NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: One Slash
At this time, Morgan had not yet experienced the disastrous defeat at Kuro's hands. His chin was still made of flesh, and his arms had not been replaced with giant axe-shaped prosthetic limbs; his overall aura was far more powerful than his later appearance.
It is because his mentality, will, and belief are now at the peak of his life, and the power born from it is even stronger.
Morgan looked out into the distance.
There were flames on the deserted island. A marine in charge of reconnaissance hurried to Morgan's side, saluted, and began to report the situation:
"A pirate ship was found in a bay on the island. Judging from the flag, it is undoubtedly from the White Knight Pirate."
"But the strange thing is that the ship broke in the middle, and the cut surface was extremely smooth. It didn't seem to be formed naturally, but more like it was man-made."
Morgan was slightly stunned, raised the telescope in his hand, and looked at the bay in the distance.
As the scouts reported, a pirate ship that had been divided into two was stranded on the beach.
Morgan had seen scenes like this before.
That was a few years ago.
When Garp returned to the East Blue to wipe out the surrounding pirates.
The silent man named Bogard who has always followed Vice Admiral Garp.
At that time, everyone thought he was just Garp's follower.
Everyone fell silent until he cut a pirate ship in half with one sword, and the powerful flying slash almost cut the sea apart.
How could someone who could stay by Garp's side for decades be just an unknown person?
The slash Bogard made back then was almost identical to the one in front of him.
Therefore, with just one glance, Morgan could tell that the person who caused this must be a skilled swordsman.
"White Knight Gawain, did it?"
"No, a swordsman who can leave such neat cuts is considered a top figure even on the Grand Line."
"I know Gawain's strength well. He definitely can't do this. Did he encounter other pirates?"
Morgan frowned slightly and became wary of the mysterious man who made the move.
A strong man who could cut a ship in half with one slash should not be an unknown person in the East Blue.
Even in his impression, only a few marines from the headquarters could do it.
"But it looks like he has fought against the White Knight Pirate before. Heh, a bunch of unlucky guys."
Thinking of this, Morgan's confidence increased.
In his impression, Gawain was not his opponent.
Now they are attacked by a mysterious, strong man again. Without the need for any verification, he knew that the other party must have suffered heavy losses.
The ship is the best evidence.
Several more rounds of artillery fire fell from the warships, and the red meteors in the sky completely ignited the entire island. Flames shot up into the sky, and other than that, there was no other sound in the forest.
Seeing that half of the ship's shells had been used up, Morgan stopped the artillery fire.
He decided to take Gawain's head himself.
Looking at the marines rubbing their hands in preparation, Morgan grinned and said: "Everyone, tonight is our night to make achievements!"
"For justice!"
When Morgan's firm voice fell, the emotions of the marines were completely ignited, and some even trembled with excitement.
This was not the first time they had fought against the White Knight Pirate.
Every time before, they had beaten the other party into fleeing in panic, and the only price they paid was a few minor injuries.
And now Gawain is on the island. He is a living, meritorious service and a walking 50 million Belly!
"It's not just the Marines that offered a bounty on Gawain's head. The bounty offered by the Kingdom of Goa's royal family in the Underworld has already reached 50 million!"
"As long as we can capture him, everything will belong to us. Besides, we are enforcing justice!"
"Absolute justice!"
The belief in justice dispelled the last bit of concern of these marines. The swords and ammunition wrapped in wax paper in their hands brought them unprecedented confidence and made them truly cold-blooded executioners.
Everyone seemed to see themselves achieving success.
"Kill!"
Morgan shouted loudly, then jumped off the warship first and rushed towards the cave. Then, a group of marines followed closely behind him with fanatical looks on their faces.
Everyone moved quickly, with Morgan taking the lead. In just a few minutes, they had covered a distance of nearly a thousand meters.
Soon.
Gawain, holding a long sword, led dozens of pirates and appeared in Morgan's sight.
He looked at the fanatical marines in front of him with an indifferent expression.
He just feels that the eyes of these people are no different from his previous deputy captain, who died at his hand; they are all equally fanatical and greedy.
The battle between marines and pirates also broke out at this moment.
Suddenly, a burst of intensive gunfire was heard on the deserted island, and within a few breaths, several corpses were left on both sides.
Even those on Gawain's ship who had shrunk back in fear forgot what fear was because of the adrenaline.
They raise their sword and gun in their hand and fight with the enemy, creating a bloody and hideous battlefield.
For the Marines, this war is for fame, profit, and a stepping stone to promotion, while the pirates are fighting purely for survival!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Amidst the intensive gunfire, Gawain swung his sword to cut off several bullets that were flying towards him, then he looked up at Morgan, who was also motionless in the distance, with a faint smile on his face:
"Rather than saying you're a marine, you're more like my colleague."
"A sharp-tongued little devil!"
Morgan grinned and looked at Gawain in front of him; he didn't want to say anything more to him.
He stomped his feet hard, almost crushing the ground, and turned into a sharp arrow and rushed towards Gawain.
At the same time, the axe in his hand swept across, bursting out with terrifying force.
Even if this blow hit the rock, it could easily crush it!
He had used his strength to suppress Gawain several times before, and he didn't think the result would be different if he tried it again this time.
There are indeed many people in this ocean who can be reborn within a month. Devil fruits, technological transformation, and Haki awakening can all enhance a person's combat effectiveness in a very short period of time.
But Gawain is obviously not among them!
The next moment…
Boom!
The violent force shattered the rocks on the ground, but Morgan frowned slightly:
"I miss?"
"No, you are too slow..."
Gawain's teasing voice rang in Morgan's ears, and the latter's vest was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
The ship that was stranded on the beach for no reason appeared in Morgan's eyes again.
The next moment.
A bone-chilling murderous intent came from Morgan's back, almost completely freezing the surrounding air.
At this moment, unspeakable fear rose in Morgan's heart.
A guess that he had rejected appeared in Morgan's mind again, causing his pupils to tremble: "You cut off that ship? That's impossible!"
"Only mediocre people would say it's impossible, but strong people will find a solution. This is the insurmountable gap between you and me!"
Gawain looked at Morgan with little interest. This man, who had once suffocated him, could no longer pose a threat to him.
Then he said calmly while looking at him: "I will kill you with one sword and sever the cause and effect with the past!"
"I…!"
Before Morgan could finish his words, he felt a chill on his neck. When he looked back, Gawain had disappeared.
After spinning for a while, a headless body appeared before his eyes… Is that me?
A final thought flashed through Morgan's mind before he fell into darkness.