area51novel Chapter 1748 Reaction to Hiyori's Death
Chapter 1748 Reaction to Hiyori's Death
If you live long enough, you must learn to adapt to constant loss.
But Edward Newgate, with his white beard, has lost far too much and too much in his life.
Rocks is dead, Kozuki Oden and his wife are dead, Kozuki Momonosuke is dead, and now Kozuki Hiyori is dead too.
Today, more than 30% of the pirates fighting for the Whitebeard Pirates and to save Ace have been killed or wounded.
Will Ace die today?
Kneeling on the execution platform, Ace watched his most respected father, aboard the Moby Dick, holding a woman's gradually cooling corpse.
The blood of Kozuki Hiyori stained his broad chest, a sight so glaring it was heartbreaking.
Edward Newgate called her name hoarsely over and over again, his rough hand, which had once been capable of crushing enemy heads, gently and tremblingly stroking the woman's bloodless face.
He tried to awaken the gradually cooling and stiffening body, but only deathly silence answered him.
Seeing Whitebeard in such agony, tears streaming down his face, Ace couldn't help but tear up as well. Hot tears welled up in his eyes, mixing with the dust and blood on his face, and flowed freely.
Although he had never actually met the Kozuki family, he knew from his other sworn brothers that his father liked and cherished them very much.
On Whitebeard's ship, no other women ever stayed overnight except for his group of leopard-print nurses.
Even the other adopted daughters had to disembark at night; they couldn't break the rules.
However, Edward Newgate broke this rule for the sake of Kozuki Oden.
He allowed Lady Kozuki to live on the ship, and even allowed the couple to have two children on the ship—Momonosuke and Hiyori.
This special treatment demonstrates the importance of the Kozuki family in his heart.
"Dad, I'm sorry..." Ace, seeing Whitebeard's pained expression, also kowtowed heavily in Whitebeard's direction.
This gentle yet stubborn child is blaming herself again.
If he hadn't been so determined to hunt down Blackbeard, wouldn't many people have survived?
Wouldn't Hiyori...?
Sengoku stood silently beside Ace, his stern face revealing little emotion.
He had witnessed too many scenes of naval families being destroyed and pirates being torn apart by death, and he had Zephyr as a living example right beside him.
The sight of the white-bearded man weeping bitterly could not touch the few remaining soft spots in his heart.
Because the Warring States period understood that when you choose to sail out to sea and embark on this uncertain path, you should expect that one day you will lose something.
Some people lose something important, some even lose their lives—that's the cruelty of the sea.
"Orochi's actions this time have really surprised me," Sengoku thought to himself.
His gaze involuntarily swept over Sesshomaru, whose arm had grown back and whose face was expressionless.
He hadn't expected that this mysterious follower of the Wano Country shogun would possess such bizarre and powerful strength, which would likely pose a significant problem in the future.
Marco, standing beside Whitebeard, felt a pang of heartache seeing his father covered in blood and tears streaming down his face.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that all his words were so pale and powerless in the face of such immense grief.
The pirates on the Moby Dick, as well as other pirates close to the Whitebeard Pirates, were deeply saddened by Whitebeard's mournful and desperate cries.
After all, it's a case of the elderly burying their children.
Whitebeard had experienced this kind of painful separation countless times, but each time the experience was so different and so unforgettable.
People who are sentimental are destined to be burdened by their emotions.
Shiki and Mirajane stood together. As allies, this was the first time they had ever seen Whitebeard cry so sadly and desperately, as if he had really lost his own daughter.
Whitebeard had many women in his life, but it seems he had no direct descendants whom he publicly acknowledged.
Shiki couldn't help but think that even if the legendary Whitebeard Jr. was truly Whitebeard's bloodline, he was most likely not born under normal circumstances.
The loss of his daughter in his old age made Shiki clearly feel a sense of desolation in Whitebeard, as well as an inescapable sense of weariness that was becoming increasingly apparent in this "strongest man in the world."
"It seems that Whitebeard will definitely not let that general go this time," Shiki said, narrowing his eyes.
"interesting……"
Instead of making sarcastic remarks, Teach fixed his gaze firmly on Orochi.
Unexpectedly, this guy actually did what he had always wanted to do but never had the chance to do, and actually injured Whitebeard so deeply!
It seems that Hiyori held a more important place in Whitebeard's heart than he imagined, probably second only to Ace.
"Old man, you're a heartbroken old lion..."
A dangerous yet excited smile curved at the corners of Teach's lips. "I wonder just how fierce their counterattack will be..."
He was already looking forward to that scene.
Whitebeard's heart, which had been pounding violently with extreme grief and indignation, gradually calmed down and transformed into something deeper. He slowly raised his face.
The old face, streaked with tears and blood, etched with grief and exhaustion, now showed no trace of weakness.
Instead, it was a chilling, solidified killing intent.
His gaze was like two blood-stained blades, glaring fiercely in the direction of the black charcoal serpent. The hatred and determination contained in his eyes seemed to want to nail the other's soul to that spot.
The image of Hiyori pleading with him at the last moment kept flashing wildly through his mind.
Those resentful, disdainful eyes, that bloodstained hand that slipped down, those dying words, "Kill him for me"... every frame was a poisonous thorn stuck in his heart, fuel that ignited the flames of his revenge.
He wanted to avenge Kozuki Oden's daughter.
He wanted to avenge his adopted daughter.
The entire Kozuki family was expelled from the register, and this blood feud had to be avenged. Even if it cost Edward Newgate his life, he was willing to do so.
Seeing Whitebeard's disheveled appearance, now devoid of cries and filled only with cold killing intent, Orochi already anticipated the opponent's impending frenzied counterattack.
But so what?
If you didn't have some ability, who would come to Marineford?
Who would dare to trample on everything that the "world's strongest man" cherishes?
He not only wanted to kill Hiyori, but he also wanted to retrieve Hiyori's body from Whitebeard's ship and gouge out her Byakugan.
This was his deal with the Navy, and also his final and most thorough insult to the Kozuki family.
From the very beginning, there was no room for compromise between the two sides.
All that remains is an irreconcilable blood feud and an impending life-or-death battle.