea.
“Mr.
Norton!”
She cupped her hands around her mouth.
“May I join your crew?”
“I want to sail together with the White Pearl!”
Norton looked down at her and smiled.
“Of course, Miss Furning.”
“My ship happens to need an outstanding shipwright.”
“And no one knows the White Pearl better than you.”
“Right?”
Although the White Pearl already had a team of shipwrights…
Furning’s skills surpassed all of them combined.
She was the obvious choice to lead them.
The ship was nearly a hundred meters long.
Its spacious interior had more than enough room for another crew member.
“Hurry up!”
Nami waved happily.
“Come aboard!”
At last she wouldn’t be the only woman on the ship.
Furning climbed the gangplank.
Just then…
Dark clouds rapidly gathered overhead.
The sky dimmed.
Nami looked up.
Her expression changed.
“Oh no!”
“It’s going to lightning!”
Furning’s face paled.
“Heavenly lightning!”
“My second ship was destroyed by lightning!”
“Hurry!”
“We need to sail away from those clouds!”
She remembered it clearly.
The moment her second ship was completed…
Lightning had struck.
Even its keel had been shattered.
“It’s fate…”
The Duke looked toward the sky.
His expression grew solemn.
“Fate cannot be escaped.”
“This ship is hated by the heavens.”
On the White Pearl…
The surviving former Redbeard Pirates quietly glanced toward Sanosuke.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Even he couldn’t help wondering if his bad luck had struck again.
…No.
Someone had just said…
This time it was the ship’s fault.
Nami wiped away a bead of sweat.
A cursed man…
Sailing aboard a cursed ship…
Is this really going to be okay?
“Enough with all this talk about fate…”
Deep within the black clouds…
Thunder rumbled like war drums.
Brilliant lightning flashed.
BOOM!!
A bolt of lightning over a hundred meters wide crashed down from the heavens.
“I already told you.”
Norton leaped high into the sky.
His wild laughter echoed across the sea.
“Fate…”
“…is nothing before me!”
Facing the terrifying wrath of heaven…
Norton threw another Serious Punch.
The force of his fist surged upward like an invisible continent.
It smashed directly into the storm clouds.
The colossal lightning bolt split cleanly down the middle.
Then…
It vanished.
The dark clouds were blown apart by a single punch.
Sunlight instantly flooded the sky.
With one punch…
The heavenly lightning was destroyed.
Everyone present was left speechless.
“Raise the sails!”
Norton landed on the White Pearl’s bow.
Spreading his arms wide…
He embraced the open sea.
“Set sail!”
While Norton and the others prepared to depart…
A group of Marines finally entered the ruined palace.
They climbed over shattered stone and crawled into the throne room.
The horrific scene…
Combined with the overwhelming smell of blood…
Nearly made several young Marines vomit.
Corpses covered the ruins.
Blood flowed like rivers.
“All inexperienced recruits outside!”
The Marine officer in command barked.
His face was grim.
“Colonel.”
The adjutant frowned.
“Judging from the wounds…”
“Every victim was killed in a single strike.”
“Not one body has an intact skeleton.”
The colonel clenched his fists.
“Who attacked the palace…”
“…and committed such a massacre?”
“Unforgivable.”
“Justice will bring them to account!”
“Colonel!”
One Marine shouted.
“This body…”
“I think it’s the king!”
“We found another!”
“It’s a Celestial Dragon!”
“That clothing can’t be mistaken!”
“…What?!”
“A Celestial Dragon was killed too?!”
The colonel rushed over.
Sure enough…
Two headless corpses lay before him.
Their luxurious clothing made their identities unmistakable.
“They died the same way.”
“They were almost certainly killed by the same person.”
He frowned deeply.
“Who would dare commit such an atrocity?”
“A criminal this evil has appeared in the East Blue…”
“He murdered both a World Noble and a king.”
“We must report this to Headquarters immediately.”
“He cannot be allowed to roam free.”
“Understood!”
The adjutant pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
After thinking for a moment, he asked,
“I heard Vice Admiral Garp is back in the East Blue on leave.”
“Should we notify him?”
The colonel nodded.
“Do it.”
“Even if we didn’t tell him…”
“Vice Admiral Garp would never ignore something like this.”