Storm

"Let's start with you! The weak deserve their misfortune."

Louis grinned.

"Hey! Bastard! Don't look down on me!"

Buggy, who had been a little scared, let out a roar, "Split-Split Fist!"

He swung his right hand, and his right fist, holding a flying dagger, smashed directly towards Louis.

"Tsk."

Louis directly grabbed Buggy's fist. The young kid, only in his teens, hadn't had his powers for long, and his physical strength and proficiency with his abilities were still far from adequate.

"Coming to me on your own?"

He exerted force with his right hand, his palm beginning to grip tightly.

"Ahhh! It hurts, you bastard!!!"

Buggy thrashed around, tears like noodles sliding from his eyes.

"Just like this, I'll crush your palm!"

Louis sneered, his palm continuing to contract. The strength of his arm muscles allowed him to unleash a power far exceeding his usual instantly.

"Let go of Buggy!!"

Shanks couldn't just stand by and watch his companion's hand be crushed. He sprang from the crowd, his long saber thrusting towards Louis's chest.

"Isn't this..."

Louis, as if he had expected it, suddenly dodged sideways and swung his long sword downwards. "You ran out on your own!"

Clang!!

"Ugh!!"

Even more terrifying power was transmitted from the sword in his hand. Shanks couldn't hold onto his saber at all. In terms of physical strength, Louis already far surpassed Shanks. With his muscles bursting, he directed all the strength of his arm to one point, unleashing an incredibly fierce power.

The flat of the blade heavily struck Shanks's shoulder. The clear sound of bone cracking, accompanied by Shanks's miserable cry, sent the Red Hair kid flying like a cannonball. He tumbled across the deck, knocking over several pirates before crashing into the ship's railing.

"Hey! Bastard Shanks!"

Buggy, seemingly no longer in pain, shouted in alarm.

"Ahhh! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"

Then Louis immediately let him understand what pain was.

"Cough... Scary guy..."

Slowly getting up from the ground, Shanks wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His ears were in excruciating pain. That sword strike had not only knocked his sword away but also torn off half of his left ear. His shoulder blade was shattered, and his entire left side was almost numb. Yet, the kid still stared fixedly at Louis. "But, it's not over this easily!"

"Tenacious vitality."

Louis raised his right hand and waved it lightly. "Fire."

"Yes! Mr. Mario!"

The remaining pirates raised their guns and opened fire on the two kids, bullets spraying out.

"Waaah! We're dead for sure this time!!"

Buggy cried out in despair. "I told you long ago to compromise a little with the captain!"

"Stop the nonsense! I'll protect you, Buggy!"

The Red Hair kid picked up his saber and stood in front of Buggy.

"You bastard..."

Clink, clink, clink!!!

With a series of continuous explosions, the expected bullets did not hit the two. A man descending from the sky stood in front of them.

"What?"

Louis instantly retreated a few steps. Without hesitation, he leaped up and dove off the deck, plunging into the sea.

"Really, such a fast reaction! That kid!"

The man flicked his long sword and chuckled softly. "He just ran away. That decisiveness alone shows he's no ordinary person."

"What... this guy is..."

"No, no way? Why is he here!!"

"Run! Run away!!"

The moment the pirates recognized the man's face, they collapsed, shouting in panic and trying to escape.

"Mr. Gaban!!"

Shanks exclaimed with joy. "You've arrived just in time!"

"Really, two kids venturing deep behind enemy lines?"

The man, an executive officer of the Roger Pirates, Bronze among Gold, Silver, and Bronze, named Gaban, merely swung his sword. The fleeing pirates had everything taken from them in a brilliant slash. "Can't you guys give us some peace of mind?"

"Uncle Gaban! And that guy! And that bastard!"

Louis dived, and Buggy's hand, which he had been gripping tightly, naturally followed him into the water. After letting go in the water, Louis immediately pulled his hand back. Although his hand was back, it didn't mean Buggy wasn't angry about it. "Go kill that bastard!!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Saving you was already taking time out of my busy schedule, I don't have time for that now,"

Gaban looked up. The clouds in the sky had gathered into oppressive storm clouds, so low they felt within reach. The wind had begun to blow, and the sea was gradually changing.

"Buggy, Shanks, hurry back to the ship. The time for our counterattack is now!!"

Gaban slung his sword over his shoulder, a smile on his face. "Really, I've waited long enough!"

As he pulled his companions away from the ship, the Red-Haired brat looked back at the sea where Louis had jumped. "That guy, his name is Mario, right?"

"Damn it! The storm is coming!"

Louis surfaced from the water, looking up at the sky. The clouds had gathered intensely, storm clouds pressing down. The sea began to churn, and the sea breeze was gradually becoming violent.

"Splat!"

Water droplets the size of beans fell from the sky, bursting on Louis's forehead like tiny splashes. "It's coming! No, I have to find a ship!"

Louis floated on the sea surface. The waves were gradually becoming rougher. If he continued to stay in the sea, he would truly be dead later.

"You're the one!"

Louis set his sights on a ship, a large ship that looked quite intact. He plunged into the sea and rapidly approached the ship from below.

"Pfft!"

Using the seabed for leverage, the techniques of Geppo combined with Soru, which could be used in the air, were even more effective underwater. Although the resistance of the water was considerable, Louis's speed was still astonishing, perhaps enough to rival a Fish-Man. Like a cruise missile, he shot out of the water and landed on the deck with a flip.

"This is..."

The scene on the deck was beyond Louis's expectations. Dead bodies, all dead pirates in gruesome states, most with sword wounds. The ship itself was in tatters, the deck shattered, with few intact parts. Looking closely, the mast was now swaying precariously, with a huge cut at the base that looked like it could break at any moment.

"Damn it!"

Louis gritted his teeth. "Is this where the executives fought?"

It was clear that this ship had lost its ability to continue sailing and looked like it could capsize at any moment.

"Crack!!"

The already dim sea surface suddenly lit up. In the sky, thunder roared. Louis watched with his own eyes as a massive bolt of lightning descended directly onto a large ship not far away. It was estimated to have hit the ammunition storage, and a violent explosion instantly occurred, blowing the entire ship into the sky.

"Too late?"

Louis's eyes flickered. The storm had arrived.

"Whoosh"

The strong wind began to blow. The already precarious mast on this ship snapped directly, crashing heavily into the sea. Following closely, the ship itself began to sway back and forth. The waves on the sea surface grew higher and higher, their crests becoming increasingly astonishing.

"Splash!!"

It started to rain, a downpour. The rain hitting one's body could even make the skin numb. Visibility instantly dropped to only a few meters ahead.

The storm that had rewritten the entire course of the pirate world had finally arrived.

"Golden Lion!! You're finished!!"

A roar came from the sky.