NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Garp!!!
In the piercing gaze of Waldo and his cohorts, a pirate sporting a Viking horn hat materialized from the throng, his countenance bearing a disdainful sneer aimed directly at Waldo.
"I didn't reckon you'd stoop so low as to be a spy," Waldo retorted, his tone growing frigid as he addressed the core member of his own pirate crew. Betrayals and treachery were commonplace in the cutthroat world of piracy; for these denizens of the sea, such betrayals were as routine as breathing.
Yet, when betrayal festered within his own crew, especially by one he had trusted, the fury that ignited within Waldo was beyond measure.
"However, to be intercepted by a mere Navy at this juncture—should I brand you ignorant or fearless?" Waldo questioned, his voice laced with contempt.
Despite being poisoned, Waldo and other top-tier pirates possessed bodies akin to fortresses. Even if a toxin lethal to ordinary folk invaded their systems, they could stave off its effects temporarily with their superhuman physical attributes.
Much like Whitebeard during the Summit War, who, despite grievous injuries, retained his combat prowess, fending off scores of Marines and even the unscathed Blackbeard thereafter. Such displays underscored why the titans of the sea were dubbed monsters.
While Waldo acknowledged that the present moment warranted retreat, knowing that once they secured a safe haven, Nightin, his trusted subordinate, would concoct an antidote using his exceptional pharmacological expertise, the sight of the traitor responsible for their predicament exacerbated his simmering ire.
Who did this scoundrel think he was dealing with?
Did he truly believe Waldo's moniker, the World Destroyer, to be a mere facade?
"Hey, what do you take us for!?"
"Despite my dire poisoning, dispatching you is as simple as swatting a fly. Surrender the antidote obediently, and perhaps we'll expedite your demise!"
"Indeed, hand it over!"
The surrounding pirates, those still capable of mustering their strength, began to arm themselves, fixing their menacing glares upon the Navy spy. Though they knew the Navy would soon clear the surrounding hurdles and converge upon their location, they also knew that failure to detoxify before the Navy's arrival would leave them with only one recourse: death.
"Navy?"
The Navy spy, clad in the horned hat, regarded the pirates, initially puzzled, then erupted into laughter. "We're not affiliated with those Navy lackeys. Moreover, who in their right mind carries an antidote on their person after poisoning others?"
The spy's words sent a shiver down the spines of the surrounding pirates as they surveyed their fallen comrades, the agonizing pain coursing through their bodies plunging them into despair.
"Ha! Since we're all headed for the abyss, brothers, let's make it count! Taking down one will be a victory, two a triumph!"
"Agreed! With over ten thousand soldiers at our disposal, even in our demise, we shall paint the World Government's lackeys a vibrant hue!"
"Enough! Poison poses no threat to us!"
Waldo then instructed one of his nearby pirates, "Quick, summon Nightin!"
Waldo's confidence wasn't born of arrogance; rather, it stemmed from his unwavering trust in Nightin's medical prowess.
However, unbeknownst to Waldo as he issued the command, the pirate who received it, upon casting a glance at the traitor lurking behind Waldo, curled his lips into a smirk before producing a pistol from his waist.
Almost in tandem with the pirate's draw, several of Waldo's comrades also brandished their weapons, launching a surprise assault against Waldo.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A hail of gunfire reverberated through the air, inflicting several wounds upon Waldo. His rage, nearly uncontainable, erupted. To be betrayed by those he trusted was a wound deeper than any physical injury.
Confronted with the botched ambush, the assailants swiftly rallied around the pirate who instigated the betrayal. Faced with a behemoth like Waldo, engaging in a war of attrition was futile; the prudent choice was to withdraw posthaste following the foiled ambush.
"Waldo, we've been duped. The Navy has us encircled. We must retreat at once!"
At this juncture, Byojack's urgent voice resounded, accompanied by the arrival of Sebastian, Nightin, and Gairam, three high-ranking members of the World Pirates.
Witnessing the tableau, Byojack's countenance darkened. After all, those treacherous figures donning horned hats were indisputably the backbone of the World Pirates. Now beset by internal and external threats, their predicament was dire.
As the clandestine passage neared completion, the tumult outside reached their ears. Initially dismissed as yet another Navy siege, the situation had spiraled into a premeditated conspiracy against them.
"It seems swiftness is our ally!"
Waldo declared, casting a steely gaze upon the traitors.
"Waldo, let's not dally. Our foremost priority is breaking through the encirclement and allowing Nightin to concoct the antidote. Failure to act swiftly risks inviting the wrath of the main Marine force!"
Byojack urged anxiously.
"Brother, must you cower so readily? If we allow these traitors to live, how can we navigate the seas henceforth? And what power does the Navy hold over me? I am Waldo, the World Destroyer!"
"Hey, you're the World Destroyer, huh? Well, you've saved me quite some time."
At that moment, a nonchalant voice emanated from the forest.
"Who goes there!?"
Waldo bellowed, seizing a stone and hurling it in the direction of the voice.
"Momo-Momo: Hundredfold Shotgun!"
The shattered stone, propelled a hundredfold, sliced through the air with a resounding swish, hurtling toward the forest where the voice originated.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The stones, akin to the force of cannon fire, collided within the forest, followed by the emergence of a figure clad in Navy regalia and a cloak of justice, striding forth unscathed.
Observing the Navy insignia adorning the figure, Waldo's countenance darkened instantaneously. His assault had failed to breach the formidable defense.
"Waldo!"
Spotting the newcomer, Byojack's cry rang out as though he had glimpsed a specter, urgently calling out to Waldo.
"That's Vice Admiral Garp!"
The revelation sent a chill down Waldo's spine. Garp's renown still commanded reverence among the pirates of the New World. Those who disregarded such legends either met their demise or languished in obscurity.
"Garp, you say!? If death beckons, I shall gladly oblige!"
With his declaration echoing, Waldo drew his blade from its scabbard. In a sprint toward Garp, Waldo's blade expanded a hundredfold in the blink of an eye, hurtling toward Garp with lightning speed.
As Waldo closed the distance, a voice boomed forth.
"Momo-Momo: Hundredfold Slash!"
Witnessing the titanic, Haki-infused sword hurtling toward him, the surrounding pirates felt a surge of exhilaration.
Such monstrous strength, such devastating momentum—it was no wonder their captain bore the moniker, the World Destroyer!
Yet, their jubilation was short-lived.
For Garp, with a mere lift of his hand, seized the hundred-meter-long blade, crashing it into the earth with titanic force. The ground beneath Waldo quaked violently, fissures webbing outward like spider silk while the surrounding trees crumbled into dust.
"Are you jesting? That Navy halted Waldo's onslaught with but one hand!"
The speaking pirate's exultation turned to apprehension. With Waldo at the helm, they had entertained hopes of repelling the Navy's assault. Yet now, it seemed the Navy had dispatched a genuine juggernaut, and they were in dire straits.
Such thoughts pervaded the hearts of all who bore witness to this spectacle.
"This level of power, while formidable, hinges solely on Devil Fruit augmentation!"
With Garp's right hand gripping the blade, he smashed it into the ground with crushing force.
Waldo's pupils constricted sharply. Without opportunity for defense, he could only shroud his vital points with Armament Haki, yet still, he was sent hurtling into the earth with brutal force.
Boom!
The surface trembled violently as Waldo's form crashed down. Cracks fissured through the earth around him, and the trees shattered into splinters.