"Yin, Xuan, take care of it."
"Since you two have so much energy anyway."
Looking at Marcus, who stood frozen in place after being scolded by him, Brian casually waved his hand and issued the command.
Before purging the island, he would first get rid of the deadweight.
Whoosh!
"Heave-ho, watch me!"
"Ha, Tiger Fist!"
From behind Brian, a figure swiftly flashed and appeared in front of Marcus.
Tiger Claws raised, coated with Armament Haki.
Not to be outdone, Leopard Girl appeared to Marcus's right, her Spiked Club gleaming with a black sheen.
"Leopard Kill!"
Even before the claws and Spiked Club made contact with the enemy, they already stirred up a powerful aura.
"What?"
"Lord Brian, I'm also a member of the Rocks Pirates! You can't do this."
"What are you two standing around for? Hurry up and block these damned women!"
Seeing Tiger Girl charging at him, Marcus was terrified.
After shouting at Brian, he yelled at his two bodyguards.
So oblivious—their employer was about to die!
Marcus was deeply dissatisfied with these two bodyguards he had hired from the Black Market over two years ago.
Rear Admiral-level combat power? Gold-tier Black Market bodyguards?
They were even less alert than he was, their employer.
Little did he know, the two bodyguards were equally stunned.
Following Marcus as their employer, if nothing else, the past two and a half years had been truly comfortable.
They hardly ever had to fight. While Marcus acted like a local tyrant on the island, the two of them also enjoyed immense prestige.
Having latched onto a powerful patron and living such an easy life, who would bother with disciplined training to maintain their strength?
These two bodyguards certainly weren't that self-disciplined, and now their actual strength had nearly fallen below Marcus's level.
At least Marcus, with his extensive experience, reacted a bit faster.
"O-okay."
"Yes!"
Faced with Tiger Girl's sudden attack, the two bodyguards snapped back to reality after Marcus's reminder and quickly moved to intercept.
But with their strength already on the verge of dropping below Rear Admiral level, and acting in such a rushed manner—was it any use?
The answer was already clear.
Thump~
Thump~
Two consecutive sounds followed as one bodyguard was sent flying, landing in the sea with his fate unknown.
The other, struck by Leopard Girl's Spiked Club, had his head explode like a watermelon.
Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere like watermelon juice.
Marcus, being the closest, was directly splattered with the red and white mess, leaving him in an utterly wretched state.
"My men... just like that, they're dead."
Staring at the red and white substance on his hands, Marcus fought back the urge to vomit, his heart filled with panic.
With both bodyguards dead, he was all alone now.
Glancing around, he saw Tiger Girl and Leopard Girl watching him intently like tigers eyeing their prey.
Behind them, Brian was staring at him, flanked by the Five Protectors.
With no way to escape, Marcus did something unimaginable.
Thud~
"Lord Brian, I know I was wrong. I beg you, spare my life."
"If you would not disdain me, I am willing to pledge myself as your adopted son, to be loyal and devoted to you from now on."
"From this day forward, if you say go east, I will never go west. If you say kill, I will never capture alive."
"I also have some treasures hidden in other places—I will offer them all to you."
"Father above, your son Marcus is yours from this day forward."
Thump thump thump—
Three kowtows, each resounding loudly.
Marcus directly acknowledged him as father without the slightest hesitation.
"..."
Brian had to admit he was completely bewildered by Marcus's actions.
What was going on?
Was the practice of acknowledging fathers also a thing in the pirate world?
He didn't take in sons—he wasn't like Whitebeard, who enjoyed such customs.
For a moment, Brian almost thought he hadn't arrived in the pirate world but had somehow ended up in the Three Kingdoms era.
Ma·Lü Bu·Marcus: Father above?
Then wouldn't that make him Bu·Dong Zhuo·Brian?
Damn!!!
How could he tolerate this?
"Beast - Tiger Fist!"
Roar!
Enraged, Brian threw a punch, and a tiger formed of Flowing Sakura roared as it charged toward Marcus.
That tiger's roar was the last sound Marcus would ever hear.
"Father, wait—"
He wanted to struggle one last time, but it was utterly futile.
Sizzle!
Struck by Brian's furious blow, Marcus was instantly reduced to charcoal.
Crumbling to the ground, he turned to dust.
In the past, Brian rarely disposed of his victims so viciously.
This time, it was instant humane destruction followed by cremation—all in one go.
It showed just how revolted Brian was by that word "father."
"Tch~"
"What a disgusting guy. I still feel uneasy even now."
Brian shook his head as if the shadow of Dong Zhuo still lingered in his mind.
He truly had no desire for adopted sons—subordinates were more than enough.
"Ha~"
"Number One, clean this up."
Waving his hand, Brian instructed Number One to handle the aftermath and headed toward the ship's bow.
This matter was settled; what remained was the main course.
They had been in these waters for some time and had already weathered two waves of attacks.
Though they hadn't drawn much attention, they had still caught the notice of the pirates on the island.
Looking out, Brian saw several pirate ships heading their way.
Under these circumstances, there was no point in hiding or delaying any longer.
Without hesitation, Brian issued his orders.
"Yin, Xuan, each of you take two Beast Girls and form two teams."
"Flank left and right, and clear out all the pirates on this island."
"Number One, activate all the cannons on the ship and provide support."
"Yes, Master!"
At his command, the six-member Beast Girl Legion nodded in unison.
They might joke around normally, but when it came to serious matters, they never hesitated.
Tiger Girl and Leopard Girl exchanged a glance, sparks seeming to fly between them.
Once again, they were pitted against each other—this mission would be their wager, and they would see who came out on top.
No words were needed; it was all tacit understanding.
"Huh? Master, Master, what about me?"Cow Girl Bei, watching the six Beast Girls exude such dominance, pointed at herself in confusion."
Though not skilled in combat, she still wanted to contribute.
"You? Give each of the six a bottle of the milk you squeezed earlier."
"You're support staff—no need to go into battle."
Seeing Cow Girl's eagerness, Brian patted her tail, giving her a role to play.
Why not pat her head?
Cow Girl was tall, after all, and with those assets larger than his head...
Standing beside her, Brian couldn't reach her head.
"Yay, I'll go get it right away!"
Bei excitedly stood up, her milky white bosom swaying as she headed toward the cabin.
"By the way, take these with you."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~
Each of them received a small black dumpling from their master Brian.
"One Armament Haki Dumpling for each of you, containing my Armament Haki. Use it immediately when needed."
"Alright, thank you, Master."
"No problem, leave it to us, Master."
The Beast Girls nodded, carefully storing them away.
With this, they felt even more confident.
"I'm here, the milk is here."
From inside the cabin, the Cow Girl quickly emerged, holding six bottles of milk.
"Go now, leave none behind!"
"Yes!"
Each received a bottle of milk, and the six Beast Girls exchanged glances.
Whoosh~~~
Splitting into two groups, their target was all the Pirates on the island ahead.