Chapter 6: One Sword

At this moment, Monca had not yet suffered that crushing defeat at the hands of Xiang Keluo; his chin was still made of flesh, and his arm had not been replaced with a giant-axe-shaped prosthetic, yet his entire aura was far more domineering than in later years.

For now, his mindset, will, and convictions were at the peak of this life, and the power born of belief was even stronger.

Monca gazed into the distance.

On the barren island, flames shot skyward. A marine assigned to reconnaissance hurriedly approached Monca, rendered a military salute, and began to report the situation:

"A pirate ship has been discovered in a bay on the island. Judging by the flag, it is undoubtedly the Gao Wen Pirates."

"However, strangely, that ship is broken in half down the middle. The cut surface is incredibly smooth, not looking like a natural formation, but rather something done by human hands."

Monca paused slightly, raised the telescope in his hand, and looked toward the distant bay.

Consistent with the scout's report, a pirate ship broken in half lay stranded on the beach.

Monca had seen such wounds before.

That was several years ago.

When Karp returned to the East Blue to sweep up surrounding pirates.

The man who had always followed Karp, silent and speechless, named Bogart.

At that time, everyone thought he was merely Karp's lackey.

Until he slashed a pirate ship in half with a single sword strike, and the fierce sword qi almost cleaved the sea itself, everyone fell silent.

How could someone who could follow Karp for decades truly be some nobody?

The cut left by Bogart at that time was almost identical to the situation before his eyes.

Therefore, with just one glance, Monca could judge that the one who struck must be a master of the sword.

"Did Knight Gao Wen do it?"

"No, a sword master capable of leaving such a neat cut would be a figure of note even on the Grand Line."

"I know Gao Wen's strength; he absolutely could not achieve this level. So, did he encounter other pirates?"

Monca frowned slightly, feeling a hint of wariness toward the mysterious attacker. A powerhouse capable of cleaving a ship with a single sword strike should not be a nobody in the East Blue.

Even in his impression, only a few officers from the Headquarters could achieve such a feat.

"However, it seems the opponent must have fought with the Gao Wen Pirates. Heh, what a unlucky fellow."

Thinking this, Monca's confidence surged.

In his impression, Gao Wen was never his match to begin with.

Now having suffered an attack from a mysterious powerhouse, without needing verification, he knew the opponent must have suffered heavy losses; that ship was the best evidence.

Several more rounds of cannon fire fell from the warship. The sky filled with crimson meteors that completely ignited the entire island. Flames shot skyward, yet apart from this, not a single sound of movement emerged from the forest.

Watching the cannons on the ship consume more than half their ammunition, Monca ordered the barrage to stop.

He decided to personally strike and take Gao Wen's head.

Looking at the marines behind him, who were rubbing their fists in anticipation, Monca sneered:

"Brothers, tonight is the time for us to achieve merit and establish our careers!"

"For Justice!"

As Monca's firm voice fell, the emotions of the marines were completely ignited, with some even trembling from excitement.

This was not the first time they had clashed with the Gao Wen Pirates; every previous time they had beaten the enemy into fleeing in panic, with the only cost to their side being a few minor injuries.

And now Gao Wen was on the island; that was a living merit, a walking bounty of fifty million Berries!

"The bounty on Gao Wen is not just from the Navy; the Goah Kingdom's royal family has set a bounty in the underworld at fifty million!"

"As long as we can take him down, it is all ours; moreover, we are executing Justice!"

"Absolute Justice!"

The belief in Justice dispelled the last shred of hesitation from these marines. The swords and ammunition sealed in wax paper in their hands gave them unprecedented confidence and truly made them cold-blooded executioners.

Everyone seemed to see the scene of their own fame and success.

"Kill!"

Monca roared, then leaped from the warship at the head of the charge, rushing toward the cave's location. A shipload of marines, faces filled with fanaticism, followed closely behind.

Everyone moved quickly, with Monca leading the way. In just a few minutes, they crossed a distance of nearly a thousand meters.

Soon.

Gao Wen, wielding a long sword and leading dozens of pirates, appeared in Monca's line of sight.

He looked indifferently at the fanatical marines before him.

He felt that the eyes of these people were no different from those of his predecessors who had died in the hands of his former self; all were equally fanatical and greedy.

The battle between the marines and the pirates erupted at that very instant.

A dense volley of gunfire immediately echoed across the barren island. Within a few breaths, several corpses lay on both sides.

Even those on Gao Wen's ship who had retreated out of fear, under the influence of adrenaline, forgot what fear was.

They picked up their swords and guns and engaged the enemy in fierce combat.

Bloody and ferocious.

For the Navy, this battle was for fame, for profit, and for advancement; for the pirates, it was purely a fight for survival!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Amidst the dense gunfire.

Gao Wen swung his sword to cleave several bullets flying toward him, then raised his eyes to look at Monca in the distance, who remained unmoving. A faint smile curled his lips:

"Rather than saying you are a marine, you are more like my peer."

"A sharp-tongued brat!"

Mengka let out a fierce laugh, gazing at Gao Wen before him, yet he had no mind to waste words on him.

He stomped his foot heavily, nearly shattering the ground, and his entire body shot forward like a sharp arrow toward Gao Wen.

Simultaneously, he swept his battle axe horizontally, unleashing a terrifying force; even if this strike hit rock, it would easily crush it to dust!

In the past, he had relied on his strength time and again to suppress Gao Wen completely, and attempting it now, he did not believe the result would be any different.

Indeed, on this vast sea, there was no shortage of people capable of transforming themselves within a month; Devil Fruits, technological modifications, and the awakening of Haki could all boost a person's combat power in an extremely short time.

But Gao Wen clearly did not belong in that category!

The next instant...

Boom!

The violent force shattered the rocks on the ground, yet Mengka's brows furrowed slightly:

"Missed?"

"No, you were too slow..."

Gao Wen's mocking voice rang out beside Mengka's ear, instantly drenching the latter's back in cold sweat.

The stranded ship on the beach, which had appeared without cause, materialized before Mengka's eyes once more.

The very next moment.

A bone-chilling, freezing killing intent surged from behind Mengka, nearly freezing the surrounding air completely, as unspeakable terror rose within Mengka's heart.

A conjecture he had previously dismissed reappeared in Mengka's mind, causing his pupils to tremble violently:

"That ship... you severed it? This is impossible!"

"Only mediocrities say 'impossible'; the strong will always find a solution. This is the uncrossable chasm between you and me!"

Gao Wen looked at Mengka with utter disinterest; this man who had once pressed his predecessor until he could barely breathe could no longer stir any fighting spirit in him.

He stated calmly:

"One sword strike to kill you, and thus sever the karmic ties of the past!"

"I—"

Before Mengka could finish his words, he felt a chill sweep across his neck; upon turning back, Gao Wen had already vanished without a trace.

After a sensation of the world spinning and the earth turning, a headless body appeared before his eyes...

Is that me?

This final thought flashed through Mengka's mind before he plunged into total darkness.

(End of Chapter)