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Chapter 111: Shattering the Pirate Soul with a Single Punch
The atmosphere in the tavern reached a point of extreme eeriness at this moment.
A legend of the old era, the Hero of the Marines, and the World's Worst Criminal—top-tier existences from three factions—sat as if pressed into their respective seats by an invisible hand, maintaining a fragile and absurd peace.
They were all waiting.
Just then.
Creak—
The tavern's weather-beaten wooden door was slowly pushed open.
The warm afternoon sunlight was blocked by a tall, lean figure, casting a long shadow onto the floor.
The newcomer wore a bright yellow striped suit and tea-colored sunglasses, a signature, inscrutable, and sleazy smile hanging on his face.
The Marines' Highest Military Power, Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino.
Behind him was the tall, straight-backed Marine Vice Admiral with a face like ice, the Great Swordswoman Gion.
Further back were several Marine officers with calm auras and stars on their shoulders.
Their appearance instantly shattered the eerie tranquility within the tavern.
Garp grinned, revealing a smile that said he wouldn't mind if things got chaotic.
Dragon lifted his gaze from his cup and landed it on Kizaru. There was no emotional fluctuation in his deep eyes, yet it caused the officers behind Kizaru to feel an inexplicable palpitation.
Golden Lion Shiki raised his head, a hint of contempt on his face.
"Oh my, oh my~..."
Kizaru spoke lazily, scanning the "guests" in the tavern. When his gaze swept over Garp, Dragon, and Shiki, the arc of his grin widened.
"It truly is lively here~. To think that despite rushing, this old man is still late."
His unique, drawn-out tone sounded particularly jarring in the quiet tavern.
"Jihahahahahaha!"
A burst of sickly, ear-piercing laughter erupted without warning from the corner.
Golden Lion Shiki stood up unsteadily, supporting himself on the table. He looked at the scene before him—at Garp, at Dragon, and at Kizaru who had just entered—and laughed with his head thrown back.
"This is truly laughable!!"
"Marines, Revolutionary Army, Pirates!"
He pointed at them one by one, his smile filled with madness and self-mockery.
"I never thought there would come a day when the few of us would gather together so peacefully!"
"It's the biggest joke in the world!"
Marines, Pirates, Revolutionaries...
Top figures from three factions were actually sitting in the same tavern like ordinary customers.
What an... absurd scene.
The wild laughter echoed in the small tavern, vibrating the windows and causing everyone's heart to contract along with it.
The smile on Kizaru's face receded slightly for an instant before returning to that punchable appearance.
The faces of the Marine officers behind Gion were ashen. Their hands subconsciously rested on their sword hilts, forcefully suppressing the urge to draw their blades.
"Jihahahaha!"
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Golden Lion Shiki's cloudy eyes stared fixedly at Kizaru, who had just entered.
He grabbed an unopened bottle of rum from a nearby table, bit the cap off with a pop, and filled the empty glass in front of him to the brim.
The amber liquid sloshed, reflecting his twisted and crazy face.
He raised his glass, ignoring everyone else, and toasted from afar in the direction of Kizaru and Gion.
"Let me propose a toast to you."
Golden Lion Shiki's voice was hoarse and grating, every word seemingly squeezed out of his throat.
"Officers!"
Boom!
The last word exploded like thunder in the ears of all the Marines.
Humiliation!
That wasn't respect; it was the ultimate mockery of their identity!
"You b*stard..."
Beside Gion, the young Marine Captain could endure it no longer. With a shake of his wrist, his blade unsheathed half an inch, sharp killing intent bursting forth.
However, the hum of the blade had just begun when it was suppressed by an even colder voice.
"Stand down."
Gion didn't look back. Her cold phoenix eyes were like two unsheathed sharp blades, stabbing straight at Golden Lion Shiki.
She stepped forward, her high-heeled military boots making crisp clack, clack, clack sounds on the wooden floor. Each step seemed to drop the temperature in the tavern by a degree.
"Don't get too arrogant, Shiki."
Gion stopped three steps away from Golden Lion, her voice devoid of any emotion.
"The reason we tolerate your breathing here isn't because we fear you, nor because we can't do anything to you."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Blake, who sat calmly to the side.
"It is merely out of respect for Mr. Blake, observing the rules of this island."
Her tone shifted, and Gion's gaze became incredibly sharp. The aura belonging to a Great Swordswoman made the smile on Golden Lion's face stiffen for a moment.
"You had best pray that you never leave this island."
"The moment you dare to take a step off this island, I promise you, I will personally dismantle your bones one by one, pack you up, and send you back to Impel Down!"
The air solidified completely at this moment.
Everyone held their breath.
This was a frontal declaration of war by a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral against a legend of the old era.
The muscles on Golden Lion Shiki's face twitched a few times. That stiff smile slowly morphed into a ferocious arc.
"Jihahahaha..."
He let out a low laugh, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"Little girl, you talk big."
He downed the strong liquor in his glass in one gulp and slammed the glass heavily onto the table.
"If you can do it, then come and try!"
Hum—!
The famous sword Konpira at Gion's waist emitted a soft hum, seemingly sensing its master's anger and unable to hold back.
In this instant of tension, where a fight could break out at any moment.
A lazy, drawn-out tone rang out abruptly.
"Oh my, oh my~... Kawaii ne~"
Kizaru had walked between the two at some point, spreading his hands with a helpless expression on his face.
"Don't just casually say such scary things about fighting and killing, Little Gion."
He glanced at Gion, then at Golden Lion.
"This is Little Brother Blake's turf. If you break Miss Makino's tables and chairs, you'll have to pay for them. This old man hasn't received his salary for this month yet."
These words instantly scattered the heavy atmosphere into pieces.
The corners of the eyes of the Marine officers behind Gion twitched wildly.
Admiral! Is there something wrong with your focus?!
This is the legendary Great Pirate Golden Lion! This concerns the face of the Marines! How did it turn into a problem of paying for tables and chairs?!
However, Gion understood.
It was still that one word: Rules! Engaging in a verbal spar with a pirate here would only lower her own class.
She took a deep breath. The anger in her chest was like being forcibly pressed into a deep pool by a giant rock; although it still churned, it no longer erupted.
She turned around, her movements crisp and decisive, and walked toward an empty table in the tavern.
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