Chapter 190: The Crimson Pillar Pierces Through Fish-Man Island
Above Fish-Man Plaza, countless pirates and traffickers floated mid-air, suspended by telekinetic force.
Along with the pirates who had been watching from the plaza edge, they formed a massive ring centered around Captain John—like orbiting meteors held in place.
"Lord Blue Demon! You've got it wrong, aren't we all humans?!"
"Yeah! Lord Blue Demon, how can you side with those fish freaks?!"
...
Suspended in midair, the pirates and traffickers began to feel a chill. Realization dawned—Blue Demon wasn't on their side. Panic crept in as they tried to plead.
Whoosh! With the final two pirates added, every invader on Fish-Man Island was now hovering, firmly within Luo Han's control.
"All pirates and traffickers, listen up. My name is Vincent Luo Han, but you may call me the Blue Demon."
His cold voice boomed across the island, amplified by Kyoka Suigetsu, reaching every corner of Fish-Man Island.
Hearing the voice, many fish-men halted mid-step and turned toward the ring of bodies in the distance—it was the source of the voice.
"Today is a life-or-death duel between me and Captain John. Remember this well: the man below you will die by my hand."
Luo Han's voice was firm and emotionless, yet it shook everyone.
"…"
Was he really declaring John's death before the fight had even started?
The pirates, still floating in place, twitched with disbelief. If they could speak, they might have screamed: "Never seen someone this shameless!!"
"This bastard's mocking me…" John's face darkened.
Unaware of their thoughts, Luo Han raised his hand, and a vortex of psychic force formed high above the island—small and subtle, invisible to most.
But John could feel it—an intense pressure looming overhead.
Looking up, he saw a golden spear with red engravings slowly emerge from the vortex, its tip aimed directly at him.
"John, are you ready?" Luo Han called out.
"Bring it. Let's see if your legendary 'Infinite Burst' that even Roger and Garp feared… really lives up to the hype."
John drew his twin swords, aura flaring as his eyes locked onto the spear above.
"Heh. Then prepare to die."
Luo Han lifted his hand, two fingers extended, and slashed downward.
"Captain John!"
With that shout, the golden spear became a streak of light, piercing through the center of the suspended ring, aimed directly at John.
"Dual Blade Style – Peerless Serpent!"
John roared, swinging his blades together like a coiling snake, releasing a massive slash upward.
Clang! A giant serpent-shaped wave shot toward the golden spear.
CRACK! The moment they met, the slash was obliterated, the spear continuing its descent like a divine javelin.
John crossed his blades to block—CLANG! The impact rang like a bell as the spear struck the blades' intersection.
BOOM! A shockwave exploded outward. John felt his body sink uncontrollably into the ground.
WHAM! The area within a kilometer radius cratered three meters deep, the earth fracturing.
"He blocked it!"
The Ryugu King, Akatsuki, and the others were stunned—John had survived?
Coughing violently, blood pouring from his mouth, John's hands trembled, yet a gleam of pride flickered in his eyes.
"I… blocked it…"
"Boom."
A quiet word brushed John's ear.
His eyes widened. Before he could react, the red engravings on the golden spear flared.
BOOOOM!!
A giant crimson pillar of fire erupted from the impact, engulfing the plaza and the floating pirates, shooting skyward through the island's ceiling.
BOOM!!
A deafening roar followed, the ground beneath every fish-man trembling violently.
As the shaking subsided, everyone turned to look.
Silence.
A blinding crimson light engulfed the sky, stretching like a blood-red lance to the heavens, casting its glow across the entire island.
...
After a long moment, the pillar faded, the light vanished, and calm returned.
Only Fish-Man Plaza remained shrouded in rising smoke, still pulsing faintly like a slumbering beast.
Thud… thud… Bodies blackened like charcoal fell from the sky, crashing around Captain John. Nearly every pirate and trafficker had perished. Only one remained standing.
"This funeral suits your title as a great pirate."
"Captain John."
Luo Han whispered, descending slowly to the ground, his back turned to the falling corpses as he walked toward Sister Spoon and the others.
The image was chilling.
Thud! The Ryugu King collapsed in fear, staring at Luo Han's approaching figure in utter horror.
It wasn't Luo Han's strength that terrified him—it was his ruthless, cold nature.
Over ten thousand humans—fellow humans—and Luo Han hadn't uttered a single word to them.
Not even a blink. He killed them all.
Such a man wouldn't hesitate to destroy Fish-Man Island itself if provoked—not just punish the offender.
Someone with that kind of power and no mercy couldn't be reasoned with. Their philosophy was simple: if something displeased them, eliminate everything.
How could a ruler of Fish-Man Island not be terrified?
Even Akatsuki and Shouji stood frozen in fear, realizing what the king had realized.
"You're all scared already?" Luo Han chuckled as he joined his group. Only his companions remained calm—they already knew his strength.
"You've grown far too strong, Luo Han."
"Just a bit," he said indifferently.
"…" Sister Spoon sighed.
She gazed at the scorched corpses. She didn't pity the pirates or slavers—they chose their path. But Luo Han… had changed.
He never used to kill so many at once without flinching.
Before them, the plaza had sunk 20 meters, a vast crater with smoldering magma seeping through the cracks.
If this level of strength continued to grow unchecked, the World Government wouldn't sit by.
They'd act soon.
She could only hope Luo Han would avoid what was coming.
...
Meanwhile, in the Holy Land of Mariejois, inside the Five Elders' office—
SLAM!
The sword-wielding elder slammed a report on the table, eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the kneeling CP0 commander.
"This is your so-called 'harmless man who won't cause trouble'?!" he snarled.
WHACK!
He slapped the report against the CP0 commander's face.
"Look closely! See what that bastard did at Sabaody!!"
"He decapitated a Celestial Dragon—in front of a crowd! You know what that means!"
The commander remained silent, bowing lower.
The blond elder stood up and approached, voice grim. "It means the Blue Demon has officially declared war on the World Government. We have no more room to retreat."
THUD! THUD! The elder with the cane slammed it on the floor. "Blue Demon must be eliminated. Use whatever trump card necessary."
The other elders gasped, stunned.
After a long silence, the long-bearded elder waved a hand. "You're dismissed."
"Yes."
The CP0 commander gave his second word since entering and left.
CLACK. The door shut.
The other four turned to the cane-bearing elder.
"You're serious?"
"Yes." He placed another file on the table.
"This is every record of the Blue Demon after joining the Rocks Pirates. You'll notice something interesting."
"What is it?"
The elder smirked. "That kid has never used Armament Haki in combat—not even once."
"Even at God Valley, he only used it once, and it wasn't combined with his Devil Fruit."
"You're saying…"
"Yes. For some reason, he can't use Haki and his Devil Fruit at the same time."
"That's our opening!"
"We've been fooled by his Devil Fruit strength—he blocked Garp, even wounded Rocks! But his Haki is ordinary."
"Unlike Rocks, whose Haki was supreme, able to resist even the most absurd Devil Fruit abilities…"
"Blue Demon isn't like that. A single special Devil Fruit, used by the right person, could kill him."
"If we wait too long and he perfects both, we'll pay a far higher price."
"That's why I'm willing to use the trump card—to erase this unstable threat now."
The other elders sat in silence, pondering.
Eventually, the blond elder spoke. "I agree. CP0's profiling wasn't wrong. He's an ordinary man—but we happen to be what that ordinary man hates most. He may not want war, but he will destroy us. We can't let that happen."
"Agreed."
The sword-wielding elder nodded. "Let the CP0 commander eat the special fruit. If his life ends the Blue Demon's, it's a fair trade."
"Right. He heard too much anyway," the bearded elder said.
"Fine by me."
The other two elders nodded.
"Then let CP0 prepare at Sabaody. They left in a rush—they'll surely return. We strike then—one shot, one kill."
Thus, the Five Elders chose the place and the moment—Luo Han would return to Sabaody.
And their profiler had been frighteningly accurate.
(END CHAPTER)
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