Blowing Sanji Apart

"Don't think you'll get away with this."

Watching Ace race toward them like lightning, Smoker and Sadie were alarmed and immediately assumed fighting stances. Major General Wilton was fighting fearlessly at the front; even if it cost them their lives, they had to stop the enemy.

"Get out of the way. Heat Haze."

Ace's eyes narrowed slightly as an overbearing, sovereign will radiated outward. Smoker and Sadie froze for an instant before flames struck them, sending them flying into the distance with pained groans.

At the same time, the flames turned into a fiery serpent and swiftly wrapped around Luffy, Nami, and the others who had already regained consciousness.

The massive explosion behind them gradually died down.

Wilton leaped out amid drifting green motes of light. His entire body radiated heat like a furnace, and his previous injuries and condition were rapidly recovering.

He had activated his ultimate.

He had no choice. Otherwise, he would not have been able to endure it.

The enemy's ultimate attack had already exceeded the defensive limits of his Iron Body and Armament Haki. Surviving the first blow had been his limit.

From here on, he had to rely on recovery, healing, and Justice Potential.

Still, the enemy had not come out unscathed either. Aside from his injuries, a considerable amount of his stamina had likely been depleted.

It was impossible for him to rescue the Straw Hat Pirates from Wilton's grasp. At the very least, a few of them had to be left behind.

"Stay here!"

Wilton leaned forward, and the ground exploded beneath his feet as he transformed into a streak of light. His excessive running speed created a sonic boom; after activating his ultimate, his movement speed increased by thirty percent.

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he arrived in an instant.

"This is bad."

Sensing the danger rushing in from behind, Ace turned around, his expression changing drastically. But just as he was about to act, a figure broke free from the fiery serpent.

"I'll leave them to you, Luffy's brother."

Sanji's head was split and bleeding. He turned back with a smile on his pale face. As Luffy, Nami, and the others desperately shook their heads, he resolutely charged toward Wilton.

He had to stay behind and buy them time.

Otherwise, if they were delayed, all of them might be left behind.

"Sanji!"

Time seemed to freeze.

Sanji blocked the way and threw out a kick with all his strength. Yet what met him was an unstoppable force. Wilton had no intention of stopping, and his right hand tightly gripped the dumbbell as he swung it with overwhelming force.

Crack—

A piercing sound of breaking bones rang out. Then flesh exploded. Sanji's entire right leg burst into a bloody mist, while the dumbbell continued onward without losing momentum.

Scalding blood mixed with fragments of organs. A head with dimming eyes flew high into the air, while most of Sanji's body was directly pulverized into minced flesh that scattered everywhere.

"No!"

Luffy's face twisted as he screamed hysterically. Zoro gritted his teeth hard. Nami covered her face, utterly stunned, while Chopper and Usopp could only stare blankly at the chunks of flesh raining from the sky.

He was dead.

Sanji had died just like that, not even leaving behind an intact corpse.

"Let me go! Let me go! I'm going to kill him! Kill him!"

Luffy's eyes were bloodshot, his chest feeling as if it would explode, his mind completely blank. Then an incomparably overbearing will spread out in every direction.

Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Zoro immediately lost consciousness.

Even Ace was taken aback. Luffy had actually awakened Conqueror's Haki at a time like this. Gritting his teeth, Ace slammed a hand chop heavily into Luffy's neck, knocking him unconscious on the spot as well.

Right now, he needed to get Luffy and the others away as quickly as possible.

He could not let Luffy's companion's sacrifice be in vain.

It had to be said that Sanji had bought them just enough time at the cost of being torn to pieces. Wilton stopped, his body drenched in blood, with bits of Sanji's organs and bone fragments still clinging to his shoulders.

Within the range of his Observation Haki, the enemy's presence was growing weaker and weaker.

"Devil Fruit."

Wilton's face darkened as he clenched his fists. He had to eat a Devil Fruit as soon as possible.

This was already the second time the Straw Hat Pirates had been rescued.

One after another, they simply did not take him seriously.

"Lord Wilton, are you all right?!"

Just as Wilton was thinking, Sadie hurried over with the four Jailer Beasts. When they saw Wilton's blood-caked face, shredded clothes, and miserable appearance, all of them drew in sharp breaths, their faces full of emotion.

They had personally watched Wilton get knocked down again and again, only to rise back up every time.

That Self-Sacrifice spirit both inspired them and left their hearts aching.

Smoker said nothing, but the respect in his eyes ran even deeper than it had in Loguetown.

It seemed that no matter how powerful the enemy was, this man remained fearless. For justice, could he truly fight without fear of death and even cast aside his life?

Smoker had his own pride. The reason he refused to obey orders was because, in his eyes, many Marine officers were useless.

Their so-called justice was even more filthy and corrupt.

But now, this man left him speechless.

"I won't die."

Wilton shook his head. After activating his ultimate, half of his condition would recover. He only looked terrifying on the surface; in reality, there was no real danger.

Besides, most of the blood and flesh on him belonged to Sanji.

He turned his head to look.

Not far away, Sanji's unclosing eyes stared directly at him from his severed head.

"Major General Wilton, Fire Fist rescued the Straw Hat Pirates. Should we continue pursuing them?"

Smoker asked, exhaling a ring of smoke.

"They escaped once in Loguetown, and now they've escaped again. There absolutely will not be a third time."

"Head for Alabasta Capital."

"The capital?"

"The Straw Hat Pirates will go to the capital."

Wilton knew the Straw Hat Pirates' final destination very well. He only needed to wait in the capital to catch them off guard and capture both Crocodile and the Straw Hat Pirates in one stroke.

"Yes!"

Soon.

After a brief rest, the group began heading toward Alabasta Capital. This time, Smoker came along.

Along the way, they also met up with Tashigi in another city.

Half an hour later.

A group arrived at Nanohana, which had nearly become ruins. Every one of them wore grave expressions, their faces filled with disbelief.

"What kind of battle could destroy an entire town?"

"Didn't the president say he was only a Marine Rear Admiral?"

"It must have been another powerful fighter. Report this to the president immediately."

"These tracks lead toward the capital."

Looking carefully.

These were clearly the core members of Baroque Works. Crocodile had sent them to deal with Wilton's group, but they had arrived one step too late.

The scene shifted.

Among a stretch of strange rocks in the desert, the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating.

Luffy could not stop the tears streaming down his face. Nami, Chopper, and Usopp looked as if their souls had been drained away, leaning against the shade in utter confusion.

Sanji was dead.

He had died right in front of them, without even a body left behind.

Zoro lowered his head in silence. Only now did they truly understand the cruelty of the sea.

The dangers they had faced before had merely been strokes of luck. Against an absolutely powerful enemy, they were as helpless as ants.

Ace, by contrast, had long grown accustomed to such scenes. He had seen countless people die at his hands, or pirates affiliated with the Whitebeard Pirates die at the hands of others.

He had long become used to life and death.

More importantly, Sanji had not shared much of a connection with him. If not for Luffy, they might never have met in their lives.

Still, Ace could not deny that he admired Sanji. It seemed Luffy had found a group of very dependable companions. He could rest easier from now on.

Raising a hand to wipe away the blood at the corner of his mouth that was nearly dry, Ace frowned and looked toward Nanohana. He suspected that the Marine Tough Guy was a Devil Fruit User.

Most likely a Paramecia.

Perhaps one focused on recovery, or perhaps defense. Otherwise, how could he take such a beating? And with strength like that, why was he merely a rear admiral?

Ace could not make sense of it.

Luckily, it had been him.

If it had been another pirate—even one with a bounty of three or four hundred million—one careless mistake could have gotten them killed by that Marine Rear Admiral pretending to be weak.