Chapter 175: The Two Marquises Start a War
On the Whitebeard Fleet, "Even if the enemy is strong, we can't retreat without a fight! We are the Whitebeard Pirates!"
As Jack and Housparton the Fist Slayer were already engaged in a fierce battle on the shore, even if Vista and Jozu were wary of Kael's strength, it wasn't a reason for them to retreat. The Whitebeard Pirates were not afraid to face difficulties head-on.
"Ace, let Jozu and I deal with Kael. You go deal with Piercing Marquis; your Mera Mera no Mi ability can counter Aramaki's vines." "Thatch! Atmosphere! Izo! You guys deal with that blind man!"
After realizing Kael's terrifying strength, Vista immediately re-assigned opponents. Now, they could only hope that Piercing Marquis Aramaki and Heavenly Fall Marquis Issho's strength was similar to Housparton the Fist Slayer's. Then they could still have a thorough battle and uphold the Whitebeard Pirates' reputation. Even if they didn't succeed, they wouldn't be defeated.
"Understood!"
Everyone did not object to Vista's arrangements, and Ace could only temporarily give up Kael as an opponent. However, Piercing Marquis Aramaki's reputation was not to be underestimated; he deserved his serious attention. It was just that using the Mera Mera no Mi ability to counter the Mori Mori no Mi ability might be a bit unethical. "Never mind, at worst, after defeating Aramaki, he just wouldn't kill him."
But their arrangements didn't seem to go as they wished, because the 2 Marquises on the opposite side took the initiative to charge forward.
"Diamond Jozu, come out and fight me! Don't force me to go on a killing spree!"
Aramaki roared loudly and casually, his eyes filled with excitement; he wanted to defeat a great pirate with a bounty of over 1 billion!
"Sir Vista, please enlighten me with your swordsmanship!"
Issho also floated on a tree, challenging Vista. If the other party didn't agree, he would kill his way into the fleet. Facing the challenge of the 2 Marquises, especially Aramaki's arrogant remarks, the Whitebeard Division Commanders and affiliated Captains were all filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could kill this arrogant fellow.
"Damn Aramaki, I'll be your opponent!"
Fire Fist Ace turned into a ball of flame and rushed out, quickly charging towards Aramaki.
"Your bounty is too low; you're not worthy of being my opponent."
Seeing that Diamond Jozu did not respond to the challenge, Aramaki immediately exploded with a large number of vines, surging towards the Whitebeard Fleet.
"Fire Fist!!"
Ace instantly unleashed a giant Fire Fist, blasting towards Aramaki's vines.
"Flames? Oh, how scary~" "Is this supposed to counter me?" "However, if I really had such a weakness, how could I become an Imperial Duke in the future!" "Do you really think this Marquis's forest is that weak!" "Forests, like the ocean, are forces of nature."
'Fireproof Forest!'
Aramaki violently erupted, and a forest surged up, blocking Fire Fist Ace's signature move.
"Can't let the vines get onto the ship!" 'Shining Impact!'
Diamond Jozu suddenly erupted, turning into an afterimage on the ship. His diamond shoulder, wrapped in Armament Haki, rapidly sent Aramaki flying.
"Boom!!"
Aramaki, who had just exchanged a blow with Fire Fist Ace, was suddenly sent flying by Diamond Jozu, crashing into the Silver Mine Mountain and raising a huge mushroom cloud of dust.
"Did he get rid of that bastard?!" "Captain Jozu is mighty!"
Seeing Diamond Jozu succeed with one move, a burst of enthusiastic cheers immediately erupted on the Whitebeard Fleet.
"Ouch, ouch!! Damn it, the Haki is so strong!!"
A completely battered figure quickly emerged from the dust. Aramaki's gruesome injuries recovered at a visible speed.
"Uncle Aramaki, be serious~"
Bonney and Nami shouted, their tones full of displeasure.
"Got it, got it! With your cheers, I'm stronger than ever!"
Aramaki's aura did not weaken in the slightest. Diamond Jozu's sneak attack made him very angry, especially since it made him lose face. The consequences were very serious!
'Forbidden Hatred Giant!'
Aramaki quickly transformed into a massive wooden giant and rapidly slammed towards Diamond Jozu, while countless sharp vines surrounded him. For someone like Diamond Jozu, who possessed immense strength and unparalleled defense, he had many ways to deal with such a hard rock.
"Be careful! Jozu!"
Vista jumped onto the island and quickly swung his sword energy, cutting off a large number of vines.
"Sir, your opponent is me." 'Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!'
Issho's purple sword energy suddenly slashed towards Vista. The terrifying force instantly pressed Vista onto the beach. A huge deep pit appeared on the beach.
"Such strong power!"
Vista gritted his teeth, his veins bulging all over his body. He felt as if he had been struck by an ancient giant, the terrifying power making his hands tremble. This blind Marquis was actually so strong! He had thought that Spartan being able to contend with Jack was already very powerful. He didn't expect this blind swordsman to be even more terrifying. He might not be his opponent!
"Ah!!"
Vista unleashed all his strength, breaking free from Issho's Gravity Blade suppression, and leaped to a distance. He panted heavily, staring intently at Issho. This blind man was definitely stronger than King the Wildfire! How was that possible! How could an East Blue Empire possess so many strong individuals?
"You are not my opponent."
With the first wave of confrontation, Issho finally felt relieved; one of the Four Emperors' top cadres didn't seem as strong as he had imagined. He was confident he could defeat this Vista. It turned out that Kael's assessment of him having the 'stance of a Duke' really wasn't an overestimation. His strength seemed to have reached an unimaginable height.
"Hmph! We'll only know who wins after we fight!"
Vista was more serious than ever; the person in front of him actually made him feel the same pressure he had faced from Silvers Rayleigh back then. This was a feeling he hadn't encountered in many years. It seemed he had been too complacent under his Pops' protection, having forgotten what a life-and-death struggle was.
"Defeating you will surely elevate my deterrence to the next level."
Issho also had a reason to win; his notoriety and deterrence were still not enough, and he wanted to gain the reputation of being able to stop a war with a single word.
"Ace, you guys take care of yourselves and be ready to retreat at any time."
Vista no longer cared about any plans, nor about Ace and the others; he was now locked onto by Issho and couldn't disengage from the battle.
"Jozu! Vista! Hold on, we've already called for backup!!" "Pops will be here soon!"
Izo, the 16th Division Commander, looked at the somewhat bad situation, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He shouted loudly, especially towards Kael's side. He wanted to tell Kael that their Pops, the World's Strongest Man, Edward Newgate, was on his way. If the Emperor and 3 Marquises dared to go too far, they would face the revenge of the World's Strongest Man.
"You guys called Pops for help?"
Fire Fist Ace was originally helping Diamond Jozu destroy the dense vines. But when he heard Izo's shout, he suddenly felt a sense of shame, like 'calling your parents when you can't win.' They were the ones who had actively come to cause trouble for Spartan, yet they needed to request backup so quickly. This made him feel a bit remorseful towards Whitebeard. As soon as he thought of this, Fire Fist Ace felt that he had to do something to save the Whitebeard Pirates' face. He suddenly looked towards Kael...
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