"Master, master, we won!"
Below the stage, Brian was already surrounded by four Beast Girls seeking praise, their faces filled with excitement.
This battle brought them far more joy than the slaughter on Frank's island a few days ago.
In one word: exhilarating!
"Good, very good performance. You all did wonderfully."
Brian briefly patted all four heads, not withholding his praise.
"Hehe~"
"You go rest now. I'll handle what's left."
"Okay, master, I'll cheer for you."
"Go get 'em, master. Return victorious."
"Go, go, master!"
The Beast Girls withdrew, leaving only his battle with Silver Axe remaining.
Looking up, Brian ignored the probing gazes from the crowd directed at the Beast Girls and fixed his eyes on Silver Axe.
Silver Axe naturally sensed this, meeting his gaze briefly before looking away.
"Damn it, damn it!"
Having watched the entire battle from below, Silver Axe's face was ashen with rage.
This outcome was completely unexpected.
Four Beast Girls had trampled and slaughtered hundreds of their elite pirates - what utter humiliation!
Even peak Rear Admiral-level combatants would only last a few more rounds at best. Silver Axe had never witnessed such a situation before.
He carefully recalled his weaker days - could he have achieved this during his Rear Admiral period?
The answer was: barely possible, but still quite difficult.
This realization stirred an inexplicable, undeniable fear in Silver Axe's heart.
Especially when he thought about facing Brian next, this fear only deepened.
Unfortunately, he had no way out now - unless he wanted to die.
Inhale~
Exhale~
Taking a deep drag from his cigarette to calm himself, Silver Axe slowly walked toward the combat platform.
Stepping onto the platform now completely stained red with his subordinates' blood, Silver Axe drew the massive silver battleaxe from his back and addressed Brian.
"The subordinates' fight is over. Now it's my turn against you. Come up, Brian."
Whoosh~
Brian's figure appeared before Silver Axe, the afterimage at his original position below slowly fading away.
"Then let's begin!"
"Bring it on! I'll fucking kill you!"
Ha!
"Axe of One!"
The massive single-bladed battleaxe rose high, instantly coated with black Armament Haki, descending with earth-splitting force.
There was nothing left to say between them - the truth would be revealed in battle.
"Hundred Beasts·Dog Fist!"
A cute puppy form materialized around Brian's fist, similarly coated in black Armament Haki with faint red lightning crackling around it, meeting the axe head-on.
Boom!
The collision was tremendous, instantly creating a massive crater where the two stood.
The pirate corpses originally littering the battlefield were reduced to minced meat or buried under rubble from the violent shockwaves.
This was the law of this world where strength reigned supreme - the weak didn't even deserve proper burial after death.
"Axe of Two!"
Amidst the dust, Silver Axe leaped out, his battle-axe spinning rapidly as he launched a horizontal slash aimed at Brian's waist.
"Hundred Beasts·Bat Slash!"
Brian formed a hand blade and slashed through the air before him.
A sword aura materialized, swiftly meeting Silver Axe's attack head-on.
Boom~
The two exchanged blows, dozens of clashes occurring within just a few minutes.
Bang bang bang~
Boom boom boom~
In those brief minutes, the battlefield had become irreparably devastated.
Deep craters littered the area, rubble flew in all directions, and smoke billowed everywhere.
Only the sounds of violent collisions and even spitting blood could be heard emerging continuously from the haze.
The dust-shrouded battle persisted for dozens of minutes before the situation shifted.
Thud~
"Cough, cough, pfft~"
A tall figure was sent flying backward from the smoke, crashing heavily onto a stone slab and shattering it completely.
A closer look revealed it was Silver Axe.
He was now drastically changed.
During the past ten-plus minutes of combat, his clothes had been torn to shreds, hanging off him in tatters.
His body was covered in wounds of varying sizes, blood flowing freely with no chance to staunch it.
After merely half-kneeling for a moment, a small pool of blood had already accumulated beneath him.
"Damn, is the gap in strength really this vast? Shit, I've truly brought this upon myself."
Tap tap tap~
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Silver Axe watched Brian emerge from the smoke, his expression growing increasingly grim.
Brian, in contrast, still appeared immaculate. His clothes were only slightly torn, with no other signs of damage.
Not a single wound marred his body, and he bore none of the disheveled grime that covered Silver Axe.
The outcome of the battle seemed all but decided.
Not only Silver Axe himself, but even the observing officers had reached a clear conclusion about the result.
"Silver Axe has lost. There's no hope of a comeback."
Shiki declared, stating what was only natural.
After all, Brian was a powerhouse capable of fighting him to a standstill—how could he be restrained by a mere Silver Axe?
"Mamamamama, poor Silver Axe. Jumping out like this was truly seeking his own demise."
"Now, how will he possibly save face?"
Charlotte Linlin shoveled cake into her mouth as she commented.
She held Silver Axe's strength in no regard whatsoever.
"Gurararara, that depends on how Captain Rocks decides."
Whitebeard gulped down his alcohol and remarked offhandedly.
It all hinged on whether Rocks still found Silver Axe useful. If he didn't intervene, Silver Axe was doomed.
"Gehahahaha, Silver Axe really did bring this on himself. I wonder how John and Wang Zhi will react?"
"Those three have always been comrades who advance and retreat together."
Glancing sideways at Wang Zhi and John, he noticed both wore equally unpleasant expressions, fists clenched as if ready to intervene at any moment.
Yet, after holding firm for less than a minute, their hands relaxed.
Utter trash—unable to even maintain their resolve, yet still hoping to block Brian's promotion to senior officer.
Shiki sneered and dismissed the two useless individuals.
Without the demeanor of true powerhouses, no wonder they lacked Conqueror's Haki—these two were already washed up!
"Do you yield? Kneel on the ground, apologize to me with utmost sincerity, and I'll spare your life."
Brian looked down on Silver Axe and spoke casually.
Killing Silver Axe held little meaning; he knew without a doubt that Rocks would stop him.
No matter how weak, Silver Axe was still a vice-admiral-level combatant at his peak—Rocks wouldn't discard him so easily.
Especially since it was already 1483, and the God Valley Incident was imminent.
Under such circumstances, Rocks would never allow his key subordinates to suffer casualties.
Of course, the previous cannon-fodder pirates didn't count - the New World could produce as many of those low-level scum as needed.
They were even more disposable than leeks.
"Damn brat, damn it! Who do you think you're showing off in front of me?"
"When I was dominating the New World, you weren't even born yet, you bastard."
"Ahhh, ah~~"