"Big… Is the Admiral here too?!"
Hearing the name Kong, Golden Lion's eyes widened as a bad feeling settled in his gut.
They had only come to Hive Island to find Kaido—so why were there so many Marines? Even an Admiral was present!
"I'm guessing they assumed the entire Rocks Pirate crew was here, so they sent the Marine Marshal, the three Admirals, and even Garp," Ayr explained.
"What did you just say? The Marine Marshal and three Admirals?!" Golden Lion's pupils shrank in shock.
He had expected trouble from just one Admiral, but three? And the Marine Marshal himself?
Damn it.
Every single mission Rocks gave him always seemed to go sideways. Not only was there no benefit, but the sheer level of trouble kept escalating. And today's situation was far worse than any before—one wrong move, and they might not leave Hive Island alive.
"I didn't think the Marines considered the Rocks Pirates this much of a threat," Charlotte Linlin muttered, her tone grim.
With a firm grip on his Cong Yunqie, Whitebeard nodded. "Without Captain Rocks here, this fight… is going to be tough."
"Hey! Less talking, more fighting!" Byrnndi Wald shouted impatiently. "Right now, we've only got four Marines in front of us. If we take them out before reinforcements arrive, we'll be in a much better position!"
Byrnndi Wald wasn't wrong.
On the pirates' side, they had Ayr, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, Byrnndi Wald, and Kaido—six powerful individuals.
The Marines only had Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Crane.
They had the numerical advantage. If they struck first, they could eliminate these four before Kong and the other Admirals arrived.
Garp and the others sensed the shift in the battlefield. Realizing their disadvantage, they instinctively tried to retreat.
But before they could escape, Ayr and the others had already surrounded them.
"Damn it… no way out," Sengoku muttered, tensing up.
Kaido smirked, standing atop a ruined building with his kanabo slung over his shoulder. "Weren't you guys just chasing us a moment ago? Why run now?"
"Haha! You Marines are gonna sleep forever on Hive Island today!" Byrnndi Wald laughed, his bloodlust rising.
Ayr shot him a glance and sighed. "As far as I know, most people die from talking too much… So do you get what I'm saying?"
Before anyone could respond, Ayr dashed forward, launching himself into the fray.
Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, Byrnndi Wald, and Kaido followed immediately. Gang fights might not be the most honorable tactic—but right now, honor was meaningless.
Because soon, they wouldn't just be fighting Garp and the others.
Soon, they'd have to take on the Marine Marshal and the three Admirals.
With no way to escape, Garp and his allies braced themselves for battle.
"I'll take Ayr!" Sengoku declared, stepping forward.
They had no choice. They had to fight—and hold out long enough for Fleet Admiral Kong and the rest of the Marines to arrive.
Sengoku charged, and Ayr met him head-on.
Their clash was instant.
Sengoku's fist, wrapped in Busoshoku Haki, hurtled toward Ayr with immense force.
At the same time, Ayr swung his O Wazamono-grade blade, coated in his own Haki.
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening shockwave erupted, shaking the entire island. The ground cracked, and buildings crumbled under the sheer force of their attacks.
For half a minute, their assaults clashed evenly—neither side gaining the upper hand.
There was no doubt—Sengoku was a monster. Even though he hadn't yet reached his peak, his strength was already terrifying.
"Today marks the end of the Rocks Pirates, Ayr!" Sengoku roared.
Ayr smirked. "Sengoku, you should know better than to speak too soon. Otherwise… you might just embarrass yourself."
"You can't escape this time, Ayr." Sengoku's voice was cold.
The Marines had gone all out for this battle.
They hadn't just sent four Vice Admirals—no, they had deployed the strongest force the Navy could muster.
The three Admirals were on their way.
Countless Marine elites had been dispatched.
And at the head of it all was Marine Marshal Kong himself.
Sengoku was certain—this time, the Rocks Pirates would fall.
"Is that so?" Ayr exhaled, his grip on his sword tightening. "Sengoku, the winner of this battle won't be decided until the very last second."
Sure, the Marines had overwhelming numbers.
But that didn't mean they had no hope.
Because Ayr had a trump card.
Back when he had wiped out that pirate crew, his Sage Body had progressed to the late stage.
And in the special lottery… he had obtained the Sage of Six Paths Experience Card.
It only lasted for half an hour.
But during that time, his power would skyrocket.
It was the strongest ace up his sleeve—and he was fully prepared to use it.
"You're too stubborn. Fine—show me what the Rocks Pirates are really capable of!" Sengoku's aura exploded, and he coated his fists in an even stronger layer of Haki.
His power surged.
Then, he threw a devastating punch straight at Ayr.
Ayr didn't hesitate. He swung his blade, parrying Sengoku's strike over and over.
His Great Swordsman-level skill made every movement precise.
Several times, he nearly landed a lethal blow on Sengoku.
Their battle quickly escalated.
Buildings within a hundred-meter radius were obliterated. The ground itself cracked and collapsed beneath them, reducing the battlefield to pure wasteland.
Since his last major battle, Ayr's strength had increased significantly.
His swordsmanship had risen from a Swordsman to a Great Swordsman.
His Sage Body had evolved from the mid-stage to the late-stage—boosting his endurance and power tremendously.
But Sengoku wasn't just anyone.
Sengoku was one of the Navy's top prodigies—a monster among monsters.
His talent was on par with Ayr's.
And right now, they were evenly matched. Neither was backing down.
The battle was just beginning.
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