Chapter 340: Death of an Angel

Cold sweat beaded on Wales's forehead.

Originally, relying on his immortal body and the power of the Angel Fruit, although he was at a disadvantage in his battle with Xiang Gaowen, he could barely maintain a stalemate.

But now Xiang Gaowen's Conqueror's Haki had clearly advanced another step; the scales of battle would tilt completely toward Xiang Gaowen, and his own chance of victory would grow ever smaller.

Has this fellow been hiding his strength all along, or...

Suspicion churned in Wales's heart, yet seeing Xiang Gaowen's appearance—obviously blood-boiling and transformed into a battle maniac—he felt he was overthinking it.

But regardless, he had to speed up his actions!

As he pondered.

Wales leaped, darting backward at high speed.

At the end of his line of sight.

He could almost see the churning sea surface!

Once I get there and cut off Knight Xiang Gaowen's supply of ley line energy, I will be the one who wins this fight!

Wales turned his head, looked at Xiang Gaowen, and couldn't help but taunt:

"Come on!"

"Fool!"

"Don't you want to drink divine blood to your heart's content?"

"I'll give you that chance right now!"

The moment his voice landed.

Wales suddenly accelerated, yet that figure in the distance stood faintly in midair, showing not the slightest intention of moving.

His eyes were cold, as if watching a farce, while he himself was the clown in the theater!

"You..."

Wales's heart turned cold; he halted his steps, feeling that Xiang Gaowen at this moment was utterly unfamiliar.

The next instant.

Xiang Gaowen spoke calmly, sending Wales plummeting as if into an ice cellar:

"You want to lure me out over the sea, cut off the supply of ley line energy, and break the Red Dragon's immortal body, is that it?!"

"You knew?!!"

Wales was so shocked his face lost all color.

Only now did he realize why, over these past few days, Xiang Gaowen had fought while retreating; given the speed of the two of them, they should have crossed the border of Britannias in at most two days, yet it had dragged on for nearly ten days!

His plan had been seen through long ago!

Just like a cat toying with a mouse, he had been played by Xiang Gaowen instead.

Even...

"You were using my power to temper your own Conqueror's Haki?!"

"Damn it!"

"Shameless!"

Wales's defenses shattered; his face flushed red, yet rummaging through his brain, he could not utter a single word.

In his heart, panic had already escalated to dread.

These past few days of battle had made one thing increasingly clear to him: he was absolutely no match for Xiang Gaowen, and now that Xiang Gaowen had advanced another step, this was even more true.

His plan had been exposed again...

Should he flee?!

The instant this thought arose in Wales's heart, Xiang Gaowen's voice came to his ears:

"Since you so desperately want me to fight you out on the sea, then I shall satisfy you!"

Wales froze on the spot, thinking he had misheard; he stared blankly at Xiang Gaowen until Xiang Gaowen repeated it, and only then did he realize it was no illusion!

But...

Why?!

Alarm sprang up in his heart, accompanied by an inexplicable sense of ominous foreboding.

The sound of waves crashing against the shore came from afar; the sea breeze carried a chill that soaked through Wales's spine.

Wales's pupils contracted sharply.

He had been used!

The sea would cut off his supply of ley line energy, but for a Devil Fruit user, the sea itself was already the greatest threat!

This fellow had calculated this point from the very beginning!

That's right!

He suddenly remembered: a few days ago, within the borders of Britannias, during that battle between Xiang Gaowen and Big Mom and Xia Mu Luo Ke, Xiang Gaowen had been blasted into the sea by the two of them.

Yet he had vanished an instant later!

This fellow does not fear seawater!

Thinking of this.

Wales did not hesitate for a fraction of a second; he turned and fled, but in the end, he was one step too slow.

"It seems you're not so stupid as to be beyond saving!"

"What a pity..."

"It's too late!"

Accompanying these words, a crimson figure shot over from the distance; an iron-band-like giant hand gripped Wales tightly in its grasp!

Realizing Xiang Gaowen's intentions, Wales struggled desperately, at any cost, draining power from the believers of the Tianjue Church.

He erupted with blinding golden light, the extreme heat searing Xiang Gaowen's dragon claw, melting the outer layer of dragon scales in an instant, until the flesh within even emitted a burnt smell.

One must know that the Red Dragon inherently possesses extremely strong resistance to high temperatures; grabbing molten rock with bare hands is not impossible, making him a natural counter to certain Logia-type ability users by attribute.

Yet he was still scorched by the brilliance released by Wang Zuo to such an extent that Xiang Gaowen could even see exposed bone!

"This temperature..."

Excruciating pain made Xiang Gaowen furrow his brows tightly, yet the smile at the corner of his mouth grew increasingly ferocious.

Wang Zuo's struggles began to intensify, so Xiang Gaowen extended his other hand, gripping Wang Zuo even tighter, his formidable grip strength nearly crushing his internal organs!

Gack—!

Wang Zuo coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with utmost terror, devoid of any kingly aura, as he began to beg desperately for mercy:

"No, don't!"

"Everything you want, I can give it to you; I can make you the King of Britannias, no!"

"No!"

"I can make you a believer of the Tianjue Church!"

"I..."

Accompanying the pleas for mercy was the sea surface growing closer and closer to Wang Zuo's body...

Glug, glug, glug—!

With one hand, Xiang Gaowen forcibly plunged Wang Zuo into the seawater.

After Wang Zuo's body trembled slightly a few times, he completely fainted and ceased moving.

Strong as Wang Zuo was, strong as a mid-tier Legend supreme powerhouse, after consuming a Devil Fruit, touching seawater would cause him to instantly lose all power to resist!

"Truly an excessively harsh curse!"

"On this great sea, the most powerful weapon against ability users has never been blades or spears, but the sea itself!"

"Viewed this way, the deterrent power of the Float-Float Fruit, which can indirectly manipulate river and sea water, is simply off the charts."

"What a pity."

"That fruit should currently be reborn somewhere in the world, and may even have already been consumed by someone."

Xiang Gaowen lowered his gaze, looking at Wang Zuo's body, his eyes ice-cold:

"Fortunately."

"The blessing of the Seven Warlords badge renders me fearless of seawater, sparing me such a weakness."

Amidst these words,

Xiang Gaowen glanced at the system panel.

Conqueror's Haki had already been raised to Level Seven; even among Legend-tier powerhouses, this counted as an exceptionally outstanding existence.

Perhaps it lagged slightly behind certain specialists' single move dedicated to Conqueror's Haki, but facing any existence, Conqueror's Haki would not drag him down.

Furthermore,

With Conqueror's Haki consecutively rising two levels, Xiang Gaowen's combat power soared again; even on paper, his data did not lose to peak-period Whitebeard, Rocks, and others.

And due to the Red Dragon's monstrous endurance in prolonged battles, Xiang Gaowen's actual combat power far exceeded the visible paper data.

"This trip to Britannias, even if other plans were not completed, was worth it."

That clashing with powerhouses would raise Conqueror's Haki was within Xiang Gaowen's expectations, but that it could grow so rapidly still far exceeded Xiang Gaowen's predictions!

Closing the system panel,

Xiang Gaowen swung his blade, severed Wang Zuo's head, lifted it up in one grasp, then flapped the twin wings on his shoulders and sped away skimming the sea surface!

Wang Zuo's headless corpse slowly sank into the seawater, soon to be devoured completely by bloodthirsty sharks.

In the distance, within a patch of shadow,

A member of the God's Knights, carrying a Den Den Mushi on his shoulder, stood there, staring at the location where Wang Zuo's corpse had vanished.

"Does this mean he fears seawater, or does he not fear it..."

He had observed the entire battle and also figured out Wang Zuo's initial intentions.

But what he had not expected was that Xiang Gaowen had seen through Wang Zuo's thoughts from the very beginning, even turning Wang Zuo's own plans against him, ultimately relying on the great sea to slay the immortal Wang Zuo.

What this revealed, besides Xiang Gaowen's formidable combat power, was even more so this precise control over timing!

After a brief moment of thought, he transmitted the intelligence from here back to Mary Geoise.

Within the palace,

Im listened to the God's Knights' report, expression unchanged, without the slightest stir of emotion.

"That Knight Xiang Gaowen could defeat Wang Zuo was already within Im's expectations, but directly plunging Wang Zuo into the seawater..."

"If Knight Xiang Gaowen himself did not fear seawater, the most correct approach should have been to shift the battlefield to the great sea within the shortest possible time, then, taking Wang Zuo by surprise, drag him directly into the seawater."

"Dragging it out for so long was indeed to prepare in advance?!"

"Relying on some method to isolate his own hands from the seawater, thus enabling him to plunge Wang Zuo into the sea while remaining unaffected himself."

"Some kind of coating technique?!"

"However, we still cannot rule out the possibility that Knight Xiang Gaowen can truly ignore seawater; it is just that this possibility is low, and current priority is not as high as that regarding Fafner."

Im lowered his gaze, looking at the Five Elders prostrated beneath the Wang Zuo, and asked:

"How are preparations on the Mother Flame side progressing?!"

Saturn said:

"I secretly had someone retrieve a small portion from Future Island; if needed, it can be put into use immediately!"

"Very good."

Im nodded, clearly very satisfied with Saturn's answer:

"Once the operations on Gunzi's side conclude, let Britannias witness the might of the Ancient Weapon Uranus!"

"Yes!"

……

Avalon.

The fierce beasts besieging the city had long been repelled by Xiang Keluo and the others; the civilians who had regained their senses within the city were pacified by Morgan and temporarily settled on one side of the city.

The Pope of the Heavenly Awakening Church was locked in fierce combat with Xiang Gaowen, Jeanne was nowhere to be found, and Beville had turned traitor; with only a handful of stragglers left in the city, they posed absolutely no threat to Xiang Keluo and his group.

The situation within the city was now under control; the only concern remaining for everyone was the battle on Xiang Gaowen's end.

Heavenly Awakening Church Cathedral.

The Great Hall.

A six-winged divine statue stood in the center, its face seventy percent similar to Wales', making it impossible for anyone to look away once they saw it, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Or rather, it had been sculpted using Wales as the prototype, merely undergoing a certain degree of artistic refinement, making the statue appear younger, more burly, and more handsome.

Xiang Keluo reached out, placing his hand upon the divine statue, the corner of his mouth curling into a sneer:

"Sculpting a statue for yourself?!"

"Pity."

"How could a true divine statue possibly require one to sculpt it oneself?!"

"As for Xiang Gaowen's side, it is said the fighting has spread from Avalon to the borders of Britannias; no one knows when this battle will end."

Worry shone in Morgan's eyes:

"After all, the opponent is Wales, the one who defeated Arthur; even though I have confidence in Mr. Xiang Gaowen, the fact that no final result has been decided after such a long time..."

She did not continue, merely pacing back and forth within the cathedral uneasily, appearing utterly anxious.

After all, this battle concerned not only the national fortune of Britannias but could even be said to determine the lives of everyone present.

Even Beville currently gripped his sword, his nose and eyes leaning against a pillar, his heaving chest betraying the unease within his heart!

Crack, crack, crack—!

The central divine statue suddenly cracked, crumbling into a pile of gravel within a few breaths, possessing none of its former extraordinary aura.

Those present turned their heads, witnessing the statue shatter with their own eyes, and one after another let out sighs of relief.

"This is..."

"It should be good news, right?!"

Morgan swallowed hard, her heart beating faster, nearly leaping out of her chest.

She already sensed something in her heart but dared not imagine that this moment would truly arrive.

Buru Buru—!

The Den Den Mushi in Xiang Keluo's arms suddenly rang; after connecting, Xiang Gaowen's calm voice came from the creature:

"The matter is resolved."

"Wales is dead; from this day forward, the Heavenly Awakening Church shall cease to exist!"

The voice was not loud, yet to Morgan's ears, it sounded like a clap of thunder.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she lost all strength in her limbs and collapsed to the ground; lifted up by Miss Kalifa beside her, she could not suppress her loud sobbing:

"Waaaaahhhhhhh..."

Three years of pressure accumulated in her heart were completely released in this moment.

Everyone listened quietly, allowing Morgan to vent.

Beville stood to one side, his gaze falling upon the shattered divine statue, his eyes still somewhat dazed, unable to believe this moment had truly arrived:

"Even if this is all a dream, it was worth it."

"That fellow Arthur's will has finally been carried out!"

"No!"

A Jin spoke up, interrupting Beville's words:

"It is Knight Xiang Gaowen's will that has been carried out!"

"The Captain has never been anyone's shadow; he loses to no one!"

Beville paused for a moment, then nodded heavily:

"Ah~"

"Whether it is me or Arthur, we were both wrong."

"Excessive mercy cannot save everyone; it may even drag oneself down along with them."

Staggering back a few steps, he placed the recently recovered Shi Zhongjian into Morgan's hands, his tone carrying a hint of loneliness yet also a touch of relief:

"Eldest Princess."

"This was my lord Arthur's former personal sword, but now he should have a more suitable owner."

Morgan raised her hand to wipe away her tears, then accepted the Shi Zhongjian with both hands.

Lowering her head, her gaze swept across the blade; the silver-white edge reflected Morgan's face, as well as a pair of determined eyes.

……

At the same time.

Not only in Avalon, but throughout all regions of Britannias, every erected angel divine statue shattered inch by inch, even turning to flying ash and vanishing without a trace.

Those originally fanatical believers felt a sharp pain in their brains, sensing that something which had bound them all along had completely shattered.

Reason, emotion, self...

In this moment, these gradually returned; they also slowly realized what exactly they had done during the period they were dominated by Wales...

"Waaaaahhh...!"

"What exactly, what exactly happened to me?!"

"It's that statue!"

"That statue is strange; it can bewilder the mind, making people become addicted to it without realizing!"

"I... I have turned into a devil!"

Agonized wails and furious roars erupted across every town within Britannias.

With Wales's death and the nullification of the Angel Fruit's power, the souls of countless people in Britannias were, at this moment, as if placed upon a pyre to be roasted.

Their souls and flesh were all burning!

Burning alongside their souls and flesh were church after church, along with those frenzied clergy.

The entire nation was ignited at this moment by the commoners' rage!

(End of Chapter)