The pirates' faces changed at once. Panic seized them, and they cried out in hushed voices.
"They... they look like Celestial Dragons!"
"Celestial Dragons?! Are you serious?"
"We're done for! They say attacking a Celestial Dragon brings a Marine Admiral down on you!"
They whispered frantically among themselves, afraid to approach but too afraid to run.
Shalria watched them cower without kneeling. Annoyance twisted her little face into a scowl.
"How dare you disobey me? I'll kill you!"
She snatched up a pistol nearby and was about to fire.
Charlos caught her wrist firmly. "Not so fast."
He turned to the sisters beside him, a faint smile on his lips. "Amira, Amina. Perfect timing. Let me see what you've learned from three months of special training."
Amira and Amina exchanged a confident smile.
"Leave it to us."
They shot forward, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.
The pirates stood dumbfounded.
"Huh? Just two girls?"
Before he could finish speaking, the fight was over.
Several dull thuds sounded in quick succession.
Amira moved lightly, her wings still folded. With sheer speed and Haki-enhanced kicks, she sent two pirates flying, one kick apiece.
Across from her, Amina drove a heavy punch forward. Black Armament Haki coated her fist as it slammed into a burly pirate's chest.
He had no time even to scream. He flew backward into the wall, making it shudder, then slid down and crumpled at its base, unable to fight back.
It had all happened in an instant.
The two women turned back and bowed. "Charlos, it's done."
Seeing every pirate on the ground, Shalria reluctantly handed her gun to Akali and pouted. "You two didn't even leave one for me..."
She looked around, spotted a brawny man in the crowd, and pointed straight at him.
"You! Get up and fight me!"
Charlos stepped forward and gently drew her into his arms from behind. He addressed the man, who was trembling all over. "You can go."
The man dared not say a word. He dropped to his knees, prostrated himself, and shook.
Shalria tilted her head up at Charlos, unwilling to let it go. "Brother, why won't you let me test my strength too?"
Charlos stroked her head and soothed her gently. "You'll have plenty of chances later. Just not now."
"Fine." Shalria's voice drooped.
With the troublemaking pirates dealt with, Charlos and his entourage continued down the street and disappeared from sight.
Only after they were well away did the residents kneeling along the street dare raise their heads. They let out long sighs of relief.
"They're finally gone... That was terrifying."
In an unnoticed corner of the street, hidden in shadow, a blond man with a rough beard and pirate clothes stared at his fallen underlings. His face was dark with fury.
He was Snod, a pirate captain with a modest reputation in the area.
He ground his teeth and growled, "Damn it! Who dared do this to my men? Do they think Captain Snod is an easy target?"
He turned and glared at his followers, barking an order:
"Get out there and find them! Turn this place upside down until you know who attacked my men!"
His men hurriedly lowered their heads. "Yes, Captain!"
And so, a search for Charlos and his party quietly began.
Charlos and the others did not linger. They headed straight for the amusement park in the Sabaody Archipelago.
As soon as they reached the entrance, Shalria tugged at Charlos's clothes, her eyes sparkling.
"Brother, come play with me!"
"All right." Charlos nodded.
Behind them, Amira and Amina instinctively stepped forward to follow.
Shalria immediately puffed out her cheeks and blocked them with an arm. "No! Brother's here to play with me!"
Charlos laughed. "Let them come. They're nice to look at."
Shalria stuck out her lower lip. "Hmph! Pervert! I'm pretty too, you know!"
Amira and Amina blushed faintly. They obediently stayed behind and stopped vying for his attention, following the group in silence.
The roller coaster slowly climbed the track, its cars rising and dipping.
Curled up in Charlos's arms, Shalria shouted with excitement, "Wow, this is amazing! Brother, are you having fun?"
Charlos's gaze drifted toward Amira and Amina in the seats beside them. Looking at their legs, he murmured, "Such fair legs."
A sharp pain shot through his arm.
"Ow—"
Charlos flinched and cried out, "Hey! That hurts! Shalria, why did you bite me?"
Shalria let go, her cheeks puffed out as she glared at him with jealousy in her eyes.
"Why do you keep staring at their legs?" she demanded.
"They're nice to look at," Charlos replied.
"But you came to ride the roller coaster with me today!"
Charlos said nothing. His hand quietly crept toward Amira's leg.
Shalria caught sight of it and smacked the back of his hand with a sharp slap.
"You were going to touch her too?"
Amira's cheeks flushed. She leaned close to Charlos's ear and whispered so softly she was barely audible, "Charlos, touch me tonight. If you do it now, Shalria will get angry."
Shalria heard every word. She glared at the sisters, seething with jealousy. I never should've let Brother bring you two temptresses back!
Amina quickly tugged at Amira's clothes and whispered, "Don't say any more, sister. Wait until we're out at sea."
Amira's eyes shifted. She understood at once and fell silent.
But Shalria had heard that exchange too.
Alarm bells rang in her head. She fixed her gaze on the sisters and silently swore:
So you two are waiting until we set sail to make a move on Brother behind my back!
Hmph! Brother Charlos is mine! Nobody's taking him away!
A large group of pirates crowded the amusement park entrance. At their head stood Snod, long blade in hand and a vicious look on his face.
He stared at the Celestial Dragons' guards stationed at the gate, defiant and resentful.
"Hmph. Let's see who thinks they're so important."
As soon as he spoke, a dark figure swooped down from above.
Akali landed steadily and fixed Snod with an icy stare.
"Snod."
Snod glared at her. "That's right, it's me! What about it?"
"Pirates are to be killed on sight."
Akali gave him no chance to say another word. Her finger stiffened, and she unleashed Shigan!
The strike was blindingly fast. It pierced his chest with unerring precision.
Pfft—
Blood gushed out. Snod stiffened and fell heavily to the ground, dead.
Akali withdrew her finger. "Trash."
The remaining pirates watched their captain die in an instant. Terrified, they lost all nerve and scattered.
Marines lying in wait nearby reacted at once. "Quick! Arrest the fleeing pirates!"
A squad of Marines rushed out, cutting off and pursuing the pirates as they fled in every direction.
Inside the amusement park, Charlos quickly composed himself and said with a straight face, "I won't touch anyone. I'll keep my hands to myself. I'm a gentleman, an absolute gentleman."
Shalria rolled her eyes. "Hmph. Brother, if you're a gentleman, then no one in the world is improper."
Charlos feigned embarrassment and looked toward the entrance. "Hey, what's all that noise outside?"
He saw the Marines arresting pirates amid the chaos and remarked, "Oh, the Marines are making arrests. The Sabaody Archipelago really is a lawless place."
He turned to Amira and Amina. "See? All sorts of people come through here, and trouble is everywhere. So stay close to me. It's safest at my side."
Amira bowed slightly. "Yes, Saint Charlos."