Chapter 251: I Will Make Him Pay the Price

"This is not good at all~"

Kaku murmured, his gaze sweeping the surroundings, yet he found nothing.

The three slowly entered the ruins of the Galley-La Company, and the scene unfolding before their eyes grew more alarming the longer they looked.

Broken corpses littered the ground, and everywhere lay dried, blackened bloodstains, all testifying to a battle that had once taken place.

Bruno looked around, his eyes carrying an indescribable emotion.

He had lived in Water 7 for a long time, even running a bar near the Galley-La Company.

But now, looking with his own eyes, that bar from the past had completely collapsed, and even at its entrance lay a severed arm.

Attached to that arm was even a portion of tendon from the chest and back; clearly, it had been torn off by force.

Even the three of them, agents of the CP organization, fell silent for a moment.

The brutality of the person who did this far exceeded their expectations.

Kalifa bit her lip:

"The World Government is no good, but these pirates who endlessly unleash the malice in their hearts are worse than beasts!"

Kaku adjusted the hat on his head, a rare trace of coldness emerging in his eyes:

"Judging by the degree of rot on these corpses, the time of death was no more than three days ago."

"That means someone attacked this place after the pirates besieging Water 7 withdrew."

"Gao Wen..."

Speaking thus,

Kaku turned to look at Kalifa.

During this period,

he had long since noticed the changes in Kalifa.

That look of admiration could not possibly be faked.

Not only Roubo Luqi, but even Kalifa harbored special feelings for Gao Wen.

The more he sensed this, the more curious Kaku became about Gao Wen.

Previously, he had even inadvertently heard Spandam mention it.

After the Alabasta incident, Jabra's group also seemed to have undergone some kind of change.

Jabra, who originally only thought about how to complete missions, had also begun plotting to obtain a higher position.

And according to the news Kalifa had heard these past few days, there was a high probability that this change occurred only after coming into contact with Gao Wen and his group.

What kind of magic does this man possess?

Kaku was immensely curious.

But he knew even better that, as a qualified agent, it was best not to have such things as curiosity.

Within the CP organization, there were many who, due to a momentary curiosity, ultimately met unnatural deaths.

He forcibly suppressed the emotions in his heart and continued speaking:

"Mr. Gao Wen's deduction is correct."

"Looking at it this way, the people who attacked here must be the Big Mom Pirates."

"Even with Roubo Luqi acting, given the internal strength of Water 7, there would absolutely be no power to resist the Big Mom Pirates."

"I understand."

Kalifa's eyes tightened:

"Let's find the people first!"

"Mm."

The three fell silent and continued deeper inside.

Soon,

underground in the Galley-La Company, rows of messy footprints caught the attention of the three.

"They're fresh!"

The discovery before their eyes made Kaku cry out in surprise; if there were survivors, it meant Roubo Luqi might still have a chance of survival.

However,

before the three could advance further, pairs of eyes mixed with fear and hatred emerged from the shadows in the distance.

"Get out of here!"

Swish!

A row of pitch-black gun muzzles aimed at Kaku and the other two, only to be stopped the very next instant by someone.

"Wait... you are... Foreman Kaku and Young Lady Kalifa?!"

From within the shadows,

a man dressed in a Galley-La Company craftsman's uniform walked out quickly, looking at the three before him in disbelief:

"And Bar Owner Bruno?"

"Just like Foreman Luqi, have you chosen to return to Water 7 at this time?!"

"Lower your guns!"

"These are our own people!"

Under the command of this shipyard employee, the wary crowd all breathed a sigh of relief and slowly lowered the flintlock pistols in their hands.

On their bodies, more or less, were wounds; some severe cases had even lost their ears.

Their appearances were haggard, their eyes numb.

Clearly, they had recently experienced a huge setback and had not yet recovered from it even now.

Seeing this, Kaku's heart tightened:

"What exactly happened here? How are Mr. Bingshan and the others? And what about Luqi?!"

"Follow me; you will know once we get inside."

Kaku nodded, then followed the Galley-La Company employee before him, slowly descending into the shipyard's underground.

……

Underground of the shipyard.

Around the original shipbuilding factory, countless survivors with numb expressions had gathered.

Having successively endured pirate attacks and the massacre by the Big Mom Pirates, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted, having reached their limits.

Even now, low sobs occasionally rose from the crowd, yet they drew not the slightest attention from those nearby.

The only thing preventing them from immediately collapsing mentally was the naval rescue Mr. Bingshan had once promised would soon arrive.

"Hold on, just hold on!"

"Mr. Bingshan said that in a few days, the naval rescue will arrive."

"By then, all the pirates will have left, and we can be reborn."

"But the Mayor, he..."

……

Soon.

On an unfinished ship, Kaku and the others saw Luqi once again.

At this moment, he lay on a hospital bed, his legs almost completely deformed, a large portion of his chest caved in.

With injuries like these, were it not for the Zoan-type Neko Neko no Mi granting vitality far superior to a normal human's, plus the bolstering of the Rokushiki ultimate technique, Life Return, he would absolutely not have survived.

Even so, the Luqi of this moment was exhaling far more than he was inhaling.

Inside the cabin, besides Luqi, there were countless other casualties who had suffered heavy wounds in that battle.

"Kaku..."

Paulie, having lost an arm, looked at Kaku and the other two; he wanted to flash his usual easy smile but found he could not smile no matter how hard he tried.

Kaku could not help but ask:

"What exactly happened here?!"

"Three days ago, Big Mom's forces attacked this place; Luqi forcibly held them off to buy us time, yet he still could not defeat that man!"

"That man, who is like a demon!"

Recalling the battle of that day, terror Paulie could not hide filled his eyes.

He jammed a hand into his hair, nearly tearing his scalp off, yet it brought him not a shred of security.

"The leader of the Big Mom Pirates' Sweet Commanders, a monster with a bounty exceeding one billion!"

"Even Luqi was crushed by that fellow in an instant."

"If Mr. Bingshan had not stepped forward and lied that the Pluton blueprints were in his possession, I fear..."

Paulie did not continue.

But Kaku and the other two had already roughly guessed what had happened.

Under those circumstances.

Facing an opponent nearly impossible to defeat, given Mr. Bingshan's nature, his only choice would likely have been to sacrifice himself to buy time for the commoners of Water Seven.

As long as they could hold out until the Navy arrived, everything would be resolved!

Recalling everything she had witnessed within the World Government, Miss Kalifa felt nothing but an unspeakable chill in her heart.

Would reinforcements truly come?

She was not clear on this point.

She only knew that once she lost her utility, or even merely due to a sliver of suspicion, all that awaited her was eradication.

Would the World Government truly expend such a huge price to save Water Seven?!

Yet looking at Paulie before her, and recalling the numb-faced commoners she had seen along the way just earlier.

Miss Kalifa understood clearly.

This was the last sliver of belief propping them up.

If even this sliver of belief collapsed, these people would undoubtedly go mad on the spot.

In the end, she did not dare to speak.

Captain Gao Wen saw all this; what kind of decision would he make?

……

Half an hour later.

Upon receiving notice, Kuro and the others rushed over; Chopper, Bepo, and the rest of the crew quickly organized themselves to provide emergency treatment to the casualties present.

Ah Jin looked at Luqi, who lay on the hospital bed gasping his last breaths, killing intent blazing in his eyes:

"So..."

"It was that scum called Katakuri who injured Luqi like this?!"

Zoro stood to one side without speaking, yet the fingers gripping his sword hilt had turned white from excessive force.

Clearly, his heart was not as calm as his surface appeared.

Van Augur stood at the doorway, his gaze falling upon Luqi, muttering to himself:

"This counts as settling the score."

"However."

"Since they dared to make a move against us, no matter who they are, they must pay the price."

"Given the Captain's personality, he should say something like that, right?!"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Sanji had a cigarette dangling from his lips; faint smoke drifted from his mouth and nose, only to be scattered by the wind:

"Even if it were the suffering of a stranger, that guy wouldn't just ignore it, let alone when it's a comrade?!"

"That fellow Luqi..."

"Well."

"The ground we lost, we must rely on our own strength to take it back!"

"Ah."

At the same time.

Around Water Seven.

On a deserted island covered in vegetation.

Countless birds and beasts, as if startled, fled toward the perimeter of the island, crowding the beaches around the island until they were packed tight.

They only stopped when the seawater rose to their necks.

However.

When they looked back toward the center of the island, their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

A nameless power radiated from the center of the island, seeming as though it would completely devour this deserted island that nurtured countless lives.

Starting from the center of the island, vast stretches of trees withered, the land turned into desert, and rivers dried up.

All life was perishing.

It only stopped when the entire island had completely turned into a wasteland.

What was gained, however, was an increasingly terrifying energy emanating from the figure at the island's center, resembling a demonic god.

"My speculation was correct."

Gao Wen, transformed into his Demon Man form, raised his arm; looking at the ley line energy constantly radiating from around his scales, enough to envelop his entire body like pale blue flames, the corner of his mouth curled into a ferocious smile:

"Along with the increase in strength, my physique is far more powerful than before, capable of enduring it."

"The amount of ley line energy absorbed this time, compared to that time on Drum Island, is likely three or four times greater!"

"Perhaps I cannot erase an entire country from the map directly like the Ancient Weapons, but destroying a fleet at sea is no problem at all."

"In other words."

"If there is a sufficient supply of energy, I myself can become an existence comparable to an Ancient Weapon!"

"This is perhaps the correct way to unlock the Red Dragon Fruit, and also the reason why it is hailed as a Fierce God."

"Pity."

"This is a planet where ocean area accounts for over ninety percent."

Gao Wen sighed; the Den Den Mushi in his arms, however, rang at this moment.

After connecting.

Xiang Keluo's voice, suppressing his fury, came through the receiver.

"Luqi has been found; he suffered heavy injuries. The one who acted was Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates."

"That fellow acting on his own authority aside for now, he is ultimately one of us."

"Captain!"

Xiang Keluo rarely addressed Gao Wen as 'Captain'; the meaning behind this was naturally self-evident.

"I understand."

"I will make them pay the price."

As soon as the words landed.

The ley line energy, which had been surging around Gao Wen like flames, stalled for an instant.

Yet in the next instant, it burned with an even more violent and intense posture, radiating dazzling light in all directions.

So much so that the creatures gathered on the beach, at this moment, seemed to see another sun.

Immediately, the sun in their eyes leaped upward, vanishing into the clouds within the blink of an eye.

Outside Water Seven.

The Totto Land fleet lay quietly anchored in a harbor.

Since a few days ago, when Katakuri left the group to rush alone to Water Seven to seize the Pluton blueprints, Big Mom had used absolute force to directly take control of this harbor.

At this moment.

In the center of the harbor.

The high-ranking members of Totto Land were holding a victory banquet.

Mountains of Mountain Dessert were piled before Big Mom; paying no heed to her image whatsoever, she began to devour them heartily.

"Mmm..."

"Delicious! Truly delicious!"

"Mama~ Mama~"

The big woman swallowed the cake on the table in one bite and let out a satisfied sigh.

She then turned her head to look at Perospero, who was waiting quietly nearby, a hint of appreciation flowing in her eyes:

"Katakuri inherited powerful strength from me."

"But you, Perospero, possess an intellect that even Katakuri lacks."

"If Katakuri is the supreme masterpiece of martial power, then you are the supreme masterpiece of strategy!"

"The fact that Katakuri succeeded this time is half due to your efforts."

Perospero could not help but show an expression of being overwhelmed by favor, and the arm holding his candy cane began to tremble.

For a moment, he even felt a sense of vindication.

Big Mom was already over sixty years old this year.

Although she still possessed combat power that could be called monster-level, she was inevitably beginning to decline.

In the future, Totto Land would ultimately have to be handed over to her children.

In recent years, Katakuri had been the undisputed star in Totto Land; relying on his unparalleled combat strength and his powerful charisma, he had conquered countless younger brothers and sisters, even subtly taking on the air of a crown prince.

But everyone had forgotten.

He, Perospero, was the eldest of them all, and the heir most in accordance with legitimate succession!

He desperately needed an opportunity to prove himself, and fortunately, this time he had waited for it.

And he had achieved it.

Being personally designated by Big Mom as the supreme masterpiece of intellect had already given him the capital to compete with Katakuri.

Thinking of this point.

Perospero forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart, assumed a humble posture, and said:

"It is all thanks to Mother's merit."

"Excessive humility is arrogance, Perospero!"

A smile curled up at the corner of Big Mom's mouth:

"The formation you laid out this time can be called perfect."

(End of Chapter)