bookbashuk Chapter 31 Leaving the Château d'If and heading to Monte Cristo
Chapter 31 Leaving the Château d'If and heading to Monte Cristo
The count gave directions and also sensed three pursuing groups rapidly approaching, especially the aura of lava, like a bloodhound.
"Okay!" Teach didn't have time to hesitate and squeezed out his last bit of strength to rush towards the left fork.
No sooner had Teach and the Earl left this slightly more open space than it became a meat grinder where three forces clashed!
Akainu is like a lava chariot, melting rocks and widening passages wherever he goes.
Blackbeard was right in front of him, and he could sense the eerie aura emanating from that strange heroic spirit.
However, the underground cavern has a complex network of paths, with three forks in the road ahead.
A commotion arose from two of the roads, and two groups of people poked their heads out from either side.
Akainu's eyes grew colder as he ran headlong into the biscuit soldiers Katakuri had sent to scout ahead, along with a group of Beast Pirates Gifters who were charging the fastest.
"You annoying pirate scum! Big fire breath!"
Akainu completely ignored them and unleashed a massive lava fist!
The hard biscuit soldiers instantly crumbled under the absolute heat!
Several gifted individuals who rushed to the front were vaporized before they could even scream!
The torrent of lava even affected more members of the Beasts Pirates who were rushing in from behind, causing chaos and screams!
"Akainu! How dare you!! You killed my man!!" Jack's eyes widened in fury as he watched his men being engulfed by lava!
Ignoring everything else, his massive body smashed through the rocks blocking his path, and his curved blade slashed at Akainu with a savage and domineering aura!
Katakuri, standing to the side, frowned. He had foreseen this attack. Czech's attack would be easily defeated by Akainu, but the aftershocks would damage the mirror passage!
Katakuri was shocked; he couldn't let Jack destroy his mirror passage!
"Flowing Mochi - Horned Rice Cake!" Katakuri's arm instantly transformed into a mochi, slamming into the mountainside beside Jack like a giant hammer!
Boom!
A large amount of rocks collapsed and fell, which, although not directly attacking Jack, successfully blocked his charge and temporarily separated Akainu's lava flow.
"Idiot! Aren't you here to find Blackbeard too? Find your target first!" Katakuri's icy voice rang out.
Jack's anger had reached a certain point, and he no longer cared whether they were friend or foe; his powerful body smashed through the obstacle.
"I don't care! That bastard dared to kill my men, I'm going to fight him to the death!"
Akainu clenched his magma fist, his eyes blazing with killing intent.
"You reckless fool... well, I'll deal with you first!"
Just then, the fist that seemed to burn everything was about to be thrown. If Jack were hit by this punch, he would be crippled even if he didn't die.
The giant mochi, imbued with powerful Armament Haki, twisted and coiled at the speed of a venomous snake, punching Akainu and causing him to stagger.
Akainu turned his head and saw Katakuri!
Katakuri's eyes were cold. He and Jack were both pirates; their fates were intertwined. He knew he couldn't possibly defeat a Marine Admiral in a one-on-one fight.
Akainu exuded an overwhelming aura of oppression: "To be complicit...then you'll all die!"
Although Jack was unwilling, he had no choice but to fight Akainu alongside Katakuri at this moment.
The Beasts Pirates members, who were being attacked by Akainu, also turned on their enemies and began attacking the Marines behind Akainu!
Charlotte's candy maids took the opportunity to set up a sticky syrup trap, which not only tripped up the Beastmen, but also stuck several Marines who rushed too fast!
Meanwhile, Cracker, under Katakuri's command, attempted to bypass the chaotic battle area and continue his pursuit.
The entire cave had turned into a chaotic mud pit, filled with roars, explosions, screams, and the sound of rocks collapsing!
No one could fully pursue Teach; instead, they were tied down by each other, resulting in continuous casualties!
Drifting along the underground river, Teach finally reached the cliff on the north side of the island.
Looking at the view below, the count seemed to recall some past events.
The wind howled, and the waves crashed against the rocks like giant, inky beasts, emitting deafening roars.
The cliff is hundreds of meters high, with turbulent whirlpools and jagged black reefs below.
Behind them, the clamor of the pursuers and the roar of battle grew ever closer!
"Zehahaha! This is it!" Teach looked down at the sea that resembled the entrance to hell, his eyes filled with not fear, but only madness.
"A ship? I don't need a ship! Earl, it's up to you!"
The count's voice carried a hint of excitement: "Hahahaha! This is different from before. A Devil Fruit user trying to escape by jumping into the sea?"
The tone conveyed more of a resonance drawn in by madness.
Without hesitation, Teach leaped into the air! His body plummeted like a cannonball towards the raging sea!
"How will you know if you don't take a gamble? Hahahaha!"
Just as he was about to crash into the sea, the sticky shadow beneath his feet suddenly expanded and deformed, instantly enveloping Teach!
The seawater was icy cold, and the resentment in my heart soared to the heavens.
This familiar feeling... so this is fate...
Pfft!
There was no huge splash as expected, only a dull thud as the water entered the vessel.
The thick shadow enveloping Teach sank rapidly, cleverly using the cover of the surging waves and the shadows of the reefs, and silently merged into the deep sea.
Their auras instantly became extremely weak, almost imperceptible!
A few breaths later, Akainu, enveloped in lava and smoke, was the first to arrive at the edge of the cliff!
His molten lava gaze swept across the raging sea below, seeing only rolling waves and jagged rocks; there was no sign of the black-bearded man.
That faint breath also completely disappeared into the roar of the sea!
"Damn it!!!" Akainu roared like a volcanic eruption, slamming his fist into the cliff face, sending lava flying and rocks collapsing!
The cooked duck flew away!
Immediately afterwards, Katakuri appeared via mirror teleportation. His face was gloomy, and his powerful Observation Haki swept across the sea surface, but he also found nothing.
"The sea, perfect concealment... but he's clearly a Fruit User! What a madman!"
He muttered to himself, in the fragments of the foreseen future, there was only a deep darkness.
Finally, it was Drought Jack who burst out of the rubble, panting heavily.
He stared blankly at the empty cliff and the sea below for a few seconds, then burst into an even more ferocious roar.
"Where are they?! Akainu! Did you burn them to ashes?! Katakuri! Did you hide them?!"
His response was Akainu's cold, murderous gaze and Katakuri's indifferent silence.
The three forces, on this desolate and treacherous cliff, were hostile to each other, and the atmosphere was tense and ready to fight.
They came with the same fanfare, but in the end, they also came empty-handed.
They watched helplessly as their target merged into the sea and disappeared without a trace.
Anger, resentment, and suspicion filled the air.
At this moment, in the cold, dark seawater, a viscous shadow that was almost blending into the water was drifting with the powerful ocean currents toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
Within the shadowy core, Teach felt the coldness of the seawater, and the burning pain that intensified upon contact with its salty tang.
He stopped crying out in pain and instead grinned, revealing a silent, ambitious smile.
"The Contractor... in a body bag, the voyage to 'The Count of Monte Cristo'... has begun."
The count's tone was teasing, yet also carried a hint of profound depth.
"Pah! What do you mean by that? What body bag?! I'm not dead yet!"
Teach raised his head, breaking free from the shadows, and took a breath of fresh air on the sea.
"Although I don't know what 'The Count of Monte Cristo' means, my voyage is indeed about to begin."
"Just you wait, you bastards! When I come back... hehehehe!"
Teach roared wildly in his heart, the flames of revenge and ambition burning even more fiercely.
The Holy Grail War is quietly slipping into an even more unpredictable direction.