On Golden Island, the Hell Pirates watched the chaos unfold with keen interest.
Ship doctor Crocus and sniper Silva hadn’t expected Iron Shield City to have tranquilizer guns. The pair had only recently developed their own advanced tranquilizer bullets, far superior in power and range. The city’s syringe-based tranquilizers, limited to a mere few dozen meters, paled in comparison.
"Vegapunk, think you could whip up a cannon-fired Seastone net launcher?" Brook mused, eyeing the scene below where Kaido was tangled in a massive iron net by forty or fifty soldiers. "Those nets seem pretty effective!"
He pictured a net gun—known by many names: riot net launcher, capture net, web shooter. If they mixed in Seastone powder, it could be a game-changer. Catching Devil Fruit users might become as easy as snagging a Pokémon!
"Absolutely, Captain Brook! It’s a brilliant idea," Vegapunk said, pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses with a glint of confidence. "Give me a week, and I’ll have a prototype ready. The only trick is blending Seastone powder with the net material."
"Excellent! I’m looking forward to it!" Brook grinned, his skeletal face beaming. With a genius like Vegapunk on board, his wildest ideas were within reach. Money, talent, resources—they had it all. If they didn’t spark a tech revolution, it’d be a crime!
Below, Iron Shield City’s deputy commander gaped in disbelief. Their tranquilizer darts couldn’t pierce the horned warrior’s skin. Even worse, when the darts shattered, releasing gas, the kid inhaled it for ages and still didn’t collapse.
What kind of monster was this? Was he immune to everything? Had he maxed out every resistance stat?
Over time, the tranquilizer gas finally took a slight toll on Kaido. His roars grew less thunderous, his struggles less frantic. More soldiers joined the effort, tugging the net until over a hundred men pinned it down. The net’s durability surprised even Brook’s crew—tough enough to hold Kaido!
If Kaido had used a sword, he might’ve sliced through, but his spiked club couldn’t break the weave.
"Brook, let’s save him," Whitebeard Newgate urged. "We’ve seen his potential. He’s at his limit. An eight-year-old holding off a hundred elite soldiers? He’s a prodigy among prodigies!"
Newgate marveled. At eight, he doubted he could’ve matched Kaido’s raw power. Maybe only Linlin could’ve rivaled him back then. Fisher Tiger, standing nearby, nodded in respect. On Fish-Man Island, he’d handled a dozen foes at most—Kaido’s ferocity was humbling.
"No, no, not yet!" Brook countered, his Observation Haki attuned to Kaido’s aura. "His life force is still blazing!"
Sure enough, Kaido let out a primal roar, as if the tranquilizers had worn off. He surged to his feet, dragging the net—and the hundred-plus soldiers with it—spinning them like a top. His eyes glowed blood-red, veins bulging, skin flushed crimson with steam rising from his body. With guttural bellows, he flung the soldiers away like ragdolls.
Breaking free, Kaido grabbed his club and bolted for the city gate, panting heavily. That outburst had drained him, but he wasn’t done.
Iron Shield City’s Earl, watching the terrifying kid make a break for it, knew he had to act. Golden Island’s intentions were unclear, and letting Kaido escape would tank his reputation.
Leaping from the city wall, the Earl blocked Kaido’s path and kicked him back, sending him crashing into a wall. Rubble buried the boy.
The soldiers erupted in cheers. "The Earl’s made his move! The mightiest warrior of the Valorant Kingdom strikes again!"
On Golden Island, the Hell Pirates’ faces darkened. Their prospective crewmate had just been pummeled. Still, their Observation Haki confirmed Kaido was alive, so panic didn’t set in.
"Brook, I’m heading down!" Golden Lion Shiki declared, soaring toward the battlefield. No one messed with a Hell Pirates recruit on his watch.
The Earl, poised to finish Kaido, froze as a golden, domineering figure descended from Golden Island. His heart raced—were the Hell Pirates making their move? Where was his idiot son? Had he brought the mermaid yet? Damn it!
Golden Lion Shiki, with an 800-million-Belly bounty, was a New World terror. A mere vice admiral couldn’t touch him—only an admiral stood a chance.
The Earl’s fear spiked. Beyond sending his son with the mermaid, he’d already alerted the Marines. As a World Government member nation, Valorant enjoyed their protection. While the government stayed out of internal wars—like Valorant’s conflict with the Vodka Kingdom—pirate attacks or non-member assaults justified Marine intervention.
Facing Shiki, the Earl averted his gaze. This wasn’t some rookie pirate from the Grand Line. If lesser pirates dared storm Iron Shield City, he’d crush them. But Shiki? He treaded carefully.
"What brings you to Iron Shield City, Shiki-sama?" the Earl asked cautiously, feigning ignorance about his son’s mermaid deal. If it was true, he’d disown the fool to save his skin. If not, he wouldn’t spill his secrets and risk provoking the Hell Pirates’ fishmen. Newest update provided by novęlfire.net
"Jahahaha! We’re here to pick up our new crewmate," Shiki said, floating to the rubble pile. With a casual wave, the debris lifted into the air, revealing a coughing Kaido. The display stunned the onlookers.
The Earl’s eyes widened, his face paling—not at Shiki’s powers, but at the realization that the Hell Pirates were here for the horned warrior, not the mermaid.
By sending his son with the mermaid, he’d handed the Hell Pirates a reason to gut him.
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