At Sakazuki's command, the warship surged toward the island ahead at tremendous speed.
The island drew closer and closer.
They also spotted the pirate ships moored around the island-four vessels in all, flying the same pirate flag.
Each looked different, clearly having been stolen from various places.
"Marines! The Marines are here!"
"Wake up! Stop sleeping! The Marines are here!"
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Go tell the boss!!!"
As the warship approached, the pirates left on guard spotted it racing toward them and shouted to their companions nearby, sending someone to notify their captain.
Amid the frantic scramble, the pirate captain received the news and hurried back with a large group of his men, carrying a bloodstained saber.
"What's all the panic about?! Load the cannons and wait until they're closer to fire."
As captain, he still commanded considerable authority.
He steadied the panicking pirates and ordered them to load the cannons and prepare for battle.
"Rear Admiral Sakazuki, the pirate crew ahead is within range. Shall we open fire?!"
The officer in charge of the warship's cannons stepped forward to report to Sakazuki.
"Open fire. Destroy their ships."
Sakazuki's voice was cold.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! ...
The relentless cannon fire thundered across the sea.
The warship fired first. All Marine warships were custom-built.
And Sakazuki's had been specially built to patrol the Four Seas.
Its thirty-two cannons boasted not only devastating firepower, but an exceptionally high rate of fire.
Several volleys poured out, sending cannonballs raining down on the four pirate ships as explosions erupted all around.
Nearly half the cannonballs struck their targets, wrecking the ships outright and cutting off any chance of escape.
Faced with the shattered cabins and his panicking men,
the pirate captain flew into a rage and roared:
"Bastards!!"
"Open fire!!!!!"
"Fire!!!!"
"Blow those Marine scum to pieces!!!"
Under their captain's intimidating glare, the pirates forced down their panic and began to return fire.
But their ships had been plundered from here and there to begin with.
The cannons were later additions, and their range fell far short of the Marines' latest standard-issue guns.
Every cannonball fired from the four pirate ships fell into the sea before reaching the warship, throwing up bursts of spray.
"Damn it!!"
"Grab all my treasure!!"
"Everyone off the ships!!!"
With their cannon fire proving useless and the ships around him gradually taking on water and sinking, the pirate captain could only order his men back ashore.
"We haven't killed everyone in town yet, have we?"
"You, you, you, and you."
"You four, go grab me a few kids."
"Hurry!!!"
After disembarking, the pirate captain looked over his panicking men and picked out four fast runners, sending them to grab a few children from the town they had just slaughtered.
"Damn it, those accursed Marines."
"I haven't become a world-famous pirate yet."
"How can I die here?!"
"Hmm?"
"Are you trying to run?"
The pirate captain growled to bolster his own courage, then spotted a figure backing away. A flash of madness crossed his eyes.
He called out to the scrawny pirate who was retreating.
"N-no... I'm not... boss."
"Then why are you panicking? Come here."
"Come here!!!"
"Y-yes!"
As the scrawny pirate approached, the madness on the captain's face became unmistakable.
Crack!
The head rolled and rolled...
One slash had taken it clean off!
Blood sprayed across the pirate captain's face, stoking his frenzy and cowing the pirates who had been thinking of fleeing.
An unnatural brutality twisted his bloodstained face, along with madness...
Before you continue