Chapter 35: The Thunderous Duel in the Poisoned Cavern

“Ah, what a shame.”

Karl watched as Baroque’s venom corroded the ground, seeing even chunks of gold dissolve away. That gold counted as his loot, and losing part of it really stung.

“You should worry more about yourself.”

“Poison Mist!”

In an instant, Baroque filled the entire cavern with venomous mist. The toxic fumes spread so fast that the whole cave was shrouded in poison within moments. With only one exit and with them still deep inside, there was no time to escape.

“Not good!”

Karl quickly raised his arm over his nose and held his breath, but it was a split second too late. He caught a whiff of the poison.

Even though he managed to hold his breath in time, weakness crept through his body. His mind spun dizzily. He’d barely inhaled a tinge of the poison, but it was already wreaking havoc on his senses.

For someone as strong as him—already at the level of a pseudo-admiral—he was surprised he couldn’t avoid it. Baroque’s mastery over his Devil Fruit was far beyond that of the warden from the original story.

It dawned on him that he’d underestimated the powerhouses of the One Piece World. To survive decades in the New World, pirates had to push their Devil Fruit abilities to the limit. The original warden never had time to hone his powers, so it’s no surprise their strengths can’t really be compared.

Yet, his Titan Physique kicked in fast, snapping his mind back to clarity. Against his real body, such a weak dose was hardly dangerous—a warm current surged from within and dissolved the poison in an instant.

But he wasn’t a superhuman. He couldn’t hold his breath forever. He’d have to finish the fight quickly or find a way out, otherwise he’d lose for sure.

Karl flashed forward, his step shattering the earth with cracks as rocks burst apart beneath him.

Moving faster than the eye could track, Karl was suddenly at Baroque’s side, his fist wrapped in Armament Haki swinging hard at Baroque’s head.

No doubt, Karl was stronger than Baroque—Baroque’s entire strength lay in his Poison-Poison Fruit, leaving his physical toughness wanting.

“Ngh!”

Baroque took the punch full on, his body smashed into the back wall. He hit so hard he got embedded in the rock, making the entire cavern quake.

“Ugh!”

“Kid, you think you’re tough?”

Baroque dropped from the wall, wiping blood from his mouth. His organs screamed in pain as he realized this young guy was far stronger than he looked. Young, sure, but not lacking in power.

“Venom Colossus!”

Venom covered every inch of Baroque, forming an armor that instantly made him nearly ten meters tall. From a distance, he looked like a mountain of poison.

Ready, Baroque charged straight at Karl like a battering ram. Everything in his path was left corroded in swirls of his toxic mist.

“Thunder Fist!”

Karl knew if he got too close, avoiding the poison would be impossible.

He first cloaked himself in the Golden Light Spell, then lightning sparked around his fists. Stepping forward, he unleashed Thunder Fist with lightning speed.

A deafening thunderclap echoed, followed by crackling bursts as the lightning sizzled through the air. The force scorched the cave, filling it with the sharp smell of burnt ozone.

Baroque’s Venom Colossus was so huge that not a single blow missed. Purple lightning crackled all over the toxic giant, sending torrents of electricity through its body.

“Aaaagh!”

Baroque never expected Karl’s lightning to be this intense. His body seized up, limbs refusing to move, and even his Poison-Poison Fruit abilities started to fade away.

This was Karl’s full-strength Daoist Thunder Magic, blasting wild thunder directly into his opponent and burning their insides to a crisp. Only those with peerless Armament Haki or the ability to block attacks from afar could withstand a strike like this.

He couldn’t help but think—if it hadn’t been for Luffy’s protagonist plot armor, before he awakened the Sun God Nika Fruit, he might not have beaten Enel with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. It really goes to show how crucial plot armor is.

All this flashed through his mind in just a few seconds as he turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

Sure enough, before the Venom Colossus could reach him, it dissipated. Even the toxic mist in the air faded away. Baroque was finished.

Baroque now knelt, sparks dancing across his body several dozen meters away. He could feel his insides had been charred by the lightning—his senses hadn’t lied. He had no strength left to fight.

“Rumble-Rumble Fruit, huh?”

“Never thought I’d meet my end in a no-name cave like this.”

In that moment, Baroque’s tragic life flashed before his eyes. As a boy, pirates slaughtered his village, leaving him the sole survivor. He joined the X Pirates, spending a decade hunting the ones responsible. When he finally got word of their location, he wiped out the entire enemy crew in one night. But revenge hadn’t brought him peace—he was a pirate now, with no going back.

Over the decades, he killed countless people at sea but never found a place his soul could rest. Today, everything came to an end.

“Kid, if you had the choice, would you become a pirate?”

Facing death, Baroque felt the weight of age. Perhaps it’s true—when the end is near, a person’s words turn kind. He wanted to know if Karl’s story was anything like his own.

“Of course not. Who wouldn’t want a peaceful life?”

After Karl’s answer, Baroque could tell they were the same sort of people—unwilling fates forced onto harsh roads.

Maybe this was the curse of young dragon-slayers—destined to become the very dragon they’d sworn to slay.

Baroque’s final words stirred memories within Karl.

“Heh.”

“Yeah, given the chance, who would really choose to be a pirate?”

As Baroque spoke, his eyes grew dim. He was already gone.

Baroque’s dying words hit Karl hard, like a thunderbolt to his soul.

He remembered what a great general from Blue Star’s wartime era once said: Those whose souls have been tempered by fire will forever share the destiny of the people. All that we do today is an honor beyond compare.

Suddenly, Karl’s fighting spirit surged. He’d never had ambition before, but now, Baroque’s words sparked something in him.

He’d come to the One Piece World without knowing why, but now he was determined to create a world without war or slavery—a dream worth dedicating his whole life to.

And at the heart of it all—Celestial Dragons!

…