Chapter 344: Breaking Free
The Pacifista Axel had thrown shot through the air in a straight line and buried itself deep into the rock wall.
"Wapol?"
Several people frowned at the unfamiliar name.
Jonathan searched his memory for a moment.
"Wapol... If I remember correctly, that was the name of the former king of Drum Kingdom."
He stroked his mustache thoughtfully.
"Recent reports said Drum Island had changed rulers. Wapol apparently abandoned his people and disappeared."
Jonathan glanced toward Axel.
"So he took Wapol with him."
Sentomaru immediately snapped,
"Why are you calmly explaining his background?! Where is this Wapol guy? Is he another accomplice?"
Jonathan's gaze shifted toward the rock wall.
A small section beside one of the enormous holes left by Kizaru's light-speed attacks suddenly moved.
Crack.
Several loose stones fell away.
Jonathan pointed.
"Would that be him?"
A figure was revealed behind the rubble.
Wapol.
He was trembling from head to toe.
That could hardly be blamed on cowardice alone.
One of Kizaru's attacks had passed frighteningly close to his hiding place. Merely surviving the shock and heat without collapsing was already impressive by Wapol's standards.
His eyes immediately landed on Axel.
Axel was smiling.
Wapol's face twitched.
Damn bastard!
How did he find me?!
Wapol had been hiding ever since the battle began.
His plan had been simple.
Stay hidden.
Wait until Axel escaped or got captured.
Then quietly slip away.
Everything had been going perfectly.
Axel had shown no sign of noticing him.
All Wapol had needed to do was keep using the Munch-Munch Fruit to eat through the unpleasant rocks whenever he needed to adjust his hiding place.
Then a Pacifista had suddenly slammed into the wall beside him.
Its metal body had stopped barely a few centimeters from his face.
And immediately afterward, Axel had shouted for him to eat it.
Even Wapol was not stupid enough to miss the message.
"You tell me to eat something and I'm supposed to obey?"
He muttered resentfully.
His actions did not match his words.
Wapol opened his mouth enormously.
Chomp!
The damaged Pacifista disappeared inside.
Crunch! Crunch!
Harsh metallic grinding sounds came from his mouth as he chewed through the machine.
Everyone nearby instinctively grimaced.
Even watching it made their throats hurt.
Could something like that actually be eaten?
Apparently, yes.
And if there had been any doubt before, Wapol's actions made his position clear.
He was helping Axel.
Sentomaru stared.
"He can actually eat that?"
Then his expression became strangely thoughtful.
"That's pretty manly."
He looked at his own body.
"I wonder if someone with the world's strongest defense could eat one too."
Jonathan pressed a hand to his forehead.
What kind of thought process was that?
"Sentomaru."
"Hm?"
"Come with me."
Jonathan started toward Wapol.
"We need to stop him from eating that Pacifista."
Sentomaru blinked.
"Why?"
"I have no idea what Axel intends to do with it."
Jonathan's expression became serious.
"But whatever it is, allowing him to finish cannot possibly help us."
"Fair enough."
While Jonathan and Sentomaru moved toward Wapol, Kizaru kept his attention fixed on Axel.
"What are you planning now?"
His lazy tone returned.
"If I look away from you for even a moment, I get the feeling something terrible will happen."
Axel looked offended.
"Why do you make me sound so frightening?"
He spread his arms slightly.
"I'm just an ordinary injured traveler drifting around the sea."
Kizaru's orange lenses flashed.
"My, my."
"If ordinary people were all like you, what would Marines even be for?"
His voice remained slow and irritatingly relaxed.
"The world would probably end within a few days."
Clang!
Axel moved without warning.
The wooden sword collided with Ama no Murakumo.
The impact exploded through the air.
Kizaru blocked the strike with one hand.
"Sneak attacks aren't very polite."
Axel smiled.
Then his sword moved again.
Slash.
Turn.
Thrust.
Redirect.
Every movement flowed smoothly into the next.
The wooden blade traced precise angles through Kizaru's defenses, forcing the Admiral to answer each strike with his own sword of light.
For several seconds, the two exchanged blows at close range.
Kizaru's expression gradually changed.
"My."
He deflected another slash.
"What enviable swordsmanship."
Axel pressed forward.
Kizaru continued,
"You're still so young, yet your technique feels like it belongs to someone who has held a sword for decades."
Ama no Murakumo swept aside another strike.
"Every angle is irritatingly precise."
Axel answered casually,
"You flatter me."
"How humble."
Kizaru sighed.
"If only Sentomaru possessed half that virtue."
Axel's lips curved.
"You probably won't live long enough to see that."
"My life should still be rather long."
Kizaru suddenly increased the force behind his blade.
"Who knows?"
The light sword pressed down.
Axel shifted the angle of his wooden blade instead of meeting the force directly.
Kizaru's strength slid aside.
Axel immediately supplemented the movement with his ability.
The wooden sword slipped through the opening and drove toward Kizaru's inner flank.
Kizaru vanished in a flash of light.
He reappeared several meters away.
Everything he had said about Axel's swordsmanship was genuine.
If not for that irritating wooden sword, Kizaru believed he would have broken through Axel's defenses already.
He had landed attacks before.
Axel's Reflection could greatly reduce or redirect his force, but it was not truly limitless.
With enough power, Kizaru could still push through.
That meant close combat should have favored him.
At short range, a sudden light-speed strike could produce enough force to overwhelm Axel's calculations.
But the wooden sword ruined that approach.
Or more accurately, Axel's skill with it did.
Before Reflection even became necessary, Axel's swordsmanship already redirected or dispersed a significant portion of Kizaru's strength.
Then whatever remained was handled by Axel's ability and thrown back at him.
It was infuriating.
Kizaru had practiced swordsmanship for decades.
It was not his primary specialty, but it had followed him through nearly his entire life.
By any reasonable standard, his skill was among the best in the world.
Yet this brat kept dismantling his attacks piece by piece.
Axel tilted his wooden sword.
"What's wrong?"
"Aren't you attacking?"
Kizaru scratched his cheek.
"Hmm... I'd rather not."
Axel raised an eyebrow.
"Fighting you alone is exhausting."
Kizaru sighed.
"I have to think about too many things."
"And I can't afford to make even one mistake."
His objective did not require him to win quickly.
He only needed to keep Axel occupied.
Seeing Kizaru stop advancing, Axel also relaxed his posture slightly.
Every second without another violent exchange gave him a chance to stabilize his deteriorating body.
Then a Pacifista attacked.
Light gathered.
Axel's expression darkened.
Of course.
He was forced to move again.
Kizaru sighed internally as well.
If possible, he would have preferred to stand there and do nothing.
Unfortunately, every destroyed Pacifista represented a massive loss for the Marines.
More importantly, Axel might use any opening to escape or prepare another troublesome surprise.
Kizaru could not allow that.
...
Meanwhile, Jonathan and Sentomaru had reached Wapol.
Sentomaru tightened his grip on his axe and prepared to attack.
Jonathan immediately raised a hand.
"Wait."
Sentomaru frowned.
"What now?"
Jonathan placed a finger to his lips.
Then he stepped forward.
"Excuse me."
Wapol stopped chewing for a moment.
Jonathan smiled politely.
"Are you the former king of Drum Island?"
Wapol's eyes lit up.
Even with half a Pacifista being chewed inside his mouth, he somehow managed to speak clearly.
"Who are you?"
Then he puffed out his chest.
"But you have excellent eyesight!"
"That's right!"
"I am the great King Wapol of Drum Kingdom!"
Jonathan's mouth twitched.
This was easier than expected.
"Is that so?"
He nodded.
"I thought so."
Jonathan continued carefully.
"A king of a World Government-affiliated nation would never willingly associate with a wanted criminal."
Wapol nodded vigorously.
Jonathan gestured toward Axel.
"Yet based on what he said earlier, you seem to have some connection with him."
Wapol immediately protested.
"Impossible!"
He slammed one hand against his chest.
"How could the great Wapol possibly associate with a criminal?!"
Jonathan's eyes flashed.
He had taken the bait.
"Then perhaps I misunderstood."
Jonathan lowered his voice sympathetically.
"Could it be that he forced you to accompany him?"
Wapol froze.
"For a king to be dragged around by a criminal against his will..."
Jonathan shook his head.
"You must have suffered terribly."
Wapol's face crumpled.
Memories rushed back.
Being tied to a fishing line and used as bait.
Being thrown into seawater for Axel's ridiculous experiments.
Eating leftovers.
Cleaning trash from the ship.
Being ordered around constantly.
Being threatened.
Being beaten.
Being treated in ways completely unbefitting the dignity of a king.
Wapol's eyes filled with tears.
He looked at Jonathan like a man who had finally met someone capable of understanding his suffering.
"Yes!"
He nodded rapidly.
"You understand!"
Jonathan smiled.
Good.
"In that case, help us arrest Axel."
Wapol blinked.
Jonathan continued confidently,
"If you cooperate, I'll arrange for Marines to return you safely to your homeland."
Wapol's eyes widened.
Freedom.
Home.
No more Axel.
His head began nodding before Jonathan even finished speaking.
"Yes! Yes, of course I'll..."
Then Wapol stopped.
His expression changed.
He shook his head violently.
"No!"
Jonathan paused.
Wapol nodded.
Then shook his head again.
Jonathan frowned.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Wapol opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Then kept shaking his head.
He wanted to agree.
Desperately.
But just moments earlier, something had reached him through the ground.
Axel's earlier stomp had not been meaningless.
Tiny vibrations had carried a message through the rock.
Two messages.
First:
Big Shark was beneath the island.
If Axel was captured, the enormous Sea King would swallow the island.
And Wapol would definitely not be among the survivors.
Second:
Do not reveal the plan.
Wapol swallowed.
There was no choice at all!
"Why are we wasting time?"
Sentomaru suddenly stepped forward.
"Just grab him and tie him up with Sea Stone."
Wapol's eyes bulged.
He immediately backed away into a defensive posture.
Jonathan slowly turned toward Sentomaru.
"..."
Sentomaru blinked.
"What?"
Jonathan wanted to sigh.
There had clearly been something behind Wapol's hesitation.
Something they did not know.
With a little more conversation, Jonathan might have been able to draw it out.
Instead, Sentomaru had just threatened him outright and pushed him firmly back toward Axel's side.
Wonderful.
Jonathan rubbed his forehead.
At this point, there was little left to salvage.
He looked toward Wapol.
Then toward Sentomaru.
"Fine."
His voice carried deep resignation.
"We'll do it your way."
…..
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Frieren: The Demon Who Learned to Love