Escape!

Sword energy swept through, splitting earth and sea alike. The terror of the world's top combat power was laid bare at this moment!

But Momonga did not care about the outcome.

With a tap of his foot, he crossed the hundred-meter distance in less than two seconds and appeared beside Smoker.

"Smoker, Smoker!!"

Holding Smoker's fallen body in his arms, Momonga called out anxiously.

A thumb-thick bloody gash stretched across his forehead. Blood poured out, covering his face. His breathing was faint, but it was still there.

Whew...!

Seeing this, Momonga let out a sigh of relief.

It was good that he was not dead. With the Marines' medical capabilities, as long as he was alive, he could be saved.

"Cough, cough... Is this the strength of a Headquarters Vice Admiral?"

Lowett fell from the Black Knight's arms, his eyes solemn.

That vacuum slash had made him feel as though a mountain had crashed into him. Other people's swords possessed only sharpness, but Momonga's sword carried an added weight.

With an upright and righteous force, it swept away all demons and monsters.

It was a true sword of justice!

Had he not decisively used the Two-star Spell Shield of the Bone Mountain Dragon, that sword energy would have crushed every bone in his body to dust.

A Headquarters Vice Admiral was terrifying indeed!

However...

As he looked at the unconscious Smoker, a trace of surprise flashed through Lowett's eyes.

"Interesting!"

"Are you also called Muhammad Avdol?"

A bloody mark appearing on the forehead was abnormal.

He had aimed at the inner corner of Smoker's left eye, intending for it to pierce in at an angle, reach the brainstem, and extinguish all life.

This had been his first attempt. To precisely control the fused energy sphere, he could only choose the Blood Cone Technique, whose mana requirement and power were limited.

But now...

The bloody mark extended from between Smoker's brows all the way beyond his hairline. It looked like a grisly mess of blood and flesh, even tearing his scalp, but it was not actually fatal...

"The idea is sound, but the method needs refinement."

What he had infused into the Blood Cone Technique was his own vitality... laugh if you wanted, but Lowett clearly knew that his Vitality Field was even weaker than that of an ordinary healthy person.

It was manageable when used alongside the Blood Cone Technique, but if he switched to other high-star spells, he would not be able to cast them even if he drained himself dry.

"So the correct approach should be like the Blood Plague Raven and Corpse Explosion Technique: draw vitality from others. Especially the Blood Plague Raven—there won't be corpses available in every battle... But that also involves spell resistance and how thoroughly the target's flesh and soul are locked down. Its actual efficiency requires further study."

As he pondered, a shrill tremor rang out.

Lowett looked up at Momonga, who was glaring at him coldly with the Plum Blossom Katana in hand, and smacked his lips.

"But the most pressing question now is, how do I escape?"

"Lowett!!"

Momonga's face darkened. A chilling Sword Intent scraped across Lowett's face like blades, causing searing pain.

"To have reached this point, I admit I underestimated you before."

Holding his long sword forward, Momonga slightly turned his body and held his right arm level.

"I'll give you one last chance. Surrender without resistance... or die!"

What made Momonga more determined than Smoker nearly being killed was how terrifying Lowett was.

In just two or three months, he had grown to this extent. Given everything he had experienced and his hostility toward justice, he would definitely become a great enemy of the Marines in the future!

The Marines' justice was indeed not spotless, but that was never an excuse to tolerate pirates!

To Momonga, those corrupt Marines and pirates alike were evils that needed to be purged!

"Is there no third option, Vice Admiral Momonga?"

The light sphere in his Soul Sea had dimmed. Since fighting Arlong, Lowett had not had a proper rest, nor had he had time to consume souls. That top-tier Two-star Shield of the Bone Mountain Dragon had nearly drained all his Mental Power.

"After all, I wiped out the Arlong Pirates and liberated the oppressed villagers. Doesn't that count as making up for my crimes with merit?"

"Absurd!"

Momonga glared. "Merit is merit, and wrongdoing is wrongdoing. Merit must be rewarded, wrongdoing must be punished. Since when can they cancel each other out?"

"Stop clinging to false hopes. My patience is limited!"

"Oh? Is that so..."

Lowett's expression turned cold. "I almost forgot. I'm no longer your Ensign Lowett, so I can't rely on those unspoken rules."

"You..."

Momonga's face darkened as he clenched his teeth.

"But you don't understand me, do you?"

"What do you mean?!"

Momonga furrowed his brow, then suddenly snapped his head around.

"Not good!"

Necro-realm Summoning: Ghostly Apparitions!

White ghostly silhouettes seeped out of the soil one after another, carrying resentment that made the living shudder as they let out savage howls. The soldiers swung their weapons repeatedly, only to discover in horror that their weapons could not touch them at all.

These things did not count as wraiths. They were merely the lingering traces of ghosts who had died with grievances unresolved.

Furthermore, unlike ordinary undead, these fragile souls could not even move freely under sunlight. Sunbathing was more terrifying to them than concentrated sulfuric acid.

So the instant they were summoned, they instinctively seeped into the bodies of the living around them and took possession of their flesh.

"I'm a pirate, Vice Admiral Momonga. Who told you I wouldn't repay kindness with enmity?"

His Mental Power was excessively depleted, and the Withered Black Sand on his left arm scattered into ethereal blue smoke.

Lowett clutched his throbbing temple and grinned. "Kill him!"

"Roar!"

The eyes of the soldiers whose bodies had been occupied by Vengeful Soul Energy rolled upward. Foam flew from their mouths as they lunged at Momonga.

"What's wrong with you?!"

Momonga was instantly shocked. The soldiers were in a very wrong state, as though they had lost their minds.

Dodging a slashing saber, he flashed behind the soldier and struck the back of his neck with his palm.

Thud!

A soldier collapsed in response, but soon, under Momonga's stunned gaze, the soldier climbed back to his feet and continued attacking.

"They're possessed by wraiths now. Even if you tear out their hearts, they'll keep moving like undead."

Watching Momonga clumsily evade the attacks, Lowett's lips curled upward.

"And... there's more."

Villagers with vacant eyes walked through the streets one after another, staggering as if drunk. Among them, the brave little boy walked at the very front, his head slightly raised as drool streamed from his mouth.

"Bastard!"

Momonga's eyes nearly split apart as he turned back and glared furiously at Lowett. "What are you trying to do?"

Lowett grinned at that. "What am I doing? Of course, I'm taking hostages like any other pirate!"

Thud!

A villager reached the well. A stone blocking his path made him fall straight forward, plunging headfirst into the water.

Shave!!

Without time to think, Momonga flashed to the well. His tall build proved useful at this moment. Bending down, he grabbed the villager by the legs and dragged him out.

But even more villagers, their eyes filled with confusion, limped toward the sea.

"Stop! Stop, all of you!"

Momonga was frantic.

Just as Smoker had said, a swordsman's abilities had limits.

Perhaps even famous great pirates of the New World would not last a single exchange against Momonga, but stopping the villagers from jumping into the sea without harming them exceeded the limits of Momonga's abilities.

He could only race back and forth through the center of the battlefield, carrying back villagers who had reached the shore without realizing it. At the same time, he had to watch out for the blades swung by the "mutinous" soldiers so they would not injure the villagers.

"Interesting, too interesting!"

"Did you get that on film?"

The Black Knight stood beside Lowett, holding an orange, black-striped Den Den Mushi with an expression that said, "A miserable life is still better than a good death," and let out a low roar.

"Roar!"

"Good job. I'll prioritize upgrading your parts later."

After saying that, Lowett looked over there and shouted, "Hey! Vice Admiral Momonga, why not try killing me and see whether the spell effects on them will be lifted?"

Momonga did not answer. He merely bit his lips until they bled.

He had a premonition that doing so would only kill everyone!

And that was indeed the truth.

As wraiths, even if they were only soul remnants, they possessed no such thing as "humanity." The only reason they had not directly devoured their victims' souls and merely occupied their bodies was because Lowett's spell effect was suppressing them.

Once Lowett died, these soul remnants would completely lose control and run wild, devouring every living creature within their sight.

The innocent civilians would be the first to suffer!

The smile on Lowett's face abruptly vanished. He tucked his staff beneath his severed arm and dusted off his clothes.

"Let's go!"

"Roar!"

The Black Knight let out a low roar, carried his master onto his back, and leaped away. On the sea, the warship they had arrived on was already prepared. Wallace stood there with trembling legs, waiting for their return.

"Stop! Wake up!"

Behind them, Momonga's anxious and furious roar echoed through Cocoyasi Village. He could only helplessly watch Lowett board the warship and slowly sail away.

"Th... thank you!"

At the edge of the cliff stood Bellemere's grave.

Kensuke dropped to his knees and lowered his head toward the departing warship.

"Lord Black Count, may you have a safe journey!"

Rustle...

A gust of wind blew past. The colorful pinwheel rustled and spun round and round.

You might not believe this, but I thought I had posted two chapters. I only just realized the second one was still sitting in the drafts folder.

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