The Navy Was Frightened Away by the Eight Gates!

He used every ounce of strength in his body and roared it out, one word at a time!

BOOM—!!!

An aura several times more terrifying than when he had opened the Seventh Gate erupted violently from within him!

The blue vapor that had already thinned out was instantly replaced by a deeper, more ominous... blood-red vapor!

The blood-red vapor rolled and roared violently around his tiny body like boiling magma!

The air crackled as it burned, and fine black fissures began appearing even in space itself!

At that moment.

Time stood still!

Everyone froze!

The Marines who had just been charging forward so aggressively seemed to have been immobilized. Each of them remained locked in a running posture, their faces filled with utter terror and disbelief!

Their bodies trembled uncontrollably!

What... was this power?!

This aura... made them feel that if they got even slightly closer, they would be completely vaporized, leaving not even ashes behind!

The savagery on Onigumo and Momonga's faces was completely replaced by boundless horror!

Their mouths hung open as strange clicking sounds came from their throats, yet they could not even utter a complete syllable!

Their hearts nearly leaped out of their chests!

Blood-red vapor!

Was this some kind of joke?!

That little monster... he could actually open another Gate?!

"Admiral... I've only ever felt this kind of presence from an Admiral!"

"Thud!"

A Marine soldier could no longer withstand the terrifying pressure. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees, his crotch growing warm and wet.

Even Sasaki in the distance was shaken back again and again by the sudden, terrifying aura, all color draining from his face.

"This presence... it's almost on par with Boss Kaido's!"

Sasaki could hardly believe it.

A height he could never reach in his entire life had actually been attained by a baby barely over one year old!

Just as the entire battlefield fell into dead silence because of Lynn's life-risking act, and every Marine was scared out of their wits.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

A series of incredibly hurried footsteps came from the outskirts of the island.

A Marine messenger responsible for keeping watch came scrambling over, his face stricken with the panic of someone whose parents had died, and rushed before Onigumo and Momonga.

"Vice... Vice Admirals! B... bad news!"

The messenger's voice rose into a shrill squeak from extreme fear.

"What are you panicking for?!"

Onigumo forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart and shouted with outward ferocity.

But even he failed to notice that his voice was trembling too.

"It's... it's the Beasts Pirates! Reinforcements from the Beasts Pirates!"

The messenger practically cried the words out.

"King! It's King the Conflagration! He's leading them personally! Warships as far as the eye can see! They're almost at the harbor!"

"What?!"

Onigumo and Momonga shuddered violently as if they had been struck by lightning!

King the Conflagration?!

The foremost of Kaido's three All-Stars!

That terrifying monster with a bounty exceeding one billion Berries?!

He had arrived so quickly?!

The two abruptly raised their heads and looked at the tiny figure in midair, wrapped in blood-red vapor.

Then they looked at the Marines around them, who were nearly scared out of their wits.

A chill shot from the soles of their feet straight to their scalps!

This was bad.

A little monster who had not even been weaned yet had already caused them such massive losses.

And now an even bigger one had arrived!

If those two joined forces... not only would they fail to complete their mission today, they might even become prisoners of the Beasts Pirates and give the Beasts Pirates leverage over the Navy!

"Retreat!"

"Everyone, retreat!!"

Onigumo and Momonga roared almost simultaneously.

"Quick! Get on the ships!!"

"Get off this damned island!!"

The Marines did not dare delay for even a moment and hurriedly fled toward their warships by the shore.

Run!

Run from this nightmare of an island!

Run from that little monster more terrifying than a demon!

In the blink of an eye, the Marines who had wanted to surround and attack Lynn had fled without a trace.

Only a mess and injured men scattered everywhere remained on the beach.

As they watched the Marine fleet flee in disgrace.

In midair.

The blood-red vapor around Lynn's body rapidly receded like the tide.

The eyes that had burned with blood-colored flames also returned to a baby's clarity.

"The Eight Gates still couldn't be fully opened..."

Thud.

His tiny body could no longer hold on. Like a kite with a severed string, he fell straight down from midair.

"Young Master Lynn!"

Sasaki's expression changed drastically. Ignoring his injuries, he rushed forward and barely caught Lynn in his arms just as he was about to hit the ground.

Lynn's tiny body was frighteningly hot to the touch. His breathing was weak, and he had already fallen unconscious from exhaustion.

He likely would not wake up for at least ten days to half a month.

That was the price of forcibly opening the Eight Gates.

Sasaki looked at the unconscious Lynn in his arms, then at the Marine fleet in the distance that had become tiny black dots. An incredibly complicated expression appeared on his face.

Not long after.

"Sasaki!"

A massive black shadow flew swiftly through the sky.

It quickly descended and transformed into a tall, burly figure clad head to toe in black leather, flames burning behind his back.

It was none other than the Beasts Pirates' All-Star, King the Conflagration!

"Young Master Lynn?!"

"Why is he here?!"

King was astonished.

Then he looked up.

Seeing the Marine fleet fleeing in panic in the distance, nearly vanished beyond the horizon, he could not help but frown deeply.

"Sasaki, what happened?"

His icy voice rang out with unquestionable authority.

"How did Young Master Lynn end up like this?"

"And the Marines... just ran away?"

The Beasts Pirates' elites had also arrived one after another. Seeing this, their faces were equally full of bewilderment.

They had received Sasaki's urgent call for help, saying that he was under siege by Marine Vice Admirals and that the situation was critical.

Why, then, had the Marines fled for their lives as though they had seen a ghost by the time they arrived?

"K-King... Boss King!"

Holding the unconscious Lynn, Sasaki staggered over, his face a mixture of exhaustion, lingering fear, and an indescribable fervor.

"It was Young Master Lynn... Young Master Lynn... he drove the Marines away!"

As soon as those words were spoken.

The entire place fell silent.

King and every member of the Beasts Pirates he had brought with him froze where they stood.

Their eyes widened into circles, and their jaws nearly dropped to the ground.