Chapter 98: Clash of Titans: Karl and Rocks’ Fierce Showdown

Davis and the others were still watching the gathering storm clouds overhead.

Meanwhile, Rocks and Karl clashed for a second time.

“Boom!”

After a brief exchange, the two of them broke apart once more.

Rocks looked at Karl with clear approval on his face.

“Now I’m going to get serious. Try not to die!”

“Bring it on, Captain Rocks.”

Karl took a deep breath—he’d been waiting for this moment.

If his plan succeeded this time, he’d be able to clear Side Mission Two.

But the next second, his eyes went wide.

Rocks unleashed his full Conqueror’s Haki, the sheer pressure making Karl’s breathing turn ragged.

Rocks channeled that Haki into his hands, his entire body crackling with black lightning.

Ripples shimmered around his fists, as if he could shatter space itself with a single blow.

“I acknowledge your strength.”

“Supreme Fist!”

Karl could feel the immense force building in Rocks’ fist.

It had to be the power of Conqueror’s Haki directly wound around his attack.

Hurriedly, Karl covered his right fist in Golden Light Spell, Armament Haki, and a surge of Daoist Thunder Magic.

He slid his right foot back, then launched his fist forward with explosive force.

“Thunder Fist!”

“Bang!”

Their fists never quite touched, yet a shockwave burst from between them, spreading so fast it was visible to the naked eye.

The ground cracked open. Trees went flying. The whole island started to tremble violently.

Golden Lion and the others rushed from the shore back onto their ship to protect the pirates onboard.

Even so, the shockwave hurled the ship several hundred meters out to sea.

Luckily, Golden Lion and his crew arrived in time, shielding the vessel from destruction.

As soon as the blast faded, Golden Lion fixed his gaze on the two fighters at the island’s center.

“Gya hahahaha!”

“Karl’s sure pulled off something huge this time.”

The stronger Karl got, the greater Golden Lion’s chances of one day leaving the Rocks Pirates for good.

After all, Charlotte Linlin still owed him a big favor.

“Gurararara!”

“Karl, my friend, your strength just keeps shooting up!”

Newgate took a long swig of booze, watching Karl with open envy.

He never thought that weak kid he met back on the deserted island would one day go toe to toe with Rocks himself.

Looks like trusting Karl back then was the right choice.

John and the others fumed quietly nearby.

John hated Karl’s overwhelming strength—so much for revenge. At this rate, he’d have to worry about Karl coming after him instead.

It made him painfully cautious from then on.

Wang Zhi and Silver Axe, on the other hand, simply didn’t want Karl named vice-captain. That would mean another boss to answer to on top of Rocks.

“Boss Karl’s really something!”

“Yeah, the stronger the better…”

Davis noticed Halil’s wild grin and knew right away—Halil was itching for a chance to fight the captain himself.

A smile tugged at Davis’s lips anyway.

Having such a powerful captain brought them honor, too. Who wouldn’t want to follow a crew with real strength?

“Mama mama!”

“Karl, I hope you can pull this off.”

But Charlotte Linlin wasn’t nearly as optimistic. A heavy seriousness lingered in her eyes.

When Rocks first formed the Rocks Pirates, only John and his two companions joined freely. Everyone else had been forced in by brutal displays of strength.

Each of them had seen Rocks’ power firsthand, but even then, none believed he’d ever truly shown his full hand.

They always felt like Rocks was hiding something more.

Yet even with what he showed, he still managed to crush them all so quickly.

“Divine Might!”

Rocks roared.

He drew the black-bladed Supreme Grade sword Black Dragon from his waist, the blade glinting with a shadowy light. His Haki ignited around him like wildfire.

With a thunderous roar, he swung Black Dragon, launching a mighty slash wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki.

It tore through the air, roaring toward Karl like an enraged black dragon.

Even the atmosphere parted before its path, as though nothing could stand in its way.

Karl’s eyes flashed with steely resolve.

“Ah…”

“Titan Fist!”

Pouring every ounce of strength into his right hand, Karl struck at Rocks’ slash from a distance.

A formless wave of power rippled outward from their clash.

The resulting shockwave tore nearby trees from the ground, dirt and dust filling the air.

“Whoa!”

Karl was blasted back by the slash, blood spraying from his lips as he staggered to keep his footing.

He felt his blood surge chaotically, Rocks’ Conqueror’s Haki raging inside him—far more violently than Sengoku’s ever had.

Still, Karl refused to give in. Planting his feet, he sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to focus.

Thanks to his Titan’s Gift, his wounds healed rapidly, helping his body quickly adapt to the assault of Rocks’ Haki.

“Again!”

Surprise flickered through Rocks’ eyes. He hadn’t expected Karl to withstand that attack.

But he didn’t let Karl catch his breath. Lifting Black Dragon again, Rocks readied another assault.

A bloodthirsty grin stretched across Rocks’ face. His entire body exploded with murderous intent, his gaze turning colder than ice.

Muscles tensed, his aura grew dangerous. Suddenly, he stomped hard—and vanished.

He moved so fast few could even follow with their eyes.

Streaking through the air like lightning, Rocks left afterimages in his wake, as if he’d pierced through space itself.

With Conqueror’s Haki flooding the area, Karl’s Observation Haki was blocked—now it looked like there were countless Rocks, impossible to predict where the real attack would come from.

A flicker of panic shot through Karl’s mind, but he forced it down, sharpening his focus as he prepared to counter every move.

“Is this what they call Observation Kill…” He never finished the thought.

Just then, a suppressed, chilling laugh echoed past his left ear.

Karl spun around, left leg bent, right foot planted back—then launched a sudden kick toward the source of the sound.

“Conqueror’s Roundhouse!” Karl shouted, his right leg whipping at Rocks like a bolt of lightning.

“Clang!”

There was a thunderous clang as Rocks blocked Karl’s kick with Black Dragon.

Sparks exploded where blade and fist met, the shockwave sending up clouds of dust.

Karl had only managed to block thanks to pure fighting instinct.

Meeting Rocks’ bloodthirsty gaze, Karl gritted his teeth and drew on every bit of strength to hold firm.

His eyes hardened, refusing to let down his guard for even a second.

“Boom!”

After a brief pause, the battle reignited—now both warriors fought like raging storms.

Their speed just kept rising, each blow heavier than the last. The whole island shook with the force of their battle.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

“Bang, bang, bang!”

Rocks and Karl traded blows at breakneck speed. Flames and sparks shot up across the island.

With every collision, deafening booms rang out in quick succession, proclaiming just how fierce this fight truly was.

Watching from the ship, the others shivered. They realized this battle was way beyond anything they’d imagined. Quickly, they moved the ship several miles farther out to sea to stay safe.

Meanwhile, back at Navy Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Hill waited anxiously for news from the frontlines, eyes locked on the Den Den Mushi, desperate for good news.

“Hello, is this Fleet Admiral Hill?” The Den Den Mushi came to life with Vice Admiral Sengoku’s voice.

“This is Fleet Admiral Hill. Vice Admiral Sengoku, go ahead.”

Hill answered quickly, his tone urgent.

“We’ve successfully shaken off Rocks’ pursuit.”

Sengoku sounded exhausted but there was genuine relief in his words.

“All three Heavenly Gold ships are intact.”

Sengoku continued his report.

The good news made Hill grin wide, his fist clenching in excitement.

“Great, I’ll throw you a celebration when you get back!”

When the call ended, Sengoku turned to Garp and Zephyr and let out a long sigh of relief.

“Everything worked out this time thanks to our thorough planning.”

“Otherwise, things would have been disastrous.”

Garp dumped a whole bag of donuts in his mouth, chewing hungrily.

“Hahaha!”

He laughed heartily.

“Crunch, crunch!”

Garp munched away with obvious satisfaction, looking smug.

“Who’d have thought we’d bring nine ships this time?”

Zephyr folded his arms and adjusted his glasses, looking all businesslike.

“We pulled it off, but next time they’ll be on guard.”

“Yeah, this plan won’t work again.”

Sengoku nodded in agreement.

Sengoku had come up with the idea as soon as he learned they’d be escorting the Heavenly Gold.

To ensure the gold’s safety, he specifically arranged for three identical ships to carry it.

Once the Heavenly Gold was aboard, each ship set out for the World Government at staggered intervals.

Every fifteen minutes, the three ships checked in with each other.

If any trouble arose, they’d immediately switch routes to avoid ambush by the Rocks Pirates.

Otherwise, they’d stick to the planned course.

This way, even if the Rocks Pirates set up an ambush, their odds of hitting the right ship were just one in three.

No way to know which ship was the real target. That cut their success chances way down.

Shakky had learned the routes for three ships but never guessed that the two escort ships looked exactly the same as the real gold carrier.

Sengoku watched Karl with growing concern—he knew this trick could only work once.

If the Rocks Pirates cracked their plan, next time things would get ugly fast.

Back to the fight between Rocks and Karl.

“Karl, the warm-up’s over!”

Karl’s eyes went wide at Rocks’ announcement. He blurted out in shock:

“That wasn’t even your full strength?”

Rocks burst out laughing, as if Karl had just told the funniest joke in the world.

“Nobody’s ever seen me go all out, Karl!”

Standing there, every muscle taut, Rocks gripped Black Dragon tight.

“Slash!”

No fancy technique—just a simple cut. Still, every hair on Karl’s body stood on end. He sensed a wave of death like never before.

It was the first time Karl truly stared death in the face.

“Golden Light Spell!”

“Armament Haki!”

“Move, damn it!”

He forced every ounce of strength into his body just to break free of that suffocating fear.

“Clang!”

“Rip!”

“Drip, drip!”

The clash ended, and they stood back to back.

Rocks sheathed Black Dragon, then looked back at Karl.

“I recognize your strength. From now on, you’re vice-captain.”

Karl couldn’t block that final slash.

A long gash ran from his right chest to his left hip—organs visible deep inside.

Look closely, and you could even see the pointed tip of his heart, thudding frantically.

A stream of blood poured from his chest, pooling around his feet like a tiny crimson pond.

Hearing Rocks’ verdict, a satisfied smile appeared on Karl’s lips. He lowered his head.

He gazed at his own reflection in the blood.

“That was rough!”

“I was this close to dying.”

Rocks caught Karl’s murmur and stepped closer.

Noticing how fast Karl’s wounds were already healing, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re not dying!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Hahaha!”

Karl couldn’t help but join in, their laughter echoing on the ocean breeze—carefree and wild.

Seeing the battle end, Davis, Charlotte Linlin, and the others sprinted toward Karl.

“Captain Karl!”

“Ma-ma!”

“Karl, are you alright?”

Charlotte Linlin was the first to reach him, taking one look at the huge wound and freezing on the spot.

She simply didn’t know what to do.

Thankfully, Davis had the presence of mind to drag the ship’s doctor along on the way.

“Doctor, over here!”

The ship’s doctor stared at Karl’s wound in shock. How could he survive something so severe? Truly a monster.

From this moment on, Karl truly lived up to the title of vice-captain.

……