Inside a bar in Magic Valley Town.
"Wahaha! The tomahawk steak here really tastes great. Boss, bring me thirty more! I'm eating to my heart's content today!"
At a square table by the window, a burly and robust man was tearing into a steak with large bites.
He had a well-developed upper body and two especially massive arms.
Around his waist hung a wide championship belt.
"Shut up! Can't you keep that stinky mouth shut while you eat, Champion Burgess?"
At the opposite table sat a young man with green hair and circular eyebrows, legs propped up on the table, rocking back in his chair, glaring in annoyance at Burgess as he wolfed down his meal.
Burgess continued chewing, grinning and showing his full set of white teeth.
"Wahaha, the winch-haired brat of the Evil Army, huh? So you're the one from Germa handling the war mercenary contracts here in Paradise lately. What a letdown. If Gallo were here, I'd be interested in testing myself against him. As for his son—forget it. Wahahahaha!"
"What did you say? Are you looking for death? Don't think just because you won a few underground fighting championships that your strength means anything. Germa's technological power isn't something a thick-necked musclehead like you can comprehend."
Yonji snorted coldly, but his eyes kept darting toward a nearby table, where a woman in a purple long dress was seated.
The woman had a graceful figure, long dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and wore green earrings. On her head was a vivid red rose.
She looked dignified and stunning—like a princess from some kingdom.
Next to her sat a blond, burly man with a bare chest covered in black chest hair.
Noticing Yonji's lecherous gaze, Violet's eyes sparkled slightly as she tilted her head and gave him a charming smile.
That devastating smile immediately caused Yonji's nostrils to puff out two streams of white air, and his eyes turned into hearts. He couldn't resist standing up and starting to walk over.
"Think twice about who you're flirting with, Germa 66. Amazing you even have the guts to look around like that. Has that old man Judge already forgotten the lesson our Young Master gave him back in the North Blue?"
The towering Mahabais glared coldly at Yonji.
That overt look of disdain made Yonji's blood boil, and he nearly punched the huge man in the face.
But remembering his father's warning not to stir up trouble or provoke powerful enemies that could endanger the Germa Kingdom, he forcefully held back his rage and sat back down with a bitter face.
At the bar counter, the bartender stared blankly at a young man in front of him who was biting into a drumstick while blowing a huge snot bubble from his nose.
"What the hell is with this guy? He's eating and sleeping at the same time!"
The freckled youth snored loudly, seemingly oblivious to the intense arguments happening in the bar.
Back at the table, Yonji and Burgess were once again bickering loudly, voices clashing as they argued without end.
Suddenly, Violet's expression shifted slightly as she sipped her red wine. Her light brown eyes sparkled as her gaze pierced through the bar's entrance, beyond the buildings lining Magic Valley Town's streets, all the way to the open sea.
In her vision, a massive Navy warship was sailing swiftly toward Magic Valley Town, sails billowing with wind.
Standing atop the stern's majestic dragon-head sculpture was a tall, upright young man with arms crossed over his chest.
Judging by his epaulets, he was a Navy Rear Admiral.
"A Navy warship? How dare they come directly to Magic Valley Town?"
Violet's brow furrowed slightly.
She was a Paramecia-type user of the Glare-Glare Fruit. Her ability allowed her to see things from extremely far away and also launch powerful attacks using her tears.
Even capable of slightly seeing into a person's inner thoughts.
Suddenly, Violet, sitting in the tavern, trembled, her pupils dilating sharply.
Because in her vision, the Navy Rear Admiral she was watching had actually turned his head and looked directly toward her location.
And—Violet saw the corners of his mouth lift in a slight smile.
"Impossible!" Violet blurted out, visibly shaken.
Her sudden outburst instantly silenced the tavern.
Mahabais turned to her in astonishment. "What did you say, Violet?"
Yonji and Burgess, who had been arguing nearby, also turned to look.
But Violet didn't respond.
At that moment, her face had gone slightly pale.
She was frightened.
The distance from her tavern to the incoming warship on the sea was at least two to three thousand meters.
Only because she was the user of the Glare-Glare Fruit could she see that far.
How did that Navy Rear Admiral notice me?Or… was it just coincidence?But when Violet used her ability again to look outside, the terrifying sight she saw made her feel as if she'd fallen into an ice-cold abyss.
"Mahabais! Run!"
She trembled as she stood up from her seat. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned and bolted toward the exit.
"Huh? What the hell is going on? Violet! Where are you going?"Mahabais was full of confusion.
But Violet was already gone, and he had no choice but to get up and follow her.
Pop!At the bar, the snot bubble on Ace's nose suddenly burst. His whole body shuddered inexplicably, and the hair on the back of his hands stood up.
He looked around the tavern cautiously at the few people remaining.
"I don't know why, but I've got a creepy feeling in my gut… Whatever, I'd better go find Deuce and get out of here. Next stop should be Water 7, right?"
"What's with that woman? Why'd she suddenly run out like she went crazy?"
Yonji was completely confused. Looking around at the now-empty tavern, he grew even more bored and stood up to walk outside as well.
Just then, a rolling series of thunderclaps echoed across the sky above Magic Valley Town, spreading to every corner of the settlement.
"Looks like it's going to rain again. Damn unpredictable weather of the chaotic seas. That guy Teach told me to stay in Magic Valley Town and look for potential crew members to recruit. Meanwhile, he's gone off enjoying himself in the New World. Wahahaha! The Whitebeard Pirates—does this mean I count as half a member of a Yonko crew now?"
Burgess, holding a massive pile of roasted meat in the crook of his arm, swaggered out of the tavern—only to stop in his tracks.
In front of the tavern, Violet, Mahabais, Yonji, and Ace had all frozen, staring up at the sky.
Burgess was baffled.
"What's going on? What's in the sky…"
Following their gaze upward, Burgess looked—and the pile of roast meat fell from his arm with a splat.
High above Magic Valley Town, several hundred meters in the air, massive bolts of lightning thick as dragons streaked through the heavy clouds, crackling with deafening thunder.
Beneath those walls of storm clouds stood a Navy officer in white uniform, wreathed in storm and lightning, striding through the air as if walking on an invisible path, descending toward the center of Magic Valley Town.
As he drew closer, an immensely oppressive aura radiated from his body—a deep, overwhelming force that unfolded into a vast, expanding sphere of black-and-red energy.
In an instant, like a raging storm, it swept outward in all directions. Centered on his body, it engulfed the entire town in moments.
BOOM—!!Pillars of lightning as thick as barrels rained down from the heavens, striking like divine swords piercing the earth. Under the overwhelming range of Rorschach's powerful Observation Haki, they targeted the pirate strongholds scattered throughout Magic Valley Town with pinpoint accuracy.
"Thunder Judgment! Divine Verdict!"
(Author's note: Why is it still sunny? I'm dying here. This damn COVID feels like it's trying to slow me down because I've been updating too much. I desperately need a Healing Fruit to recover...)
(End of Chapter)
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