Two ships lay anchored together on the vast ocean, one of them a large vessel engulfed in flames. Gunfire and the cries of battle echoed endlessly across its deck.
On the burning ship, two factions clashed. One side, numbering only a dozen or so, utterly dominated their opponents, a force of over a hundred.
At the center of the deck, a short, stout young man stood with his foot planted firmly on the blood-soaked body of a burly pirate. This young man was Bege.
Two months had passed. During this time, Bege had relentlessly hunted pirates across the seas. In this short span, no fewer than sixteen pirate crews had fallen to his hands, yielding a considerable fortune in plundered treasure.
Bege kicked the pirate beneath him into unconsciousness and, surveying the remaining, demoralized pirates, stated flatly, "Surrender, and you live."
The pirates immediately dropped their weapons, knelt, and kowtowed, begging for mercy.
"Godfather, this is getting boring. These guys are too weak," Hank complained, a mixture of disdain and frustration on his face.
"I know, I know. Quit your whining and get to looting. Separate the bounties from the non-bounties. We're moving on to the next crew." Bege was equally exasperated. Over the past two months of hunting pirates, they had clashed with and slaughtered countless crews. Everyone was growing stronger at an incredible rate. As for Bege himself, any pirate with a bounty under one hundred million posed no threat whatsoever. He now desperately craved a fight with a pirate worth over a hundred million.
Hank and the others began separating the pirates. Those with bounties were hauled onto their ship, while those without were absorbed into Bege's castle-body and imprisoned.
Before long, Bege and his crew were back on their own small ship, heading towards a nearby island to cash in their bounties.
Bege stood on the deck, continuously swinging a massive three-meter-long sword. The colossal blade weighed a thousand jin, yet Bege wielded it with ease, showing no sign of strain. [A jin is an unit of weight equivalent to approximately 1.1 pounds or 0.5 kilograms].
Starting two months ago, he had commissioned a blacksmith to forge this heavy sword specifically to train his arm strength and swordsmanship. To execute powerful slashes, a monstrous physique was essential, particularly arm strength. The greater the arm strength, the more terrifying the slashes that could be unleashed.
Hank suddenly burst out of the cabin.
"Godfather! We just got word! The Ferocious Crocodile Pirates have landed on Rek Island and are currently on a rampage!"
"The Ferocious Crocodile Pirates?" Bege frowned, lowering the giant sword. "Are you talking about Kairodo's Ferocious Crocodile Pirates, the ones who debuted with a bounty of 150 million and are being called a Supernova?"
"That's them. This Ferocious Crocodile Pirate crew has been a band of unrepentant villains since they set sail. They leave nothing but devastation in their wake. More than ten islands have already been completely slaughtered by them," Hank reported.
Intense fighting spirit flared in Bege's eyes.
"I've been wanting to test myself against a pirate with a bounty over a hundred million. The Ferocious Crocodile Pirates are perfect. One of this generation's Supernovas, a Crocodile Fruit user... you'll do. Just don't die on me too quickly. Change course! Full speed ahead to Rek Island! We're hunting the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates!"
"You got it!" Hank yelled excitedly. The rest of the crew also displayed looks of pure excitement.
"We've been waiting for you to say that, Godfather..."
"Let's crush the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates...!"
Bege's ship raced towards Rek Island at top speed. News of the attack on Rek Island also reached the nearest Marine base with equal swiftness.
The Marines promptly dispatched a warship to pursue the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates.
Bege and his crew sailed day and night. After seven days and nights of continuous sailing, they were nearing Rek Island when Bege received news that the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates had already departed. They searched the surrounding waters for three days before finally locating the Ferocious Crocodile Pirate's ship.
Bege's small ship approached a small island. On the coastline, two large ships were docked.
One was a clearly marked Marine warship, the other a pirate ship flying a crocodile skull flag. This large ship undoubtedly belonged to the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates.
Bege stood at the ship's railing, observing the coastline through a spyglass. The sounds of gunfire and cannons echoed incessantly from the shore. The Marines were engaged in a fierce battle with the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates.
"This Ferocious Crocodile Pirate crew is strong. Even two Marine Captains leading their forces aren't enough. It won't be long before this Marine unit is devoured."
Through his spyglass, Bege observed that the Marine force was led by a Captain-ranked officer. In the West Blue, where the number and quality of pirates were exceptionally high, a Marine Captain's average combat strength was equivalent to a pirate with a bounty of around seventy million.
This Marine unit also had another Captain, along with several Commanders and Lieutenant Commanders. Such a force should have been more than enough to deal with a pirate crew with a bounty exceeding one hundred million.
However, what Bege was witnessing was this formidable Marine unit being by the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates. The Marines were being surrounded and slaughtered one by one. It was a gruesome sight.
"As expected of a crew dubbed 'Supernova'," Bege muttered, his eyes fixed on the towering figure who was relentlessly suppressing the two Marine Captains. A powerful fighting spirit blazed in his gaze.
"Alright, you lot! Get in there! A heated battle awaits!" Bege laughed heartily.
Modi and the others on the ship mirrored his fighting spirit, their eyes filled with intense anticipation. The small ship swiftly approached the shore.
"Brothers, fight them to the death!"
On the shore, a strange, colossal figure with a crocodile head and scales covering his entire body, resembling a Croc-man, swung two two-meter-long, crescent-shaped scimitars. With brute strength, he forced back the two Marine Captains.
The Croc-man's mouth split into a savage grin. He accelerated suddenly, charging towards one of the Marine Captains. He swung his crescent blade upwards in a swift motion. The Marine Captain's face twisted in horror. He immediately pressed down with his sword, attempting to block the massive scimitar.
However, he underestimated the Croc-man's strength. Despite using all his might, his sword failed to stop the scimitar. The blade continued its upward trajectory, its sharp point piercing the Marine Captain's chin and slicing through his head.
"Hahahaha! What a beautiful sight!" The Croc-man's eyes were bloodshot as he watched the scene of brains and blood splattering, his laughter taking on a deranged quality.
"Reed!" The other Marine Captain's face contorted in rage. He instantly charged forward, his sword slashing furiously at the Croc-man. The Croc-man blocked the attack with his other massive scimitar. This Marine Captain's strength was considerable, forcing the Croc-man to take a step back.
The Croc-man's mouth split into a mocking grin. "Don't worry, your turn is coming soon."
The Croc-man swung his left-hand scimitar horizontally at the Marine Captain. If this blow connected, it would slice the Marine Captain in half at the waist.
The Marine Captain retreated swiftly. The massive scimitar grazed his clothes, tearing them open and leaving a long, bloody gash across his abdomen. Blood gushed from the wound.
He stared at the beast-like Croc-man before him, his eyes instantly consumed by fear.
He quickly retreated more than ten paces, forcing back several pirates who were engaging the other Marines.
"Retreat!" the Marine Captain roared. The Marines fought as they retreated.
"None of you are escaping." The Croc-man, wielding his two massive scimitars, advanced step by step, resembling a demonic god. The surrounding pirates also closed in with savage smiles, completely surrounding the Marines.
"Brothers, for justice, fight them to the death!"
Thirty to forty Marines were surrounded, with no escape. The Marine Captain's face was contorted in fury, his eyes bloodshot. Gripping his sword tightly, he roared, "Kill!"
The remaining thirty-odd Marines gritted their teeth, overcoming their fear of death, and roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
"Good, very good! The more you struggle, the more excited I get! I love torturing lively prey." The Croc-man's bloodshot eyes revealed a fierce, brutal glint. His blood was boiling; he was incredibly excited.