"Captain, there's the Marines."
"Hahaha, I didn't expect the Marines to catch up."
The burly man, his right hand made entirely of solid metal and emitting a cold glow, stood up and laughed. "I did not expect our Iron Fist Pirates would be the first ones to arrive here!"
"Looks like they're not Marines from the Grand Line."
The pirate in the observation deck said. "315th Branch? The West Blue's Marines? Captain, what should we do now? Go around them?"
"A mere West Blue Branch, are they worthy of getting in our way?"
The iron-fisted brute snorted disdainfully.
"Tell those worthless marines that I'm a pirate with a bounty of 120 million Belly. They had better stop right there; otherwise, I'll smash them all into meat paste."
"Yes, captain!"
...
"Listen up, you worthless marines up ahead! Stop right there! Our captain is a pirate with a bounty of 120 million Belly. If you just stop, we, the Iron Fist Pirates, might spare your lives."
As these words reached the warship, all the marines on board were stunned.
"Iron Fist Pirates? The pirates from the North Blue?"
"That pirate flag is definitely that Pirate crew. They're the ones who attacked a North Blue Branch and escaped unscathed!"
"Not only that! I heard their captain single-handedly killed the base commander at the North Blue's Branch."
"Lieutenant Ian, we..."
The Marines, realizing who they were facing, instantly showed expressions of horror and turned to look at Ian beside them.
However, Ian remained unfazed by their panic, calmly stating: "Follow my order and continue sailing."
As he spoke, he glanced up at the sun in the sky. Then, carrying his one-handed axe, Ian walked to the bow while staring blankly at the pirate ship ahead.
It was a little after four in the afternoon, and while the sun might not be as bright as at noon, it was still blazing.
...
"Have the pirates caught up?"
"Yes, it's the Iron Fist Pirates; their captain has a bounty of 120 million Belly."
Binz said in a strange voice. "This isn't something a branch Lieutenant can handle."
"Pirates!"
Zephyr, with his severed arm, also gazed at the incoming pirates, his face darkening. "Hurry and catch up with them."
"Yes, Zephyr-sensei."
Enchi, equally worried, didn't hesitate; he paddled quickly while cursing: "Damn it, why doesn't this small rescue ship have power wheels? Are you trying to tire me out?"
But just as his words fell, Ain, who had been silent the entire time, seemed to notice something.
She frowned and said: "That guy sent the warships charging in."
Binz: "..."
Captain Enchi: "..."
Zephyr: "..."
At this moment, the three of them finally noticed.
"That lunatic!"
Binz said with a smack of his lips. "Is he planning to use the warship to sink the pirate ship? My, my, are the 315th Branch's warships that sturdy?"
"No!"
Captain Enchi grumbled, his lips twitching as he continued: "Damn it, wasn't he always so cautious? When did he become so aggressive? Can marriage really change a person?"
"What are you talking about?"
Zephyr punched Enchi on the head with his left hand. "That's your subordinate, row faster! No, forget it."
He then took off his coat and stretched himself. "I'll go over on my own! I didn't expect that guy to slap me twice, and I have to go save him."
But just as he was about to jump...
Suddenly...
A flat voice rang out from the warship ahead.
"Scorching Sun: Particle Slash."
(T/N: Changing Dust Slash to Particle Slash.)
And as this calm voice fell, before everyone's eyes... A massive, blazing flying slash emanated from the warship, slashing towards the pirate ship ahead.
In the blink of an eye... The massive pirate ship was neatly cleaved in two.
Ain: "..."
Binz: "..."
Captain Enchi: "..."
Zephyr: "..."
At that moment, the four of them stared ahead in shock, their eyes widening.
"Flying slash? A great swordsman?!"
"Great... Swordsman!"
Hearing Ain's astonishment, Binz also came to his senses, shuddering a little as he spoke in a tone filled with disbelief: "That bastard is actually a great swordsman?! And he used an axe to unleash a flying slash?"
"No, he's not a great swordsman yet. Is it a charging technique? Or is it that golden light... Is he a Devil Fruit user?"
Zephyr, who had also come to his senses, shook his head gravely: "But..."
His tone suddenly shifted, and then, with a bang, he punched Enchi's head again.
"You bastard... You have such a talented subordinate under you, yet you didn't recommend him to Marine Headquarters for training? Are you afraid your subordinate will surpass you?"
"I didn't! I recommended him, but they rejected him because he was too old."
Enchi, clutching his head, cried out in grievance. "Besides, this kid wasn't this strong before!"
This time, he even managed to split the ship completely?!
Could he have eaten a Devil Fruit?
"Rejected? Are those guys at Marine Headquarters blind? Is that age too old?!"
Hearing Enchi's response, Zephyr snorted and punched Enchi in the head again. "Why are you still standing there? Keep rowing! Catch up with them."
With a gloomy face, he stared ahead. "More pirates are coming!"
...
Meanwhile, as the warship safely sailed straight through the middle of the severed pirate ship, all the marines erupted in cheers.
"Lieutenant Ian is so strong! He's truly incredible! Even Captain Enchi isn't that strong."
"How about Lieutenant Ian becoming our captain? Then Captain Enchi became our Lieutenant instead."
"I'll remember you."
Ian said while looking at the marine before him. "I'll tell Captain Enchi what you said later."
"No! Lieutenant Ian!" The marine cried out in despair.
However, the cheers didn't last long.
"Pirate ship!"
The marine in the observation deck trembled. "Another pirate ship is coming!"
As the marine finished speaking, a cannonball blasted towards them.
Boom!
As expected, it crashed into the sea.
"Ku ku ku ku!"
Along with that came a unique laugh.
"I didn't expect such a surprise. I would actually run into a great swordsman. Or rather, someone on the verge of becoming one."
Dodging the cannonball and hearing the voice from the other side, all the marines immediately grew serious and looked forward.
At that moment, a shirtless giant, at least four meters tall, stood at the bow of the pirate ship ahead, laughing.
"I'm Babaros, the captain of the Elephant Pirates, with a bounty of 240 million Belly on my head. Boy, do you want to be my partner? I'll take you to the New World, a paradise for the strong, and help you become the most famous swordsman on the sea!"
"..."
What a boast!
Although the four emperors hadn't yet emerged in this era, and the Warlords weren't yet gathered, the strongest figures had already made names for themselves on the seas. And yet, pirates of this level were already swelling with such pride?
A pirate with a mere bounty of 240 million Belly dared to claim to help someone become the most famous swordsman on the sea?
Ian's lips twitched, and he said without hesitation: "I refuse. I'm not interested in trash."
"Boy, you actually refuse me? Ku ku ku ku, that's really interesting."
Hearing Ian's response, Babaros laughed and clenched his fists. "I'll make you agree by beating you into agreement! Bring the ship closer!"
"So pathetic."
Ian didn't get angry at the response. He simply took off his shirt, holding the single-handed axe over his shoulder. Bathed in sunlight, his solid muscles gleamed, and with his left hand, he beckoned expressionlessly: "Come! Trash!"