Tap, Tap, Tap...
Propelled by the explosion's shockwave, the pirate ship lurched toward the warship.
In swift succession, they lowered boarding ladders from the pirate ship, bridging the gap between vessels.
"Charge! For our utopia — leave none alive!"
Hundreds of raiders poured from the pirate ship onto the warship, brandishing their weapons and cutting down anyone in their path.
"I leave the command to you here."
With these words, Hyaku handed control to the more experienced Master Chief Petty Officer and leaped to the warship's high mast.
His keen eyes surveyed the scene. The invaders were mostly low-ranking 'Millions' and 'Billions' from Baroque Works.
Their initial assault gained ground, but as the Master Chief Petty Officer organized the Marines' defense, the battle evolved into a fierce standoff.
After assessing the situation briefly, Hyaku turned his attention to the pirate ship. From his elevated position, he spotted a distinctive figure at the center of the enemy deck.
The man wore a long gray-brown coat and sunglasses, but what stood out most was his wild, explosive hairstyle.
"Mr. 5!" Hyaku recognized him instantly.
This was Gem of the Border, alias Mr. 5, a high-ranking Officer Agent of Baroque Works — a user of the Paramecia-type Bomu Bomu no Mi (Bomb-Bomb Fruit)!
Now Hyaku understood why their cannon fire had proven ineffective — this man had neutralized it.
Their eyes met across the gap, and Mr. 5 drew his finger across his throat in a menacing gesture.
A blatant provocation!
"Interesting." Seeing this, Hyaku smiled instead of getting angry, a playful curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
If he remembered correctly, in the original story, Mr. 5's technique was to attack with explosive boogers, wasn't it?
For him now, such an attack was not only disgusting but utterly useless.
Whoosh!
With a powerful push of his right foot against the mast, Hyaku gracefully leaped onto the pirate ship.
"Marine!"
"A Marine soldier has boarded!"
"Let's take him down!"
Hyaku's dramatic descent immediately caught everyone's attention.
Pirates quickly surrounded him, cracking their knuckles and eager to attack.
"Everyone, stand back!" A commanding voice cut through the crowd.
The crowd parted smoothly, creating a path as Mr. 5 approached.
"He's beyond your abilities. I'll handle him myself," he told the crowd.
"Y-yes...!"
The gathered pirates could only bow their heads and reluctantly step aside.
"My, my... how troublesome... You seem to be a newcomer. Shall we shake hands and call it a truce?" Mr. 5 met Hyaku's gaze again, affecting a lazy demeanor as he scratched his head.
He had one hand casually stuck in his nostril, appearing utterly devoid of fighting spirit.
In this strange, lazy atmosphere...
Whoosh!
Mr. 5 suddenly withdrew his finger and flicked it toward Hyaku. A pitch-black booger shot toward him at alarming speed.
The projectile was so small that ordinary people would hardly notice it. Mr. 5, having just launched his attack, imagined the Marine's imminent demise. The corners of his mouth curved into a slight smirk.
But just as the projectile was about to reach its target, Hyaku crouched down. His right hand gripped the sword hilt and, in one fluid motion, he drew his blade and slashed downward like lightning.
With incredible precision, he sliced the incoming booger into pieces!
Poof...
The shattered fragments merely emitted tiny wisps of black smoke before losing all potency.
"...!" Mr. 5 stared in disbelief.
Not only had Hyaku reacted in time, but he had used such a massive sword to precisely destroy such a tiny target.
What terrifying perception — what incredible reflexes!
Mr. 5 finally understood the caliber of opponent he faced.
"Mr. 5, Paramecia-type Bomu Bomu no Mi user, a Bomb Human. You tried to catch me off guard with that disgusting attack just now, didn't you?" Hyaku declared.
He had seen through Mr. 5's strategy completely.
The Paramecia-type Bomu Bomu no Mi allows its user to make any part of their body explode — from something as small as a booger to even exhaled air. Everything becomes a potential explosive.
The explosions cause devastating damage. Throughout his missions, Mr. 5 had eliminated countless targets with these seemingly harmless projectiles.
Mr. 5 was taken aback that Hyaku, someone he'd never met, knew his ability in such detail.
"Who are you?" he asked, brows furrowed.
"Hyaku." came the simple reply.
This only deepened Mr. 5's confusion.
Baroque Works, being a secret criminal organization, maintained thorough intelligence on Marine personnel — especially those in the Alabasta region. Yet they had no records of anyone named like this.
"Are you done talking? If so, it's time to send you and your companions to prison." Hyaku continued.
He lifted the massive Beginner's Tachi in a backhand grip, resting it against his right shoulder.
Without showing any strain, Hyaku advanced step by step toward Mr. 5.
"You... don't come any closer! If you come any closer, I'll..." Mr. 5 stammered nervously, hastily jamming his finger back into his nostril.
✣ Rokushiki: Soru ⭄ Shave! ✣
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind whistled past Mr. 5's ear as a dark shadow flashed by.
The man in front of him had vanished.
"You'd better not use that disgusting ability again." Hyaku's voice came from behind him.
Mr. 5 quickly turned his head. Somehow, this terrifying opponent had materialized behind him.
Hyaku maintained a forward-leaning, half-crouching posture. The Beginner's Tachi he had carried on his shoulder was already swinging downward.
Slash!
A deep sword wound appeared across Mr. 5's chest, spraying blood in its wake.
"You..." Mr. 5 hadn't even seen Hyaku draw his blade.
His eyes glazed over as he collapsed forward.
"..."
The crowd stood paralyzed, watching their leader fall to Hyaku in a single exchange.
Their terror only deepened as Hyaku leveled his Tachi at them, his voice as cold as steel:
"It's your turn now."
✣✣✣
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