Chapter 99: Ralph, Has Fallen Into The Sea!
"Boom boom boom boom boom—!!!"
Cannonballs poured down like a torrential storm.
Each shell erupted into water columns several meters high on the sea surface, splinters of wood and metal fragments scattering everywhere. The smell of gunpowder mixed with the salty tang of seawater permeated the entire area.
Smoker hovered mid-air, gazing down at the wreckage of the warship that had been torn to pieces, then turned his eyes to the Eighth Branch warships still firing relentlessly, his expression grim.
But he had no time for anger.
Because at this moment, there was a more urgent matter to handle.
He looked toward Ralph, who was evading the cannon fire in mid-air.
"Surrender, Pirate. The current situation favors me!"
He allowed a cannonball to pass straight through his body, his smoke-form dispersing momentarily as the shell pierced through, then reforming after it flew past.
Completely unscathed.
"I am a Logia user. In my smoke form, physical attacks are useless against me."
Smoker stared intently at Ralph, "And you—"
Another cannonball came flying.
Ralph twisted sideways in the air, lightly tapping with Geppo, his body shifting half a meter horizontally as the cannonball grazed past his shoulder.
"You have to dodge."
Smoker continued, "Or use Armament Haki to block it head-on."
A third cannonball.
This one came at a tricky angle—Ralph didn't have time to evade completely.
He raised his left arm, pitch-black Armament Haki instantly coating it.
"Thud!"
The cannonball slammed solidly into his arm and detonated.
Flames and smoke engulfed Ralph's figure, but the next second, he burst out of the smoke, his arm bearing only a faint scorch mark.
"But Armament Haki consumes stamina."
Smoker's voice carried a trace of composure, "How much longer can you hold out? Ten shots? Twenty? A hundred?"
He pointed toward the surrounding warships that continued their relentless barrage.
"The Eighth Branch may be corrupt, but their number of warships is undeniable. They have enough ammunition to bombard all day long.
"And you—"
Smoker's gaze sharpened, "Sooner or later, you'll exhaust your stamina, then fall into the sea or be blown to pieces by cannon fire."
He spoke the truth.
Ralph knew it well.
Geppo required stamina, Armament Haki required stamina—the consumption in high-intensity evasion and defense was staggering.
Although his physical strength and endurance had greatly improved due to the "natural divine power" modification, they were still not infinite.
Continuing like this would indeed lead to exhaustion.
But—
While dodging yet another cannonball, Ralph glanced at Smoker, a mocking curve suddenly forming at the corner of his mouth.
"For a Navy officer," His voice wasn't loud, but the provoking tone clearly reached Smoker's ears, "You're quite the failure."
Smoker frowned:
"What did you say?"
"I said—"
Ralph sidestepped, avoiding two intersecting cannonballs,
"For a Vice Admiral, your perception is truly pathetic."
He paused, then with another cannonball exploding, he executed consecutive Geppo steps, widening the distance between himself and Smoker.
Then, he turned his head, looked at Smoker, and said word by word:
"Is the current situation merely unfavorable to me?"
"R—"
Smoker was about to retort, but Ralph had already moved.
"Geppo: Flash!"
Ralph's body made three consecutive directional shifts in mid-air, like a black lightning bolt, charging toward the weakest point in the encirclement.
He was breaking through.
"Trying to escape?!"
Smoker reacted instantly.
He had been momentarily distracted by Ralph's words, but quickly suppressed the doubts in his heart.
Deliberately mystifying.
It must be deliberate mystification.
Now that Ralph was clearly at a disadvantage, he was trying to use words to disrupt him and seize the chance to escape.
Smoker would never let him succeed.
"White Launcher!"
His body instantly transformed into a trail of white smoke, charging at maximum speed toward the direction of Ralph's breakthrough.
Arriving later but striking first.
"Stop—right there!"
Smoker reformed his body, blocking Ralph's path, and brought down his Seastone-tipped jitte.
Ralph was forced to halt.
And the moment he stopped—
"Fire!"
A commander from one of the warships shouted.
The next round of cannon fire arrived.
And it was more concentrated than before.
All the cannonballs were aimed at Ralph's position.
And... at Smoker, who stood in front of him.
They whistled through the air.
Smoker gritted his teeth, his body turning to smoke once again.
The cannonballs passed through the smoke.
But in that instant—
Ralph moved.
Not to continue breaking through.
But... downward.
He abruptly stopped using Geppo, his body falling straight toward the sea like a stone.
As if he were injured!
"Trying to escape by diving into the water?"
Smoker guessed Ralph's intention and immediately pursued.
Cannonballs exploded around them one after another.
Flames, smoke, shockwaves.
Smoker endured it all with his smoke form.
As for Ralph—
At the last moment, he raised his arms.
Armament Haki covered both arms, crossed in front of his chest.
Then, he was simultaneously hit by three cannonballs.
"BOOM—!!!"
A massive explosion blossomed into an orange fireball in mid-air.
Thick smoke billowed.
Debris scattered.
Then, a black figure fell from the thick smoke.
Like a bird with broken wings, straight and heavy, it crashed into the sea.
"SPLASH."
Water sprayed upward.
Ralph had fallen into the sea.
...
"Ralph—!!!"
On the Merry, Lufia's cry was heart-wrenching.
She had just been fished out of the sea by Sanji, drenched from head to toe, her hair plastered to her face, her straw hat askew.
Nami was observing the battle, Zoro stood guard at the ship's railing, and Usopp was checking the ship for damage.
Then, they all saw it.
Ralph being hit by cannonballs, falling from the sky, and crashing into the sea.
"N... No way..."
Usopp's telescope fell onto the deck,
"Ralph... he's so strong..."
"Those three cannonballs hit him simultaneously."
Sanji's voice was low, his cigarette burned down to the filter, "Even with Armament Haki protection..."
Zoro's eyes were fixed on the spot where Ralph fell into the sea.
"..."
Zoro said quietly, "He won't die that easily."
"Right!"
Lufia stood up abruptly,
"Ralph won't die! I'm going to save him!"
She rushed toward the railing, about to jump into the sea.
But Sanji stopped her.
"Miss Lufia, wait!" Sanji held her shoulders, "That area is still under cannon fire! It's too dangerous! And you're a Devil Fruit user..."
"I don't care!"
Lufia's eyes reddened,
"Ralph is there! He's in the sea!"
She struggled to break free, but Sanji's grip was like iron.
"Calm down, Lufia."
Nami also walked over, "We're heading there now. Full speed ahead, Merry, to where Ralph fell into the sea."
She looked at Zoro and Sanji:
"Prepare for battle. We're breaking through the Eighth Branch's encirclement."
"Been ready for a while now."
Zoro assumed his Three Sword Style stance.
"Leave it to me."
Sanji released Lufia and lit another cigarette.
Usopp took a deep breath and ran to the cannon at the stern:
"I-I'll help too!"
The Merry adjusted its course, sails billowing with wind, charging like an arrow toward the smoke-shrouded sea.
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan