Chapter 44: Battle Xiang Keluo Again!

The once-lively banquet fell silent in an instant.

Everyone looked at Xiang Keluo in confusion, then glanced at Gao Wen, before finally realizing what had happened.

"Hey, Keluo, we—"

Butch, the fat cat-man, hadn't finished speaking before Ah Jin, standing nearby, clamped a hand over his mouth.

For a crew member to challenge the captain was a perfectly normal occurrence within a pirate crew, especially for someone like Xiang Keluo, who had once been a captain controlling everything.

Realizing this, everyone shifted their gaze to focus squarely on Gao Wen.

"Very well."

Gao Wen smiled faintly, slowly picked up the Guanshi Zhengzong sword resting nearby, and said:

"I shall satisfy you."

"Hmph."

Xiang Keluo curled the corner of his lips:

"That air of arrogance is just as infuriating as ever; I'd like to see if you can still smile after losing in a moment."

"Oh, right."

Xiang Keluo added teasingly:

"Don't go crying like a baby if you lose later~"

Gao Wen paused for a moment, then recalled what he had said last time, immediately letting out a sigh:

"What a grudge-holding fellow!"

……

Everyone quickly cleared an open space for Gao Wen and Xiang Keluo.

Food and wine had been cleared away; only the bonfire in the center continued to burn fiercely, much like the surging fighting spirit in Xiang Keluo's heart at this moment.

Waves of heat swept across the area.

The two stood facing each other without exchanging words, silently drawing their weapons, their vision holding nothing but the opponent before them.

An inexplicable atmosphere of grim killing intent condensed in the air.

Sham, the cat-man, felt cold sweat bead on his forehead and anxiously pulled Butch back another distance.

Jango followed suit, also stepping back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

"Jango, Butch, who do you think will win this time?"

Butch replied without a shred of hesitation:

"The Captain, of course."

"Last time, that fellow Keluo was blown apart directly by the Captain, without even a shred of power to resist."

"That is true."

Sham nodded.

Jango, standing to the side, looked at Xiang Keluo, his brows knitting slightly:

"I'm not so sure."

"How is that possible?!"

Sham was stunned:

"With the Captain's strength, how could he possibly lose? Even if that fellow Keluo has grown stronger during this period, it should be limited, right?"

"Moreover, hearing from companions who participated in the battle at Crow Port, even when facing that Devil Fruit user, the Captain was able to suppress him; such power is simply monstrous."

Jango flicked his chakram throwing knives with his fingertips, looking at Xiang Keluo with an awe that felt almost tangible:

"Just now, Ah Jin told me that during his battle with him, Keluo awakened a power called Observation Haki, which can greatly enhance perceptual abilities; not only can he perfectly master the Shakushi, but he can even push the speed of the Shakushi to even greater heights."

"At such high speeds, if combined with flexibility, even a monster like the Captain might not be immune to the possibility of a catastrophic failure."

The cat-man brothers fell silent for a moment; if given a choice, they would naturally prefer to follow Gao Wen.

After all, everyone knew clearly in their hearts what kind of life one led following Gao Wen, and what kind of life one led following Xiang Keluo.

Who would willingly serve under a captain with a volatile temperament, one who might even sacrifice his own subordinates?

"Captain, you must not lose!"

The two silently prayed in their hearts.

Within the pirate crew, the thoughts of the vast majority were the same as those of the cat-man brothers.

Xiang Keluo took in everyone's reactions, then spoke to Gao Wen:

"You certainly are a captain who has won the people's hearts, but unfortunately, the one who will win tonight is me!"

As soon as his voice landed,

Xiang Keluo launched the first attack, his feet stomping continuously until the stone slabs beneath him were completely crushed; borrowing the force rebounding from the ground, in merely an instant, he fully entered the state of Shakushi.

Under such high-speed movement,

the scenery before his eyes twisted and distorted, the sounds around his ears became a chaotic jumble, and even his skin transmitted a sensation of stinging pain—the pain caused by skin colliding with air in an ultra-high-speed state.

Having lost all five senses, Xiang Keluo simply closed his eyes; his fully mastered Observation Haki abruptly activated, rendering everything in his surroundings crystal clear within his mind.

Moreover, his extremely sharp momentum made Gao Wen's presence completely impossible to ignore!

"Gao Wen!"

"I see you!"

"The final barrier that once restrained the Shakushi has been completely broken through by me; my speed shall be elevated to an even higher peak!"

"Is that so?"

Gao Wen responded indifferently, his facial expression remaining unchanged, yet inwardly he began to struggle:

Exactly how much strength should I use to win this battle without discouraging Xiang Keluo?

Forget it, let's test it out!

In the next instant.

The Guanshi Zhengzong in Gao Wen's hand suddenly thrust forward, clashing with Keluo's crossed claw knives...

Clang!

The blades collided, emitting a piercing hum; the onlookers instinctively covered their ears.

Yet Keluo only felt an immense force surge through his claw knives, and a distinct sound of bone cracking echoed from the ten fingers gripping the blades.

His body was directly knocked flying, smashing into a wooden building in the distance.

Boom!

After a thunderous explosion, the crowd finally reacted, staring at Gao Wen with mouths agape.

"No."

"Was the captain this strong before?"

Zhan Gao's jaw hung open.

Intercepting Keluo's killing strike was something Gao Wen could do before.

But casually knocking Keluo flying like this was on an entirely different level.

Keluo was getting stronger, but Gao Wen was getting stronger too, and his rate of growth was far faster than Keluo's!

Realizing this, Zhan Gao inexplicably felt a certain sensation.

As the gap between him and the others versus Gao Wen and his group grew wider, the help they could provide would grow smaller; one day they would completely lose their value, becoming a pure burden rather than an asset...

Wait!

So is the Raven Port the escape route Captain Gao Wen left for us?

Even if we cannot follow him to the Grand Line, staying in the East Blue means we won't have to fight other pirates just to survive?

Having clarified this, Zhan Gao felt an indescribable emotion well up in his heart; he simply turned to look at the Cat Brothers:

"Hey, Buchi, Sam."

The Cat Brothers turned their heads to look at Zhan Gao:

"Hm?"

Zhan Gao took off his star-shaped sunglasses, rubbed his eyes, and put them back on.

The fire flickered.

The Cat Brothers could not see Zhan Gao's expression.

They only heard him say with a firm tone:

"I just realized that the Raven Port is exactly the escape route Captain Gao Wen left for us ordinary companions."

"Even if one day we can no longer keep up with his steps, we can still obtain a stable life here."

"Regardless of the outcome of this battle, I will stand by Captain Gao Wen's side; what about you?"

The two exchanged a glance and grinned simultaneously:

"Isn't that a given?"

"Captain Gao Wen is a different existence!"

Nearby.

Arkin silently took in the reactions of the three, yet a smile involuntarily curled his lips:

"So."

"Keluo."

"You have already lost the moment this battle just began."

"Regardless of the outcome, this is Mr. Gao Wen's pirate crew."

(End of this chapter)