"Is... is that really a sniper rifle?"
Zoro, Carina, and the others were dumbfounded.
Even a thousand meters away, they could feel the pain in Krieg's face.
As natives of the East Blue in particular, they naturally knew very well what Krieg excelled at.
An entire suit of finely crafted armor couldn't stop a single shot.
Without that armor, would the overlord of the East Blue with a bounty of seventeen million Beli go down with one shot?
Most importantly, other people's guns fired bullets.
Bai Yu's fired lasers!
This was far too insane!
"Phew..."
Bai Yu let out a deep breath, a trace of surprise appearing in his eyes.
Still, he had an image to maintain now, so he calmly leaned toward the scope again.
"That shot was just a warm-up. Now we begin!"
A warm-up?
Zoro's expression stiffened.
That precise shot across a thousand meters had almost instantly killed a great pirate worth seventeen million.
Yet now Bai Yu was telling them it was a warm-up.
Then what heights would he reach when he got serious?
Hum!
The Haki inside Bai Yu was rapidly devoured by the Super-Modified 98K.
It continued for a full three to five seconds.
The four crystals that had originally served as decorations gradually lit up.
An indescribable aura spread as blood-red light bathed the deck.
The next moment, the Super-Modified 98K roared again.
Boom!
The tremendous recoil sent Bai Yu flying back two or three meters before he steadied himself.
A laser beam roughly half a meter in diameter plunged into Krieg's flagship as though piercing heaven and earth.
Bang!
An explosive shock wave surged skyward and rolled back outward.
Krieg had still been roaring in fury.
But the instant an aura of death enveloped his body, he completely panicked.
All the dignity of the former overlord of the East Blue vanished as he turned and hurled himself headfirst into the sea.
The next moment, the massive flagship, dozens of meters long, was instantly engulfed by the explosive shock wave.
The waves it raised crashed toward the surrounding pirate ships like a tsunami.
Carina and the others were dumbfounded.
They had thought they had already overestimated that earlier shot.
Only now did they realize that, compared to everything before them, it had been nothing but a toothpick.
There was simply no comparison!
If this shot landed on them...
Their little arms and legs probably really wouldn't be enough to squander!
Looking at the wooden sword in his hand, Zoro suddenly had an ominous feeling.
More than ten years of grueling practice couldn't match a single shot!
The disparity was a little too great.
"Ahem, it's been too long since I practiced. The recoil's too strong when standing. I'd better shoot prone from now on."
Bai Yu also suppressed the shock in his heart.
The power of this Super-Modified 98K could probably rival a Pacifista's laser attacks in this world.
As for that final shot infused with Haki, if used properly, it might compare to Franky's ultimate move in the original story, General Franky Shogun Impact.
One could say that if Carina obtained this Super-Modified 98K, the qualitative leap in her strength would probably take her from ten straight to a thousand.
However, Bai Yu knew very well that this sort of external power still had major limitations.
To truly stand tall upon this sea, one's own strength remained indispensable.
"Carina, this 98K is yours. From now on, shoot wherever I point. I'll leave sniping cover to you."
Bai Yu tossed the heavy Super-Modified 98K in his hands to Carina.
Looking at the deadly weapon that had suddenly appeared in her hands, Carina froze at first, then spoke in delight.
"Thank you, Lord Bai Yu, but are you really giving this to me? It's far too valuable..."
"Enough, spare me the pleasantries. Even the most valuable thing is useless if it doesn't get used."
"Hurry up and keep an eye on the Krieg Pirates. Don't let them escape, or the old man won't let me off."
Bai Yu took a swig of liquor and waved his hand, then soon saw Carina looking at him with one eye pressed to the Super-Modified 8x Scope.
Before long, her cheeks involuntarily flushed, and she glared at Bai Yu.
"Lord Bai Yu, you're so bad..."
Three days later.
A pirate ship flying a flag bearing a red heart overlaid with a skull rapidly approached the floating restaurant.
Leading the way was none other than Ace, wearing a red cowboy hat.
Two crew members followed close behind.
One was the ship's doctor, Masked Deuce, dressed in a green jacket and a dark blue eye mask.
The other was Mihal, who had thick arms and carried a sniper rifle on his back.
"Boss, they're..."
Patty, tall and bald, looked back at Zeff, who was sunbathing and reading a newspaper, with astonishment all over his face.
"That's the East Blue's super rookie pirate who's been rising to fame lately, Fire Fist Ace, captain of the Spade Pirates!"
Sanji, who stood nearby in a black suit with his curly eyebrows, lit a cigarette and spoke first.
"This guy got a fifty-million-Beli bounty right after his debut. He's hailed as the strongest rookie in the East Blue. I didn't expect him to show up here. Looks like I'd better prepare some food."
Hiss...
Gasps rang out.
Zeff's expression also changed involuntarily, and he folded the newspaper in his hands.
"Sanji, haven't you been shouting about quitting all this time? They're a pretty good prospect."
"Shut up, you damned old man. Whether I leave and where I go is none of your business!"
After glaring at him, Sanji quickly looked toward the distant sea, his eyebrows lifting despite himself.
"Have you noticed that the sea to the west seems a little noisy...?"
Noisy?
Everyone present froze, and Ace was no exception.
They looked back toward the distant sea, but their expressions shifted slightly.
More than a dozen pirate ships, each dozens of meters long, were rapidly cutting through the waves in the distance.
The pirate flags they flew gradually came into focus as well.
However, when they saw clearly that many of the ships were covered in damage, disbelief spread across their faces.
"It's the grand fleet of Krieg, overlord of the East Blue. They seem to be running away, don't they?"
"Heavens, what happened to leave the Krieg Pirates in such a sorry state? Don't they claim to have fifty pirate ships and five thousand men under their command?"
"Look, isn't that Krieg standing on the bow deck with his hair all disheveled...?"
The scene instantly erupted.
This sudden sight was beyond anything they could comprehend.
"Captain Ace, there seems to be more to this!"
Mihal, carrying a sniper rifle on his back, was the first to speak up.
"Haha, Mihal, you don't need to worry so much. Ace is a Logia Devil Fruit user. In a place like the East Blue, that's enough to make him invincible. If this Krieg really dares to get in the way of our meal, one punch from Ace will be enough to destroy them."
Deuce patted Ace's shoulder and laughed heartily.
Zeff gave a dry chuckle.
"Hehe, with that assurance from our guest, let me thank you in advance. But shall we watch this show first, or eat first?"