Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 27.
"Someone said a battleship just sailed in from the port!"
"An Admiral is here!"
The pirates in the town were thrown into a panic, immediately turning and fleeing.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
On the nearby sea, a Marine battleship cleaved through the waves, rapidly approaching. Its three-barreled main turrets adjusted their elevation as the gears turned.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three consecutive shots were fired, and three cannonballs swiftly left the barrels, soaring toward the shore.
However, a figure was standing on the middle cannonball.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three massive explosions erupted, with flames shooting skyward. In an instant, many pirates were instantly vaporized in the blasts.
A blinding flash of light occurred, immediately coalescing into a tall figure before the terrified pirates.
"Yoo~ I'm Kizaru. I have arrived. Please respond."
"Ahhh!"
"Admiral Kizaru is here! We have to run for our lives!"
"Run! Run!"
The pirates stared at the newcomer in horror, instantly falling into chaos as they scattered frantically, desperate to escape.
"Wipe out the pirates in one swoop!"
"Wanted criminals are everywhere! Be especially careful of the Super Rookies with bounties over 100 million!"
The warship docked, and a large number of Marine soldiers disembarked. Under the command of their officers, they rushed into the town to pursue the fleeing pirates.
"Moshi Moshi… Moshi Moshi… This is Kizaru. How strange~"
"Moshi Moshi… How strange~"
A tall, thin man with curly black hair, a ring of beard, sunglasses, and a yellow-and-white striped suit, wearing a 'Justice' coat with golden shoulder pads, raised his arm and spoke slowly with a strange mouth shape into the black Den Den Mushi on his wrist.
It was Marine Headquarters Admiral, Kizaru—Borsalino!
Simultaneously, on another part of the island, several Pacifistas had already landed and began capturing the Supernova pirates with bounties over 100 million.
"Those guys are about to wipe out all the new rookies!" Sentomaru held his wheel-bladed axe, a snack still shoved in his mouth.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
Explosions and disorder now permeated over half of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Get out of the way! Bartholomew Kuma the Tyrant, a Warlord of the Sea, is behind us! Get out of the way!"
At the mouth of a bridge, dozens of pirates screamed frantically at a group of people blocking their way. They appeared utterly terrified.
"A Warlord of the Sea! Bartholomew Kuma!"
"No way! Why is a Warlord of the Sea here too?"
"It's actually that guy, Bartholomew Kuma!"
Nazwe and the others exchanged stunned looks. It was the vicious and aggressive pirate. This wasn't good; if they were taken out too, that would be terrible!
"Why is that guy, Kuma, here too?" Backan frowned, looking again at the group of pirates before them who were covered in injuries and panic.
Backan clenched his fist and said coldly, "Take them out!"
Nazwe and the others were startled, then immediately understood.
That's right! Our own boss is also a Warlord of the Sea. We're on the same side, and there's a Commander-level executive right here. Surely, even if that Tyrant Kuma is aggressive, he wouldn't act recklessly against us.
Beep, beep, beep, beep…
SHIING!
Just as Nazwe and his men were about to make their move, a laser beam arrived instantly.
BOOM!
The light was dazzling. A massive explosion, coupled with scorching flames, instantly enveloped over a dozen of the pirates.
"A Laser beam? Kizaru?" Backan was shocked. Didn't they say Bartholomew Kuma was behind them?
"Ahhh!"
"They're here! They're here!"
"Get out of the way! I don't want to die!"
The group immediately descended into pandemonium, frantically trying to squeeze past Nazwe and his crew.
"Move!"
Backan's frown deepened as he was the first to attack, sending a pirate flying backward with a punch, coughing up blood.
"Slaughter them!"
"Kill!"
Seeing Backan suddenly attack, Nazwe and the others also drew their weapons and slashed at the pirates, catching them completely off guard. Six or seven of the opposing pirates were cut down on the spot.
"Ahh! What are you trying to do?!"
"Damn it! Fight your way out!"
Despite being momentarily panicked by the sudden attack, they were facing a life-or-death crisis and naturally drew their blades to resist, trying to break through the ranks of the Chris Pirates.
However, those who officially joined the Chris Pirates were hardened warriors who had all been injected with the SS drug, giving them Doriki levels well over a hundred. This rabble was simply no match for them.
In less than a minute, all the enemy pirates lay dead.
At this moment, a tall figure appeared before Backan, Nazwe, and the others.
"Mountain Axe Diego Backan. Former bounty 60 million Berries. Chris Pirates Executive. Fourth Commander. Ally. Not within the scope of pursuit."
A Pacifista resembling Kuma looked at Backan, its eyes flickering as it confirmed his identity.
"It's a Warlord of the Sea! Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma!"
"Hiss… That height, does he have giant blood?"
"Why does he feel… strange?"
Seeing the Pacifista that resembled Kuma, Nazwe and the others gasped, mistaking it for the real Tyrant Kuma.
"How strange. There are no paw pads, but a hole in the center of his palm… and that book isn't in his hand…" Backan scrutinized the 'Tyrant Kuma' before him, his confusion growing.
He had met the real Bartholomew Kuma, but this guy in front of him felt extremely odd, lacking any human feeling and resembling a cold machine.
"It's a Pacifista! The Marines' Human Weapon, the Pacifista! They actually built it!"
Suddenly, Backan's eyes lit up as he recalled an event from two years ago.
During an internal meeting of the Chris Pirates, their Captain had once mentioned that Marine and World Government scientists were developing a biological human weapon to deal with high-value criminals with bounties over 100 million, and that it might be equipped with Admiral Kizaru's laser attack.
Now, it appeared their blueprint for this weapon was Tyrant Kuma. By modeling it after Bartholomew Kuma's body and installing Admiral Kizaru's laser, they had indeed created a decent killing machine.
Everyone knew Bartholomew Kuma was formerly a vicious and aggressive pirate who ruthlessly attacked corrupt officials and criminals who wantonly killed people.
Yet, this man had joined the Warlords of the Sea and became completely obedient to the World Government's orders, as if he had truly become the World Government's dog. It seemed there was more to the story.
Backan's eyes narrowed. He looked at the Pacifista and waved his hand to silence the noise from his men behind him.
Similarly, having determined that Backan and his crew were not enemies, the Pacifista decisively turned and walked away.
"So, the Marines' Human Weapon… I wonder which is stronger compared to our own weapons?" Backan's mind conjured images of those rows of menacing figures.