Chapter 271: The First Division Is Waiting for Them!
Two days later, the Beasts Pirates finally arrived in the designated sea area.
"It's definitely the captain's fighting aura... just up ahead."
"But why is this location different from what Morgans told us?" Quinn narrowed his eyes, his Observation Haki scanning the horizon.
Although the position wasn't too far from the intelligence they'd received, it was clearly not the exact spot. Had Morgans fed them faulty information?
"Lord Quinn! A ship ahead—it's the Dragon Hunter Pirates!" a lookout reported anxiously. "Do we engage, or proceed straight to the captain?"
Quinn turned his gaze toward the direction of the Dragon Hunter Pirates' vessel, spotting it moored along the coast of a nearby island. The coordinates matched what was in the intelligence report. But it didn't feel like coincidence.
Rather than arriving at the same location by chance, it looked more like the Dragon Hunter Pirates were waiting for them.
"Tch... King, you blockhead, what do you think? Where should we go?"
King, who had been silently analyzing the situation, finally responded.
"It's obvious," he said coldly. "Their captain, Ryuunosuke, doesn't want his crew involved in his fight against Kaido. If they're staying behind, they've likely been ordered not to interfere. That means we don't need to worry about accidentally interrupting their battle."
"So you're saying… we engage the crew instead?" Quinn asked, his tone dark but intrigued.
King nodded.
"We're Emperor-class pirates. If we attack their captain's crew while the fight is happening elsewhere, it sends a clear message—one that we're not afraid to kill. We eliminate the Dragon Hunter Pirates' crew, and then we just sit back and wait for our captain to win."
King confidence in Kaido remained unshaken.
After all, Kaido was the strongest creature alive.
"Alright then," Quinn grinned, his golden mechanical arm gleaming under the sunlight. "Let's go see what these so-called elite crewmates are made of."
Jack, who had been stretching his neck with a loud cracking sound, smirked.
"Hmph. They're about to learn who they're messing with. These soft-looking brats won't last a minute."
As their ship drew closer, the full scene unfolded before them.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates' ship was docked. Their crew stood calmly on the shoreline, clearly not preparing for retreat. In fact, they looked like they'd been expecting the Beasts Pirates.
A few of them appeared unfamiliar, but several faces were unmistakably infamous.
"Jack, look at them carefully," Quinn muttered. "Do they look worried?"
Jack squinted.
"Nope. And that's weird."
At the front stood Najenda, captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates' First Division—bounty: 1.1 billion berries. A master of hand-to-hand combat who fought alongside a deadly puppet controlled by her own life force.
Beside her was another First Division fighter—Tatsumi, known for defeating Akame with a single blow. Bounty: 1 billion berries. He wielded a dragon like Armor that could kill you in one swing.
Behind them was a pink-haired sniper who nearly assassinated Sengoku in one shot. Her name hadn't reached the public, but the underworld whispered about her with fear.
Even with just those three, the Beasts Pirates had no clear upper hand. In fact, they were in danger of being outclassed.
"Jack," Quinn said suddenly, "you've got the highest durability and raw power among the three of us."
"Go test them. See what they're planning."
"Huh?!" Jack blinked, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Now you admit I'm the strongest, huh?"
Without waiting for a reply, he cracked his knuckles and started forward.
"Fine. I'll squash those skinny monkeys like bugs!"
Jack leapt off the ship and charged with the force of a freight train. Normally, the three Disasters never admitted inferiority to each other, but in this moment, pride took a backseat to results.
Quinn smirked at the sight. "Heh. Let the mammoth charge in first."
King sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Idiots… I'm surrounded by idiots."
Unfolding his massive wings, King soared off the ship to follow.
Letting Jack fight alone against the Dragon Hunter Pirates was like throwing a boulder into the sea and hoping it floats.
As King neared the beach, Susanoo, Najenda's puppet, flew into the air to intercept him. Its presence alone shifted the pressure in the air.
"Who among you speaks for your crew?" Susanoo's deep voice echoed through the sky. "We're open to negotiations… but if you want to fight, we won't stop you."
Susanoo was already in its fully liberated form, its shadow casting over the island like a god of war.
King slowed, eyes narrowing. These people… were absolutely prepared.
They hadn't stumbled across each other by accident. No—Morgans had misled them on purpose.
And judging by the flock of News Coo circling above, if they backed down now, the entire world would know about it.
Their next choice would define the reputation of the Beasts Pirates.
But before King could speak—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from the side.
Jack had already transformed into his Mammoth Zoan form and collided with Tatsumi, who was encased in his mechanical exosuit.
Both were brute-force fighters, but Tatsumi's enhanced mobility and stealth tech gave him a distinct edge. With his Teigu equipped, he darted around Jack like a blur, dealing precise, punishing blows.
Despite not even unlocking his full liberation, Tatsumi was already overwhelming Jack in direct combat.
"Let's talk," King muttered, now abandoning the thought of initiating an all-out brawl.
Fighting them head-on would be suicide.
He recognized the difference in power—and preparation.
Susanoo nodded and stepped aside, making a graceful inviting gesture.
Tatsumi, now cloaked in invisibility, disengaged and returned to Mine's side. Though fierce in battle, he remained ever-vigilant in guarding Mine's safety.
"What's that idiot doing?" Jack grumbled. "King's talking to them? What a coward!"
Jack muttered insults under his breath, conveniently forgetting how Garp had tossed him around like a ragdoll just weeks ago.
"I'm the smartest one here," he said proudly, puffing his chest.
On the shoreline, King approached Najenda calmly.
"Captain Najenda, First Division Captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates… what's your purpose here?"
Najenda didn't mince words.
"You came to fight, didn't you?"
She folded her arms. "But defeating you won't impact us much. Even if some of my crew fall, it won't change our course. And with someone like Akame here, are you really prepared for the possibility that not even the three of you make it back alive?"
Her tone was steady, but every word cut like a blade.
Najenda frowned. His pride bristled—but deep down, he understood the weight of her warning.
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