"Sparks? Gaban?"
Werther watched the old man in the distance. Pipe clenched between his teeth and long axe in hand, he cut down Kaido's men one after another. Werther's interest stirred.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is the legendary Copper Demon?"
Tillman nodded.
"Yes. The Copper Demon. He was a pirate from my era, and I fought him once. He's strong. That axe of his strikes from nowhere, and Scopper Gaban is fast. Very fast.
"Other than you, he has the fastest reactions I've ever seen. Even Kizaru might not match his attack speed."
Werther grew more interested.
"Kaido, you take Kozuki Oden. I'll take Scopper Gaban. What do you say? I don't much like fighting swordsmen."
Werther enjoyed fighting all kinds of enemies, except swordsmen. He was a powerful swordsman himself, so he could usually guess their moves. That took the fun out of it.
"Whatever. As long as he's strong."
Werther gave him a wicked grin and needled him.
"Kozuki Oden might be stronger than you."
"Bullshit."
Kaido fixed Werther with a glare, looking ready to eat him alive.
"Then go kill Kozuki Oden and show me."
Kaido gripped his Spiked Club until it creaked, as if he might swing it at Werther at any moment.
Tillman looked at them with a headache coming on. Werther's sharp tongue and Kaido's hair-trigger temper were a disastrous combination. They could barely exchange ten words without coming to blows.
If Tillman had not kept them apart, Werther and Kaido might already have fought a second battle to the death.
"Calm down, both of you. Kaido, go deal with Kozuki Oden."
Kaido snorted and strode toward Kozuki Oden. Any of his own men who blocked his path got swept aside by his Spiked Club.
Before Kaido had even reached an enemy, he