Chapter 296: Knight Gao Wen's Ship is Also Worth a Slash!

Cavendish turned his head in a daze.

What met his eyes was a figure enveloped entirely in crimson-red aura.

"This is... killing intent?!"

His tone carried a hint of disbelief.

Anyone who has participated in fierce battles and taken lives will, imperceptibly, exude an aura akin to that of a predator.

But exactly how many people must one kill, and how many battles must one survive, to accumulate killing intent to such a degree...

To the point where it becomes almost tangible?

At this very moment.

Facing Xiang Keluo's killing intent, Cavendish's limbs felt somewhat stiff, yet he still instinctively pressed his hand against the long blade at his waist.

This guy... is strong!

Stronger than any opponent I have ever faced!

"With this kind of intimidating presence, you are absolutely no nameless figure; when did the seas produce another character like you?!"

Xiang Keluo did not respond, raising a hand to loosen his tie, and said coldly:

"Who was it you just said you were going to take the head of?!"

"Knight Gao..."

Bang!

Before Cavendish could finish his sentence, he was struck by Xiang Keluo's kick; the immense force instantly distorted his expression, sending him shooting out like a cannonball.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Amidst a continuous series of crashing sounds, several giant trees arranged in a straight line collapsed with a thunderous roar.

Dust and smoke billowed everywhere.

Cavendish felt as though he had been rammed head-on by a warship; several of his ribs were broken.

He struggled to his feet and raised his eyes to look into the distance.

Within his line of sight, there was nothing but gray-white dust.

Yet, within the perception transmitted by his Observation Haki, that god-of-death-like figure was slowly approaching.

Step by step.

The footsteps were steady and powerful, like a fierce beast toying with its prey, while he himself was merely a dessert on the plate!

"The number two man under Knight Gao Wen... Hundred Plans Xiang Keluo!"

Cavendish recognized the other's identity, feeling nothing but unspeakable reluctance in his heart.

It was one thing to be far inferior to Gao Wen, but now he could not even defeat Gao Wen's deputy.

In comparison, his earlier words about personally killing Gao Wen seemed more like a joke than ever.

Thinking of this.

A trace of madness flashed through Cavendish's eyes:

"Monsters should be dealt with by monsters!"

"White Horse!"

For the first time, he actively awakened his dormant will.

This second personality, which had once made him feel shame and bear infamy, was now his last resort!

Cavendish's consciousness gradually scattered.

His body fell backward uncontrollably, yet stabilized in a twisted posture.

Whoosh!

An invisible shockwave surged.

Cavendish's pupils vanished, a devilish grin appeared on his face, and a fierce, brutal aura began to spread outward from him as the center.

Everyone surrounding the battlefield, fully focused on the fight, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

By the time they turned their heads, Cavendish's figure had already disappeared.

No!

He had not disappeared; rather, he was everywhere!

Slash!

A burst of blood suddenly erupted from the chest of a pirate watching the battle.

His eyes were filled with bewilderment; before he could figure out what had happened, he collapsed powerlessly.

"What happened? Is it a Devil Fruit ability?!"

"To think that even Observation Haki cannot capture that guy's movement trajectory?! Damn it!"

Shouts of alarm rang out from the crowd; everyone subconsciously retreated, putting distance between themselves and the battlefield here, fearing they would become the next ones affected.

Only Xiang Keluo and Zoro stood side by side, standing calmly in the midst of the battlefield.

The bald pirate could not help but speak up to remind them:

"That guy must have activated some kind of indiscriminate attack ability; staying there will be dangerous, and you might even lose your lives."

Seeing that the two of them paid him no heed, he shook his head, muttered that good advice cannot persuade those destined to die, and then accelerated his retreat.

The bald pirate's strength was among the best of the pirates present, and he was proficient in both types of Haki, yet he found that his Observation Haki could not capture Cavendish's figure.

This could only mean that Cavendish daringly claiming he would take Gao Wen's head ultimately meant he had his own trump card.

Boom—!

The roaring winds in the air slowly came to a halt.

Cavendish, having awakened his second personality, Hakuba, appeared, standing silently in the center of the field to confront Xiang Keluo and the other.

The surroundings fell silent.

"An ability similar to Spoon Death?"

Zoro gripped the demonic blade Murasame he had just obtained, unable to resist licking his lips with his tongue, desiring only to slay the opponent before him.

He had challenged Xiang Keluo many times before; his Observation Haki was far superior to that of the bald pirate, and now, with just a glance, he could see through Cavendish's true nature.

If the original Cavendish failed to stir his fighting spirit, then this Hakuba before him had indeed sparked in him a desire to kill.

"This guy is mine..."

But Xiang Keluo pressed his shoulder first, saying with great interest:

"It is rare to encounter an opponent with an ability so similar to mine; he is my prey."

"You cannot be so selfish, wanting to devour even such small fry; let me handle it. His strength is not far from mine, and as fellow swordsmen, he might at least bring some measure of enjoyment to the battle."

Zoro yielded not an inch:

"Besides, if you were the one to act, I fear the battle would end in an instant."

Xiang Keluo shook his head, his attitude firm:

"Previously, while in the East Blue, Gao Wen mentioned several abilities similar to Spoon Death to me."

"I have already witnessed the Six Styles' Soru; what this fellow masters is likely another kind, the so-called... Rommel's Kamaitachi?"

"By understanding his ability, my Spoon Death may perhaps advance another step."

Zoro argued:

"For such a matter, merely observing is enough!"

"I think you are just itching for a fight, wanting to battle a powerful opponent."

"And are you not?!"

The argument between the two intensified, each wanting to devour the opponent before them.

Accompanied by the earthquake-like roars triggered by the fierce battle between Gao Wen and Hawkeye, this scene appeared utterly bizarre!

"Both of these men have gone mad, rushing off to seek death!"

A pirate cried out in shock; recalling the rumors he had heard, he recognized Cavendish's identity:

"I remember who that fellow is who vowed to take Knight Gao Wen's head—Cavendish of Rommel's Kamaitachi Castle!"

"Legend says that fellow possesses a second personality called Hakuba; once awakened, he will slaughter everything around him without cease, until no living soul remains or his original self awakens."

"He is a monster that once destroyed several cities!"

"Even if those two are subordinates of Knight Gao Wen, facing such an opponent, they have only one path: death!"

"They are doomed!"

Yet, in the next instant.

Something that left everyone dumbfounded occurred.

That monster known as Hakuba showed not a shred of hesitation; turning around, he transformed into a whirlwind and vanished from the spot.

For a moment, the crowd was utterly silent.

Only the deafening roars and the silver sword qi occasionally slicing across the sky continued to shine.

"Did I see that right?!"

"That monster known as Rommel's Kamaitachi actually... fled?"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"According to legend, that thing has no self-awareness at all, knowing only endless slaughter; how could it make such a choice?!"

Someone voiced the doubt in their hearts, yet instinctively felt a chill run down their spine.

"Even beasts possess the instinct for survival!"

The bald pirate swallowed hard, his gaze falling upon Xiang Keluo and the other, feeling nothing but terror:

"This can only mean that those two are monsters even stronger than him!"

"Do not forget the killing intent emanating from that fellow just now; it had become so dense it was nearly visible to the naked eye."

"Moreover, he is by no means some nameless figure!"

"I remember now; that fellow is Knight Gao Wen's right-hand man, Hundred Plans Xiang Keluo!"

The pirate beside him paused slightly, asking in confusion:

"If I recall correctly, Hundred Plans Xiang Keluo's bounty is merely a few tens of millions, whereas Cavendish's bounty approaches three hundred million; by any measure, the latter is stronger!"

"In most cases, the height of a bounty does indeed reflect the strength of one's combat power, though examples of defeating greater numbers with fewer forces are by no means absent."

The bald pirate shook his head; recalling his warning just moments ago, he felt his face grow hot:

"Furthermore, after Knight Gao Wen became a Warlord of the Sea, the World Government canceled his bounty; affected by this, Hundred Plans Xiang Keluo's original bounty was also frozen at the level of tens of millions."

"But if these two were selected again, their bounties would likely shake the entire world!"

In the distance.

Xiang Keluo looked with surprise in the direction where Cavendish had vanished, the corners of his mouth gradually curling into a mocking smile:

"Flee?"

"Where exactly do you think you can flee to?!"

He shook his head, his eyes filled with immense confidence, then turned to look at Zoro beside him, saying lightly:

"As a swordsman, you surely cannot miss the battle between Gao Wen and Hawkeye, can you?!"

"Tch!"

Zoro curled his lip, sheathed Wado Ichimonji, then waved at Xiang Keluo:

"He's yours now, but remember, you owe me a favor."

"Hmph~"

Xiang Keluo smiled faintly, then stepped forward; fierce winds howled around him, and his figure vanished in the next instant.

……

Deep within the dense forest.

Cavendish's second personality, White Horse, galloped at full speed until Xiang Keluo's presence completely disappeared, only then slowly coming to a halt.

Cavendish's primary personality awakened at this moment.

"Is it settled?!"

"No, if the opponent was that guy, even White Horse might not be a match!"

"Even if he could win, it would be impossible to emerge unscathed from such a situation; that guy White Horse... surely he didn't flee?!"

Cavendish froze, looking down at the holy sword Durandal, which bore not a single trace of blood, the corner of his mouth twitching imperceptibly.

Previously, he had been pursued by high-ranking Marines several times, and situations like this were not uncommon during those encounters.

But those were all instances where White Horse, exhausted from battle and unable to prevail, fell into slumber, leaving him to take over the body and make the decision; this was the first time White Horse had actively fled!

"Tch!"

Cavendish felt unwilling to accept it, but recalling the moment Xiang Keluo unleashed his Haki, he could only feel a surge of powerlessness.

He knew clearly that was not an opponent he could handle; as for the Knight Gao Wen...

That guy was already an existence on another level; let alone taking his head, surviving from his hands would be an achievement in itself.

Yet to give up now and bid farewell to the world's attention, Cavendish ultimately could not reconcile himself to it!

Moreover, this involved a matter of face.

He had already boasted to his subordinates that he would return with Gao Wen's head; to flee now in disgrace...

He simply could not afford to lose such face!

Suddenly.

Cavendish recalled the intelligence his subordinates had reported:

"Knight Gao Wen's ship is anchored in Forest 012, not far away; their first and second-in-command are both near the Barter Bar, and the main force is basically active on the island."

"Generally speaking, those left to guard the ship won't be any important figures."

"It's not like you can instant-kill me, right?!"

Cavendish gradually became excited.

Operating on the logic that even if he couldn't defeat the enemy, he would at least annoy them, he decided to slash Gao Wen's pirate ship to pieces to vent his hatred!

Thinking of this.

His pace suddenly accelerated, and within a few breaths, he vanished into the dense forest.

……

At the same time.

Near Forest 012.

The Lionheart Knight rested quietly, anchored in a cove.

After completing the hull repairs, Franky hid in the cabin, mysteriously tinkering with his strange inventions.

Led by Ah Jin, the group of workaholics continued their cultivation on the deck with great enthusiasm.

Under the sunlight.

Their upper bodies were bare, revealing extremely robust muscles.

Some were lifting barbells taller than themselves, while others practiced the Six Powers of the Navy with weights that could only be described as exaggerated.

"No pain, no gain!"

"Hard work makes you stronger; power changes destiny!"

"Xiang Keluo and the others are slacking off today; this is our chance to surpass them!"

"Every rank we advance in the ranking battle brings several million Berries in profit!"

"Hooray—!"

Amidst these slogans, everyone's morale rose even higher.

They felt that the more they trained, the more energetic they became, growing so obsessed that even the stimulation of money was no longer as important as it once was.

Simply because the thrill of becoming stronger had already surpassed everything else!

Ah Jin stood at the front of the crowd, gazing at the undulating sea, feeling somewhat listless for a moment.

His combat strength had already entered the Gold Rank, equivalent to a Shichibukai of the Commander Star; converted into a bounty, he was also a powerhouse at the billion-level.

The amount of cultivation these people on the ship were undertaking no longer had much effect on him.

Training here alongside them was merely upholding the duty of a Combat Captain to share hardships and joys with his subordinates, while also maintaining his own physical condition.

Moreover, he was now gradually touching his own limits.

Fortunately, having prior experience, Ah Jin knew that what he needed was to raise his ceiling.

Breaking through his own limits through battles fought with all his might, or awakening his Devil Fruit, or even modifying his body like Franky.

The latter might damage his potential, and gene-level modification like Sanji lacked the corresponding technology, so the most realistic option was still to find a powerful opponent.

While Ah Jin was pondering.

On the distant beach, a figure with a handsome face and a head full of golden hair came galloping over!

Before the person arrived, their voice was heard first!

"Knight Gao Wen's ship is also worth cutting!"

Cavendish raised his hand, releasing a soaring slash that flew straight toward the vessel flying Gao Wen and his crew's pirate flag!

"Screw you, damn Knight Gao Wen!"

Accompanied by a hysterical curse.

Cavendish seemed to envision the scene: Gao Wen, frantic and enraged upon learning his pirate ship had been destroyed, while he himself had already entered the New World first, basking in worldwide attention and reclaiming the headline!

Yet, in the very next instant, Cavendish's expression froze completely.

For the slashing attack shot forth was crushed bare-handed by a figure clad entirely in white; the shattered sword qi sliced through the seawater before dissipating into nothingness.

Following this came the slightly puzzled voice of the one who had acted.

"Hm? Attacking us should involve more than just this level of power, no?!"

(End of Chapter)