HST: Chapter 103/104

Chapter 103: Undefeated
"You must have paid a huge price to come back from the dead. You must be very weak now!"

Akainu stared at the fully restored Caelan and spoke with certainty.

He couldn't believe someone could resurrect without consequences. Caelan had to be faking his composure. As long as they attacked again, the truth would show.

Garp and Borsalino both nodded slightly. What Akainu said made sense.

So I have side effects? Since when?

Caelan felt the power surging through his body and found it laughable.

He himself didn't know of any side effects, but Akainu sure sounded confident about them.

If anything counts as a side effect, maybe it's just increased resistance to magma and lasers.

"Haha, come on then!"

The massive sword wrapped in Armament Haki was raised high again.

He slashed fiercely at Akainu, who stood firm and ready.

"Hellhound!"

Akainu gritted his teeth, his entire right arm turning into magma.

"Light-Speed Kick!"
"Fist Impact!"

Borsalino and Garp joined in at the same time, launching coordinated attacks at Caelan.

The resurrected Caelan was ferocious beyond reason, wielding a giant sword capable of splitting mountains, with devastating power.

With his explosive speed and A-rank Observation Haki, Caelan blocked many of the incoming attacks.

But even under a three-way siege, though he was struck from time to time, he never seemed in danger.

Every time he was hit, he only paused for a moment before charging back in without hesitation.

Even when at a disadvantage, that unmatched and terrifying strength of his allowed him to deliver heavy blows to the trio again and again.

Forcing the three Admirals to stay constantly alert, never daring to let their guard down.

"Damn it, am I imagining things? Why does it feel like this brat is even stronger now?!"

After narrowly dodging Caelan's blade, Garp's face showed disbelief.

Based on his strength before death, Caelan should already be taking damage.

But now, he only had a few minor scratches.

"It's not your imagination. My and Kizaru's attacks are doing less damage now."

Akainu wiped the blood from his mouth, his tone filled with dread.

Caelan had come back from the dead, and his strength hadn't dropped at all. It was exactly the same as before.

In fact, it even felt like he'd gained magic resistance. What was going on?!

If the fight continued like this, Caelan might lose his second life… but one of them would definitely die first.

Who would it be?

Akainu looked around and felt a chill run down his spine.

Borsalino looked tired like an old dog, but aside from some lost stamina and dirty clothes, he was otherwise unscathed.

Garp, though old and sturdy, didn't appear seriously hurt either.

Only Akainu had six broken ribs and countless other injuries.

Are these two playing me?

Akainu's heart sank.

If this went on, he would be the one to die.

For the sake of Marine justice, maybe he could accept that.

But to die for two Celestial Dragons and CP9? It didn't feel worth it.

For a brief moment, even the iron-willed Akainu hesitated.

"What do I do now? Keep fighting?"

Borsalino knocked Caelan back with a Light-Speed Kick, his expression filled with frustration.

Most of Caelan's previous injuries had been caused by him and Akainu.

Now that their attacks were doing less damage, Caelan had become even harder to handle.

"Fight. At least until the Celestial Dragons are dead, we have to fight."

Akainu gritted his teeth and pressed forward.

Now he understood. Caelan didn't leave the Celestial Dragons alive as a way out for himself. He kept them alive on purpose—to trap them.

Borsalino and Garp exchanged glances, clearly understanding what Akainu meant.

"Ah…"

The three of them sighed, then charged in again.

But this time, though their attacks were still powerful, the killing intent was gone.

They couldn't win, and they couldn't run. So now… they were just going through the motions.

At that moment, Akainu and Garp unexpectedly began mimicking Borsalino.

…

On Garp's warship, the Straw Hat Pirates were stunned by the battle raging on the island.

"Incredible… that's insane!"

Usopp stammered, his eyes practically bulging out of his skull.

The other Straw Hats were equally dumbfounded, each one completely shocked.

The battle playing out before them shattered everything they thought they knew about strength.

Those four on the island—every single attack they unleashed had the power to reshape the landscape.

Compared to that, their fight with Lucci back at Enies Lobby felt like child's play.

At that moment, Rayleigh, who had been pretending to be dead, stood up and locked his gaze on the island.

The Marines nearby, including Bogard, looked at Rayleigh warily, but there was nothing they could do.

"Old Man! You're okay!"

Luffy leaned happily against Rayleigh.

"Watch closely. Don't talk."

Rayleigh glanced sideways at Luffy, replying impatiently.

This kid's really something. Garp's grandson, yet he became a pirate and wears the straw hat Roger passed to Shanks…

But now wasn't the time to think about that. The fight on the island mattered more.

"What a monster…"

Rayleigh stared at Caelan, who was battling three people at once, and was utterly stunned.

Those were three Admiral-level fighters. Rayleigh would have trouble defeating even one. Yet Caelan was holding off all three.

"Why does it feel like he's way stronger than when he fought me?"

Rayleigh rubbed his chin, puzzled.

When he'd fought Caelan before, sure, the guy was strong—but it hadn't been overwhelming.

But now? Garp couldn't even block one of his sword strikes. It didn't make sense.

"Was he going easy on me back then?"

Rayleigh's eyes widened as if he'd just discovered the truth.

"It's probably for the best. If he'd gone all out… I'd be dead right now."

Rayleigh laughed bitterly at the realization.

…

Above the island, a news bird with a camera kept snapping photos and transmitting them straight to Morgans' office.

"Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!"

Morgans watched the footage frame by frame.

"One man, fighting three top-tier powerhouses… beaten to the brink of death, yet he survives and grows even stronger. Is this Caelan some kind of monster!?"

"This level of combat… I doubt even the Four Emperors could pull it off."

Morgans was truly stunned.

He had thought that Caelan's defeat of Rayleigh in the Sabaody Archipelago was already groundbreaking news. But this? This was even more explosive.

Attacking the Celestial Dragons. Fighting Borsalino, Akainu, and Garp. On the verge of death… and still alive!

Not only did he survive—he came back stronger, forcing all three into passive defense!

This kind of headline could rival the public execution of the Pirate King.

"It's time to publish again!"

Morgans' eyes gleamed with excitement.

He immediately gave orders to his editorial team to begin producing the article.

He wondered what kind of expressions the Four Emperors would have when they read this.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 104: Buster Call

On the island, Akainu, Garp, and Borsalino stood back-to-back, forming a defensive formation like an ironclad barrier.

Borsalino's laser attacks had become sparse, Garp's iron fists had lost some of their force, and Akainu's magma was noticeably cooler.

Aside from occasionally stepping forward to show they were still in the fight, the three were effectively in retreat.

"You're three people, and I'm only one. Can't you fight me seriously?"

Caelan looked at the trio who kept pulling back, a helpless expression on his face.

He wanted a good, satisfying battle, but these three couldn't even take out his second life and had already retreated together. It was honestly disappointing.

"Haha, kid, you can surrender if you can't beat us!"

Garp said shamelessly, a smug grin on his face.

To anyone who didn't know better, it would seem like they were the ones pressuring Caelan.

"You're seriously injured. You should stop."

Borsalino looked at the light marks on Caelan's body and spoke seriously.

"…"

Akainu's face twitched but he said nothing.

He wasn't as thick-skinned as the other two. He couldn't bring himself to say things like that.

All three of them knew they couldn't do anything to Caelan. But they also couldn't ignore orders from the Five Elders or let the Celestial Dragons die, so they were stuck buying time.

Even Akainu and Garp had learned from Borsalino and started slacking off in battle, trying to avoid getting any more seriously injured.

"I really don't know what to do with you guys."

Caelan looked at the three of them shrinking back and sighed.

He could understand Borsalino and Garp. They had reputations for pulling their punches.

But you, Akainu—with your straight-laced face and iron-blooded style—how could you be shrinking back too?

Faced with their solid defense, there wasn't much Caelan could do.

He still didn't have the combat power to break through three Admirals going all-out on defense.

Just as Caelan was deep in thought, ten warships appeared on the horizon.

"They're here!"

Caelan's eyes lit up, a smile forming on his face.

The show he had prepared was finally about to begin.

"Buster Call?!"

Akainu and the other two were stirred.

Could this be backup from the Five Elders?

Though Buster Call was practically useless against true top-tier combatants, it was still military support.

At the very least, it meant reinforcements. That alone was enough to ease their tension slightly.

The three of them let out a subtle breath of relief.

"More reinforcements?"

The two Celestial Dragons were in disbelief.

After being tossed around and nearly killed by Caelan again and again, they were already mentally broken.

But the sight of the ten mighty warships gave them a small glimmer of hope.

"Heh."

Caelan sneered, ready to enjoy the show.

This Buster Call had been triggered using the Golden Den Den Mushi, which only knew firepower and didn't care who was on the ground. It would bomb even Enies Lobby without hesitation, and this would be no different.

The Marines bombing the Celestial Dragons themselves? The Five Elders should be thrilled with such a grand performance.

…

Onboard the ten Buster Call warships, soldiers were loading the cannons and preparing to open fire.

"Admiral Akainu and Vice Admiral Garp's ships are already there? Did they call the Buster Call?"

Gion stood at the bow, frowning slightly.

"Who cares who called it? We're here to bomb, so let's bomb."

Tokikakke shrugged and spoke casually.

Their orders were simple: lead the fleet to the target and carry out saturation bombardment.

As for the rest, it wasn't their job to ask questions.

"Right. Maybe we're covering up some government secret."

Gion nodded without hesitation.

"Fire!"

The two gave the order simultaneously.

As for the people on the island, they didn't matter.

Akainu and Garp's strength wasn't something mere cannon fire could affect anyway.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The ten warships responded, and thousands of elite soldiers sprang into action.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hundreds of cannons fired at once, and thousands of shells with blazing tail flames rained down toward the island where Caelan stood.

…

On the island, watching the sky fill with incoming shells, Akainu, Garp, and Borsalino were dumbfounded.

"I'm such an idiot. Seriously."

"I've been tricked so many times, and I still believed those clowns in the Navy."

The two Celestial Dragons turned pale, staring at the incoming firepower in despair.

With Caelan keeping the three Admirals occupied, they had no time to react. The Celestial Dragons died instantly under the bombardment.

"They went for a full bombardment, without caring whether the Celestial Dragons lived or died?"

Garp punched a shell away and muttered in shock.

"This Buster Call feels… off."

Borsalino scratched his head, clearly confused.

Normally, a Buster Call would support them first before opening fire.

This looked more like the annihilation-type Buster Call used by CP organizations.

"Could it be that one of the Celestial Dragons or CP0 activated the call?"

Akainu made a bold guess.

It was possible that the Celestial Dragons, driven to desperation, had pressed the button themselves.

After all, the authority to initiate a Buster Call wasn't given to just anyone. Only Celestial Dragons and direct agents of the Five Elders had the clearance.

"Wait. Look at what he's holding!"

Borsalino suddenly pointed at Caelan, his face full of shock.

Garp and Akainu followed his gaze, and sure enough, Caelan was holding a Golden Den Den Mushi in his hand.

For a moment, the three were completely silent.

As high-ranking Navy officers, they recognized it immediately. It was the same model used to initiate a Buster Call.

Sengoku had a silver version meant to receive such orders. This golden one was used to send them.

"This Den Den Mushi is pretty convenient. Call for support, and they come right away."

Caelan lifted the Golden Den Den Mushi and admired it under the sunlight.

It was a shame the thing could only be used once. He kind of wanted to press it a few more times for fun.

"You… you called the Buster Call?!"

Akainu pointed at Caelan, hands trembling.

"Yep."

Caelan nodded openly, admitting it without hesitation.

Every Golden Den Den Mushi had a unique code. Even if he wanted to deny it, he couldn't.

"You—!"

Akainu's face turned bright red. Magma began seeping from his body.

The Celestial Dragons had been bombed by their own Navy. Even if it was Caelan's setup, the Five Elders would absolutely punish the vice admirals who carried it out.

He could only pray that none of the vice admirals belonged to his faction.

Otherwise, in his current injured state, he might end up as a commander with no troops.

"Haha, Sengoku's going to have a headache over this."

Garp laughed heartily, unconcerned.

Something this massive wouldn't just affect a few vice admirals. The entire Navy would be held responsible.

Borsalino also felt deeply troubled. The failure of this mission would definitely affect his salary and workload.

"Do you even understand how serious the consequences of your actions are?!"

Akainu was completely red now, and the surrounding temperature rose sharply.

"Of course I do. I did it on purpose."

"If you're not happy about it, come fight me."

Caelan shrugged, his expression full of defiance.

He was deliberately provoking a rift between the World Government and the Navy.

Otherwise, if the two remained united, he'd have no chance to get involved at all.

"You—!"

Akainu clenched his fists, wanting to rush forward and punch Caelan.

But the six broken ribs and all the injuries covering his body reminded him—

This Caelan was not someone he could defeat.

Akainu gritted his teeth, completely unwilling to back down.

"Goodbye, everyone."

"I'd really love to know which 'hero' abandoned darkness for light and killed the Celestial Dragons!"

Caelan laughed loudly, turning and sprinting toward the ten warships in the distance.

Akainu, Garp, and Borsalino's faces all turned dark as they immediately gave chase.

They couldn't let him get away and cause any more damage.

(To be continued.)