16 Chapter 16
"Cough!"
Smoker coughed up some saliva from the sudden impact.
But quickly, he reacted and instantly transformed into a dense white smoke, surrounding Demiurge.
Demiurge looked around with interest as he was enveloped by the thick smoke.
"Is this a transformation magic that can turn oneself into white mist? Quite an interesting ability."
"However, you're being too naive if you think you can stop me with just this!"
Having said that, Demiurge was about to break through Smoker's encirclement.
But just as he was about to act, he suddenly stopped.
Feeling something, he looked towards the back.
Despite the dense white mist surrounding him, it seemed unable to hinder Demiurge from seeing the danger beyond the mist.
At that moment, beyond the white mist.
At the bow of the Marine ship.
A man with black short hair and a silver-white long sword hanging at his waist slowly landed on the deck of the ship.
"Clank~"
The man gently touched the handle of the long sword with his left hand, surveying the group on the ship's deck.
The Marines, who had been given a momentary respite by Smoker's entanglement of Demiurge, also noticed this man who suddenly boarded the ship.
Thinking of the formidable strength of Demiurge who had just boarded, the Marines remained vigilant.
They tightly gripped their weapons, nervously watching the man who had suddenly boarded.
"Damn, the first monster to board hasn't even been dealt with, and his accomplice has already arrived?"
Tashigi also tightened her grip on her long sword, looking at the man who had suddenly boarded with a vigilant expression.
"Is he that guy's companion?"
"Vice Admiral Smoker has already restrained that monster, so I'll take care of this guy!"
However, what surprised Tashigi and the others was that this man seemed to have no intention of attacking them. Instead, after surveying the deck, he called out softly.
"Demiurge."
As the man's voice fell.
The white mist transformed by Smoker almost instantly exploded.
"Boom!"
Demiurge's figure flew out from inside and slowly landed beside the man who had just boarded.
"Surprisingly easy," Demiurge said with a smile, gently pushing up his round glasses.
At this moment, the white mist condensed and formed Smoker's figure.
"You, you!" He stared fiercely at Demiurge, gritting his teeth.
Also at this moment, Tashigi walked up and stood next to Smoker, speaking calmly.
"Vice Admiral Smoker, you deal with him!"
Saying that, Tashigi stared intently at the man with the silver-white long sword hanging from his waist, speaking in a deep voice.
"As for the other man, leave him to me!"
Hearing these words, Smoker glanced at Tashigi beside him with some surprise.
But in the current situation, there was no time to hesitate.
"Good! Be careful, his strength may not be weak."
"I understand." Tashigi responded and slowly lowered her body, ready to follow Smoker's command at any time.
"Charge!" Smoker shouted.
Simultaneously, his lower body unfolded its elemental power, turning into a burst of white smoke, while his upper body charged straight at Demiurge.
Tashigi, on the other hand, upon hearing Smoker's command, took a strong step forward and charged at the man with the silver-white long sword at his waist.
"You insolent fool!" This time, Demiurge was no longer as amiable as before.
It was one thing for them to be disrespectful to him.
But to be so disrespectful to his captain and attack him right away upon boarding
?
This was unforgivable!
Thinking so, Demiurge bent down, preparing to confront Smoker and Tashigi.
However, before Demiurge could make a move, something happened.
Just as Demiurge was about to act, Carnes, who was standing next to him, raised his hand to stop him.
"Captain!" Demiurge was taken aback.
But Carnes didn't explain anything.
He simply turned slightly and looked towards Smoker and Tashigi, who were swiftly approaching them.
Without drawing his sword or making any big movements, Carnes merely cast a glance, releasing his top-tier Conqueror's Haki in a sudden outpouring.
"Boom!"
Under Carnes' feet, the wooden deck of the Marine ship collapsed with a loud crash.
Instantly, a strong wind swept across the deck, and the Conqueror's Haki spread to every corner of the ship.
An unparalleled pressure instantly enveloped the entire warship.
"Boom!"
With the solid Haki-infused gust of wind, both Smoker and Tashigi, who were charging towards Carnes, were struck.
Their minds blanked out in that moment.
Smoker, who had activated his Devil Fruit ability, instantly reverted to his normal human form and crashed heavily onto the ground.
Tashigi, too, felt her legs go weak and fell to the ground.
"Thud! Thud!"
"Clang..."
Tashigi's sword slipped from her hand and, due to inertia, slid to Carnes' feet.
Under Carnes' control, the release of his Haki was swift, and its dissipation was just as quick.
It was like a gust of wind.
As the gust of wind brushed across the faces of the Marines, the entire deck fell into an eerie silence.
Even the solemn and murderous atmosphere seemed to have been carried away by that gust of wind.
After a while, a dull sound came.
"Thud!"
"Thud! Thud!"
"Thud, thud, thud..."
First, one soldier fell to his knees weakly, followed by the second, the third, and more Marines, falling like a line of dominoes, kneeling on the ground.
Their weapons fell from their hands the moment they kneeled.
"Clang! Clang! Clang..."
Some Marines even rolled their eyes and fainted directly.
As he saw some Marines fainting, a look of confusion appeared on Carnes' face, and he murmured with some puzzlement.
"Hmm? Did someone faint too? I've already limited it to the lowest extent. Did I not control it properly?"
Meanwhile, Tashigi slowly crawled up from the ground.
At this moment, her face was pale, with a look of lingering fear, and her eyes trembled violently like an earthquake.
She knelt on the ground, looking at Carnes not far away, filled with confusion.
"What... happened?"
"My... my sword." It seemed that she remembered something, and Tashigi muttered as she tried to stand up to retrieve her weapon.
However, as she tried to stand up, she was astonished to find that she couldn't.
Her legs, those unreliable legs, seemed to be broken and unable to exert any force no matter how hard she tried.
At the same moment, she realized that her hands were also trembling uncontrollably, like chaff!
"What... what's happening?!"
Tashigi looked at her own uncontrollable, trembling hands, her voice trembling as well.
.
.
.
.
✌patreon.com/Anfractuous✌
If you enjoy the story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters.
