Chapter 291: Something's Off. Something Is Very Off.
In the waters off Terra, a storm raged. Thunder, rain, and wind lashed a fleet of pirate ships.
On the decks, pirates stared up at the dark sky, where a fleet of airborne ships was maneuvering, their gazes a mixture of anger and cold killing intent. Realizing they were surrounded, the allied pirates of the Whitebeard fleet erupted with astonishing battle spirit, readying themselves for a fight.
In the next second, a barrage of fiery cannonballs rained down from the sky, a dense curtain of death falling upon the fleet.
"Quick! Adjust the angle, prepare to return fire!"
"We have to shoot these bastards down!"
The pirates watched the screaming cannonballs descend, their faces grim. They knew that a barrage like this would quickly sink even a Buster Call-level warship. The Archangel Pirates weren't just a crew of individuals with terrifying power; their cannons were also world-class. Only the most elite Marine units and a few World Government fleets could match their firepower.
Just as the cannonballs were about to hit, heavy footsteps thundered across the decks.
One by one, the powerful pirate captains burst into action, leaping from the masts and rigging. They used their signature moves to smash the cannonballs out of the air before they could strike their ships.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
In an instant, the sky above the fleet was filled with massive fireballs. Burning shrapnel rained down, tearing through the ships' sails and setting them ablaze.
The captains landed back on their decks, their hearts bleeding as they saw the burning sails and wounded crew.
"Damn it! They're crippling our ships before we even make landfall!"
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard and several of his commanders sat, watching the sky.
"This is not good," Marco said, his expression grave. "At this rate, we won't have any ships left for our escape."
He turned to his captain, who was sitting in his chair, hooked up to an oxygen tank and an IV. "Old Man, should we make a move? Take down those ships? That bastard's top officers aren't even here yet. Once they show up, it'll be even harder!"
The other commanders all looked at Whitebeard, waiting.
Whitebeard looked at his sons and slowly shook his head. "No. That man's officers are strong, and they have immortality. You must conserve your strength."
"These ships... I'll handle them." Whitebeard looked up. "I've grown weak, but not so weak that trash like this can stand above my head."
Before his commanders could react, Whitebeard stood, gripping his IV-needled fist. He coated it in the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and punched the air.
"Kacha—!"
In the sky, the commanders of the Mist Ships were busy directing the barrage, all while screaming into their comms.
"Damn it all!! Where the hell is the patrol?!"
"How did a fleet this big get here without a single alarm?!"
"We were lucky our lookout tower in the forest spotted them, or we wouldn't have known to intercept!"
"By the Angels! Where is that shark bastard and his army?!"
A torrent of curses and complaints filled the channel.
Just then, a sharp, cracking sound echoed in the air. The experienced pirates' faces turned pale.
"You've got to be kidding me—"
"Whitebeard is here?!"
They scrambled to the rails, looking down.
On the dark, churning sea, a series of pure white cracks had appeared in the very fabric of the air, spreading rapidly toward them.
"All hands! Brace for impact!!" the lead pirate roared.
The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, unseen on the seas for years, shot into the sky, enveloping the cannon-fire.
BOOOOOM!
With a deafening roar, the power shattered the atmosphere, detonating the shells in mid-air.
A chain of massive fireballs lit up the dark sky, and the resulting shockwave vaporized the rain, creating a pocket of dead calm in the middle of the storm.
On the fleet below, the pirates cheered. "LONG LIVE THE OLD MAN!!"
Whitebeard stood tall, his one good eye staring grimly through the smoke, as if he could see the ships high above. His commanders, however, looked uneasy.
"Old Man..."
The cheering stopped.
A fresh volley of cannonballs screamed down from the sky, blasting hundred-meter-tall plumes of water into the air.
"How?!" The pirates stared in disbelief as the smoke cleared, revealing the Mist Ships, floating completely unharmed.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"How did they survive the Old Man's attack?!"
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard was silent for a moment. "...That bastard. He used the Space-Space Fruit's power... to stretch the distance between the sea and his ships. My tremor couldn't reach them."
He knew his own power. Even as weak as he was, that attack should have covered thousands of meters. But the ships, only a few hundred meters up, were untouched. There was no other explanation.
"Space..." Whitebeard looked up, a rare, deep sense of dread in his heart.
Aboard the Mist Ships, the crews, confused but relieved, were about to resume firing when their cannons suddenly stopped.
One by one, the Mist Ships, responding to the call of their creator, awoke.
Their ship spirits took control, and, ignoring the panicked shouts of their crews, they turned and fled toward the interior of Terra.
"Hey! Hey! Now's not the time to be stubborn, you ship spirits!!" the commanders yelled, completely baffled.
"Turn around, damn it! Machine-Spirit!!" one captain on an outer ship screamed. "I promise I'll use high-quality incense next time, not the cheap stuff!!"
In response, his ship accelerated, throwing everyone on board to the deck.
In moments, the sky was empty.
On the sea, the allied fleet fell silent. They began transferring crews from the most heavily damaged vessels. Then, led by the remaining ships of the Whitebeard Pirates, they set sail for the massive island in the distance.
They all knew what was waiting for them. But they felt nothing but anger and the will to fight.
They landed on the beach of the wilderness. Thousands of pirates disembarked and marched into the deep forest, heading for the place where their comrades were imprisoned.
Marco looked at his captain, his eyes full of sorrow. "Old Man, I'm guiding them in."
Whitebeard met his gaze. "Gurarara... Go. It's time for you to be a man who can stand on his own." He clapped Marco on the shoulder. "I'm old and slow, but I'll follow. I won't let you fight alone."
Marco's vision blurred. He gritted his teeth and left without looking back. The other commanders took one last look at their captain, then followed.
As Whitebeard prepared to step ashore, a new sound came from behind him. A medium-sized icebreaker, retrofitted with massive, steam-powered steel paddle wheels on its sides, was driving itself right onto the beach, stopping in front of him.
A woman with long, light-blue hair, wearing a captain's hat, stood at the rail and smiled.
"I heard we were going inland, so I modified my ship. Steam-powered paddle wheels. Need a ride, Old Man?"
Whitebeard's lips curled into a smile of relief. "That's a big help, Whitey Bay."
The "Ice Witch" tossed her hair. "We're all Whitebeard Pirates, aren't we? It's the least I can do."
At that exact moment, in the mining quarry not far from the coast, a sudden and violent riot erupted.
The prisoners, held for years, had somehow armed themselves.
Led by the two Whitebeard commanders—"Diamond" Jozu and Izo—the pirates, their wills long since thought broken, miraculously reignited their fighting spirit.
Thousands of Whitebeard's allied pirates, along with others captured over the years, joined forces. They overwhelmed the guards, drove them out, and seized the entire quarry.
They broke into warehouses they had never seen before, finding vast stores of food and medicine.
Then, Jozu and Izo stood in a massive, hidden armory, staring in disbelief at racks upon racks of swords, guns, and cannons.
"Why are there so many weapons here? Weren't they afraid they'd fall into our hands?"
One of the prisoners guessed, "Maybe they were for the guards, to suppress a riot? They tried to run here before we drove them off..."
"Who cares!" another yelled, grabbing a repeating flintlock. "The giant hounds will be back soon! Grab what you can! Hey! There are weapons in here!"
In the armory, Jozu and Izo looked at each other, a dark feeling settling in their stomachs.
"Something's off. Something is very off," Jozu said, his voice heavy. "If these were for the guards, they'd be carrying them. And there are far more weapons here than there were guards. It's... it's less like weapons for the guards..."
Izo picked up two pistols, his expression priceless. "...and more like they were left here for us."
They sighed, watching the pirates flood in to arm themselves.
Without a doubt, this was a trap.
But they were pawns, with no way to leave the board.
Even knowing it was part of that monster's plan, they had to take the weapons. They needed them.
They didn't notice the faint, almost invisible crystals embedded in the canyon walls high above, forming a giant, ominous pentagram.
Directly above the quarry, inside Avant Heim's hidden, crystalline core.
Louis sat on a massive, ornate throne of crystal and gold, his expression unreadable. His snow-white wings were spread wide, glowing with a brilliant golden light. A "light rain" of energy fell from them, flowing into the throne and through crystal conduits, powering Avant Heim itself.
Katakuri, Daz Bonez, and Asmodeus stood before him.
"Terrifying..." Katakuri watched, his mind reeling. The throne was visibly and continuously drawing Louis's life force. This didn't look like a preparation; it looked like torture.
Louis ignored Katakuri's stare, his mind focused.
Just then, a Den Den Mushi on Asmodeus rang.
Louis took the call. A snail with Shiki's face appeared.
"Louis, are you ready yet? I'm in the Calm Belt, almost at Impel Down. As soon as your plan is complete, I'll pull it up."
"Soon," Louis replied from the throne, his voice flat. "Whitebeard has already landed on Terra. Shiki, are you sure there are no problems on your end?"
"Jihahaha! Impossible."
As they were speaking, Daz Bonez's Den Den Mushi rang. He frowned, taking it from his suit.
The snail changed, taking on the appearance of a shark fish-man.
Fukaboshi?
"Mr. Daz! Please inform Lord Louis! Our allies in the deep sea... they've spotted something... It's flying towards Terra!"
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