34 Chapter 34 - The Fall of the Trump Pirates! Gratitude from the Clockwork Island!

While they were staring at each other, the tension in the air began to become palpable. Both knew why they were there and no further comment or development was needed.

Only one of them would come out of this fight.

And again, now that he was in front of his enemy, that he ran and fought to get here, moral doubts began to arise in Noah's heart.

'Am I right because he is wrong, or am I just a false hero who wants to erase something from the past?' His mind ran loose through these thoughts for a while before he muffled everything and locked it out of sight, 'It doesn't matter who is right here. I am me, and he is him…'

Trying to convince himself that he was not on the wrong path, he felt the gazes of his women behind him, as if they were screaming internally that they were by his side for whatever comes. And that was enough for him to move forward.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." Noah took a step forward before he disappeared and only his voice sounded again, "But I'm going to smash your face."

"So come on!" Bear King laughed mockingly and didn't care about the next attack that would come.

But that was the worst decision he could make.

"Tekkai!"

"Bursting Shock!"

Already knowing that Bear King's skin was as hard as steel, Noah hitted his strike, which consisted of a punch with an extremely terrifying Wind Force at the tip, and even added Tekkai to the combination, making it many times more powerful!

BANG!

"AAARGH! DAMN IT!!" Bear King was caught off guard when he felt the incredible punch that hit his stomach, the force somehow reaching his back, leaving a red mark! He was sure that if it wasn't for his Devil Fruit, he would have a bloody hole in his stomach right now!

He had eaten the Kachi Kachi no Mi fruit a long time ago, which allows his body to become hard as rock to augment his defenses, as well as enables his strikes to hit harder. Another effect of his Devil Fruit is that it allows him to heat up his fist, and possibly other parts of his body, at will, allowing him to burn his opponents upon contact.

"Resilient son of a bitch." Cursing, Noah felt his arm become stiff and his fist a little red from the impact. With a skin so resistant, it would be very difficult to cause any kind of damage without him striking numerous times.

And while he was thinking, Bear King had already recovered.

"My turn now!" And then he attacked him with a punch, without any mercy.

"Tekkai!"

BANG!

"UUGH!" Being hit in the stomach by the punch, Noah just grunted a little thanks to the high resistance of the skill and threw another punch towards Bear King.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Punch after punch, they were fighting at high speed and with an abnormal resistance between them, as if it were metal meeting metal.

With every moment that passed, thanks to the use of the purple orb, Noah was improving his use of Tekkai more and more, using what little he could to focus at the most precise and opportune moments. Despite his physical strength being worn down every second that passed, he didn't care and kept fighting!

Meanwhile, Bear King was already full of shock that this human, who seemed to only have wind powers, actually had resistance as terrifying as his own! Every time he took a punch, it seemed like his stone skin was nothing more than normal skin, and every punch he stroke, it seemed like he hit a stone wall!

Were the roles reversed?

Actually no. And the explanation was actually very simple for this.

Bear King, despite having a power as useful as the Kachi Kachi no Mi, spent the last seven years being a local tyrant and always occupying the highest seat of power. With the control of an island in his hands, he always had everything he wanted and never needed to do anything more to seek something else. So yes, he had a defense like a stone and his fists were hard as one.

But now, he was like a common human wielding a stone, whereas Noah, using a technique that allowed him to temporarily have this power, was like a superhuman using the same thing! The difference was immense!

'If it continues like this, he will soon defeat me!' Unaware of the limited state of Noah's power, Bear King quickly made a decision.

BANG!

Punching with all his strength, he managed to make the other party retreat a few steps when a smile appeared on his face.

"Your resistance is also very good, I can see!" Bear King felt the pains of his body before he raised both fists and a slight redness ran through them, "But can you do this?"

And using the second part of his devil fruit, his arms were getting redder and redder, the heat in them constantly increasing. And soon they were emitting a slight smoke and even causing small ripples in the air.

As he saw this, Noah, standing where he stood after skidding on the ground, actually looked at him for a moment before laughing.

"Hahaha, actually I do!" His smile solidified on his face as he moved all his Spiritual Energy. And then.

Ignite!

Flames suddenly emerged around his body, making the heat of the environment increase even more. Circling around him as if it were his pet, the flames soon returned to Noah before covering his arms entirely, lightly burning the clothes he wore.

"We've evened the game, haven't we?" Ignoring the shocked look of Bear King, Noah felt the hot power around before advancing again.

And so, under the surprised and excited looks of Nami and Nojiko, his fangirls, he appeared in front of Bear King before punching him.

"Comet Burst!"

A ball of fire appeared in front of his flaming fist and he exerted all his strength in the punch, applying Tekkai!

BOOM!

And with a powerful explosion of fire and flames, Bear King was sent flying from where he stood! His body hit the ground multiple times, destroying everything in its path until it hit a large gold organ that was in the throne room!

Doom! Doom! Doom!

With the sound of the broken organ echoing everywhere, Bear King was lying on the rubble. There was a large burn mark on his belly, which smoked as blood trickled and healed at the same time.

"I - Will - Kill - You!!" Getting up, Bear King felt the rage wanting to ignite within him when he maximized his powers and his arms turned even redder.

He lunged and began to punch Noah in any way he could, letting out a scream of rage as he did so.

"AAAH!"

And Noah also didn't stand still when his smile became even more intense and his punches mixed with those of Bear King!

"Blazing Barrage!"

With his Fire Manipulation sucking all his Spiritual Energy and Tekkai sucking Physical Energy, he was in a real battle against the tyrant and against time!

Still, the smile on his face, which appeared when he was giving his all in a fight and enjoying everything he could, showed that he yearned more for the battle and the euphoria!

Without him knowing, his power increased every second he put his body under such intense pressure, forcing him to dig more potential every second. The situation, although not life or death, made his Will firmer and even his Spirit Energy increased at a slow pace!

This was the result of accumulations being put out, the life or death fights within the Pocket Hunting Dimension finally being decompressed in real life and bringing immense benefits!

Nami and Nojiko, who were watching the fight from outside the throne room, where Bear King went to see the courtyard, had excited and warm looks towards Noah, who emitted a true aura of a combatant now.

They were finally understanding a bit of who he was and why he acted the way he did. The way he was now, with his body burning in flames and displaying all the power he had tirelessly built, made it seem like he was a divine warrior who descended from the heavens to fight.

His desires to save the island were not just within the scope of mere interest and heroism, just like in Conomi Islands with Arlong. He was also after a battle, one that would make him exercise all his capabilities with a smile on his face.

And while they were lost looking at him deeply, Noah and Bear King were already in the final stages of the battle.

With his body riddled with bruises and burns, Bear King was already on the thin line of life, but still standing. Whereas Noah was completely destroyed inside and with his fists bleeding profusely. But beyond the hissing of his blood burning in the flames, he didn't make a single noise.

"Spit..." Bear King spat a mouthful of blood on the ground, the result of his injured organs, and kept looking at Noah after he distanced himself, "Where are Honey Queen and Boo Jack?"

"They are alive." And with a nod, Noah felt the flame on his arm flicker before he continued, "And don't worry, I don't intend to kill them. They are worth more alive to the people of this island."

And after a while of looking at him, Bear King gave a bloody smile.

"Good. So I will be the only one to die without getting married."

Unwilling to listen further to his opponent, Bear King attacked Noah with all his strength. In a reciprocal show of respect, Noah channeled the remainder of his Spiritual Energy into the flames on his arm.

"Comet Bur-"

Bang!

But even before he hit him, Bear King's lifeless body fell in front of him, dragging a little until it reached his feet!

And there was no more movement for a while.

Nami and Nojiko also opened their mouths in shock, not imagining that those had been his last words.

The silence took over the environment as the flames disappeared from Noah's arms and he knelt down, placing his hand on Bear King's body. And a minute later, he got up while remembering a very famous phrase from his world.

"Everyone deserves respect in the face of death. Requiescat in pace."

As the fact bore down on him, his body slowly cooled and all the adrenaline was washed from his blood, bringing him back to a more normal and calm state.

And feeling two pairs of hands on his shoulders, he knew who was there to help him.

"Shall we go? The entire island awaits the news." Nami glanced slightly at the body on the floor before asserting her will. If it wasn't him, it would be Noah. And if it wasn't either of them, it would be others.

"Well, the entire island is also waiting to find out that we stole the Diamond Clock." Nojiko nodded, feeling calmer about the situation.

"You stole the clock?" A little surprised by this, Noah laughed a little at them, "Why does it seem like you're becoming like me?"

"I'm sorry, it's no use arguing now. It's too late." Nojiko immediately waved her left hand, clearly indicating what she meant by that.

"Exactly, exactly. You're only free after you die, and we're still going to find a way to bother you there." Nami nodded repeatedly and gave him a kiss on the shoulder.

"Well, very good!" Noah laughed, feeling strangely calm and happy with the things they were saying, "I didn't expect less from you."

And after a few moments, with him still standing, Nami and Nojiko found it strange that he was just smiling foolishly on the spot.

"Aren't we going now?"

"I can't move ..."

"..."

"Of course..."

°°°

After a good rest, during which Nami and Nojiko used the water elevator to bring Black Artemis to the top of the castle, Noah finally managed to move again.

The constant use of Tekkai caused a temporary hardening in his muscles, but it was easily resolved after consuming some red orbs. His spiritual energy was also at its lowest levels and he was undeniably tired.

After a few moments resting on the ship, he heard the kitchen door open and Nami appeared with a smile on her face.

"There are some people who want to talk to you now!" From the smile on her face, it was quite obvious that she was very happy at the moment. After all, her man was a hero once again today!

"All right, I'm going." And with a slight smile on his face, he got up and put on a new shirt, since the previous one had burned in several places. This normally shouldn't happen, but he had a very low level of Fire Manipulation to focus on so many details.

After leaving the kitchen, the first thing he saw was a large gathering of people, with the main ones at the front being Akisu's parents, Akisu himself and also Borodo.

"You really managed to kick his ass, huh." Borodo had to admit that he was sincerely shocked, but relieved that in the end his plan to lure them to the island worked out.

"Isn't that what I came for?" Noah smiled a bit at this fine gentleman manipulator and looked at Akisu's parents, wanting to know their purpose.

And feeling his gaze, they did something that made Noah feel a bit strange.

Not only them, but all the people who came with them bowed down, demonstrating a high level of respect for him.

"All of Clockwork Island thanks our savior!" Akisu's father spoke with a firm voice, but choked with emotion. The feelings he had of being freed from a hellish tyranny were of a freedom sweet as honey.

"If you need us for anything, we are at your disposal." Akisu's mother also revealed a teary expression when she continued, "It doesn't matter if you want to take the treasures or even the Diamond Clock, everyone on the island owes you a life."

"I think you guys are overdoing it..." Without intending to refuse the thanks, something that came from their hearts and could not be stopped, Noah briefly looked at everyone before thinking, "What are you going to do now that you are free?"

"That..." Akisu's father, who was the chief engineer and one of the leaders of the people, was confused for a moment. After all, it had been a long time since they could even think about doing what they wanted, "We intend to free ourselves from the influence of the Trump Pirates and live our lives as before. Do you have any ideas in mind?"

"Some..." And thinking a little, Noah smiled at them. This was the moment when he could reap the benefits of his struggle.

And so, joining with the main leaders of Clockwork Island, Noah began talking about some plans they could carry out to protect the island from anymore troubles.

First, regarding the influence of the Trump Pirates, he proposed handing over the four lieutenants still alive to the Marines, while Bear King would be handed over dead, and his bounty would fall a bit in value because of this. Just this would already yield a total value of ฿26,900,000 with the reward of the four, and if the Marines took 20% of the reward value from Bear King, then they would still have ฿36,180,000. It was more than enough money to resume all the island's operations.

The second plan was a cooperation with the Marines so that it would become a protected region and possibly with a closer branch base if possible. This cooperation involved handing over all the fleet ships stolen from the Marines, and the rest would be used to plan trade routes with other nearby islands.

What led to the third plan of selling these specialties that the island produces to others, since they were in fact very beautiful. This would keep the island standing and with a high enough economic value for the Navy to consider its protection seriously.

And after all this came the most important part. The things he was going to gain!

As he had thought earlier, he decided to keep any plants, plans, and equipment that were developed during the seven years they researched. The King Cannon plant in particular was something noteworthy. For the equipment itself, he decided to leave it on the island for personal protection. It was too heavy to be carried on the ship.

In addition, the cannons of the Black Artemis were also replaced with better ones using technology similar to the King Cannon. The only difference, besides size, is that these cannons could fire regular cannon balls, instead of specially modified ones (bullets similar to modern ones).

Another very good thing, and something that Nojiko particularly liked, were some new pieces of equipment that they had secretly developed over some time.

Having developed a Devil Gas that was odorless and had a whiter color, while still retaining its paralyzing effects, they created items like the Devil Gas Bomb. They also created a thinner and more practical version of the Devil Needle (the ones used by Pin Joker). There were some cargo boxes that could be used without any problems for months.

In addition to all this, they received some special Music Boxes from the island, which played sounds famous among them. Of course, the phonographs they won were much more practical, but it was still a special memory.

And after taking the Diamond Clock and about ฿13,000,000 to the ship, Noah and the girls finally left the island, leaving the port with a round of applause from everyone.

And after some time

"At least not everything was destroyed..." Noah lightly commented after looking at the island in the distance. Unlike in the movie, where the island was destroyed and all the cannon fodder pirates must have died, they would now at least have a life... in jail.

And while he was lost in thought, a small boat approached him from afar. Borodo and Akisu were in it, waving at him.

"See you around, Noah! I hope you manage to achieve your dreams." Borodo shouted loudly so he could hear and smiled. With Akisu by his side, who returned to the sea to be a brave warrior, he felt he had reached a new level of happiness.

"Likewise." And with a nod, Noah smiled at them before going inside the ship.

With the people of Clockwork Island saved, the Trump Pirates defeated and their ship heading straight back to the Grand Line, his mind had only one thought!

Sleep!

°°°

"Not so fast, hero..." Nami's voice whispered in Noah's ear, who had just laid down.

"We have a special reward for the brave warrior..." And with even more temptation, Nojiko lightly licked his earlobe.

"Holy..."

¨¨¨¨

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