The Battle Begins

"Captain Rocks, the Giant Warrior Pirates have reached the island at the front."

Dozens of islands of various sizes surrounded Hachinosu.

The people stationed on the island at the front had sent the message, contacting those on Hachinosu by telephone.

"Our guests have finally arrived. We can't keep them waiting. Let's go."

With that, Rocks strode excitedly toward the harbor.

"Get the cannons ready!"

As soon as Rocks received the news, he had the pirates on the island prepare to wipe out the Giant Warrior Pirates in one fell swoop.

So before they even reached the harbor, the defenses around it were already in place.

Clay stopped a thousand meters from the harbor with Long Yi and Long Er, and they stood on a building to watch what was happening out at sea.

After all, rather than leave them alone, it was much better to keep them nearby and watch over them.

Clay knew just how bold the two of them were. If he let his guard down and they ran onto the battlefield and got hurt, he would have failed Carl's trust in him.

"They're here!"

Just then, Long Yi lay on the roof and peered into the distance with his tiny telescope. He spotted a massive fleet speeding toward them.

"Really? Let me see, big brother."

Long Er immediately started fighting Long Yi for the telescope.

"All right, stop fooling around. I have two things to tell you. Once the fighting starts, don't leave my sight. Understand?"

"Understood, Big Brother Clay."

Long Yi and Long Er answered at once, looking obedient.

But the more obedient they seemed, the more wary Clay became. He knew how unruly the two little tyrants could get when Carl wasn't around.

"Captain, Hachinosu is in sight!"

The pirate in the lookout immediately relayed the news to Yorulu.

"I can already sense them."

Yorulu stood on deck. His Observation Haki had already detected Golden Lion and the other commanders waiting for them at the harbor.

As the two forces drew closer, dark clouds gradually filled the sky.

Gales swept across the sea, making it look as if doomsday had arrived.

Yorulu stood a full thirty meters tall, and his body radiated a terrifying presence that made people shudder.

"Did you kill my son?"

As the Giant Warrior Pirates neared the shore, Yorulu shouted at Carl. His voice boomed like thunder. He had seen a picture of Carl and recognized her at once among the people waiting at the harbor.

"Who was your son?"

Carl asked. She didn't know that the person she had casually taken out on her way back from Phil Kingdom had been Yorulu's son.

"Yorulu, you dare come to my territory and provoke me? Today, I'll show you who the real strong ones are!"

Rocks, standing nearby, unleashed a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki. He fixed his gaze on Yorulu, and a fierce fighting spirit welled up in him.

"Rocks, what are you doing here?"

Yorulu immediately blurted out the question. The information he'd received said Rocks wasn't on the island.

Had it been false? His mind raced.

"I was the one who spread it. I didn't expect someone with brawn but no brains like you to actually believe it."

"Gyahahahaha!"

"Since you're here, you're not leaving."

Rocks had been waiting for the Giant Warrior Pirates and the X Pirates to split up. This was the perfect opportunity.

He didn't mind delaying the attack on Tyr Kingdom a little for it.

Rocks said no more and charged at Yorulu. He moved incredibly fast, his small frame kicking up a gale that seemed to reach hurricane force.

His fists and feet, coated in Armament Haki, rained down on Yorulu like a storm.

Though Yorulu knew he'd been tricked, he was a warrior of the Giants and had no habit of fleeing from a fight. He immediately fought back, and besides, this was no time to retreat.

As they clashed, Golden Lion, Newgate, and the others joined the battle, each taking on a Division Commander from the Giant Warrior Pirates.

They each found an opponent: Golden Lion fought Fred, the deputy captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates; Newgate faced Herman, the First Division Commander; John and the prince could only just hold their own against Eloi, the Second Division Commander, by fighting together; Charlotte Linlin took on Bakura, the Third Division Commander; and the remaining Fourth Division Commander, Angelo, was naturally Carl's opponent.

Meanwhile, the Giant Warrior Pirates' ships came alongside the shore, bringing them into close contact with the pirates on land.

The battle erupted in an instant.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Yorulu and Rocks fought fiercely. Every clash of fists and feet rang out like thunder, making the air around them tremble. They moved faster and faster, their attacks growing stronger, as if the entire battlefield had been swallowed by an endless storm.

The pirates nearby scattered, avoiding the area around their fight so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

The battlefield was soon divided into six empty zones. The shock waves from the commanders' battles were powerful enough to tear ordinary pirates apart.

"Boom!"

"So you're Carl? You're pretty strong."

"You're not bad yourself, Angelo."

In one of the battle zones, Carl faced Angelo, the Fourth Division Commander of the Giant Warrior Pirates.

Angelo was a giant. His enormous frame made every move feel crushingly powerful.

And despite what people might think, giants weren't sluggish. In Carl's eyes, they were actually even faster.

Every one of these giant commanders had mastered both types of Haki.

In terms of strength, Carl was still slightly behind Angelo.

But Carl infused every move with the Lightning Method, gradually numbing Angelo's body.

Meanwhile, Long Yi and Long Er slipped toward the edge of the battlefield.

With Clay distracted by the fighting around them, they took the chance to slip out of his reach.

Before long, they found themselves facing a squad leader from the Giant Warrior Pirates.

"Kids, being a pirate isn't a game."

Despite saying that, the pirate raised his massive blade and swung it at Long Yi and Long Er without hesitation.

"Hmph! We're not scared!"

"Hahaha! Then bring it on!"

The squad leader didn't waste any time. He raised his long sword and brought it down hard at them.

Long Yi and Long Er had no weapons, but their fists were wrapped in the golden light of the Golden Light Incantation. For a while, they held their own against the squad leader.

"Huh? Where are they?"

Clay had been distracted by the fighting, but only for a moment.

When he turned and saw Long Yi and Long Er were gone, he quickly looked around, but they weren't nearby.

He immediately scanned the battlefield.

He spotted two inconspicuous glimmers of gold on the left side of the battlefield. A closer look confirmed it was them, and Clay hurried over.