Chapter 74: A Trap? A Stratagem? I Move Forward Without Fear!

"This is a trap!" The first to speak was Ripley, sharp-eyed as always, her wild black hair messy from the sea breeze. It had been a year and a half since she first met Magnus. In that year and a half, Ripley had grown immensely. Gone was the naïve rookie pirate. Now, with a bounty of fifty million beli and a solid mastery of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), the name Ripley D. Gibek was already known in the New World. The newest member of the White Wolf Pirates! A rookie with a debut bounty of fifty million beli—a true supernova! The Child of Omen! Even a year ago, Ripley never imagined she could grow to such heights so quickly. And all of it, she knew, was thanks to the man before her. Magnus. Captain of the White Wolf Pirates. Her captain—and the one she most desired to surpass. So Ripley understood very well. The Navy showing up here, delivering news of the assault on Elbaf into their hands... this was all meant to lure the White Wolf Pirates into a trap. And, without a doubt, the Navy's assault on Elbaf was likely already over. They wouldn't allow the Giant King to join forces with the White Wolf. It was all just a play on timing—destroy Elbaf before Magnus arrived, and wait for him with rested forces. Could they win? Impossible! Even with all her faith in Magnus, Ripley couldn't imagine him defeating two or three equally strong opponents head-on. And this time, they didn't even have the original White Wolf Pirates veterans with them. If they turned back now to Sphinx, they'd effectively abandon Elbaf. What should they do? Even Ripley felt suffocated by the pressure of the Navy's revenge and the weight of the World Government bearing down on them. The White Wolf Pirates had only one Magnus. But the Navy and World Government could field many with his level of strength. Was a Sea Emperor truly helpless? To Ripley, Magnus, who had defeated two Navy admirals, was already an undisputed emperor of the sea. But then— the World Government's iron-fisted response reminded them: they didn't target the White Wolf Pirates not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want to waste the effort. And if provoked again— Elbaf would be their fate. The world's strongest nation? To the World Government, just ants to be crushed. A sea emperor? Still a coward who dared not even swing his blade at them. The air grew heavy. All the crew fell silent. Even the temporary passenger, Toki, didn't dare breathe loudly. Until— "Puhahahahaha!!" Magnus laughed. His laughter roared as his deep, abyss-like Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) erupted. Without even clashing against another will, the terrifying aura tore through the clouds above, streaks of black and red lightning piercing the sky. Magnus's short white hair fluttered without wind—he looked every bit a bloodthirsty wolf. "A trap? So what if it is!" If even Ripley saw through it, how could Magnus not? He wanted to choose. But had the World Government given him a choice? Ripley hadn't awakened her Haoshoku Haki yet, so she couldn't understand. Haki was the embodiment of one's spirit. Some things you could back down from—but some, if you retreated once, you'd never advance again. Yes, he had his system. Even if his Haoshoku stopped growing, he could keep raising his vitality and talent until one day, he might even develop a monstrous constitution like Charlotte Linlin. But even if that day came— this retreat, this decision, would always be a thorn in his heart! Before the system, he'd fought the World Government half his life. And now that he had it, his courage was supposed to be less than before? He was no longer the old man too weak to lift his sword, who flinched before any decent pirate. He already had admiral-level strength. Peak stamina. Peak Haki! Why should he fear, why should he retreat, why should he cower? "I am—White Wolf Magnus!!!" Magnus exuded a bloodlust so strong that even Ripley and the others struggled to breathe. And Toki... she felt like she was seeing him for the first time. Only now did she realize how terrifying and wild Magnus truly was. Perhaps, her first thought—that Magnus was a good man—was wrong? Yet in the next moment, she saw him place a gentle hand on Ripley's head. On the face of the wild wolf, a warm smile appeared, as if everything before had been an illusion. "Besides—that's the homeland of my most important crew!" "How could I possibly ignore it?" Seeing him like that, Toki finally understood: Magnus left his cruelty for his enemies. And kept his gentleness for those he cared about. For the first time, Toki felt her heart race. In her twenty-something years of life, it was the first time she'd met such a man, one who completely captivated her gaze. But... that gentleness wasn't meant for her. "Captain!!" Hearing his words, Ripley finally broke down, rushing into his arms and sobbing loudly. She'd been holding it in all this time. Because she didn't want to pressure Magnus. She knew how dangerous Elbaf's situation was—but she also knew that if Magnus went there, it would likely mean death. But that was her home! The place where she grew up, where she was born and raised! Her friends, her family, all of them were there. How could she let go? She hated her own weakness at this moment. If only she'd worked harder—if only she were as strong as Ripley and Newgate... "Alright, alright. Trust me. I never take on something I'm not confident about." Magnus ruffled Ripley's hair. "Mmh!" She nodded vigorously, smiling through her tears. "And what about you two?" Magnus turned to Ripley and Newgate. "The coming battle will be dangerous. You can disembark here—this fight isn't one you can take part in." "Please take me with you!" Before Ripley could answer, Newgate had already spoken firmly. "Captain Magnus, have you forgotten? You said you'd be my family. If I were the one in trouble, would you abandon me?" "Of course not!" Meeting his gaze, Magnus replied decisively. "Anyone who's my crewmate—I will never abandon them. If I abandon one today, I'll abandon another tomorrow. If I can't even stand by my crew, what right do I have to call myself captain of the White Wolf Pirates?" (End of Chapter) [Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome] [Thank You For Your Support!]