Chapter 10: Clash Over the Waves

Kong took a deep breath, determined to defeat Karl first.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the ultimate form of the Six Powers he’d mastered—Starbreaker!

He shot into the air like a gust of wind, fist shrouded in Armament Haki, swinging down at Karl like a falling star.

A colossal force roared toward Karl, drenched in destruction. Long before the fist could reach him, the pressure from the punch was already upon him.

The energy in the air crackled even more fiercely, tearing the very clouds apart.

Facing Kong’s onslaught, Karl’s eyes grew serious. He knew he couldn’t face this attack head-on or he’d be finished soon. Without the ground beneath him, his stamina wasn’t recovering fast enough—he could keenly feel it slipping away.

He realized Kong was going all out. If this punch landed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Karl shifted with lightning speed, dodging Kong’s attack with agility, all the while closing the distance between them.

Once Karl was in close, he countered right back with Navy Six Powers, sending arcs of blue light from his Tempest Kick to slash through the sky.

The battlefield erupted into chaos, blades and fists flashing as sparks exploded around them.

Both fighters weaved through each other with explosive speed, the action relentless and almost too fast to follow.

Meanwhile, Kong saw with his own eyes how his Navy forces were clearly struggling against Newgate’s might. A wave of pain hit him—these men were the Navy’s finest.

He knew all too well what would happen if the fight dragged on. It would be a disaster—the very outcome the Navy hoped to avoid. They needed to retreat, especially now that Karl was tying him down. Their plan to capture Newgate was a bust.

Making up his mind, Kong launched himself into the sky, driving his right foot down with sudden force.

His kick came crashing down like a meteor—a strike impossible to stop.

“Nice move!”

Karl growled, his face tense. He couldn’t take this attack lightly either. He gathered all his strength into his fist, channeling an incredible force.

With a roar, Karl struck out.

“Mountain Shatter!”

He drew on his experience destroying dozens of mountains on this island, unleashing a deafening punch.

At the exact moment their blows collided, the air erupted with a thunderous explosion.

The sea level was pushed down by dozens of meters. Karl, overwhelmed by Kong’s raging strength, was sent blasting straight into the ocean.

Water erupted everywhere as Karl plunged deep beneath the waves. That’s when he noticed—his fist had turned pitch black.

He’d unknowingly mastered Armament Haki in the heat of battle.

He opened his mouth to let out a triumphant laugh, but a mouthful of salty seawater reminded him he was still underwater.

He knew clear as day—if he didn’t get out fast, he might drown. Without hesitating, he kicked upward, swimming for the surface.

Then, pain seared through every inch of his body. One glance at his battered skin revealed swelling and bruises everywhere.

It turned out he’d taken a beating without realizing it. If not for his extraordinary constitution, he’d be dead on that battlefield right now.

Gritting his teeth, Karl forced himself upward, swimming toward the light above.

He understood that only by reaching the surface would he have a chance to rejoin the fight.

He wasn’t finished with Kong yet. Now that he’d unlocked Armament Haki, he wanted to test his progress. There was no way he’d let this opportunity slip by.

After all, chances to clash with a powerhouse like this were rare.

Kong realized Karl was about to break the surface and, ceasing his own combat, moved straight for Newgate.

He knew ending this fight meant driving Newgate back immediately. Karl had only been knocked into the water—Kong’s Observation Haki made it clear Karl was already swimming up at top speed.

Wasting no time, Kong flew behind Newgate, hoping to catch him off-guard with a surprise attack.

Though all this sounds like a lot, it played out in just a few heartbeats.

With devastating force, Kong hammered a punch at Newgate. The speed and power warped the very air, thunderous explosions ringing out.

What a punch—it scattered the clouds above with its sheer might.

Sure enough, Kong ended his previous fight a little too quickly. Newgate didn’t react in time and took the full blow to the back, slamming him onto the pirate deck.

“Retreat!”

He ordered his crew to fall back at once.

The sudden end to their fight didn’t surprise Kong. He knew that in the perilous New World, pirates generally outclassed the Navy.

He didn’t want to see more of his men fall, especially now that their mission had failed.

The longer they lingered, the worse it would get—Rocks Pirates could send reinforcements at any moment. He couldn’t afford to gamble Navy lives anymore.

The Navy fleet sped away, leaving Newgate and his pirates on the broad sea.

Newgate didn’t give chase; he knew the fight was over.

He rubbed the deep red fist mark still blazing on his chest.

Watching the Navy ships fade into the distance, he flashed a satisfied grin.

“Kong, let’s fight again next time!”

His voice echoed powerfully across the waves.

The remaining Navy members rushed back aboard their ships, and the whole fleet quickly sailed away.

Though Newgate wasn’t quite satisfied, he didn’t intend to push things further. Kong’s men were Navy elites, but his own pirates had suffered heavy losses too.

Seeing Kong retreat, Newgate didn’t give chase—he simply unleashed a Shock Fist as a farewell.

A hundred-meter-high wave rose, crashing toward Kong.

Kong could sense Karl was about to resurface. So while he ordered his team to withdraw, he sent punch after punch, dispersing the massive wave.

“We miscalculated. I can’t believe there was someone this strong on Newgate’s ship—how did we miss that?”

A look of regret crossed Kong’s face.

He knew the main reason for their failure was that Newgate’s ship had gained a formidable new recruit.

The war-torn sea slowly quieted, leaving only crashing waves and howling wind.

Deep beneath the water, Karl kept struggling upward. Fueled by sheer willpower, he finally broke through to the surface.

He sucked in a sharp breath, trembling all over as the salty breeze filled his lungs.

“This time, I’ll make them pay.”

He steeled himself, ready to dive back into the fray.

With anger and resolve, he flew toward the battlefield for a rematch with Kong.

But to Karl’s surprise, by the time he tried to join the fight again, Kong’s fleet was already far off in the distance.

He could only watch as the ships faded away.

All he could do was climb back onto the deck and shake his head in frustration.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get another chance.”

Newgate offered a comforting word.

“Let’s settle the score next time then.”

Karl leaned against White Tiger’s back.

“Hss!”

“That hurts way more than I thought.”

Now that he finally relaxed, the pain hit him all at once, pulsing through every nerve.

“Victory’s ours!”

“Everyone, let’s throw a party!”

Seeing that Kong’s fleet had left, Newgate knew they’d won this time. He called for a feast to celebrate their hard-earned victory.

……