rslcontracting Chapter 297 - 296: Moria’s Death and the Blind Old Man
Chapter 297 - 296: Moria’s Death and the Blind Old Man
At the base entrance.
Moria glanced left and right as he walked toward the conference room.
As if something had come to mind, he looked at the soldier leading the way ahead.
"You guys at Sabaody Archipelago."
"Have you ever heard the name Absalom, Marines?"
"I'm looking for my companion."
The two soldiers leading the way didn't say a word, silently escorting Moria forward.
Moria clicked his tongue.
"Daring to ignore me, you…"
They turned a corner.
The two soldiers in front suddenly stopped.
"We've arrived."
With that, they stepped aside.
Moria looked up at what was ahead.
"Hm?"
At the entrance to the conference hall in the distance.
The new Fleet Admiral Sakazuki stood at the doorway, holding something in his hand.
Several Warlords stood obediently a short distance away.
A bad premonition rose in Moria's chest. He stopped in his tracks and didn't move forward.
He began to stir his powers, just as he was about to speak—
Sakazuki casually tossed the thing in his hand.
It wasn't large, but it was thrown with Armament Haki. The weight of its pressure was palpable.
Moria narrowed his eyes, unsure of this new Fleet Admiral's intentions.
But his hands didn't slow. Black shadows coiled around his arm, forming a protective membrane of shadow.
Pa!
He raised his hand slightly to catch it.
The impact of the Armament Haki made his body tremble slightly, but he wasn't seriously injured.
But the small box Sakazuki had thrown over shattered upon impact.
A head with pink twin tails rolled to the ground…
Moria stared blankly at the head.
His mind went completely blank.
His pupils shrank violently. His mouth opened wide in disbelief.
"Ah… ah…"
He couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Puchi!
It was as if something scorching hot pierced through his body… Moria lowered his head.
"Dark Hound…"
Sakazuki had appeared before him at some point, magma arm thrust clean through his chest. But Moria didn't care about that…
He just wanted to know…
"You… Perona…"
Puchi!
Sakazuki withdrew his magma-covered arm. Moria's body collapsed to its knees uncontrollably… but his eyes were still locked tightly onto Sakazuki.
Sakazuki's voice was emotionless.
"Didn't keep your eyes open, huh?"
Moria's body trembled with rage.
"You… bastard…!!!"
He stirred his power—shadows beneath him expanded rapidly, standing to erupt.
Bang!
A gunshot. A bullet pierced through Moria's eye.
At the same time, the shadow he'd summoned behind him shattered like glass.
Moria felt his strength fading away.
"Sea… stone…"
His body went limp and fell to the ground.
He was already on his last breaths.
Karol appeared at some point, bringing several soldiers with him.
...
Back in the conference hall, Sakazuki looked at the three remaining people.
"Everyone's here now."
"The meeting begins."
Sakazuki's cold voice made the three of them instinctively tense, sitting up straight.
Everyone knew about Sakazuki's ruthlessness, methods, and power.
But two Warlords of equal status had just been killed off casually, as if it were nothing…
The fear in their hearts was impossible to suppress… It was terrifying.
It was as if what he'd killed weren't Warlords, but two random, insignificant pirates.
Moria's bounty had been as high as 320 million Belly—higher than anyone currently present.
Yet he died like that, dramatically, without even a chance to resist.
None of them dared show even a hint of disrespect. They waited respectfully for Sakazuki to speak.
Sakazuki paid no mind to their thoughts and continued.
"The entrance to the New World has been sealed off."
"There's no need for long-term garrison at Fish-Man Island anymore."
"Jinbe, you will lead the Sun Pirates and cooperate with the Kuja Pirates."
"Hunt down pirates near the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Relieve the pressure on the Marine branch there."
Jinbe and Granny Gloriosa rose together.
"I understand."
"I understand, old woman does too."
Sakazuki nodded lightly, motioning for them to sit back down.
"As for Crocodile."
"The Baroque Works organization will expand its scale."
"Branch offices will be set up at the entrances of all seven Grand Line routes."
"Hunt pirates. Record their information. Report everything to the Marine branches."
Crocodile's heart chilled.
All of his funds were tied to the Utopia Plan.
Baroque Works was only established along one route at Whiskey Peak. To build seven routes… would force him to abandon his dream.
He'd played the hero for years, and the plan was about to succeed. And now—
"This…"
Sakazuki shot him a glance.
"You can always go join those two."
Crocodile snapped to attention.
"No problem."
"I'll handle it."
A cold sweat beaded on his forehead… what use was money if he lost his life?
Sakazuki chuckled faintly.
"Very good…"
...
Outside Sabaody Archipelago.
A Marine battleship slowly set sail, heading toward the Devil's Triangle.
Inside the temporary Fleet Admiral's office.
Sakazuki leaned back in his chair.
"How's the evacuation of the New World's civilians going?"
Karol nodded and replied.
"Proceeding steadily and in good order."
"Ever since the declaration of war against the pirates and the detonation of Firs Island (one of the End Point islands),"
"many civilians within Marine jurisdiction have wanted to flee the New World."
"Skarn has already begun using the floating fleet for transport."
"Right now there aren't many places to go, so they're being resettled temporarily on sparsely populated islands or deserted ones."
"As for the civilians under the Four Emperors, though they're terrified too, they can't escape."
"This time they're surprisingly united. All their ports have been completely locked down."
"Right now, in the second half of the New World, the only ships sailing the seas are pirate ships."
Sakazuki let out a light "hm".
"Transport as many as possible."
"Get them to the other side of the Red Line."
"Where are the redeployed battleships now?"
Karol checked the latest record.
"All summoned battleships have arrived at the Devil's Triangle."
"They're awaiting orders."
Sakazuki stood, looking out the window.
"How long until we arrive?"
Karol replied.
"At full speed—about three days."
Sakazuki nodded.
"Full speed ahead."
...
Grand Line, a remote island.
Inside the town's only casino.
Unlike the usual lively atmosphere, everyone was now crowded around a single gambling table.
On the table, chips were piled into mountains on both sides.
One man, eyes bloodshot, pushed all his mountain of chips forward.
"I'm betting on white!"
Why were his eyes red? Because all those chips stacked on the other side had been won from him…
The blind old man opposite him smiled faintly.
"Quite the spirit, sir."
"In that case…"
He pushed his own mountain of chips forward.
"I'm betting on black."
The croupier swallowed hard and rang the bell.
Ding-ling~
"Betting closed!"
A roulette wheel slowly began to spin… everyone's hearts climbed into their throats.
It slowed…
The red-eyed man stared in disbelief.
"Black 17!"
"Black wins!!!"
The blind old man smiled.
"Looks like luck's still on my side."
The man opposite him, red-eyed from losing, flipped the table.
"Impossible!"
"You—!!!"
He lunged at the blind old man's neck—
Bang!
He was slammed to the floor, unable to move.
Everyone looked at the calm blind old man with a hint of fear… a Devil Fruit user!
The old man stood and turned to the croupier.
"Please cash out these chips for me."
The croupier stiffened as the man spoke to him.
"Y-yes sir!!!"
He quickly exchanged the chips for cash and sent the living curse away.
In remote waters, Devil Fruit users meant lawless devils. There weren't many good people among them.
...
Outside the casino.
The blind old man walked out carrying a backpack full of Belly.
Feeling the warm sunlight on his skin, he smiled faintly.
"With this… I'll have enough for the journey."
"To stake everything on the future of the world…"
"To eradicate all pirates in the name of justice."
"What a magnificent ambition."
"I must witness it with my own eyes…"
...
Kegesi Island.
Marine recruitment station.
The place was packed wall-to-wall with people.
If not for strict controls, there would've been even more. But even so, the crowd was too large to count.
Even elderly men with white hair claiming to be thirty tried to enlist to kill pirates—only to be dragged away by Marines.
Isaac watched the ridiculous scene with a cold snort.
"Crazy…"
But inside, he didn't know what to feel.
As he moved forward step by step…
At the recruitment desk.
"Name."
"Isaac."
"Age."
"29."
"Reason for joining the Mar—"
"…"
...
Evening.
Isaac walked out of the Marine base in a daze, having completed all enlistment procedures.
He looked down at the folder in his hands.
Pa!
He slapped himself across the face.
"What the hell am I doing…"
He wanted to tear it up—but couldn't bring himself to.
The words on the cover—"Enlisted"—somehow held him back.
Somewhere deep inside, he could feel an overwhelming sense of honor.
His heart wouldn't stop pounding with excitement.
"Damn it…"
Though his mouth resisted, the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl upward at those four words.
"I'll hold onto it for now…"
He carefully put the folder away and walked home.
...
A few days later.
On a departing Marine battleship, people on the docks tearfully bid farewell to their children.
Whether they'd ever see each other again was uncertain.
But to support Fleet Admiral Sakazuki in eradicating all pirates—even if it meant death—it was worth it.
If not for age restrictions, half the island's population would've enlisted.
Amid this atmosphere, even Isaac, who'd left without telling anyone, quietly wiped away tears as he thought of his mother and sister.
He remembered the sweetness of childhood, a warm family, his father's embrace, his mother's arms, his little sister's smile…
How had he turned into such a screw-up?
"Pirates…"
"Pirates…"
In an instant, everything became clear.
"It's all because of pirates…"
His fists clenched tightly. If not for pirates…
His father wouldn't have died. His mother wouldn't have lost her mind. His family wouldn't have been broken. Their country wouldn't have been left so weak.
And all of it was because of the pirates' momentary whims.
He finally understood what Fleet Admiral Sakazuki meant.
"They call slaughter loyalty."
"They massacre countries and destroy islands over petty quarrels, all in the name of 'protecting comrades.'"
"They recklessly destroy everything in this world and call it 'adventure.'"
"They defy the Marines and the Government without restraint and call it 'freedom.'"
Their momentary thrill was others' lifelong suffering—thousands of broken families, countless orphaned lives, shattered futures.
The ship's horn blared as the battleship began to move. Isaac came back to himself.
"Kill every last pirate…"
His gaze was firmer than ever.
"Isaac!!!"
A young woman in a dress burst through the crowd, running toward the dock.
Isaac froze, gripping the railing.
"Aliya!"
His little sister.
Aliya pushed through the crowd, reached the platform's edge, and threw something with all her strength.
Isaac didn't have time to see what it was. He reached out to catch it and nearly fell overboard, only saved by two new recruits behind him.
Aliya cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted.
"That's Father's medal!"
"Wear it! You must come back alive!!!"
"Mom and I will be waiting for you!!!"
Isaac trembled. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Yeah!!!!"
The battleship slowly left the island.
This ship, carrying the hopes of an entire island, set sail toward an unknown future.
Not just here.
Across the world, Marine recruitment islands were witnessing the same scenes.
These new recruits had no extraordinary gifts—they were ordinary people, the most common in the world.
But they carried the hopes of countless others… to wipe out every pirate.
What no one knew was—
They bore these hopes…
And in the end—
Most of them fell on that island.
Without taking a single step back, even in death.
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total