Krieg was too late to stop his men. By the time he rushed after them, every man he had brought was defeated.
He shook with rage.
The woman behind him trembled uncontrollably. "Darling, what do we do? They look really strong."
"Get lost!" Krieg glared at her.
She stumbled back several steps in fright.
Marco smiled. "Picking on a woman, huh? You must be the captain of that big ship over there. How about you take your men and leave?"
As soon as Marco finished speaking, his men burst out laughing.
Furious, Krieg shrugged off his coat, revealing a suit of Golden Armor. "Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're with the Whitebeard Pirates. You only reached the Grand Line before I did. I'm armed from head to toe. Wiping you out will be easy!"
"Heh. So you haven't been to the Grand Line yet." Marco smiled. "Let's see whether a frog in a well like you can back up that big mouth. Come on. Show me what you've got."
Floating Restaurant: Krieg's Fatal Mistake
Outside the restaurant.
Marco's men alone took up more than half the narrow deck.
Krieg whipped out two guns, while ten gun barrels emerged from the sides of his Golden Armor. "Die!"
Countless bullets fired at once, streaking toward Marco in a dense hail.
Marco's mouth curved into a smile as a pair of wings wreathed in Blue Flame formed on his back.
Every bullet passed through his body, leaving it riddled with holes.
Krieg thought Marco was done for.
But Blue Flame quickly covered the holes, and his body healed.
Marco was completely unharmed.
He possessed the Bird-Bird Fruit, a Mythical Zoan.
Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit Users were even rarer than Logia users, and Marco was one of only five known to be capable of flight.
His Resurrecting Blue Flames enveloped his wounds and regenerated his body, rendering attacks ineffective.
His power could heal not only his own wounds but others' as well, speeding their recovery.
That was why, in addition to being a division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, he was their Ship Doctor.
"Damn it! You're a Devil Fruit User!" Seeing that his attack had done nothing, Krieg suddenly calmed down. He hadn't intended to use this move. "So what if you have powers? I'm the man who'll rule every sea! Today, I'll show you my true might!"
With that, Krieg pulled a shoulder guard free and aimed it at Marco.
"That's MH5—the deadliest poison-gas weapon!"
"Masks! Get your masks on!"
"Bastard! Do you know what'll happen if you use that?"
His crewmen, both in the water and aboard Krieg's ship, shouted in protest.
Krieg merely sneered. "Shut up, you fools. A fight is a fight, and winning is all that matters! Any means are fair if they bring victory. That's what strength is! Hahaha!"
"Poison gas?" Marco frowned and flew straight at Krieg.
He knew that once the gas spread, it would catch many people.
He had to stop Krieg before he released it!
They weren't far apart.
Before Krieg could launch the Poison Gas Bomb, Marco reached him and knocked the shoulder guard containing it away with one blow.
Krieg was stunned.
He hadn't expected Marco to be so fast.
Krieg caught the guard before it flew far, joined it to his other shoulder guard, and pulled a shaft from the middle. A sharp point extended from its tip, forming a Battle Spear.
It was his secret weapon: an enormous spear weighing a full ton. Any strike from its head would also cause a Great Explosion.
"Die! You and this lousy restaurant can go down together!" Krieg swung his Battle Spear at Marco.
Marco leaped aside with ease.
Krieg missed him, but the blow split the deck outside Baratie's front entrance in two.
Marco's men scrambled back aboard their nearby ship, narrowly avoiding a fall into the sea.
Inside the restaurant.
Lin Mo's brows drew together. With Flash Step, he suddenly appeared in the doorway.
Marco noticed him and called out, "Kid, get back inside! It's dangerous out here."
Lin Mo didn't listen.
He stared at the short section of stern still showing above the water. His small boat had sunk with the broken deck.
That was his boat...
He didn't care how Marco and Krieg fought.
But the moment their fight affected him—
Even if it was only a small, insignificant boat—
That was unacceptable!
Lin Mo looked coldly at Krieg, who was charging toward Marco.
Marco even stepped in front of Lin Mo to protect him.
Lin Mo drew Toyako and moved past Marco's side.
He met Krieg's attack head-on.
"Kid, get back!" Marco cried in alarm.
A vicious glint flashed in Lin Mo's eyes.
A powerful sword presence surged outward from him.
With a single swing—
Krieg's Battle Spear broke in two under his Sword Aura before it even touched Lin Mo's Wooden Sword.
"What?!" Krieg's eyes went wide.
"Huh?" Marco froze.
Everyone watching stared in shock.
Lin Mo's expression remained indifferent as he swung again.
A powerful burst of Sword Aura struck Krieg square in the chest.
Krieg's eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward with a thud.
His men were terrified. They wanted to check on him, but none dared approach.
The woman, however, crawled over, trembling.
She nudged Krieg. When he didn't respond, she felt for his pulse.
Her face went pale, and she covered her mouth. "He's... he's dead..."
"What? The boss is dead?"
"The boss was beaten by a kid?"
"Who is that kid? He's terrifying! He cut the boss's Battle Spear in two with one strike, then killed him with another. Is he really a child?"
"He's too dangerous! If we make enemies of them, we'll die too. Everyone, run!"
Krieg's men scrambled to get their ship moving.
The woman covered her mouth and looked from Krieg to the ship about to leave. After a moment's hesitation, she abandoned Krieg and hurried aboard with the crew.
Marco made no move to stop them.
Instead, he watched Lin Mo, who stood silently staring out at the sea.
"What are you looking at?"
"My boat..."
"Your boat?" Marco paused. He remembered a small sailboat had been tied to the outer deck when they arrived.
Now there was nothing on the surface.
The small sailboat had sunk along with the broken deck.
No wonder the kid had stepped in.
His own boat had been caught in the fight...
Marco smiled. "What's your name?"
"Lin Mo."
"You look about nine or ten."
"Mm."
"Your Swordsmanship is good. Who taught you?"
Lin Mo glanced at him without answering, then turned and walked back into the restaurant.
Marco watched him go with a smile and asked nothing more. Turning to the men on his ship, he called, "Boys, get ready. It's time for dinner."
"Coming!"
"That kid was incredible. Does he work at the Floating Restaurant?"
"No idea. He wasn't wearing a uniform or chef's clothes, so maybe not."
"If he doesn't, I'd love to get him to join our crew. Bet that kid would be a lot of fun! Hahaha!"
Marco's men filed noisily into the restaurant.
Zeff had several cooks push empty tables together and set fifteen dinners on them.
Marco and his companions sat around the tables and began eating amid lively chatter.
Lin Mo sat alone at a small table nearby, quietly eating his own dinner.
Then—
Several of Marco's men called to him.
"Hey, kid! Want to eat with us?"
"You were amazing back there. How about joining the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"Yeah, come join the family! Pops is a great guy."
Lin Mo had no intention of responding. He kept eating.
Floating Restaurant: Marco's Invitation
It was only a simple dinner.
But Marco and his companions made it feel wonderfully festive.
It was practically a banquet.
They ate hearty mouthfuls of meat, drank freely, and laughed as they talked at the tops of their voices.
Before long, they were even singing "Binks' Sake," a song almost every pirate knew.
With business slow, Baratie's cooks joined in too.
As for Lin Mo—
He seemed to be in a world apart from them.
Before you continue