Chapter 340: The Wretched Old Man

Chapter 340: Chapter 340: The Wretched Old Man

Chapter 340: The Wretched Old Man

Pacifistas were weapons created by the World Government under the banner of maintaining peace.

With Vegapunk leading the project and enormous resources poured into development, these machines had become some of the most advanced weapons in the world.

The cost of producing a single unit was comparable to building a massive warship.

And each one contained cutting-edge technology.

Sentomaru stared at the Pacifistas surrounding Axel.

Black smoke was pouring from their backs.

They were overheating.

The machines had pushed themselves far beyond their normal operating limits, and the result was obvious.

They were breaking down.

Sentomaru felt his heart ache.

Not simply because each damaged unit represented an absurd amount of money.

What bothered him more was the outcome.

He had never believed that linking more than a dozen Pacifistas together would actually be enough to defeat the original owner of the ability they were imitating.

Still...

He had expected them to last longer than this.

Axel, meanwhile, remained surprisingly relaxed.

No matter how sophisticated the machines were, they still operated according to preset calculations and fixed responses.

As long as Axel interfered faster than they could process and adjust, their system would collapse.

Thud!

Another Pacifista fell.

Then another.

Thud!

Sentomaru looked toward the battlefield with growing impatience.

Every time one machine was destroyed, the combined defensive network weakened.

And with that weakness came another casualty.

Then another.

"Isn’t it ready yet?!"

Sentomaru shouted.

Axel heard him.

His attention shifted slightly.

Ready?

So there was still something else.

Something Sentomaru considered more important than these Pacifistas.

Axel immediately began considering possibilities.

Could that wretched middle-aged man be here?

Kizaru?

No.

If Borsalino were already present, Sentomaru would not have bothered wasting so many Pacifistas this way.

Kizaru preferred efficiency when he actually intended to act.

He could have supported from a distance while the machines pinned Axel down.

Axel did not need to wonder for long.

The Marines themselves gave away the answer.

The troops stationed around the plaza began moving.

But instead of advancing toward Axel, they retreated.

Farther.

And farther.

Away from the center of the battlefield.

Axel glanced around.

Interesting.

The Marines reached predetermined positions throughout the surrounding fortress.

Then they raised heavy shoulder-mounted launchers.

Axel’s eyes narrowed.

They were not aiming at him.

They were aiming at G-8 itself.

At their own fortress.

High above, Jonathan stood at a defensive battery overlooking the battlefield.

From there, he had a clear view of nearly everything below.

Just as Axel had suspected, Jonathan had never truly withdrawn.

This was the next move.

Jonathan held a Den Den Mushi.

His expression was calm.

"Fire."

The order spread instantly.

Across the fortress, Marines pulled their triggers.

Whoosh!

Missiles streaked through the air.

Then slammed into Navarone Fortress.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Explosions tore through reinforced sections of the base.

Axel looked around with genuine surprise.

These Marines were destroying their own fortress.

Then the damaged sections burst open.

Water erupted from inside.

Not ordinary water.

Seawater.

Large quantities of it flooded the battlefield.

Axel understood immediately.

"So that’s your plan."

Jonathan had turned the fortress itself into a weapon.

Seawater was the natural enemy of Devil Fruit users.

No matter how powerful someone became, direct exposure to the sea drained their strength.

Even someone like Kuzan avoided the problem by freezing the water before it could properly affect him.

Jonathan had prepared enough seawater to flood the entire battlefield.

From his position above, Jonathan quietly pulled a chess piece from his pocket.

The King.

He rolled it between his fingers while watching the seawater swallow the plaza below.

No triumph.

No relief.

Only concentration.

"So..."

Jonathan murmured.

"What happens now?"

Sentomaru had already leapt onto the rock wall to avoid the flooding water.

He looked toward Jonathan’s position.

"So this was that guy’s plan?"

He clicked his tongue.

"Not bad."

Then his expression became irritated.

"But what was that nonsense about refusing to tell me because I’d leak it?"

He crossed his arms.

"I’m the most tight-lipped man in the world!"

Before he could continue complaining, the seawater exploded upward.

A figure shot out.

Axel.

Sentomaru’s eyes widened.

"What?!"

High above, Jonathan’s chess piece slipped from his fingers.

For once, genuine surprise crossed his face.

"He came out?"

Axel hovered above the flooded battlefield.

His clothes were dry.

No seawater clung to his skin.

Jonathan stared.

"So he either doesn’t fear seawater..."

His eyes narrowed.

"Or the water never actually touched him."

He sighed.

"Either way, that’s depressing."

Jonathan glanced toward the damaged fortress.

He had ordered part of his beloved base destroyed for this.

And it had accomplished nothing.

Axel looked toward him.

"So that was your hidden weapon."

He smiled.

"Sharp idea."

"Wrong target."

Then he looked toward Sentomaru.

"There’s something Vegapunk apparently never told you."

Axel lowered one hand.

"I’m not afraid of seawater."

A sphere of seawater rose from the flooded plaza.

It floated above Axel’s palm.

Sentomaru frowned.

Axel tapped the surface.

A tiny motion.

Almost playful.

Boom!

The sound resembled a torpedo detonating underwater.

The entire sphere shot forward under immense force.

Sentomaru reacted immediately.

He had fought Axel before.

He had no intention of testing his reputation for having the world’s strongest defense against something Axel launched deliberately.

Sentomaru released his grip on the rock wall and dropped aside.

The water sphere smashed into the cliff.

BOOM!

The rock wall burst apart.

The impact was even more destructive than the missiles Jonathan had just used.

Sentomaru landed safely.

He stared at the shattered stone.

The attack itself was not unbelievable.

Fish-Men could perform similarly devastating techniques using water.

Sentomaru’s own body could probably withstand something on that level.

What mattered was what Axel had just demonstrated.

He truly did not fear seawater.

And worse, Axel had clearly chosen that attack only to make the point.

He could have used something stronger.

Sentomaru’s expression darkened.

Still the same arrogant bastard.

Fine.

Then there was no reason to hold back the next card.

Sentomaru raised one hand.

"PX Unit Two!"

"Activate!"

"Target: Axel!"

"Capture him!"

Mechanical sounds answered.

A second group of Pacifistas rose into view atop the rock wall.

Axel frowned.

More?

He was not afraid of them.

That was exactly why the decision felt strange.

The first unit had already failed.

Why send another?

An organization like the Marines was filled with experienced officers.

And this fortress was commanded by Jonathan.

There had to be a reason.

Axel looked at Sentomaru.

"Momo."

Sentomaru froze.

Axel continued,

"What’s the point of sending more machines?"

"They’re just expensive scrap."

Sentomaru’s face darkened.

The insult toward the Pacifistas barely registered.

What mattered was the nickname.

Momo?

His eye twitched.

He was Sentomaru.

The most manly man in the world.

How dare this brat give him such a feminine nickname?

"I AM SENTOMARU!"

His voice echoed across the battlefield.

Axel blinked.

Sentomaru pointed at him.

"And these units have orders to capture you alive no matter the cost!"

He shouldered his axe.

"Losing some Pacifistas is acceptable."

"When you’re finally exhausted..."

Sentomaru smirked.

"The old man will come out and arrest you himself."

Silence.

Axel stared at him.

Then his expression slowly changed.

This guy...

He really did deserve his reputation.

The world’s greatest information leak.

Axel had not even needed to trick him.

Sentomaru had simply announced the plan.

The old man.

There was only one person he could mean.

Kizaru.

So he really was here.

Troublesome.

A lazy voice drifted down from above.

"Sentomaru..."

Sentomaru froze.

"You leaked the plan again."

Light gathered in the sky.

Then a figure appeared.

Tall.

Thin.

Wearing his usual yellow-striped suit and orange-tinted glasses.

One of the Marines’ three Admirals.

Borsalino.

Kizaru.

He hovered casually above the battlefield, holding a Den Den Mushi in one hand.

The moment Sentomaru had revealed the plan, Kizaru had heard everything through the call.

There was no longer any reason to remain hidden.

Sentomaru immediately protested.

"Stop making things up, old man!"

"When did I leak anything?!"

Kizaru looked down at him.

"Just now."

Sentomaru scowled.

Kizaru slowly surveyed the flooded plaza.

"My, my."

"What a terrible battlefield."

His gaze moved across the seawater.

"This makes arresting him troublesome."

Sentomaru planted his axe on his shoulder.

"What difference does it make to you?"

"You can move through the air."

He pointed toward the fortress.

"And I didn’t do this."

"That commander did."

Kizaru’s gaze shifted.

Jonathan stood above them.

For once, the G-8 commander looked slightly awkward.

He understood perfectly why Kizaru disliked the situation.

Devil Fruit users generally did not appreciate fighting while surrounded by seawater.

Axel might be an exception, but Kizaru certainly was not.

Jonathan rubbed his cheek.

"Admiral Kizaru."

"My apologies."

Kizaru looked at him.

"Vice Admiral Jonathan."

His usual lazy expression softened slightly.

Kizaru knew the name.

Jonathan was considered an exceptional strategist among Marine officers.

His ability to plan and control a battlefield was respected even at Headquarters.

In that regard, some compared him favorably to Vice Admiral Tsuru.

The main difference was temperament.

Tsuru was far more decisive when circumstances demanded sacrifice.

Jonathan hesitated more when the lives of his own soldiers were involved.

Kizaru did not consider that a weakness worthy of contempt.

Even Sakazuki, despite his severe personality, had mentioned Jonathan more than once.

"I’ve heard Sakazuki speak highly of you."

Jonathan smiled modestly.

"He exaggerates."

"No need to be humble."

Kizaru glanced toward Axel.

"You managed to keep this troublesome brat occupied for several days."

His voice remained casual.

"That alone says plenty."

Axel frowned.

"Wretched middle-aged man."

Kizaru stopped.

Axel looked up at him.

"Showing up out of nowhere like this makes you look like a stalker."

Kizaru’s face returned to its usual weary expression.

He was not offended.

He had dealt with Axel enough during the Vegapunk experiments to become accustomed to the boy’s mouth.

"Still saying unpleasant things, I see."

Axel crossed his arms.

"You’re here because you want Vegapunk’s location."

"I already told Sentomaru."

"I don’t know."

Kizaru shrugged.

"Whether you know or not doesn’t matter to me."

Axel raised an eyebrow.

"My orders are to arrest you."

Kizaru’s tone remained flat.

"That’s all."

Axel stared up at him.

Then gave a faintly mocking smile.

"Borsalino."

Kizaru waited.

"You’re an Admiral."

Axel tilted his head.

"Yet you don’t seem to believe in any kind of justice."

The surrounding Marines went silent.

Among the three Admirals, each had a reputation.

Kuzan followed his own sense of justice.

Sakazuki pursued absolute justice with frightening conviction.

Borsalino?

His beliefs were harder to define.

He followed orders.

He completed assignments.

But rarely with full effort unless forced.

He seemed bound by the system while remaining strangely detached from it.

Casual.

Uncommitted.

Impossible to read.

Kizaru looked at Axel through his orange lenses.

"Who knows?"

That was all he said.

He had no intention of discussing philosophy with Axel.

The brat was too good at twisting conversations.

One careless sentence could become something the World Government misunderstood later.

Kizaru had no desire to create problems for himself.

So he stopped talking.

And moved.

His body flashed.

Light crossed the battlefield.

Kizaru appeared directly in front of Axel.

His leg blazed with brilliant light.

Then swept forward.

Axel did not move.

The kick struck.

Reflection activated.

The force snapped upward into the sky.

Kizaru showed no surprise.

He already understood this defense from their previous encounters.

Ordinary attacks were useless.

In Kizaru’s view, the simplest way through was overwhelming power.

Enough force to exceed whatever limit Axel’s ability could process.

Kizaru’s body dissolved into light particles.

He scattered backward.

Beams erupted from his hands, restricting Axel’s movement from multiple angles.

At the same time, light gathered in Kizaru’s grasp.

It stretched.

Condensed.

And formed a radiant blade.

Ama no Murakumo.

....

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