WTR-LABRebirth in One Piece as Deputy CaptainCh. 51 / 12114.21%WebWeb+AI#51Cap's debutChapter 50: The Arrival of GarpInside the port, Marcus and the others walked carefully, their eyes full of vigilance.Since entering the port, Marcus and the others had not seen a single living soul; such a large port had absolutely no signs of life at this moment.However, the roads covered in fallen leaves, the wooden crates placed randomly, and the machines still working without anyone operating them...Everything indicated that when Marcus and the others arrived, there had been many people working here just before, but now there wasn't a single person in sight.Facing this eerie situation, everyone had to be vigilant. Although they had Pluto Rayleigh by their side, and few people in this world could threaten their safety, sometimes being careful could save a lot of trouble."Rayleigh, are you sure you didn't take the wrong road? Don't you think this port is a bit eerie?" Marcuswhispered.Rayleigh immediately rolled his eyes. "Am I the kind of person who doesn't even know the way? Besides, for such a large port, would there really be two on this island?"Marcus chuckled. He knew this, but he felt the atmosphere was a bit heavy, which made him uncomfortable, so he said a few words to liven things up.Once the atmosphere was lightened, it was time to talk business."Rayleigh, this place isn't simple. How did the people in this port just suddenly disappear?" Marcussaid seriously.Rayleigh nodded. "Logically speaking, the Marinesurrounding this island would have a significant impact on this kind of Dark Port, but it shouldn't make this Dark Port this silent."This kind of Dark Port involved the interests of too many people. Even if the Marine blockaded the island, they hadn't sent troops to surround this place, so there wasn't a single warship around the port."Looking at how messy it is here, it shows that the people in this port left suddenly, without even turning off the machines," Shakky said, glancing at a machine still working nearby."There are only two possibilities for this situation. First, the people in this port suddenly received orders to evacuate quickly. The other is that a powerful force or individual suddenly arrived here and captured everyone."Shakky was an intelligence expert specializing in gathering information, so just by looking at what was in front of her, she could deduce a lot of useful information.Hancock recalled that Rayleigh had been here before and couldn't help but ask: "Rayleigh, didn't you come here before? Was the situation the same then?""Yeah! Uncle Rayleigh, what was it like when you came here before?" Sandersonia also asked.Rayleigh shook his head. "No, when I came here before, although no ships came to this port because of the Marine's actions, there were still quite a few people here."This was also a consensus in the Underworld. Although the Marine couldn't touch these ports for certain reasons, you couldn't be too rampant. The Marine dared not touch all the ports, but they certainly dared to touch one.Therefore, like now when the Marine is executing a mission, you Dark Ports need to behave yourselves during this period, and you cannot disturb the Marine's mission. In exchange, the Marine won't touch this kind of Dark Port.Regarding Rayleigh's answer, although they had already guessed it, they were still a bit disappointed after hearing it."No matter which possibility it is, it's bad for us," Marcus said in a deep voice.This was also what everyone was worried about. Since there were still people here when Rayleighcame before.But not long after, now that they had arrived, there wasn't a single person left, which made everyone feel a hint of danger.Marcus changed the subject and continued: "However, we have Pluto Rayleigh with us now. And we only came here to borrow a ship to escape this island. I don't think anyone would be willing to offend Pluto Rayleigh over such a small matter."Under Marcus's words, everyone cast their gaze on Rayleigh.Being watched by everyone, Rayleigh immediately felt as if he had become a shield, whose only purpose was to block disasters.Moreover, in Rayleigh's mind, he couldn't help but recall the meaningful smile Marcus had given him earlier.Looking at everyone's eyes, Rayleigh could only smile bitterly and complain: "You people don't know how to take care of an old man like me. Do you have any spirit of respecting the old and cherishing the young!""Tch...!" Marcus raised his index finger in disdain at Rayleigh. "Just you, an old man? I think you have more vitality than I do."Seeing everyone aiming their guns at him, Rayleighquickly changed the subject. "Let's not waste time here. Let's hurry to the dock and find a ship to leave this place."Shakky echoed: "That's right, as long as we leave Saxxon Island, we'll be safe. The Grand Line is so big, it won't be that easy for the Marine to find us again."Marcus and the others nodded. Time was tight now, so they should focus on escaping first before worrying about the rest."Want to escape? You still have to get past me!!!"This sentence was like a thunderclap on a clear day, startling everyone and causing their expressions to change drastically.The one whose expression changed the most was Marcus. Rayleigh and the others had guessed earlier that this port wasn't simple, and after the initial shock, they slowly calmed down.Because Marcus was extremely familiar with this voice, the moment he heard this sentence, he recognized who it was.As soon as the voice fell, countless Marines rushed out from houses or from behind crates. In an instant, Marcus and the others were surrounded by hundreds of Marines.Looking at these familiar faces, Marcus cried out in his heart that it was bad. He lowered his head and slowly moved towards the crates on the side."Step, step, step..."As the footsteps sounded, the Marines slowly parted to both sides, and a Marine Vice Admiralwith white hair who exuded immense pressure walked out.Looking at the person who arrived, Rayleigh's pupils constricted, and he shouted: "I didn't expect it to be you. I thought I wouldn't run into you this time, but I didn't expect you to come looking for me."Garp!!!That's right, the person who came was Garp. After knowing about the evil political deal where the World Government sacrificed the Seventh Branch to extinguish the Celestial Dragons' anger, Garp was naturally furious.Garp knew that Rayleigh would understand his signal, so he wasn't too worried about the safety of the Seventh Branch. But just staying on the sea and doing nothing, Garp couldn't do that.In a bad mood, he naturally had to vent, so the Dark Port became Garp's target for venting.In fact, Garp had also anticipated that Rayleigh and the others would leave through the Dark Port, so he waited here specifically; destroying the Dark Portwas just incidental.Besides, Garp had always been unhappy with this Dark Port, but it involved too many people. Now, just using the excuse of capturing Rayleigh, the two had a great battle, and accidentally destroyed this port.With this reason, even if he destroyed this port completely, no one would dare to make an issue out of it.Because Rayleigh and the others were delayed by the Seventh Branch, Garp and his men arrived first. Under Garp's hand, the people in this port were instantly subdued by the Marine.Learning that Rayleigh and the others hadn't arrived yet, Garp laid an ambush in this port, waiting quietly for Rayleigh and the others to arrive. That was how the current scene came to be."Pluto Rayleigh, it's been a long time!" Garp said with emotion. They hadn't seen each other for many years; the once high-spirited Pluto Rayleigh now had a full head of white hair. Their old friends from back then were all getting old."Yeah! It's been over a decade. I didn't expect our first meeting in so long to be in such an environment," Rayleigh was also very emotional to see his old friend again.The surrounding Marines were pricking up their ears, listening to the conversation between Rayleighand Vice Admiral Garp. Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp and Pluto Rayleigh were actually reminiscing like old friends; if this news got out, it would shock the entire Marine.
Chapter 51: Marcus Becomes a Hostage"Of course, isn't it normal for pirates to be surrounded by the Marine?" Garp said joyfully.The first time he met Rayleigh was under the circumstances where he had Rayleigh surrounded, so Garp was in a good mood.Compared to Garp's happiness, Rayleigh was a bit annoyed. His eyes darted around as he said sarcastically, "Is that so? I recall you've surrounded us quite a few times, yet you don't seem to have succeeded even once."Regarding the 'us' in Rayleigh's words, Garpunderstood perfectly that it referred to the Roger Pirates. Back then, he had forced Roger and the others into desperate situations several times.But every time, for reasons unknown, something would always happen at the last moment, allowing Roger and the others to escape.Therefore, this had always been a regret in Garp's heart. Now that Rayleigh had mentioned it in front of so many people, Garp was naturally displeased."That was then, but this time, you, Pluto Rayleigh, have no one to help you. You won't be able to run away this time," Garp said smugly.Of course, Garp was just talking. He knew Rayleigh's strength; he wasn't confident in capturing him alone, or else he wouldn't have let him escape so many times back then.Hearing Garp's words, Rayleigh's heart sank a bit. If he were alone, he wouldn't fear Garp, but now he was carrying so many burdens. If Garp insisted on capturing him, it would be troublesome."However, for you, Pluto Rayleigh, to be able to come here, it seems the Seventh Branch couldn't stop you," Garp said tentatively.Although he believed Rayleigh would understand his meaning and likely wouldn't harm the people of the Seventh Branch, Garp was still a bit uneasy; it was safer to ask.Rayleigh was also a sly old fox. He understood Garp's purpose at a glance and replied, "Of course, the Eighth Branch alone couldn't stop me; they were knocked unconscious by me."However, Rayleigh emphasized his tone on the last sentence. He meant to tell Garp that since his requirements were met, he shouldn't block him anymore.Hearing Rayleigh's answer, Garp and the Marines present all breathed a sigh of relief. Garp hadn't hidden the fact that the Seventh Branch was dealing with Pluto Rayleigh.So, when the Marines saw Rayleigh arrive here, they were naturally worried about their colleagues in the Seventh Branch.As a fellow sly old fox, Garp naturally understood Rayleigh's implication, but with so many Marines here, it would be hard to justify letting Rayleigh go."Is this Marcus's teacher, Vice Admiral Garp?" Hancock looked at Garp and became shy, thinking: "He is Marcus's teacher, so doesn't that make him my teacher too? What should I say when I meet him? Should I call him teacher, just like Marcus..."Sandersonia asked Shakky, "Aunt Xia, is this Vice Admiral Garp, Marcus's teacher whom we've been worried about?""Yes!" Shakky said solemnly, "I didn't expect him to actually show up. Our situation is not looking good now."Precisely because she knew Garp's strength, Shakkylooked at him with a face full of worry. Garp's combat power was so great that if he insisted on stopping them, it would be very difficult for them to leave.Marigold looked puzzled, "Even if this Vice Admiral Garp's combat power is strong, Uncle Rayleighwon't be any worse than him.""No!" Hancock regained her clarity for once, "With us by Rayleigh's side, it's a huge burden for him."Shakky nodded. This was what she had been worried about all along. Now they could only see what Garp would do."Pluto Rayleigh, I advise you to surrender. Surrounded by so many of our Marines, it will be very difficult for you to escape."Looking at the surrounded Rayleigh, a hint of excitement flashed across the Marines' faces. What an honor it would be if they could capture Pluto Rayleigh.Normally, these Marines wouldn't even dare to think about such a thing, but with Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp here, capturing Rayleigh wasn't impossible.From Garp's words, Rayleigh could also sense Garp's concerns.With these Marines present, it was indeed difficult to let them go.While Rayleigh was thinking about how to get past Garp, he suddenly noticed that Marcus had disappeared from his side. Glancing back, he found that Marcus had moved to the side at some point. Watching Marcus preparing to slip away, Rayleighthought of a good idea.After discovering that the newcomer was the Stinky Old Man, Marcus quickly lowered his head and stood silently, afraid of being noticed by the Marines.Noticing that everyone's attention was on the Stinky Old Man and Rayleigh, Marcus then slowly moved to the side, trying to slip away before anyone discovered his identity.Looking at the wooden crate close at hand, a hint of joy appeared on Marcus's face. As long as he hid behind the crate and then took advantage of the moment before they could react, he could disappear from their sight.Just at the moment Marcus thought he was going to succeed, his collar was suddenly grabbed.What made Marcus feel even more miserable was that before he could react, the mask on his face was removed. The moment the mask was lifted, Marcusknew he was doomed this time.Seeing Pluto Rayleigh suddenly grab his companion and then remove the mask from his face, the Marines were full of confusion."Could it be that Pluto Rayleigh feels he's doomed and is preparing for some infighting?"But instantly, the Marines kicked this unrealistic thought out of their minds. No one would believe that Pluto Rayleigh would engage in infighting."Ah...!!"When the Marines saw the face of the person whose mask Rayleigh had lifted, they were all shocked, and Garp was no exception.Of course, Shakky and the others were the same; no one expected Rayleigh to suddenly expose Marcus's identity.Looking at the stunned crowd, Marcus managed to force a smile and greeted them, "Um, I've been away for half a day, is everyone doing alright?""Rayleigh, you Stinky Old Man, you actually set me up like this, using me as a hostage," Marcuswhispered, his tone full of anger.When Rayleigh grabbed him, Marcus realized that Rayleigh was likely taking him hostage to give the Stinky Old Man a way out and let them go.Rayleigh chuckled behind Marcus's back, "Am I not helping you? If you're taken hostage, no one will think you helped us later."Looking at Colonel Lin Tian, who was held by Rayleigh, the Marines couldn't believe their eyes."This person is actually Colonel Lin Tian! Why would Colonel Lin Tian be with Pluto Rayleigh?""Stupid... looking at the situation, it's clear that Colonel Lin Tian has been captured by Pluto Rayleigh.""That's right, Pluto Rayleigh must have recognized Colonel Lin Tian, so he captured him to threaten Marine Headquarters.""I didn't expect Rayleigh to be such a person."..."Garp, now your Marine's most promising soldier, who is also your student Marcus, is in my hands. If you don't let me through, I can't guarantee his safety," Rayleigh threatened Garp.After saying this, fearing the Marines wouldn't believe him, Rayleigh slowly increased the pressure with his right hand on Marcus's neck, and Marcus's face immediately turned bright red."Cough, cough..." Marcus whispered, "Rayleigh, don't press so hard, I can't breathe.""Sorry, I didn't notice!" Rayleigh quickly loosened his right hand slightly to let Marcus breathe.Seeing the situation change drastically in an instant, from being the threatener to the threatened, Colonel Andre didn't know what to do.He asked Garp, "Vice Admiral Garp, now that Colonel Lin Tian has been captured by Rayleigh, what should we do?"Garp said angrily, "What else can we do? Of course, we save Marcus and let Rayleigh go."Garp wasn't angry that Marcus was captured, but that Marcus had indeed ended up together with Rayleigh.The veteran Garp saw through the trick at a glance; this Stinky Kid wasn't captured at all, he was helping Rayleigh and the others.As Garp's only Disciple, Garp had high hopes for Marcus, wishing for him to become the strongest Marine Soldier, and Marcus hadn't disappointed those hopes.But now he had become friends with the legendary pirate Pluto Rayleigh, which made Garp both worried and angry.His only grandson was led astray by that bastard Shanks and wanted to be the Pirate King. Was his Disciple also going to be led astray by Pluto Rayleigh and become a pirate?PS: It's the last day of the week, planning for four chapters. Readers, please don't hold back your votes, and a few more tips would be appreciated. Thank you all in advance!UU Reading: Welcome all book friends to come and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 52: PartingUnder the orders of Colonel Andre, although everyone was unwilling, they still put down their weapons for the sake of Marcus's safety.Although Garp ordered the Marines to put down their weapons, he did not let them break the encirclement. Clearly, Garp was still very much in a state of Life Qi regarding Marcus's behavior of favoring outsiders.Just as Garp was about to speak, Hancock, who had come to her senses, kicked a Perfume Femur at Rayleigh without a second thought. Fortunately, Rayleigh reacted quickly enough, otherwise he would have been hit by Hancock's Perfume Femur.But our Marcus was not so lucky. Although Rayleighdodged it, Marcus was hit in his right foot, and his right foot immediately turned into stone.Seeing Hancock still throwing a Little Girl tantrum at a time like this, even someone with as good a temperament as Rayleigh would feel angry."Hancock, what are you doing? Why are you attacking me for no reason?"Facing Rayleigh's questioning, Hancock put her hands on her hips and scolded, "You actually captured my man! How could I let you go? Hurry up and release my man!""What?!" The startled cries of the Marines shot straight into the clouds. Hundreds of people made the same sound at once; one could imagine how loud that noise was."Who can tell me what happened? Am I dreaming?""Since when did Colonel Lin Tian become that female pirate's man?""This world is changing too fast; I find that I'm falling behind.""Could it be that this female pirate captured Colonel Lin Tian just to make him her pirate husband?"...The hundreds of Marines were saying all sorts of things, but they had one thing in common: their tone was filled with disbelief and shock.If it were just Marcus hanging out with Rayleighearlier, Garp could have accepted that. But all of a sudden, an incredibly beautiful female pirate saying that Marcus was her man? Garp could not accept that."What did this Stinky Kid Marcus experience over the last half-day? Am I the one who's crazy, or is the world crazy?"Rayleigh could only smile bitterly at Hancock's excuse. She couldn't even see through such an obvious pretense. Whenever Hancock was involved with Marcus, her IQ became negative.Seeing that Hancock was actually going to attack Rayleigh again, Shakky quickly stopped her, saying, "Hancock, this was all just a pretense by Rayleighand Marcus."Although she knew she was wrong, how could the arrogant Hancock admit it? "No matter what I do, I will be forgiven, because I am just too beautiful!""Hey, can you people take care of me?" Marcus said miserably from the side."Ah... Marcus!" Only then did Hancock remember that her Perfume Femur seemed to have kicked Marcus. She looked at Marcus's thighs and discovered that the petrification had spread to his entire lower body."Release." Feeling his two legs return to his control, and that his little brother was still there, Marcusimmediately breathed a sigh of relief."Rayleigh, I can agree to your terms: use Marcus to exchange for your departure. However, I have one requirement." Of course, Garp would not let Rayleigh and the others leave so easily."Speak up then, what is your requirement? If it's not too excessive, I can agree." Although meeting Garpfor the first time in many years and being threatened by him made Rayleigh very unhappy, the initiative was in the other person's hands now; he had to concede."Rest assured, my condition is very simple." Garppaused and continued, "That is, Marcus is exchanged for the passage of everyone except you, and you must fight me. If you win, you can pass! If you lose, then you go with me to Marine Headquarters."Hearing Garp's condition, a smile appeared on Rayleigh's face. Earlier, he had been worried that Garp would propose some requirements he couldn't meet, and then what would he do? But he hadn't expected it to be this kind of requirement. No! For Rayleigh, this didn't count as a requirement at all. Having a fight with Garp was something Rayleighalso very much wanted to do.As for the issue of losing, Rayleigh had never thought about it. Although he hadn't fought for so many years and his body was a bit rusty, it hadn't reached the point where he would lose.Seeing Rayleigh not answer, Garp said, "What, is Pluto Rayleigh afraid?"Rayleigh smiled slightly and did not reply to Garp's provocation. Having lived for so long, Rayleighwould not be enraged by such a simple provocation."Since the terms have been agreed upon, let's make the exchange now."Garp nodded and loudly ordered, "Now, clear a path for me and let them pass."Not long after Garp's order was given, the Marines had already quickly gathered on both sides of the road. The entire process did not have a single error; it was neat and orderly. From this simple act of clearing the road, one could see that the Marines under Garp were all elites, and even among the elites of Marineford, they were quite good.Rayleigh grabbed Marcus and led Shakky and the others toward Garp, who was standing in the middle of the road. Only after he handed Marcusover to Garp would Garp truly let them pass."Marcus, I don't know when we will meet again after this parting. I hope that when I see you again, you will be even stronger," Rayleigh said softly to Marcus.Marcus replied very confidently, "Of course, Rayleigh. When we meet next time, I will definitely give you a surprise.""Is that so? Then I will wait for your news at the Sabaody Archipelago."Rayleigh was also very much looking forward to Marcus's growth. Such an outstanding young man—after a few years of training, to what level would he grow?"Little Marcus, after leaving here, we will settle down in the Sabaody Archipelago. It's right next to Marine Headquarters. When that time comes, Little Marcus, you must come to visit us often."Although she had only spent half a day with Marcus, this seemingly young but very mature boy was very much to Shakky's liking.Marcus nodded slightly. "Rest assured, Aunt Xia. I will definitely go often when the time comes, but you must prepare plenty of delicious food."Looking at Hancock's sad face, Marcus could only smile apologetically. It wasn't that Marcus didn't want to say goodbye to Hancock, but rather that on the road earlier, Marcus had already talked a lot with Hancock.The two had already agreed that if Hancock really needed to find Marcus, she would go to the bar Shakky opened, and then have Shakky notify him. If Marcus had time, he would also look for Hancock.Marcus also knew that two years later, Hancockwould be invited by the World Government to become the 'Empress' among the Shichibukai. By then, there would be plenty of opportunities and time for the two to meet.The moment Rayleigh let go of Marcus, Garp also cleared the path behind him, letting Shakky and the others pass."You can use any of the ships at the dock. You can leave first, or you can wait until after I finish fighting Rayleigh to leave," Garp said.That bet earlier was just talk. In reality, Garp just wanted to have a fight with Rayleigh, and the most likely outcome was a draw with Rayleigh.If he could have beaten Rayleigh, he would have caught this bastard back then; why would he have let him roam free for so many years?It was precisely because Rayleigh understood Garp's thoughts that he agreed to Garp so readily."Stinky Kid, now take everyone and back away. You can explain everything else to me clearly later."Hearing the word "explain," Marcus sighed helplessly and then walked toward Colonel Andreon the side. The "explain" in Garp's mouth actually meant beating him up. It seemed his day today would not be easy."Colonel Lin Tian, are you alright?" Colonel Andreasked with concern. After all, the one who had captured Marcus was Pluto Rayleigh.Marcus replied, "I'm fine. Let's move further away now; when these two start fighting, the destructive power will be enormous.""Yes." A fight between people of this level was not something someone of his strength could get involved in. If they didn't move far away, they would very likely be caught in the crossfire.The entire harbor was left with only Garp and Rayleigh. The great battle was on the verge of breaking out!UU Reading welcomes readers to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 53: Garp vs. Rayleigh (Part 1)After Marcus and the other Marines left, the entire port truly fell into the atmosphere expected of a battlefield.On a high slope at the edge of the port, all the Marines gathered here, watching this battle that would surely shake the world tomorrow.Being able to watch the battle between Pluto Rayleigh and Vice Admiral Garp filled all the Marines with a sense of pride; such battles were not common.Colonel Andre asked, "Colonel Lin Tian, Vice Admiral Garp is your teacher. Do you think Vice Admiral Garp has the strength to defeat Rayleigh?"Marcus pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. It is very likely that the two of them will fight to a draw this time.""Why?" Colonel Andre felt a bit confused by Marcus's prediction.Vice Admiral Garp had forced the Pirate King Rogerinto desperate situations several times back in the day, and Pluto Rayleigh was only the First Mate of the Roger Pirates. Garp might not be able to capture Rayleigh, but defeating Pluto Rayleigh should be highly probable, right?"Don't underestimate Pluto Rayleigh. I couldn't even withstand a single Move from him. Even GarpSensei described Rayleigh as a 'man of unfathomable depth'." Marcus kept his eyes fixed on the two in the arena and said solemnly.Colonel Andre looked shocked; he was very clear about Colonel Lin Tian's strength.But he hadn't expected that Colonel Lin Tianwouldn't even be able to withstand one Move from Pluto Rayleigh. No wonder Colonel Lin Tian had been captured by Rayleigh earlier without even a chance to escape.In fact, Marcus judged that Rayleigh and the Stinky Old Man would end in a draw because he knew these two were not engaged in a real life-or-death battle, but rather a friendly sparring match between old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.Otherwise, they wouldn't have the opportunity to stand so close and watch.If the Stinky Old Man and Rayleigh were really fighting for real, the entire island would be destroyed under their immense combat power. At that point, they wouldn't be standing here quietly watching; they would be trying to evacuate the residents of this island and then running for their lives together.Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...A refreshing sea breeze blew from the ocean, causing Garp and Rayleigh's cloaks to rustle loudly."Rayleigh, ever since Roger died back then, you have also disappeared from the world. What have you been waiting for all these years?" Garp asked in a deep voice.Rayleigh slowly drew his longsword. "After the Captain died, I had no desire to dominate. Now, I am just an old man who likes to gamble."Garp's fists were instantly coated in Armament Haki, and he flashed beside Rayleigh. This speed was several times faster than Marcus using'Shave'.Although Garp was extremely fast, Rayleigh was no pushover. Armament Haki quickly coated his hands. He raised the sword in his hand and accurately and quickly blocked Garp's Iron Fist."Bang!" A powerful shockwave erupted from between the two. The huge wooden crates nearby were instantly blown away, and even the nearby walls were scarred by the sharp air currents.The shockwave from a mere collision had such great power, and this was while neither of them was using their full strength. One can see how formidable Pluto Rayleigh and Garp's strength is.Garp gripped Rayleigh's right wrist, which was holding the sword. "Is that so? Roger was willing to deceive the world with his own life, calling that thing the great Treasure Trove, One Piece, to start this Great Pirate Era. I don't believe he didn't instruct you to do something."After speaking, Garp increased the strength in his hands. The reinforced concrete ground beneath Rayleigh's feet cracked under this immense power, and the entire ground sank a bit.Having fought Garp so many times, Rayleigh knew Garp's immense strength well. Rayleigh released the sword in his hand and flipped his right hand, attempting to grab Garp's wrist with a backhand grip.But how could Garp let Rayleigh have his way? Garp immediately released his left hand, clenched it into a fist, and struck quickly toward Rayleigh's chest. Seeing Garp's attack, Rayleigh hurriedly clenched his right hand and struck toward Garp."Bang!"Taking advantage of this powerful reaction force, Rayleigh grabbed the sword stuck in the ground and retreated rapidly.During his retreat, he casually swung out several deep blue slashes."Back then, I didn't go when the Captain was executed, so I don't know about many things. I just want to live the rest of my life in peace."The slashes, which Garp easily dodged, lost none of their power. The factory behind Garp was sliced into several sections by these powerful slashes and then collapsed.Garp raised his fists and attacked Rayleigh in front of him. With every step Garp took, a footprint several feet deep appeared on the ground."Is that so? What exactly are you waiting for? Where did those crew members of the Roger Pirates go? For so many years, they have been just like you, Rayleigh, as if they have disappeared from this world."Rayleigh dodged Garp's powerful punch, and his longsword suddenly unleashed a slash, forcing Garpback. "As for the other crew members, I don't know either. It's possible they are also somewhere, retired, just like me."Garp would never believe Rayleigh's words. With so many strong people under Roger back in the day, how could they all be hiding and living like ordinary people?Bang, bang, bang...Although for some reason, Rayleigh and Garp could not exert their full strength, both of them had pushed their speed to the Peak.At this moment, Rayleigh and Garp seemed to have turned into two beams of light, sometimes colliding and sometimes separating. Each collision produced a violent sound, along with immense destructive power.Garp's strength was simply too powerful. Once Garp got close, Rayleigh would be completely suppressed by Garp's terrifying strength.After all, strength was not Rayleigh's strong suit; swordsmanship was. Relying on his superb swordsmanship, Rayleigh could completely neutralize the gap in strength, so the two were currently fighting to a standstill, evenly matched.The Marines on the slope watched the battle below, incomparably shocked. Although with their strength, they couldn't clearly see the specific Moves between the two, they could only see two beams of light moving within the port.However, the immense destructive power caused by the two was clearly presented before everyone's eyes."Is this the battle of the strongest?""This is Vice Admiral Garp's strength...!""Vice Admiral Garp is worthy of being the marine hero; this combat power is truly too strong."...These Marine Soldiers had been following Garp for quite some time and knew that Vice Admiral Garp, known as the marine hero, was extremely powerful.But this was the first time they had seen such a battle, because in the past, no matter how powerful the pirates were, they were instantly defeated by Vice Admiral Garp.Compared to these Marine Soldiers, the highly skilled Marcus could clearly see their Moves.No! Perhaps there were no superb Moves in Garpand Rayleigh's battle; it was just a pure collision of strength and speed, as well as the application of Haki.Watching the two fight, Marcus had a whole new level of understanding regarding Haki.Like Rayleigh and Garp, neither were Devil Fruitusers, but they were able to become the top tier of people in this world precisely because of their use of Haki.Therefore, Rayleigh and Garp's use and development of Haki could be said to be among the most powerful in the world. Garp, relying on Armament Haki, could actually withstand Rayleigh's powerful slashes head-on.The entire battle had only just begun for a few minutes, but the entire port had already been completely destroyed, to the point where reconstruction was no longer possible.Because not only were all the buildings in the port destroyed, not a single one could be found intact. Under Rayleigh's powerful slashes and Garp's terrifying strength, the entire ground of the port was covered with countless cracks and pits, and the entire land had become fragmented."Is this the power of the true strong in this world? It is indeed powerful. And this is still without using their full strength. If they used their full strength, how great would that destructive power be?" Marcus thought to himself.Just as Marcus was thinking, the battle in the port had reached a white-hot intensity.PS: All four chapters have been delivered. I ask all readers to please support me.UU Reading welcomes all readers to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 54: Garp vs. Rayleigh (Part 2)Boom!Garp's powerful punch was blocked by Rayleighonce again. Seeing that one strike didn't work, Garpquickly closed in, his pitch-black Iron Fists striking out forcefully.Because Garp's speed was too fast, countless fist shadows seemed to appear in front of Rayleigh.Upon blocking this punch, Rayleigh knew things were bad. Having fought Garp for so many years, how could Rayleigh not know the terror of Garp's immense strength? Thus, Garp was incredibly formidable in close-quarters combat.Just as Rayleigh wanted to retreat, Garp had already seen through his thoughts. He launched a series of fierce attacks, forcing Rayleigh to have no chance at all to pull away.'Observation Haki' activate!Rayleigh instantly saw through the fists that had originally filled his vision, accurately and quickly blocking all of Garp's punches.Seeing Rayleigh block all his punches, Garpimmediately understood that his Moves had been seen through. His punching speed slowed down; after all, such a rapid and fierce attack was also very taxing on Garp's stamina.Noticing that Garp's punches had slowed, Rayleighimmediately realized this was a good opportunity—a good chance to pull away from Garp.But just then, Garp's punching technique changed, attacking him incessantly, each punch more tricky than the last.Rayleigh had to concentrate on defending against Garp's attacks. One must know that when experts clash, it often comes down to a single Move; once an opponent catches an opening, a continuous stream of attacks follows, and by then, defeat is certain.Clang, clang, clang... Although Rayleigh used his sword to block Garp's fists, that terrifying power was transmitted through the sword to his arm. The immense force invaded Rayleigh's arm layer after layer with Garp's attacks.If it were just for a moment, it would be fine, but Garp's attacks were continuous, and Rayleigh's arms were already starting to feel a bit sore."If I let Garp keep attacking like this, I will definitely reveal a significant opening," Rayleigh quickly analyzed the situation he was facing."I didn't expect Uncle Rayleigh's strength to be so great," Hancock said with a look of shock."Hmm?" Sandersonia and Marigold nodded like machines.Although the previous battle in the town had also made everyone marvel at Rayleigh's strength, that situation was nowhere near as visually shocking as this.Such a large port was destroyed in an instant; the ground was shattered by the two of them, with large craters everywhere. Some craters had already been flooded by seawater, turning into lakes.Compared to the shock of Hancock and the others, Shakky's expression was much calmer; she had seen scenes even more shocking than this in the past.Seeing the battle in the field, Shakky was secretly worried for Rayleigh. She could tell at a glance that Rayleigh's current situation was not good; if he couldn't break away in time, he might face defeat.Rayleigh, of course, also understood his current situation. The long sword in his hand danced in a dazzling manner, his swordsmanship displayed to its fullest, but this only barely blocked Garp's attacks. In terms of close-quarters combat, Garp was much stronger than Rayleigh."Slashing Storm"Rayleigh stomped one foot on the ground, causing it to crack instantly. Using the powerful reaction force, he shot up into the air.He rapidly swung the long sword in his hand toward the charging Garp. Every swing produced a blade of Sword Qi. In an instant, the entire sky seemed to be covered by countless blades of Sword Qi.Seeing those powerful blades of Sword Qi in mid-air, a look of solemnity appeared on Garp's face. Taking a deep breath, Garp roared loudly.'Fist Bone Meteor'Garp's fists swung out rapidly. In an instant, countless Air Cannons also appeared above Garp. These Air Cannons were formed by fists striking the air; they were incredibly powerful, not at all inferior to Rayleigh's Sword Qi."Bang, bang, bang..." The collision between the Sword Qi and the Air Cannons caused violent explosions.The dust kicked up by the explosions instantly submerged Rayleigh and Garp's figures, making it impossible for the onlookers to see the situation inside."Colonel Lin Tian, who do you think will win between Pluto Rayleigh and Vice Admiral Garp?" Andre asked worriedly.Marcus shook his head to indicate he didn't know. Under the thick smoke, the situation inside couldn't be seen clearly at all, so Marcus didn't know what to say. However, he still firmly believed the two were evenly matched.Shakky and the others on the ship were also very worried about the situation in the dust.Meanwhile, in the thick dust, Rayleigh and Garpwere standing opposite each other in front of a giant crater.Although those two powerful Moves just now were incredibly strong, most of the Sword Qi and Air Cannons had canceled each other out, and the rest were easily dodged by the two of them.Thus, the biggest effect of those two Moves was the creation of a giant crater; they hadn't caused much damage to either of them."Hahaha..." Garp laughed, "Rayleigh, it seems that after being in seclusion for so many years, your strength is still the same as before."After the recent battle, Garp's anger had dissipated quite a bit, and he was now in a fairly good mood."You're much the same, Garp; your strength is still so great," Rayleigh's mood was also good."Of course. I've been doing well these years, and in the last two years, I've even trained a highly talented Disciple."Speaking of Marcus, Garp immediately became proud. His Disciple was so excellent and was even hailed as the most outstanding Marine Soldier in the history of the Marine. With such a Disciple, any teacher would be proud.Seeing Garp's proud face, Rayleigh suddenly felt a bit annoyed, but Marcus was indeed very outstanding.How did this bastard Garp get so lucky to take such an excellent young man as a Disciple? To be honest, Rayleigh even felt a hint of jealousy toward Garp."The excellent one is your Disciple, not you. I really don't know what you're so happy about."Sensing a hint of jealousy in Rayleigh's tone, Garplaughed loudly. "Marcus is my Disciple, trained by me. Of course I'm happy."Meanwhile, he thought to himself, "This Stinky Kidperformed well; he's really made me look good in front of Rayleigh today."Finding Garp even more smug, Rayleigh could only sigh helplessly. There was nothing he could do; who told him he didn't have a student more awesomethan Marcus?Rayleigh quickly changed the subject. If they continued talking, he didn't know how much more smug this bastard Garp would get."Garp, if we keep fighting, we won't be able to determine a winner. Why don't we stop after one more Move?"He didn't have enough time right now to fight Garpfor days and nights; he had to take Shakky and the others away as soon as possible.Garp thought about it and agreed to Rayleigh's suggestion."Alright, but the power of the last Move can't be too great; it must be controlled within the range of this port.""Fine!" Rayleigh slowly put his long sword back into its scabbard. "Let's use this Move to decide the outcome."The two of them stood quietly like that, staring intensely at each other as a powerful Aura erupted from their bodies.The impact force generated by the collision of their Auras vented toward the sky, and the thick smoke above dissipated in an instant.This powerful Aura was felt even by Marcus and the others in the distance, even though it had weakened significantly over such a long distance.However, for the other Marines, the pressure was still very strong; some Marines had already been pressed to the ground.Seeing that these Marines had only fallen to the ground and hadn't fainted, Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, these two bellicose old men didn't release their Conqueror's Haki."Feeling this powerful Aura, everyone knew it was time to decide the winner.Kyowa Zan!Iron Fist!Their attacks were so fast that the naked eye couldn't even see them. In this instant, the entire heaven and earth seemed to freeze, the world appeared to stop turning, and even time stopped flowing."Boom"A powerful shockwave erupted, accompanied by a strong gale; the thick dust around was instantly blown away.This powerful shockwave, centered on the giant crater, spread in all directions with immense power.Many Marines were sent flying by this powerful shockwave, and even Marcus had to use his full strength to withstand it.Meanwhile, Shakky and the others on the ship weren't so lucky. Under the powerful shockwave, their ship sped toward the sea at an extremely fast pace, getting further and further away from the island!P.S.: Thank you to all the readers for your support here!UU Reading. Welcome to read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 55: Justice in the HeartWater! Seawater! It was all seawater!Marcus, who had just come to his senses, immediately looked down at the port below, his mind filled with a single thought.Under the final blow from Rayleigh and Garp, the entire port had been sunk beneath the sea surface. The original location of the port had turned into open water, and the entire ground had been leveled below sea level.Only the countless floating wooden crates, wreckage of merchant ships, and broken machinery on the sea surface could prove that a port had once existed here.As an incredibly important Dark Port in the Underworld, Sexon Island was the intersection of two of the seven routes of the Grand Line, so many smuggling merchant ships passed through here.At this moment, the other Marines also realized what had happened. Watching the port below completely disappear and turn into the sea, their expressions were just as shocked as Marcus's."How is this possible?""Is this the combat power of Vice Admiral Garp?""He actually sank the entire port. Is he even human?"...Colonel Andre scanned the area and found no trace of Vice Admiral Garp on the sea surface, nor was he visible on the high slope to the side."Vice Admiral Garp, why can't I see Vice Admiral Garp?"Compared to Colonel Andre's panic, Marcus was much calmer. He waved his hand and said dismissively."Don't worry, Colonel Andre. The Stinky Old Manisn't so easily dealt with. It's possible his clothes were torn, and he's hiding somewhere, too embarrassed to come out."After waiting for a while and finding that Colonel Andre had no reaction, Marcus looked over at him.He discovered that Colonel Andre was looking at the space behind him with a face full of fear. Seeing Marcus turn around, the colonel hurriedly signaled him with his eyes while secretly pointing a finger behind him.Seeing these actions, a bad premonition immediately arose in Marcus's heart. Before he could even look back, a familiar voice rang out from behind him."Stinky Kid, you're really something. I haven't even settled the score with you for what happened earlier, and you dare to slander me."Hearing the Stinky Old Man's voice from behind, Marcus's face was filled with a bitter smile. He was done for. When did the Stinky Old Man appear behind him?Marcus looked at Garp with a fawning smile. "Uh, Teacher, I just misspoke by accident. Actually, I've always been concerned about you."What, no dignity?Once you've tasted Garp's fist, you'll know it's all worth it. A real man knows when to bend and when to stretch; this little humiliation will be repaid one day.Unfortunately, Garp felt nothing for Marcus's flattery; he laughed while raising his fist."Stinky Kid, you dare to badmouth your teacher behind his back?"Sent flying by the punch, Marcus endured the gale blowing into his mouth and cursed, "Stinky Old Man, is this how you hit your own Disciple? What do you think you're doing..."Before Marcus could finish cursing, Garp used'Soru' to catch up to him instantly, smiled at the flying Marcus, and threw another punch."Stinky Old Man..."Ah!"Stinky..."Ah!Seeing Vice Admiral Garp in the middle of the field beating up Marcus, the other Marines immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Vice Admiral Garp was still so energetic; it seemed he was perfectly fine.Listening to Marcus's screams and watching his form constantly being sent flying, the Marines could only feel deep sympathy in their hearts. But as for helping Marcus, they could only shake their heads helplessly.Holding the mindset that it's better for one Fellow Daoist to die than for all Fellow Daoists to die, everyone stood quietly watching the scene of Colonel Lin Tian being beaten.In the forest, only Marcus's screams and the faint sound of the wind remained.After beating Marcus for over ten minutes, a refreshed Garp clapped his hands, grabbed a clean Vice Admiral uniform, and went to the side to change.After the previous battle, Garp's clothes were indeed in tatters, but it wasn't as exaggerated as Marcus had claimed earlier."Hiss." Marcus, whose entire body ached from Garp's beating, could only look indignantly at Garp's gradually disappearing back. Who told him he couldn't beat Garp?"Fortunately, Hancock left this bottle of ointment for me. Otherwise, these injuries wouldn't heal for days."Thinking this, Marcus took the medicine bottle from his pocket and slowly applied the medicine to his wounds. The pain throughout his body immediately lessened significantly."Colonel Lin Tian, are you alright?" Colonel Andrewalked over and asked with concern.Marcus smiled. "I'm fine. The Stinky Old Man held back. It just hurts a bit, nothing serious."Colonel Andre nodded, then stood there silently, a look of struggle appearing on his face.Sensing that something was off with Colonel Andre, a look of suspicion flashed across Marcus's face. He asked, confused, "Colonel Andre, is there something you want to say?""Sigh..." Hearing Marcus's words, Andre sighed. "Surely you know that this port is a Dark Port.""Yeah!" Marcus nodded and said sarcastically, "If I hadn't been brought here by Pluto Rayleigh today, I wouldn't have known such a place existed."Hearing the sarcasm in Marcus's tone, Colonel Andre gave a bitter smile. "There's nothing that can be done about it. This matter involves too many things; even the Marine Headquarters is helpless..."Marcus understood this kind of thing as well. In the world, wherever there is light, there is darkness. This is the unchanging Law of the Universe, and his previous life was the same. But Marcus clearly didn't want to hear Colonel Andre's explanation, so he interrupted."But what does that have to do with anything?"Colonel Andre said, "It has everything to do with it."Next, under Marcus's puzzled gaze, Colonel Andreexplained how the Marine Headquarters had been pressured by the Celestial Dragons to use the Seventh Branch as a sacrifice to give the Celestial Dragons an answer.Then, he told the whole story of how Vice Admiral Garp, upon learning of this matter, came to this Dark Port.After hearing Colonel Andre's account, Marcusfinally understood that there were so many twists and turns behind this matter. No wonder the Seventh Branch, knowing they were no match for Rayleigh, still held their ground; it turned out to be because of a death order from the Marine Headquarters.Although Marcus felt a sense of sorrow for the Seventh Branch regarding the orders from the Marine Headquarters.Marcus could also understand Fleet Admiral Sengoku. If he were facing this situation, he would have made the same choice. It had nothing to do with selfishness, just for the justice in his heart and the safety of many innocent civilians.Vice Admiral Darr of the Seventh Branch had also realized this, which was why he strictly followed orders to stop Pluto Rayleigh, even if it meant the entire Seventh Branch would be destroyed.The Stinky Old Man also understood this, which was why he hadn't intervened earlier and instead came to this port to have a fight with Rayleigh.However, fortunately! Rayleigh didn't use lethal force, and apart from a few unlucky ones, not many people from the Seventh Branch died."Now, Vice Admiral Garp has destroyed this Dark Port at such a critical juncture. I don't know what major consequences this will cause," Colonel Andresaid worriedly.Hearing that Colonel Andre was actually worried about this, Marcus chuckled. Under Andre's puzzled gaze, he explained."Don't worry, the Stinky Old Man had already thought of this, which is why he picked a fight with Pluto Rayleigh. When the time comes, people outside will only know that Vice Admiral Garp and Pluto Rayleigh had a great battle to stop him, and they sank the entire port.""That's right!" Colonel Andre clapped his hands, suddenly realizing. "With this reason, given Vice Admiral Garp's prestige in the Marine, no one can say anything; on the contrary, they will have to praise him. And since the other person is Pluto Rayleigh, no one would dare to say anything either."Looking at the ship in the distance that had already hoisted its sails, Marcus knew that Uncle Rayleighwas fine too. It seemed that Rayleigh and the Stinky Old Man were indeed evenly matched.Wait for me, Uncle Rayleigh! Shakky! Hancock!At this moment, Marcus suddenly thought of something and hurriedly looked down at the sea surface below."Damn it, the Stinky Old Man and Rayleigh actually destroyed everything. Do you know how much all that stuff was worth!"UU Reading welcomes all readers to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read
Chapter 56: The CargoLooking at the sea below, Marcus wailed miserably.Under the powerful attacks of Rayleigh and Garp, even the entire port was sunk. How could those valuable goods remain intact?Everything traded in the Dark World was not good stuff, but one thing was certain: those things must be valuable. Otherwise, who would risk being caught by the Marines to transport these contraband items?Originally, after learning about this Dark Port, Marcus had planned to occupy the entire port after Rayleigh and the others left.He would pick out the valuable items, blow up the port, and frame Rayleigh for everything.By then, even if those people wanted revenge, upon discovering that it was Pluto Rayleigh who did it, no one would dare retaliate, after all, Pluto Rayleigh's reputation was not just for show.This was also why Rayleigh had a bad premonition when he saw the smile on Marcus's face.At that time, he would not only seize a large sum of wealth—oh! He shouldn't say seize, it should be robbing the rich to help the poor, robbing the rich to save himself, a poor man—and face no consequences, being able to use it without worry.Furthermore, he would prevent those items from reaching the buyers, saving countless lives. This would be a great deed.But now, because of the battle between Rayleighand the Stinky Old Man, everything was destroyed. Such a massive fortune had vanished before his eyes, making Marcus heartbroken.Colonel Andre said cautiously from the side, "Colonel Lin Tian, those things..."But before Andre could finish speaking, Marcuswaved his hand to interrupt, "Don't comfort me. I know those things are all gone.""Uh, I haven't finished speaking yet," Colonel Andresmiled helplessly and continued, "Colonel Lin Tian, I meant that those things were not destroyed."Hearing Andre's words, Marcus was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted and asked excitedly, "What did you say? Those things weren't destroyed?""Yes," Andre nodded and explained, "When we arrived earlier, the people here tried to resist, but for some reason, Vice Admiral Garp took action, and we captured everyone in a short time.""Later, Vice Admiral Garp suddenly ordered everyone and all the cargo to be moved to a safe place. At the time, I didn't understand this order, but after seeing the great battle between Vice Admiral Garp and Pluto Rayleigh, I understood."Marcus didn't have time to listen to Colonel Andrerecount the entire story. What Marcus cared about most now was where the cargo was."Colonel Andre, don't talk about these things anymore. Please take me there first.""Where are you going?"Before Andre could answer, Garp walked over and asked.Seeing that it was Vice Admiral Garp asking, Colonel Andre quickly replied respectfully, "Vice Admiral Garp, we are preparing to go to the location where the cargo is stored."Garp, who was familiar with Marcus, immediately understood Marcus's purpose upon hearing Colonel Andre's reply.He said righteously, "Stinky Kid, who are we? We are righteous Marines. How can we always think about those treasures?"Marcus pouted and muttered in a small voice, "If it weren't for me, you old man would still be eating cookies that cost two Berries apiece, how could you be eating those high-end cookies that cost one hundred Berries apiece?"Although Marcus's voice was low, Garp's hearing allowed him to catch it.Garp, who had just finished a major battle and was about to take out a cookie to replenish his energy, felt embarrassed to eat it after hearing Marcus's words.Colonel Andre, who was next to Marcus, naturally heard it too. Looking at Vice Admiral Garp's expression, Colonel Andre desperately wanted to laugh, but when Vice Admiral Garp glanced at him, Colonel Andre had no choice but to suppress the smile in his heart."Cough, cough, cough..." Garp coughed a few times to cover his embarrassment.He said seriously, "Well, as righteous Marines, we also cannot let these things fall into the wrong hands and harm ordinary citizens.""So, Colonel Lin Tian, all those things will be left to you to handle.""Yes!" After speaking, Marcus asked Colonel Andreto lead the way toward the cargo storage area.Watching Marcus's departing back, Garp shook his head self-deprecatingly, took out a cookie, and examined it closely."I never thought that I, a dignified Marine Vice Admiral, would actually be threatened by a single biscuit."...Led by Colonel Andre, Marcus and the other person turned left and right in the forest and soon arrived at an open space.The entire open space was neatly arranged with wooden crates, and a huge tent was set up in the middle. Beside the open space, quite a few people were tied up by their hands behind their backs and leaning against a pile, with dozens of Marines standing guard."Colonel Andre, Colonel Lin Tian, why are you here? Is the situation at the port resolved?" A MarineLieutenant Colonel saluted the two and asked curiously.Seeing the people who arrived, Marcus pretended to be angry and said, "Roberts! Didn't I tell you? Stop calling me Colonel Lin Tian, just call me Marcus!"This Lieutenant Colonel was Marcus's first friend on the ship, the former Marine Captain Roberts. However, under Marcus's care, Roberts' military merits had increased significantly, and he was now a Lieutenant Colonel.Roberts scratched his head sheepishly, "Your rank is higher than mine, so it's appropriate to call you that. Besides, everyone calls you that, it would be awkward for me to be the exception."Marcus sighed helplessly at this. He knew what Roberts was worried about, so he didn't say much more, avoiding the issue."The situation at the port has been resolved. Vice Admiral Garp fought a great battle with Pluto Rayleigh and sank the entire port. In the end, they fought to a draw.""Sank... sank... the entire thing..." Roberts muttered, completely stunned.This news was too shocking. Roberts had thought of countless possibilities, but he never imagined that the entire port would be sunk.Roberts had seen how big that port was with his own eyes. What kind of terrifying combat power was needed to sink a port?Marcus and Andre said nothing, giving Roberts time to digest the shocking news. When they saw the scene themselves, it took them a long time to react.After a while, Roberts, having recovered, said apologetically, "I'm sorry for making you wait. This news is just too shocking. It's hard to imagine such a large port being sunk.""It's alright. Our expressions were similar to yours when we first saw that scene," Colonel Andre also sighed, as that scene was truly too shocking."Oh, right, what are you here for?"Marcus replied, "Oh, I requested to come. I want to see what these contraband items actually are."Roberts smiled slightly, "You've come at the perfect time. We just finished tallying everything, and you arrived.""Oh, is that so?" Obviously, Marcus hadn't expected his timing to be so good. If he had come a little earlier, he would have had to open every single box himself."Yes. Now I'll explain the details to you," Robertssaid while leading Marcus and Andre toward the wooden crates."To be honest, after we finished tallying the items here, we were all shocked. Everything inside is contraband. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes today, I wouldn't believe such a place exists in the world."Looking at the boxes before him, Marcus showed a look of curiosity.Because these boxes not only contained contraband, but they also contained the darkness of this world.PS: Seeing the data increased by a large margin, Little Tian thanks all the readers for their support, as well as recommendation votes, and thanks all the great readers for their rewards! Your support is the motivation for Little Tian to keep writing!UU Reading Welcome to UU Reading, where the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works can be found! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 57: Astonishing WealthUnder Roberts' explanation, Marcus slowly began to witness a corner of the entire Underworld."In terms of goods, there are a total of 473 wooden crates here, all containing contraband explicitly prohibited by the World Government. They are mainly divided into three major categories: arms, narcotics, and medicines.""Arms are the most numerous, with nearly two hundred and fifty-three crates, containing rifles, cannons, shells... Narcotics come second with over one hundred and forty crates. Medicines are the fewest, with only dozens of crates, but their value is indeed the highest, containing many rare drugs.""Of course, there are also some miscellaneous items inside, but the protection for these things is very good and their value is not low. Without Vice Admiral Garp's orders, we didn't dare to open them privately, so the contents are unclear."After the brief introduction, Roberts handed Marcusand the other a piece of paper each. "This is the detailed inventory list, which lists each category and the specific quantities."After explaining such a long passage, Roberts was also parched. He drank some water while waiting for the two to finish reading.Earlier, just listening to Roberts' brief introduction, Marcus didn't feel much, but when Marcus saw the detailed data on that list, he was instantly shocked beyond measure.Take the arms listed above, for instance; the quantity was enough to arm an army of ten thousand people.Furthermore, these weapons were considered excellent even within the Marine, and only the elites of Marineford were equipped with them, yet there were ten thousand pieces here.Although the arms were numerous, they couldn't compare to the narcotics and medicines in terms of value. These items combined were worth at least one billion Berries; it could be said to be an astonishing fortune."These bastards, they even dare to sell this kind of weaponry and medicine. These things are rare even within the Marine, yet there are so many here," Colonel Andre couldn't help but curse in anger after reading only half of it.Watching Colonel Andre cursing on the side, Roberts moved to Marcus's side and whispered, "Am I seeing things? Is this still Colonel Andre?"Marcus nodded with a bitter smile. He was also very surprised by Colonel Andre's sudden outburst of cursing.One must know that in everyone's eyes, Colonel Andre had a very good temper. Marcus had stayed with Colonel Andre for two years, and this was the first time he had seen him curse, which showed how angry Colonel Andre was at this moment."Forget it, Colonel Andre, this kind of thing is not something we can manage," Marcus comforted."Sigh," Andre sighed deeply. This kind of matter wasn't something people of their level could speak on. These Dark Ports involved the interests of too many people; even Marine Headquarters didn't dare to touch them.The reason they could destroy this Dark Port this time was because Vice Admiral Garp used the opportunity of his battle with Pluto Rayleigh. With the powerful combat strength of the two, they forcibly erased this port from the world.If it were normal times, even if Marine Headquarterswanted to move against these Dark Ports, they would have to weigh the consequences carefully.Colonel Andre clenched his fists and said with a Face full of indignation, "But, just this one port has so many contraband items. If the entire Grand Linewere added up, how much would there be?""Sigh, what can we do even if we're indignant? Even if the Marine disregarded everything and destroyed all these Dark Ports, in a few years, such ports would appear in the world again."In this regard, Marcus, who had the experience of two lives, saw more clearly than ordinary people. As long as this world has a bright side, it will have a dark side. No matter what you do, as long as the world exists for another day, such ports will not disappear."Right, Roberts," Marcus suddenly thought of something and asked, "What did you mean earlier when you said 'in terms of goods'?"Roberts slapped his head, "I almost forgot. Marcus, you weren't here earlier, so some things are unclear. Besides finding these goods in the port, we also found some slaves.""Slaves?" Marcus asked in confusion.Having lived in this world for so many years, Marcusknew of the existence of slaves,But only the Celestial Dragons were qualified to own them; others were not allowed to keep humans as slaves.Andre explained, "The slaves here are not humans. They are people from other races, and they are all very beautiful females. They are very popular among the nobles."Marcus nodded in realization. He had only been in the Marine for two years. Although he had the authority of a Colonel, some things only circulated in the shadows, so there were many things he didn't know.Roberts flipped through the list in his hand and said, "Here, there are people from five races in total: Humans, Tontatta Tribe, Mink Tribe, longarm tribe, and Fish-Man Tribe. Adding them up, there are thirty-seven people. That's all the items in this port.""Humans?" Marcus asked suspiciously, "I remember that except for the Celestial Dragons, no one else is allowed to have humans as slaves."Roberts explained, "The humans here are different from the humans we refer to. These human slaves are criminals or citizens of countries that are not affiliated with the World Government; they are not protected by the World Government.""In that case, let's go take a look."Having lived in this world for two years, Marcushadn't seen people of other races besides humans and giants. He was quite curious about the appearance of other races.Andre saw through Marcus's little thought at a glance. In fact, he hadn't seen many races either and was also curious about the appearance of other races.Looking at the newly pitched tent in front of him, Colonel Andre's eyes showed a hint of displeasure. "Lieutenant Commander Roberts, these slaves aren't that delicate, are they? You even had time to help them pitch a tent."Hearing the displeasure in Colonel Andre's tone, Roberts explained with a bitter smile, "It's not that we wanted to, but these people are really too noisy. We had no choice, so we pitched a tent."Seeing the expression on Roberts' Face, Andrefigured he wouldn't be lying. Plus, out of respect for Marcus, Colonel Andre didn't say anything more.Marcus interjected from the side, "Too noisy? Why is that?""Colonel Lin Tian, you have no idea how much those women can talk. One moment they say this is no good, the next they say that won't do. These women are hardly slaves; they're practically masters..." Roberts grumbled on the side.Marcus could very well understand Roberts' inner feelings. As the saying goes, 'three women make a play.' There were over thirty women here; it really wasn't easy for Roberts to endure it."But this doesn't seem to have anything to do with pitching a tent," Colonel Andre looked at the huge tent before him.Roberts lifted the curtain and turned around to say, "I didn't want to either, but these women said it was too sunny and wanted a tent. I'm baffled; is the sun really that fierce right now?""Sun, sun..." Marcus repeated in a low voice. Suddenly, he thought of something and looked at Roberts with a bad feeling.At that moment, Roberts just happened to lift the curtain. But before Roberts could even step close, a log as thick as a bowl's mouth came crashing toward Roberts' Face. Just as Roberts was about to be hit,"Soru!"Marcus instantly flashed in front of Roberts, his right fist clenched, and struck the log back into the tent."Ah...!"The moment Marcus sent the log flying, dozens of screams also rang out inside the tent.Colonel Andre, having reacted, immediately shouted loudly, "Men! Surround this tent!""Whew... whew..." After realizing he was unharmed, Roberts' heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled down."Thanks, Marcus." That log just now really came too suddenly. If it weren't for Marcus's quick reaction, he really would have suffered a serious injury.The Marines who rushed over upon hearing the news quickly surrounded the entire tent under Andre's orders.Marcus looked at the tent before him, a hint of curiosity appearing on his Face.The slaves inside are not simple!PS: Thanks to Fengyu Erlai for the 10 Starting Point coins / Grandma Wan for the 10 Starting Point coins / Lan Feixue for the 100 Starting Point coins / Zhidao Wandao Feidao for the 100 Starting Point coins / Lord of the Demon Hall for the 100 Starting Point coins, and to all the book friends who recommended my book, thank you all for your support!UU Reading. Welcome all book friends to come and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users please go to read.
Chapter 58: The Stunning WomanInside the tent, dozens of women wearing leg shackles lay on the ground, and in their midst was a massive log.The log that had just attacked Roberts was the result of these female slaves' collective effort, but it had been repelled by a single punch from Marcus.A noble and stunning woman looked toward the door curtain, a hint of curiosity appearing in her eyes.They had planned everything: they would capture that Colonel, take the keys from him, and unlock the shackles of their companions. With that Major as a hostage, they would have been able to escape.But man proposes, God disposes. At the final moment, a kid had suddenly appeared, and his strength was so formidable that he repelled everyone on their side with a single punch.Because they needed to grasp the best timing for the attack to ensure a single-hit success, the stunning woman had been standing at the very front of the log. Naturally, she saw Marcus's appearance clearly."Big Sister, the plan has failed now. What should we do?" a woman climbed up from the ground and asked the stunning woman in a low voice."The Marines outside are already on guard. They hold the initiative now; we can only take it one step at a time."Although the stunning woman was somewhat unwilling, reality was reality—they were the meat on the chopping block... Meanwhile, outside the tent.Colonel Andre was preparing to give the order for the Marines to rush in and arrest all the slaves, but he was stopped by Marcus.Under Colonel Andre's puzzled gaze, Marcusexplained, "Don't you think it's not quite right to rush in and drag them out like that? They are all women."Colonel Andre frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Marcus's explanation. Just as he was about to say something, he was shocked by the scene before him, as were the nearby Marines.The tent, which had been firmly set on the ground, suddenly rose slowly into the air without the help of any person or tool, hovering in mid-air.Recalling the previous words, Colonel Andrerealized in an instant that Marcus had done this."Colonel Lin Tian's strength has improved significantly once again," Colonel Andre thought to himself while looking at Marcus beside him.This was a new application of his abilities that Marcus had developed during the battle with the Seventh Branch: wrapping the entire tent with spatial power so he could control its movement at will.Unfortunately, he could only levitate objects weighing up to several hundred catties at most. Anything heavier would be too much for Marcus to handle right now.Seeing Marcus show off this move, the Marines' gazes toward him were filled with admiration and recognition.As the entire tent was moved away by Marcus, all the female slaves were revealed to the Marines.The many female slaves were also stunned by the suddenly levitating tent, but when they saw the Marines surrounding them with guns and remembered their own actions just now, their eyes filled with fear.But there was one woman who was an exception. Marcus had noticed her from the beginning, though not because of her beauty.Although this woman was also a stunning beauty, to Marcus, who already had Hancock, it was merely a moment of wonder.Compared to her noble temperament, her beauty actually took a backseat.Even the world-famous nobles Marcus had seen were far inferior to this woman in terms of noble aura.After pausing on the woman for a moment, Marcusshifted his gaze. Relatively speaking, he was more interested in these slaves of other races.Perhaps sensing Marcus looking at her, the woman also glanced at him, but then lowered her head. No one knew what she was thinking.The appearance of these races really opened Marcus's eyes. The longarm tribe indeed had two elbow joints. The Mink Tribe was somewhat similar to the Fish-Man Tribe; a Mink's head was like a mink's, whereas Fishmen only had a similar overall shape, with many small differences from humans. As for the Tontatta Tribe, except for being small,they were no different from humans in any other way."Everyone knows what just happened, so let's not play games. My Marine Corps will only hold the mastermind accountable. You just need to hand them over," Colonel Andre said from the side.Marcus didn't say much, just quietly observing the subtle movements of these people.Colonel Andre waited for a while, but still, no one spoke. Originally, Andre didn't want to use force, but in this situation, he had to take action. Just as he was about to give the order,Marcus suddenly said, "I know you're hiding the mastermind out of some sense of camaraderie, but I'm giving you two choices now. One, hand over the mastermind, and we only kill that one person. Two, all of you together.""I'm giving you ten minutes to think it over!"Hearing Marcus's words, the Marines present were all shocked. Although they felt bad about the slaves returning kindness with enmity, they had never thought of killing them.Colonel Andre felt the same way. He only wanted to punish the mastermind and had never considered killing these slaves."Marcus..."Colonel Andre was about to speak up to stop him, but he was silenced by a wave of Marcus's hand. Full of suspicion, Colonel Andre could only stand quietly by and watch."What should we do? I didn't expect that Colonel to be so young yet so vicious.""Looking at him, he really might kill us. Should we...""Should we what? Don't you remember how Big Sister took care of us before?"...Looking at the stunning woman who still hadn't changed her expression, a trace of curiosity appeared on Marcus's face, but it vanished in an instant as he closed his eyes to rest.Ten minutes—it wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow either. But for the slaves of various races surrounded by Marines, these ten minutes passed in a flash.As soon as the ten minutes were up, Marcussnapped his eyes open, raised his hand, and ordered: "Raise rifles, aim, ready."*Click, click...*Although the Marine Soldiers nearby didn't want to do this, it was a soldier's duty to obey orders; military orders could not be violated.Just as Marcus's hand was about to drop, the stunning woman finally stood up. The Marines quickly shifted their muzzles toward her."I am the mastermind. Now that I've stood up, you can release the others, right?"Facing dozens of gun barrels, the woman's expression didn't change at all. She spoke calmly, as if she were facing not guns, but dozens of wooden sticks.Seeing the woman stand up, a smile appeared on Marcus's face, and he gave an order that surprised everyone."Lower your weapons and unlock everyone's leg shackles."At this, no matter how composed the woman was, a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.Faced with this order, the Marines didn't know what to do and could only turn their gazes toward Colonel Andre."Colonel Lin Tian, you must give me an explanation for this," Colonel Andre said with a hint of dissatisfaction.In Colonel Andre's view, Marcus's order was completely impulsive and hadn't considered the consequences at all.Marcus didn't answer Colonel Andre's question directly but asked back, "Colonel Andre, what were you planning to do with these people before?""Naturally, take them to the Marine base, register them, and then give them some money to send them home," Colonel Andre replied without thinking."Colonel Andre, if they go to the Marine base, information about them will be leaked immediately. I'm afraid they won't get very far before being recaptured."Andre's eyes narrowed. Without Marcus's reminder, he truly hadn't considered this possibility. If this batch of slaves were taken to the Marine base, they would likely be snatched back by someone and reappear at the auction house.After thinking for a long time, Colonel Andre nodded and ordered: "Do as Colonel Lin Tian says. Unlock all the slaves' leg shackles."Since both Colonel Andre and Colonel Lin Tianagreed, he couldn't say much. Roberts handed the keys he carried to a Marine Soldier; as a Major, Roberts no longer needed to do such manual labor.Seeing that Colonel Andre agreed, Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. If Colonel Andre hadn't agreed, it wouldn't be so easy to release these slaves once the Stinky Old Man arrived."Colonel Lin Tian, regardless of the reason, some things still need to be considered carefully."Hearing Colonel Andre's words, Marcus suddenly felt embarrassed. Colonel Andre understood everything but had intentionally kept quiet, and he had even tried to deceive him.It seemed he had underestimated Colonel Andre. Having spent so many years in the Marine Corps, how could he not understand such a simple matter?"I'm sorry, Colonel Andre. I didn't mean to deceive you," Marcus apologized in a low voice to Colonel Andre.Andre waved his hand, indicating it wasn't necessary. "As long as you've thought it through. I will do my best to keep this from Vice Admiral Garp."UU Reading. Welcome all book friends to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all at UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.
Chapter 59: The Dog of the Celestial DragonsAll the keys were tied together, so it took quite a while to open all the leg shackles.Once the shackles were undone, all the women were overjoyed. The removal of these shackles not only meant they had regained their freedom but also represented that from today onward, they would begin a new life.Since being captured as slaves, they could no longer be considered living beings but had become goods with a clear price tag. Now that they had finally escaped, how could they not be happy?However, women are the kind of creatures who love to talk when they are happy. The chatter of these thirty-odd women was loud enough that its destructive power could rival a thousand Marine Soldiers.And Colonel Andre, who had previously felt disdain for this, finally got a taste of what Roberts had experienced. But looking at Colonel Andre's expression, it was clear that this sensation was not pleasant."Quiet, stop shouting, stop..."Unfortunately, no matter how much Colonel Andreshouted, these women continued to talk amongst themselves, completely ignoring his presence.Nearby, Roberts watched Colonel Andre suffer a setback and covered his mouth, snickering.Finally, Marcus couldn't bear to watch any longer and quickly spoke up, giving Colonel Andre a way out."Everyone, everyone, please stop shouting. Can you quiet down and listen to me for a moment?"The women, realizing it was their savior Marcusspeaking, all fell silent. They had to give Face to their savior.Seeing his words were so effective, Marcus smiled smugly.As for our Colonel Andre, seeing Marcus silence everyone with a single sentence while thinking back to how long he had spoken without anyone paying attention, he felt terrible, his Face darkening."Ahem..." Clearing his throat, Marcus began, "You are free now. In a moment, I will provide you with travel expenses. If you want to go home, you can; or you can use this money to start a new life."Pausing, Marcus continued, "If you truly don't know what to do, and if you trust me, I can recommend a good place for you to go.""Now, you can think about it for yourselves first. If you have any questions, you can ask me now."At this moment, a longarm tribe woman raised her hand and asked, "Our hometown is very far from here. Will the travel expenses be enough?"Marcus smiled slightly and replied, "Of course. When the time comes, you can tell us where your home is, and we will provide travel expenses based on the actual situation."Hearing Marcus's guarantee, the women below began to whisper. They had originally been worried about how to get home, but with travel expenses, they had enough confidence to make the journey.After a while, everyone had finished discussing. Most intended to go home, but a few had no homes to return to and didn't know where to go, so they chose to go to the place Marcus recommended.However, one person chose to set out on her own, and that was the stunning woman. Marcus wasn't the least bit surprised by this, as he had already guessed she would do so.But the other women, seeing that the stunning woman wanted to venture out alone, all tried to persuade her otherwise.Throughout this journey, if it hadn't been for this woman's help, they wouldn't have been able to persevere. In their hearts, they already regarded her as their Big Sister.However, the woman politely declined all their advice; she had clearly made up her mind.Just as Marcus was preparing to distribute the travel expenses, two Marines approached dragging a man. Seeing this, Marcus showed a hint of confusion."Report, Colonel Lin Tian! This man has been insisting on seeing you, and his background is unusual. We couldn't make the decision ourselves, so we brought him here for you to deal with."Hearing the report from the two Marines, a look of contemplation crossed Marcus's Face. Suddenly, he glanced casually and noticed that the women's Faces were filled with terror upon seeing this man.This man was the one who had bought them, though he wasn't the final buyer.The real buyer was the Celestial Dragons.The status of the Celestial Dragons in the world was something even these other races understood very well. They were the world's nobles, possessing infinite power and even the authority to mobilize a Marine Admiral.The women thought worriedly, "Now that this man has stepped forward, and these Marines know that the Celestial Dragons bought us, will they still let us go?""Take that... whatever thing out of his mouth," Marcus said. A black mass was stuffed into the man's mouth, and Marcus had looked at it for a long time without recognizing what it was.As soon as the black mass was removed, the man immediately burst out cursing, "How dare you stuff my mouth with smelly socks!"Hahahaha...!!Hearing the man's words, everyone present burst into laughter. That black mass was actually a pair of socks; how long must they have been worn to end up looking like that?The two Marines had looks of embarrassment on their Faces. Earlier, to keep the man from shouting while they brought him over, they wanted to find something to gag him with, but after searching themselves for a long time and finding nothing, they had no choice but to take out socks that had been 'cherished' for years.Marcus shook his head helplessly with a smile. Earlier, looking at that black mass, he had considered many possibilities, but he had never associated it with a pair of socks.Seeing everyone laughing, the man became even more enraged. "You Lowly Marines, how dare you mock me here!"Lowly Marines!!Hearing these four words, the Marines stared at the man with fury, and even Colonel Andre looked incensed. Many Marines gripped their rifles tightly, barely restraining their anger."What did you just say?" Marcus asked with extreme calm.But only those who knew Marcus understood that he was at his most terrifying right now, because when he wore such an expression, it meant he was profoundly angry.Feeling the hostility in the eyes of all the Marines present, the man felt a flicker of fear, and his body began to tremble involuntarily. But at the thought of the person backing him, he instantly steadied himself, his eyes filling with arrogance.Tossing his head back, the man said arrogantly, "Do you know who I am? I am Dali Redo, a name personally given to me by my master. My master is a Celestial Dragon! Just because of you Lowly Marines, you dare to seize me? You..."*Bang!* Before the man could finish, a gunshot rang out.Ah...!Immediately followed by a scream of agony, the man clutched his bleeding arm, wailing incessantly.Marcus had just taken a rifle from a nearby Marineand shot the man directly in the arm.The Marines felt immensely relieved by Marcus's action. Every Marine present wanted to fire a shot at this bastard, but unfortunately, the consequences of doing so were not something they could bear."Ah, this Marine actually dared to do that!" The women nearby covered their mouths, Faces full of shock. One had to remember that this man's master was a Celestial Dragon.The noble, stunning woman also showed a look of shock on her calm Face, along with a hint of confusion."Knowing that this could potentially offend the Celestial Dragons, this child actually dared to open fire. Just what is the reason for this?""You Lowly Marines, you actually dared to shoot me! My master is a Celestial Dragon! I will definitely report this to him and have all of you Lowly Marinesturned into slaves!"Enduring the pain, the man roared in fury. In the past, as long as he announced that he was backed by the Celestial Dragons, even a Navy Rear Admiralwould have to treat him as an equal. This Navy Colonel actually dared to shoot him.Hearing the man's words, a trace of worry flashed in the eyes of those present. If there really was a Celestial Dragon behind him, Marcus's actions might cause him a great deal of trouble later.Colonel Andre knew that while this was very satisfying, it would also invite huge trouble. It was already going to be difficult to explain the destruction of this Dark Port to Marine Headquarters, and now he had wounded a dog belonging to the Celestial Dragons.A dog can be killed, but one must consider the master before beating it. If the Celestial Dragonsbehind him became angry because of this dog, then what Colonel Lin Tian did would not be worth it.Colonel Andre was just about to remind Marcus to stop while he was ahead—a dog is just a dog, and a person shouldn't lower themselves to a dog's level.*Bang!*"If you keep shouting, I don't mind wasting another bullet."UU Reading. We welcome all readers. The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all on UU Reading! Mobile users, please go to read.