NOVEL WEB Chapter 61: CHAPTER 61
Roar!
With an earth-shaking roar, a massive gray-brown Spinosaurus crashed down from the sky, crushing the palace guards beneath its claws before they could fire their weapons.
"Foolish West Blue dwellers! Feel the terror of the Four Emperors from the New World!"
The Spinosaurus rampaged through the crowd, tearing apart armor-clad guards with terrifying ease. Chaos erupted as the palace guards scattered in terror, hundreds of them falling victim to the ferocious beast.
"A d-dinosaur?! Run! Run for your lives!"
"The Four Emperors of the New World?! Why are they here in the Kingdom of Flowers?"
"Has our kingdom been targeted by them? What do we do now?"
The leader of the palace guards stood frozen in disbelief. He had just read about this man in the newspaper—a man whose name alone struck fear into even the bravest warriors.
Lifting his head, he locked eyes with Alastor, and an overwhelming dread surged through him. The bounty of 660 million berries, the tales of defeating Cracker of the Big Mom Pirates, and escaping Whitebeard—the memories of those headlines rendered him speechless.
"Take Me to Your King"
A sharp, commanding voice snapped him out of his stupor:
"Take me to your king," Alastor demanded coldly, his steely gaze cutting through the man's fragile courage.
The guard captain's legs trembled uncontrollably. Overwhelmed, he stammered, "Y-yes... right this way."
Leading the way, the captain brought Alastor and his entourage to the palace's central hall—a lavish chamber constructed from gilded sandalwood and rich mahogany. The grandeur of the room was overshadowed by the oppressive tension in the air.
On the throne sat the king of the Kingdom of Flowers, a greasy, cold-looking man with two long, thin mustaches. His narrowed eyes scanned the room with disdain, his rotund figure exuding indolence.
Below him stood three individuals:
1. Chinjao – A tall, bald elder with a white beard, the former 12th leader of the Happo Navy. Once a renowned pirate with a bounty exceeding 500 million berries, Chinjao had been a force to be reckoned with in his prime, even daring to face Garp the Fist. But his iconic cone-shaped head had been flattened by Garp, leading him to retire in seclusion.
2. Two Strong Swordsmen – Silent and imposing, they stood guard on either side of the throne, gripping their massive blades.
The king sneered at Chinjao, his voice tinged with mockery:
"So, you've finally decided to emerge from your hiding, Chinjao. If you had stepped up earlier, we might not have lost this war."
Chinjao retorted without hesitation:
"Don't make me laugh. Your incompetence led to the disgraceful treaty of land cessions and reparations. It's a stain on the Kingdom of Flowers! I've never witnessed such shame in our history."
The king's face turned a deep shade of purple, his clenched fists trembling beneath his ornate robes. Yet, he held his tongue, knowing he still needed Chinjao's strength in the upcoming battles.
Struggling to suppress his anger, the king said in an artificially calm tone,
"Chinjao, I summoned you because the enemy's weapons supply has tipped the scales. I want you to investigate its source—"
Before he could finish, the doors burst open. A blood-soaked soldier stumbled in, gasping:
"Y-Your Majesty... It's terrible! We're under attack!"
The king sprang to his feet, his voice shrill with panic.
"What?! Is it the enemy army? But I ceded land and paid reparations! Are they breaking the treaty?"
Chinjao scoffed, his tone laced with contempt:
"Weakness doesn't bring peace. You'd best abdicate if you can't grasp that simple truth."
The king, though seething with rage, bit his tongue once more. He needed Chinjao now more than ever.
The soldier shook his head weakly and stammered,
"N-no, Your Majesty... It's not the enemy army. It's... it's pirates. Pirates under the Beasts Pirates! The Four Emperors of the New World!"
The mention of the Beasts Pirates sent a wave of terror through the room. The king's face turned ashen, sweat pouring down his brow. His legs buckled as he collapsed onto his throne, his mind racing in sheer panic.
"I... I didn't offend the Four Emperors... especially not Kaido! Why... why are they here?! Chinjao, protect me! Quickly!"
Chinjao's expression darkened. Though he was a proud warrior, the weight of Kaido's name could not be ignored. Even at his peak, Chinjao would not have dared to challenge the Beast Emperor lightly.
"Unless Kaido himself has come, there's nothing to fear," Chinjao growled. "I still have this old man's Iron Head technique!"
As he prepared to leave, a tall, commanding figure strode into the hall, stepping over the fallen soldier.
Alastor's sharp gaze swept across the chamber. He ignored the quivering king and focused on Chinjao, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
"Good. You're here. Saves me the trouble of tracking you down," Alastor said coolly. "Now, tell me the exact location of the treasure buried in the Ice Continent."
Chinjao's eyes immediately turned bloodshot. That treasure—the accumulated wealth of the Happo Navy for centuries—was a thorn in his heart.
After Garp had flattened his cone-shaped head, Chinjao had lost the ability to break through the ice and retrieve it. The treasure was so close yet forever out of reach. The frustration burned within him like an unquenchable fire.
"Shut your mouth, you brat!" Chinjao roared. "That treasure belongs to me!"
Alastor chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Belongs to you? You can't even get to it. Pathetic, really."
Chinjao's rage erupted. His beard bristled as his powerful frame shook with fury.
"It's all because of that damned Garp! If it weren't for him, I would've claimed it long ago!"
Alastor smirked, his tone cutting.
"Still blaming others for your failures? You were once a force to be reckoned with, but now you're just a relic, shaking your fists at the past."
"This is blatant mockery!"
Before Chinjao could respond, his two grandsons, Sai and Boo, stepped forward, their anger blazing.
"How dare you insult our grandfather!" Sai shouted. "Even though he's aged, you—a mere junior—have no right to laugh at him! And you dare to invade the Kingdom of Flowers? Don't think the Happo Navy will stand by and do nothing!"
The two readied themselves for battle, but Chinjao, unexpectedly calm, raised a hand to stop them.
"You two are no match for this man," he said coldly, his sharp gaze fixed on Alastor.
"I've read about you in the papers," Chinjao said, his voice steady but edged with wariness. "Alastor, of the Beasts Pirates. Already commanding a bounty of 660 million berries at such a young age... you are indeed formidable."
His eyes narrowed as he continued, "If you've come to the Kingdom of Flowers for the treasure buried under the Ice Continent, you will leave empty-handed. No one can break that ice—except for this old man's awl!" He paused, his tone turning icy. "And you seem to have underestimated me."
Hum—
A suffocating aura exploded from Chinjao, his presence filling the hall with unrelenting pressure. His Conqueror's Haki was unmistakable—a testament to his legendary status as one who once fought Garp the Fist on equal footing. Even without his iconic cone-shaped head, Chinjao's strength was formidable.
Alastor stood unfazed. In response, he released his own Conqueror's Haki, meeting Chinjao's aura head-on. The air between them crackled with power as their auras collided, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
The king of the Kingdom of Flowers slumped back into his throne, trembling in terror. Sai and Boo froze, stunned by the sheer force of the clash. They had never seen anyone match their grandfather's Haki before.
But Alastor merely shook his head and smirked. "A Haki showdown? Boring. Neither of us is on the level of Red-Haired Shanks, so why waste time? Show me your Hasshoken, Chinjao."
With that, Alastor dispersed his Haki, rendering Chinjao's oppressive aura ineffective.
He continued nonchalantly, "As impressive as your Haki is, it pales in comparison to Shanks, who can overwhelm vice admirals and give admirals like Green Bull a headache from miles away. Let's see what you can really do."
As their confrontation intensified, the sounds of battle outside grew louder. The palace guards were clearly no match for the elite crew Alastor had brought. Though few in number, each member of the Beasts Pirates was worth a hundred men.
The king, sweating profusely, shouted in desperation, "Chinjao, stop wasting time and deal with the invaders!"
"Shut up!" Chinjao snapped. "I don't need your reminders!"
Before Chinjao could act, Alastor vanished in a blur, using the Shave technique to teleport to the king. In a flash, he grasped the king's neck with one hand.
"When I'm fighting, I don't like unnecessary noise," Alastor said coldly. "Besides, from now on, the Kingdom of Flowers belongs to the Beasts Pirates."
Crack!
Alastor snapped the king's neck effortlessly. The once-proud monarch, a figure with ties to the World Government, died with an expression of terror and disbelief frozen on his face.
The room fell silent as Chinjao, Sai, and Boo stared in shock at the fallen king. Smoke seemed to rise from Chinjao's ears as his fury reached a boiling point.
"Though he was a greedy and incompetent king, his death will plunge the Kingdom of Flowers into chaos!" Chinjao bellowed. "Do you realize what you've done, you arrogant brat?"
With a roar, Chinjao launched into action. "I'll teach you a lesson! Hasshoken: Awl Strike!"
Covering his head with Armament Haki, Chinjao leapt into the air and descended toward Alastor with tremendous force.
Alastor smirked, standing his ground. This was the fight he wanted—a chance to refine his physical combat skills against a seasoned master.
He didn't dodge. The attack landed squarely, and Alastor absorbed it without flinching.
[The host receives moderate damage. Defense +15.]
"Why didn't you resist?" Chinjao asked, startled.
Alastor grinned. "Because I didn't need to. You have your Iron Head technique, and I have my Golden Bell Shield."
Chinjao's face twisted in disbelief. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Realizing his initial strike hadn't inflicted significant damage, Chinjao adjusted his strategy. Standing on his hands, he began spinning rapidly, turning into a high-speed, head-first projectile.
"Hasshoken: Awl Spin!"
Alastor countered with his own technique. Black flames engulfed his fists as he prepared to strike.
"Inferno Punch!"
Instead of meeting Chinjao's attack head-on, Alastor redirected his strike to Chinjao's shoulder, throwing him off balance.
"What the—?!" Chinjao exclaimed, shocked by Alastor's unorthodox move.
Alastor chuckled. "Did you really think I'd follow your script? You fight like a relic of the past, Chinjao. Let me show you how we fight in the New World."
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