Chapter 44: Clash of Giants at God Valley

On Newgate’s side, he was locked in an intense battle with Kreuss, the strategist. From the very start, the fight was white-hot, but it was obvious Kreuss couldn’t match up to Newgate.

“Fire! Shoot!”

The roar of cannons thundered across the battlefield, bullets flying like rain.

“Clang! Clang!”

But it was useless. Newgate wasn’t some feeble old man—his stamina hadn’t faded yet. With just his body alone, he shrugged off the hail of bullets.

“Gurararara!”

“You lot are starting to get on my nerves.”

“Buzz!”

Suddenly, a crescent-shaped blue flash swept by. Countless soldiers saw a blur, then their vision faded to black as they slipped into unconsciousness.

At Newgate’s level, trying to hurt or kill him with guns alone was a fool’s errand.

His monstrous strength, speed and defense made him basically immune to these basic attacks.

“Quake Strike!”

Realizing he couldn’t finish things quickly, Newgate grinned, unleashing the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Kreuss was a worthy opponent, after all, and the best way to show respect was to fight with everything he had.

Kreuss was sent flying in an instant but quickly scrambled back to his feet.

Then his body began to swell—his arms and legs grew thick and bulky, his original form vanishing as he transformed into a giant ape over ten meters tall.

So Kreuss was a Zoan-type, the user of the Giant Ape Fruit.

“Newgate!”

“Boom!”

In a split second, Kreuss stomped a massive crater into the ground, appearing right in front of Newgate. He raised his massive fists, each as big as a boulder, and swung at Newgate with lightning speed.

“Clang!”

“Gurararara!”

“Now that’s more like it.”

Newgate met his attack with his right hand coated in Armament Haki, while his other hand shot toward Kreuss’s head.

Kreuss wasn’t slow either. He leaned back just in time, dodging the blow.

“Swish!”

“Take this!”

Kreuss ignored Newgate’s taunts, bringing both fists together and smashing down like a giant hammer.

“Bang!”

Don’t let Newgate’s massive frame fool you—he could move fast. With a stomp, he appeared at Kreuss’s right side in a blink.

Channeling both Armament Haki and Tremor-Tremor powers into his fist, he slammed it at Kreuss’s head. Kreuss managed to block with his arm, but the punch still sent him flying. Several buildings along the way were reduced to rubble.

Newgate charged forward again, and just like that the second round of their fight kicked off.

“Sovereign Nation!”

Elsewhere, Charlotte Linlin took the initiative and unleashed one of her signature techniques.

Sensing he couldn’t dodge, Giles swung his longsword, white light glowing along its edge, and slashed down hard at Charlotte Linlin.

“Peerless Slash!”

“Boom!”

Two waves of energy collided, sending a terrifying shockwave rippling outward. Giles’s Peerless Slash only managed to stall Sovereign Nation for a split second.

Then Giles was hurled backward by the torrent of power.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

Charlotte Linlin stomped forward at a thunderous pace, swinging her massive sword and bringing it down on Giles with all her might.

“Boom!”

The ground trembled like an earthquake. Far off, pirates and soldiers of the Tyr Kingdom alike swayed and stumbled, unable to even stand straight.

Giles barely managed to block Linlin’s blade with his sword.

The force still sent him skidding back dozens of meters.

“Cough, cough!”

“You’re pretty strong, aren’t you!”

Wiping blood from his lips, Giles glared at Charlotte Linlin with fierce determination.

“But even so, there’s no way I’ll let you trample this land as you please!”

Giles knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, but the resolve in his eyes burned bright—enough to catch anyone’s attention.

While battle raged, Karl hovered on the edge of the battlefield, sensing the restless Snow Lion admiral nearby.

“Found you, Snow Lion.”

The Snow Lion never expected Karl to spot him despite all his efforts to hide.

He’d planned to ambush Charlotte Linlin, since she was probably the only one here whose strength was slightly lower.

But now, his most important mission was to stall the Rocks Pirates, since he’d already sent North off with the Devil Fruit.

As long as he could buy enough time, North would have an even better chance of escape.

He just didn’t expect to be found before he could even join the fight.

“Thunder Fist!”

Karl didn’t waste a second. The moment he spotted the Snow Lion, he dashed at him at top speed.

“Lion’s Claw!”

The Snow Lion roared.

He knew there was no hiding anymore and had no choice but to fight. Still, he made sure his roar echoed across the entire island.

His fist, coated in Armament Haki, morphed halfway into a beast’s claw as he lunged.

“Boom!”

Though the battle was close-quarters, the shockwaves from their clash were every bit as powerful as the chaos happening elsewhere.

“Hiding over here, were you?”

On his ship, Rocks smiled quietly.

He hadn’t realized just how well the Snow Lion could conceal himself—he’d managed to slip even past Rocks’s notice.

Still, from his Observation Haki, none of the strongest fighters seemed present on the island.

Could it be the Navy didn’t have any tricks this time?

But Rocks was being arrogant. His Haki only picked up the top-tier fighters on the field; those who were weaker slipped completely under his radar. That was exactly how North had managed to escape right under his nose.

“Hang in there, Snow Lion!”

Far away and already at sea, North instantly recognized the Snow Lion’s roar—it was a signal that he was stalling for time. North knew he had to get as far from the battlefield as possible, and fast.

“I’ll make sure the package reaches Navy Headquarters safely.”

North glanced down at the bundle in front of him. If this didn’t make it to Navy Headquarters, then all of Snow Lion’s efforts would have been for nothing.

He paddled harder, arms moving twice as fast.

“Kid, why did you really join the pirates?”

As they exchanged blows, the Snow Lion took a few steps back and threw his question at Karl.

“At first, maybe it was just to chase the thrill of the peak. But now… I just want to see the people get the freedom they deserve.”

The Snow Lion’s eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what Karl meant, but pulling it off would be incredibly difficult.

“I didn’t expect you to be such an idealist!”

“Looks like I underestimated you.”

“Clang!”

They kept fighting, side by side with their conversation.

Because Karl knew the Snow Lion probably wouldn’t make it off this island alive.

Through his senses, he could feel Rocks watching them constantly.

And he wasn’t wrong—Rocks’s ultimate plan was to stir up chaos in God Valley. If he could wear down top Navy powerhouses, he’d take every chance. Letting Snow Lion leave was never an option.

There weren’t many admiral-level powerhouses on the seas during this era.

The Navy couldn’t just replace them overnight.

“Your ideals might be grand, but they’re impossible to achieve.”

Snow Lion admired Karl, but he knew the truth—someone like Karl couldn’t cause much of a ripple.

“We’ll see about that.”

He understood empty talk meant nothing—he’d have to make it happen with his own two hands. That was what kept him moving forward.

“I really do hope you live to see that day.”

Karl hoped the Snow Lion could live to see such a future. After all, except maybe for ones like Akainu, most admirals were symbols of justice and kindness for the common folk.

“Yeah. If we live…”

“If I could really see that day…”

Realizing he might not make it out, the Snow Lion couldn’t help but feel sentimental.

He knew perfectly well Rocks would never let him leave this island alive.

Hopefully, what North was taking back would be worth the sacrifice.