Chapter 261

—

It’s been a week since then, and Amon had got the good news. He planned to go back to the brothel today, but an emergency has occurred.

The Enherjars were attacking all the marine bases present in the New World, for now. There were disgustingly few of them, but all bases were under the strongest of Vice Admirals, so attacking them needed Amon to send strong soldiers.

Just a while ago, such a strong group of Enherjars had attacked a base that was under Tokikake, the Vice Admiral who was nominated to take the Admiral seat before. That’s why the group of Enherjars sent were one of the strongest too—The Kuja Pirates.

This was the first attack that a Sin was participating in, and while Amon was confident in Hancock’s abilities to take on an Admiral Candidate, there was an anomaly in that base.

Vice-Admiral Tsuru, one of the three black horses of the marines from the Rocks era. 

Vice-Admiral Tsuru just happened to be on that island out of coincidence, but when she saw Hancock attacking the base, she immediately took action. Back when Amon ‘recruited’ Hancock a few years ago, Tsuru was the one taking her to Impel Down. She had failed her mission because of Amon, that was why she wanted to hunt down Hancock successfully this time.

That's why, while the other marines took on the Kujas, Tokikake and Tsuru jumped at Hancock.

Hancock was honestly very strong, as she was one of the rare people in the world with Conqueror’s Coating. She wasn’t as talented on that aspect—even with Amon's incense training—but even just being able to use it at all made her very dangerous.

But against an Admiral Candidate, and a woman who was compared to Garp and Sengoku at the start of her career, the Pirate Empress’ strength fell lacking.

So… hours later since the fight had started, Amon had to go and save her for another time.

Amon, as expected, was keeping an eye on important battles with his clones hovering a thousand metres in the sky. So that his real body could teleport to any of those places at any given time... But, he believed he wouldn't need his real body to kill two mere Vice Admirals. Strong or not.

But he decided to make his clone wait for an hour or so for Hancock to feel despair and stuff, realise her weaknesses and come to accept them—those were needed for character development.

There was no rush, either. Impel down was destroyed, and the Marines couldn't spare to make a new one at such time. So Hancock was supposed to stay at this exact base for an unforeseen time. 

At last, three hours after the battle ended and all the Kuja were captured after the two Vice Admirals started to attack them, Amon decided to dive in.

—★—

Tsuru was in the office sitting opposite Tokikake. They were on the Denden Mushi with the Fleet Admiral, discussing what to do with Hancock, and how her capture could turn the war around—just when a knock fell on the door.

"Ah, Fleet Admiral, it seems someone is at the door," Tokikake said softly.

["Of course, take your time. I am in a good mood because of your capture of one of the Sins, anyway."]

Tokikake gave a chuckle at that too. Though he frowned at the door. 

It was strange. They were supposed not to be disturbed until the meeting ended. Then why…

Just to be sure, he used his Observation Haki to feel who was on the other side of the door.

'It's just Karim.'

It was his assistant. Now that was worrying. Karim should know better to disturb now, meaning it was a serious situation.

Just as another knock fell on the door, he spoke, "Come in."

Tsuru also turned around to face the door which opened slowly, revealing the black-haired young man with tanned skin.

"Karim, what happened-"

Tokikake couldn't finish his words as from beside the door, someone else, someone he hadn't sensed somehow, slid beside Karim. 

Tokikake and Tsuru's eyes watched as the invader's palm smoothly slid inside the tanned young man's chest, whose eyes Tokikake noticed just then, were dull and motionless.

"Yo," the other man with black hair and red horns, waved his bloody hand holding Karim's beating heart. "Been a while, you two. Though I have only met the old madam before."

["Wait… that voice."] Sengoku's shocked and frightened voice came flowing out of the snail. ["Amon!!! W-what the hell are you doing there, you bastard!"]

However, Vice-Admirals weren't listening to either of their words. Even before Karim's limp body could fall down on the ground, both of them had rushed at Amon together.

They both relied on their fists, and so both punched at Amon at once. Tsuru even gave her knuckles a touch of her devil fruit.

Amon simply dodged it like a leaf falling from the tree. Striding in the air with his hands in his pockets.

"Ow ow, dangerous fruit," Amon commented, dodging Tsuru's punches.

"It can cleanse the 'Evil' inside a person, I heard?" 

That was true. The Wash-Wash fruit had such metaphysical powers, too.

Amon's body shivered, even as he dodged more attacks.

"I can imagine the future where I am a man donating money to orphanages, picking up flowers for a lovely lady, and buying ice creams for little girls." He blinked. "Actually, I sometimes do the 2nd one. Does that mean I am a good guy?"

"Shut your mouth!" Tsuru yelled. "My fruit can only cleanse a fraction of evil. I doubt it would affect you at all, even if I wash you for decades."

"Aww, there goes the alternate timeline's good-guy Amon." Amon sighed in exaggerated disappointment.

Then as another punch came at his face, he softly and casually redirected it towards Tokikake's face.

Tsuru tried to change the protection of her attack, but she could only barely stop her devil fruit before the impact happened and Tokikake was slid back a few steps. 

"Aww, quite a nice reaction speed for someone with such old bones," Amon muttered. "Anyway, it seems like the girls have reached the ship. So let's end this."

The vice-admirals groaned at his words. The Kujas were freed!

In desperation, they tried to reach out for him again, however, Amon's body suddenly started to glow. It started to glow yellow, but it had a different hue compared to Pika-Pika no Mi, that the two Admirals knew Amon had eaten.

["What's happening?! Hello, are you two still there?!"] Sengoku's voice still flowed out of the snail but none of the three answered.

Amon didn't care, while the other two didn't have the leisure time to do so. Because they watched as Amon's body glowed orange... 

'No, God…'

...Before he simply burst in a brilliant mix of light, heat, sound, and destruction.

Even as both vice-admirals covered their entire bodies under armament, the brilliant explosion from the Bomb-Bomb Fruit didn't allow even their hair to remain intact as even the entire island simply… blew up.

**

**

**

Author's Note: Battles against Amon are just a way for him to show off. So I guess it's time for the big baddy to enter the game.

So far, we have seen Amon use these fruits: Rumble, Phoenix, Operation,  Paw, Gravity, Soul, Glint, and now—Bomb. 

Eight fruits, in total.

The latter five are the ones Amon ate from the five clones that he got after Skypiea's destruction.

There are more since it's been quite a while since he ate the five. Since there are some hints about some of the other fruits, some of you might be able to guess… 🤔