Longinus' pupils constricted sharply. A bounty didn't always equal true strength—but in most cases, it was the clearest indicator.
And in this early stage of the Great Pirate Era, especially in the first half of the Grand Line, a 37 million berry bounty was already shockingly high.
He had killed pirates before, yes. But the strongest among them had only carried a 23 million bounty. Compared to 37 million, they weren't even in the same league.
Worse, Giant Rhino Alex was infamous in these waters. Not only had he repeatedly escaped the Navy's pursuit, he would even slaughter towns afterward as vengeance. It seemed today the island had simply become a target of collateral damage.
"Brother Longinus… w-what should we do now?"
Fizz was trembling, helpless as he saw Longinus momentarily dazed.
"Of course… we kill them."
"Huh!?"
Fizz's eyes flew open in disbelief. Although Brother Longinus was strong—strong enough to kill many marauding pirates—this time their enemy was on an entirely different level!
But before Fizz could react, Longinus was already gone—vanishing in a burst of explosive movement.
"Brother Longinus, wait for me!"
"It seems I'll need to reveal a few more cards to take this one down. But that's fine… the life force I've absorbed from Sea Kings is more than enough. It's time… to taste the power of a truly strong soul."
A flare of bloodlust flickered through Longinus' normally calm eyes. His running body trembled—the sign that his boiling blood was beginning to surge.
The killing hadn't stopped.
Blood painted the earth, severed limbs scattered everywhere. It was as though hell's gates had been thrown open.
"Lord Alex, we—we can hand over all our wealth to you! Please spare our lives!"
The elderly town chief fell to his knees, kowtowing desperately.
"Chief! Let's just fight them!" someone shouted angrily from behind.
"Silence!"
The old town chief barked at his people before pleading again,
"Lord Alex, take everything if you wish. I swear on my ancestors—we will never report you to the Navy. Please… have mercy!"
"Hahahaha! Let you go? Then who will spread the name of my brutality across the seas?"
The giant, burly, one-eyed pirate grinned savagely.
"I've already declared it—every time the Navy issues a new bounty on me, I will wipe out one town. If you want to blame someone, blame those idiot sailors!"
He raised his massive spiked club, preparing to crush the old man's skull like pulp.
Just as the townsfolk steeled themselves for a desperate death-struggle—
—a shadow plunged from the sky.
Alex's pig-like bulky body was smashed through the air for dozens of meters.
Longinus, who had launched himself off the rooftops, landed lightly after delivering the devastating blow.
"T-that's… Longinus… he actually sent Giant Rhino Alex flying!"
A townsman muttered, unable to believe his eyes.
"With Brother Longinus here, that stupid pirate crew won't last long!"
The junior recruits cheered with complete trust.
"You've gotta be kidding! A brat barely twelve beat the captain!?"
A pirate blurted without thinking.
The others immediately backed away from him as if avoiding a deadly plague.
Realizing what he had just said, the pirate turned pale, legs shaking as he stared into the settling dust.
"C-captain, I didn't mean—"
A spinning spiked club erupted from the dust like a shot—striking his head and crushing it to paste. His headless body collapsed with a dull thud.
Alex emerged, eyes blood-red with killing intent. Blood streamed down his forehead, painting him like a demon risen from a sea of gore.
Everyone lowered their heads, trembling, barely daring to breathe.
"You little bastard… you hit me. Do you know? No one—NO ONE—has ever hit my head!"
Alex advanced slowly, the pressure of his rage weighing heavily on the air.
"Well, now someone has."
Longinus smiled gently, though inside he was analyzing calmly.
"So the rumors are true—Alex is a Zoan Devil Fruit user. Otherwise, there's no way he could recover so quickly from a blow that kills Sea Kings."
For a moment, Alex was stunned. Then fury exploded inside him, wiping away whatever speech he had been planning. With a stomp that cracked the ground, he launched himself forward at terrifying speed.
Ten meters vanished in the blink of an eye.
Seeing Longinus appear "stunned," Alex felt a wave of sadistic satisfaction. He put even more force into his massive, hammer-like punch.
Just when his fist—large as a boulder—was inches from Longinus' face—
Longinus moved.
He tilted his head slightly left; the fist brushed past with a gust that whipped his hair.
Then Longinus' shoulder slammed forward—
—crack!
A sharp snap of bone.
Before Alex could even scream, a brutal knee strike smashed into his abdomen.
Everyone—townsfolk and pirates alike—watched in shock as Giant Rhino Alex's face twisted grotesquely, his bulging eyes popping like a dead fish. His agony was palpable even from afar.
And Longinus wasn't finished.
He grabbed Alex by the shoulder—
—and performed a massive shoulder throw, slamming the huge man into the ground with overwhelming force.
Given their size difference, it looked like an ant tossing an elephant.
But no one laughed. The sheer violence of the scene had robbed them of speech entirely.
Aside from Longinus' loyal junior recruits, who had grown up witnessing his monstrous strength every day, no one could believe that the fearsome Alex—terror of this region—was being thrown around by a preteen.
Reality was stranger than fantasy.
A heavy, animalistic snort rumbled through the air.
Longinus' expression remained calm, but he leapt backward instantly.
A massive five-meter-tall rhinoceros burst from the dust, its single horn gleaming like a murderous blade—sharper than most famed swords.
If Longinus hadn't sensed the danger in advance and dodged, that horn could've torn him apart.
"T-that thing… that's a monster!"
The townsfolk, who had just begun to hope, fell into despair again.
"Idiots! This is the captain's REAL power! This is why the Giant Rhino Pirates rule these seas!"
The pirates regained their confidence and roared triumphantly.
"Hmph! That guy's still way smaller than a Sea King. He's not beating Brother Longinus!"
The junior recruits remained unfazed.
"Damn brat… I really underestimated you. But now—you'll witness the power of a real demon!"
Alex snorted steam, pawing the ground like a maddened beast.
"Don't boast carelessly. It only makes your weakness more obvious."
Longinus smiled softly even as he faced the rampaging monster.
After all—he always found it easier to be gentle with the dead.