068 Waldo's Breakdown

The island was torn apart, swallowed by endless seawater, as if the heavens and earth had collapsed, bringing everything to utter silence.

With a swish, a bloodstained golden figure appeared, glancing down at Xuan Ye, whose body was battered and unconscious, a crooked grin on his lips.

He bent down, hoisted Xuan Ye over his shoulder, then rummaged through the rubble, dragging out the half-dead Waldo like a lifeless dog, gradually vanishing into the haze of gunpowder and smoke.

Three days later, on a tranquil sea, a small boat lay still upon the waters.

Xuan Ye, swathed in bandages and his face clouded with gloom, stared expressionlessly at the monkey.

"Eek eek... You can’t blame me for this. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for breaking the Log Pose and the Den Den Mushi," the golden monkey bared its teeth, gesturing animatedly, chin held high as if to say none of this was its concern.

"Then explain why we’re lost," Xuan Ye shot him a glare, exasperation rising.

After the battle with Waldo, Xuan Ye had clearly seen that the Log Pose and Den Den Mushi were only cracked, not broken. He was certain it was this creature who had finished them off while he was unconscious.

"Eek eek… How should I know? It’s not my fault," the monkey replied, turning its back and presenting a bright red rear to Xuan Ye.

"Hey, kid, how did you manage to shackle me with Seastone?" Waldo, hands bound in Seastone cuffs, interrupted their bickering.

Ignoring Waldo’s question, Xuan Ye stepped forward, frowning as he gazed out at the endless expanse of sea.

Was this the North Blue or somewhere else? Only two nights had passed, and yet they were already lost, stranded in the middle of nowhere. He blamed the idiot monkey entirely.

Worse, the fool refused to admit his mistake.

"Hey! Are you ignoring me? Just because you beat me doesn’t mean you can act so arrogant," Waldo continued to babble on, his breath weak but his spirit restless. "What happened to my men? Answer me! Are you all mute?"

"Shut up," Xuan Ye shot him a cold glance.

Originally, Xuan Ye had intended to kill him outright, but thinking better of it, he decided that keeping a head on board was unsettling. In the end, he would simply send this man to Impel Down.

"Kid, do you want to know where we are?" Waldo slanted his eyes, his body limp.

"If you’ve got something to say, spit it out," Xuan Ye replied impatiently.

"Take these off and I’ll tell you," Waldo narrowed his eyes.

"Monkey, teach him a lesson, but let him live," Xuan Ye ordered without turning, fire flaring beneath his feet as the boat vanished in a blink across the sea.

Two hours later.

"Eek eek… Pirate ship spotted."

"Oh?" Xuan Ye’s eyes lit up, and he disappeared from the boat.

In the distance, a small pirate ship was approaching.

With a flash of fire, Xuan Ye stood on the deck, expressionless as he faced the pitiful handful of pirates on board.

He raised a hand, his fingertips glowing red, and a streak of flame shot out, instantly incinerating several pirates and burning through the entire ship.

"W-who are you?" one pirate stammered in terror, staring at the wreckage of their vessel.

"Tell me the nearest island, or I’ll wipe you all out," Xuan Ye said, his voice devoid of emotion as another spark ignited at his fingertip.

"Spare us, sir! Please, have mercy! We just set out to sea and haven’t hurt anyone," the pirate captain begged, sensing the destructive power at Xuan Ye’s finger.

"Answer the question. I won’t ask a third time."

"T-to the right, an hour’s sail," the pirate leader stammered, pointing in the direction.

"Good luck to you. Being a pirate isn’t easy," Xuan Ye said, stepping lightly with his right foot. Flames erupted, splitting the ship into countless jagged fragments, the cracks widening as the ship began to sink.

With a flash, Xuan Ye vanished, leaving the pirates in chaos behind him.

"Quick, put out the fire! Forget the treasure, I just want to go home!" their cries turned the pirate ship into a frenzy.

With a bang, Xuan Ye reappeared before the monkey. "To the right. We’ll land and rest for a while."

"Eek eek," the monkey nodded eagerly, eyes shining.

The sea parted, and with a burst of fire, they disappeared toward the coastline.

"What’s happening?" Xuan Ye stood ashore, frowning at the smoke rising in the distance.

It was a sizable island, its harbor once bustling, now in utter disarray.

Fleeing residents, faces twisted in panic, surged toward the coast like refugees, desperate to escape.

"Interesting. Looks like pirates have shown up," Xuan Ye observed coolly.

"Eek eek… What should we do?" the monkey gestured wildly.

"What do you think?" Xuan Ye rolled his eyes. "We’re out of supplies. Let’s stock up—and maybe catch a couple of pirates."

"Eek eek… What about him?" the monkey pointed a furry finger at Waldo, an odd look in his eyes.

"That’s a problem," Xuan Ye stroked his chin, then decided, "Knock him out."

"Hey! Even prisoners have dignity," Waldo protested feebly, trying to struggle, but the Seastone’s power left him utterly weak.

"Dead weight. What are you waiting for?" Xuan Ye gave the monkey a sidelong glance.

"Eek eek… Don’t blame me, it’s the boss’s orders," the monkey grinned wickedly, not caring if Waldo understood, and raised a fist coated in Armament Haki.

"A man can be killed but not humiliated…"

Bang! The thunderous blow left Waldo’s eyes brimming with tears, a massive red lump swelling on his head, steaming as it rose.

"Ah… It hurts like hell!" Waldo rolled on the ground, clutching his head, tears and snot streaming uncontrollably.

So much for his air of a master, his five hundred million bounty, his reputation as a world destroyer—damn it all, Waldo hated this man and monkey with every fiber of his being.

"Eek eek… Why isn’t he out cold?" the monkey wondered, staring at his fist, then grinned and layered on more Haki, landing another punch that made onlookers wince.

"Ah!" Waldo screamed again, cursing, "You bastards, if I get free, you’ll regret this!"

"Eek eek… You dare threaten me?" The monkey’s face fell, and he punched again.

Four or five punches later, Waldo’s head was covered in lumps, but instead of passing out, he seemed even more energized.

"A man can be killed but not humiliated!"

"Bastards!"

"I’ll tear you both apart!"

"Come on, keep going, I won’t faint!"

"This hurts like hell!"

"You damned monkey, no wonder your ass is red—I hope you suffer every time you go to the bathroom!"

Cursing and howling, Waldo refused to yield.

Bang, bang!

"Eek eek… That’s for insulting me!" The monkey, fists black as pitch, rained blows down in a storm.

Moments later, a battered, unrecognizable figure lay twitching on the ground—a sight so pitiful that even Xuan Ye felt a pang of sympathy.

As he finally lost consciousness, Waldo’s spirit was utterly broken.

"Phew… Eek eek…" The monkey stood, wiping cold sweat from his brow and dusting off his hands. "That was exhausting, but at least I worked out my frustrations."

Glancing at the still-twitching Waldo, Xuan Ye gave the monkey an odd look.

"Eek eek… Let’s go," the monkey said, dragging Waldo below deck like a dead dog, then swaggered over to Xuan Ye.

Taking advantage of the time, Xuan Ye discarded his bandages and donned a simple set of casual clothes.

Three days and nights had been enough for most of his wounds to heal.

And so, man and monkey set foot on the island, heading straight for the smoke-filled center.