Black Maria

"Who were those two?"

After ending the call, Robin put away the Anti-Eavesdropping Den Den Mushi and asked curiously.

"They're senior officers of the Revolutionary Army, two very formidable people. They're also good friends of Jewelry Ginny."

Kane took Robin's hand and gave it a gentle tug.

Robin naturally clung to him like a koala, then heard Kane whisper in her ear:

"Twenty-five years ago, there was a place called God Valley..."

Before long, Robin buried her red-rimmed eyes against Kane's shoulder. Tears streamed down like pearls from a broken string, soaking a large patch of his shoulder.

"That... that Kuma, why was he so foolish?"

Robin did not question why Kane knew so many secrets. She simply kept sympathizing with Kuma and Ginny.

"That's why I think we should help them if we can."

Kane gently stroked Robin's back, soothing her with tender movements.

Just then, a piercing alarm suddenly rang out, startling Robin upright.

Kane quickly arrived on deck and saw three distinctively shaped ships approaching across the sea, forming an encirclement ahead of the warship.

"Those are... the Beasts Pirates?!"

Kane stared at the flags on the three pirate ships in surprise. The sails of two of them bore the pirate emblem unique to the Beasts Pirates, making them easy to identify.

Besides the shared Beasts Pirates emblem, those two pirate ships also had their own distinctive symbols. They clearly were not ordinary figures.

As for the third pirate ship, its sail bore a pirate emblem Kane had never seen before.

Before Kane could inspect it closely, Hina reported with a dark expression.

"That was Kaido's former subordinate, Hanafusa the Drought. He has now left the Beasts Pirates and calls himself the King of Lizards.

"He likes collecting Zoan Devil Fruits, especially Ancient Zoans. Rumor has it that Marine Headquarters is considering recruiting him as a Shichibukai.

"The other two are Black Maria and Sasaki, two of the current Headliners of the Beasts Pirates."

"Tsk, tsk. Training at Marine Headquarters really is different. You recognized them at a glance," Kane praised.

"..."

Hina looked at Kane, wondering if something was wrong with his head.

In a situation like this, shouldn't he have been nervous?

"Why are you looking at me?"

Though Kane also wanted to test himself against Shichibukai-level pirates, there was bound to be no chance for him to act in this situation. He matter-of-factly pointed toward Tsuru's warship.

"In this situation, Vice Admiral Tsuru will definitely take action."

Hina looked at Kane as if he were an idiot.

"None of them has a bounty over five hundred million. Have you forgotten your agreement with Vice Admiral Tsuru?"

"...Right!"

Kane's eyes lit up.

He remembered Tsuru saying that Gion was certain he could already match a pirate with a bounty of five hundred million.

Though he felt Gion had set him up, he was not angry in the slightest. Instead, he was eager to give it a try.

Even on the Grand Line, Shichibukai-level pirates were not easy to encounter.

Now that they had come knocking on their own, Kane, eager to determine his true strength, could barely restrain himself.

He draped an arm around Hina's shoulders and said eagerly:

"Once they enter the warship's firing range, warn them first. Then fire a few shots and see what happens."

"Hina doesn't think bombardment will be effective."

"I know, but I need an excuse to charge over there."

"Hina understands."

Hina gave a slight struggle. When Kane's arm remained around her shoulders and the faint scent of fruit lingered beneath her nose, she simply let him do as he pleased.

Meanwhile, in the prison aboard Tsuru's warship, Tsuru heard the alarm and frowned slightly as she looked at Doflamingo, who was covered in shackles.

"I didn't expect that, despite being in the North Blue, you could still contact someone like Kaido."

Doflamingo wore his trademark smile as he slightly raised his head to look at Tsuru.

"Old lady, has your age made you start spouting nonsense? I never contacted any Kaido.

"Besides, in a situation like this, are you still going to stay here chatting with me? Looks like you really trust that brat."

Tsuru did not respond. Instead, she picked up a newspaper and began flipping through it, as though she had not heard any alarm.

She recalled how, before leaving, Gion had stated with absolute certainty that if Kane were a pirate, his bounty would definitely exceed five hundred million.

And she had unusually insisted that during the coming voyage, no matter how dire the situation became, Tsuru must suppress the urge to step in and help Kane.

Tsuru had asked Gion why she made such a judgment, but Gion had not answered.

Still, based on her trust in Gion, Tsuru had made arrangements according to Gion's suggestion.

On the other side, the three pirate ships ignored Hina's warning. The moment they entered the warship's firing range, they were met with a barrage.

After practicing against countless pirates, Hina was no longer what she once was. Her accuracy was terrifyingly high as more than ten Black Spears streaked through the sky like meteors, heading straight for the three pirate ships.

Yet before the Black Spears could strike the ships, three figures leaped into the air.

Sasaki, with fangs in his mouth and horns growing from his head, swung his blade like the wind. The Black Spears shattered into several pieces and fell into the sea.

Hanafusa, a towering man wearing a black hat that obscured half his face, hurled out an enormous meteor hammer and smashed every Black Spear away.

Black Maria, astonishingly tall yet sexy and alluring, flung out great quantities of spider silk, intercepting the Black Spears in midair.

The three stood at the bows of their ships, looking at the distant warship with contempt, indifference, or faint smiles, as though they were watching prey walk into a trap.

Yet to their surprise, although the Black Spears had clearly been ineffective against them, the warship fired another one.

What puzzled them was that there was only one Black Spear this time, and its aim had clearly not been adjusted. It merely flew toward their position.

But as the Black Spear drew closer, the three finally saw that someone was standing firmly atop the incredibly fast projectile.

The person wore a Marine coat of justice, carried a longsword at his waist, and stood with his arms folded. A hunter's smile played across his face as he looked down at the three of them.

"Arrogant bastard!"

Sasaki grinned viciously. As a fellow swordsman, his fighting spirit instantly surged. The moment his opponent came close, he would rush forward and hack him into pieces.

Yet Kane did not grant his wish. Feeling the Black Spear beneath his feet begin to fall, he stomped down hard and shot toward Black Maria's ship on the right like a cannonball.

"Fufufufu... It seems this gentleman likes me very much~"

Before her words had even faded, Black Maria seductively waved both arms, and several enormous spiderwebs descended upon Kane.

In midair, Kane calmly drew his sword and gave it a light swing. More than ten streaks of sword light shot from the blade.

The next instant, the sharp sword lights traced graceful arcs, smoothly cutting the webs into pieces. Kane used the opportunity to land before the stunned Black Maria.

At eight meters tall, Black Maria possessed an innate sense of oppression, while her seductive face and voluptuous figure gave her an air of enchanting beauty.

Yet she was even a year younger than Robin, still in the bloom of youth, with a trace of girlish springtime lingering between her brows.

The mixture of those qualities gave her an unusual allure that radiated from head to toe.

"You have a sharp eye, little miss. I really am especially considerate toward girls."

Kane was also quite curious about Black Maria, who could be called a little giant. Looking up at her, he said with a smile:

"If you're interested, you can come sit on my ship. I've always welcomed beautiful girls."

"How mean~ Who takes me away the moment we meet? I don't even know your name yet~"

"You're so beautiful, little miss, that I forgot to introduce myself."

As Kane spoke, he bowed slightly and met Black Maria's azure eyes.

"Kane, lieutenant commander of Marine Headquarters."

Black Maria curiously studied Kane before her. She felt this Marine was somewhat different.

Not only could she not sense any hostility from him, there was not even the slightest disgust toward pirates on his face.

Moreover, she could smell the savory-sweet fragrance of Mitarashi Dango, her favorite, coming from Kane.

What a fascinating person~

[Black Maria, Favorability: 17]