Vice-captain of Whitebeard pirates

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The Neptune in front of them appeared identical to the one Rayleigh had just killed, but the size difference was staggering. The first Neptune, already massive, was utterly dwarfed by the second. It was like comparing an elephant to a sheep.

When this colossal Sea King emerged fully from the water, it was as though a mountain had materialized out of thin air on the sea. Its enormous body blocked out the sky and the sun, creating an overwhelming sense of dread.

Upon seeing the floating body of the "smaller" octopus, the Neptune let out a roar that shook the heavens. That creature was its offspring, and now it sought vengeance.

"Brother," came a voice from the distance.

Roger had stood up at some point, his expression now solemn. It wasn't that he feared the Sea King before them, but they were at sea, and the greatest threat wasn't the creature itself—it was the risk of their ship being destroyed.

They had to act. If this Sea King were injured, it would no doubt enter the same crazed state as the first one. However, the destructive power of this one was on a completely different scale.

The only way to protect the ship was to kill this Sea King as quickly as possible, and Roger and Whitebeard were the only ones who could manage it.

Whitebeard rose to his feet. "Let's deal with it together."

"What a big headache," Roger sighed.

Just as they were about to take action, a figure shot into the air.

Roger paused. "That's…"

"Hey-hey," Whitebeard chuckled. "Forget it. If he's here, we don't need to do anything."

Roger stared at the figure ascending rapidly toward the Sea King. He recalled Whitebeard's earlier expression, as though there was nothing to worry about.

"Sit down and watch, Roger."

Whitebeard settled back down and resumed drinking, showing no concern about the Neptune that could obliterate them at any moment.

"Alright," Roger said, feeling reassured. Whitebeard wouldn't joke about something this serious. His confidence in Larson was unshakable—he believed Larson could handle the Neptune alone, or else Whitebeard wouldn't be so relaxed.

Roger's curiosity was piqued. He wanted to understand why Whitebeard had so much faith in Larson. The Navy had placed a massive bounty on Larson's head, but none of them really knew the extent of his strength. Now was the perfect chance to see the abilities of the man who had made even the Navy retreat.

Rayleigh and Gaban, standing at the bow of the ship, also watched as Larson soared toward the Sea King. Rayleigh's mind was still replaying the words Larson had said to him earlier.

When Rayleigh had seen the monster and prepared to act alongside Gaban, Larson had simply told him, "No need."

And then, Larson had charged ahead.

Rayleigh had felt a twinge of discomfort. He'd thought Larson was showing off—after all, even if he and Gaban worked together, it wouldn't be an easy fight. But Larson insisted they weren't needed, that he could handle it alone.

With a sigh, Rayleigh shook his head. "Gaban, let's be ready to help him."

Despite his unease, Rayleigh liked Larson. And beyond that, the captains of the Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates were close friends. They couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

Gaban, with his inky black face, nodded slowly. "Understood."

Both men gripped their weapons tightly, prepared to assist Larson at any moment.

Meanwhile, the massive Sea King noticed the "tiny fly" heading its way. It extended a tentacle, attempting to swat Larson like an insect.

But before it could, a flash of steel cut through the air, and the tentacle was severed instantly.

Roaring in fury, the Neptune-like creature became unhinged.

Just as Roger had feared, it plunged into the same madness as the first one. But this was no mere child—whether in strength or size, the difference was immense.

Seven monstrous tentacles plummeted toward Larson, intent on smashing him to pieces.

Rayleigh had seen this exact scenario earlier. Then, it had been easy—he'd sliced the first octopus Sea King in half with a single strike. But this creature was another story. Its hide was far tougher, and Rayleigh wasn't even sure if his blade could wound it, let alone cleave it apart.

"Prepare to engage!"

Rayleigh's expression was serious. He wasn't actually concerned about Larson's safety; after all, he knew that a Sea King of this caliber stood no chance of killing Larson. What worried him was the potential damage to their ship from Larson's actions.

From his vantage point in the air, Larson merely shook his head. "Beasts are beasts."

In the next instant, the Sharingan activated, strange patterns swirling in his eyes.

What followed left everyone in shock.

Larson's body, suspended in midair, was suddenly engulfed in golden flames. In mere moments, a massive figure materialized.

Susanoo. Almost perfect.

Larson's Susanoo bore similarities to Kakashi's, but with some distinct differences in color and design. This one was golden, equipped with a giant sword at its waist and wings that could transform into fists behind it.

The moment Susanoo appeared, it completely overwhelmed the Sea King.

Although half of Susanoo's legs were submerged in the sea, its exposed upper body still towered nearly a hundred meters tall. The once-massive Sea King now appeared minuscule by comparison, its head barely reaching Susanoo's shoulders.

Seven tentacles lashed out and struck Susanoo's armor. But the mighty avatar remained unscathed, while the Sea King let out a pained shriek. It was like a person punching a wall—just as painful for the attacker.

However, Larson wasn't about to give it time to recover. Susanoo swiftly drew its enormous sword and brought it down in a sweeping slash across the Sea King's tentacles.

Its skin may have been tough, but before the might of absolute power, it was no different from the smaller Neptune creature they'd encountered earlier.

With a single stroke, all seven tentacles were cleanly severed.

The enormous tentacles splashed into the sea, causing another gigantic wave.

Larson glanced at the severed appendages, his mind briefly wandering. How many squid and octopus balls could be made with tentacles this size?

A distressed cry brought him back to the moment. The Sea King wasn't dead yet, and the job wasn't done.

But the Neptune creature was now paralyzed with fear. With all of its tentacles sliced off, its only thought was to flee.

Larson noticed its intentions and couldn't help but grin. Run? After coming all this way, you think I'm going to let you escape?

Yet, Larson had to be cautious. Whitebeard and the others were right behind him, and Susanoo was so enormous that even the slightest movement could cause a tsunami. If he ended up sinking their ship instead of the Sea King doing it, that would be a grave mistake.

Carefully, Susanoo raised its colossal blade once more, and Larson drove it down, impaling the retreating Sea King as it tried to sink back into the ocean's depths.

The sword struck directly through its heart.

As black rain began to fall from the sky, the massive body of the Sea King floated lifelessly on the surface of the water.

The very creature Roger had deemed such a monumental threat was dispatched with startling ease by Larson.

Back aboard the pirate ship, Roger stood abruptly. Rayleigh's mouth hung open, and Gaban's face was a mix of shock and disbelief.

"Is this… human power?" Rayleigh's voice trembled.

They all stared at the towering Susanoo, completely at a loss. How could any person wield such unimaginable strength?

Rayleigh couldn't help but feel a bit ridiculous. Just moments ago, he had doubted Larson's ability to handle the Neptune-class creature, even considering stepping in alongside Gaban to prevent Larson from acting recklessly. Now, it was clear to him—he was the clown in this scenario.

With Larson's strength, he could easily handle ten more Neptunes of this size without needing anyone's help.

Gaban took a deep breath, finally understanding. "I see now why the Navy backed down from the Whitebeard Pirates."

Rayleigh remained silent, but he understood it too.

When they had first heard Whitebeard speak of how Larson forced the Navy to stand down, how he secured an agreement that the Navy wouldn't pursue them, it had left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Yes, they acknowledged Whitebeard's destructive Devil Fruit powers, but in terms of overall strength, they believed the Roger Pirates could defeat the Whitebeard Pirates.

After all, the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates seemed to hinge solely on Whitebeard himself. Even factoring in Larson, they didn't think it would make much difference.

Unlike Whitebeard's crew, the Roger Pirates boasted several top-tier fighters. They believed that in terms of sheer combat power, they could easily crush the Whitebeard Pirates.

Yet despite this, the Navy relentlessly pursued the Roger Pirates across the world. It didn't make sense to them why the treatment was so different for both crews, especially since both were pirate crews.

But now, they finally understood. If they had been in the Navy's position, they too would have avoided any confrontation with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Yes, Whitebeard's crew only had two top-tier fighters—Whitebeard and Larson—but both were so overwhelmingly powerful that it was a challenge beyond what even the Roger Pirates could manage.

With the immense destructive power Larson had just displayed, could even Marineford stand against him for long? This was a giant on the seas, truly invincible.

Just moments earlier, the seven tentacles of the Octopus King had struck Susanoo without causing the slightest damage. If anyone were foolish enough to engage Larson at sea, he wouldn't need to lift a finger. All he'd need to do was summon Susanoo, stretch out a finger, and capsize their ships with ease.

Larson was a rogue—one with absolute defense and absolute offense.

The golden giant in the sky had now vanished, leaving only Larson's slim figure gently descending toward the ship.

Roger, watching Larson's descent, let out a quiet sigh. "Where on earth did you find such a monster?"

Whitebeard, standing nearby, appeared calm on the surface, but internally he was just as shocked as Roger and Rayleigh.

Larson—this man with thick eyebrows and big eyes—had strength far beyond what Whitebeard had imagined. This was the first time Whitebeard had witnessed the complete form of Susanoo.

Until now, he had thought that the half-formed version of Susanoo was Larson's ultimate ability. But seeing the full form today, Whitebeard realized just how terrifying Larson truly was. To be honest, even he was taken aback by the sheer magnitude of Larson's power.

Everyone's gaze was now fixed on the figure in the sky, a human with the strength of a god.

When Larson finally landed back on the ship, he found everyone staring at him. He raised his eyebrows at Rayleigh. "So, how was it? Was I cool just now?"

Rayleigh, stunned for a moment, quickly regained his composure and curled his lips. "It was okay, I guess. Still far behind me."

Gaban, standing off to the side, was struggling to suppress his laughter, remembering how Rayleigh had been trembling with awe just moments ago.

Larson chuckled, giving Rayleigh a playful pat on the shoulder. "Come on, Rayleigh, admit it—you thought I was just showing off back there!"

Rayleigh felt a bit embarrassed. He hadn't expected Larson to read him so easily.

Scratching the back of his head, Rayleigh admitted, "Who could have guessed you'd be this terrifying? What was that power you just used? Was it from a Devil Fruit? If so, what kind is it? Paramecia or Zoan?"

Rayleigh rattled off his questions one after another, his curiosity piqued by the full-form Susanoo.

Larson just smiled. "That's my secret, Rayleigh. I can't reveal it."

Realizing he might have overstepped, Rayleigh quickly backtracked. After all, he'd only known Larson for less than an hour, and asking such personal questions so soon was a bit rude.

"My apologies," Rayleigh said, offering a sincere apology.

As for the Sharingan, Larson had no intention of revealing it to anyone other than Whitebeard for the time being. He didn't want anyone with ill intentions to target him, especially someone who might try to get close just to steal his eyes. While he was strong, there would always be moments when he might let his guard down.

The last thing Larson wanted was another "Blackbeard" emerging within the Whitebeard Pirates.

Still, Larson couldn't shake his curiosity about why a Neptune of this level had appeared here.

Even in the New World, Neptunes of this size and strength were a rare sight.

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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11

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