blenderwars Chapter 298 - 297: Meteor Volcano: World-Annihilating Destruction
Chapter 298 - 297: Meteor Volcano: World-Annihilating Destruction
Grand Line, the Devil's Triangle.
The Victims' Association.
An organization composed entirely of people whose shadows had been stolen by Moria.
Three days ago, all those who had lost their shadows to Moria were shocked to discover...their shadows had returned to them on their own.
That could only mean one thing— Moria was in trouble!!!
Countless people threw themselves to the ground, tears welling up as they stared at their returned shadows.
At the same time, the scouts who had gone to investigate came back, shouting loudly:
"Moria must be dead!"
"All the zombie soldiers have collapsed!"
"It's time for revenge!!!"
"There's only that guy Hogback left on the island!"
The members of the Victims' Association burst into excitement:
"Really?!"
"That's great!!!"
"Hurry, grab your weapons! Let's go kill them!"
"Go, go, go!!"
...
Devil's Triangle, Thriller Bark.
Inside the massive horror ship that was as large as an island.
Hogback was desperately repairing a small speedboat. His own strength was pathetic— the only reason he became one of Moria's top men was because they shared similar ambitions...and because of his exceptional medical and mechanical skills.
But who could have imagined... that Moria would die out there just like that...
"Damn it!"
"That guy! Wasn't he supposed to be strong?!"
"He just dropped dead without any warning!"
"This is such a pain!!!"
Although countless ships disappeared here every year, they were all massive vessels—no single person could pilot them alone.
He hadn't slept for two days straight... just to fix this broken speedboat...
Those people must have noticed by now... If he didn't escape quickly, he'd be dead soon enough...
...
Devil's Triangle, aboard the Rumbar Pirates' ship.
"Yohohoho~ Yohohoho~"
Bang!
"Ah! Forty-four degrees..."
"Huh?"
"My shadow?!"
"When did it come back?!"
...
Outside the Devil's Triangle.
Dozens of warships formed a long battle line, spaced far apart, waiting for orders.
Many young Marines aboard were barely containing their excitement:
"This is insane!"
"This mission is to wipe out the entire Devil's Triangle!"
"I've got to tell everyone about this when we get back!"
One of the older man frowned slightly in confusion.
"Hmm?"
"This place is... famous?"
Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was well known— but these young Marines seemed to be talking about something else entirely.
The young soldiers exchanged glances, surprised that the man didn't know about the Devil's Triangle.
They all began talking at once:
"Eh?!"
"You've never heard of the legend of the Devil's Triangle when you were a kid?"
"No matter what goes in—ships or powerful people—they never come out again!"
"They say the Devil's Triangle is connected directly to hell!"
"Everyone who enters disappears without a trace, leaving only ghost ships drifting inside!"
"And sometimes, you can even hear eerie singing... or see skeletal demons patrolling the seas!"
The older man twitched his mouth slightly.
He finally understood. Moria had been entrenched here for over a decade, while these young ones were barely in their twenties.
The ignorant public must have mistaken Moria's ghostly experiments for supernatural phenomen —and over time, the rumors had turned into ghost stories.
The man shook his head and said:
"There's no such thing as hell."
"It's just the work of pirates."
"You guys—"
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something. He suddenly turned his head sharply.
"All hands!"
"About face!"
He stared in awe toward the distant horizon, where streaks of fire surged up from the sea into the sky— as if forming a staircase leading straight to heaven...
"You rookies!"
"Today's your lucky day."
"Watch closely!"
"Behold the overwhelming might of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!!!"
As they gazed upon the fiery rain filling the sky...
Countless magma projectiles, like a storm of rockets, shot upward at incredible speed.
Because the warships were so far apart, the Marines could see with the naked eye the magma shells rising into the sky, disappearing— then reappearing as they plummeted down toward the Devil's Triangle.
And as they fell, they visibly grew larger...
The entire sky turned crimson, engulfing both heaven and sea.
A wave of scorching heat swept across the fleet, and within it, one could faintly see the massive molten fists— distorting the very air around them.
Each magma fist, as large as a mountain, screamed as it fell, the roaring sound leaving everyone's mind blank...
For the Marines at the perimeter, what they felt was awe.
But for everyone inside the Devil's Triangle— there was only one feeling left.
Death.
It was the primal terror of the body reacting instinctively.
The mist-shrouded sea suddenly turned red— as if the sun itself had fallen from the heavens...
BOOOOOM—!!!
The first magma fist landed directly on the enormous Thriller Bark.
It pierced through the ship in an instant— and then exploded.
Under the force of the massive blast, the gigantic vessel shattered like glass, torn into powder, and sank into the sea along with the flowing magma.
The explosion's shockwave surged outward, colliding with the energy from other falling magma fists.
Scorching shockwaves and storms of destruction raged across the entire region.
The Devil's Triangle became one enormous furnace.
Everything—people, ships, even the sea itself—began to burn, turning to ashes...
Under such raging heat, nothing could survive.
This... was true hell.
And that wasn't all.
The magma that fell into the sea continued glowing red, refusing to cool even under the ocean's depths— boiling the waters and releasing endless waves of steam.
It was as if this sea itself was about to be burned away completely...
Aboard Sakazuki's warship.
The magma around both his arms slowly retracted, solidifying back into flesh.
"Meteor Volcano..."
A wave of relief spread through his body— his whole being felt relaxed.
Karol gazed at the endless cascade of magma fists raining down, devouring and obliterating the vast sea region known as the Devil's Triangle... and couldn't help but sigh.
"Destroy heaven and earth...."
"This is your real goal, isn't it."
Sakazuki let out a low chuckle.
"Ah——"
"It's been a long time since I've moved around."
He rolled his shoulders, then turned around and walked away.
"Let's go. New World."
The warship slowly turned around and departed.
The remaining warships stayed still, executing their orders.
Their task was to perform the final sweep—
Not letting a single fish slip through the net...
Even if there might be nothing left to find...
...
New World, Steam Pirates' stronghold.
It had been several days since Sakazuki's promotion to Fleet Admiral and the declaration of war.
He had acted thoroughly...
Sabaody Archipelago was completely sealed off.
Any ship attempting to pass through to the New World was being strictly inspected.
The Steam Pirates' business was hit the hardest, and their losses were the greatest.
Adding the recent chaos caused by the Four Emperors' clash, their influence and business had been cut by nearly half.
Right now, the Steam Pirates' situation was a disaster piling onto a disaster...
These days, they had reached out to many government officials, but the talks still fell apart...
Knock sat on his throne with his eyes closed, resting his head against one hand.
"Enough!"
"All of you, get out!"
His subordinates didn't dare to stay for even a second and hurriedly left...
Knock took a deep breath.
"Haa——"
When he slowly opened his eyes, the coldness in them showed just how foul his mood was.
The government bastards were asking for too much. So what if Sakazuki had a stranglehold on the New World... what a joke. Did they really think he was their errand boy?
Sooner or later, everything they eat—they'll have to spit it back out.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of the throne as he pondered how to break the deadlock.
With the Steam Pirates' accumulated wealth, there was no need to panic—at least not yet.
With the government route blocked, he could only turn his eyes toward the Calm Belt...
Unlike Kaido, who would have to train his own men to escort the ships through, Knock could simply spend a fortune to recruit manpower.
But the problem was—even then, it would only allow the flow of goods. No profit, no loss...
Knock knock knock—knock knock knock—
A hurried knocking came from outside.
Knock frowned slightly.
"Come in."
A subordinate burst in, his face full of joy.
"Boss!"
"We've got a way!!!"
"The Germa 66 technology from the North Blue can easily cross the Red Line!"
"They want to work with you!"
Knock leaned forward slightly.
"Oh?"
The subordinate was still brimming with excitement.
"We just confirmed it. It's real!"
"If we seize their technology, we won't have to fear the Marines' blockade anymore!!"
A glimmer flashed in Knock's eyes as he chuckled lightly.
"Cooperation?"
"Interesting...."
"Contact them first. Let's see what they want..."
...
Sabaody Archipelago, Grand Line.
Sabaody, once a pirate gathering ground.
Now, every port was empty. Not a single pirate in sight.
After days of relentless purges—
The lucky few who escaped had all hidden their Jolly Rogers away. No one was being stubborn or choosing to die with dignity.
Survival was what mattered most...
Scattered pirates now huddled inside remote taverns...
And at some point... a certain rumor began to spread among them...
As long as you had enough money...
You could still get your ship coated and reach the New World.
Late at night.
The captain of the Pigeon Pirates secretly steered his ship through the moonlight toward a small, secluded hut near the Marine base.
Once they docked, a hidden door opened, revealing a vast underground chamber beneath.
When the ship settled in, the captain jumped down, drenched in cold sweat...
Smuggling under the Marines' noses!!!
He motioned to two of his crew to carry five treasure chests filled with gold and Belly.
Then he looked at the coating foreman in charge.
"I'll say this... you guys have some guts!"
"Doing this right under the Marines' noses."
"You're not Marine spies, are you?"
The foreman rolled his eyes.
"Ever heard of hiding in plain sight?"
"Besides, would a Marine spy be making this kind of money?"
"One job now pays more than half a year before."
"We should be thanking the Marines, really."
"Heh heh heh heh~"
The captain twitched at the corners of his mouth. Yeah... it was daylight robbery.
All the loot they'd plundered since the North Blue was now on the floor...
Thinking about all the blood they spilled along the way, he couldn't help but doubt his life choices.
As for whether anyone dared not to pay after getting their coating done... that wasn't even a question.
If they tampered with the coating... you wouldn't even know how you died.
Time slowly passed.
The sky gradually brightened.
A freshly coated pirate ship slowly sailed toward Fish-Man Island deep beneath the sea...
Once the ship vanished, the foreman returned to the hut.
"Haa—"
The atmosphere changed. He slouched, yawning.
"These Devil Fruit users sure are cowards."
"Not many dare to come for coating now."
He stretched lazily and took out a Den Den Mushi.
"I should report to Karol-san first....."
...
At the same time.
Dawn light glimmered faintly.
Atop the endless Red Line.
A massive fleet of snail ships was climbing up the sheer wall.
The entire fleet was nearly perpendicular to the Red Line, yet it kept crawling forward.
Vinsmoke Judge hadn't slept a wink all night.
If this crucial cooperation succeeded, Germa would once again reign supreme over the North Blue!
Standing atop the tilted castle deck, he gazed at the endless ocean below, his chest swelling with pride.
Why make the entire fleet crawl like this...?
To let the Four Emperors witness Germa's strength, technology, and deep foundations firsthand.
...
Florian Triangle.
Several days had passed.
The eerie mist that had shrouded the Devil's Triangle all year long had now completely vanished, leaving only steaming seawater rising into the air.
The soldiers stripped down to their waists, finishing up the aftermath.
It was unbearably hot...
Suddenly—
A soldier spotted a figure floating on the sea—an afro-headed man hugging an upside-down iron basin. The figure twitched slightly...
"Yes!"
"A straggler!"
He hurriedly raised his gun. The Fleet Admiral had been too thorough with the purge. To finally find one survivor was exhilarating!
Bang!
The gunshot rang out.
Everyone looked over.
"Ah! There's someone alive over there!"
"Damn it!"
"You shot without warning!"
"My turn!"
Gunfire echoed one after another.
The afro-headed figure finally stirred, slowly turning its head with all its strength—
And every soldier froze in terror.
"S-s-skeleton!!"
"It's a hell skeleton!!!"
The older man, disturbed by the commotion, walked over.
"What hell skeleton?"
"What nonsense are you all yelling about now!!!"
Pushing through the soldiers, he saw the skeleton clutching the basin, floating on the sea—
And he, too, flinched.
But then he quickly composed himself. Judging from the skeleton's weak movements...
"Though... it's a bit weird..."
"This isn't some hell skeleton. Just a Devil Fruit user."
"Where are the Seastone chains? Bring them here."
...
New World, New Marineford.
Inside the fortress office, Sakazuki stood before a sand table, analyzing the situation.
Karol walked in, looking slightly puzzled.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki."
"The warship from the Devil's Triangle operation found someone whose lower body was burned away."
"But... he's still alive. A skeleton?"
Sakazuki waved his hand casually.
"A Devil Fruit user."
"Send him to Egghead."
"See if there's anything to research. If not, just recover the fruit."
Karol nodded and left.
Sakazuki felt nothing toward this kind of creature... He'd killed too many.
If useful, keep them. If not, reclaim the fruit. Nothing more.
The forces of the Grand Line had already begun pouring into the New World.
Sakazuki looked down at the four enemies on the sand table.
"Who should I start with first..."
The upper section was the New World, the lower the Grand Line. Whiskey Peak was the entrance.
And from that entrance... the assault upward had already begun.
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total