SWNOVELXO Chapter 117: 117. I Remember
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Morgans's camera instantly zoomed in, and the high-definition close-up was directly seen by everyone in the live stream,
Only to see that Shanks's bare left big toe was actually wrapped with wisps of dark red energy, which was clearly Conqueror's Haki!
Whenever his toe touched the screen, the Haki would form tiny branches at the point of contact, reaching the phone screen.
"So that's it..."
Whitebeard's laughter stopped suddenly, and a glint flashed in his eyes. His massive body leaned forward slightly, and his Murakumogiri tapped against the deck with a dull thud:
"Wrapping his toe with Conqueror's Haki to enhance tactile sensitivity and reaction speed... Gurarararara!" He suddenly burst into laughter, looking up at the sky. "Brat, this move of yours is even more shaky than my Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"
Shanks just smiled slightly, tilted his head back, and took a gulp of sake. Under everyone's held breath, his big toe suddenly swiped across the screen at a speed too fast for the naked eye,
Li Bai in the game instantly turned into a golden lightning bolt:
First Skill [Stupor Slash] Dash followed by basic attack
Second Skill [Stroke of Genius] Dodge enemy control
Ultimate Skill [Flickering Flurry] Sweep through five people
Toe lightly taps Golden Body to dodge tower damage
Last segment of movement for a stylish exit
Penta Kill!
Aced!
The moment the system's exciting prompt sounded, Shanks's toe just completed the final swirling operation.
Conqueror's Haki bloomed with a dazzling red light at his fingertip (or rather, toe tip), lighting up the entire cabin as if stained with blood.
Morgans's feathers all exploded like fireworks: "Did you see that, folks! Conqueror's Haki toe operation! If you think this play is amazing, quickly record it!"
The stream of comments went completely wild:
[User "Haki Foot Artist": This is true foot therapy!]
[User "New World Director": Suggest naming it "Red Hair's Foot Technique"!]
[User "Marine Intelligence Division": @Sengoku watch quickly! New Haki usage method!]
[...]
Beckman sighed, covering his face: "Captain, if you dare to use this move in the finals today..."
"Ehehe~" Shanks blinked and wiggled his toe flexibly. "This is a secret weapon, hahaha!"
Ron suddenly let out a light chuckle: "It seems today's finals... will be quite interesting." He looked meaningfully toward the direction of Marine Headquarters, where the lights were still brightly lit.
Whitebeard slammed his sake bowl heavily onto the table: "Gurarararara! Brats! Drink until dawn and watch the match!" He pointed at Shanks's shiny soles. "But Red Hair... you'd better wash your feet first!"
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Boss's feet are Haki feet!"
"Conqueror's Haki coating, wow, so he coated his toe!"
"..."
...
In the early morning hours, covered in sea fog,
The Revolutionary Army's warships quietly sailed into the waters outside Marine Headquarters like ghosts.
Sabo stood at the bow, his golden short hair fluttering in the sea breeze. His blue eyes, which always held a smile, were now fixed on the familiar figure on the execution platform.
The scenes in his memory gradually became clear at this moment, as if several times sharper!
"Ace...?"
His voice was so light it was almost not heard, but the hand resting on the ship's railing had already warped the steel bar.
Fire Fist Ace on the execution platform hung his head low. Under the orange hat brim, his face was as pale as paper. Dried bloodstains spread from the corner of his mouth all the way to his collarbone, and his bare upper body was covered in whip marks.
Most glaring were the Sea Stone handcuffs, gleaming with a cold shine in the pre-dawn light.
Sabo's vision suddenly blurred.
Memories surged like a tide—
The treehouse on Mt. Colubo in the East Blue, where three little kids raised their sake cups and became sworn brothers;
On the beach in Windmill Village, Ace chased him, trying to snatch his bento;
Amidst the flames at the Gray Terminal, Luffy cried out their names...
...
"Ugh—!"
Sabo suddenly clutched his head and fell to his knees on the deck, a violent headache causing his body to shake.
The memory fragments erased by the World Nobles' bombardment were now frantically putting themselves back together and piecing themselves together.
The Revolutionary Army comrades gathered around in a panic, but were pushed back by the dragon claw-shaped Haki bursting from his body.
"Captain Sabo!"
"It's a side effect of memory recovery!"
"Quickly get a sedative!"
But when Koala approached with the syringe, Sabo had already stumbled to his feet. His top hat had fallen off at some point, and the eyes beneath his golden hair were bloodshot, yet frighteningly bright.
"I remember... everything..."
His voice was hoarse beyond recognition. His fingers dug deep into his palms, and blood dripped down between his fingers.
"Ace is my brother... Luffy is my brother..."
On the execution platform in the distance, Ace seemed to sense something and raised his head.
Separated by thick fog and sea breeze, by a distance of eight hundred meters and ten years, the eyes of the two brothers met in the pre-dawn darkness.
Sabo's Observation Haki suddenly became clearer than ever before—
He "saw" Ace's cracked lips saying: "Sabo?"
He "heard" Ace's weak heartbeat speeding up.
He "felt" that the body beneath the handcuffs was already at its limit.
"Prepare the assault team." Sabo removed his right glove, showing the index finger that usually held a pen, which was now wrapped in pitch-black Armament Haki. "I want to see three escape routes before dawn."
The Revolutionary Army soldiers exchanged glances: "But the Leader said..."
"I will explain to Dragon." Sabo grabbed the steel pipe leaning against the ship's railing, water droplets sliding down the metal texture. "Tell all the brothers, this is not a Revolutionary Army mission—" The veins on his arm bulged. "This is my personal matter, as Sabo, the elder brother."
As the eastern sky turned a pale white, Morgans's live stream drone captured a shocking scene:
A black warship without a flag suddenly sped up toward the execution platform. Standing at the bow was the Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff with golden hair fluttering. His roar clearly carried through the sea breeze:
"Ace—!!!"
This cry was heartbreaking, as if to make up for all the time missed over ten years.
Ace on the execution platform suddenly widened his eyes, tears mixed with blood sliding down: "Sabo... is that really you...?"
Meanwhile,
The alarm sirens at Marine Headquarters blared throughout the sky,
Sengoku smashed the alarm with his fist: "Damn it! Why at this exact moment!" He looked at Kizaru and others who were still making final tactical adjustments. "You continue! Everyone else, follow me!"
Meanwhile,
"Moonwalk!"
Just as Sabo was about to rush to the execution platform, a purple lightning bolt streaked across the sky!
Ron's figure suddenly appeared in front of him, his eyes as cold as ice, giving off a suffocating pressure.
"Sabo, stop." Ron's voice was not loud, but it struck his heart like a heavy hammer. "No one can break the rules I set."
Sabo's Dragon Claw Fist stopped suddenly in mid-air. His Armament Haki collided fiercely with him, creating dazzling sparks.
Only then did he suddenly wake up,
What had he just done!
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Author's Note: If you're enjoying this story, I have additional chapters and content available on my personal website at ficnest.com. Thanks for reading!