How can I become the Pirate King if you don’t work hard?.

Chapter 277 The Death of T-Bone

The battle for Water Seven had long since faded into obscurity following the defeat of the Golden Lion.

Without hesitation, the old woman drove Zeus away at high speed; Wang Zhi also used the ability of the Teleportation Fruit to directly withdraw from Water Seven.

“This scale…”

Aokiji glanced up at the floating island falling from the sky and abandoned his idea of ​​using his abilities to create ice pillars to stop it.

The difference in size is just too great!

He also retreated towards the beach near the sea without regard for the consequences.

Logia-type Devil Fruit users are naturally not afraid of simple physical impacts, since elemental transformation can completely avoid damage. However, the churning seawater around them is the nemesis of Devil Fruit users.

Once swallowed by the sea, no matter how powerful an individual is, there is only one fate.

Even if the Aokiji can freeze seawater, it wouldn't be very effective if it were buried directly underground.

The same was true for Akin and Kuro. After Wang Zhi retreated, Kuro completely transformed into his Kamaitachi form and, using his ability to manipulate air currents, led Akin and the others to speed towards the outskirts of Water Seven.

Even the warships around Water Seven were at full speed, heading back at that moment.

Even naval warships can be swallowed up by the tsunami caused by the impact; this is a natural disaster that no human can withstand.

At this moment, even a second's delay would mean certain death for them.

On the edge of Water City.

The CP0 members standing on the World Government warship had long lost their composure. Even Whiteface, who had just narrowly escaped death from Akainu, was now too preoccupied to care about anything else.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Akainu stood on the deck, looking at the crowd in the distance who had fallen silent in despair, and felt a surge of anger rising in his heart.

Even though he was unwilling to abandon the ordinary people present, he knew that he couldn't save them.

The most rational course of action right now is to retreat!

But seeing T-Bone lying on the beach, his life hanging in the balance, Akainu couldn't care less about that.

boom!
Akainu leaped up and landed steadily beside T-Bone.
He reached out and checked the latter's breathing. After confirming that T-Bone was still alive, he prepared to retreat with T-Bone.

But the expectant gazes around him made him stop in his tracks.

Many refugees had already lost their minds due to panic, and they were searching for shelter in the hope of surviving the impending shock.

But Akainu knew that all of this was in vain.

The Golden Lion died, but he also brought an end to the city. Even without the Buster Call, the common people of Water Seven would not have survived.

This is what's most heartbreaking.

They did nothing wrong, yet they were forced to lose their lives in this entirely man-made disaster.

Somehow.

Akainu abandoned his plan to retreat. Ignoring the calls from the sailors on the warship, he stood with the dying civilians, and at that moment he heard T-Bone's weak voice.

“Sakazuki, justice shouldn’t be like this… cough cough cough…”

Thin streaks of blood oozed from T-bone's mouth.

He was already severely injured, and then he was shot by CP0, so he was barely breathing.

Although Akainu wasn't a professional doctor, he could tell that T-bone didn't have much time left, and his eyes gradually reddened.

"Peng En, what kind of justice do you believe in?!"

"During my time in Water Seven, I overheard Lieutenant General Lancelot say something along the lines of, 'No matter how brutal an order may be, it should at least allow these innocent people to survive...'"

"Survival is the last resort."

Akainu helped T-Bone up, shook his head, and said:
"There is no Vice Admiral named Lancelot at the Navy Headquarters."

"Who cares?!"

A slight smile played on T-Bone's lips. His face, covered in blood, and his grotesque features made him appear somewhat comical.

Akainu, however, couldn't laugh at all.

He had already realized who Lancelot, the one T-Bone had mentioned, really was.

After all, only Gawain could say something that caused such a huge change in the beliefs of Aokiji and Zephyr.

"If these civilians believe they are the righteous navy, then they are."

"Isn't it?!"

"what……"

Akainu responded and said:

"You need to survive first, then we can talk about other things."

"it's useless."

T-Bone shook his head and gave a bitter smile:
"With an impact of this scale, not only would the people on the island be swallowed up by the sea in an instant, but even the retreating warships would be swallowed up by the sea."

"But you can survive."

"Hey, Sakazuki, stop fooling yourself."

"Your kind of justice, which seems radical, ruthless, and merciless but is actually full of compromises, will only make you a tool and won't save anyone."

Akainu fell silent.

He knew T-bone was telling the truth, but the resentment in his heart was hard to describe in words, so much so that his clenched fists trembled from the force of his grip.

The sense of justice that I have always believed in is gradually collapsing at this moment.

……

In the center of the battlefield.

Gao Wen pressed one hand against the long sword at his waist, feeling the air pressure rushing down from above, almost crushing the ground beneath his feet, and his brows furrowed.

If this floating island is allowed to fall, neither the commoners of Water Seven nor Gawain's companions will survive.

Gawain could not accept either of these.

Therefore, he only had one choice left!

Zheng——!
Amidst the ear-piercing metallic scraping sound, silvery-white light and crimson lightning flashed as Gawain's longsword streaked across the sky like a streak of light.

The floating island falling from high above experienced a momentary delay before splitting into two even halves.

boom--!
A blinding light shone through the smooth cut, like a slash that had sliced ​​through the entire Water Seven.

At that moment, Luo was right in the center of that slash.

He stared blankly at the islands separating high in the sky, his lips slightly parted, speechless with shock.

This is... the man who defeated the Golden Lion?!

The monster that sliced ​​the island in two!

Luo could hardly describe the shock he felt.

In the next instant, he was grabbed by Bepo and sprinted toward the edge of Water Seven.

Although the floating island high in the sky was cut open, its downward momentum was still unstoppable.

The wind pressure even grew stronger over time, and many damaged buildings even began to collapse.

"Tch—!"

Gao Wen spat out a mouthful of saliva, his face extremely ugly.

The golden lion is dead.

However, the floating island he left behind caused great trouble. Gawain was able to cut it open, but he could not stop it from falling.

He was about to continue trying when he stopped, and his furrowed brows relaxed at that moment.

“Are you here?!”

"lifetime!"

The distant horizon.

Tall and imposing, Fujitora, dressed in a purple haori, came hurtling in on a small boat.

The floating island, which had lost the control of the Golden Lion and fallen from the sky, was over ten kilometers in diameter and its weight was immeasurable.

Simply dragging it up by manpower is beyond human capability. But Fujitora can!
Or rather, Fujitora's Gravity Fruit allows him to do so!
"Wow~"

Fujitora half-squatted up, sensing Gawain's presence, a slight smile appearing on his lips:
"So it really was you, disguised as a Marine, who showed up here?!"

Gao Wen smiled and said:

"Stop talking nonsense and help!"

"Then I shall make a fool of myself."

After a soft, indifferent laugh.

Fujitora suddenly drew his sword from his waist and slashed out, causing layers of pale purple light to spread outwards from him.

"Gravity Blade - Against the Tide!"

Gu——!
The gravity aperture came into contact with the falling floating island, and the latter's descent speed suddenly slowed down.

It eventually came to a complete stop less than 100 meters from the ground and began to float upwards.

This crisis, which could have easily claimed the lives of Water Seven and most of the island's inhabitants, was effortlessly resolved by Fujitora.

Of the three types of Devil Fruits, if Logia has the highest minimum damage and the most exaggerated killing range, and Zoan is the undisputed number one in melee combat, then Paramecia produces all sorts of mechanical monsters.

Shiki is one with the Float-Float Fruit, while Fujitora is another.

Even Gawain couldn't possess such an ability to avert natural disasters with a mere gesture.

The falling island suddenly stopped, then rose back into the sky.

Everyone who witnessed this scene was stunned.

"The Golden Lion isn't dead?!"

"wrong!"

"That guy's presence has clearly disappeared!"

high in the air.

Riding atop Zeus the thundercloud, the middle-aged woman, who had originally planned to watch a good show, felt as if she were in a dream as she watched the floating island slowly rise into the sky.

Having been with the Golden Lion for many years, he naturally understands its power.

Even though his body is aging and he is no longer at his peak, he is still powerful, and the power of the Float-Float Fruit is practically unbeatable.

If a floating island with a diameter of ten kilometers were to fall, everything would be crushed.

In fact, the best possible scenario would have been for Gawain to perish at sea along with everyone in Water Seven.

But now it has been completely shattered.

"That guy did it!"

soon.

The older woman noticed Fujitora hovering in the air in the distance, her eyes filled with immense fear:
"To be able to develop a Devil Fruit ability to this extent, this guy is definitely not an unknown person, and he also exudes such a dangerous aura..."

"Is this Gawain's hidden reinforcement?!"

Think of this.

The woman couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine; Gao Wen's level of danger in her mind had risen another notch.

"Damn it!"

"It took Shiki's death to force him to unleash his full power?!"

"We've been tricked! We've been tricked from beginning to end!"

"First, Admiral Aokiji appeared, and then this Devil Fruit user in front of us is completely targeting Shiki... It's a conspiracy by the World Government!"

"That must be it!"

"After all, Knight Gawain is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, authorized by the World Government!"

The more the old woman thought about it, the more alarmed she became. Now that she had the blueprints for Hades, all she wanted was to take Katakuri and escape unscathed, return to Whole Cake Island, and build Hades.

By then, nothing will be a problem!

Wang Zhi on the other side did the same; he flashed repeatedly and disappeared into the sea in an instant.

call--!
The sea breeze howled.

The civilians who survived on the beach had no idea what expression to make.

They had recently experienced too many ups and downs, and their spirits had become numb. At this moment, they only felt the warmth of the sunlight shining on them.

"How heartwarming!"

"But it's so good that everyone was saved..."

T-Bone murmured, the string that had been taut in his heart snapping at that moment, and his heaving chest slowly calmed down.

he died.

To die in the sunlight, to die at the moment when hope arrives.

Akainu lowered T-Bone's hand, looked at the distant warship, and his gaze hardened at that moment.

He pointed out.

call out--!
A lava projectile shot out, instantly killing the CP0 member responsible for broadcasting the Water Seven projection to Mary Geoise in real time, along with the projection phone in his hand.

The latter didn't even have time to make a sound before it plunged into the sea.

Upon witnessing this scene, the CP0 members felt a chill run down their spines. Instinctively, they took out Den Den Mushi from their pockets and prepared to report what had happened to Mary Geoise.

Before the Den Den Mushi could connect, they and the warship beneath their feet were swallowed by the surging lava.

boom!
Akainu landed back on the deck of the warship. He didn't say anything, but the marines around him already understood what he wanted to do.

"Lord Sakazuki, we didn't see anything."

"No, we saw it! The CP members, along with their ships, were caught in the blast wave of Big Mom's attack and perished at sea!"

Loud, high-pitched shouts echoed across the sea.

Akainu's face remained expressionless, but the emotions within him were like a volcano about to erupt.

People have always called him the representative of the iron-blooded radical faction within the Navy, but only T-Bone knows that he has always been compromising.

Choosing the lesser of two evils is itself a form of compromise!
But now... he can't take it anymore!

Aokiji, who had rushed to the vicinity of Water Seven, was speechless upon seeing this scene.

He slowly walked to the body, whose T-bone was still warm, opened his mouth, and murmured:
"If you're not around, and I start arguing with Sakazuki, who can stop me?"

"Really..."

"Kuzan!"

Akainu's cold, hard voice snapped Aokiji out of his daze. He looked up and saw Akainu's bloodshot eyes.

No one values ​​the T-Bone more than Akainu, and no one can understand Akainu's feelings at this moment.

But Aokiji saw a sense of conviction in his eyes that he had never seen before. It was not the kind of eyes that Akainu, who was once as hard as steel and as cold as ice, should have!
Without needing any further words, Aokiji understood Akainu's meaning. He slowly walked to the seawater and placed one hand in the water...

"Ice Age!"

The cold air spread, and in an instant, the seawater froze into glaciers, stretching all the way to the horizon.

The once turbulent sea fell silent at that moment.

Do it all.

Aokiji turned to look at the civilians present and spoke in as gentle a tone as possible:

"This road, formed by a glacier, can last for three months. At the end of the road is a port where you can choose your next destination."

"Come on."

The crowd, whose expressions had been blank, froze instantly.

The sound of breathing in the crowd grew heavier and heavier over time.

The silence was finally broken by a sob.

"Ugh..."

At this moment, everyone knew that this nightmare, which had lasted for nearly two months, would finally come to an end.

They rushed forward, embarking on this road to freedom, despite the slippery ice and the unknown road ahead, it represented true hope!
(End of this chapter)