One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

As the morning sun rose, the inner bay port of Mad Hat Island was bombarded with a ferocious assault of cannon fire.

The incoming cannonballs, both in speed and destructive power, far exceeded anything the pirates at the docks had ever encountered.

BOOM!

In mere moments, yet another pirate ship was obliterated by an earth-shaking explosion.

On the dock, the pirates erupted in anger.

"One Marine ship acting all high and mighty? Wait, no—there are two of them!"

"Who cares if it's one or two? Sink them already!"

"It's been ages since we've run into Marines this brazen! They've got some nerve, charging into the inner bay... They're begging for death!"

"But wait—there's no cannon fire. How are those cannonballs flying over here?"

Amid the chaos, one pirate, puzzled, pulled down his visor-like goggles with a slight telescopic function and traced the trajectory of the cannonballs back to their source.

What he saw drained the color from his face.

"It's... It's people! PEOPLE!"

A terrified scream tore from the pirate's throat.

Nearby pirates paused and turned to him, shouting curses.

"Are you out of your mind? If it's not people, what else would it be? Ghosts?"

But then they noticed that the pirate, trembling uncontrollably, collapsed to the ground, his face contorted in horror as if he had truly seen a ghost.

"What the hell is going on?"

The surrounding pirates looked at each other in confusion.

The terrified pirate was shaking so badly it seemed he might fall apart.

"Those cannonballs... they're being thrown by hand! And—and..."

The pirate gasped for air, unable to finish his sentence.

Not far away, a burly man with a fierce appearance grew impatient.

He stormed over, yanked the goggles off the frightened pirate's face, and tossed him aside like garbage.

"With guts like that, you dare call yourself a pirate? Go back home and suck on your mom's milk."

With a disdainful glance, the man raised the goggles to his eyes and looked toward the bows of the Marine ships.

He fell silent.

"What's wrong?"

The man's unnatural reaction sent waves of unease through the onlooking pirates.

Clink.

The goggles slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a faint sound.

BOOM!

Another ship went down in flames, the explosion shaking the air.

But the pirates nearby didn't look at the sinking vessel. Their gazes were locked on the fallen goggles.

When the thunderous noise faded, the burly man's trembling voice broke the silence.

"It's... Vice Admiral Garp... and... Admiral Aokiji!"

"!!!"

Hearing those names, every pirate in earshot froze like statues. Their expressions, bodies, and even thoughts seemed paralyzed.

The bombardment continued.

Panic spread across the docks like a plague.

On the Marines' lead warship, in the inner bay, Garp stood at the bow.

With a grin, he effortlessly lobbed cannonball after cannonball, his movements growing smoother and his accuracy improving with each throw.

This was a warm-up—no joke.

The Marines from Tsuru's unit watched with practiced indifference; they were long accustomed to such feats from the "Hero of the Marines."

But on the trailing ship, the West Blue branch Marines were utterly stunned.

Jaws practically dislocated, they stared at Garp in disbelief.

Of course, they had never doubted the hero's strength. But their limited experience had never prepared them for the sight of cannonballs being hurled by hand.

"Monster..."

Captain Robbie stood silently.

He was proud, yes.

But he also understood just how many monstrous figures stood far above him.

Even so...

"One day, I'll get there too," he vowed silently.

Robbie was young and one of the most outstanding officers of his generation.

Given time, he believed he could grow stronger.

Someday, he could reach the rank of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, maybe even Admiral.

His eyes sparkled with determination.

In Mad Hat Town, atop the roof of the Nightshade Tavern.

"They've finally arrived..."

Wolfrat stared toward the commotion at the inner bay port.

Tap tap...

Hurried footsteps echoed from the alley below.

A group of nearby pirates was rushing toward the docks, eager to investigate the situation.

Wolfrat glanced down at the group, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes.

There was no longer any need for him to hide.

Without a sound, Wolfrat transformed into his hybrid beast form.

"Tempest Kick!"

His now-massive legs flexed and unleashed a visible cutting wave through the air.

The crescent-shaped slash sliced through the pirates in the alley like a blade.

"Huh?"

The pirates looked down in shock at their bisected lower halves.

Splat.

Their bodies hit the ground, blood spraying like a fountain.

"AAAAHHH!"

The dying pirates screamed in agony.

On the rooftop, Wolfrat coldly surveyed the carnage, then leaped toward the docks.

"Tatamu, whoever you are, once you leave, don't come back..."

In his beast form, Wolfrat sprinted across the rooftops.

Every pirate in his path was eliminated without hesitation.

He had long wanted to do this.

He didn't aim to kill every pirate.

But for every one he killed today, perhaps a few ordinary people might be spared in the future.

And so, one kill was one life saved.

Elsewhere, atop a building in the Bar Street.

Lafitte stood straight, shielding his eyes with his hand as he gazed at the smoke-filled docks.

"My, my... two truly remarkable figures have graced us with their presence."

Garp and Aokiji—two of the Marine Headquarters' strongest forces.

In the entire sea, only a handful of individuals could rival them.

For them to appear on Mad Hat Island in the West Blue?

Unfathomable.

And yet, here they were.

Lafitte's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Why were they here?

If their purpose was merely to destroy the island...

The motive seemed insufficient.

A faint smile curled on Lafitte's lips.

Unlike the panicked pirates, he was in no hurry to flee.

So what if his ship was destroyed?

He had plenty of ways to leave this island.

Driven by curiosity, Lafitte decided to stay and watch the events unfold.

Meanwhile.

In a quiet alley, Maude closed his eyes.

In the darkness of his vision, a glowing notebook gradually appeared.

On its cover, the second star representing physique was nearly complete, just a sliver away from being filled.

Even his Haki category had formed a star, already one-third filled.

This rapid progress in Haki wasn't because Scott's mastery was especially high but because Maude already had a foundation in Haki.

The stars reflected not only the world's peak power levels but also his current strength in real-time.

If he added "marksmanship" as his next target...

Perhaps, the moment he wrote it down, a star would immediately form.

"Maude."

Sunny's voice brought him back to reality, and he opened his eyes.

"The docks..."

"Let's head back to the weapons shop first," Maude replied.

Before his words faded, a figure appeared before them.

Maude and Sonny tensed instinctively, only to relax when they recognized the newcomer.

"Sol."

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