Internal Strife? Ochoku Comes Knocking (Seeking Flowers)

Whitebeard and Patri Vic also took part in this plundering war.

After all, Patri Vic had mastered the power of Wood Release, having only used it against Whitebeard so far and never against any other formidable foes.

This time, the Amendos Kingdom was his battlefield to test his strength.

His Body Technique unlock had reached �%, Fire Release �%, and Wood Release �%.

"Vic, let's go together."

Whitebeard followed behind Patri Vic as they headed toward the center of the Amendos Kingdom.

Whitebeard wasn't worried that anyone in this country could harm Patri Vic.

What he feared was an attack from a Rocks officer.

"Edward, a flower raised in a greenhouse won't grow," Patri Vic replied calmly.

He naturally understood that Whitebeard wanted to protect him.

But his strength was no joke now—even some members of the Rocks Pirates would find it troublesome to defeat him.

Besides, he hadn't provoked any strong members of the Rocks Pirates.

Though he often felt malicious gazes on the ship.

As his power grew, he no longer cared much about them.

"That's true." Whitebeard paused for a moment, then said.

Thinking it over, he'd almost forgotten that Patri Vic was no longer the tavern waiter he used to be.

"Then be careful. If you run into an enemy you can't beat, call me on the Den Den Mushi." Whitebeard patted Patri Vic on the shoulder and instructed.

"Alright." Patri Vic nodded in response.

Hearing this, Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri and headed off to other battlefields.

Not long after Whitebeard left, Patri Vic sensed a familiar killing intent.

"Come out." Patri Vic turned around with a dark expression, scanning the jungle behind him.

A figure slowly emerged from it—Ochoku, an officer of the Rocks Pirates.

"What do you want?"

Patri Vic had never exchanged a single word with Ochoku, not even crossing paths much on the ship.

He couldn't imagine why the man held such intense killing intent toward him.

"Patri Vic, I've finally found my chance. This time, I'm going to kill you." Ochoku's face was cold as he slowly drew the blade at his waist.

"Hey, are you sure you've got the right guy?"

Faced with Ochoku's thick killing intent, Patri Vic couldn't help but be puzzled.

Golden Lion had attacked him before when they didn't know each other either.

But Golden Lion hadn't used his real power, nor had he shown any killing intent.

Ochoku's killing intent toward him, however, was pure.

The kind of extreme killing intent that wanted to chop Patri Vic to pieces.

If Patri Vic had some deep grudge with Ochoku, he wouldn't bother asking.

But he barely knew the guy!

"All the officers think I'm inferior to a mere apprentice crewman. Today, I'll cut you down and show them!" Ochoku's eyes gleamed coldly with dense killing intent as he stared at Patri Vic.

He still remembered the taunts from the officers at a gathering a month ago, saying he was worse than a little apprentice.

During the � days on the island, he'd heard those jabs often.

With his strong pride, he couldn't defeat the officers who mocked him.

So he could only vent his rage on Patri Vic.

On the island, Whitebeard was always by Patri Vic's side.

And if a fight broke out there, it would draw too much attention, so he couldn't make a move.

But now that the Rocks Pirates were attacking the Amendos Kingdom, it gave him a chance to strike at Patri Vic.

This place was engulfed in war, Whitebeard wasn't around, and even if a fight happened here, no one would notice.

It was practically heaven-sent.

"Is there something wrong with your head?" Patri Vic said, utterly speechless.

He didn't want to invite trouble, but Ochoku's thick killing intent was already pressing down on him.

How could he back down now?

"Die!"

Hearing Patri Vic's words, Ochoku erupted in fury. He was an officer of the Rocks Pirates.

And a mere apprentice crewman dared to speak to him like that?

Ochoku wielded a longsword and suddenly swung a slash at Patri Vic.

The blade scraped against the air, producing a faint crackling boom, as if the very space itself had been torn apart.

A Sword Qi of unmatched power shot toward Patri Vic like a splitting bamboo.

Patri Vic's expression darkened. He didn't want to provoke anyone, but if someone tried to walk all over him, he certainly wouldn't let it slide.

"Wood Style: Forest Creation!"

"RUMBLE!!!"

Before Patri Vic, countless massive, thick trees—each as wide as a water vat—burst forth. They rose like pillars reaching the heavens, and the entire ground trembled with a tremendous quake.

Countless sturdy trees grew wildly, forming an impassable barrier before Patri Vic, like an indestructible mountain range, easily blocking Ochoku's Sword Qi attack.

"W-What is this?!"

Seeing the countless thick trees crisscrossing before him, towering like great buildings and lofty peaks, even Ochoku felt a deep shock.

"BOOM!"

The countless interwoven trees surged toward Ochoku with the force of an avalanche, tearing up the ground along the way as if it had been bombed into ruin.

"SWISH SWISH SWISH!!!"

Ochoku was a master swordsman. Countless slashes of Sword Qi flew out, shredding a massive number of trees.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Patri Vic closed in on Ochoku and then spat out a vast sea of flames before him.

The range of the fire was so immense that Ochoku had no room to dodge. The blaze raged like a grinning demon in a frenzy, completely swallowing him.

"Ah..."

From within the sea of fire came Ochoku's scream, but a few slashes of Sword Qi also flew out. Patri Vic activated his Observation Haki and sidestepped them with a slight turn.

When the flames dissipated, Ochoku's figure appeared before him. His clothes were almost entirely burned away, and his body was charred black.

"Is that all you've got? Just a mere officer?" Patri Vic curled his lips in a faint sneer.

Since he'd already locked horns with the officer Ochoku, what was there left to fear?

"I'll kill you!" Ochoku's face twisted with rage as he roared.

His strength was no joke even among the officers of the Rocks Pirates, but he'd been used as a pawn.

The grudge was originally between Whitebeard and two other officers, yet Ochoku had been dragged into it, and now Patri Vic was caught up too.

Patri Vic had nothing more to say. If things could stay peaceful, fine. If not, then he'd just cut down every enemy he faced.

"Hah!" Patri Vic let out a light shout and simply waved his hand.

Suddenly, a giant palm appeared behind Ochoku. It was as massive as a building, and it slammed down with lightning speed.

"BANG!"

The ground shook violently with a thunderous roar. Countless cracks split open like a great canyon, and Ochoku's body was crushed beneath the giant palm.

"SWISH!"

A sky-rending Sword Qi shot straight into the heavens, scattering the clouds above. Ochoku, his entire body coated in Armament Haki, rose from the shattered remains of the giant palm.

But from the look on Ochoku's face, the giant palm had dealt him no small amount of damage.

"As expected of an officer with a bounty in the hundreds of millions. Getting rid of him really is troublesome." Patri Vic praised.

·······

·······

New book begging for flowers, begging for collections.

May Day reading fun every day, get 500 VIP coupons as a gift!

(Event time: April 29th to May 3rd)