Yamato lifted her head.
"Remember the pain of today," Ritter's voice drifted on the wind. "Every strong person starts by taking hits."
Kaido finally broke free of his restraints and hugged his daughter. "You little rascal…"
But when he looked toward the direction Ritter had disappeared, his eyes betrayed not just anger, but a complex mix of emotions.
Yamato clutched the bell tightly, her small face resolute. "Father, I will defeat him!"
Kaido ruffled his daughter's hair, unusually refraining from arguing.
"Then become Kaido the First. From now on, you must call me Father."
"Bang!"
"What are you doing! You useless father!"
Kaido gave Yamato a disdainful glance.
"A son is always a son." He rubbed his wrist, thinking he hadn't used his strength properly earlier next time he would be more careful.
Don't forget, there's another battlefield. Moria and Enel, seeing that their captain's fight had concluded, naturally withdrew with all their strength. Continuing the battle here was meaningless.
"Prosperity!"
Five overwhelming powers collided again in the sky, shaking the air with deafening roars. Energy shockwaves instantly vaporized rocks within a kilometer, while the sea surged into tens-of-meters-high waves.
"Hehehe… interesting!" Moria's shadow general swung his giant sword, clashing fiercely with King's Fire Dragon Emperor. Though slightly pushed back, he still held the line.
"Is this all the power of the Beast Pirates All-Stars?"
Enel's Thunder God giant raised his hands, releasing a blinding bolt. "Two Hundred Million Volts: Thunder!"
Queen's mechanical arms spun wildly. "Impact: Maximum Power!"
Amid explosions and smoke, the five figures flickered in and out of sight. The aftershocks of battle rattled the entire Onigashima. Yet amid the chaos, a massive figure was suddenly flung backward
"Bang!"
Jack crashed like a cannonball into a distant cliff, one of his mammoth tusks snapping.
He was still too young. Struggling to rise, Moria's shadow tendrils flung him back again. He was powerless; Jack was the smallest. With one less fighter, their pressure eased slightly.
"Lord Jack!" shouted several ordinary Beast Pirates, rushing to his aid.
Enel snorted dismissively. "Useless."
This was also a nod to the legendary "King of Taking Hits." His legend was inseparable from the Pirate King. Since his debut, he had been defeated by cats and dogs, the Navy, and other rivals. Now, even the Duke of Canine Storm had bested him. He earned the title "King of Taking Hits."
His bounty reportedly reached one billion, nine hundred million of which was for that tusk.
Ritter also noticed that Jack, besides constantly being beaten, had a particularly embarrassing trait: he had never used any official named techniques in the storyline. His only known moves were "Pull the Ship Closer!" and his tree-trunk whip.
Poor Jack let's light a candle for him before returning to the battlefield.
King's flaming wings beat fiercely, his eyes burning with rage. "Get out of here!"
"What?" Moria's shadow Asgard suddenly leapt from the ground, smiling sinisterly. "You can't even win three-on-two? Is this the Beast Pirates' level?"
Queen's mechanical eye spun wildly, suddenly aiming a gun at Enel. "Die!"
Whoosh crash!
Golden lightning clashed with green energy beams in the sky, triggering violent explosions. Through the smoke, Enel appeared behind the Queen. "Too slow."
Bang!
The golden staff slammed heavily into Queen's back, sending him crashing to the ground. His mechanical body remained intact, and he roared at Enel, "You… bastard… you think I'll fall in the same spot twice?!"
Enel watched the smoke rise over the Queen. "Hmm… 'The gods think you will.'"
Seeing this, the flaming golden sword suddenly pivoted toward Enel's throat. "Flame Emperor!"
Clang!
Moria's shadow sword blocked just in time, and the two locked in a standoff. Enel took the opportunity to distance himself, his thunder drum roaring. "Thirty Million Volts: Thunder!"
The lightning took the form of a giant wolf, charging King, forcing him to fight back with all his strength. Just as the bolt split the night sky
Are you two done playing?
Ritter's voice was soft, yet clear to everyone. He stood at the center of the battlefield, Black Tide Greatsword casually resting on his shoulder.
Kaido stood nearby, first watching as Ritter ruffled Yamato's hair.
Then he smacked Yamato's head with a sharp pop.
"Are you done playing?" Ritter surveyed the crowd. "We should go."
Enel pouted, withdrawing his thunder power, and Moria reluctantly recalled his shadow. Both stood at Ritter's sides, guarding their king.
Ritter's next stop was the conquest of Vinsmoke Judge. It wasn't that Ritter didn't want to act sooner, but, like the cursed Morgan family, Judge's base was mobile. The Germa 66 fleet consisted of giant snail ships, capable of sailing the seas. The Germa Kingdom, as an assassin nation, survived largely thanks to these snails.
In this chaotic world, finding Germa 66 was maddeningly difficult. The movement of Zou couldn't be controlled manually, only predicted by patterns. Germa 66's movements were human-controlled, and artificial intelligence can never fully control humans.
Even with such difficulty, the great Mist Emperor found them. Fortunately, Vinsmoke Judge, seeking to restore the Germa Kingdom, was in the North Blue.
Ritter: Morgan, stop grinning with your big teeth. When I catch you, you'll be in trouble.
Gurgle! Croak! A moment passed.
In the bitter North Blue wind, Germa 66's giant snail fortress slowly moved. In the council hall atop the fortress, Vinsmoke Judge stood in black combat armor, his cape flapping in the wind, studying a massive map of the North Blue.
"Children, listen carefully." The Judge slammed his staff against the floor, the sound of metal boots echoing. "The West Blue will be our next target."
The modified princes stood straight, expressionless, staring at their father.
"Iji!" the Judge suddenly roared.
"Coming!" The red-haired eldest son stepped forward.
"You're in charge of the eastern assault. Take Cheese Island within a week!"
"Yes, Father."
"Niji!"
The blue-haired second son straightened his back. "Yes, Father!"
"You will lead forces from the west to encircle them and cut off their supplies!"
"Understood!"
The Judge's gaze swept across his third son, Yonji, and eldest daughter, Reiju, his eyes ice-cold. "Do not embarrass our family like that useless one."
Niji patted his chest. "We will not fail like that useless one."