Among the pirates of the New World, there were four distinct pirate crews.
The captains of these four crews were known as the [Four Emperors].
These four pirates reigned like emperors over the [New World], the second half of the [Grand Line].
The Beast Pirates was the crew belonging to Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors.
And Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters serving as Kaido’s Lead Performers, boasted a bounty of one billion Berries.
He was a great pirate whose name shook the entire world.
He was called the Drought because of his Devil Fruit, though another saying claimed that wherever Jack passed, the land would be left barren as if struck by a devastating drought.
But…
Momonga looked at Zephyr beside him.
“Instructor!”
“Why is Hanafuda, one of the Warlords of the Sea, together with Jack the Drought…?” Zephyr had already spotted the two massive silhouettes standing aboard the colossal pirate ship.
Clenching his fists, Zephyr continued, “One of the Warlords of the Sea is colluding with the Beast Pirates?”
“Regardless of their objective, knowing Jack the Drought’s usual conduct, he likely won’t run away.” Momonga rested his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his gaze turning grave and stern.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!” Steam hissed from Zephyr’s massive mechanical arm as he stared grimly at the pirate ship, which had already turned its bow and was heading straight for them.
Zephyr lowered his voice.
“Momonga.
When the time comes, take the kids and leave first!”
With that said, he turned his head to look at everyone.
Momonga’s expression faltered, and he immediately looked back at his instructor.
Standing off to the side, Elliot naturally heard this as well.
He glanced at Zephyr, who looked as though he had made a resolute decision.
Right at that moment…
The Marine atop the mast shouted once more, “They’re coming right at us!
And…
Hanafuda of the Warlords of the Sea is on the ship!
I don’t see Hanafuda’s pirate crew, but he’s holding the pirate Yuno in his hand!
He and Jack must have teamed up to destroy the Yuno Pirates!”
Hearing this, Momonga immediately looked over and saw the towering Hanafuda toss the pirate in his hand aside.
Unbidden, a rumor Momonga had heard recently sprang to mind.
It was said that Hanafuda had been attacking pirates who had just entered the waters near the entrance of the New World, specifically targeting those with fame and Devil Fruit powers.
Since he was eliminating pirates, the World Government had paid it no mind.
In fact, it was precisely for this reason that he had been recruited to become a Warlord of the Sea.
But…
To think he was actually with Jack the Drought.
A Warlord of the Sea had ties to Kaido, one of the Four Emperors!
Momonga tightened his grip on his sword hilt.
As the Marines on the ship heard those words, especially upon seeing the two colossal silhouettes on the distant pirate ship…
It was visible to the naked eye!
The tension of all the Marines was completely etched onto their faces.
Just hearing the title of Jack the Drought of the Beast Pirates was enough to send a shock through everyone’s hearts!
And now they had just heard the title of a [Warlord of the Sea]!
And it was the exceptionally brutal [Lizard King], Hanafuda!
They were an existence that, alongside the [Four Emperors] and [Marine Headquarters], formed the Three Great Powers of the sea!
Every single one of those seven pirates was recognized by the World Government, and each possessed catastrophic destructive power!
*Gulp*～
Some cadets subconsciously swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads as they watched the massive ship draw closer and closer.
Tension and fear instantly spread.
Zephyr had no intention of blaming them.
After all, the enemy was a top executive of the Beast Pirates.
It was entirely justifiable to feel afraid and nervous.
But…
“Don’t forget what we are!
They are nothing more than pirates we will have to face sooner or later!
This sea has been reduced to its current shattered state precisely because of pirates like them!
So…
don’t let those atrocious titles scare you.
If you’re afraid now, how…
how will you protect civilians in the future?
How will you uphold the justice in your hearts!”
“Besides, you have me here!”
Zephyr roared loudly, looking at all the Marines.
Having shouted that!
Zephyr turned around.
Crushing his sunglasses in his grip, he swung his massive mechanical arm and faced the sight that was now clearly visible to the naked eye…
A large flag bearing a pirate skull emblem with massive, curved ivory tusks.
*I will absolutely not let the kids get hurt again.
This time…*
*I’ll kill them all!*
A fierce glint fully revealed itself in Zephyr’s eyes!
Terror still lingered on the faces of all the Marines, but they all tightened their grips on their weapons.
They were Marines.
But…
They could not retreat!
They could only fight!
Furthermore, right here!
They had Instructor Zephyr and Vice Admiral Momonga with them!
“Yes, sir!”
Everyone responded loudly in perfect unison!
Amidst the crowd’s excitement, Elliot’s expression remained indifferent.
He merely glanced back at Zephyr, then looked down at his pocket watch, before turning his gaze back to the pirate ship.
*Five more minutes until twelve o’clock…*
…
Meanwhile, aboard that massive, dark brown three-masted pirate ship…
The great pirate with a one billion bounty, Jack the Drought, stood on the deck.
Traces of blood still stained the twin shotel blades in his hands.
“A Marine Academy ship?”
“Yes!” A crew member holding a telescope, sporting a pair of goat horns on his head, spoke up.
“And we’ve spotted Zephyr along with Vice Admiral Momonga.”
Having said that, the crew member continued, “However, Lord Jack, should we avoid them for now?
We’re very close to a Marine base here, and with the former Admiral Zephyr and Momonga on board, if reinforcements arrive, we’ll…”
But before he could finish, the crew member suddenly realized something and immediately stammered, “I-I’m sorry!”
Jack cast a sideways glance at the man before looking back at the warship drawing ever closer.
“You bastard.
Who do you think I am, spouting such words in front of me?”
As he spoke, this great pirate with one of the rarest and highest bounties in the world turned his head to look at the masked pirate beside him.
“Big Bro Hanafuda, since we ran into them, should we slaughter them?”
As he spoke, Jack was seething with murderous intent.
But toward his senior, the former [Drought] of the Beast Pirates, Hanafuda, Jack’s tone was full of respect.
Hanafuda…
This Warlord of the Sea, known as the [Lizard King], held a sickle in one hand and clenched the other into a fist, equally fixated on the warship sailing toward them.
“Yeah…
Since they caught us doing this, it would delay Big Bro Kaido’s major plans.
So there’s no reason to let them leave alive.
Besides, that Zephyr…
I hear he’s nothing more than a one-armed old geezer now, so just kill them all!”
Jack began to laugh.
Then, the massive man let out a low roar, “Slaughter them!”
“Raaargh!”
All the pirates on the ship roared in unison.
Back on the warship, when the Marines saw the murderous aura radiating from those two massive figures, everyone swallowed hard once more, yet their faces remained resolute.
“Open fire!”
Accompanied by Momonga’s roar!
*Boom!
Boom!
Boom!!*
*Bang!
Bang!
Bang!!*
A sky full of artillery fire immediately blasted toward the Mammoth.
The originally calm surface of the sea erupted with countless splashes and massive waves.
The pirate ship showed no signs of weakness either, launching a sky full of black cannonballs toward the three warships.
*Swish!*
However, just as one cannonball was about to strike the deck of the main ship, Vice Admiral Momonga suddenly leaped into the air and slashed his sword across the sky.
*Boom!!*
The cannonball exploded in midair.
Vice Admiral Momonga landed back on the deck and roared, “Keep firing!!”
But right as Momonga landed, Elliot appeared beside him.
Elliot pushed up the frame of his glasses and looked at Momonga.
“Mr.
Momonga, please take good care of Instructor Zephyr for me.”
Momonga froze for a moment.
“El…”
But just as Momonga was about to speak…
He watched as Elliot used Geppo to fly directly into the air!
Following that…
With a loud *bang*!
The sound of an air explosion suddenly rang out in midair!
Elliot shot straight toward the pirate ship.
“Hm?”
Whether it was the Marines or Jack’s crew, everyone’s expressions blanked when they saw Elliot’s figure.
“Elliot!” Seeing this, Zephyr immediately roared and prepared to rush over.
But at this very moment…
Elliot had already arrived in front of the pirate ship.
Gripping his sickle-like blades, Jack slashed directly down at Elliot.
Though his expression was hidden behind his metallic jaw guard, his eyes were filled with arrogance and disdain.