Krieg, Kill, Gin, Request

"I won't allow you to surrender!"

"He only has some special weapon we've never seen before. We still have nearly five thousand men—there's no need to fear him!" Krieg shouted from the ground.

Although Krieg possessed monstrous strength beyond that of ordinary people and could freely wield a massive spear weighing up to a ton with one arm, he relied too heavily on weapons. In battle, he only knew how to depend on weapons such as his golden armor, diamond gauntlets, spiked cape, giant battle spear, and poison gas bombs.

Because his own weapons could also cause explosions, the arrogant Krieg assumed everyone else, like him, relied on weapons rather than true strength.

"W-what should we do?"

"Should we still surrender?"

"The captain does have a point." Hearing Krieg's words, the pirates aboard the ship became indecisive again.

Looking at Krieg on the ground, Rody asked teasingly, "Oh? Are you proud of your massive fleet?"

"Of course! This is the largest fleet in the East Blue! Don't think that beating me with some special weapon means you've already won!" Krieg shouted at Rody.

"Is that so?"

Rody bent his knees slightly and leaped into the air. He extended both hands, gathering slashes in his palms before swinging them down toward Krieg's fleet.

"Hey, look! There's someone in the air above the Dreadnaught Sabre!"

"Yeah, what's he trying to do up there?" Before the pirates aboard the fleet could exchange more than a few words, massive slashes descended from the sky, cutting the ships into several pieces and killing countless pirates.

"T-too strong!"

"H-he destroyed fifty massive ships in an instant!"

"Is this the strength of someone with a fifty-million bounty?"

"T-this is far too powerful. This isn't someone we can fight at all!" Looking at the shattered ships floating across the sea, the blood of the dead staining the waters red, the pirates aboard the Dreadnaught Sabre could no longer muster even the slightest will to resist. Trembling all over, they fell to their knees.

"Wow, Captain, that was incredible! You're even stronger than the Beast Clan's War Kings!" Windfire Wheel said, dancing excitedly as he looked at the destroyed fleet.

In Windfire Wheel's world, endless wars had raged year after year. He had long since grown accustomed to death.

"Of course. Lord Rody is incredibly strong," Mike said proudly.

Rody smiled down at the stunned Krieg. "And now?"

But Krieg seemed not to hear Rody. With a blank expression, he muttered, "H-how... this is fake. It's all fake. I must be dreaming."

"Right, I have to be dreaming. Hahaha..."

"Tch, did he break?"

Watching Krieg laugh madly, Rody raised his hand, ready to kill him. But at that moment, Gin stepped forward, spreading his arms to shield Krieg.

Rody found this amusing. "Oh? You want to stop me?"

"Captain Gin, get out of the way! You'll die!"

"Yeah, Captain Gin, move aside! You'll die if you don't!" The pirates hurriedly shouted when they saw Gin dare to stand before Rody.

But Gin did not move. He looked at Rody with unwavering eyes. "Lord Slayer, our Krieg Pirates were the ones foolish enough to provoke you. But you've already destroyed our fleet, and the captain's hands have been severed. His mind has collapsed, and he can no longer threaten you. If you insist on killing the captain..."

At this, Gin dropped to both knees, pressing his forehead tightly against the deck as he shouted, "Then please kill me! I'm willing to trade my life for Captain Krieg's! I beg you!"

"Waaah..."

"Captain Gin, don't!" The pirates on the deck wept, deeply moved.

"This pirate called Gin is a loyal and righteous man," Windfire Wheel said emotionally.

"Yeah, Gin truly is a rare loyal and righteous man among pirates," Mike agreed.

Rody walked up to Gin and looked down at him calmly. "Is someone as vicious and evil as him worth trading your life for?"

"Whether Captain Krieg is good or evil, Gin must repay the kindness he showed Gin with his life!" Gin shouted.

"Is that so?"

"The bond between pirates really is touching."

Gin immediately said excitedly, "Thank you, Lord Rody!"

Rody looked at the excited Gin with a teasing expression. "But I refuse." With that, he kicked Gin flying to the side.

"Captain Gin!"

"Thank goodness, Captain Gin wasn't killed." Seeing that Gin was still alive, the pirates breathed a sigh of relief.

Gin was kicked into a crack in the broken cabin. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and after checking himself, he found several of his bones had been broken. His body could not move at all.

Gin looked toward Rody. Rody grabbed Krieg by the head and lifted him from the ground. "N-no..." Gin said weakly.

Seeing that Gin still had the strength to make a sound, Rody turned Krieg's head toward him.

Tears streamed down Gin's face as he pleaded, "P-please..."

Rody smiled and ran his hand across the back of Krieg's neck. His neck was instantly severed, and his headless body collapsed onto the deck. The lonely head stared blankly at Gin.

"Captain..."

Seeing the head in Rody's hand, Gin cried out once before fainting.

Rody tossed aside the head and sat in Krieg's large chair. Nami and Mike walked over to his side, while Windfire Wheel brought the surrendered pirates before Rody.

"Lord Rody, we're willing to surrender."

"We're willing to follow you."

"Please don't kill us!" The pirates hurriedly dropped to their knees and begged loudly for mercy.

Rody ignored the pirates. He simply reached out, lifted Nami beside him onto his right thigh, and stroked her orange hair. "Haha, my dear Little Thief Cat, we'll soon be collecting the treasure of an entire fleet."

Nami rested her head against Rody's shoulder. "Rody, of course I'm happy to gain such a huge haul of treasure, but I feel like I'm just a decorative vase. I can't help you with anything."

"How could you be just a decorative vase? You possess the finest navigational talent in the world."

Rody ordered the pirates kneeling on the ground, "Bring that man called Gin over here."