Chapter 65: Mihawk's Boldness!
"Hahahaha, and here I thought a former Marine Rear Admiral like you would be smart. You fool, look around you! I spent a great deal of money on this batch of Seastone nets, and I never expected them to be put to use so quickly. You didn't even realize I was stalling for time, and you call yourself a former Marine Rear Admiral? You're not all that." Suddenly bursting into laughter, Sarkozy IV was feeling quite pleased with himself at this moment.
If he hadn't been commended by the top brass of the World Government this time and taken the opportunity to purchase a batch of Seastone nets specifically designed to counter ability users, he would have been in real trouble this time.
Watching the Seastone nets covering the sky and shooting towards him, Daz Bonez's expression remained unchanged.
"You were stalling for time, but wasn't I doing the same? You're laughing too soon." After speaking, Daz Bonez's figure flickered, instantly transforming into a flash of lightning that appeared before Sarkozy IV in the blink of an eye.
Without attacking, Daz Bonez flickered again and was outside the area covered by the Seastone nets.
"Heavenly Thunder Descends!" As Daz Bonez pointed a hand towards the sky, a circular net of lightning fell, instantly striking various points around the noble district, completely encircling it.
Sarkozy IV really couldn't see any destructive power in such a widely dispersed attack. Just as he was feeling confused, flames suddenly shot up into the sky.
In less than three breaths, the burning flames converged, guided by an unseen force, and then enveloped the entire royal palace.
Outside the dome of fire, beads of sweat dripped down Betty's face as her hands, appearing gaseous, continuously pumped an unknown gas into the fiery dome.
"Betty, can you hold on?" Beside her, Daz Bonez, holding a large iron rod in the flames and channeling electricity into it, asked.
"Brother Bonez, this is too much of a burden. I can't last much longer," Betty said with difficulty, her voice trembling slightly.
"You don't have to hold on for much longer. We just need to consume all the oxygen in the area covered by the flames. A fire of this intensity will be able to do that very quickly," Hancock said unhurriedly, standing on the other side.
The Thunder-Fire Cover was a product of combining the abilities of Daz Bonez and Betty, as conceived by Buggy.
Fire conducts electricity; anyone trying to force their way through the flames would be paralyzed by the current. The burning gas would deplete the air, causing suffocation. With such features, an ordinary person simply couldn't escape the Thunder-Fire Cover. It was considered a powerful finishing move that Buggy had designed for dealing with large numbers of enemies by trapping them.
When Buggy had designated Betty as the chef back then, the fruit he had actually obtained was the Gas-Gas Fruit, later used by Caesar.
Reality is not an anime. How could there be a refrigerator without electricity? How could one cook without fuel? Having considered this long ago, Buggy had taken into account the abilities needed on the ship from the very beginning.
Hancock was ultimately designated as the boatswain because she could create many toys to sweep the deck and clean the cabins. As for upgrading her to the captain's wife, Buggy did have plans for that, but first, he needed to get a proposal gift of sufficient weight.
Five minutes later, when the Thunder-Fire Cover disappeared, Betty plopped onto the ground, panting heavily. Daz Bonez, however, frowned slightly as he looked at the noble district, from which wisps of green smoke were rising.
"Quite a few people survived," Hancock was about to say.
"There must be tunnels of some sort. They sealed the entrances after going in. But it's still much more convenient than facing a large group of ordinary guards," Daz Bonez quickly deduced the reason.
"It seems I have no choice but to act," Hancock said, cracking her knuckles as she watched people continuously emerge from underground.
"I still hope to avoid intervening as much as possible. I will do my best to resolve this." Taking a step forward, Daz Bonez's aura surged along with his voice.
Compared to the dust-filled sky after the loud bang in Oba Kingdom, and the green smoke rising after the giant Thunder-Fire Cover in Sarkozy Kingdom, the scene in Vonsale Kingdom was quite bloody.
The moment Buggy hung up the phone, Law used his signature move, "ROOM."
After two teleports, Law was already at the center of the royal palace. With an angry roar, a giant circle enveloped the palace.
In the next second, slash after slash was unleashed from Law's hand as if they cost nothing.
Ten seconds later, Law, panting heavily and unable to produce even one more slash, retracted his ability. Immediately after, the sounds of impacts, explosions, and calls for help instantly rang out, filling the air above the entire palace.
The once magnificent, tall, and sturdy fortress was now completely shattered. Mihawk, who was slowly walking over from a distance, finally understood Buggy's meaning after seeing this scene.
And appearing with Mihawk was Paula. Unlike Mihawk, Paula leaped lightly through the ruins of the palace, and wherever she went, the wails of agony would come to an abrupt end.
Needless to say, Paula had begun her cleanup work.
Walking unhurriedly to Law's side, Mihawk asked faintly, "Is it enough? Do you need to continue?"
The bloodlust in his eyes had faded for the most part. Law, having regained his composure, looked at the surrounding scene and listened to the unusually familiar wails, then nodded.
"For today, for this place, it's enough. But some people still have to pay the price."
Mihawk understood Law's words. It meant that the matter here was over, but no fish that escaped the net would be spared.
As for the fish that escaped the net, it went without saying that it was the royal family of the White Town who had long since fled to the Holy Land Mary Geoise and obtained residency rights, plus some high-ranking officials of the World Government.
Of course, even if Buggy hadn't said it, Law wasn't a fool. He knew that the pirate crew's current strength was definitely not enough to attack the Holy Land. Therefore, he didn't say how long it would take to eliminate the next target.
In fact, after this massive release, Law's heart felt much lighter. The killing intent in his eyes was far less intense than before.
"In that case, let's leave." Turning around, Mihawk scoffed at the armed nobles who had gathered.
"Today's attack is a private grudge between our Red Nose Pirates and the Vonsale royal family. Anyone who is dissatisfied can stand up now. I, Dracule Mihawk, will take you all on. If not, get lost and make way immediately." Drawing his black blade and holding it horizontally, the Great Swordsman's Haki was instantly on full display.
None of the nobles surrounding the three were fools. Stepping forward would not only mean facing the pressure of the world-famous Great Swordsman but also very likely result in heavy losses. The royal family was now dead. With no successor, it would naturally be up to the nobles to become the new royalty.
Who would be stupid enough to be the one to stick their neck out in this situation? Not only would they not step forward, but they would also be wary of each other, and then they would fight amongst themselves to see who would emerge victorious.
As for the three members of the Red Nose Pirates, let the World Government and the Marines worry about them.
They simultaneously pulled back from their respective directions. Never mind one path, four or five paths instantly appeared before Mihawk and the others.
"Let's go!" Sheathing his sword, Mihawk strode forward. Paula supported the exhausted Law and followed closely behind. The three of them became the first group to complete their mission.
(End of Chapter)