The Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' strength far exceeded the Marines' estimations, especially the combat prowess of their Supernova captain.
The West Blue branch had dispatched two elite Marine Captains to lead the charge, along with over a hundred highly-trained Marines. Yet, they were utterly routed by the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates, reduced to a mere thirty-odd survivors. Now, without any reinforcements, they were certain to be completely annihilated.
The surrounded Marines were prepared for the worst. Like cornered beasts, they resolved to fight with everything they had, hoping to take a few pirates down with them.
"Charge!!!"
The Marine Captain roared.
The remaining Marines roared in response. Though only thirty-strong, they launched a desperate, do-or-die charge!
"Slaughter them all, lads," the Croc-man bellowed, his laughter dripping with bloodlust. The surrounding pirates rushed forward with savage grins.
In an instant, the two sides collided. At close quarters, everyone abandoned firearms, opting for close-combat weapons.
Blood blossomed constantly. Guttural shouts and furious curses blended into a cacophony of violence.
The Captain didn't engage the Croc-man directly, knowing he couldn't win. Instead, he focused on butchering the weaker pirates, hoping to take as many down with him as possible before he died. He'd leave the Croc-man for the Marine Admirals to deal with.
Without realizing it, the Captain found fewer and fewer comrades around him, and more and more pirates. His vision was stained crimson.
Suddenly, a massive scimitar descended from above. The Captain hurriedly blocked, but the sheer force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground, sliding five or six meters across the sand.
The Captain opened his eyes, his vision blurred by the blood trickling down his forehead. In his blurred sight, he saw a massive, blood-colored silhouette – the Croc-man. The Croc-man raised his giant scimitar.
"You dared to challenge me with just two Captains? Haha, too weak! After I kill all of you, the Marines won't underestimate me anymore. I'm itching for a fight with a Marine Rear Admiral. All of you will die here and become part of my bounty. At least you'll be of some use that way." The Croc-man looked down at the Captain with contempt, the massive scimitar descending towards the Captain's neck.
"Is this the end?"
The Captain closed his eyes, muttering to himself. He could feel death's cold embrace.
Clang!
A sharp, ringing sound echoed. The Captain opened his eyes in confusion. A figure in a black cloak, not particularly tall, had appeared before him, blocking the giant scimitar.
It was Bege. He had intervened to save the Marine Captain.
"Leave the rest of the fight to us." Bege stood up and glanced back at the Captain. His voice was raspy, and his face was hidden behind a strange mask.
Modi and the other ten-plus members of his crew swiftly broke through the pirate encirclement and appeared behind Bege. A group, all dressed identically, took the place of the Marines, facing off against the pirate crew.
"You're the Masked Bounty Hunter Crew," the Marine Captain gasped, struggling to sit up. He stared at the dozen or so figures before him in disbelief, whispering the name.
"I didn't realize we were so famous," Bege chuckled, his predatory gaze fixed on the Croc-man.
"Supernova pirate, 150 million bounty, Crocodile Fruit user, Kairodo."
The massive Croc-man before him was Bege's target: the captain of the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates, the Supernova pirate Kairodo.
"The Masked Bounty Hunter Crew... you've been making quite a name for yourselves lately. A lot of pirate crews are too scared to even come near this area because of you. I was wondering if you'd show up, and you've got guts, I'll give you that, chasing me all the way here." The bloodlust in Kairodo's bloodshot eyes intensified.
"To be able to take down more than ten pirate crews, you must be stronger than these worthless Marines. Come on, get me excited!" Kairodo's face twisted into a brutal grin.
"Not bad. As expected of a pirate worth over a hundred million, as expected of a Supernova. I think I'll have a good fight today." Bege could feel the pressure emanating from Kairodo. This was the aura of a true powerhouse, completely different from the pirates he had encountered before.
"You deal with the other pirates. This one's mine," Bege said, practically vibrating with excitement.
"I'm going in first," Hank declared. He quickly transformed and charged towards the other pirates at top speed. The others, not to be outdone, followed close behind.
The two sides clashed immediately, erupting into a brutal melee. The pirates were completely outmatched, being cut down one by one.
"I am your opponent, Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' First Mate, Abby, user of the Electro-Electro Fruit." Modi flashed forward, appearing in front of a tall, thin middle-aged man, his sword held close. This tall, thin man had been about to attack Hank and the others, who were slaughtering the pirates, but Modi intercepted him.
The tall, thin man crackled with blue arcs of electricity. He was the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' second-in-command, who had eaten the Electro-Electro Fruit. His body could generate electricity, making him second only to Kairodo within the crew.
Abby sensed the intense pressure Modi exuded. He drew his longsword, and electricity coursed along the blade, transforming it into a sword of crackling energy.
Besides Abby, the other powerful combatants of the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates also engaged Hank and the others. Hank and his crew were fighting with the clear intention of killing their opponents, so the battle immediately reached a fever pitch.
"Your subordinates are quite strong. How about joining our Ferocious Crocodile Pirates? We'll conquer the New World, pillage and plunder, and you'll have more wealth and women than you could ever dream of. It's far better than being a bounty hunter," Kairodo proposed, his interest piqued by the strength of Modi and the others.
Bege scoffed. "Kairodo, what do you think the New World is, a playground? You overestimate your strength. With a bounty of only 150 million, you'd be swallowed whole by the big-shot pirates of the New World before you knew what hit you."
The brutality in Kairodo's eyes deepened. He took a step towards Bege.
"Since you underestimate my strength, I'll let you experience it firsthand."
"Be careful! He's very strong!" the Marine Captain behind them shouted urgently.
Kairodo slashed at Bege. Bege raised his sword to block, forcefully enduring the powerful attack.
"Your strength is nothing special," Bege said casually.
Kairodo's eyes widened. He instantly slashed with his left-hand scimitar, striking Bege's longsword. With a resounding boom, a tremendous force sent Bege flying, knocking him into the Marine Captain and sending them both skidding across the ground for five or six meters.
Bege slammed his foot down, stopping his slide. He looked back at Kairodo, his excitement growing even stronger.
"I take back what I said. Your strength is worth getting serious about."
"Arrogant brat!" Kairodo was enraged by Bege's confident tone. He slowly bent his legs. A moment later, with a tremendous tremor, Kairodo's figure vanished from the spot.
The ground where he had stood exploded from the sheer force. He shot towards Bege like a meteor, the massive bulk of his body generating a powerful gale.
"One Sword Style – Rhino Charge!" Bege swung his longsword forward in an instant, a massive wave of sword energy surging forth, taking the form of a charging rhinoceros, barreling forward with savage force.