New World, Kearson Island.
It was the largest island in the southern territory of the new generation of pirates.
Years ago, during the Battle of Ed War, Knock, due to Sakazuki's scheming, provoked both Charlotte Linlin and the Golden Lion.
He was suppressed by both sides and forced into a retreat. With no other choice...
He sacrificed part of his territory to attract a large number of strong new-generation pirates for reinforcements.
Only after paying a heavy price did he barely manage to fend off the attacks from both of them. That portion of the territory was ultimately ceded.
Kearson Island is now the main base of the Swamp Pirate Alliance.
The Swamp Pirate Alliance was founded by the Swamp Pirates—true to the name, the leader is a Swamp Devil Fruit user.
They've attracted a large number of pirates just entering the New World.
Currently, thirteen pirate crews of various sizes operate under their banner.
In the palace at the center of the island...
The grand hall, decorated in gold and jade, exuded wealth. Though it looked luxurious, the assortment of mismatched ornaments clearly indicated they were looted.
Inside the hall, fourteen tables were occupied by pirate captains.
At the head table sat the burly captain of the Swamp Pirates and the alliance leader, Benson Lowell. He glanced at his assembled captains:
"Everyone's here."
"Let's begin then, Abbott."
A swordsman with a long blade at his waist stepped out from beside Benson Lowell.
He gestured, and two pirates carried out a large framed board draped with a curtain, setting it at the entrance of the hall.
The curtain displayed the power distribution of the New World, including the islands currently under their control.
Abbott, with the long blade at his waist, walked up to the curtain and took out a pen:
"Last week, Captain Woolley led his crew to capture Dautia Island."
As he spoke, he drew a line with the pen, shifting one island on the map from Knock's territory to the Swamp Pirate Alliance's zone.
"Dautia Island's port is one of the key ports of the Steam Pirates."
"The daily volume of weapons and goods it handles makes it a crucial military asset."
"Therefore, Lowell has decided that Dautia Island and several surrounding islands..."
"Will all be handed over to Captain Woolley and the Hyena Pirates under his command."
He drew another line on the curtain with his pen, forming an oval marking a small area.
The seated captains showed clear envy and jealousy, while Hyena Woolley, seated at the third table, gave a savage grin:
"Thanks, Lowell."
"Knock is just some overhyped nobody."
"Next time, I'll bring you his head."
Benson Lowell let out a low chuckle and nodded for Abbott to continue.
Abbott nodded and moved the pen slightly north of the center of the curtain.
"Recently..."
Whoosh—
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air.
Everyone in the hall shot to their feet, nerves screaming in alarm. A deadly sense of crisis struck.
A glint flashed in Benson Lowell's eyes:
"Above us!"
He waved his hand, and layers of mud walls formed above everyone's heads.
Something seemed to smash into the muddy barrier, trying to force its way down.
Hiss—
A shrill sound of steam erupted. A white column of gas pierced straight through the mud.
A white five-pointed star, its back spewing steam, shot downward.
Abbott stomped and leapt into the air, his sword stabbing cleanly into the white star.
A human-like face appeared on the white star, sneering at Abbott with a twisted grin.
Benson Lowell's sense of danger didn't diminish—his pupils shrank sharply.
"Throw it away, now!!!"
At the same time, he activated his power, turning the palace floor into swampy sludge, dragging everyone downward in an attempt to evade.
BOOM——!!!!!!
The white star exploded instantly.
The ones hit hardest were those only partially submerged in the swamp.
Under the extreme heat of the steam, they were cooked alive in an instant.
Then, a wave of explosive force tore through the palace, engulfing the entire island in seconds.
A mushroom cloud nearly a kilometer high rose into the sky.
The islands swept by the scorching steam caught fire, burning everything.
In mere seconds, nothing alive remained on the island—only cooked corpses...
...
In the massive crater where the palace once stood, Benson Lowell shook his head and struggled to emerge from the ground.
The violent tremors and explosion left him dazed.
The moment he surfaced, the hundreds-of-degrees heatwave almost suffocated him.
"How could..."
Crunch!
A sudden blow to his back shattered his spine.
A massive hand grabbed Benson Lowell's head and lifted him up.
Knock looked at him blankly.
Smack!
A slap landed across his face.
"Weren't you after my head?"
"Hmm?"
Smack!
"You think you're worthy?"
Smack!
All of Benson Lowell's teeth were knocked out. The bones in both cheeks shattered.
This is the gap in combat strength in the world of pirates.
Even though Benson Lowell had a bounty of over 200 million, it was like comparing a chain smoker to a juggernaut... a complete stomp.
Knock looked down at the most arrogant trash with disdain.
Then, grabbing him, he soared into the sky.
...
Onboard the Steam Pirates' ship.
Whoosh—
The shrill scream of steam echoed as the ship rocked.
Knock descended, tossing Benson Lowell casually to the deck and looked at his subordinates:
"Everything ready?"
One of the crew answered excitedly:
"All ready, Boss!"
"Streaming to the whole world!"
Knock nodded:
"Wake him up."
The crewmember understood and injected a syringe of stimulant into Benson Lowell's body.
Lowell's body convulsed, and he began growling in pain.
Watching him thrash in agony, Knock frowned.
He crouched down and covered Lowell's mouth with one hand.
Crack!
A sickening sound followed. Lowell's eyes widened in disbelief.
The severe pain overwhelmed his brain—his jaw had been crushed by Knock. He couldn't make a sound.
Once Lowell fell silent, Knock accepted a towel from a crewman and wiped his hands:
"Let's begin."
The surrounding crew grinned viciously and started the livestream.
"Here's what happens when you mess with Boss Knock."
"This is the first one."
Holding up Benson Lowell's wanted poster, he drew a large X across it and waved his hand.
A few crewmen brought out a fish tank filled with small piranhas, densely packed.
They hung Lowell upside-down and slowly lowered him into the tank feet first.
The piranhas swarmed in, devouring his feet instantly—down to the bone.
The ones that didn't get to feed kept leaping, but being small, they couldn't reach higher.
Watching Lowell struggle, one of the crew casually pulled out a syringe—this one for stopping blood loss.
The livestream would last three full hours...
Meanwhile, the Steam Pirates' fleet dispatched a few ships to clean up the battlefield on Kearson Island, while the rest followed Knock to the next island.
...
New World, Delsen Island.
The largest island in the northern territory of the new generation pirates.
It was the base of another rising crew—the Explosive Pirates.
BOOM——
A thunderous explosion echoed.
"mamamamama~"
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