Chapter 38: 《One Piece: Magma of Absolute》Chapter 38: Byrnndi World
The repaired warship finally emerged from the Calm Belt, the first hint of breeze lifting everyone's spirits. Marines on deck threw themselves into training with renewed vigor, their shouts echoing across the sea.
On this day—
Caw! Caw!
A seagull unlike any other swooped overhead. It wore a crisp white cap and a tiny red satchel around its neck.
News Coo birds never ventured into the Calm Belt. It had been nearly half a month since the crew had heard a single word from the outside world.
With a wave, Sakazuki beckoned the News Bird down. His adjutant stepped forward, handed over a hundred Belly, and the bird deftly exchanged the coin for a fresh newspaper before flapping away.
Sakazuki unfolded the paper. The chaos in the New World raged on—eighty percent of the headlines were dominated by pirate crews running wild.
"Flying Pirates recruit three new captains!"
"Whitebeard claims the Crini Islands!"
"Marine Hero Garp clashes with the Roger Pirates for three days in the Yana Sea!"
"BIG MOM's twenty-first son is born—another addition to the Charlotte Family!"
"Beasts Pirates make a stunning debut..."
"Blizzard Pirates..."
"Steam Sea..."
Each headline was followed by a brief summary, painting a picture of a world growing ever more turbulent.
Rustle!
He turned the page. A massive wanted poster, splashed across an entire spread in blood-red ink, caught Sakazuki's eye.
World Destroyer! Byrnndi World!
Bounty: 200,000,000 Belly
Dead or Alive!
Sakazuki paused, piecing together the name.
Byrnndi World—a More-More Fruit user. He could multiply the speed, strength, size, or weight of anything he touched, up to a hundredfold. He always carried a rifle; a bullet enlarged a hundred times could sink a warship with a single shot.
That overwhelming power had driven him mad. Pirate, Marine, innocent—World destroyed everything in his path. That was why he'd earned the title World Destroyer.
Eventually, a CP agent embedded by the World Government brought him down. He was frozen in Impel Down for thirty years, only to escape when Blackbeard unleashed the prison break.
In the decades since, World's old crew had built a ship as large as a small island, armed with a giant cannon. On its first test run, World obliterated an entire island.
Staring at World's wanted poster, Sakazuki fell silent. World Government... frozen...
"..."
"..."
Rustle!
He handed the paper to his adjutant—nothing else in it was worth his attention.
Ahead, the faint outline of an island appeared on the horizon. Black dots—ships—multiplied on the sea, all converging toward land.
The adjutant tucked away the newspaper and asked, "Vice Admiral Sakazuki. We're approaching the island. Shall we stop to resupply?"
Sakazuki gave a curt nod, his voice flat and cold: "Full speed ahead."
As the warship surged forward, the island's silhouette sharpened, and the number of surrounding ships grew.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
BOOM! BOOM!
"Hmm?"
Faint explosions echoed across the water. Sakazuki turned toward the sound. Two tiny dots on the waves—ships—were drawing closer, water erupting around them in bursts.
He accepted a telescope from his adjutant. Through the lens, he saw a pirate ship and a Marine warship locked in a headlong charge, cannons blazing.
Lowering the telescope, Sakazuki ordered, "Turn. Head that way."
The adjutant relayed the command. The Marine warship swung about and raced toward the clash.
In the distance, the two ships accelerated—
BOOM!
They rammed together with a shuddering crash. The sturdier Marine vessel punched through the pirate ship's bow and buried itself in the deck.
Gunfire and the clash of blades erupted.
"Kill them all!"
"Charge!"
"Take out those Marine bastards!"
"Wipe them out!"
"For justice!"
"Attack!"
Marines leapt onto the pirate ship, battle cries rising as the two sides collided in a storm of violence.
At the heart of the chaos, the Marine Colonel set his sights on the enemy captain—Scythe Dobin, with a bounty of 94 million.
Whoosh!
The Colonel vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Dobin. His fingers curled into a dragon claw, coated in Armament Haki.
The black dragon claw shot for Dobin's throat.
Dobin spun, both hands morphing into steel scythes to block the attack. He grinned wickedly. The bizarre mantis perched on his hat—half the size of his own head—vanished, only to materialize above the Colonel.
The mantis's scythe-like forelimbs stabbed down at the Colonel's skull.
CLANG!
The Colonel's head, armored in Armament Haki, took the blow. He lashed out with a kick, sending Dobin sprawling.
Again, the Colonel disappeared, moving faster than the eye could follow. The mantis, losing its perch, tumbled through the air—only for the Colonel to reappear, dragon claw reaching to crush it.
BZZZZT!
The mantis's six wings vibrated furiously.
Whoosh!
It vanished, reappearing atop Dobin's head.
CLANG!
Haki-clad limbs and steel scythes clashed, sparks flying. The surrounding fighters scrambled away, desperate to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Dobin's legs transformed into long, straight scythes. He swept them out, unleashing a crescent-shaped blade of flying energy.
The Colonel tensed, ready to dodge, but hesitated. Both dragon-claw hands, sheathed in Armament Haki, seized the blade wave, but the force drove him back step after step.
BOOM!
With a sharp crack, he crushed the blade wave between his hands.
The Colonel's eyes narrowed. He had to end this quickly. If he'd dodged, the blade would've sliced through Marines and pirates alike—Dobin had no regard for collateral damage.
CLANG!
Sparks burst as the Colonel used the force of Soru to grab Dobin, dragging him toward the ship's edge and slamming him into the railing.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The tide of battle began to turn in the Marines' favor.
Suddenly, a strange sound escaped Dobin's lips. The mantis atop his head vibrated its wings.
BZZZZT!
The mantis darted left, Dobin lunged right—both targeting ordinary Marine soldiers locked in combat.
The Colonel instinctively chased Dobin, but hesitated, thinking of the Marines on the opposite side. In that instant—
BANG!
The flying mantis exploded without warning, bursting into a cloud of blood.
"What—?!"
"Ugh!!"
Dobin's eyes went wide as a massive shadow loomed over him. A black hand slammed down toward his head. He tried to dodge, but there was no escape.
The hand clamped over his face.
CRACK! CRACK!
Bones shattered—Dobin's scream died in his throat.
CRUNCH!
With a final twist, the owner of the black hand crushed Dobin's skull and tossed the corpse aside, then turned to face the Colonel.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
Relief washed over the Colonel as the threat was dispatched. He stepped forward, saluting sharply.
"Mm." Sakazuki nodded.
The more he looked, the more familiar the Colonel seemed.
"What's your name?"
Snap!
The Colonel stood at rigid attention, voice ringing out:
"Sir! Colonel, Marine Headquarters, Marineford—Monkey D. Dragon. Awaiting orders!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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