Chapter 364: Claw Marks

Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Claw Marks

Chapter 364: Claw Marks

"You already discussed this with Tsuru before coming here, didn’t you?"

Kong sat with his hands clasped, his tone carrying complete confidence.

If Sengoku had arrived without first speaking to Tsuru, then he would hardly deserve the title of "The Strategist."

Sengoku did not deny it.

Kong was right. He already knew about the decision and had discussed the situation with Tsuru beforehand.

His visit was less about asking for an explanation and more about confronting Kong directly.

He wanted to know whether the man before him had abandoned the principles he once followed.

Judging by Kong’s reaction, he had expected the confrontation from the beginning.

Sengoku put those thoughts aside.

His gaze sharpened.

"I only want to ask you one thing."

Kong waited.

"Using pirates’ lives as pieces in a larger plan... does that violate your justice?"

The room fell silent.

Kong’s expression did not change.

"My justice has never changed."

His voice was firm.

"As you said yourself, the balance of the seas is already beginning to collapse."

"The Four Emperors are enemies the Marines will eventually have to face."

Kong leaned back.

"For now, a fragile balance still exists."

"But instead of waiting for that balance to collapse on someone else’s terms, I would rather we be the ones who decide when and how it breaks."

Sengoku’s eyes narrowed.

"So your first target is Whitebeard."

Kong said nothing.

Sengoku continued,

"And the reason is obvious."

"The Whitebeard Pirates are one of the greatest remnants of the previous era."

"If Whitebeard falls, it will strike at the confidence of pirates throughout the world."

He paused.

"The man is called the strongest in the world."

"The one closest to the throne."

"And in many ways, the Four Emperors remain balanced because he stands among them."

Kong took over.

"Exactly."

"Once the man closest to that throne falls, countless ambitious pirates will move."

"The restraint that exists now will weaken."

"Everyone will scramble for what he leaves behind."

Sengoku lowered his eyes.

"Create chaos..."

"Then use that chaos to find a path toward ending the Great Pirate Era."

Kong nodded.

The Seven Warlords system had been created to stabilize an already chaotic sea.

Now Kong intended to deliberately overturn part of that balance and search for an opportunity within the resulting disorder.

It was an enormous gamble.

And no one could guarantee the outcome.

After a long silence, Sengoku finally nodded.

"I understand."

Kong’s expression remained serious.

"There’s something else."

Sengoku looked up.

"Rumors have started spreading again about Garp’s grandson."

"Some say he possesses the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton."

"The World Government has taken notice."

Sengoku’s face darkened.

"What are you planning?"

"If the information is confirmed, then capturing him would become necessary."

Kong paused.

"But right now, they’re still only rumors."

The first report regarding the Pluton blueprints had come through CP5 and Spandam.

There had been additional evidence afterward, including Axel’s own statements.

Even so, the World Government could not say with absolute certainty that the blueprints truly existed.

And with larger plans already in motion, Kong did not believe uncertain intelligence justified deploying Admiral-level forces.

At least not yet.

Pluton was too dangerous.

As long as its existence remained uncertain, the Marines retained room to maneuver.

But if an Ancient Weapon with the power attributed to Pluton truly appeared in the world, every major force would react.

The Four Emperors might cooperate temporarily out of self-preservation.

Other pirates would scramble to seize it.

Kingdoms and the World Government would inevitably move as well.

At that point, the Marines could easily find themselves caught in the center of a global struggle.

Kong would have preferred the rumors to be false.

Unfortunately, the accumulating reports suggested otherwise.

Sengoku frowned.

"Then what?"

"Another bounty?"

Kong shook his head.

"No."

"For now, we watch him."

"Do not provoke him unnecessarily."

His expression hardened.

"The person we need to focus on immediately is the man who defeated Doflamingo."

"Issho."

"Yes."

Kong nodded.

"It’s now clear that Issho possesses strength comparable to an Admiral."

"At the moment, we don’t have spare forces available to suppress someone like that."

Sengoku listened quietly.

"I still don’t know why he attacked Doflamingo," Kong continued, "but our current strategy begins with Doflamingo."

"That alone means Issho could interfere."

"And there’s another problem."

"If one of the Four Emperors recruits someone with that level of strength, the balance could shift immediately."

Sengoku thought for a moment.

Then an idea came to him.

"Tokikake mentioned Issho before."

"They know each other."

Kong looked at him.

"If we assign Tokikake to pursue him, he may be able to keep Issho occupied without immediately forcing a confrontation."

Kong nodded.

"For now, that may be our best option."

...

Escorted by Krieg’s men, Axel boarded the Dreadnaught Sabre.

The massive warship was packed with armed pirates.

The moment he stepped onto the deck, guns were raised from every direction.

Men surrounded him from several layers deep.

Some stood openly.

Others hid behind railings, barrels, and elevated platforms with rifles already aimed.

None of it concerned Axel.

Eventually, the pirates brought him before Don Krieg.

Krieg looked him over.

"So you’re the brat who had a four-hundred-million-Berry bounty?"

There was doubt in his voice.

Curiosity too.

But no fear.

Krieg commanded fifty ships and nearly a thousand men.

Between his vessels, weapons, stolen treasure, and manpower, he believed the total value of his fleet far exceeded four hundred million Berries.

As far as he was concerned, the only reason his own bounty remained at seventeen million was because he had stayed in the East Blue.

If he entered the Grand Line and made a name for himself there, surely the world would recognize his greatness.

Axel looked at him.

"One correction."

"I’m not a pirate."

"And my bounty has already been withdrawn."

Several Krieg Pirates bristled at his casual tone.

"How dare you talk to Captain Krieg like that!"

"Watch your mouth!"

Their confidence came from ignorance.

No matter how high someone’s bounty was, a human body was still a human body.

Bullets pierced flesh.

Cannons shattered bone.

And Axel did not appear to be wearing armor.

Krieg lifted one hand.

A gunman beside him immediately fired.

Bang!

The bullet passed close to Axel’s arm and struck the mast behind him.

Axel did not move.

He had calculated the trajectory the instant the gun was raised.

It had never been aimed to hit him.

Krieg clapped slowly.

"Not bad."

"You do have some nerve."

Outwardly, he sounded impressed.

Internally, his doubts faded.

He had ordered the gunman to miss deliberately.

It had been a test.

If Axel truly possessed the frightening strength implied by a four-hundred-million-Berry bounty, Krieg expected some extraordinary reaction.

Instead, the brat had simply stood there.

Maybe there was nothing special about him after all.

Perhaps the bounty had only been connected to the information Krieg wanted.

Krieg smiled.

Then extended a hand.

"Join my fleet."

Axel said nothing.

"Give me the Pluton blueprints, and I’ll make you Vice-Captain."

Krieg spread his arms.

"Second only to me."

"Once we build the Ancient Weapon, we’ll conquer the Grand Line."

"You’ll have your share of everything."

His smile widened.

"Not a bad offer, right?"

Axel resisted the urge to laugh.

Conquer the Grand Line?

Even the Four Emperors did not speak so casually about controlling the entire sea.

Yet this seventeen-million-Berry pirate from the East Blue, a man who had barely seen the world beyond his own waters, spoke as if victory were already assured.

Axel had no interest in correcting his delusions.

The only reason he had come aboard was to get information.

"How did you hear about Pluton?"

Krieg’s smile faded.

Axel had answered his offer with another question.

"Shouldn’t you answer me first?"

Axel looked at him.

"The Pluton blueprints."

"I have them."

Krieg’s eyes sharpened.

"Where?"

He naturally assumed something that valuable would be hidden somewhere secure.

Axel tapped the side of his head.

"Here."

Krieg slowly lowered one hand.

Several marksmen concealed around the deck eased their aim.

A grin returned to his face.

"Smart."

"So the blueprint is memorized."

He looked Axel over again.

"That makes killing you inconvenient."

Krieg spread his arms.

"So join me."

"Draw the blueprints."

"And live."

Axel ignored the threat.

"I have two more questions."

Krieg’s expression darkened.

"First, would newspapers openly publish information about an Ancient Weapon?"

"Second, why are you so certain the rumor about me is true?"

Krieg’s patience was wearing thin.

But the thought of Pluton still put him in a good enough mood to answer.

"This is the last time."

He crossed his arms.

"Even the Marines aren’t stupid enough to print details about a weapon like Pluton in a newspaper."

"The papers only mentioned you."

Axel listened closely.

"They said you killed a large number of pirates while serving in the Marines."

"They also warned that even though your bounty had been withdrawn, you were still dangerous and civilians should avoid you."

Krieg sneered.

"But the real information came from the people I buy weapons from."

Axel’s gaze sharpened slightly.

"At first, I didn’t believe them either."

Krieg continued,

"But those people weren’t only selling weapons."

"They were also buying information about you."

"That’s when I realized there had to be something to it."

He grinned.

"And I’m not stupid enough to hand over something like Pluton to someone else."

"If I can use it myself, then I’ll rule the seas."

Krieg extended his hand impatiently.

"I answered your questions."

"Now draw the blueprints."

Axel was quiet for a moment.

So that was it.

The newspapers had only stirred interest around him.

The real leak had come through the weapons trade.

Someone in that network was spreading information about Pluton while simultaneously buying intelligence on Axel.

He already had a fairly good idea where the trail led.

Axel sighed.

"That’s enough."

Krieg frowned.

"What?"

"I got what I came for."

Axel looked around the deck.

"I’m done playing along."

Krieg’s face twisted.

"What did you say?"

One of the pirates nearest Axel immediately rushed forward.

He grabbed for Axel’s shoulder.

His hand made contact.

Then his body burst apart.

Blood sprayed across the deck.

Silence.

Axel slowly raised his head.

His crimson eyes looked across the surrounding pirates.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Even Krieg stared at the remains of his subordinate without understanding what had just happened.

Fear finally broke through his confidence.

"Aim for his legs!"

Krieg roared.

"Break them!"

The pirates reacted at once.

Dozens of guns fired.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets tore toward Axel from every direction.

Then reversed.

Almost every shot flew back along its original path.

Gun barrels shattered.

Chambers exploded in the pirates’ hands.

Metal fragments tore through the tightly packed crowd.

Screams erupted across the deck.

Krieg’s expression finally changed.

He grabbed his enormous weapon and swung with all his strength.

The massive two-thousand-pound weapon cut through the air.

Boom!

The strike carried enough force to split a small vessel apart.

Axel caught it with one hand.

Krieg froze.

His muscles strained.

The weapon did not move.

Not even slightly.

Krieg pulled harder.

Nothing.

His face paled.

"Who..."

He stared at Axel.

"What exactly are you?"

Desperation took over.

Krieg pressed a hidden mechanism.

M·H·5 poison gas burst from the weapon.

The surrounding pirates panicked.

Those still capable of moving immediately fled toward the lower decks.

Krieg remained where he was, staring through the spreading gas.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Then Axel stepped through it.

Unaffected.

The last trace of confidence vanished from Krieg’s face.

Axel looked at him with open contempt.

The weapon in Krieg’s hands began to deform.

Steel twisted beneath Axel’s grip.

The alloy compressed.

Flattened.

Lengthened.

Reshaped.

Within moments, the massive weapon had been forced into the rough form of a blade.

Krieg had already abandoned it and fled.

Axel looked across the fleet.

Fifty ships.

Thousands of pirates.

All gathered close together.

He raised the improvised blade.

"People like you probably disappear without leaving much behind."

His voice carried calmly across the deck.

"But don’t worry."

"I’ll leave a mark for you."

Axel swung.

A brilliant slash tore across the sea.

For one instant, a line of light seemed to stretch through the entire Krieg fleet.

Then it passed.

Silence followed.

The fifty ships began to break apart.

Masts fell.

Decks split.

Hull after hull collapsed into wreckage across the water.

By the time the survivors understood what had happened, Axel was already gone.

He stepped back through the entrance of Baratie as though he had merely gone outside for a short conversation.

And now he knew who had started spreading the rumors about Pluton.

....

https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR

[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]

[[email protected]/FanficLord03].