After escaping with his life, Onigumo dared not pause for even a moment. His mind held only one thought: flee with all his might, shake off Fox's pursuit!
He did not use Moon Walk to head straight for the Grand Line. Though Moon Walk was fast, he understood better than anyone that his speed was nothing before Fox.
Fox possessed spatial abilities. No matter how far he fled, Fox could easily catch up.
And once caught, only death awaited him.
Weighing his options, Onigumo gritted his teeth and made an extremely risky decision.
Dive into the sea!
As a master of Life Return, he could hold his breath for a long time, allowing him to swim great distances underwater.
Seawater could block Devil Fruit abilities, and ability users could not enter the sea. So for him, being chased by Fox, underwater was safer than on the surface!
The seawater was icy cold, the surroundings pitch black, concealing countless unknown dangers.
Giant Sea Kings, swirling undercurrents—any one of them could take his life.
But Onigumo paid no mind. Compared to the threat Fox posed, these dangers were nothing.
He swung his limbs with all his might, using the sea as cover, speeding toward the Calm Belt with a single obsession in his heart.
If he could just reach the Calm Belt, find a small island to hide on, he could completely shake off Fox's pursuit and save his own life.
Then, he could find a way to reunite with Admiral Akainu, seize the chance to turn the tables, and kill that damned Ivan!
Onigumo swam frantically underwater, his limbs moving with near-savage force, his speed far surpassing that of an ordinary person running on land.
Loguetown was already at the edge of the East Blue, and with him fleeing at full strength, it didn't take long for the surrounding currents to grow completely calm, not a single ripple remaining.
He had successfully charged into the Calm Belt.
The seawater around him became dead and oppressive. Waves of terrifying presence slowly rose from the deep sea—the auras of massive Sea Kings.
Sensing these auras, Onigumo felt not fear, but relief.
These Sea King auras were chaotic, perfectly masking his own presence, allowing him to vanish completely from Fox's perception.
At this moment, he had finally escaped the most dangerous situation. He was safe!
Yet just as Onigumo thought he had finally shaken off the pursuit, the seawater beside him was suddenly pushed aside. The current surged violently, carrying a bone-chilling cold that instantly enveloped him.
His body stiffened. Instinctively, he turned his head, his pupils contracting sharply.
There, in the seawater beside him, a familiar fox mask stared fixedly at him.
Fox had actually caught up!
Onigumo's heart pounded wildly. Instinctively, he tried to turn and flee.
But the next moment, he snapped back to his senses. The fear in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a near-mad joy.
"Hahaha, Fox, you fool!" Onigumo roared inwardly. "You're an ability user! In seawater, you have no power to resist at all!"
He never imagined Fox would make such a basic mistake—actually teleporting into the seawater to chase him.
It is known that once a Devil Fruit user comes into contact with seawater, they are suppressed by the power of the sea.
Although Fox had not been suppressed by Seastone in the past, the Navy believed it was due to an insufficient amount of Seastone Powder.
But now, it was different—this was not Seastone Powder, but an entire ocean!
If Seastone Powder could suppress Fox's abilities, then this vast ocean should also greatly drain his stamina!
This was his chance, his only chance!
A ruthless glint flashed in Onigumo's eyes. Without any hesitation, he swung his limbs with all his might, charging fiercely toward Fox.
Clenching his fists tightly, he aimed a punch at Fox while forcefully pushing aside the surrounding seawater to speak:
"Fox, weren't you so impressive earlier? Now, I will personally kill you and put an end to your sinful life!"
But Onigumo failed to notice that behind the fox mask, those eyes had never shown a hint of panic.
Just as he charged toward Fox with a sinister grin, believing victory was within his grasp, crimson-black lightning erupted violently!
An invisible pressure swept across the entire sea like a tsunami, and dark lightning tore through the water, crashing squarely into Onigumo's chest.
Boom!
A muffled thunderclap exploded beneath the sea!
Onigumo was struck as if by lightning, his chest instantly caving in as blood gushed from his mouth.
At the moment he was sent flying, the triumph in his eyes froze, replaced only by extreme shock and disbelief.
The next moment, the force of their collision finally erupted, violently parting the sea!
A massive column of water surged skyward, forming a towering mountain of water above the surface of the Calm Belt.
Fierce Conqueror's Haki swept in all directions, causing even the most ferocious Sea Kings to tremble in fear, not daring to approach.
Onigumo froze in the water, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The overwhelming force in his chest left him utterly stunned, completely bewildered in the seawater.
How was this possible?
Didn't seawater suppress Devil Fruit users?
Why was he not weakened at all, but instead able to unleash such terrifying power?
Could it be that the Navy Headquarters' assumptions had been wrong all along?
But before he could figure it out, an even more shocking scene unfolded.
In the surrounding seawater, countless vines and wooden spikes sprouted wildly, instantly entangling his body.
The sharp tips of the vines and wooden spikes pierced deep into his flesh, relentlessly draining his stamina and vitality.
"Ahhh!"
Onigumo convulsed violently, the excruciating pain nearly shattering his will. He roared in the water, shouting in confusion:
"Why? You're clearly a Devil Fruit user! How can you still use your abilities in seawater? This is impossible!"
Suddenly, Onigumo realized something and stared at Fox in horror:
"No... You've always been able to use your Devil Fruit ability. Neither Seastone nor the sea can suppress you.
You pretended to be unable to use your abilities earlier just to set a trap for the Navy and the World Government!"
Ivan looked at him and nodded slightly, his tone calm. "Not too foolish."
After a pause, his voice turned slightly cold, tinged with mockery, as he slowly asked, "But there's one more thing you still haven't realized. Do you know what it is?"
Onigumo stiffened, his face blank with confusion.
What else?
He had already seen through the trap, so how could there still be something he hadn't noticed?
Enduring the intense pain, he stared fixedly at the Fox, the sound of Fox's voice echoing in his ears.
No!
This voice isn't right!
When Fox spoke just now, the tone had changed.
That tone also gave him a sense of familiarity—it was someone he knew, but for a moment, he couldn't recall who it was.
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