radicalducati Chapter 121 Spirit Origin Ascension! Having saved Kaido, now it's time to save Whitebeard.
Chapter 121 Spirit Origin Ascension! Having saved Kaido, now it's time to save Whitebeard.
Chapter 121 Spirit Origin Ascension! Having saved Kaido, now it's time to save Whitebeard.
[Reward Distribution]
The system's voice echoed.
Two completely different, yet equally massive, energy torrents instantly traversed space and were precisely injected into different objects.
A warm and powerful radiance, like the first ray of sunlight at sunrise.
The light suddenly enveloped the core members of the red team.
Especially Luffy and Ace, whose bodies were on the verge of collapse due to the fruit's outburst, and Karna, who exhausted his power and lost his golden armor in order to unleash his Noble Phantasm!
"Huh?!" Luffy and Ace both let out a muffled groan.
The violent aura of the Devil Fruit that had tormented them for so long, as if it were tearing their bodies apart, gradually subsided.
Finally, like the gloom dispelled by the sunlight, it quickly subsided!
Excessive physical exertion is being restored at an unprecedented rate, even more than before!
"Huh?" Luffy looked at his hands in surprise, a surge of power welling up inside him.
There was also a very strange feeling, an unparalleled sense of comfort, and strictly speaking, a strong urge to laugh.
"Hahahaha! That's strange, why does Uncle Roger want to laugh so much!"
Roger turned around abruptly and saw Luffy clutching his stomach and laughing.
The feeling of weakness and impending death had long since vanished without a trace, leaving only an unparalleled aura.
"This is"
Ace was also stunned. The restless flames in his body became docile and powerful, and his depleted stamina was instantly restored, even surpassing his previous strength!
The changes that occurred in Karna were even more obvious!
His golden armor, which had vanished when he unleashed his Noble Phantasm, reappeared on his body as if time had reversed, accompanied by flowing golden light fragments!
However, its powerful protective capabilities and terrifying healing effects have returned!
His weakened aura surged instantly, returning him to the level of a top-tier Servant.
This is... Spirit Origin Ascension!
Another, more subtle energy flowed into the body of Blackbeard Teach, who was lurking in the shadows in the distance.
Teach's body trembled slightly, and the intense pain he had been enduring seemed to lessen considerably.
He felt a certain flow of information merging into his soul and the Dark-Dark Fruit's power; it must be the Overseer's reward, a very strange feeling.
It seemed pointless to try and change the current situation, but the black-bearded man shook his head, his smile undisguised.
Although it cannot be immediately converted into direct combat power, it seems to have opened a door for him to a deeper level of power.
This is a strategic reward.
"This is hilarious! So funny!"
Blackbeard was taken aback for a moment, then let out a low, greedy laugh.
He could sense that the value of this reward might far exceed the other person's return to their peak.
All of this happened almost the instant the system notification sound ended!
It was at the very moment that the golden armor re-covered Karna's body.
"Arjuna! Stop!"
A sharp glint flashed in Karna's golden eyes, but he chose not to block the arrow that had already been shot.
Just as he had expected, his figure swayed.
With speed beyond the reach of sight, he used his chest to block the unconscious Kaido from the arrow imbued with dark power!
Clang!
Contrary to Karna's expectations, the pain of being pierced did not occur.
There was no blood spraying out, and the sound didn't seem to penetrate flesh.
Instead, a crisp, metallic clang rang out.
The white arrow struck the dazzling golden armor hard, exploding into countless points of light!
The golden armor shimmered with light, remaining perfectly still, flawlessly defending against an attack that could have killed Kaido.
Karna didn't even take a step back. By this time, he had already realized what was happening and was no longer confused.
He simply looked calmly at Arjuna, who was controlled by dark forces, his voice steady.
Arjuna: Wake up. Don't let the darkness beyond revenge consume you.
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone!
Chi breathed a huge sigh of relief, his expression towards Karna now bearing the mark of worshiping a god.
"What happened? He was wearing armor! He actually blocked that arrow!"
"The Golden Armor is back?!"
"And also, it seems like Straw Hat Luffy and Fire Fist Ace have instantly recovered their strength?!"
"It's a reward! It's a reward issued by that supervisor, Dilt!!"
"He actually recovered his status and Noble Phantasm?! Dilt's power is outrageous!"
The morale of the Red Team members instantly soared.
Watching Luffy recover to his peak condition, and even improve slightly.
Roger laughed heartily, and the famous sword Ace was drawn half an inch from its sheath, exuding a domineering kingly aura!
Shanks and Hawkeye also breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces as they gripped their swords tightly.
Merlin tapped his staff lightly, and an even more dazzling magical glow began to surround everyone.
Kojiro's hand rested on the hilt of his sword once more, his aura locking onto Arjuna, who was being corrupted by darkness.
The situation reversed in an instant!
The onlookers who were just moments ago eager to snag a bargain were now completely disillusioned, as if doused with ice water.
"If that's the case, are we still going to go and try to take Zhiquan's head or the Heroic Spirit?"
"Are you kidding me? How are we supposed to fight like this?"
"That Sun Spirit's defense is back! Roger and the samurai have recovered too!"
"Let's see how that archer reacts first!"
In the shadows, the greedy smile on Blackbeard Teach's face froze for a moment, then turned grim.
He looked at the Red Team members, who had instantly recovered to their peak condition and were now eyeing him menacingly.
After savoring the reward within his body that needed time to digest, he finally took a big bite.
"Tch! What lucky guys! In a way, getting this kind of reward is pretty unlucky."
He made a quick decision: "Count, let's retreat! It seems we can't be the fisherman today!"
The count bowed gracefully, his crimson eyes sweeping over Arjuna, who seemed to be breaking free of control, and smiled.
"A wise choice, Contractor. It seems today's drama will temporarily conclude with the hero's victory. However, the best is yet to come."
His figure blended into the shadows, and an invisible force drew Arjuna in.
Arjuna's body trembled, and the darkness in his eyes quickly faded, restoring his clarity.
But his face showed a hint of confusion and a deeper sense of self-reproach. He glanced at Karna and the Red Team members with complicated emotions, and then his figure faded away, disappearing into the shadows along with the Count.
Blackbeard, filled with resentment, also quickly burrowed underground and used the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to escape.
The crisis has been temporarily averted.
On the battlefield, only the survivors remained.
King and Queen looked at the unconscious Kaido and the Shanks, Roger, Karna, and others blocking their way.
Especially after seeing Karna shield Kaido from that arrow with his own body, I was filled with immense shock and gratitude.
Ignoring the pain of his severed arm, Jin knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice.
"Red-Haired Shanks, Pirate King, and Lord of the Sun! Thank you! The Beasts Pirates will forever remember this kindness!"
The surrounding forces, witnessing this scene, began to have their minds stirred again, but this time it was no longer out of greed, but out of awe and a desire to pledge allegiance.
"The Red-Haired Pirates—Fire Fist Ace—Straw Hat Luffy is mainly the one who summoned the Pirate King—"
"They won, and they even saved Kaido—"
"Following them, maybe we can survive this Holy Grail War, and even get a share of the spoils?"
"Straw Hat Luffy, after this, his fame will probably rival that of the Emperors of the Sea! Joining us now makes you a veteran!"
For a time, many leaders of small and medium-sized pirate crews even began to consider how to express goodwill to the Red Party or even surrender.
"Then what are we waiting for?! Look here, Red Team leaders! Come rest on my ship, all the supplies are yours!"
The pirate who first suggested joining them was utterly shocked.
"Damn it, who gave you permission to steal it! Adults, I'm willing to be cannon fodder for you!"
And so, after their repeated shouts and commotion...
Before long, they all scrambled over to the Red Team members, ready to serve as benches for them.
These guys were massaging their legs and putting on a show, trying their best to please them.
Luffy, now recovered, grinned and looked at Roger.
"Haha, Uncle Roger! This guy is hilarious."
Roger looked at Luffy with great satisfaction and finally raised his head high.
"Heh heh, isn't it because of my title as the Pirate King and my contributions in this battle that they came to join us?"
These words immediately drew stares from the crowd.
The title of Pirate King is alright, but tell me, what exactly did you do in that fight?
Raki Lu pulled out a large bone from who-knows-where and started gnawing on it.
"Wow, no wonder he was the boss's former captain, he's exactly the same!"
Red-haired lowered his head slightly in shame upon hearing this, then raised his head to face Roger directly.
In the calm moments after the battle, he uttered the words: "Captain, it's been a long time—"
Roger dealt with the surging pirates one by one, like an old master facing his fervent fans. After hearing Shanks' words, he turned around, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
"Ah, long time no see. You've grown up just like Buggy—"
Hawkeye turned his head away, ignoring the crowd's adulation, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.
No one dared to pay, because this guy might actually stab them in the back.
Mihawk looked at Hawkeye and slowly said, "Staying here isn't a solution. The Black Team will probably get the news soon. We need to rest."
Ultimately, amidst the struggle among pirates, Luffy encountered a rebel.
He had met Napoleon before and was very willing to let them go to the rebel headquarters in a nearby city.
So, the group temporarily settled down in the rebel secret headquarters hidden in southeastern Alabasta.
Kaido's wounds were given emergency treatment and he was cared for by the remnants of the Beast Pirates and the rebel army's medic.
Merlin quickly devised a plan: Shanks, Hawkeye, and Kojiro would temporarily remain at headquarters to stabilize the situation.
They also used the rebels' communication network to urgently contact Sabo and others who were clearing out opportunistic forces in the coastal areas.
They were instructed to bring the heroic spirits back as soon as possible, and at the same time, they contacted the Straw Hat Pirates in the western village.
Upon hearing that his crewmates were alright, the lively Luffy immediately jumped up.
"Great! Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Nami! Chopper! And Bonney's father. I'm going to find them right now!"
He grabbed Roger and tried to rush outside.
However, at that moment...
A pirate captain who had previously expressed his desire to join the Red Team rushed over to report, his face filled with panic.
They almost bumped into Luffy.
"Oh no! Red-haired Lord! Straw Hat Lord! Where is Fire Fist Lord?!"
Ace walked out looking speechless: "Didn't I say I didn't take you on as a follower? Stop calling me that."
The captain's anxiety remained unchanged.
"Our informants along the coastline just reported that the Whitebeard Pirates are heading this way from the northwest coast!"
Upon hearing this, Ace's expression immediately softened; it was a good thing that his father had come.
But the pirate's next words plunged Ace into an icy abyss!
"But! A large number of elite Marines from Marine Headquarters, and... and the Black Faction's Servants!"
"Rob Lucci, Shamrock, and the Heroic Spirits are closing in on Whitebeard's landing site!"
"Their target is Whitebeard's head! They say they want to wipe him out completely!!"
"What?!" Ace's hair stood on end instantly, and his face turned deathly pale.
He had just personally experienced the terror of heroic spirits; the heroic spirits he summoned were by no means benevolent.
In other words, Daddy will have to face an attack from at least two Heroic Spirits from the Black faction. Daddy is old and his health has always been poor. "Daddy--!!" Ace turned to look at Karna, who was wearing golden armor, without any hesitation.
"Karna! Let's go! To the northwest coast! Quickly, let's save Dad!!"
Karna didn't waste any words. A knowing glint flashed in his golden eyes, and he nodded.
"Let's go too!" Luffy shouted.
"Idiot! We'll stay here and wait for the Sun King!" Roger immediately grabbed Luffy.
"Ace, go first. They're one of the fastest teams! Newgate isn't going to die that easily."
"When the Sun King returns, we'll use his solar boat to get there! That's the right way!"
Ace nodded emphatically and said no more.
Karna reached out and grabbed Ace's shoulder.
"Walk!"
With a flash of golden light, the two figures sped off at an astonishing speed toward the northwest coast of Alabasta.
Just then, Whitebeard saw the sky clear up and punched a squad of sailors, sending them sprawling.
"Kura-ra-ra-ra! It must be Ace and the others who killed Akane!"
Marco kicked away the navy soldiers who were preparing to launch a sneak attack and hovered around Whitebeard.
"Hahaha! That kid Ace is really capable!"
Whitebeard and his sons dealt with the naval attack with amusement and laughter, as if these elite naval forces were child's play to them.
But none of them realized that a dark shadow had already gathered in Whitebeard's mind.
The race against time to save lives has begun!