"Ah ah ah ah ah…"
Wapol rolled on the ground in agony. "We must kill you!"
Luffy blinked as he watched the giant Wapol thrash around and burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Shirogai, he's so dumb!"
Shirogai pointed at Wapol, as if observing some foolish child, and smiled at Luffy. "See that? This is what happens when strength outpaces intelligence. Luffy, don't ever end up like him. A child's mind wielding world-ending power only spells disaster."
Luffy puffed out his chest proudly. "No way, Shirogai! I'm way smarter than him! Dadan used to tell me I was a genius when I was a kid!"
Shirogai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What exactly did Dadan say?"
Luffy laughed heartily. "She said: 'Luffy, you're a real genius!'"
Shirogai sighed. "..."
"Bastard, go to hell! Poison Mushroom Punch!"
Wapol, his face riddled like it had been gnawed by a dog, lunged toward the dazed Shirogai in a blind rage.
"Hahaha! Dadan might not have been wrong after all."
Shirogai chuckled, casually countering with an Armament Haki-clad punch. Their fists collided.
Crack, crack…
The gauntlet, made of poisonous mushrooms, shattered instantly under Shirogai's blow. A spiraling force surged through Wapol's arm, tearing apart his armor and clothing in its path.
"Ahhh! What the hell is this?!"
Wapol flailed, but the twisting force spread throughout his body, leaving him stark naked in the snow.
Ding!
The only thing left on him was a clock hanging from his neck — its mushroom-shaped pointer now pointed to three.
"Damn it! We're completely exposed!"
Wapol's voice rose in pitch as he covered himself in shame. "You'll regret this! The Spore Great Bomb I've been nurturing for over ten years is almost ready! I'll wipe you all out!"
---
Inside the castle
"Will Shirogai and Luffy be okay?!"
Chopper, in human form, sprinted out of the castle, worry etched on his face.
Usopp, still weak from illness, groaned from Chopper's back. "Slow down! My head's spinning!"
Sanji jogged alongside them, reassuring Chopper. "Relax, Reindeer Doctor. With Shirogai and Luffy out there, those clowns are no threat."
"Who're you calling Reindeer Doctor, you bastard human?!"
But Chopper couldn't shake his anxiety. "Dalton said those guys nearly destroyed this country twenty years ago. If he unleashes that poison bomb again, it could wipe out the entire kingdom!"
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke. "A guy who had to ambush me to win is no match for Shirogai. And Luffy can handle him in a fair fight."
Chopper glared at Sanji's cigarette. "You haven't fully recovered! Don't smoke — it'll slow your healing!"
Sanji shrugged. "Sorry, Doc, not smoking'll slow my recovery."
They arrived at the castle courtyard just in time to see the giant, naked Wapol roaring with laughter. "Fools! The Spore Great Bomb I've nurtured for ten years is fully charged! All of you will die in agony!"
Behind him, a massive cannon muzzle glowed red-hot, white smoke pouring out.
"No! He can't be allowed to fire that thing!"
Chopper froze, recalling Dr. Kureha's warning:
"If Mushuru fires the Spore Bomb, most here will die, and the survivors might suffer deformities. You must stop him."
"I won't let you do this!"
Without hesitation, Chopper hurled Usopp aside, his powerful reindeer legs launching him into a sprint.
"Jump Boost!"
Wapol sneered as Chopper closed in. His hands morphed into cannons, firing two cannonballs. "You think you can stop me now?! Too late! No one can halt the Spore Great Bomb!"
Chopper couldn't dodge in time. The explosions sent him rolling across the snow, black smoke trailing from his body.
"Why…?"
Chopper looked up at Shirogai and Luffy, confused and hurt. "Why are you letting him fire that cannon?!"
"You alright, Reindeer?" Luffy grinned, helping him up. "Shirogai said he wants that bomb fired so he can get rid of its threat for good. I didn't really get it, but I trust him."
Chopper turned to Shirogai, bewildered.
Shirogai just smiled and stared at the laughing Wapol.
As the pointer on Wapol's chest hit eight, the entire clock face flashed ominously.
Wapol's body quivered as the gas bomb inside him yearned to be released.
"Alright — it's done! Hahaha, you worms will die now! Nation-Destroying Poison Bomb: Spore Great Bomb, fire!"
A huge fire blast erupted from the cannon behind Wapol's head. A massive black cannonball soared skyward.
Everyone around the castle watched it ascend.
"Quick, gas masks on!"
The pirate soldiers followed instinctively, donning their gear.
"Gas masks?"
Wapol laughed cruelly. "Fools! You think ordinary masks can withstand the poison I've cultivated for a decade? You're all going to hell too!"
"Wapol sama!"
The pirates were stunned. Never did they imagine their loyalty meant so little.
Chopper's eyes widened in fury. "No! It's been fired! I need to warn Dr. Kureha — we'll have mass casualties!"
But Luffy grabbed him, still grinning. "Relax, Shirogai's got it covered."
"Huh?"
Chopper turned back just in time to realize Shirogai had vanished.
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette, watching the sky calmly. "Told you, Reindeer Doctor — we've got more than one monster in this crew."
Usopp weakly waved a hand. "Shirogai, hurry up already… I need a nap."
High in the sky, the cannonball reached its apex.
The fuse burned down.
Boom!
The Spore Great Bomb detonated in a dense burst of dark purple mist.
But before the cloud could spread, a massive black mist surged through the sky.
"Mist Prison."
Shirogai had already transformed, his Logia body becoming an enormous mass of smoke that swallowed the poisonous cloud before it could descend.
He absorbed every particle of toxin, then rapidly descended, reassembling into his human form.
Urgh!
He let out a small belch, rubbing his bloated stomach. "Whew… that was… potent."
"What?! Our Spore Great Bomb — over a decade of work — and you ate it?!"
Wapol's jaw hit the ground with an audible thud.
"Eaten… eaten it?"
Chopper mirrored his shock, jaw dropping in disbelief.
__
Join our discord server
Link: https://discord.gg/Mr8Q62CH
Support us on patreon (+Gain access to chapters in advance)
Link: patreon.com/Zphyr_