Chapter 583: The Battle Begins, Erwin's Transformation!
Vegapunk did not answer Erwin's question.
Instead, he walked toward him step by step, calm as ever.
"Erwin… are you here to kill me because of the captain?"
Erwin stared at him for a moment, then let out a short laugh.
"Kill you?"
"You know I can't kill you."
"And besides, you were always the most cautious bastard on that ship."
"I came here to vent, and to get answers."
Erwin sat down on a nearby rock, voice slow and controlled.
The anger on his face from earlier seemed to vanish completely, like it had never existed.
Vegapunk paused.
"So now you won't even give me the satisfaction of your rage anymore?"
Erwin did not answer.
Vegapunk lowered his head slightly.
"Sorry."
"As someone who once sailed on the same ship as you, I should apologize for what I did."
"So please… don't get involved in what happens next, alright?"
His voice was quiet, and his apology sounded sincere, almost painfully so.
Back then, the people on that ship had truly treated him like a comrade.
Vegapunk had even lived a few easy years under their protection.
But no matter how comfortable those days were, he never forgot his purpose.
When they reached Laugh Tale, the first thing he did was activate Lilith's Guardian Mark.
And because of that, Roger eventually became one of the leaders of the Guardians.
Erwin did not know any of that.
Right now, Erwin only knew one thing.
Vegapunk had betrayed them.
And Roger's death was very likely connected to the man standing in front of him.
They did not know the full truth, but they knew enough to hate.
"What happens next?"
Erwin's voice suddenly rose, sharp like a blade.
"Vegapunk… are you even human?"
Vegapunk froze for a fraction of a second.
Hesitation flickered across his face.
"Those Aragami… you made them, didn't you?"
"The marks on them carry your stench."
"If outsiders don't know, do you think we don't know?"
"You know what happens if those things run wild, right?"
As Erwin spoke, his expression darkened, the air around him tightening.
Everyone understood the consequences.
If Aragami spread unchecked, the world ends.
And Vegapunk, of all people, could not possibly be ignorant of that.
"I know."
Vegapunk's voice softened.
"So, old friend…"
"Sorry."
Puff!
A massive spike pierced through Erwin in an instant.
Even with Erwin's Armament Haki bursting out immediately, it still was not enough to fully resist it.
"You…"
Erwin's lips twitched.
Then, instead of finishing his sentence, he threw his head back and laughed.
It was not a normal laugh.
It was feral, manic, drenched in something ugly.
That face, that laughter, that madness…
It made Vegapunk frown.
Was it intentional?
"Erwin, you're still as cunning as ever."
"However, you may have made a mistake this time."
Vegapunk's voice dropped, quiet but dangerous.
Erwin wiped the blood from his mouth, eyes bright.
"It's just some special genes you twisted with your filthy methods."
"I… I'll become an Aragami too, right?"
As he spoke, Erwin pulled a syringe from his pocket.
Vegapunk's expression changed the instant he saw it.
He did not know exactly what was inside.
But anything that could make Erwin this confident was never something simple.
And it was very likely…
Boom!
Before Vegapunk could press his attack, a bullet slammed into the ground where he had been standing.
Even Vegapunk did not dare to take Shinon's sniper rounds head on.
Those bullets had terrifying penetration and destructive force.
Vegapunk clicked his tongue, turning his head toward the newcomers.
"So the Dragon Hunter Pirates sent weaklings to stop me?"
"If you all insist on joining in, then fine."
"Become my warriors."
As Vegapunk spoke, the people who had arrived with him began to change.
Flesh shifted.
Bones creaked.
Auras twisted.
In seconds, a group of human shaped monsters stood before everyone, each one gripping a massive weapon.
"These are all… Aragami?"
Kirito's face turned solemn.
They looked almost human.
But the aura coming off them was no longer human at all.
Each one carried that same dreadful pressure the previous Aragami had.
Boom!
"Killing them is fine, right?"
"Don't damage the bodies. The captain might still want them!"
The monsters roared as they charged, swinging oversized weapons like executioners.
Behind them, a backline of ranged units lifted giant cannons, taking aim.
A full formation.
A complete killing squad.
"Then let's go."
Kirito drew his twin swords and surged forward.
Giant weapon wielders did not scare him.
He had cut down more of those than he could count.
If anything, the intensity made him feel like he had been thrown back into the days of SAO.
Sinon immediately retreated to the ship, rifle in hand, sight locking in.
"I never thought we'd be fighting special combat units ourselves."
"Fine."
"Let me test you."
Ethanbaron drew the sword from his back.
The Shodai Kitetsu gleamed even in broad daylight, drawing eyes the moment it appeared.
"That guy is lucky."
"He doesn't have to deal with these monsters."
Then Peter snorted.
"But don't tell me you think we Five Elders bought our positions."
A dazzling purple gold aura erupted around his fist.
Streams of that aura condensed and wrapped around his body like armor.
Then he launched himself forward like a cannonball.
"Hey, hey…"
Mars sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Aren't you all a little too fired up?"
"We agreed we weren't here just to watch a show."
"Now everyone's worked up. What a headache."
As he spoke, he unwrapped the bandages around his hands.
Armament Haki coated them.
In the next breath, his hands transformed into sharp blades.
He stepped in and joined the fight.
Peskinard, left behind for a moment, scratched his head as if realizing there was no reason to keep standing there.
An Aragami unit had already lifted a massive weapon and advanced on him.
Peskinard sighed.
"We're all getting old."
"Don't be so angry."
"Frost Melody."
Somehow, a violin appeared in his hands.
The moment the music began, cold surged outward.
The Aragami unit in front of him froze solid in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the battle exploded into full force across the port.
And through all of it, Vegapunk's attention never truly left Erwin.
The others were strong, yes.
But not enough to threaten him.
Erwin was different.
The aura rising from him now made Vegapunk uneasy.
"Hehehe…"
Erwin's laughter turned low, almost satisfied.
"Vegapunk… the things you make really are useful."
"This vitality. This life force."
"Wouldn't it be better as medicine?"
"If you insist, use it for war."
A crimson aura began spilling from Erwin, wrapping around him again and again, thicker with every breath.
His gray hair started turning black.
His hunched back slowly straightened.
Dry skin regained its luster.
It was like watching time reverse.
In just a few minutes, a miracle unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Erwin, the legendary doctor who once sailed with Gol D Roger…
Had returned.
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