98. Bullet Strikes

"Cheers."

On Whitebeard's home island, cheers echoed through the sky. The clash of two huge wine glasses burst out golden-yellow foam.

"Yeah, coming back to life!"

Luffy opened his mouth wide, gulping down a large pile of food in front of him in one go, almost swallowing the plate whole. If it weren't for Usopp pulling him back, even Chopper would've been sucked into Luffy's stomach.

"Hey, don't eat my share," Zoro shouted.

A group of people devoured the food on the ground.

"Hahaha, what a bold appetite you have," Marco said, smiling as he looked at Luffy and the others. It wasn't mocking, just admiration. They often faced shortages of food when sailing with their father. When hunger struck, they lay on the deck, listening to their stomachs growl like a symphony.

"I've read the newspapers, Luffy. You guys are really making waves in the New World," Marco said.

"If BIGMOM hadn't threatened Fish-Man Island, we wouldn't have fought with them. But honestly, BIGMOM is a tough opponent, even stronger than Akainu," Luffy admitted. He nearly got beaten to a pulp by BIGMOM if he hadn't regained his strength in time.

"That's the Four Emperors for you. Each one of them is a monster-level force," Marco explained. "But you're also becoming famous monsters in the New World."

"Speaking of which, are you here to attack Wano?" Marco asked.

"Wow, you guessed it! That's amazing," Luffy exclaimed.

"Haha, it's not hard to guess. You're after One Piece, right? Wano holds one of the historical texts you need for the road signs. Collect all four, and you'll find Raftel," Marco explained.

"Do you know about the road sign history, too?" luffy asked.

Usopp hitting Luffy on the head with the back of his knife.

"Don't be foolish, Luffy. Marco was Whitebeard's First Division Commander. Of course, he knows," Usopp scolded.

"I've sailed a lot and picked up some knowledge along the way," Marco explained. "Not only do I know about Wano's text, but I also know the locations of the other two."

"Eh?" Everyone was shocked.

"You mean...?" Nami couldn't believe it.

"The Four Road Poneglyphs," Sanji exclaimed, dropping his cigarette.

"All of them?" Even Zoro was stunned.

"We can go to Raftel now," Luffy cheered loudly, unable to contain his excitement. Finding One Piece was his ultimate dream, after all.

"Hey, Marco, is this for real?"

Jinbei couldn't help but ask in shock.

"Of course, it's true. There are four historical texts on road signs. You should already have a copy of the red stone from BIGMOM, right?" Marco said, seeing Luffy and the others nodding. "Wano also has a copy of the signpost history text, and a piece of it is on the island of Zou on the back of an elephant named Zunesha that roams the New World. And Fish-Men Island also has a signpost historical text in the sea forest."

"Why do you know so much about it, Pineapple Head?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Because this is how Whitebeard's crew collected the four pieces of road sign historical text over 20 years ago. We got a rubbing from BIGMOM on Cake Island, then with Oden's help, we got the texts from Wano and Zou Island, as well as the one from Fish-Men Island," Marco explained.

These were closely guarded secrets known to very few people. But as an early member of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco was privy to them. They had been to Wano and Fish-Men Island and had Oden with them, making it possible for Whitebeard to potentially become Pirate King before Roger.

"Compared to others, Zou Island is hard to find, but for us, it's easy. After you defeat the Cross Union, we'll take you there. Getting the rubbing will be simple," Marco said with a laugh.

"The two kings of the Zou Island, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, used to be crew members of our ship, and we still have their vivre cards. So, getting the history texts will be straightforward," he added.

"Thank you, Pineapple Head. You're really helpful," Luffy grinned.

"Is this where the four road signs are?" Nami asked, feeling like she was in a dream.

"Luffy's gonna be a Pirate King!" Chopper cheered.

"It's happening so fast. It took Roger a long time to become the Pirate King," Usopp remarked.

"So, I'll soon be part of Pirate King's crew? Like a legend at the level of Rayleigh?" Usopp mused.

"Wait, Marco, in the sea forest of Fish-Men Island, is the signpost history text there? Because all we found was Joy Boy's confession," Robin questioned.

Luffy looked confused. "Joy Boy? Who's that?"

"Didn't they put two historical texts together?" Marco wondered.

"No," Robin shook her head, sure of what she saw.

"I don't know. Maybe someone took it," Marco admitted. They rarely visited the Sea Forest, as it was just a Fishman's cemetery.

"Hey, didn't you have rubbings? Wasn't Fish-Men Island your territory before?" Franky inquired.

"No, unfortunately. Although Fish-Men Island is under our protection, no one got a rubbing. Dad didn't need it. If he wanted to become a Pirate King, he would've done it already," Marco explained.

"It's a shame," Brook lamented.

"It's not. This way is more interesting," Luffy said optimistically.

"If dreams were easy, they wouldn't be dreams," Luffy's words had a calming effect on the others.

"As expected of someone valued by my father," Marco thought, impressed by Luffy's spirit.

"However, it's a bit early to make such claims now. Let's wait until we obtain the historical records of Wano Country's road poneglyph. That's the main purpose of your trip, after all."

"Anyway, let's discuss our plans first," Marco suggested.

"Negotiate?" Nami questioned with some uncertainty. "Are you suggesting we make a direct call?"

This puzzled Marco. "Pirates aren't just fighters. They don't always battle for territory or treasure. They have various interests. How could they fight just for the sake of fighting? There's no declaration of war, so there shouldn't be any irreconcilable conflict between us. Remember, we even faced the Marines together during the Summit War. If all we need is a rubbing of the historical text on the road poneglyph, there should be no need for a fight."

"That's true, but can you provide photos?" Nami inquired.

"Don't underestimate the influence of the Four Emperors in the underworld," Marco replied with a confident smile.

"In the New World, it's not just the Four Emperors who hold sway. The forces in the underworld are intricate and closely connected," he continued.

Before Marco could further explain, a loud explosion rocked the island's outskirts.

"What? An explosion?" Panic swept through the people on the grassland.

"This island isn't just a Whitebeard Pirates stronghold; it's also Whitebeard's hometown. There are ordinary people living here," Marco explained, his expression darkening.

"This is Dad's hometown, the last sanctuary of the Whitebeard Pirates. We won't allow anyone to cause trouble here," he added, gritting his teeth.

Without a word to Luffy, Marco's body ignited in green flames, his wings scattering blue feathers as he flew toward the source of the explosion. Following close behind was Ace, his lower body transformed into a flame.

"We should go see what's happening, too," Jinbei suggested.

Without hesitation, Luffy agreed. Setting aside his personal connection with Ace, the bond formed among the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates was strong after just a few days.

Exiting the cave, they reached the island's outskirts. Whitebeard's hometown was surrounded by high peaks, with a large grassland enclosed by mountains. To enter, one had to fly in or pass through a cave.

As they approached, Marco, Ace, and Diamond Jozu were already engaged in battle with an unexpected foe. Despite their strength, they were being overwhelmed by the lone opponent.

"It's him," Jinbei said in surprise, recognizing the figure.

Douglas Bullet.

As a key member of the Cross Union, his sudden appearance here was unexpected.

Bullet wore a crazed smile as he effortlessly subdued the three Whitebeard Pirates. "Too slow, too weak. Is this the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates? Without Whitebeard, you're truly lacking," he taunted, his gaze shifting elsewhere.

The mighty muscles bulged with incredible strength, and thick arms were enveloped in powerful Armament Haki.

"Phoenix Seal."

"Fire Punch."

"Flash Impact."

Three attacks converged from different angles.

"You're too weak," Bullet remarked, maintaining a relaxed smile despite the onslaught.

He grinned and extended his large hand, ignoring Marco's powerful kick as he grabbed the ankle. With a swift motion, he hurled Marco like a meteor hammer towards Ace's flaming form.

Next, Jozu faced the impact head-on, throwing a punch straight ahead. Though seemingly rushed, the punch carried immense power, leaving Jozu rooted in place as shockwaves rippled outward, causing the ground to fracture beneath them.

"How is this possible? Blocking Jozu's attack with one hand?" Jinbei's expression turned grave.

Jozu's strength was formidable, second only to Whitebeard himself within the Whitebeard Pirates. Even Jinbei, a fish-man with strength far surpassing humans, couldn't match Jozu's power. Yet, Bullet effortlessly halted Jozu's charge with a single hand, following up immediately after deflecting Marco and Ace's assaults.

"This guy's physique is unbelievable," Luffy remarked, eyeing Bullet's imposing figure.

Without his Gear Fifth, Luffy's physical abilities couldn't compare to Bullet's. Bullet's body seemed honed to monstrous proportions, rivalling even Big Mom's monstrous physique but with a greater balance between strength and speed.

"Is that all?" Bullet taunted, effortlessly pushing Jozu aside and creating a massive crater in the hard mountain surface.

In this clash, Bullet seemed almost invincible.

"How can he be this strong?" Marco pondered, eyeing Bullet with a mix of disbelief and disdain.

This newcomer, once a member of the Roger Pirates, displayed strength equivalent to that of a Four Emperor. Even facing an Admiral, they wouldn't be at such a disadvantage. But Bullet's sheer dominance in physique, strength, speed, and Armament Haki left them breathless.

"I expected more from the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates," Bullet jeered, his grin defiant.

Before Marco could respond, Bullet's attention shifted to Luffy and his companions emerging from the cave.

"There you are, son," Bullet exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Leaving Wano Country, seeking out strong opponents—it seemed to be Bullet's sole purpose. With his current physical prowess, growth only came from challenging formidable adversaries like the boy who toppled Big Mom.

With a thunderous boom, Bullet propelled himself like a cannonball toward Luffy and his comrades, ready for the next bout.

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