Meanwhile, elsewhere, Nami and the others had also found the source of the cannon fire.
The White Pearl, the Black Cat Pirates' ship, and the floating restaurant Baratie slowly approached the source of the noise.
"Thirty whole ships! Oh my God! Maybe we should just leave?" Funing exclaimed.
Nami took the telescope from Funing and closed one eye, looking out over the distant sea.
Several kilometers away, a massive pirate fleet was assembling. The three-deck flagship at its center stood out.
"Hourglasses on either side of the skull, warning their enemies. There's no mistaking it!" Zoro said quietly, his hand already resting on a sword hilt at his waist. "Those are the Krieg Pirates!"
"It's even worse than the intelligence suggested..." Kuro adjusted his glasses. "Thirty ships, at least three thousand pirates. We have just three ships and fewer than two hundred people altogether."
"That's why I said we should-" Before Funing could finish, Nami interrupted her.
"It's already too late." Nami lowered the telescope and took a deep breath. "They've spotted us."
Several ships in the distant fleet had already begun turning toward them.
Then more ships joined the encirclement, slowly closing in like a pack of wolves surrounding their prey.
The sails of thirty ships stretched across the sea, almost blotting out half the horizon. The shadows they cast seemed to lower the temperature of the entire area by several degrees.
He carried that terrifying Battle Spear over his shoulder. Its shaft was thicker than an ordinary man's waist, and its tip was an enormous crescent-shaped blade, frightening even to look at.
"Admiral! We've spotted three unidentified ships!"
A pirate rushed over to report, flustered. "One of them... is enormous! Bigger than our Dagger!"
Don Krieg narrowed his eyes and looked ahead. When he made out the White Pearl's silhouette, his pupils contracted slightly.
"Interesting." Don Krieg grinned greedily. "Now that's a ship worthy of Admiral Don Krieg! It's white... I'll call it the White Reaper! Hahahaha!"
Then Don Krieg thrust the Battle Spear into the air, pointing its tip straight at the White Pearl. "All hands, listen up! Surround them! That white ship is mine!"
"Yes, Admiral!" the pirates around him answered in unison.
Thirty pirate ships turned together, swiftly spreading into formation like a well-trained army...
Aboard the floating restaurant Baratie, Zeff stood on deck, his brow furrowed.
"Boss, should we help?" Patty asked, setting down his spatula and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Zeff nodded. "Let's see how things go. If the White Pearl is in danger, be ready to fight at any moment! We're chefs who know how to fight!"
Meanwhile, aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship, Jango clutched his hat nervously, his legs trembling.
"Jango... shouldn't we run? We can still turn around before they finish surrounding us..." Sham asked.
"Run?" Jango swallowed. "Don't say things like that! You know perfectly well what Kuro is like!"
"Besides, haven't we all seen how strong King is?"
The atmosphere on the White Pearl's deck was grim.
"We're surrounded..." Funing's face had gone pale. "What should we do, Nami?"
Nami bit her lower lip, forcing herself to stay calm.
Norton had entrusted command of the ship to her. She couldn't panic!
She looked around.
Zoro was already ready for battle. Though his three swords remained sheathed, his eagerness to fight was palpable.
Sanosuke's face was expressionless, but his gaze was sharp as a blade. His right hand never left the hilt of his Ninja Sword.
Kuro was as cold as a venomous snake, but at least he was on their side for now.
She then looked toward the floating restaurant Baratie and the Black Cat Pirates' ship.
On the Baratie, Zeff was watching them. The Black Cat Pirates' ship had already turned its cannons toward Don Krieg's fleet, clearly ready to fight.
"We can't run!" Nami took a deep breath. "If we turn around now, we'll only expose our backs and become sitting ducks. Besides, Norton said he was leaving this to us! We have to bring the Krieg Pirates under Norton's command!"
With that, Nami turned to face everyone.
"All hands, prepare for battle!"
Zoro, Sanosuke, and Kuro stepped forward in response, taking up a triangular formation at the front of the deck.
Zoro stood on the left, Kuro on the right, and Sanosuke in the middle. Together, they blocked the way to the cabins and the helm.
Just then, a figure dropped from the sky!
Don Krieg leaped from the Dagger, his golden armor tracing a dazzling arc in the sunlight before he landed heavily on the White Pearl's deck.
Then dozens more Krieg Pirates boarded the White Pearl using gangplanks, grappling hooks, and other means. They quickly seized strategic positions, forming a semicircle around Nami and the others.
"Nice. A very nice ship indeed."
Don Krieg surveyed his surroundings, completely ignoring everyone on deck, as though the ship were already his.
"Bigger than my Dagger, and much more impressive!"
Don Krieg strode across the deck, his armor clanking with every step.
"It's decided! From today on, this ship belongs to me! No one disobeys my orders! You can either submit, or-"
"We're the ones taking you under our command!" Nami cut him off.
Don Krieg froze, then slowly turned toward the voice.
A girl with short orange hair stood beside the helm. Though her face was a little pale and her hands even trembled slightly, her gaze was firm and her back was perfectly straight.
"You... what did you say?"
Don Krieg looked utterly taken aback. As though he'd just heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable, he made an exaggerated show of digging in his ear.
"Did I hear that right? Little girl, haven't you seen how many ships I have? You're the ones surrounded!"
Don Krieg pointed at the surrounding sea. Thirty pirate ships had completed their encirclement. The nearest were less than a hundred meters from the White Pearl, their pirates brandishing weapons, gesticulating wildly, and letting out all kinds of strange cries.
"I've seen them," Nami said with a smile, pretending to be calm.
"And you're still spouting nonsense?" Don Krieg asked, puzzled.
"Having more ships doesn't mean you'll win!" Nami paused, then pointed toward Zoro and the other two. "If you want a fight, we'll give you one. But I think you'll regret it!"
"My friends are really strong, you know! You'd be better off surrendering!"
Don Krieg stared for a moment, then burst into deafening laughter. "Hahahaha! You've got guts, little girl! But Admiral Don Krieg doesn't scare that easily! No one in the East Blue has ever dared talk to me like that!"
He abruptly raised the Battle Spear, pointing its tip straight at Nami. "Since you don't know what's good for you, I'll-"
Before he could finish, two more figures nimbly leaped onto the White Pearl's deck, landing beside him.
The figure on the left was a thin man with a gloomy, dispirited air. His eyes were sunken, his lips purple, and his appearance unkempt.
The figure on the right was encased in heavy, circular shields. Two shields connected by iron rods covered the front and back of his body. Huge pearls were embedded in them, and their surfaces bore decorative ironwork and concentric circles.
"Gin, Pearl. You're here too." Don Krieg nodded in satisfaction.
They were the Krieg Pirates' two combat commanders, Gin the "Demon" and Pearl the "Iron Wall"!
"Admiral, leave these small fry to us," Gin said hoarsely. "You can just watch from the sidelines."
"That's right, that's right!" Pearl slapped his heavy breastplate, producing muffled thumps. "Leave it to me! I'm a man of steel who's won all forty-nine of his past duels to the death!"
As he spoke, Pearl stepped forward and struck an exaggerated bodybuilding pose. "I've never spilled a drop of blood in battle. Not a single drop! The fact that I'm completely unscathed is the best proof of my strength!"
"I am the great Pearl, known as the Krieg Pirates' Iron Wall Man! A man among men! What do you think? Pretty cool, huh?"
Across the thirty surrounding pirate ships, the pirates erupted into thunderous cheers, whistles, and the clatter of weapons, applauding Don Krieg and his officers.
They surrounded the ship like spectators in an ancient Roman arena. Some pirates even began placing bets on how many minutes the White Pearl would last.
"Iron Wall Man? Never heard of you." Zoro scoffed and drew Wado Ichimonji. "But you look like a decent punching bag. Just the thing to test a new move I've come up with."
"Arrogant fool!" Pearl roared. "I'll show you the price of provoking the Iron Wall Man! I'll snap your swords one by one, then crush you into pulp!"
Nami took a deep breath. The salty sea air filled her nose, helping her calm down a little.
She looked at Zoro and the other two. "I'm leaving this to you. Remember, don't damage the ship. This is Norton's ship, and fixing it would be a real pain."
Zoro grinned. "Relax. I'll be careful!"
Kuro adjusted his glasses. Cat Claws slid silently from his sleeves. "That 'Demon' is mine."
Sanosuke silently drew his Ninja Sword, his other hand reaching for the Kunai pouch at his waist. His gaze locked onto Don Krieg.
"Interesting. Very interesting!"
Don Krieg laughed and slammed the Battle Spear down onto the deck. Its shaft struck the planks with a heavy boom.
"Then let's see what gives you the right to talk so big! Gin, Pearl, get them! Make it quick. I've got a new ship to take over!"
The battle erupted! Zoro charged straight ahead, his three swords crossing before him in three streaks of cold steel.
"Three Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
The strike was lightning-fast. Three swords slashed at Pearl's chest, neck, and abdomen from three different angles at once, cutting off every possible escape.
But Pearl neither dodged nor ducked!
"Witness the Iron Wall Man's defense!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three sharp, almost ear-splitting metallic crashes rang out nearly at once. Zoro's swords struck Pearl's chest and abdominal armor, throwing off brilliant sparks. The powerful recoil left Zoro's arms slightly numb!
A closer look revealed only three faint white marks on Pearl's armor, without even a dent.
Pearl hadn't budged. He even used the force of Zoro's attack to spin smugly in place, showing off his undamaged armor.
"Useless! My armor is made from a special alloy! It contains rare metals and is three times thicker than ordinary armor!"
"No blade or bullet can pierce it! No one in the East Blue can break through my defenses!"
As he spoke, Pearl slapped his breastplate with a series of thumps.
"See that? Even the marks are barely visible! The great Pearl has fought forty-nine battles to the death without ever being wounded!"
Zoro took a step back, narrowing his eyes as he studied Pearl's armor.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Zoro reset his stance, his three swords pointing in three different directions. "Then let me see whether I can cut through it!"
"Come at me!" Pearl slapped his breastplate and roared in challenge. "Today, the great Pearl will stand right here and let you slash away! If you can make me take a single step back, you win!"
Elsewhere, Kuro and Gin's battle took on a completely different form.
Gin's movements were swift and vicious. He wielded his pair of iron-ball batons in an impenetrable flurry, every blow aimed straight at Kuro's vital points!
His skills had been honed purely for killing, their simplicity and efficiency forged through countless life-and-death battles.
Kuro, meanwhile, darted across the deck like a phantom. His Cat Claws struck the batons in showers of sparks, each collision producing a clear metallic clang.
"Good speed," Gin said coldly. "But not fast enough!"
He abruptly changed his attack. His right baton feinted while the left swept up from below, its iron ball whistling toward Kuro's chin.
The move was vicious and cunning. If it landed, it could shatter a man's jaw.
Kuro leaned back slightly, bringing his Cat Claws down to block.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
Gin's attack was stopped, but Kuro felt the heavy force travel up his arm.
This "Demon" was much stronger than he looked.
"I've already seen through your moves." Kuro adjusted his glasses, circling as he spoke. "You tend to attack with your right baton and defend with your left. You never make more than seven attacks in succession!"
Gin's eyes narrowed slightly, and his attacks grew faster. "So what if you have!"
He abandoned part of his defense, both batons raining down in a furious barrage. Kuro retreated, the hem of his clothes tearing open.
"All talk," Gin said.
But Kuro smiled. "Then take a look at this."
His figure suddenly blurred, and three Kuros appeared on deck!
The three Kuros attacked from different directions. Gin blocked two phantom images, but the real Kuro's Cat Claws had already sliced open his arm.
Gin hastily retreated, staring at his bleeding arm. "Phantom Image?"
"This is a new move I've been trying out! You're lucky. You're the first to see it!" The three phantom images merged into one.
Gin tore off his headband and bound the wound. "I'll take this seriously."
Meanwhile, Sanosuke's battle with Don Krieg had also begun.
"A ninja? That profession exists in the East Blue?" Don Krieg scoffed. "Nothing but smoke and mirrors. Against my absolute power, all your ninja techniques are a joke!"
He swung the Battle Spear violently. The terrifying weapon weighed over a ton, yet seemed weightless in his hands. Its shaft tore through the air with a frightening howl, a single sweeping strike covering half the deck.
Sanosuke didn't try to block it. Instead, he used a ninja's distinctive agility to evade with a sideways flip, throwing three Shuriken at the same time.
Don Krieg merely tilted his head slightly. The Shuriken struck his helmet, throwing off a few sparks without leaving so much as a mark.
"That little trick isn't even enough to tickle!" Don Krieg laughed and swung his spear again.
Sanosuke darted and dodged through the flashing spear strikes, narrowly avoiding each one. Whenever the Battle Spear slammed into the deck, it left a dent and sent wood chips flying.
Sanosuke's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.