NABC Chapter 82 Wearing another's name? The King of Heroes descends suddenly!
Chapter 82 Wearing another's name? The King of Heroes descends suddenly!
Roger's seemingly casual yet subtly cryptic words, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly made the already tense atmosphere even more eerie.
"Saber of the Black Faction?" The Count's voice remained elegant, but beneath that elegance emanated a chilling coldness, as if a venomous snake had tightened its grip.
"So severely injured that even my senses have become distorted? I am the Spirit of Vengeance, class Avenger, nothing more."
He deliberately emphasized the title "Avenger," attempting to characterize Roger's probing as an illusion.
However, a barely perceptible shadow crossed the face of Blackbeard Teach, which was contorted with pain from the burning sensation.
Roger's words were like a poisonous thorn, piercing a corner of his heart that he had deliberately ignored.
Blackbeard's memories flash back to the dark cabin.
The summoning circle... is crooked and twisted, like a child's doodle.
There are no sacred relics, only greed for power and desire for ambition as "sacrifices".
A spell? He seemed to have just yelled, "Give me the strongest power!"
Then... darkness. Pure darkness, a viscous shadow that devours light.
A figure materialized from the shadows, draped in retro-style finery, with a cold and elegant smile.
"In response to your call, I am the Avenger, you may call me Earl. I have sensed your hatred. The contract is made."
The voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
Overwhelmed by ecstasy, I focused only on his powerful aura and the impressive-sounding title of "Avenger."
But now that I think about it... among the seven orthodox classes in the Holy Grail War, is there an "Avenger"? It seems that it was never mentioned in the intelligence reports!
Moreover, some of the qualities this "Count" exhibits... that domineering arrogance hidden beneath his elegance, the occasional familiarity with the layout of the sea... is he really just a "Count" from another world?
And then there's Roger, who asked me who my father was... Since Ace's father can be summoned as a Heroic Spirit, then...
Roger's questioning of the Earl's identity was like a seed of doubt that instantly took root and sprouted in Blackbeard's heart.
Looking at the count's seemingly calm profile, he felt a strong sense of doubt about his "identity" for the first time. But now was clearly not the time to delve into it.
"Hahaha!"
Blackbeard forced down his surprise and doubt, letting out his signature laugh in an attempt to break the deadlock.
"The Pirate King, even on the verge of death, still cares about other people's backgrounds and ranks? How leisurely! But..."
His greedy gaze swept over Karna and Arjuna.
"More than that, I'm concerned about your Red Team. How does the Navy plan to deal with me, this 'traitor'? Look at this Son of the Sun, in excellent form!"
He tried to sow discord, directing the blame towards Karna and creating chaos.
Karna's golden pupils remained unmoved, his spear still steadily pointed forward, encompassing both Blackbeard and the Count within its attack range.
His attitude was clear: anyone who threatened the people behind him was an enemy.
Arjuna also forced himself to muster a bit of momentum, staring coldly at the black-bearded man, clearly having remembered his sneak attack earlier.
At this delicate moment when tensions were high, the three parties were wary and suspicious of each other, and a conflict was about to erupt.
"Hmph! What an ugly sight! A bunch of monstrous cultivators, baring their teeth like hyenas in this filthy mud for a few meager profits!"
A cold voice, filled with extreme arrogance and disdain, suddenly boomed from the sky like a thunderclap!
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the hustle and bustle of the rainforest, carrying a kind of oppressive power that seemed to transcend all things, striking everyone's heart hard.
Everyone, including Roger with his eyes closed, the wary Karna, the Count with his sinister gaze, and the Blackbeard with his various thoughts, suddenly looked up at the sky.
Beneath the dim sky, where the torn clouds had regrouped, floated a magnificent ark, indescribably splendid and made of gold and emeralds.
It exudes an ancient and sacred radiance, forming an extremely absurd contrast with the apocalyptic scorched earth and eerie rainforest below.
At the bow of the ark, a figure stood proudly.
He was clad in the most magnificent golden armor, his scarlet pupils like burning rubies, looking down at the living beings below as if they were a group of insignificant ants.
His short, golden hair was as dazzling as the sunlight, and his handsome face, almost otherworldly, was filled with extreme arrogance and boredom.
The aura of "king" emanating from him was more domineering, more arrogant, and more... unquestionable than that of Ramses II.
Everyone recognized him; wasn't that the Hero King who had nearly destroyed the Holy Land?!
"I'm tired of this farce by those mongrels."
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes swept over the people facing off below, a cruel and contemptuous smile curving his lips.
"Especially you, you cowardly rat hiding your head and tail." His gaze was precisely locked on the count, his eyes seemingly able to see through all pretense.
"Wearing the skin of 'Avengers,' but reeking of a nauseating, outdated stench. It's really... an eyesore."
The count's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the murderous intent hidden beneath his elegant mask nearly burst forth, but he forcibly restrained himself.
He felt pressured in the presence of this most ancient king, who seemed to be able to see through his very nature!
"And you, you scum who plays with darkness."
Gilgamesh turned his gaze to the black-bearded man as if he were a pile of garbage.
"Greed has blinded you; you don't even know what you've summoned. How dare you covet the Holy Grail in my treasury?"
He completely ignored the black-bearded man's face, which instantly turned ashen.
Finally, his gaze fell on Karna, a strange light flashing in his crimson pupils.
That's the gleam of seeing a "treasure" worth collecting, but nothing more.
"You bastard of the sun, you're not bad, though. But your guarding stance? It's nothing but a pointless obsession."
He raised one hand, and countless golden ripples instantly spread across the deck of the golden ark Vimana behind him!
Swords, spears, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks... countless prototypes of magical artifacts, gleaming with cold light and radiating powerful magical energy, appeared densely like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, locking onto everyone below.
The destructive aura made the air itself freeze!
"I am in a good mood today, and I will spare the lives of you ants for now," Gilgamesh said with a hint of charity.
"This game called the 'Holy Grail War' has not even truly begun yet. If you were to eagerly kill each other here, it would be far too boring."
His bloodshot eyes swept over the crowd, his tone carrying an unquestionable command.
"Get back here, all of you! Get yourselves in order to deal with your laughable pawns!"
"The final stage will be under the watchful eyes of the masses, where your blood and despair will serve as the king's after-pleasure!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the space around Vimana distorted slightly, and the countless magical artifacts aimed at the ground slowly disappeared into the golden ripples.
But that terrifying intimidation weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, as if it were a tangible force.
In the seemingly balanced triangular standoff, Gilgamesh's arrogance and power became an overwhelming external force.
Those present, especially Karna in excellent condition, never lowered their proud heads, facing the domineering figure in the sky.
If the situation turns against them, he is not afraid to fight anyone!
Blackbeard wouldn't think that way.
Damn it! It's that guy who caused chaos in the Holy Land! What's he doing here? Damn it, now is definitely not the time to fight him head-on!
He instantly felt the urge to retreat. Gilgamesh's intimidation and Roger's doubts brought his trust in the Count to rock bottom, while simultaneously fueling his thirst for power.
He needs time to process this and needs to reassess it.
"Hahaha! Lord Hero King is right! This kind of petty sparring is really boring!"
Blackbeard immediately put on a fake smile and winked at the Earl.
"Count, let's go! The real show is yet to come!"
Having said that, he turned around without hesitation, and with the Count, whose face was gloomy, quickly disappeared into the dense rainforest shadows behind him.
The remaining naval soldiers felt as if they had been granted a pardon! Faced with Gilgamesh's indiscriminate and terrifying aura, they were already terrified. Seeing the Blackbeard retreat, how could they dare to linger?
The officer, trembling, gave the order: "Retreat...retreat quickly! Protect Lord Arjuna's retreat!"
A group of defeated soldiers helped the weakened Arjuna and fled in a panic toward the Rainfield Navy base.
Before leaving, Arjuna took one last deep look in the direction of Karna and Roger, his eyes filled with complex emotions, but he ultimately remained silent and disappeared into the rainforest.
After confirming that Blackbeard and the Navy had retreated, Karna's golden divine light slowly receded, but he did not relax his vigilance.
He glanced at Vimana in the sky, remaining unmoved by Gilgamesh's scrutinizing gaze upon the "treasure."
Roger breathed a sigh of relief, but his brow remained furrowed.
"That glittering fellow... his tone is even more arrogant than mine back in the day! But... he seems to have noticed that the count is acting strangely too?"
He looked in the direction where the count had disappeared, his eyes serious.
Ace's tense nerves finally relaxed, but his posture with his back to Roger remained stiff.
He whispered to Luffy, "Luffy, we have to go too. The commotion here is too great; the Navy's main force and Crocodile's men could arrive at any moment."
He deliberately avoided direct communication with Roger.
Luffy was a little annoyed by Gilgamesh's appearance because the latter had called Ace and Roger bastards.
But when he saw that the enemies had all fled and Ace was safe, he immediately became carefree again.
"Oh! Ace is right! Let's hurry and find Sabo and Vivi! And meat! I'm hungry!"
He was completely oblivious to the subtle tension between Ace and Roger.
Zoro, Nami, and Chopper all breathed a sigh of relief, with Nami's legs giving way and causing her to collapse to the ground.
Zoro stared at Gilgamesh, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit: "Hmph, one day I'll cut down that arrogant Gilgamesh!"
Gilgamesh stood on Vimana, watching the three forces retreat below, a hint of boredom flashing in his crimson pupils.
"Hmph, cowardly rat."
He snorted coldly, and Vimana turned around, transforming into a golden streak of light that instantly disappeared into the horizon.
"I hope the drama that follows won't disappoint me too much. Dilt, let the other pieces enter the game quickly."