Chapter 220: Ralph Teaches You How to Get Revenge!
Shuraiya took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his weapon.
Never mind.
He charged forward once more!
Yet it was all in vain.
Gasparde's Ame Ame no Mi allowed his body to transform at will.
The shovel merely sliced through a mass of candy, unable to inflict any real damage.
Meanwhile, Gasparde's hardened attacks sent Shuraiya coughing up blood with every blow.
Bang!
Shuraiya was sent flying again.
He got back up.
And charged.
Bang!
Flew again.
Got up again.
Charged again.
The will for vengeance kept him rising time after time.
But his injuries grew heavier, his speed slower, his strength weaker.
Gasparde reveled in it all.
He loved seeing the despair in his enemy's eyes.
He loved watching them exert their utmost effort, yet remain unable to harm him in the slightest.
Until...
He noticed his own reactions slowing down.
His strength weakening as well.
What was happening?
He shook his head.
His mind went blank.
That eerie snapping sound grew louder and louder in his ears.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
He couldn't help but look toward the source of the sound.
The young man with black hair stood under the moonlight, wearing a strange smile on his face.
His fingers snapped rhythmically.
His eyes fixed directly on Gasparde.
Suddenly, Gasparde felt an inexplicable closeness to that person.
As if he were an old friend he hadn't seen in years.
[Ding—]
[Target "Gasparde" detected entering a deep hypnotic state]
[Special relationship established with target: Friend (Temporary)]
[Devil Fruit Reincarnation Method permission granted upon elimination]
A faint smile curled at the corner of Ralph's lips.
Success.
Shuraiya was still swinging his shovel, desperately trying to hack Gasparde, that giant piece of candy, to death.
But his attacks grew increasingly feeble, his movements more sluggish.
He was on the verge of collapse.
Even in his hypnotized state, Gasparde instinctively activated his Devil Fruit Ability for self-preservation.
His body continuously transformed into candy, causing Shuraiya's attacks to miss again and again.
Ralph glanced at him.
Impressive.
To maintain such instincts even under hypnosis.
Without bothering to clarify who he was addressing, Ralph simply said:
"Keep it up."
Then he turned and walked away.
He headed to the kitchen.
To find fruit.
The Devil Fruit Reincarnation Method required an ordinary fruit as a vessel.
There weren't many fruits in the kitchen, so he took one of each variety.
Then he went to the storage room and grabbed a bag of flour.
On his way back, he casually cleared out all the pirate lackeys on the ship.
By the time he returned to the deck, Shuraiya was still fighting.
Swinging his shovel while coughing up blood.
Ralph couldn't bear to watch any longer.
"Hey."
He called out.
Shuraiya turned to look at him, his face covered in blood, yet his eyes still burning with determination.
Ralph tossed the bag of flour at his feet.
"Even revenge requires reason."
"When dealing with a Devil Fruit User, you need the right approach. Some things can prevent the Ame Ame no Mi from softening."
Shuraiya looked down at the bag of flour.
He froze for a few seconds.
Then it clicked.
Flour.
Candy coated in flour loses its softness.
He looked at Ralph, then at Gasparde, who remained in a dazed state.
Even a fool could tell that the other had used some kind of trick.
But when had he made his move?
So eerie.
Such a terrifying method.
And he even knew the weakness of his opponent's Devil Fruit.
It didn't seem like a lie.
All he had to do was sprinkle the flour on Gasparde, then swing the shovel down—
And his vengeance would be complete.
Shuraiya tightened his grip on his weapon.
But a strange feeling welled up in his heart.
What's going on?
There's no sense of satisfaction from revenge at all.
He raised his head and looked at Ralph.
"This is my hatred, my fight. Why are you helping me?"
Ralph shook his head.
"Don't worry about the details!"
"The fundamental purpose of revenge is to make the sinner pay for their crimes."
"Overly fixating on the form will only torment the avenger!"
Ralph's habit of lecturing kicked in again, and he added, "Besides, the sins he committed weren't against you alone, nor can they be atoned for with just his life..."
Unexpectedly, after some thought, Shuraiya said something shocking.
"You're right!"
He opened his mouth, "If I kill him myself, what difference is there between me and him?"
Ralph stared in shock, his eyes wide.
"I'm going to take him to Navy Headquarters and have him publicly tried!"
Shuraiya grew more determined as he spoke, "Let everyone know his crimes and make him face the punishment he deserves!"
Ralph: "..."
Stunned.
Completely stunned.
That's not what I meant!
How did you interpret it that way?
Public trial?
Navy Headquarters?
He took a deep breath and walked up to Gasparde.
He kicked the flour onto him.
White powder instantly covered Gasparde's body.
Then.
Bang!
A gunshot.
A bloody hole appeared on Gasparde's forehead.
His eyes widened, and his body slowly collapsed.
Thud!
The mighty Pirate General, a former Navy Rear Admiral with a bounty of 95 million Berries, died on the spot.
Shuraiya was dumbfounded.
He stared at Gasparde lying on the ground, at the fatal bloody hole on his forehead.
For a long moment, he couldn't speak.
Ralph put away his gun and turned to look at him.
"My advice wasn't for you to give up revenge, but to act quickly!!
"His one life can't atone for the sins he committed."
"But once he's dead, it's all over."
"Everyone is free."
Shuraiya opened his mouth:
"But..."
"Take him to Navy Headquarters for trial?"
Ralph laughed, "Do you know how well Impel Down treats its inmates?"
"The big Pirates inside live very long lives."
Shuraiya fell silent.
Ralph ignored him.
He walked over to Gasparde's corpse and opened the bag full of fruit.
A few seconds later.
One of the fruits began to change.
Spiral patterns appeared on its surface, its color shifted from red to green, and finally—
It turned into a strangely shaped Devil Fruit.
Ame Ame no Mi.
Ralph picked up the fruit and examined it.
Then he tucked it into his coat.
He turned and looked at Shuraiya, who was still standing there stunned.
"This ship was built by your father. It's yours now."
Shuraiya snapped back to reality:
"What?"
"The ship."
Ralph pointed at the deck beneath his feet, "It's yours."
"But..."
"There's an old man stoking the boiler in the engine room."
Ralph continued, "Eight years ago, he saved a little girl. She's your sister."
Shuraiya's eyes instantly widened.
"S-sister?!"
"She's alive."
Ralph nodded, "Working in the engine room."
Shuraiya's body began to tremble.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
Ralph pulled a Den Den Mushi from his coat and tossed it to him.
"I have a Bounty Hunter team under me, and we're short on talent like you."
"Here's a Den Den Mushi. Keep in touch when you have time."
With that, he hoisted a large, pre-prepared bag onto his back.
The bag was filled with treasures looted from Gasparde's vault.
He walked to the ship's railing and glanced back at Shuraiya.
Shuraiya was still standing there in a daze, clutching the Den Den Mushi, his expression as complex as if he were dreaming.
Ralph smiled.
Then—
Geppo.
He stepped into the air and departed.
His figure grew farther and smaller, eventually vanishing into the moonlight.
Shuraiya stood on the deck, motionless for a long time.
He looked at the corpses on the ground, at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, at the hatch leading to the boiler room.
His sister was still alive.
The ship his father built was still here.
His enemy was dead.
He lifted his head and gazed in the direction where Ralph had disappeared.
That man...
Who exactly was he?
Maybe he'd call and ask sometime!
Ralph glided over the sea using Geppo, feeling emotional inside.
It's so much better with the Straw Hat Crew as companions!
No matter what he did—
With the smart ones, he never had to waste words!
With the not-so-smart ones... he also never had to waste words!
This was the tacit understanding and trust built up through shared adventures!
On the deck of the Going Merry, Zoro leaned against the mast, scanning the surroundings while lifting dumbbells.
He saw Ralph descending from the sky and gave a slight smile.
"Perfect weather for killing and looting."
As Ralph landed and set down a large bag, Zoro asked:
"Any good swords?"
"No."
"Good liquor?"
"No."
"Then it's boring."
Zoro turned back to continue lifting dumbbells.
Ralph thought for a moment, then pulled out the Ame Ame no Mi from his pocket.
"There's a Devil Fruit. Want to eat it?"
Zoro glanced at it.
Green, oddly shaped, covered in patterns.
"Even more boring."
He looked away.
"Go to sleep already. Lufia is looking forward to tomorrow's race."
Ralph smiled.
He glanced toward the cabin.
Lufia's faint snores could be heard.
Tomorrow's race?
What was there to look forward to?
Just play around and have fun.
He placed the bag into the treasure vault, counted out some treasures, and quietly slipped them into his private stash box.
Then he put the Ame Ame no Mi into the password-protected treasure chest specifically for storing Devil Fruits.
Click!
The chest closed.
A new resident had moved in.
Ralph stared at the chest, lost in thought.
How should this fruit be used?
Sell it to BIG MOM?
That woman would definitely be interested.
...
He shook his head.
Forget it, deal with it later.
With plans for the future in mind, Ralph drifted into sleep.
Early the next morning.
Sunlight spilled onto the deck of the Going Merry.
Lufia stretched with a big yawn and rushed out of the cabin.
"Race! Race! We're racing today!"
Her figure was athletic and curvaceous, showing no signs of having eaten a thirty-person dinner the night before.
Ralph walked out of the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee.
He looked at the excited Lufia and smiled.
"Ready?"
"Ready!"
"Then let's go."
He gazed at the distant sea.
The Dead End Race?
No.
Just a game to accompany the captain.