Chapter 1043: All Hands on Deck

Chapter 1043: Chapter 1043: All Hands on Deck

Five thousand meters in the air, on the island of Alvis.

Weeng! Weeng! Weeng! Weeng!

In a command center, a red alarm light spun rhythmically, bathing the room in a strobe of crimson light.

"We have an emergency signal!"

Over a dozen staff members in the room instinctively turned to look. On the monitors next to the alarm, a panoramic map of Brady Island appeared. A single red dot was flickering rapidly in the middle of a city on the map. The signal was urgent.

"It’s from Nakor, sent by Gorbo-sama!"

Someone shouted in alarm, "Quick! Notify Commander Otto!"

CREAK.

Before the words could even settle, Otto pushed the door open and strode in. "I’m here! What’s happening?"

"Commander Otto, we’ve received an emergency signal from Nakor. It’s coming from the signal transmitter on Gorbo-sama’s wrist!" Upon seeing Otto, a technician immediately zoomed in on the source of the alarm on the main monitor.

Otto took one look at the enlarged footage, his expression hardening. "That location... the Palace Entertainment City?!"

As the heart of the Clifford Kingdom, the royal capital of Nakor was undoubtedly the headquarters of the Chris Pirates. The Palace Entertainment City was the core of Nakor, and its iconic main tower was the face of the Chris Pirates, a symbol that could not be allowed to fall.

Furthermore, as a core officer of the Chris Pirates, Otto knew that the entrance to his captain’s treasure vault was located directly behind that very tower.

"Haaa..."

Otto let out a long, heavy breath and asked in a low voice, "Has Calamodus managed to hold off that red dragon?"

Because of concerns regarding their rear flank, Aeridar had moved the Alvis district back above Nakor City just before the decisive battle with the Big Mom Pirates. This was the only reason Calamodus had been able to intercept the red dragon the moment it launched its sudden assault.

"It has, sir! Calamodus-sama is currently engaged in a desperate struggle with it inside the city!" a technician replied immediately.

"Inside the city?!" Otto’s brows furrowed tightly. He pondered for a moment before saying with a grave expression, "Ready an airship for me. I’m taking reinforcements down there!"

Meanwhile, in the palace housing the entrance to the treasure vault, a throng of people and a group of animated constructs had packed the spacious hall to the brim.

"The Blackbeard Pirates, the World Government, remnants of the Demon Mask Pirates, and leftovers from the royal family of Dasco... truly fascinating. To think you all crawled out of the woodwork at once," Gorbo said, his cold gaze sweeping across everyone present as a sneer curled his lips.

With the Big Mom Pirates on the front lines and these clowns in the rear, it seemed every monster and demon in the world had finally shown their face.

"I have waited a long time for this day!" Puda glared with crimson, bestial eyes, his bloodlust radiating in waves, undisguised.

"And what exactly are you waiting for?" Gorbo looked at Puda with disdain, a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth. "To die? You only dare to engage in petty, underhanded tricks in the shadows. You, a wolf, living like a rat in the sewer!"

"You bastard!"

Fury flared in Puda’s eyes, and his breathing hitched; Gorbo’s words had struck a raw nerve.

AWOOOOOO—!

With a howl, Puda lunged. He transformed into a black blur, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye, and clawed fiercely at Gorbo’s chest.

BOOM!

In an instant, a blur of movement followed by a deafening crash blinded the onlookers. Puda had charged at blinding speed, only to be hit with the force of a sea train. He was sent flying backward, vomiting blood, and smashed straight through the palace wall, kicking up a massive wave of debris and dust.

The hall fell deathly silent. Everyone stared in stunned disbelief at Gorbo, who was slowly retracting his fist.

Puda was, after all, a high-level pirate with a bounty of over 200 million berries, and that was his bounty ten years ago, before he was thrown into Impel Down. He was no small-time thug.

He was nothing like the modern rookies who could get inflated 300 or 400 million berry bounties so easily. Ten years ago, what was Doflamingo’s bounty? A mere 340 million berries! Thirteen years ago, when Boa Hancock went on her first expedition, she earned an 80 million berry bounty and was immediately inducted into the Seven Warlords of the Sea. And Crocodile? In his youth, he cut through the sea like a hot knife through butter, yet his bounty was only 81 million berries.

The value of the old bounties was immense.

"You idiot. Do you really think our Chris Pirates are the same crew we were ten years ago?" Gorbo sneered. "You don’t even know your own weight, how much strength you’ve lost, or how much stronger your opponents have grown!"

Puda had spent eight full years in Impel Down, during which his strength had stagnated completely. Gorbo, however, was a different beast. For years, he had been honing his body in the deep sea, fighting sea beasts and Sea Kings, studying the leg techniques of the Longleg Tribe, the fist styles of the Longarm Tribe, and Fish-Man Karate. He had mastered over a dozen combat styles, refining the techniques that suited him best.

One had stood still, while the other had advanced by leaps and bounds. The difference was insurmountable. While Gorbo usually kept a low profile, if he were out in the world, he would be a powerhouse with a bounty of at least 600 million berries.

"You... are you a monster?!"

Obes’s face twitched violently. The look in his eyes as he stared at Gorbo was filled with utter dread.

AWOOOOOO—!

A familiar wolf howl echoed from outside, though this time, it was laced with shock and rage. A few seconds later, the wall exploded inward once more, scattering rubble everywhere as a black figure crashed to the ground.

"Puda!" Obes gasped as he looked on.

Puda, in his werewolf form, was drenched in blood. His fur, which was usually tough enough to deflect bullets, had five deep, bleeding gashes across his chest.

"You filthy curs, how dare you break in here to cause trouble..."

Mina stepped forward in a long red dress, the clack-clack-clack of her red high heels ringing clearly against the stone floor.

"Today, none of you three are leaving here alive!"

Mina arched her brows, her beautiful face twisted in fury. Behind her, Gin stood expressionless, gripping his pair of tonfa-clubs, trailing exactly one step behind her.

"You bitch, I’m going to slaughter you!"

Puda let out a low growl from his throat. Stumbling to his feet while clutching his chest, the searing pain only fueled his rage, driving him past the brink of reason. He lunged forward again, jaws wide with jagged fangs, aiming to tear into Mina’s throat.

Flash Arrow: Heavy Shot!!!

As if answering Puda’s attack, Obes drew his black bow to its full tension and fired. The arrow flew with a speed the naked eye couldn’t track, appearing in front of Gorbo’s face in a heartbeat.

"Watch out!"

Gorbo’s expression shifted. He tilted his head with lightning speed, the steel-tipped arrow grazing his cheek and drawing a bead of blood before piercing the wall behind him.

At the same time, facing the incoming Puda, Mina extended her long, slender fingers and grabbed the air, hissing, "Blood Boil!"

Instantly, Puda’s movements stalled, his speed plummeting as he felt the blood in his entire body begin to boil like water.

"Get lost!"

Following up immediately, Mina leaped into the air. Her long, slender leg whipped out like a lash – fast, furious, and white-hot. With a sharp SNAP, her heel connected with Puda’s head. A massive burst of power erupted, sending him flying over ten meters away.

———————

Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]