"Oops, we've been spotted."
Pekoms and Shakky exchanged glances, awkwardness flashing across their faces.
"You'd better stay over there!"
As if venting all the resentment that had built up inside her lately, the moment she realized they were pirates, Lieutenant Commander Hina launched an attack without waiting for Rear Admiral Bastille to give the order.
"Shave!"
With a sharp whoosh, she appeared above the Polar Tang in an instant and reached out to grab Pekoms and Shakky.
With her Devil Fruit ability, if she managed to catch them, they would be locked in Black Bars in an instant.
"What are you trying to do to my friends?!"
As Hina moved, Rod leaped high into the air and blocked her path, standing in front of Pekoms and Shakky. The moment Lieutenant Commander Hina appeared, he suddenly kicked out.
Feeling the gust of wind from the incoming kick, Hina's expression shifted slightly. She changed direction in midair, twisting at the waist to dodge Rod's kick.
Then she braced both hands against the mast and, as Rod passed by her, kicked out as well.
What a fast reaction!
Rod was slightly surprised by Hina's response.
As he recalled it, Hina wasn't famous for her hand-to-hand combat skills, and her strength wasn't considered top-tier either. He hadn't expected her to perform so well in a fight.
That thought flashed through his mind. Feeling Hina's foot coming toward his back, Rod twisted his body and swung an arm to meet her.
Whoosh—
Their bodies crossed paths. Rod took a small step back and landed on the crow's nest, while Hina fell downward.
"Uh..."
Rod looked at the shoe in his hand, his face full of awkward embarrassment.
The next moment, his expression shifted slightly. He stared blankly at the shoe in his hand, a jumble of emotions flashing through his eyes: first surprise, then excitement, and finally a touch of helpless amusement.
Hina landed on the deck of the Polar Tang with one foot bare. A hint of embarrassment and anger crossed her face. When she saw the shoe still in Rod's hand, and the complicated expression on his face, her fury flared even higher.
"Hina is very angry!"
A faint black glow emanated from Hina's hands, and a thick aura of menace surrounded her.
With a sudden swing of her arms, two Black Bars shot out, nearly wrecking the entire Polar Tang.
"Shave!"
Rod, who had been standing atop the mast in the crow's nest, changed expression slightly. Then he vanished in an instant, reappeared right in front of Hina, and kicked out hard.
Before Hina could swing her arms down, she felt a tremendous force strike her abdomen. Her body flew backward and slammed hard into the harbor.
"Lieutenant Commander Hina!"
It might have sounded like a long time, but from the moment Hina charged onto the Polar Tang to the moment Rod kicked her flying into the harbor, barely ten seconds had passed.
The moment Colonel Baro saw Rod holding Lieutenant Commander Hina's shoe, he was already furious. When he saw his goddess kicked away by the red-haired boy across from him, he was practically burning with rage. He snatched up the rifle slung across his back and fired three shots at Rod, then tossed aside the flintlock, now out of ammunition, and charged at him.
That guy's a good shot—and he's using the Navy's newest repeating flintlock, too.
Rod was surprised as he felt the bullets fired by the Marine he didn't recognize.
His own friends were even more formidable, though.
As Colonel Baro fired, Nerl drew his own black rifle and fired three shots in turn. To Colonel Baro's shock, Nerl's bullets precisely struck the three bullets Baro had fired.
That kind of accuracy!
Baro had been confident in his marksmanship, but now he was left stunned. He could hardly believe anyone could intercept bullets with other bullets.
It required terrifying precision, as well as the ability to calculate the speed and angle of both sides' bullets in an instant—not to mention accounting for wind speed, humidity, and all sorts of other external factors.
How could anyone possibly do that?!
Observation Haki!
Compared with Colonel Baro, Rear Admiral Bastille was far more experienced. He figured out the reason almost immediately.
But basic Observation Haki couldn't achieve something like that. Even at Marine Headquarters, there weren't many who could do it.
To think someone in the mere North Blue could train Observation Haki to this level. They really are a dangerous bunch!
We must keep them in the North Blue. If people like these reach the Grand Line, who knows what kind of waves they'll stir up!
With that thought flashing through his mind, Bastille no longer bothered watching the others. He grabbed his massive Shark Cutter sword and leaped down from the warship.
Seeing Bastille descending from above, Rod's expression shifted. He drew the long sword at his waist in one swift motion, flashed in front of Bastille, and swung. His blade slammed into Bastille's massive sword.
"I thought I was seeing things before, but now that I've had another look, it really is true. You're using Shave, aren't you, kid?!"
As their blades clashed, Bastille felt the strength of the person opposite him was in no way inferior to his own, and he was shocked once again.
More importantly, the first time he had fought Lieutenant Commander Hina, this kid had only been fast. But when he kicked Lieutenant Commander Hina away the second time, the way he appeared in front of her had clearly been Shave, one of the Marine Six Powers!
At first, Bastille had thought he'd seen wrong. But this time, he'd seen it clearly: the technique the other man had used was definitely Shave, and he'd performed it even more smoothly than before!
"When did you learn it?"
Though he asked the question, Rear Admiral Bastille already had an answer in mind.
"You mean this way of moving? I just learned it!"
Rod put some force into his grip and flung the Marine opposite him toward the harbor. He landed on the deck, holding a sword in one hand and Hina's shoe in the other.
"Give Lieutenant Commander Hina's shoe back, you red-haired bastard!"
Colonel Baro roared, his muscles tensing as he swung a powerful punch.
Thud!
Rod raised his arm and met Baro's fist head-on, unleashing a violent burst of air.
Even the force of my charge couldn't move him an inch!
Looking at Rod's young face from close range, Colonel Baro's eyes filled with shock.
Without giving his opponent much time to react, Rod blocked the attack and, at the same time, swung the long sword in his other hand without mercy, slashing down at Colonel Baro.
Splurt—
A spray of blood flew through the air. Colonel Baro staggered back and leaned against the Polar Tang's railing, clutching himself with both hands, his body hunched as blood dripped down his arm.
"I got it!"
Baro raised his head slightly. Though wounded, his face was lit up with a victorious smile.
"??"
As Colonel Baro straightened up, Rod saw the shoe of Lieutenant Commander Hina clutched against his chest in both hands.
At a time like this, shouldn't he be holding his wound?!
As the one who'd swung the sword, Rod knew better than anyone that the wound he'd just inflicted on Baro's abdomen was far from shallow. The amount of blood he was losing made that clear, too.
"You went through all that just to get the shoe back? You're a pervert!"
Looking at the Marine grinning like a creep at a woman's shoe, Rod couldn't help making a sarcastic remark.
"You're the pervert! You're the one who stole Lieutenant Commander Hina's shoe!"
Baro grew agitated at Rod's taunt.
Before you continue