Chapter 45: Momousagi's Blade
Bell's base camp.
Bell and Barkley raced to the scene, quickly arriving and learning the full story.
Apparently, a mysterious individual had detonated a large amount of explosives, blowing up the castle and freeing the imprisoned slaves.
"Damn it! Where were the guards?"
Bell clenched his fists, his face grim as he realized some of the intelligence documents he'd hidden in his quarters had gone missing!
"Lord Knowsley was defeated!"
"That mysterious individual was incredibly powerful. He sent Knowsley flying with a single blow. We couldn't stop him!"
"The scene was pure chaos, and he was so fast—we lost track of him!"
The guards chattered nervously, trying to distance themselves from the incident. After all, they were all partially responsible.
Bell's face paled, though his worry and fear subsided slightly.
"It can't be the World Government."
If the World Government had discovered his identity, the troops they sent would have been responsible for complete destruction and cleanup.
Was it some underworld rival?
Bell's expression suddenly changed as he spotted an emergency distress signal in the distance.
"The Carl brothers can't even handle that young man?!"
Barkley was equally shocked and incredulous.
Carl and Kara—one a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, the other a feared sniper—combined their power to create a formidable team. They could easily subdue or even kill an opponent of "Silver Sword" Reynard's caliber.
They were renowned throughout this sea area, having even clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates before—true veterans.
Yet they hadn't expected to be forced to send out a distress signal by some young upstart!
"I'll go ahead!"
Barkley rushed in that direction without hesitation. His massive frame bulldozed through obstacles like a raging beast, trampling the ground and sending pedestrians scattering.
Meanwhile, the entire island was in turmoil, with scattered members of the Beast Pirates converging on their location.
If Rhodes insisted on eliminating Carl and the others, he would inevitably be surrounded. Once Barkley arrived, his life would be in serious danger!
"Don't you dare run, kid!"
Carl might be slow-witted, but he wasn't stupid. He quickly understood Kara's strategy and charged forward while taunting, hoping to provoke Rhodes.
Kara silently raised his sniper rifle, maintaining distance while drawing most of Rhodes' attention.
A powerful sniper was terrifying.
They wielded specially modified firearms with bullets enhanced by Armament Haki, giving them tremendous penetrating power. Snipers often possessed exceptional Observation Haki as well, making their shots devastatingly accurate.
Most pirate crews had snipers, like Yasopp of the Red Hair Pirates.
"Forget it, time to retreat."
Seeing that a quick kill was impossible, Rhodes didn't force the issue. There was no point putting himself in danger for these small fries.
But just then, a voice tinged with amusement suddenly came from nearby.
"Looks like you're in quite the predicament."
Rhodes turned to see Sabo casually sitting on a rooftop, watching him with a half-smile.
"Your being here won't make much difference," Rhodes replied coolly.
Sabo was skilled in martial arts and perhaps even stronger than Rhodes at the moment, but facing Carl's thick hide and muscle mass, it would be difficult for him to achieve decisive results quickly.
Sabo chuckled and instantly vanished from his spot.
WHAM!
Carl's charging body suddenly stopped short as he was sent flying, landing heavily in the distance.
The ground shook, and the sound of debris falling from nearby buildings could be heard.
Sabo calmly withdrew his fist, not even glancing at Carl. He smiled at Rhodes, "Let's go! The Beast Pirates will be here soon."
At that moment, a pitch-black bullet shot forth like a venomous serpent, instantly piercing the air and striking toward Sabo with lightning speed.
Rhodes had barely sensed the bullet when Sabo casually raised his steel pipe, blocking it with apparent prescience.
Ding!
After a brief moment of resistance, the jet-black bullet, packed with tremendous kinetic energy, was deflected away by Sabo's pipe.
Only then did the sound of the gunshot arrive.
Rhodes' eyes narrowed slightly at the display. Sabo's Observation Haki was remarkably powerful!
Kara was completely stunned.
What the hell?!
Why were young people these days so ridiculously strong?!
The first one had dodged his shot, and this one had actually deflected it with his weapon!
Kara wanted to curse up a storm but didn't dare voice his thoughts.
He was terrified and didn't dare move.
If these two attacked together, Carl might be able to hold out until reinforcements arrived, but Kara would likely die—or at least be seriously wounded.
A faint rumbling could be heard in the distance, as if a large force was approaching.
Both Carl and Kara's faces lit up with relief. With a few more officers, they'd have the confidence to stop Rhodes and his companion.
But at that moment, a cold female voice seemed to echo from the heavens:
"Just the two of you... dare to harm my student?"
Before the words had even finished, a vast, seemingly endless, sakura-colored sword energy suddenly slashed down from the sky.
Even before the sword energy arrived, the terrifying sword pressure preceded it. The air became thick as water. Carl and Kara could barely raise their heads, their eyes wide with despair and terror.
BOOM!
Nothing could describe the sharpness of that blade.
The mighty sword energy descended like a falling star, reducing Carl and Kara to dust in an instant, then continued without pause, carving deep into the earth.
As Rhodes, Sabo, and Koala watched in absolute disbelief, the nearly hundred-meter-long street was instantly transformed into a bottomless abyss five to six meters wide!
What terrifying power!
Sabo looked down at the chasm just a meter or two from his feet, swallowing hard as cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
His Observation Haki was so advanced that he could predict Kara's sniper attacks, yet he had shown no reaction to this sword energy—perhaps he was completely unable to react. Had it been aimed at him, his fate would have been no different from Carl and the others.
Rhodes looked up blankly at the tall woman standing proudly in the sky, his mind completely filled with shock, rendered speechless.
Momousagi was only the second peak-level expert he had ever encountered, but this was the first time he had witnessed such overwhelming power in action!
Even though he remembered scenes from the manga far more spectacular than this, the shock of witnessing it firsthand was indescribable.
Koala was equally stunned, as if turned to stone. No matter how clever and intelligent she was, she was completely overwhelmed by this almost godlike display of power.
"Legend has it that Dark King Rayleigh once split an island in half with a single sword stroke. I thought it was just an exaggeration, but now..."
She swallowed nervously, then her mood shifted to excitement, because this was Rhodes' teacher. With her guidance, Rhodes' swordsmanship would surely advance by leaps and bounds.
At that moment, Momousagi slowly descended, her elegant kimono swaying gently, her long black hair flowing in the breeze. Her beautiful face maintained a nonchalant expression, as if the devastating sword strike had been nothing more than swatting a fly.
(End of Chapter)
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