Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 141: The End
On the Battleship, Oni Spider awaited the outcome of the battle below. He had seen Austen attacked four times, slashed so many times that he should have been gravely injured if not dead. Austen was certainly capable of killing the opponent.
Even if he didn’t die, it would be enough to restrain him.
He stood at the ship's railing, observing the ocean below. In the glow cast by the flames, he could barely make out the scene beneath.
Austen lunged toward the shadow below and made an attack, but all he could see was a blurred silhouette.
However, Austen was restrained, and then his form froze; in the next moment, he was completely engulfed.
Oni Spider waited for his appearance, but in an instant, the Sea Kings drifted further away.
“What…”
With the Sea Kings gone and Austen not resurfacing, the outcome was already clear.
“Damn it.”
Oni Spider's expression darkened, but there was nothing he could do; he couldn’t go into the water and fight that Sea Kings.
“Admiral, another hole has opened up. Now there are two large holes; the ship is completely unbalanced and must slow down again,” Colonel Harris spoke up.
“Hmm, do your best to patch the holes and continue toward Savinth Island,” Oni Spider replied grimly.
Harris hesitated for a moment and said, “If we get hit one or two more times, our ship will sink.”
“Next time, I’ll kill him.”
Oni Spider said coldly, but deep down he had no real confidence. Who knew what kind of creature this was? Having taken so many hits and still managing to kill a Commodore underwater?
What if the ship sank?
Oni Spider felt a sense of Trouble. There was no Navy branch on Savinth Island, making it impossible to send ships for support.
For now, they could only continue moving forward.
Demon Spider Vice Admiral tightened his grip on the knife, becoming more vigilant and ready for the impending Attack.
Meanwhile, underwater, Xiaqiu had swallowed the Naval Officer and was patrolling between the Battleship and Savinth Island, wary of any approaching Vessel.
As he moved, a Heat Flow gradually emerged within him, rivaling that of Major Yuchimura and the Commodore devoured in Alabasta.
Very good.
Xiaqiu's body was once again enhanced, and his injuries began to heal. He waited for the Heat Flow to dissipate before turning and charging towards the Naval Battleship.
Boom.
Xiaqiu struck the Battleship again, creating another hole. On the opposite side of the ship's hull, a gap formed two compartments away from where he had just breached.
At the same time, Oni Spider surged forward again, swinging his blade down into the water.
After being injured, Xiaqiu sank but circled back instead of drifting away. He swam vertically upwards from the seabed, leveling off near the bottom of the ship. Aligning his tail with that of the Battleship, he slowly moved backward until he reached the Stern, then flipped over and pressed against the Battleship.
His movements were subtle, hardly noticeable to anyone else.
In the next moment, his Tentacles shot out.
Boom, boom, boom.
Eight Tentacles lashed out at both sides of the ship's hull, precisely targeting the spots where Xiaqiu had just created openings. On the other side, there was also a breach.
Xiaqiu's Tentacles struck directly against the planks beside the holes.
Crack, crack.
The planks of the ship were directly broken, splintering into pieces. Some fell away, while others remained attached, but the hole had widened significantly.
Although the expansion was limited, Xiaqiu struck again, and the opening grew larger.
"Vice Admiral, there's something below!"
Due to the intensity of the vibrations, it wasn't until after Xiaqiu had struck twice that a sailor shouted loudly.
"Tentacles? Is another Sea King coming?"
Oni Spider approached the edge of the ship, looking down. He gripped his sword and slashed out, swinging twice to sever four Tentacles on one side. He quickly darted to the other side, but all the Tentacles there had already retreated into the water.
"Discovered? It's about time."
Xiaqiu promptly retracted the four Tentacles. In the next moment, his six legs pushed against the deck on either side of the ship's keel.
Crack, crack...
Two of his legs targeted the edges of the hole, which were already unstable. They shattered upon impact, causing large sections of planking to fall away and further enlarging the opening.
The other four legs struck different areas of the ship's planks. Relying solely on the force from his legs and hindered by water pressure, Xiaqiu couldn't completely break through the planks. Instead, he kicked them inward, causing cracks to form and revealing narrow gaps, while at the center, a small hole was torn open.
Despite this hole, seawater continued to seep in, inevitably filling one compartment.
After completing all this, Xiaqiu immediately dove down and slowly distanced himself.
However, he was also attacked from the side, sustaining numerous wounds that worsened his condition significantly.
Yet with four large holes and four points leaking water, the ship could no longer maintain its balance and began to sink slowly.
“Admiral, the ship is sinking,” a colonel shouted as he rushed over.
“Damn it.”
Oni Spider's face turned grim. The Battleship was going down, and as a Devil Fruit User, he couldn't enter the water. Once the Battleship sank, escaping would be nearly impossible for him.
Thinking this, Oni Spider narrowed his eyes and said, “Everyone grab your weapons, bring all the barrels up, dismantle the beds and doors. Also, prepare tools to make paddles, and gather food and water. And notify Colonel Will to come up.”
“Yes, sir.”
At his command, messages were quickly relayed down below, and everyone began to hustle.
“Sir, you called for me?” Colonel Will approached Oni Spider.
Oni Spider nodded. “Prepare to abandon ship and escape. You’re coming with me.”
“What about those pirates?” Colonel Will asked curiously.
Oni Spider thought for a moment and replied, “The ship is sinking; let them drown beneath the waves.”
Having a fugitive die during transport would already be considered a dereliction of duty, but if a ship was sunk by Sea Kings, the blame would be far greater.
However, that wouldn’t be enough to strip him of his rank; he couldn’t concern himself with them now.
“Understood.”
Colonel Will fell in step beside Oni Spider, waiting quietly.
Time ticked away as the Sea Vessel sank faster and faster. Sailors rushed onto the deck, awaiting orders from the Demon Spider Vice Admiral.
"Throw the door panels and the bed boards into the water, Colonel Will, Colonel Harris, you two lower the ship."
Oni Spider left a remark, his figure flickering as he instantly appeared before the first Mast, slashing out with several strikes.
Crack.
The Mast snapped directly, the ropes severed, and it began to tilt slowly, leaning to one side.
Oni Spider kicked off the ground, sending the Mast flying into the Surface of the Sea.
Then, with another flicker, Oni Spider arrived at the second Mast. This one had a diameter of over four meters, making it the largest Mast on the Battleship.
Suddenly, the blade of Oni Spider's long knife turned black in his right hand as he slashed forward.
Crack.
The massive Mast broke apart. Oni Spider used several other knives to cut through the ropes and suddenly abandoned his long knife. Just as the Mast was about to fall, he charged toward the break with a powerful impact.
Boom.
The Mast shot out a distance before crashing against the ship's side and rolling into the sea.
Crack, crack.
Oni Spider sheathed his knife and watched as the remaining two Masts were all severed and thrown into the water by him.
With all four Masts submerged, he did not pause but gripped his knife once more and struck again.
This time, he aimed for the deck and the ship's side. Waves of Slash shot out, shredding the deck and cleaving through the hull into pieces of wood.
Splash.
Dozens of wooden planks fell into the water, along with those from the doors and beds, totaling several dozen.
There were also thirty or forty wooden barrels tossed into the water.
At the same time, Colonel Harris and Colonel Will lowered six ships into the water.
"Board the ship according to rank. The rest of you," Oni Spider was the first to leap onto a vessel, followed closely by Colonel Harris and Colonel Will.
The others followed suit, boarding in order of rank—Majors, Lieutenants—nearly thirty people climbed aboard.
The non-commissioned officers headed for the mast and jumped up onto it.
As for the sailors, they could only jump into the water, clinging to the wooden planks and holding onto barrels, barely staying afloat on the water's surface.
However, these vessels could only carry two hundred people. Though not at full capacity, there were nearly four hundred aboard, making it impossible for everyone to escape. Consequently, some remained in the water, swimming alongside.
A dozen or so became embroiled in a struggle, but Oni Spider swiftly dispatched them all with a single stroke of his blade.
...
"What’s happening? Someone let us out! Hurry!"
Inside the cage of the ship's hold, Green Girl watched as Navy Soldiers continued to leave, her expression frantic as she shouted.
"The ship is sinking; we need to abandon ship," a Captain said from nearby.
"Sinking?" a pirate couldn't help but ask. "What about us?"
"Are you not going to let us go? If this continues, we will die," Red Man shouted, unable to contain himself.
"Sorry, Admiral doesn't plan on letting you leave, so you might as well die here," the Captain shrugged, directing his subordinates to dismantle a wooden plank before carrying it away.
"Damn it."
A pirate kicked the ship's board, but it had no effect whatsoever.
"It's over, it's over."
"Someone, help! Get us out of here!"
One pirate began to shout desperately, but it was futile; in the blink of an eye, the Sailor had already left the vicinity of the cell, leaving the area empty.
The other pirates banged against the cage, but it was useless; they couldn't escape at all.
As the Battleship sank, water began to fill this level, flowing into the cage.
The water rose higher and higher, slowly submerging them. They were powerless to escape as the water covered them, gradually suffocating them and leading them toward death.
...
Behind them, the Naval Battleship slowly sank. Most people floated on the Water Surface, using paddles and wooden planks to row toward the distance.
"No attack?"
Oni Spider was somewhat surprised. Throughout this process, that Sea King had not appeared. Logically, it should have attacked these Sailors, but it did not.
Why not attack people? Was it only planning to sink the ship?
Oni Spider felt a bit confused, but he didn't pay much attention to the Sea Kings.
With so many targets, it was impossible for him to attack them all. Every time he attacked someone, he would be countered, and being this close meant that his Wave Slash would be even more powerful.
Oni Spider couldn't believe that he hadn't been injured yet; his dorsal fin had already been severed by his own attacks, and the wounds must be severe.
So as long as he attacked a few more times, he would surely be able to kill him.
If by chance he was attacked himself, he could easily move to another floating object without worrying about falling into the water.
However, what he needed to worry about were the unpredictable waters and the harsh weather.
The Grand Line was perilous because of its climate and currents.
To sail in the Grand Line, one needed a sea vessel and a qualified navigator.
But without a ship now, encountering waves would mean certain death for them.
"Colonel Nathan, you're the navigator; I need you to avoid the bad weather," Oni Spider said, looking at the figure not far away.
"But with this ship, it's difficult to do so, and it's so dark... I..." Nathan stammered, feeling troubled.
"If you can't do it, then we all will die," Oni Spider replied coldly.
Nathan gritted his teeth and said, "I'll do my best."
Nathan focused intently on the surrounding waters and the sky's conditions.
...
"There are so many people."
Xiaqiu lay low in the sea, watching the figures above and feeling a sense of trouble.
There were too many of them.
He refrained from attacking as they entered the water, partly out of fear that if he struck, the Oni Spider would retaliate against him, leaving him battered and unable to withstand another encounter.
The other reason was that he hoped to lure the Oni Spider out to sea; otherwise, if the Battleship sank, he would have no chance of finding it again.
So Xiaqiu carefully discerned their identities.
Barrels, large wooden planks, masts, and ships.
He could almost confirm that the Oni Spider was on one of the ships. After all, it was the only means of maritime transport among them and the easiest to maneuver, offering a higher chance of escape.
Moreover, since the Oni Spider was unaware that he was its target, it wouldn’t blend in with those sailors.
Considering these two points, if he left the Battleship, there was a high probability that it would be on one of those ships.
But with six vessels present, which one was it?
If he attacked, the Oni Spider would easily slip away. Thus, Xiaqiu held back from striking and waited for the storm to arrive.
The currents of the Grand Line were complex and unpredictable, especially at night; they would find it difficult to escape.
This was also why he planned to strike in the deep sea during the night.
Ahead, the currents surged and the air pressure dropped; they would soon enter a rainstorm. He just needed to keep an eye on those ships and wait for an opportunity.
"Is that lightning? The waters ahead are about to rain; we can't go through," Colonel Nathan suddenly said.
"Should we stop and head back then?" the Oni Spider immediately asked.
"No."
Colonel Nathan shook his head, picked up a handkerchief, and observed its movement. "The wind is coming from the northwest, and the dark clouds will move in that direction. We should head south to avoid the rain."
"Do as you say."
Oni Spider immediately issued the command, and the ship turned sharply to the right.
The other vessels closely followed suit, but those using masts and wooden boards found it difficult to keep up. Only a few managed to barely stay on course, while the others fell further behind.
They were separating.
Xiaqiu watched as the fleet scattered; even the closest ship was now several meters away, and their speed was decreasing.
It was impressive that they could assess the dangers of the sea ahead.
However, this also left others unable to keep up, exposing them completely.
Continuing to follow.
Xiaqiu remained just below the ship, slowly keeping pace.
In the distance, heavy rain began to pour down. The wind here was picking up, and one could only imagine how fierce it was in the rain zone ahead. The dark clouds were moving closer at an alarming rate, and it wouldn't be long before they covered this area.
Additionally, the currents started to surge, flowing toward them at a perpendicular angle to their direction of travel, making progress increasingly difficult.
The ship's speed decreased, but they still managed to head south.
However, those behind were growing further apart from each other, with distances reaching fifty or sixty meters.
But that wasn't enough.
At this distance, if I attack and destroy the vessel, the Oni Spider might be able to retreat. I may not be able to catch his figure; he could die, but I might not find him.
Then let their distance grow wider.
With that thought, Xiaqiu charged forward, crashing into the front of the second wave.
It was a massive mast, where people were rowing with oars, moving forward vertically to the right. However, due to the current, it was constantly being pushed backward.
Boom.
Xiaqiu slammed into the mast, causing it to shake violently and lift off the surface of the sea for a moment before crashing back down.
The surface of the mast cracked with huge fissures, but it was thick enough not to break completely.
The people on top fell into the water and swam toward the mast, clinging to it for support.
Crunch, crunch.
Xiaqiu devoured the sailors who could swim, then charged backward, blocking everyone in that area.
"The Sea Kings have appeared."
Oni Spider looked back but felt relieved; there were many people there. It would take a long time for him to consume them all.
By choosing to attack backward, he ignored himself and his companions. It seemed there was no need to worry about that Sea Kings' attack.
Oni Spider turned to Nathan and asked loudly, "Can we break out of this rain zone?"
"The rain zone is moving northwest. If we speed up a bit, we can skirt along the edge and break through from the south," Colonel Nathan replied quickly. With that, Oni Spider sat down and grasped two oars, beginning to row as well.
Six ships sailed into the distance, while those behind remained stagnant, pushed further away from each other, their distance growing ever larger.
Xiaqiu destroyed all the vessels, killing their crews but only consuming three or four people, leaving the rest to feast on those ahead.
Then Xiaqiu caught up again, still trailing far behind.
One hundred meters, two hundred meters, five hundred meters.
The ships continued southward, while the rain zone moved northwest. As they advanced, they barely brushed against the southern edge of the thunderstorm area.
"We need to keep heading south," Nathan shouted loudly, intending to completely bypass this sea region.
However, two ships could not keep up and gradually fell behind, leaving only four vessels moving forward.
After Xiaqiu and the remaining four ships departed, it gently sank two of the vessels. The people aboard jumped overboard, clinging to the shattered planks and paddling toward safety.
But a figure plunged downwards.
A Devil Fruit User.
Xiaqiu suspected this person was not the target but still approached and took a direct bite, killing him instantly. Holding him in its mouth, Xiaqiu pursued into the distance and swallowed him after a while.
Fifteen minutes later, they finally evaded the rain zone. Nathan then said, "We can navigate northeast; let's head for Savinth Island."
They changed course and sailed in another direction.
After swallowing the Devil Fruit User, Xiaqiu continued to follow closely behind.
Almost there.
Xiaqiu observed the four solitary sea vessels and slowly approached, aiming for two of them directly.
Boom.
Two ships were directly smashed, but Xiaqiu did not continue to push forward; instead, he immediately dove beneath the surface.
"What is this?"
Oni Spider was not on those two ships. Seeing the vessels sink, he instinctively swung his blades twice.
Wave Slash cut through the water, hitting the opponent, but it only inflicted partial damage.
Damn it.
Oni Spider felt a surge of anger. He never expected that sea creature to return. If it sank this ship as well, it would surely go down.
Were the people behind him not blocking his attack? Or had they all perished?
"Admiral, what should we do?" Colonel Harris asked cautiously.
Oni Spider suppressed his fury and replied, "Wait until he gets closer; I'll kill him."
As long as he crashed into his ship, he would stab him with a blade and end his life.
"Is he on that ship?"
Meanwhile, from a distance, Xiaqiu had pinpointed his location. However, Xiaqiu did not intend to attack him directly; he could still leap onto other ships.
Xiaqiu continued to wait.
The fallen soldiers tried to swim toward the intact ship, but Oni Spider raised his long knife and killed two of them with a single swing. Then he shouted loudly, "Stay back."
The remaining dozen or so dared not approach and could only lie flat on the planks, following along.
However, as time passed, they gradually fell behind the speed of the ship.
"Almost there."
Xiaqiu rushed forward, biting each of them to death and swallowing them whole.
These individuals were not weak, having managed to board the ship, and he could consume them.
With his capacity for eating, he could devour up to five tons at once, enough to crush and swallow thirty to forty people.
Only two ships remained.
Xiaqiu watched as the two ships drifted further away, knowing that the critical moment was approaching.
Yet he did not attack immediately; instead, he followed for a while longer. After the currents shifted, he slowly moved closer.
This time, he advanced very slowly, riding the current until he reached the bottom of the ship and flipped over.
It was now deep into the night. The enemy had torches, but they could not see far beneath the water's surface.
Thus, Xiaqiu approached silently, extending two of his tentacles toward one of the ships.
Ten tentacles in total; two were longer but weaker.
Four of the remaining eight tentacles had been severed earlier, leaving him with four intact.
These two tentacles struck at the ship without an Oni Spider, one from the left and one from the right.
Whoosh.
The Oni Spider sensed the movement sharply and swung its blade, severing one of the tentacles.
However, on the other side, the Tentacles smashed the ship, causing the crew to fall into the water, yet they dared not approach the Oni Spider. They clung to the shattered planks, struggling to keep up.
Xiaqiu did not attack immediately; instead, it waited for a moment before slowly targeting those who had fallen into the water, consuming them whole.
Only one ship remained.
Xiaqiu gazed at that ship and moved closer again, this time controlling the Tentacles to strike.
"Come at me."
Oni Spider had anticipated this. Unlike before, when it couldn't pay attention to the Tentacles on the other side of the ship, this time was different. With a swift slash, two Tentacles fell into the water.
But in that instant, Xiaqiu kicked out forcefully against the bottom of the ship.
Crack.
The ship broke apart, leaving a massive hole in the middle as people began to tumble down.
"Seeking death."
Oni Spider felt the ship tremble and immediately leaped up, slashing down with its blade covered in Armament Haki, cutting into the ocean.
Splash.
Xiaqiu's right leg was severed at the knee joint, and then its remaining limb snapped off.
"That hurts."
With its leg chopped off, Xiaqiu seized the opportunity to dive down. Using its legs was indeed wise; otherwise, that strike would have split its head open.
"Wasn't it supposed to hit my head?"
Oni Spider paused for a moment, realizing that he had just severed something without actually cutting off a head.
His expression darkened as he stepped onto a larger piece of wood floating in the sea. He noticed two figures lying injured on the board, adjusting his footing to stabilize himself.
He had come down!
Xiaqiu watched as a figure plummeted from above. The two figures below were bleeding and struggling, but with time, their strength waned, and they began to fall.
He bit down on the two, swallowing them whole, then turned his gaze to another figure descending straight down.
A Devil Fruit User.
Xiaqiu moved swiftly to bite the opponent to death, holding the body in his mouth, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Was this Oni Spider?
It was unlikely that he would fall directly into the water; at least he could hold on for a while.
And was there only one Devil Fruit User?
Xiaqiu doubted that this was Oni Spider. However, the figures above were all moving along with the wooden board, indicating they were not Devil Fruit Users.
So where was Oni Spider?
Suddenly, Xiaqiu spotted the largest piece of wood nearby. There was no one around it, but it was submerged quite deep.
They couldn't possibly abandon such a large piece of wood.
Thus, Xiaqiu slowly surfaced from a distance, looking over at that spot. In the moonlight, he could vaguely see a White Shadow standing on that piece of wood.
In that case, it was time to Attack again.
However, the strike from the Demon Spider Vice Admiral was powerful. He could only use his legs instead of his head, and he would inevitably lose one leg.
To prevent the Demon Spider Vice Admiral from escaping, they needed to separate him, which required waiting for an opportunity.
Currently, the direction the Oni Spider and his companions were heading was moving further away from the Magnetism point, steering towards another direction.
Given their swimming speed and drifting pace, it was uncertain how long it would take them to reach the next island, and they were likely to encounter several currents along the way.
Xiaqiu remained calm, biting down on the Devil Fruit User in his mouth, continuing to wait while digesting the energy within him.
"Damn it."
The Oni Spider was filled with rage; he had been forced into the sea by a mere fish. In this vast ocean, his chances of survival seemed slim.
But he couldn't give up hope.
He had severed a part of that Sea King’s body; he didn't know if it would still attack.
But how many times could he strike it?
There were still plenty of wooden planks around, and he could use them to float on the water's surface.
As for whether he could find the next island, that was left to fate.
Yet in the next moment, the Oni Spider froze in place.
Because those sailors lying on the wooden planks were all heading northeast, towards Savinth Island.
And the Oni Spider could not change his course; he could only stand on the surface of the sea.
"Those bastards."
Oni Spider was furious.
However, the Navy felt it was only natural. If your plank was destroyed, wouldn't you want to take ours? You even killed Colonel Harris, someone you trusted, so we naturally wouldn't hold back either.
Watching them grow farther away, Oni Spider felt a deep frustration as he couldn't pursue them.
Had they really separated?
Below, Xiaqiu caught sight of this scene and felt a flicker of joy. He hadn't expected them to split up; this made it easier for him to attack.
But not a single one could be spared.
Those who could board the ship were certainly not ordinary Navy personnel. Once devoured, they would provide Enhanced Energy.
So, Xiaqiu waited until they had distanced themselves and then circled around to attack them, killing them all and consuming them.
Afterward, Xiaqiu returned to Oni Spider's side and took another step forward.
Oni Spider activated his Observation Haki and swung his blade.
The plank beneath him shattered underfoot, while Xiaqiu's leg was severed once again.
It was over.
Looking at the empty Surface of the Sea, Oni Spider leaped in the air but found no foothold, feeling increasingly frustrated.
"Come out!"
Oni Spider continuously used Moon Step to hover in the air while swinging his blade, unleashing Wave Slashes into the water, hoping to strike that Sea Monster.
But there was no response; the Surface of the Sea remained eerily calm.
The Oni Spider exerted all its strength, unable to use the Moon Step to stabilize its form, and fell directly into the ocean.
As the seawater surged around it, the Oni Spider felt powerless, plummeting downwards with a look of despair on its face.
At that moment, a dark shadow approached, opening its wide jaws.
"Is it you?"
The Oni Spider sighed, its eyes filled with hatred, despair, anger, and helplessness.
In the next instant, it was bitten by Xiaqiu, the teeth closing around it and tearing its body in two.
Xiaqiu did not kill it immediately; instead, it waited for a minute before swallowing it whole.
Afterward, it swam away into the distance, awaiting the immense energy that the Vice Admiral would bring.
Comment 0 Comment Count