Chapter 95: That Is Truly a Coincidence

Blood gushed from Latchet's arm; his face turned deathly pale, yet in the next instant he fell silent.

This was because a blood-stained silver-white long blade now rested on his shoulder, its weight pressing him so hard he could not straighten his back.

Gao Wen looked down from above, gazing at Latchet, his indifferent expression barely concealing the surging killing intent in his heart:

"Where are my things and my people!"

Though the same words came again from Gao Wen's mouth, the pirates on the deck now felt something entirely different.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Is this real? Could he... could he really sever Lord Latchet's arm so easily?"

"Can the East Blue truly breed such a monster?!"

"An illusion! It must be an illusion!"

A pirate who had been knocked into the sea by the earlier attack watched this scene as if gone mad, his face filled with disbelief.

He desperately wanted to deny the fact before his eyes, yet the icy seawater surrounding him continuously jolted his nerves.

On the deck.

Labute, who had previously been brimming with aggression, now resembled a startled feline, the hair on his back and waist standing straight up.

He stepped back in one motion to the edge of the deck.

Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead; he no longer possessed the arrogant demeanor of moments before.

This was because he knew his own strength was slightly greater than Latchet's, but they were largely on the same level.

If Gao Wen could so easily sever Latchet's arm, he could just as easily sever his own head.

Such oppressive pressure he had felt only once before, from his own captain, the man known as the Lizard King.

"Wait!"

"We are members of the Hanafusa Pirates! We are one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea recognized by the World Government!"

"Opposing us means opposing the Seven Warlords and the World Government; you had better think clearly about the consequences!"

At this very moment, the flag of the Seven Warlords had become Labute's last shield in his heart.

They had not never faced opponents stronger than themselves, but those individuals, upon seeing the banner of the Seven Warlords, had all retreated in fear.

This time should be no different, right?!

There could be no exceptions!

"Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

The blade Gao Wen pressed against Latchet's shoulder paused slightly.

Seeing this, Labute thought his words had taken effect and was about to speak again...

Hiss!

After a sound of slicing through the air, Labute watched with his own eyes as Latchet's head leaped high into the air, only to be steadily caught by Gao Wen.

Foul-smelling, scalding blood splashed all over Labute, blocking all the words he had yet to speak.

He stared blankly at the man before him, feeling he could no longer comprehend this world at all.

Shouldn't normal pirates flee in panic upon hearing the names of the Seven Warlords or the World Government?

Why did such an anomaly exist in this world?

And why was he so incredibly powerful?!

What answered him.

Was only Gao Wen's slightly mocking voice:

"That is truly a coincidence."

"I was just planning to take that Seven Warlord's head and replace him; aren't you like a pillow delivered just when one is sleepy?"

"Is that fellow named Hanafusa?"

Swish!

Gao Wen swung his blade, flicking off the blood, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile:

"You go first; he will go down to keep you company!"

Labute was struck with sudden terror, feeling a bone-chilling cold rush straight to the top of his skull; his eyes widened extremely in fear, so much so that his pupils shrank into thin slits.

Bang!

Labute withdrew violently, even leaping off the deck.

Although the blue-black seawater below was no different from hell for a Devil Fruit user, at this moment he could no longer care about such things.

He only wished to put as much distance as possible between himself and the man before him who completely disregarded logic!

He bitterly regretted why he had ever accepted this mission, and even more he hated why the East Blue had bred such a monster, yet he alone lacked the courage to stay.

Because this fellow would truly kill him without a moment's hesitation!

"Spare me, I beg you, that woman and that Devil Fruit are both here, I can—"

In mid-air.

Labute was still begging for mercy, but his words cut off halfway into silence; he only saw Gao Wen on the deck maintaining his sword-swinging posture, yet no flying slash came attacking.

Splash!

A sound of a heavy object hitting the water reached Labute's ears.

He looked downward.

And saw a large cat, headless, slowly revert to human form before being swallowed by the seawater.

"Is that my body?!"

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

Splash!

From the sea's surface came two splashes, almost perfectly overlapping.

The band of pirates stared at the two heads slowly sinking into the seawater, and for a moment felt nothing but utter dread.

"Even monsters like Lord Labute and Lord Rachet… they… they… they…"

The pirates on the deck wore expressions of absolute terror; so tense that their speech grew garbled, yet driven by pure instinct they begged for mercy, begging for a way to live.

"I… I want to live, please… don't! Don't kill me!"

"They forced me into it! I never wanted to be a pirate!"

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

A rapid succession of knees hitting the deck rang out.

Some had even wet themselves below the waist, mingled with yellow and white filth, sending waves of stench into the air.

Gao Wen swept his gaze around.

Even the killing intent he had carelessly let slip was enough to leave them unable to summon a shred of resistance.

He said mockingly:

"You aren't feeling remorse — you know you're about to die!"

"Oh, right — can anyone tell me where the woman you kidnapped and my Devil Fruit are?"

"I'll spare his life!"

The pirate closest to Gao Wen blurted out at once:

"I know—!"

Before he could finish, two pirates beside him clamped over his mouth and nose and pinned him to the deck.

The two then tried to speak first, only to be held down by even more people; in an instant the deck descended into an unprecedented free-for-all.

Everyone wanted to seize that one chance to live, even willing to turn blades on comrades they had shared every day with.

Gao Wen even saw someone drive a knife into a companion's body, tearing out bright red flesh and blood.

Fair enough.

How could such people ever have comrades in their hearts?

The deck grew more and more chaotic.

Gao Wen watched it all with indifference.

Until a girl, her eyes burning with an unyielding resolve, stepped out of the cabin holding a delicate gift box in both hands and said softly:

"Mr. Gao Wen, this is the gift I prepared for you."

The crowd fell silent in an instant; everyone stared in despair at Gasha and the treasure chest in her hands.

Some wanted to rush forward and snatch it, but their legs refused to move — Gao Wen's invisible aura pressed down on them like a mountain, leaving them unable to breathe.

Watching all of this unfold, Gasha felt nothing but pure, vicious satisfaction.

When they had first slaughtered the port guards, how savage their faces had been, how brutal their acts — now their despair and helplessness matched it exactly.

That was the kind of people they were: wantonly bullying the weak, yet when faced with power and authority, they could only grovel and beg for pity.

Gao Wen stared at the utterly transformed Gasha, stunned for a beat.

It took him a great deal of effort.

To connect the breathtaking girl before him with the plain-looking Gasha from Raven Harbor a few months earlier.

As he let out a breath of relief, the words slipped out:

"Did you get plastic surgery?!"

(End of chapter)