One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 227 Emperor Meets Emperor [Bonus Chapter Preview]

"Wow!! It's finally here!"

"That world's greatest swordsman, Xia Nuo!"

"Hey, don't push me! You stepped on my foot!"

Upon hearing the lookout's words, the deck instantly erupted in excitement, with pirates from all sorts of squads rushing toward the starboard side of the ship.

Marco was also slightly taken aback, and quickly spread his Azure Flame Wings and flew into the sky.

Looking into the distance, sure enough, they saw Vista's speedboat, flying a rose flag, cutting through the waves, with a figure they hadn't seen in a long time on board.

“It’s really here.”

Marco chuckled, then landed back on the ground with a thud. Looking at his huddled, dark mass of companions, he shook his head and rubbed his forehead.

"Hey, newlyweds on the ship, stop looking! While there's still time, hurry up and hide inside the cabin."

"Eh?"

A newcomer who had just joined looked bewildered: "Why, Captain Marco?"

"Haha, you fool."

The seasoned veterans nearby sneered:
"When the Emperor of the Sea comes to meet you alone, there has to be a clash of auras. Even if only a little bit of that level of aura is released, the impact would be something you simply cannot withstand!"

"We old folks are more like it..."

One of the seasoned veterans, after a moment of hesitation, turned to Marco and asked, "Hey, do you think I can hold on, Captain?"

"Hard to say."

Marco said leisurely, "That guy's Conqueror's Haki is said to be among the world's best, probably not inferior to Old Man's at all... Hmm?"

His expression suddenly changed, as if he sensed something, and he abruptly looked up at the sky.

The once clear sky had become covered with dark clouds.

Black and red lightning flickered in and out of the clouds, and the air over the entire sea became stagnant and heavy.

"So far away...tsk, what an exaggerated aura."

Marco squinted.

The captain of the Third Division, Diamond Jozu, and the captain of the Fourth Division, Thatch, also arrived behind him.

Did you come alone?

Joz twisted his neck and grinned, "What a pity. I wanted to see for myself what kind of people the three top executives under the Fallen Ones really are."

"I guess he's busy and can't get away."

Sachi, dressed in his chef's uniform as usual, lit a cigarette and said with a smile, "Otherwise, the two of you, plus Vista, would make a perfect group, and we could each have a friendly spar with the 'Three Calamities'."

"Hehehe, don't be modest, Captain Sachi!"

A toothless old hand immediately chimed in, "You're one of the highest-ranking officers on our ship, how can you exclude yourself!"

"me?"

Sachi felt a warmth in his heart as he listened, patted Teach on the shoulder, and smiled without saying a word.

Teach is an honest man, and he likes to listen to what he says, but he knows his own situation. He is somewhat of a support staff member, and compared to the other top-ranked captains, his strength is still somewhat lacking.

Facing the "Three Calamities," they would probably be no match.

Just then, thunder rumbled in the sky, the black and red lightning became more intense, and the entire sea began to tremble violently.

Marco's expression hardened, and he hissed, "We've arrived!"

Almost simultaneously, Bista's speedboat had already stopped beside the Moby Whale.

The handsome, black-haired young man carrying a sword gently stepped onto the steps of the Moby Whale at Vista's invitation.

thump.

Step out.

The entire Beluga suddenly sank slightly, creating silent ripples on the surrounding sea surface.

The noise on the deck came to an abrupt halt. Everyone instinctively held their breath, staring wide-eyed at the tall, slender figure walking towards the deck.

thump.

The boy remained calm, raised his right foot, and took a second step.

A newcomer closest to the gangway suddenly felt everything go black and collapsed limply to the ground.
"Hey, what's wrong with you!"

His bald friend hurriedly reached out to support him, only to be shocked to find that the rest of the group, like dominoes finally being set in motion, were all falling down uncontrollably one after another.

"you?"

The bald man's eyes widened, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

thump.

With the third step, the boy finally stepped onto the deck and slightly raised his head.

At that moment, the air on the White Whale seemed to stop flowing, and even the waves surging around the ship's sides seemed to freeze in mid-air.

The sense of oppression was even more astonishing than I had imagined...

Marco's expression was solemn. He looked around and found that not only the newlyweds, but also many elderly people were kneeling on the ground, clutching their chests and struggling to breathe.

Teach, who was closest to him, was already lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

thump.

As the fourth step was taken, the white-bearded man who had been staring at the bow of the ship finally grinned and stood up, slamming his great naginata heavily on the ground!

"Gurarararar! That's enough, stop now, you brat Xia Nuo!"

boom!
An equally terrifying Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted at this moment, colliding violently with Xia Nuo's oppressive aura!

Click! ! !

The thick clouds overhead were instantly cleaved apart!

Two thick, black-red lightning bolts, as thick as pythons, surged wildly into the distance, stretching to the horizon, their exact distance unknown.

Because there is no end in sight.

This scene was just like...

It was as if the entire sky had been torn in two!

"Is this the clash of the most powerful Conqueror's Haki on the high seas...?"

Marco felt a chill run down his spine, and a few drops of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Since that battle, it has been a very long time, in fact, that he has never seen anyone whose Conqueror's Haki could rival his father's!
Look around.

Aside from the captains of each squad, only a very small number of veteran crew members with formidable strength remained fully conscious on the deck.

"Gurararara! What an astonishing spirit that even I didn't expect, you brat Xia Nuo!"

Whitebeard laughed even more heartily as he strode forward, each step causing the deck to tremble slightly.

This legend of the old era, the man known as the strongest in the world, had an excited glint in his eyes, as if he had finally found a worthy opponent to fight.

"You're not bad either, Whitebeard."

Xia Nuo took a few steps forward, her long black hair fluttering gently in the aftershocks of the Conqueror's Haki.

He stared directly at the legendary pirate, a grin spreading across his face, his eyes also brimming with eager anticipation for battle.

Their eyes met in mid-air, as if a flash of lightning had struck.

"Hey, something seems off here, Marco!"

Jozu's expression changed, and he turned his head nervously, saying, "Using Conqueror's Haki to touch him is one thing, but why do I feel like Dad and this guy want to have a sparring match?"

“Don’t think about it, it is.” Marco gave a wry smile. He took a few steps forward, took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, and shouted:

"Hey! Dad! Calm down. This is a guest, not an enemy. Besides, you just had your bandages removed and your dressing changed yesterday. Your body might not be able to handle it!"

"That's right!"

Just as Vista stepped off the speedboat, he saw this scene and rushed to the two of them, opening his arms wide:

"Take it easy, Dad! Even if you're fine, the White Whale and the new recruits on board can't handle it!"

"Huh?" Marco was stunned, turned to look at the guy, and asked blankly, "Who are you?"

"Me, Vista! You idiot!" Vista roared in fury. "So what if you don't have a beard? You can't even recognize me? I'll pluck your pineapple head off too!"

That damned woman, she's dead and I still can't get over her!

It's Vista?!

Marco stared at his face suspiciously, looking him up and down. Even when they first met more than thirty years ago, he hadn't looked this young.
"Gurarara! That's true."

Whitebeard glanced at the two men, then grinned. He quickly composed himself, sat back down, and laughed heartily.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It's just that I haven't encountered an opponent of this caliber in a long time, so it's inevitable that I'm getting excited."

As the auras of the two emperors dissipated, the air that had been frozen on the deck finally began to flow again.

"Xia Nuo, you brat, come on! Let's have a drink!"

Whitebeard tossed a large wine jug across to the other side, and at the same time, seemingly conjured up an oversized wine cup from nowhere, raising it generously in a toast:
"Let go, drink to your heart's content! This is fine wine that's been treasured for almost twenty years! If it weren't for your kindness to us, I wouldn't have been willing to bring out these hidden gems!"

"Really? Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

Xia Nuo took the wine jug and smiled slightly.

He calmly walked over to the white-bearded man, sat down in the center of the deck, disassembled the spout of the teapot, clinked glasses with the white-bearded man, and then they both tilted their heads back and drank heavily.

"Really good wine!"

"Hahaha, I don't lie!"

The two sea emperors drank heartily, and the atmosphere gradually calmed down and returned to normal. Marco and Joz exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

And this time.

Those pirates who had been stunned and lay unconscious on the ground began to wake up one by one, looking around blankly.

"What happened just now?"

"I think I saw the sky split open, was it an illusion..."

"Me too, is this the power of the Sea Emperors? It's terrifying, sob sob..."

After a few whispers, the newlyweds huddled together, trembling.

The veteran sailors, who had been through a lot, touched their chests where their hearts had been racing, and also showed expressions of lingering fear.

The clash of these two powerful auras was just like the day they fought Roger!
"Hey, Teach, are you alright?"

Sachi noticed something, squatted down, and patted Teach on the shoulder. Teach was barely supporting himself, leaning against the railing, his face pale and bloodless.

"Thief...thief hahaha..."

Teach looked at him and forced a smile: "I'm fine, Captain Satch. That guy, he had such a terrifying aura, I almost thought he was going to die..."

"You're a veteran sailor; you shouldn't be so easily overwhelmed."

Sachi asked, somewhat puzzled, then suddenly slapped his forehead, a look of realization dawning on him. "Oh, I know..."

Damn, did they overdo it?

A shadow crossed Teach's eyes, but he was immediately pulled into Satchel's arms and burst into laughter:

"You haven't eaten since last night, have you? You must be starving to death to be so weak. What's wrong with you? It's really worrying! The banquet in the kitchen is still being prepared. Here, I'll go get you a portion so you can have something to eat first!"

"Hehe, I figured it out... Thanks, Captain."

Teach immediately forced a憨厚 smile, scratched the back of his head, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared after Satchel walked into the kitchen.

He wasn't actually hungry.

It's like not being sleepy at all, even if you haven't slept at all.

Not needing to sleep was an innate talent, one that he himself couldn't quite understand, but he knew very well why he wasn't hungry...

It's all because of that fruit!

Teach's gaze involuntarily drifted to the center of the deck.

The handsome young man with black hair was drinking and chatting with his father. The air of confidence and ease he exuded made the father unconsciously clench his fist hidden in his sleeve.

"It's all your fault..."

Fearing the other person would notice, he glanced at it and then turned his head to the side, his teeth grinding together.

If it weren't for this guy...

If it weren't for this guy taking out that Fly Fruit, I wouldn't have ended up like this!

He has lost all interest in normal food, but has a particular fondness for leftovers that others haven't finished.

In particular, those foods that have spoiled, smelled bad and rotted in the hot weather have become his favorites, and his mouth waters at the sight of them!

Therefore, he has repeatedly sneaked into the kitchen under the cover of darkness, picked up the swill bucket, and poured it directly into his mouth.

Once they start eating, they can't stop; they even lick the crumbs hanging on the edge clean.

At such times, he felt both extreme satisfaction and an overwhelming sense of shame and anger.

however.

This is not the scariest thing...

Every time he passed by the toilet door, or when he relieved himself, the pungent, peculiar smell would make him involuntarily rub his hands together, and an irresistible urge would surge within him.

That level of longing...

If he hadn't had a strong enough will, he probably would have already done it!
"Thief, ha, ha, ha..."

Teach suddenly chuckled nervously twice. He glanced at Shano's back, then quickly looked away again, a cold hatred flashing in his eyes.

Wait, then……

Just you wait, Shano.

Whether it was intentional or unintentional, and regardless of whether you knew what the fruit was at the time.

It's fine if I can't get the Dark-Dark Fruit, but if that day ever comes, and I truly become a powerful being standing at the pinnacle of the sea.

Sooner or later, I'll make this guy experience that extreme humiliation!
"Hey, you over there."

Shano, who was chatting and laughing with Whitebeard, suddenly narrowed his eyes, turned his head, and looked straight at Teach, past the noisy crowd.

"..."

Teach froze, quickly forcing a憨厚 smile. After looking around, he pointed to himself and said, "Eh? Are you calling me, sir?"

"Of course it's you."

Xia Nuo chuckled. "I remember you. You met me with Marco on Fishman Island last time, right? You even ate a really lousy fruit. I'm responsible for that. As an apology, how about we have a drink?"

He casually tossed the wine jug in his hand over.

Teach quickly reached out and caught it, then instinctively shook it; there was still a little over half a pot left.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a nearly transparent liquid was silently spreading within the wine in the flask, quickly completing its final fusion during the process of tossing and catching.

The ripples subsided, and everything returned to calm.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: My editor asked me to write a monthly ticket diversion for him, which he will release on the 1st. Since everyone's guaranteed monthly tickets will be refreshed on the 1st, no one will be out of tickets.
In short, the side story is titled "Dragon Ball Companions: The Damned Pirate Companions," and it's nearly 4 words long. It's free; just cast a monthly pass to read it—no subscription required.
Please vote for me, everyone!

(End of this chapter)