When two opposing forces meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail!
As one warship after another collided with the pirate vessels, the battle erupted into a full-blown, white-hot melee.
Faced with the crazed Marine soldiers, the members of the Beasts Pirates, who prided themselves on being part of a Yonko crew, found their understanding of the world completely overturned.
The Marines' behavior made them question their own identity as pirates. Compared to these Marines, who were far more ruthless and bloodthirsty, the pirates themselves seemed almost tame.
In the past, Marine soldiers, whether led by Vice Admirals or Admirals, were little more than cannon fodder on the battlefield. They might provide some support, but they were hardly a threat.
Because of this, the pirates had only ever feared the Marine officers—especially the powerful Vice Admirals and the three Admirals, who were considered the ultimate combat force of Marine Headquarters.
But now, these Marine soldiers were more terrifying than the Vice Admirals. While their individual strength hadn't changed much, their fighting style had undergone a complete transformation. They fought as if their lives depended on it, as if they had been reborn into a new breed of warriors, utterly unrecognizable from the Marines of old.
What made it worse was their unrelenting fervor. Every single Marine soldier, no matter how insignificant, seemed to be in a state of heightened excitement. As soon as they spotted a pirate, they would charge forward without hesitation, regardless of who their opponent was.
If only a single warship's crew behaved this way, the Beasts Pirates might have been able to dismiss it as an anomaly. But when every Marine soldier across the entire fleet displayed this same madness, it became a nightmare.
In just a matter of minutes, the rampant arrogance of the Beasts Pirates was completely suppressed. The Marines, their morale soaring, had gone berserk, scaring many pirates into fleeing or hiding in the cabins, screaming in panic.
"Yonko crew? Beasts Pirates?"
"Yahahahaha! All of you, die!"
On the deck of one pirate ship, a Marine captain, completely consumed by bloodlust, swiftly cut down a pirate blocking his path. Wiping the blood off his face, he charged toward two more pirates like a wild wolf, his eyes glowing with an eerie green light.
"W-wait...!"
One of the pirates, seeing the Marine captain rushing toward him, panicked and pulled his companion in front of him as a human shield. In desperation, he shouted, "I surrender! I surrender!"
Squelch!
The only response he received was the sound of a body being pierced.
Looking down, he saw the Marine captain's blade had impaled the unfortunate pirate he had used as a shield. The tip of the blade protruded from the man's back, and the sight caused the surrendering pirate to collapse onto the deck in terror.
At that moment, two more pirates charged at the Marine captain, their eyes red with fury.
The Marine captain, however, merely grinned, his lips curling into a bloodthirsty smile. Ignoring the attack from one of the pirates, he lunged at the other, driving his blade into the man's chest without hesitation.
But as he killed one pirate, the second pirate took the opportunity to swing a heavy hammer down onto the captain's back.
Thud!
The hammer struck with a resounding impact, causing the Marine captain to stumble forward and cough up a mouthful of blood.
"Hehehehahaha!"
Despite the severe blow, the captain used his bloodied sword to steady himself. He let out a chilling, maniacal laugh, his voice echoing across the deck. "Come on! Again! Hahahaha!"
With a sudden burst of energy, the captain rolled forward, dodging the hammer just as it was about to strike again. In one swift motion, he drove his blade upward, piercing the hammer-wielding pirate's chest.
After killing the second pirate, the captain wasted no time. He quickly turned and pounced on the pirate who had earlier surrendered, pinning him to the deck.
The terrified pirate, now completely devoid of any will to fight, instinctively grabbed the blade with his hands, his voice trembling as he begged, "I-I was wrong! Please, Marine! Spare me! I... I don't want to die!"
The captain, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, snarled through gritted teeth, "This captain... does not... accept... surrender!"
With each word, he pushed the blade deeper into the pirate's chest. The pirate's eyes widened in terror as the sword slowly pierced his heart.
When the blade was fully embedded, the captain, now utterly exhausted, collapsed onto the pirate's lifeless body.
"W-why...?"
Blood gushed from the pirate's mouth as he struggled to speak. "I... I surrendered... Why...?"
The captain, catching his breath, forced himself to stand. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, his bloodshot eyes glaring down at the dying pirate. With a voice filled with years of pent-up rage, he growled, "The tables have turned, pirate!"
"Fleet Admiral Xayuki said this: From now on, the Marines will not rely on words—"
Before he could finish, the captain yanked the sword from the pirate's chest, sending a spray of blood into the air. Raising the blood-soaked blade high above his head, he roared, "But on the sword!"
Boom!
Thunder roared in the sky above.
Bolts of lightning tore through the heavens, illuminating the bloodied captain standing on the deck with his sword raised high. In that moment, he looked less like a man and more like a god—or a demon.
Meanwhile, high above the battlefield, the massive dragon form of Kaido had vanished. In its place, a towering figure descended from the sky, radiating an oppressive aura. It was none other than the Yonko himself, restored to his original human form.
"Sakazuki!"
"Prepare to die!"
With a thunderous roar, Kaido plummeted onto the deck of a large Marine warship, his massive kanabo (spiked club) in hand. The sheer force of his landing nearly capsized the ship.
Before Sakazuki could regain his footing, Kaido unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, which crackled like lightning and wrapped around his kanabo.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido swung the kanabo with all his might, aiming to crush Sakazuki with a single blow.
But Sakazuki, his eyes filled with disdain, didn't even bother to counter. With a slight sidestep, he dodged the attack effortlessly.
As Kaido's kanabo struck empty air, Sakazuki stomped down on the weapon, pinning it to the deck.
Boom!
The impact of Sakazuki's stomp caused the surrounding air to explode, sending shockwaves that flung every Marine officer and soldier on the deck into the air.
Sakazuki, however, paid no attention to his fallen subordinates. His focus was solely on Kaido.
"Kaido!" he declared, his voice dripping with murderous intent. "I failed to kill you before, but this time, you won't escape my grasp!"
Without waiting for a response, Sakazuki pulled out a slip of paper given to him by Xayuki before leaving Marine Headquarters. He tossed it toward Kaido without hesitation.
Kaido, initially unfazed by the loss of his kanabo, was caught off guard by the sight of the paper. His laughter abruptly stopped as his eyes narrowed in shock.
From the paper, a swirling mass of red and black flames erupted, accompanied by an overwhelming pressure that radiated outward.
Second update of the day! More chapters coming soon! ~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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