vncnus Chapter 19: Everyone can participate in the battle!
Chapter 19: Everyone can participate in the battle!
Inside the Veil of Light and Feathers, the sun was setting, and it was already evening.
The sounds of the surging waves and wind from the outside were cut off, and an eerie silence descended upon the interior.
Time seems to lose its meaning here.
"You bastard Dilt!!! Let me out!!!"
Garp's roar echoed within the light curtain for the umpteenth time.
His fist, wreathed in jet-black Armament Haki, slammed heavily onto the flowing light feather barrier!
boom--!!!
The light curtain fluctuated violently, and countless light feathers shattered and flew away, but they quickly recovered as before.
"Save your energy, Vice Admiral Garp," came Kizaru's lazy voice.
He somehow got hold of a beach chair and was lying comfortably on it.
"Mr. Dilt's 'Light Feather Curtain' is an absolute defense that even Fleet Admiral Sengoku praised. It's unbreakable!"
"Bullshit!" Garp glared at Kizaru, his eyes wide with anger.
"You slippery rascal! Why aren't you going all out?! Don't think I didn't see you were slacking off!"
"Oh dear~ I'm innocent, Vice Admiral Garp." Kizaru pushed up his sunglasses, looking completely innocent.
"I've been kicking really hard. Look, my shoes are all dirty." He lifted his shiny leather shoes, which did indeed have some fragments of luminous feathers stuck to them.
"It's mainly because Mr. Dilt is too strong. Why don't you... give it another try?"
"You!!!" Garp was furious.
Just then, his earth-shattering roar was suddenly interrupted by an even louder "gurgling" sound.
Garp: "..."
Kizaru: "..."
An awkward silence hung in the air.
Garp blushed, clutching his stomach, his previous rage instantly dissipated by hunger.
His voice lowered a few decibels: "We've been fighting for a whole day and night... I'm starving! Dilt! You bastard! You've been keeping me awake all day and you're not even feeding me?!"
"Hahaha!" Dilt's hearty laughter broke the silence.
He slowly "penetrated" in from the light screen, carrying several huge food boxes in his hands, and an enticing aroma instantly filled the air.
"Garp, let's make this clear first, no fighting, or you won't get any food."
He landed lightly on the deck of the warship, ignoring Garp's angry gaze and Kizaru's interested scrutiny, and opened the food box on his own.
Inside were huge, juicy steaks and barrels of rum!
"Come, come, come." Dilt sat down on the ground.
"We've been wasting so much time with you guys, it's time for a break. Flashy brat, stop pretending to be asleep, come over for a drink?"
Kizaru shrugged and slowly got up from the beach chair.
"Since the arbitrator has extended such a generous invitation... I shall accept. It would be impolite to refuse. I need to replenish my strength so I can continue... Hmm... I need to find a way to break free from this 'cocoon'."
He walked over and gracefully picked up a wine glass.
As Karp looked at the fragrant food and wine, his stomach growled even louder.
His expression shifted, and finally he snorted angrily and plopped down heavily opposite Dilt.
He grabbed a piece of meat chop bigger than his face and took a big bite, muttering indistinctly, "...At least you have some conscience! But don't try to bribe me! After I'm full, I'll still beat you to a pulp!"
The three of them sat on the ground around the food box.
Garp swept through the clouds with a whirlwind, Kizaru was leisurely and methodical, while Dilt sipped his wine with a playful smile.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere strangely eased a bit.
"Hey, Dilt." Karp wiped the grease from his mouth and glared at Dilt.
"What kind of bullshit Holy Grail War are you getting involved in, dragging my grandson into it! You even brought that dead Roger into the fray! What are you trying to do?"
Kizaru also put down his wine glass and pushed up his glasses.
"I'm curious too. The Holy Grail... can it really grant any wish? Even... resurrect the dead?"
He asked the most crucial question.
Dieter swirled his wine glass, his golden pupils appearing unfathomable.
"A wish? Of course. But resurrecting the dead... that depends on how you define 'resurrection'."
He glanced at Garp: "Roger, that guy, wasn't truly 'resurrected.' He was merely a 'Servant's body' projected from the Throne of Heroes, relying on the power of the Holy Grail and the Master's strong desire. He carried legend and power, but was not alive. He will eventually disappear when the Holy Grail War ends, or when the Master's strength is exhausted."
Upon hearing this, Garp slowed his chewing, his expression complex.
More than anything, he was worried about his grandson Luffy—that kid had actually become Roger's Master?
"As for what I want to do?" Dilt grinned, a mocking smile that held a disdain for all living beings. "It's simple. I've been bored for too long, so I'm looking for some fun. Isn't it exciting to watch those ambitious people, dreamers, and moralists fight tooth and nail over a wish-granting machine?"
"Madman!" Garp cursed, but his tone was no longer as furious as before.
"Well then..." Kizaru spoke slowly, hitting the nail on the head.
"Who is qualified to become a Master? Who can summon Servants? Was it you... the 'arbitrator' who appointed them?"
Garp chimed in at this moment, "Yeah, you bastard, how did you end up with my grandson!"
Delt's smile grew even more playful as he watched Kizaru Garp's eyes harden into a serious expression.
He gently put down his wine glass, his voice not loud, yet it resounded like thunder in their ears.
"The choice... wasn't made by me. It was the Holy Grail that 'chosen' it."
"The Holy Grail will choose those with strong desires, grant them Command Seals, and make them Masters."
"Anyone... Navy personnel, pirates, revolutionaries, civilians... even Celestial Dragons. As long as the Holy Grail 'chooses' them, there's a chance they could be selected to summon Heroic Spirits and participate in this ultimate war!"
"Anyone?!" Garp and Kizaru's pupils contracted simultaneously!
This news is even more shocking than Roger's "resurrection"!
This means that a Master could potentially emerge within the Navy! If the Navy could summon powerful Servants loyal to it, or even wield the Holy Grail…
A glint of shrewdness flashed deep within Kizaru's lazy eyes.
Garp slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "So that's it! No wonder! You don't even recognize that brat Luffy..."
"Is this news...reliable?" Kizaru asked in a deep voice, his tone unusually serious.
Dilt shrugged. "Believe it or not. I can't interfere with the will of the Holy Grail. I'm just an 'overseer,' making sure the game... goes according to the rules."
He raised his glass, gesturing to the two men, and asked, "So, does the Navy intend to join the war?"
These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake! Garp and Kizaru exchanged a glance.
This news will likely completely change the Navy's operational strategy!
Thinking of this, Kizaru instinctively wanted to dial the Den Den Mushi on his wrist.
But with Dilt still in front of him, he lowered his arm and gave an awkward smile.
"Arara... Mr. Dilt... Aren't you afraid that if our Navy obtains the power of the Holy Grail, it will be detrimental to you?"
Dilt chuckled as he stood up: "Kid, if you think you've already got this in the bag, why don't you inform Sengoku now and let him prepare? Otherwise, you might suffer a crushing defeat..."
Having said that, he spread his wings and leaped towards the horizon.
"The barrier will disappear first thing tomorrow morning, so I won't be playing with you guys in the East China Sea."
He left behind this voice and flew to the new world with Joan of Arc, who had become a spirit.
Tomorrow morning, the news of Roger's "resurrection" will spread throughout the sea.
What will you do then, hehehe...