One Piece: Starting with Breathing Techniques

Chapter 164 Choice

When Teach noticed Kiro's gaze fixed on him, goosebumps instantly rose all over his body, and a chill ran down his spine. However, he suppressed his fear and, as if nothing had happened, scratched his head and smiled like an ordinary person.

But beneath that seemingly normal expression, his heart was already churning with turmoil.

Kilo's gaze was definitely not that of someone looking at an ordinary person!

Did he see through my identity and disguise?!

Could it be that Kiro knows him?!

Does he have to defect from the Whitebeard Pirates before he's even gotten his hands on the Dark-Dark Fruit?

Countless thoughts flashed through Blackbeard's mind in an instant; his pupils trembled almost imperceptibly before finally returning to calm.

On the other side, looking at the black-bearded man who was trying to appear calm, Kiro smiled but didn't expose him. Instead, he looked at the somewhat puzzled white-bearded man.

"That young man on your boat looks familiar?"

"Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Whitebeard glanced at Kiro with some surprise, then looked at Teach with a hint of relief in his eyes.

"You mean Teach? He was a homeless, poor guy back then, but now he has a whole family of us. That's amazing."

"What? You know Teach?"

Kiro shook his head, looked up at the white-bearded man, and narrowed his eyes.

Did the other party not know that Teach was actually Rocks' son?

Or do you already know?

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly smiled and waved his hand, "It's nothing, I just thought you looked familiar and asked casually."

Since Whitebeard's statement indicated that he did not know Teach's identity, he had no reason to expose Blackbeard's disguise.

Even if Blackbeard indirectly causes Whitebeard's death in the future, it has nothing to do with him.

He merely admired this loyal and powerful pirate, but he wouldn't rashly take action for him.

He is no longer the carefree person he once was; he carries with him countless karmic entanglements and responsibilities.

Kilo took a final, hearty gulp, downing the strong liquor in the large bowl. Kilo's eyes sharpened, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword as he solemnly looked at Whitebeard.

"Whitebeard, let's have a fight!"

Upon hearing this, the white-bearded man, who was drinking, frowned, put down his bowl, and looked at Kiro. "—Why?"

"We have no reason to fight."

Upon hearing this, Kiro burst into laughter, "No reason needed!"

As the Dragon Slayer was drawn, a fierce fighting spirit suddenly soared into the sky: "Swordsmen's duels need no reason!"

Whitebeard was taken aback, then stood up with a hint of appreciation, casually gripping the naginata behind him.

"Kilo, you're very good, but I'm worried I won't be able to control myself—"

"You'll die!"

Instead of getting angry, Kiro laughed, "There are only a handful of people in this world who can kill me, and you shouldn't be one of them!"

"Armchair strategist talk is useless; let's fight!"

Two completely different peak Conqueror's Haki burst forth from the two, and countless pulsating black and red arcs of electricity suddenly appeared around them, flashing intensely.

The Conqueror's Haki collided violently in the air, forming a clear dividing line between the two, their terrifying power soaring straight into the sky.

The two powerful auras, under precise control, did not affect the surrounding pirates, but everyone, including Marco, still changed their expressions and couldn't help but take several steps back under the mental torrent that was comparable to a natural disaster.

Suddenly, someone pointed to the sky and exclaimed in shock, "The sky—the sky has cracked open!!"

Everyone looked up in horror, only to see that the clouds above had somehow rolled back and split open, revealing a natural chasm like a trench in the middle.

The root cause of all these celestial changes was simply the aftershocks of the clash between these two Conqueror's Haki! ? ?

The two terrifying auras of Conqueror's Haki intensified, and the two peerless weapons gradually acquired a terrifying sharpness.

Just as the energy was about to reach its limit, a cadre with a hurried expression suddenly jumped out from the side and interrupted.

"Something terrible has happened, Dad!"

He was drenched in sweat, holding aloft a Den Den Mushi (snail phone) that kept pleading for help. "A country in our territory has been invaded by other powerful pirates, and nearly a third of the population of the entire city has been massacred. All the high-ranking officials are begging you to return!"

"Any later and we'll be collecting their bodies!!"

The entire room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the white-bearded man whose face had suddenly darkened.

The two forces that were about to erupt also came to a standstill.

The white-bearded man's expression shifted between light and shadow, his initial fierce fighting spirit gradually fading, replaced by the hesitation of a powerful ruler facing a choice of interests.

Should they satisfy their rare fighting spirit, or should they uphold their principles and rescue the territories of Moxia?

A moment later, he let out a long sigh, and the powerful aura around him suddenly dissipated. He also put down the peerless sword that was emitting sharp light.

"Never mind, Kiro kid."

"Maybe next time."

He turned his back, no longer looking at Kiro, his voice carrying a complex emotion that was hard to pinpoint.

Kiro fell silent, but noticed that the white-bearded man in front of him was now slightly more hunched over than when he had been so spirited.

He shook his head, did not continue to persuade him, but turned around, stepped onto the small boat, and sailed away in the eyes of everyone.

"Next time, you old white-bearded man!"

"I hope we'll both be alive when we meet again!"

The sound grew fainter and fainter in the strong wind, eventually becoming impossible to detect.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, but returned to their respective duties, redirecting the fleet to head towards the territorial nation in dire need of assistance.

Standing at the bow of the ship, with his back to the crowd, the white-bearded man sighed deeply, a look of weariness appearing in his eyes.

"—Teach?"

He pondered the name, recalling the strange expression Kiro had just given him, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

"Could it be that—"

*

*

*

Grand Line, Paradise, Jaya Island.

G-8 Base.

Behind his desk, Lieutenant General Jonathan looked at the highest-level notification document bearing the approval from Navy Headquarters, feeling a bit of a headache.

"Investigate the revolutionary army and the possible location of its headquarters?"

"How could a mere base commander like me possibly know something that even generals can't do?"

'

He crumpled the notice into a ball, threw it into the wastebasket, and looked helplessly at Major Drake beside him.

"Drake, do you have any clue?"

Drake shook his head. "No."

"I haven't even seen any trace of the Revolutionary Army for a long time."

"Moreover, our Jaya Island is located in a remote area, and there are no obvious hiding places for the revolutionary army. This document is probably not relevant to us."

Jonathan sighed, deeply agreeing. "I guess the Revolutionary Army headquarters is either on some hidden island in the New World, or on the Red Line?"

"Honestly, I don't know why the higher-ups are in such a hurry. I heard that the Marshal even gave the generals a death order, saying that the Kiro and the Revolutionary Army must pay the price."

As Akainu's friend, he learned of this from a few words the other party said.

However, for a mere lieutenant general stationed in the G series, this matter is probably completely irrelevant to him.