Slay Without Mercy

Cannon fire!

"What's going on?"

Noki and Ain immediately ran out of the shop.

Everyone on the street was curious about what had happened, each of them straining their ears to listen.

At that moment, a group of pale-faced, panicked people rushed into the crowd from the southern docks, shouting, "Run! The Krieg Pirates' fleet is here!"

As soon as the words fell.

A series of explosions rang out from the south. Flames shot into the sky, and black smoke rose.

"The Krieg Pirates? They're the largest pirate crew in the East Blue, with nearly 5,000 men and fifty pirate ships!"

"Why would they come to Loguetown?"

"We're finished! How could the Marines stationed in town possibly stand against Krieg?!"

"I heard that bastard never leaves survivors when he raids a town..."

The people finally realized that danger was upon them. They threw away everything in their hands; some even abandoned their girlfriends and desperately fled north, hoping to escape before Krieg landed on the island.

"Noki, what do we do?" Ain realized the gravity of the situation, her expression exceptionally grave.

Noki gripped the hilt of Golden Scale at his waist, killing intent rising in his eyes. In a low voice, he said, "Ain, return to the base first. Mobilize everyone to maintain order in town and keep the civilians from panicking. I'll deal with this brazen pirate."

"Alright! Be extra careful on your own. I'll arrange for Tashigi, Dezaya, and the others to support you as soon as possible!"

Without the slightest doubt, Ain chose to trust Noki's strength and judgment. She took a long stride forward, used Moonwalk, and stepped high into the air, racing toward the base by the shortest route.

The waters south of Loguetown.

Clad in gleaming golden armor, Krieg stood at the bow of his main ship, the Dreadnaught Sabre, his cape dancing in the wind behind him.

"Hahahahaha! Order every pirate ship not to stop firing until the entire town has been blasted into a sea of flames."

"Yes, Admiral."

Cannonballs spewed from rows of black muzzles, raining down upon the houses and streets.

"Watch out!"

Ace leaped into the air and kicked away a cannonball flying toward Deuce. "Damn it, it was bad enough being bullied by the Marines, but now some measly pirates dare attack my partner? I'll go deal with them!"

Deuce reached out and grabbed him, pointing at the sky with his other hand. "Wait, Ace. Look, who's that?"

"That guy..."

Ace looked up. That peerless figure in the sky—who else could it be but the opponent he thought about day and night?

Deuce said, "With him making a move, it's only a matter of time before the pirates are defeated. Let's not get involved in this mess. The most important thing for you right now is recovering from your injuries."

Ace took a deep breath and slowly loosened his clenched fists. "You're right. I got impatient again. Let's go."

"Yeah!"

Deuce secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Ace had finally matured a little. It seemed the previous two brushes with death had not necessarily been bad for him.

Noki tapped his toes against the ground and landed amid the bombardment. Black mist rapidly spread outward from beneath his feet, and before long, the nearby fires were swallowed by darkness and reduced to nothing.

From afar, Krieg saw the inferno consuming the town extinguish in an instant. As he wondered what was happening, black mist of unknown origin suddenly appeared like a wall, gradually enclosing every area his fleet's cannon fire could reach.

"Boss, our opponent seems to have some tricks."

The man in gray beside Krieg spoke.

"Heh, it's nothing but flashy nonsense. I'd like to see how long it can last. Keep bombarding them with cannonballs!"

Nearly fifty pirate ships fired in turns, their thunderous blasts making the citizens of Loguetown tremble in fear.

Yet the black mist was like a bottomless swamp. No matter how many cannonballs were fired, it swallowed every last one.

"Admiral, the cannonballs seem completely ineffective against that black mist. Should we pause the bombardment and conserve ammunition?" fleet strategist Ediman advised.

"Hmm... Order everyone to stand by."

Krieg was quite clever. Since he could not deal with the black mist for the moment, the safest course was to wait. He refused to believe that the mist could remain forever.

At worst, he could split up the fleet and attack the town from every direction. The only reason he had not used a scattered formation from the beginning was because staying together was ultimately safer.

Though Krieg claimed not to be afraid, he was actually somewhat wary of a Marine Headquarters rear admiral.

The two sides remained deadlocked for a moment.

"Rear Admiral!"

Tashigi hurried over with Dezaya, Bartolomeo, and a group of Marines. "Sister Ain is leading people to calm the citizens in town. She sent us to assist you. The warships are ready and can depart at any time."

Noki shook his head. "No warships are needed. The only reason they've lived this long is because I was worried the cannonballs would cause even greater damage to the town. Now that you're here, it's time for their miserable lives to end."

"You mean..."

"Tashigi, Dezaya, Bartolomeo, I order you to lead the teams and intercept every cannonball heading toward town. Do not let a single one through."

Bartolomeo chuckled. "Senior Noki, this is what I'm best at. Just watch."

Dezaya looked somewhat annoyed. "Master, let me come with you to kill pirates. I haven't had a real fight in weeks. My hands are itching."

Noki glanced at her and said flatly, "There'll be plenty of fights later. Follow orders."

"Oh..." Dezaya answered reluctantly.

"Boss, the black fog is dispersing!"

The man in gray narrowed his eyes. "A Marine is coming toward us. He should be that rear admiral from Headquarters. I can see the killing intent on him!"

Krieg grinned, his expression savage. "All ships, continue firing on the town! And shoot that man out of the sky!"

"Yes!"

Fire!

Blow them to pieces!

Bartolomeo deployed the largest barrier he had ever created.

Using the Moonwalk she had only recently learned, Dezaya darted back and forth between the buildings, kicking away cannonball after cannonball.

Meanwhile, Tashigi used Shigure, moving swiftly with her physical skills as she slashed out sword energy and split the cannonballs in two.

The other Marines gave it everything they had as well.

For a time, not a single cannonball landed on the soil of Loguetown.

Noki stepped through the air, ripples spreading beneath his feet. Facing the bullets hurtling toward him, he used Observation Haki to determine their trajectories and covered himself with Armament Haki at the right moments to block them.

This gave the pirates the illusion that their opponent was invulnerable.

"What did you say? Bullets don't work? How is that possible?! Is he wearing armor too?"

Krieg was greatly astonished as he listened to his subordinate's report.

"I don't know, but several of us shot straight at his face. Armor can be hidden under clothes, but surely his face can't be..."

Boom!

"What now?!"

Hearing the tremendous blast, Krieg hurriedly looked in its direction. One pirate ship after another had been cleaved in half, the smooth cuts looking as though they had been sliced by a blade.

"What kind of joke is this?!"

Krieg's mouth twitched several times. He had personally seen that beautiful-looking Marine split a ship in two with one slash.

"What an incredible swordsman. If I can recruit him, conquering the Grand Line will be within my grasp!"

The man in gray coldly glanced at his captain's lecherous grin. "Boss, you're interested in men too?"

"You're saying he's a man? What a waste. Such a fine face, yet it's on a man. I was planning to spare his life."

"He may not be so easy to kill."

"Are you questioning my strength, Gin?!"

"The boss's strength is beyond doubt, but the opponent is no simple nobody either."

Krieg snorted, dismissing his words.

Gin volunteered, "Let me handle him. Otherwise, more than half of your fleet may be destroyed."

"Fine. Then I'll send you to kill him." Krieg intended to use his subordinate to test the waters first.

"Yes, sir."

Gin leaped into the air and landed on another ship.

Noki had already gone red with bloodlust. Golden Scale shone under the sunlight like a blade of light. Whenever he swept it across, either a row of pirates fell or a ship was cut apart.

Blood stained layer after layer of deck crimson before flowing into the sea, adding a thick bloody hue to its waters.

Pirates deserved no mercy.

Gin rode a pirate ship over to the vessel where Noki stood. Pulling out two iron clubs, he ignored his fallen comrades entirely and focused solely on Noki. "It's rare to meet someone strong. Let me be your..."

Whoosh!

Splash!

Bright red blood gushed forth like a fountain.

"C-Commander!!"

The pirates saw Gin the Demon, who had always emerged victorious in battle, whose bounty had reached 11 million Beli and who was second only to Krieg, lose his head in the blink of an eye. They were so frightened they nearly lost their souls.

Even Krieg, who considered himself invincible, instinctively took a step back at the sight, cold sweat streaming down his back.

Although Gin was not his match, he knew perfectly well that he could not have killed Gin in a single move.

And judging from what had just happened, that Marine had not regarded Gin as a threat at all.

"Boss..."

The officers of the Krieg Pirates watched their men march to their deaths in droves. Their faces turned pale, and their legs began to tremble.

"Boss, maybe we should retreat first."

"Retreat?!"

Krieg grabbed the man by the throat, his powerful wrist snapping the man's neck with brute force. His face darkened as he said, "Anyone who dares speak of retreat again and disrupt morale will end up just like him!"

"But Admiral, that Marine is too strong. In this short time, he's already destroyed more than a dozen ships and killed over a thousand of our men. Even the commander... he's dead too. We may not be his match!"

"Hehehe."

Krieg revealed a sinister smile. "So what if he's strong? Have you forgotten the weapon I still have?"

"You mean..."

"Prepare the gas masks. I'll make him kneel before me and die."

Noki swung Golden Scale. This was actually his first time killing so many people. He had to admit, the thrill of cutting his blade through an enemy's body was beginning to intoxicate him.

He seemed to understand why people like Shiryu of the Rain, the chief warden of Impel Down, could not control their desire to kill. He also understood why there were so many villains who enjoyed trampling on lives.

"No wonder..."

Noki gradually stopped swinging his sword.

The pirates surrounded him, trembling, but none dared to be the first to step forward.

Noki slowly sheathed Golden Scale.

The pirates were utterly confused by his actions. Was he surrendering?

Noki bent down, spread his right hand, and pressed his palm against the deck.

"What are you trying to do?"

One pirate gathered his courage and asked.

"Of course... to kill all of you!"

Endless darkness flowed from Noki's palm, spinning rapidly like a vortex.

"It's pulling us in!"

"Help! Someone pull me!"

"Ahhh..."

"Be swallowed by the darkness!"

Black Hole!

Noki suddenly exerted force, and the vortex formed from darkness gradually expanded. Krieg's fleet was helplessly dragged toward its center.

"That bastard!"

Krieg watched helplessly as his ships were crushed and devoured one after another by that strange black mist. His heart bled with pain. He could not allow Noki to keep running wild.

He put on a gas mask, removed the shield from his shoulder, and aimed at the man at the center of the black mist. It was not merely a shield; it also concealed a launch mechanism. "Die! M.H.5 poison gas bomb!"

Bang!

Dark Devourer!

Darkness condensed in Noki's palm. He raised his hand to meet it and directly caught the poison gas bomb.

"Heh, you're dead!"

Krieg believed the outcome had already been decided.

And indeed, it had.

In the next instant, Noki flashed in front of him and drew two swords—Golden Scale in his right hand and Sandai Kitetsu in his left. "My first time using two-sword style. I'll use you for practice."

Slash!

He could not be bothered naming sword techniques, so whenever he attacked with a blade, he either said nothing or simply uttered the word "slash."

He had learned this from the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye. A basic attack was the ultimate move, though he had not yet met Hawkeye.

Krieg felt a chilling aura rush toward him—the scent of death!

"H-Hey, you were poisoned just now, right? I have the antidote! Don't kill—"

Slash!

Krieg's armor shattered. One arm was severed, and a deep bloody wound appeared across his chest. He spoke the final words of his life: "I'm the overlord of the East Blue..."

Splash!

"Admiral!"

Noki put away Sandai Kitetsu and muttered to himself, "Two-sword style really is unfamiliar. I should stick with one sword for now."

When the officers of the Krieg Pirates saw Noki walking toward them with his sword in hand, they kept begging for mercy.

"Lord Marine, we surrender! We surrender!"

"Throw us in prison, just don't kill us!"

"I have treasure! It's all yours!"

"As long as you spare our lives, we'll give you anything you want."

"..."

Noki's eyes were like an icy pool at that moment, deep and deathly still. The pirates trembled at the sight of them. "Pirates deserve to be killed without mercy!"

"Ah!!!!!"

In just a few short hours, the Krieg Pirates...

Were completely wiped out!

When Noki returned to Loguetown's docks again,

Tashigi deliberately kept some distance from him. She wanted to speak, but did not know what to say.

Dezaya did not really dare to casually speak to Noki either.

Even Bartolomeo was a little afraid.

Nearly five thousand lives, just... just gone like that?

"Let's go."

Noki more or less knew what they were thinking.

Such a brutal slaughter was indeed difficult for people to accept.

However, Noki believed that after this battle, the number of pirates in the East Blue would fall by at least half. Not because he had killed half of them, but because with him guarding the East Blue, no one would dare become a pirate again!

After returning to the base,

Ain learned about the matter from Tashigi and the others. She felt that Noki had done nothing wrong, though his methods had been somewhat extreme.

Noki lay on his small bed. Even though he had grown up in a military camp, his heart still could not calm down. The pirates' wails continued to echo in his mind.

For once, he could not fall asleep...

"Creak."

The door opened.

Ain's gentle, tender voice reached his ears.

"Do you regret it?"

Noki shook his head. "Even if I were given another chance to choose, I would still do the same."

Ain sat at the edge of the bed, gently lifted his head, and placed it on her fair, soft thigh. Her slender fingers stroked his smooth black hair. "Go to sleep if you're tired. No matter what happens, I'll stay with you until the end. Noki and Ain will never be separated."

"I originally wanted to do something for you today, but I ended up being the one cared for again. You worked hard..."

Noki turned over and lay on his side with his eyes closed. He truly was tired...

News of the Krieg Pirates' annihilation quickly spread throughout the East Blue through the major newspapers.

Even Marine Headquarters received word of it.

Kuzan gazed at the newspaper in his hands, deep in thought.

Kizaru wore an expression of complete surprise.

Akainu was rarely pleased. That brat had finally done something that suited his wishes.

Inside Garp's residence.

"Zephyr, what made you come looking for me?" Garp stared at the several bottles of liquor on the table.

Zephyr opened a bottle and smiled. "Sending that kid Noki to the East Blue was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Hey, old man, don't make wild accusations without evidence." Garp twisted his mouth, looking guilty as if he had been caught doing something bad.

"Others may not know you, but do you think I don't know all your little tricks?"

Zephyr took out today's newspaper from his clothes. "What do you think about what Noki did?"

Garp said, "It's only natural for Marines to kill pirates. His methods may have been a little cruel, but this was the same as killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. The East Blue should be much more peaceful from now on."

"It's rare to hear such a rational judgment from you."

Zephyr took a swig from the bottle. "Noki grew up following Sakazuki. I had always worried that he would take the same extreme path as Sakazuki.

But from what I've observed, while his justice shares similarities with Sakazuki's, it is not entirely the same. He may seem heartless, yet he has a heart. Coupled with his extraordinary talent, he will surely become a pillar of the Marines in the future."

Garp picked his nose as he said, "Yeah, but with that matter hanging over him, the Celestial Dragons will never allow him to hold great power. And sooner or later, that brat will learn the truth. Whether he'll still remain in the Marines then is anyone's guess."

"Cudilia Rogers's death?"

Zephyr frowned. "All these years, Noki's mother has never contacted him. They should have let go of their anger by now, shouldn't they?"

Garp burst out laughing. "If only it were that easy. Forget it, forget it, let's not bring up those annoying matters. You came here to drink with me, right? We're not going home until we're drunk today."

"You sly old fox." Zephyr smiled helplessly and raised his bottle...

Krieg had caused considerable destruction in Loguetown.

Many people's homes and shops had suffered severe losses because of the attack.

As the commander of the local Marine base, Noki shouldered some responsibility for it. He took part of the base's funds and donated it to the townspeople, supporting their reconstruction efforts.

In addition, Noki took Ain to Ipponmatsu's weapon shop once more and spent around ten million Beli to equip her with the finest sword and scabbard.

It was worth mentioning that Loguetown became even more peaceful after the Krieg Pirates were wiped out.

The one most troubled by this was Dadi, the bounty hunter. He used to run into pirates after wandering around for a bit, but now he might not encounter a single one for days.

The pirates seemed to have reached a consensus.

They kept far away from Loguetown...