r18novel Chapter 176: The Cleansing of the Seven Warlords of the Sea - Yang Jian, the Grand Duke, Takes Actio
Chapter 176: The Cleansing of the Seven Warlords of the Sea - Yang Jian, the Grand Duke, Takes Actio
Chapter 176 Cleansing the Seven Warlords of the Sea: Yang Jian, the Grandfather, Takes Action
The thunder subsided, leaving behind a deathly silence, with only the crackling of burning and suppressed sobs echoing across the scorched earth.
The once idyllic floating island is now scarred and riddled with charred pits.
Scattered among the ruins were twisted, charred remains that appeared to have not fully vaporized, and the air was filled with the nauseating smell of burnt flesh and the strange odor of molten clay.
"Waaaaahh ...
The cries acted like a fuse, instantly igniting immense grief among the survivors. Screams and cries rose and fell, merging into a sea of despairing lamentations.
Shandian warrior Weber knelt on the ground, his fingers unconsciously digging into the scorched earth mixed with ash and lightning crystals.
Beside him, the young soldier who had been roaring with him just minutes before was now reduced to half a charred body.
He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the gradually dissipating thunderclouds, his chest heaving violently.
His teeth were clenched so tightly that they were grinding together, and an uncontrollable anger surged through his chest.
He wanted to roar, to unleash the most vicious curses at the sky, but he knew that this impulse would likely bring the Sky Island to its doom once again.
Be patient—but what will four hundred years of patience bring?!
Thinking of this, he almost spoke.
"—Ugh!"
A thick, powerful hand covered his mouth from behind.
It is the Heroic Spirit Calgara.
This ancestor of the War Demon from four hundred years ago also had his face filled with suppressed killing intent and anger, but his eyes were deeper than Webber's, showing the forbearance honed over many years.
"Child," Calgara's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying an undeniable power.
"If I'm not mistaken, my blood flows in your veins—patience! We've already endured for four hundred years, what's one more?"
"Believe me, the will of this world has awakened, and the world's immune system will not stand idly by!"
"These invaders, these so-called gods who trample on life, will ultimately be driven out and held accountable!"
"But now, staying alive is more important than venting anger!"
He released his grip, his sharp gaze sweeping over the surviving Shandians, his eyes conveying the same message.
Survive and wait for your chance!
Webber trembled all over, finally swallowing back the angry curse that almost tore his chest apart, turning it into a low, wounded howl like a wild beast, and slamming his fist into the ground with wolf-like ferocity, drawing blood.
Meanwhile, the priests and survivors of the Sky Island were also plunged into immense grief and bewilderment.
The four high priests were dumbfounded. The earth-shattering lightning they had just witnessed far exceeded their understanding of divine power, and Enel's strength seemed utterly laughable at this moment.
Having lost their faith and suffered incomprehensible divine punishment, they were now left only with an instinctive fear of powerful forces and the pain of losing their homes and loved ones, and could no longer muster the will to fight.
The Knower of the Clouds floated in mid-air. Unlike the others, he was not immersed in sorrow. Instead, he gazed thoughtfully at the sky, as if sensing and analyzing the traces of the intertwining of Indra's remaining power and the laws of heaven and earth.
He murmured, "Divinity merges with heaven and earth—wielding the law with thunder—this form of existence—is worth recording—"
At this moment, the Indian warriors, the Hellsbane and Yami, came over.
Their faces also carried complex expressions; they were not unmoved, but that emotion was quickly overshadowed by an acceptance of the rules.
Yan Mi looked at the grieving crowd and spoke in a cold voice.
"Go back, survivors. Give up your futile resistance and become the people of the God-King in peace."
"By following his teachings, we can avoid the calamity of today. This is the true Dharma taught by Bodhidharma."
"Bullshit!" Calgara turned his head sharply, glaring at them with eyes that seemed to be spitting fire.
"Relax to being a subject? To be kept like livestock, slaughtered at any moment due to the whim of those in power?! Is this your righteous law?! You are truly accomplices of the invaders!"
Yan Mi did not get angry; she simply stated the facts calmly, with even a hint of pity in her eyes.
"Foolishness. Don't you understand yet? The will of the God-King has briefly aligned with the laws of heaven and earth; his will is, in a sense, the law of this land at this moment."
"Any action or behavior of yours that is blasphemous or disrespectful may be perceived by him and bring about destruction. Resistance will only increase casualties."
Her words were cold and cruel, yet they highlighted a desperate truth.
Although Indra has departed, his teachings hang like the Sword of Damocles over the heads of every survivor on the Sky Island.
"Then let's break this rule. A corrupt world should be broken, shouldn't it?"
Luffy's voice rang out decisively.
He stepped forward, his eyes beneath his straw hat unwavering, sweeping over the grieving Sky Islanders and Shandians.
"Whether god or man, anyone who arbitrarily takes another's life and home is a villain!"
"I'll definitely beat him to a pulp for you guys!"
His words were simple and direct, yet they carried an undeniable power of conviction, causing some desperate survivors to instinctively raise their heads.
Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword: "Count me in."
Sanji lit a cigarette: "Although I don't like fighting, this guy who doesn't even spare women and children is despicable."
Chopper wiped away his tears and nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Usopp's legs were still shaking, but he straightened his chest.
"I, my great Captain Usopp, will also help!"
Nami's expression was serious, but she also stood behind Luffy.
Whether it was because they weren't locals or because they didn't use their proper names, the God-King ignored them.
Robin looked at this group of people and wondered why they weren't afraid at all, even though they clearly knew they were in danger of dying.
Roger patted Luffy's straw hat, grinned, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
"That's right! If so-called gods and laws only bring suffering and oppression, then let's just overthrow them!"
"Witness new things! Spread new things! That's what pirates should be doing!"
Joan of Arc looked at them, then at the ravaged earth, her hand gripping the holy banner trembling slightly.
Her convictions were still churning, but her instinct to protect the innocent made it impossible for her to refute Luffy's words.
Tescatlipoca chuckled, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Ha, that's ambitious. Well then, keep it up, kids. I'm looking forward to seeing how you beat up a god-king who wields divine punishment."
His tone remained enigmatic, and through the swirling smoke, his eyes seemed to see through everything.
Marineford, the naval headquarters.
The atmosphere was equally somber in Marshal Sengoku's office.
"Report!" A messenger rushed in.
"Intelligence has intercepted an encrypted communication suspected to be between Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) and Gecko Moria!"
Zhan Guo frowned: "The content!"
"They mentioned the Sky Island, abundant energy, and large quantities of high-quality materials. The corpses and Blackbeard seem to want to cooperate with Moria to mass-produce zombie soldiers using some resources from the Sky Island, and they specifically mentioned the Heroic Spirit army!"
"What?!" Sengoku suddenly stood up, his face showing horror.
"An army of Heroic Spirits?! He's found a way to summon and even control them autonomously?! How is that possible?!"
However, the incredible events displayed in the Holy Grail War left him no choice but to believe it; whether true or false, he needed to verify it.
Lieutenant General Tsuru, the staff officer standing to the side, also became extremely serious.
"If this were true, the consequences would be unimaginable. A black-bearded man who can control an army of heroic spirits would pose a far greater threat than the Emperor of the Sea; he must be stopped!"
"Immediately!" Sengoku was about to give the order when he suddenly stopped. He wearily rubbed his temples.
"...In the New World, both the Admiral and Garp are tied down, and the G-1 branch is under a lot of pressure - they can't spare enough troops to go to that kind of place."
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly picked up another Den Den Mushi and connected with Smoker, who was far away in Alabasta.
"Smoker! What's the situation on your end? What about Crocodile? Is he still behaving himself?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, followed by Smoker's somewhat subdued voice.
"The Marshal and his spirit followed the Straw Hat Boys."
"What?!?!" Sengoku nearly crushed the Den Den Mushi.
"When did this happen?! Why wasn't it reported sooner?! This is such important information!"
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi's expression suddenly turned cunning and sly.
"Oh dear, Marshal, it was me who told you not to report this. Don't worry, although that god is usually quite awful, I'm pretty sure he won't cause any big trouble for now. His interest seems to lie with that archaeologist and the truth of history."
This is...
Sengoku was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead, but considering Tescatlipoca's unfathomable strength and unpredictable style, he finally suppressed his anger and slammed the communication shut.
Faced with these extraordinary heroic spirits, the navy's strength seemed so inadequate.
He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming resolute.
He picked up an ornately decorated Den Den Mushi and connected to a channel.
Two figures appeared on the screen.
One is Taigong Wang, who is leisurely fishing at the bow of a warship, with the four-faced creature beside him.
The other is Yang, who has a third eye on his forehead and a cold and aloof demeanor.
In the distance, countless pirate ship wrecks float on the sea, indicating that a great battle has just taken place.
"Your Excellency Taigong Wang, Your Excellency Yang, how is the cleaning work in the new world progressing?"
Taigong Wang leisurely picked up his fishing rod, even though he caught nothing.
"Oh~ It is the Marshal's order. We have been doing our best and it is going very smoothly. The plums have been almost completely cleared."
"It's just that Erlang is moving too fast, and I have nothing to do, so I'm quite relaxed here."
At the edge of the screen, Yang nodded indifferently, too lazy to even speak. He seemed to be stepping on a pirate leader with a bounty of over 100 million, who was already unconscious.
Sengoku said in a deep voice, "There is an urgent mission. The World Government has decided to conduct a thorough evaluation and cleanup of the Seven Warlords of the Sea system."
"I hereby order you two to set off immediately and defeat Gecko Moria, Dracule Mihawk, and Donquixote Doflamingo one by one, stripping them of their Shichibukai titles. If necessary, execute them on the spot! Can you do it?"
Taiko no Wang stroked his chin: "The Seven Warlords of the Sea, huh—that's fine too, Jiro, what do you think?"
Yang finally spoke, his voice calm yet filled with absolute confidence.
"It's nothing."
The screen went dark.
Sengoku sat back in his chair, gazing out the window at the bustling naval headquarters, his heart churning with turmoil. He had a bad feeling about this all along—
In the distant sky, Indra is approaching.
.