Target: Krieg

When Daddy suddenly ordered them off the ship, Yosaku and Johnny looked pitifully at Zoro. Zoro also felt the two were too weak and didn't fit the ship's style, so he told them to leave as well.

The two could only sail away from the three big shots in Daddy's small sailboat.

"You're still too kind, Captain Daddy!"

Kuro of a Hundred Plans watched Daddy's actions impassively. In his eyes, Daddy should have killed all those underlings, to keep the vermin from exposing their information so soon!

"This was my goodwill toward Zoro! There won't be any more of it!"

Daddy gave a meaningful smile, drew Sandai Kitetsu, and carved the black cat figurehead off the Bezan Black, leaving it with an ordinary ram.

Daddy didn't need those ridiculous animal figureheads, and this pirate ship was only a temporary vessel anyway!

"Hmph! Yosaku and Johnny are just ordinary friends! But they really are too weak!"

Zoro was maintaining his beloved swords. After Yosaku and Johnny left the ship, his mind became even more focused: all that mattered was cutting people down and getting stronger.

"The battles ahead will only get more brutal. Are you ready to steel your hearts and keep them cold?"

Daddy looked at Zoro and Kuro. His resolve had grown ever stronger; not even Dezaya could sway him!

"I won't die before becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

Zoro stopped wiping his swords. Remembering the promise he'd made to that girl, he felt utterly resolute.

"If people are going to find us no matter what, then I might as well become a fearsome devil again!"

Kuro adjusted his glasses with his palm and continued reading the newspaper. The hunger for slaughter had flared in his eyes once more.

Meanwhile, Sham was at the helm, Buchi kept adjusting the sails, and Jango had become the cook, preparing meals for them all.

After Daddy drove Yosaku, Johnny, and the pirate underlings away, the three Black Cat Pirates officers became the lowest-ranking trainees, carefully serving the three big shots.

On top of that, they were now heading to attack the Krieg Pirates, the East Blue Overlord's crew. If they'd known things would turn out this way, they'd have been better off getting hauled to a Marine Branch and thrown in jail.

At least in prison they might have kept their lives. Now, the six of them were going to charge the Krieg Pirates, which was practically the same as throwing their lives away.

Two days later.

Daddy and the others finally encountered a fleet of Krieg Pirates ships patrolling the outer waters. There were three pirate ships, and they plundered every vessel they came across.

"Three pirate ships—one for each of us!"

Zoro shouted excitedly at once. After sparring over the past few days, he'd begun to acknowledge Kuro's strength and was grudgingly willing to count him as a crew member.

The three pirate ships opposite them immediately opened fire, looking just as excited.

Who in the East Blue could stand against the Krieg Pirates?

Zoro and Kuro kept deflecting the dense barrage of cannon fire from the other side. The Bezan Black had stopped, waiting for the three pirate ships to come charging over themselves!

"Go!"

"Barrier Stairs!"

Seeing the three pirate ships draw near, Daddy crossed his hands, and three transparent stairways appeared, connecting directly to the ships.

Without a word, he charged toward one of the pirate ships to attack. Zoro and Kuro weren't about to fall behind; they raced over the Barrier Stairs to join the fight!

In an instant, blood flew and screams rang out. The three men with Jango watched, trembling.

As soon as Kuro boarded, he unleashed his indiscriminate ultimate move, Shakushi. Nearly a hundred Krieg Pirates underlings weren't enough to keep him busy for two minutes.

Red light glinted in Daddy's eyes as the Cursed Blade: Sandai Kitetsu in his hand kept reaping the lives of the pirate underlings. It was growing increasingly eerie.

Daddy also wrapped a little Armament Haki around the blade, constantly nurturing the Skillful Grade Sword, which already bore a few dark patterns.

Zoro was the last to finish. At least half the people he'd fought were still alive, merely wounded by his blades. By contrast, the pirates on Daddy and Kuro's two ships had been slaughtered to the last man!

"Hey! Get up there and haul everything over!"

Daddy shouted at Jango and the others, his face murderous. Now that they'd taken out the enemy, of course they had to plunder everything and claim all the spoils!

"Yes, Captain Daddy!"

The three immediately threw themselves into the task and carried it out briskly. The three killers were terrifying; they didn't dare delay for a second.

"There wasn't a real opponent! Not even one wanted criminal!"

Zoro felt a little disappointed after cutting down the men. Still, he'd enjoyed today's slaughter; it was much more satisfying than chasing a pirate crew by himself.

"They killed Krieg's men. It won't be long before they come looking for revenge! Are you ready for war?"

Daddy smiled with satisfaction. The aura and dark patterns of his Sandai Kitetsu had grown a little stronger.

"Can't wait!"

Kuro was covered in blood, like a devil. Unlike Daddy and Zoro, he hadn't bothered to avoid the blood splattering everywhere as he killed indiscriminately.

"That move of yours has too many openings. You need to improve it!"

Daddy said to Kuro. The speed of his Silent Step and Shakushi was on par with the Marine Six Powers technique, Shave, but he couldn't control who he struck. That made the move somewhat useless.

"I know!"

Kuro knew his weakness, too. He was already working to improve his Silent Step while training his Observation Haki. With that power, he might be able to improve his control and precision.

It was only through Daddy that Kuro and Zoro had first learned about Haki and how to awaken it.

After Jango and the others had carried all the supplies and treasure aboard, Daddy set fire to the three Krieg Pirates ships and sailed away, continuing to hunt down the Krieg Pirates fleet.

Even if they had fifty ships and five thousand men, Daddy would wipe them out bit by bit!

Aboard the Bezan Black.

"These pirates actually have Den Den Mushi!"

Daddy looked at the three Den Den Mushi they'd plundered. But it made sense. Even the Barto Family, a criminal organization, had a batch of Den Den Mushi for communicating.

As the East Blue Overlord, the Krieg Pirates were far more powerful than the Barto Family. They must have their own connections.

Thinking of all the weapons Krieg carried, from Steel Armor and Diamond Gauntlets to Needle Armor, Poison Gas Bombs, and the Great War Spear...

That man had probably made extensive weapons deals with the Underworld.

After all, the Six Great Dark Emperors of the Underworld had businesses all over the world. Doflamingo's weapons, in particular, could be found everywhere.

The East Blue Overlord could probably just about qualify as one of the Underworld Emperors' customers.

After all, nobody turned down a customer just because they were weak, as long as they could pay!

Daddy ignored the ringing Den Den Mushi and hung up. Then he took out the sea chart. Next, they'd wage a little guerrilla war and take out some of the Krieg Pirates ships.

If Daddy had Conqueror's Haki, he'd have charged right in by now. He wouldn't have needed to worry about Krieg's human-wave tactics.