Chapter 177: Supernova Bartholomew Kuma
Beckman, having just finished his training, walked over and sat next to Cordo. He took the foxtail grass from his mouth, held it root-end down, and used it like a pen to draw on the sand.
Cordo and several other Red-Haired Pirates crew members gathered around, squatting to watch Beckman.
Beckman drew a circle in the sand, then divided it into two semicircles with a horizontal line through the middle.
"This," Beckman said, pointing to the upper semicircle with the foxtail grass, "is the first half of the Grand Line, what those great pirates call ’Paradise.’ Here, the legendary great pirate, Golden Lion Shiki, moves around, often wiping out pirates in Paradise."
"This," he continued, pointing to the lower semicircle, "is the New World, currently controlled by the four great powers: Big Mom, Kaido, Whitebeard, and Alucard the Immortal."
After speaking, Beckman lit a cigarette. "However, if we’re talking about the four powers, Alucard the Immortal is very special. He doesn’t hold territory, but he is undeniably the most bloodthirsty pirate at the top of the world. You’d best hope you don’t run into him."
"But because of him, some Marines are actually cheering," a blonde man from the Red-Haired Pirates chuckled. "They say he’s helped the Marines by dealing with a lot of pirates."
"The Marines are also good at exploiting Alucard the Immortal’s nature; they generally avoid him," Beckman said after taking a drag. "In any case, do you understand? What we need now is to hone our skills enough. Although the sea is vast and the chances of encountering the Golden Lion are slim, it’s certainly not impossible. Even if we’re lucky enough to enter the New World without running into the Golden Lion, you should all understand what awaits us there. Don’t waste the Captain’s intentions."
"I agree," the blonde man clapped his hands. "Haha, rather than getting wrecked by the four powers in the New World, we should sharpen our blades first."
Cordo and the others also fell silent, apologizing, "Sorry, everyone, Captain."
"Well, well, there’s no need to rush," Shanks stopped his sword-swinging motion and chuckled, "Let’s have a banquet!"
"Oh!!!" The Red-Haired Pirates cheered, raising their hands.
...
One week later, in the City of Spring Queen, a Great Trading Island comparable to Water 7.
"Boss, boss!"
Inside the Golden Lion’s palace, which was hovering above the island’s coastline, several crew members of the Golden Lion Pirates stumbled in, terrified.
Shiki, sitting on his throne, frowned. "What’s wrong? Why are you so flustered?"
"Golden Lion Shiki, the world’s strongest swordsman." Before his subordinate could answer, a tall, slender figure walked through the main hall’s entrance. The black blade on his back, taller than himself, drew the gazes of all the fleet subordinates lining the palace.
"Boss, that’s... Hawkeye Mihawk," a man with a Golden Lion Pirate tattoo on his forehead murmured as he saw the newcomer.
"Oh... the sword-wielding brat who’s been making a name for himself in Paradise recently..." Shiki half-opened his eyes, looking as if he’d just woken up.
"I set out to sea with the goal of becoming the ’World’s Strongest Swordsman,’" Hawkeye said, taking the black blade from his back and presenting it before Shiki.
Suddenly, in an instant, a blur flashed before Hawkeye’s eyes. The keen intuition of a swordsman made him raise his hand, blocking the black blade horizontally in front of himself.
"Oh... you’ve got some skill. You don’t seem like a fanboy pirate..." Shiki, in a high kick stance, slammed the blade of his prosthetic right leg against the black blade. As sparks flew fiercely, Hawkeye was forced to retreat step by step.
"But... you’re still too green!" Shiki roared. Hawkeye was instantly sent flying out of the Golden Lion, through the very door he had entered, and crashed into a wall by the docks of Spring Queen City.
"Shouldn’t we finish him off, Boss?" another female executive, about thirty years old, asked.
Shiki clasped his hands to his hips and slowly walked back to his throne. "It’s rare to see such promising eyes. It would be a waste to kill him."
Supernova Hawkeye Mihawk challenges the legend Golden Lion Shiki – Defeated!
...
One month later.
New World, Whitebeard’s Territory Island.
Whitebeard stood by a stone fortress, flanked by his entire crew. Before Whitebeard, a young man knelt on the ground, gasping for breath.
"Zehahaha... Supernova Crocodile, is this all you’ve got?" Teach chuckled, a cold glint in his eyes. "Your sword isn’t dull yet, old man."
"Damn it..." Crocodile struggled to lift his head, his eyes bloodshot, as he looked at the insurmountable mountain before him. "Whitebeard..."
"Looking at that gaze of yours, you don’t seem interested in becoming my son," Whitebeard laughed heartily, looking up at the sky. "Gurarararara! It’s too early to kill you now. Go! If you want my head, come for it anytime!"
Supernova Crocodile challenges the legend Whitebeard – Defeated!
...
New World, A Certain Isolated Island.
Alucard sat on a massive reef by the coast, reading the newspaper that a News Coo had just delivered. He mumbled to himself, "Oh... The two future Warlords have suffered consecutive defeats? It seems Hawkeye is still too young. It also proves that the Golden Lion still retains his power. Ah, youthful exuberance indeed..."
As he spoke, Alucard’s crimson pupils shifted slightly to his right. "Right? Supernova Bartholomew Kuma!"
As Alucard’s words fell, a figure slowly emerged from the tropical forest behind him: a long chin, wavy perm, approximately twenty-five to thirty years old, with an exaggerated physique that made him over 7 meters tall, but with disproportionately small feet.
This was Supernova Bartholomew Kuma, with a bounty of 103 million, known as "The Tyrant."
Compared to his future self as a Warlord, besides his age and appearance, he wore one less pair of glasses now, but his somber aura was already evident.
Alucard didn’t turn around but continued to speak with his back to Bartholomew Kuma. "Following this pattern, should I also accept a Supernova’s challenge?"
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