Chapter 119

And as Sima Di waved his hand,

These one hundred thousand swords and knives shot forth like arrows released from bows, striking the Devil-Slaying Order fleet—supermassive warships the size of small islands became living targets, their hulls pierced with a dense forest of blades.

The soldiers on deck were less fortunate; many who couldn't dodge were blown into porcupine-like corpses.

Officers above the rank of Navy Lieutenant had no fear of these ordinary blades' volleys, so...

Sima Di had something bigger planned for them!

????

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32. Seeing Kuzan returns! Abandon the Golden Merry?

Sima Di had something bigger planned for them!

The released Hyōrinmaru transformed into an ice dragon that soared forth, striking the deck of a supermassive warship; its ability activated instantly froze every nearby Navy officer—whether Lieutenant or Rear Admiral—without distinction, all turned to ice statues.

Only one Vice Admiral reacted in time, using Gekkō to leap away and escape death.

But...

"Crack—crack—"

The supermassive warship shattered from the point of Hyōrinmaru's impact, crumbling like a collapsing Bingshan into debris that sank into the sea.

As naval commanders stared in fury, something even more deceitful came next!

Most of the swords and knives vanished before their eyes, slowly retreating back into Wang Zhi's Treasure Vault of Gold.

Then, with another wave of Sima Di's hand, they surged forth once more!

Ah!

That's just so sneaky!

Same formula, same taste—a second supermassive warship shattered into debris and sank into the sea.

Just as Sima Di prepared to repeat the act and bury the remaining three supermassive warships...

Vast sheets of ice rose from the sea's surface, instantly forming a ten-thousand-meter-tall thick ice wall that separated the supermassive warships from the Golden Merry.

No need to guess—it was Seeing Kuzan, hidden in the shadows, who had acted.

After all, he was a Navy Admiral, and couldn't bear to watch his men be slaughtered so brutally.

But...

A single ice wall hopes to save them?

Sima Di lowered his stance, clenched his fist, exhaled, and punched—air turned into a shockwave that shattered the ten-thousand-meter ice wall, unstoppable as it swept toward the remaining three supermassive warships, cutting them mid-hull and sinking them into the sea.

"Tsk!" Sima Di turned to Robin, raising an eyebrow: "That counts as avenging you."

Robin, moved, embraced Sima Di, her tears soaking his chest.

If only Sima Di had been here back then!

"Giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle—"

The sea surface froze solid, trapping the Golden Merry on the ice.

A column of ice rose level with the Golden Merry, its top forming a block of ice that shaped into Seeing Kuzan's grim face, glaring hostilely at Sima Di.

I let you go—why show no mercy to my men?

Sima Di released Robin and met Seeing Kuzan's gaze without fear.

Who asked you to hold back?

If you want to fight, then fight!

The Dai Red Lotus Hyōrinmaru landed in his hand; twelve crimson lotus ice crystals bloomed behind him, ice dragons spreading wings to encircle and shield the Golden Merry.

Bankai!

Sima Di manipulated water molecules in the air, turning the ice trapping the Golden Merry back into water, letting the ice dragon escort the Golden Merry away while he stood midair, facing off against Seeing Kuzan.

Luffy instinctively moved to join the battle, but Kurokasi held him back.

"Let him go—you're no match for him."

Bingshan's lips twitched...

Obviously!

A Navy Admiral—how could ordinary people possibly be a match?

Robin watched Sima Di with worry; though she trusted him deeply, her opponent was still a Navy Admiral...

Compared to the anxiety of those who knew the truth, Sima Di felt the opposite.

"Didn't get enough fun last time—don't you dare run halfway this time!" Sima Di taunted.

Yet...

Facing such arrogant Sima Di, Seeing Kuzan merely shook his head calmly.

"I won't come to fight you—only... Robin said your wisdom is unmatched. I have a question to ask you."

Huh?

He came to ask for advice?

He killed so many Navy men...

Wait!

Kenbunshoku Haki swept across the sea,

and Sima Di spotted countless ice cocoons on the water's surface—Seeing Kuzan had rescued most of the Navy officers, who were now gathering on an ice island.

No wonder he had no killing intent.

Sima Di rolled his eyes in boredom and waved his hand dismissively.

"Ask away, ask away. Once you're done, scram."

He had also lost the desire to fight.

After all, if Seeing Kuzan truly wanted to leave, he really had no good means to keep him.

If he ran off halfway through the fight again, it would leave him stuck in an awkward, uncomfortable position.

"Why... did you choose to be a pirate instead of a Marine?" Seeing Kuzan asked.

As expected,

it was still because of his conflicted "Justice."

"Compared to the restrictive and corrupt Marines, the freedom to adventure as a pirate appeals to me more," Sima Di stated truthfully. "I want to see scenery others cannot see, experience adventures others cannot experience, and do things others cannot do!"

Such a pure "adventurer" statement left Seeing Kuzan even more bewildered.

"Then... why must it be a pirate?" Seeing Kuzan asked again.

"That's already your second question," Sima Di retorted. "Was becoming a pirate my own choice? Or was it you Marines who put a bounty on me?"

"As far as I know, you attacked the Marines and saved the Straw Hat brat, which is why..."

"So does that make Luffy an irredeemably evil pirate?" Sima Di countered. "The Fish-Man Arlong terrorized Cocoyasi Village, the Marine Branch not only colluded with him, but when Luffy defeated Arlong and cut off the Marine Branch's revenue stream, that's why he got a bounty?"

Seeing Kuzan fell silent.

For a long time,

he spoke softly, "The Marines may be flawed, but they are necessary to maintain stability in the seas. We cannot negate the efforts of the entire Marine force just because some branches are corrupt."

"I admit there are Marines who hold justice in their hearts," Sima Di nodded. "But if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be askew. As long as the Celestial Dragons exist for even one day, the Marines cannot uphold true justice; they will always remain the Celestial Dragons' dogs."

Those words were so harsh they amounted to an insult.

Yet Seeing Kuzan had no words to refute them, because it was indeed the truth.

So...

if he were to uphold his Justice, was it truly only...

Seeing Kuzan shook his head and glanced at Sima Di.

"You see things clearly indeed, but your height is not yet high enough to represent anything."

"I will wait for you To the New World. Reach the height of a Yonko, and then we can continue this conversation..."

"Crack—"

Seeing Kuzan's entire body shattered, turning into ice flowers that drifted down.

Sima Di was left completely bewildered!

You, a Marine Admiral, are encouraging me, a pirate, to reach the height of a Yonko?

No matter how you listen to it, it's strange!