Crushing the Fleet and Cyclone Eric

The Big Daddy Pirates were worthy of being the strongest pirate crew in the East Blue. Eric wasn't about to risk his life just for double the commission from Commodore Nelson Royale!

As he searched for a small boat to escape in, the Dreadnaught Sabre, pulled by a sea beast, had already rammed into the Navy command ship. The boarding battle had officially begun.

Roronoa Zoro leaped onto the warship at once, searching everywhere for the "powerful swordsman" who had unleashed the Flying Slash.

As Daddy drew near the Navy fleet's encirclement, his forty-meter Barrier blade had already come crashing down on the four warships to the right. In a single blow, all four were reduced to wreckage, and countless Marines plunged into the sea.

The terrifying power of that slash nearly scared Eric into wetting himself as he tried to flee. It seemed they really had provoked a monster!

On the other side, Sonic El Drago also used his Sonic Cannon to blast through a warship.

The remaining three warships began turning frantically, trying to escape. The Big Daddy Pirates were terrifying—there was no way they could take them on!

Commodore Nelson Royale had already retreated several hundred meters. Seeing his fleet destroyed and sunk like chopped vegetables, as easily as tofu, left him deathly pale with fear.

"Requesting backup, requesting backup!! The East Blue 8th Branch Navy fleet has failed to eliminate the Big Daddy Pirates and suffered heavy losses. Five warships have been destroyed, and our entire force may be wiped out. Send the nearest support unit from the Grand Line immediately!"

Commodore Nelson Royale grabbed the Den Den Mushi and frantically called Marine Headquarters for help. He was even rowing the boat himself, desperate to get away from those devils in the Big Daddy Pirates as quickly as possible!

"Captain Hina, currently patrolling the waters around Drum Island, is heading for the entrance to the Grand Line! Commodore Royale, please protect yourself and wait for reinforcements!"

The Marine operator replied at once. But Drum Island was so far from Reverse Mountain that even a flying force couldn't get there in time!

Commodore Nelson Royale angrily hung up the Den Den Mushi and cursed under his breath. Then he and his adjutant and a few personal guards continued rowing frantically, trying to escape the area.

The other three warships couldn't escape Daddy's clutches either. But instead of sinking them outright, he sent his crewmates—Gin the Man-Demon, Steel Bear, and Dezaya—to board and get some practice killing.

Even Nami and Carmen were thrown into the fray to get their first taste of Marine blood!

Zoro was already fighting Cyclone Eric. After learning that the man who'd unleashed the Flying Slash wasn't a swordsman, Zoro had lost most of his interest.

But Eric's Scythe Wind Blade had given him plenty of inspiration. He began developing all kinds of small Flying Slash techniques, gradually advancing toward becoming a swordsman.

Meanwhile, Kuro of a Hundred Plans and the Cat Brothers had already taken off after Commodore Nelson Royale and the other stragglers on fast motorboats.

The ruthless Kuro didn't give Commodore Nelson Royale a chance to beg for mercy. He ignored even the man's offer of a huge sum of money and slaughtered them all.

On the Navy command ship, Daddy watched Zoro and Cyclone Eric's fierce battle without expression. For now, he had no intention of getting involved.

The wind blades produced by the Scythe-Scythe Fruit User were pretty powerful. In the hands of someone with greater talent, the fruit's potential would be immense. A flick of the fingers could unleash a huge wind blade.

Eating this Devil Fruit gave its user a starting point on par with a swordsman capable of unleashing a Flying Slash.

If Eric could develop the power until every flick of his fingers produced a wind blade hundreds of meters long, he could become one of the best in the New World.

Daddy even felt that the ability shouldn't be called the Scythe-Scythe Fruit. It should be called the Wind-Blade Fruit.

Daddy didn't interrupt Zoro while he was immersed in learning from the battle. He wanted to give him more time to grasp the sword techniques.

"Captain Daddy, we found some imprisoned pirates aboard. Should we release them?"

Honey Queen hurried over to Daddy and asked. She knew he liked recruiting powerful pirates, so as soon as she found them, she'd come to him to decide what to do.

"Really? What's the highest bounty among them? Any Devil Fruit Users?"

Daddy sounded a little interested. By now, he'd run into most of the pirate crews that appeared in the original story. He wondered if there were any other powerful crews in the vast East Blue.

"Uh! The highest bounty is only nine million. I don't think any of them are Devil Fruit Users."

Honey Queen sounded a little disappointed. She felt there probably weren't any pirates among them that Daddy would want.

Even bounty hunters like Needle Sword the Clown, the swordsman Gollas, and the Cat Brothers were just minor pirates in Daddy's crew.

"Fair enough! What kind of talent could a pirate crew captured by those useless idiots possibly have?

"Feed them all to Momoo. It's been working hard lately. Let it have a good meal!"

Daddy spoke coldly. He didn't want to recruit any more deadweight. He even wanted to trim the number of pirate underlings aboard.

If they couldn't even beat civilians boosted by the Pump-Pump Fruit User, there was no point in keeping them around. In the future, they'd probably be no more useful than a single burst of Conqueror's Haki.

Daddy had also been trying to figure out whether he had the potential to possess Conqueror's Haki.

Without that kind of talent, could he really reach the top of this world?

Having been transported into this world, Daddy had felt some doubts himself.

But he knew that a truly lawless, unrestrained person could become the first to awaken Conqueror's Haki without inheriting it through blood.

People like the Four Emperors Big Mom, Kaido of the Beasts, and Whitebeard had all been born commoners. Their parents hadn't been famous powerhouses.

And yet, every one of them had awakened Conqueror's Haki!

Thinking about it, Daddy realized he was still holding himself back.

Even Whitebeard and Red-Haired, famed for their loyalty and boldness, had their own ironclad rules. Anyone who crossed them would die. They would never tolerate it.

Maybe Daddy needed to have his own absolute rules, too. Anyone who broke them would have to die.

Every king was proud and stubborn. When they set their minds on something, no one could stop them—not even friends or family.

Maybe that was the mindset that let someone awaken Conqueror's Haki!

Honey Queen trembled a little when she heard Daddy decide the prisoners' fate without even looking at them.

"Yes, Captain Daddy!"

Honey Queen replied solemnly. Even though she was Daddy's most intimate partner, she still didn't dare act spoiled because of his favor.

Zoro had gradually figured out Eric's moves and weaknesses. Before long, he defeated him with a strike from behind.

To unleash a wind blade with the Scythe-Scythe Fruit, Eric had to point his finger forward and sweep it. If an opponent was behind him, he had to turn around before he could counterattack.

Then again, maybe that weakness was just because Eric hadn't developed his powers very well.

Daddy didn't believe it was impossible to unleash a wind blade by sweeping a finger backward.

Iron Wall Pearl immediately grabbed a pair of Seastone Handcuffs and went to cuff Cyclone Eric.

If Captain Daddy didn't step in to recruit him, Eric might soon be handed over to Lord Kuro to be slowly tortured—the Marine mercenary deserved it!