The Sudden War
Charlotte was furious. Why did he have to come now instead of earlier?
This was completely messed up.
Originally, he had planned to take Saga Rido away quietly. He could have slipped in and out without drawing attention.
A perfect plan.
But the situation had suddenly turned bad.
Niskien was a fearsome swordsman with a bounty exceeding 500 million berries. Infamous for razing a Marine base in the West Blue, he was a ruthless killer and a high-ranking officer of the Gourmet Pirates.
A troublesome opponent.
"Oh, the weather is quite nice! I think I'll just take my leave," Charlotte said with a relaxed smile, feigning nonchalance as he turned to leave.
There was no need to engage. Niskien wasn't worth the effort. Besides, he hadn't done anything wrong yet, so it wasn't a problem—
Or so he thought.
Saga Rido, standing beside him, was visibly stunned.
Wait… didn't this man come here to commission him to build something?
Before Charlotte could process his thoughts, Niskien's eyes turned ice-cold. With a swift motion, he unleashed a flying slash straight at him.
Charlotte's Observation Haki flared. He sidestepped the attack with ease, just as the building behind him was sliced cleanly in half.
"How rude."
Charlotte clicked his tongue in irritation. He didn't even know what this was about. Attacking him so suddenly—this was ridiculous.
Fighting wasn't part of his plan. If he revealed too much of his strength, it could attract unnecessary attention, leading to unforeseen consequences.
But now, it seemed inevitable.
If he let Niskien live, he would face even bigger trouble later.
If he killed him now—he just had to be fast and escape before anyone realized.
Niskien felt the shift in Charlotte's aura. A murderous intent so thick it sent a chill down his spine.
His grip on his sword tightened.
"High-Speed Tempest Slash!"
The wind roared, the ground trembled, and six crescent-shaped slashes of blue energy shot toward Charlotte, cutting off all escape routes.
Caught in this storm of attacks, Charlotte looked like a small boat amidst violent waves.
"Swordsmen are always a hassle!"
He cursed inwardly as he drew his blade.
A black arc of compressed air streaked forward with terrifying force.
"Cleave!"
His blade, coated with Armament Haki, cut through Niskien's attack effortlessly, slicing apart the flying slashes. The sheer force of the counterattack leveled the surrounding street, reducing the ground to rubble.
Charlotte didn't let up. His Haki-infused slashes rained down mercilessly, relentless and brutal.
If a fight was inevitable—then he would end it decisively.
Niskien's expression twisted in shock.
"This guy… he's terrifying!"
He had faced many swordsmen, but never one who could attack dozens of times in a row without stopping.
This was pure insanity.
Charlotte, however, had no other thoughts in mind. He only wanted to end this fight and leave.
Niskien's eyes turned bloodshot. He wasn't just going to let this happen. This was the Gourmet Pirates' territory. If he held out long enough, reinforcements would come.
Realizing this, Charlotte's gaze sharpened.
He crouched low—his muscles tensed like a coiled spring—then launched forward like a tiger pouncing on prey.
"One-Sword Style: Divine Wind—Tiger Slash!"
A ferocious gust of wind, laced with Haki, ripped through the air like a meteor.
SLASH!
Niskien barely had time to react. A sharp burning pain spread across his chest as three deep gashes burst open, blood gushing from the wounds.
"Crack..."
Charlotte frowned as his sword snapped in half.
Again.
His weapon kept breaking, making fights unnecessarily troublesome.
"Shave!"
In an instant, Charlotte appeared right in front of Niskien. His legs, coated in Haki, shone in the dim light.
With a powerful kick—
BOOM!
Niskien was sent crashing into the ground, forming a crater upon impact. His eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness.
Charlotte stepped forward and, without hesitation, snapped his opponent's neck.
There was no point in leaving loose ends.
He quickly eliminated a few of Niskien's subordinates as well.
Then, something caught his eye.
Lying amidst the rubble was Niskien's sword—its blade gleaming under the moonlight.
Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise.
This was… Shigure!
One of the 50 Skillful Grade swords.
A fine blade indeed.
For a swordsman, the right weapon was a game-changer.
Finally, he wouldn't have to switch swords every fight.
Charlotte glanced around at the destruction.
Luckily, this area was remote, with few people around.
Without further delay, he grabbed Saga Rido and vanished into the night.
---
The War Begins
The battle in Area 54 of Island Food City didn't go unnoticed.
When spies from various factions arrived at the battlefield, they were left stunned—especially when they saw Niskien's corpse.
Word of his death spread like wildfire.
In the Gourmet Pirates' headquarters, the obese pirate captain Domi Sis received the report. His face twisted in fury.
"Seal off the entire Food City! All members, stay on high alert!"
The pirate underlings sprang into action, moving frantically.
A loud alarm bell echoed across the island, piercing the night sky.
Thousands of pirates, led by high-ranking officers, began securing key locations.
However, chaos had already erupted.
Unruly pirates from other factions seized the opportunity, turning against the Gourmet Pirates.
"Captain Sis, it's bad! Battles are breaking out in every district!"
A subordinate reported in fear. Even some of the weaker officers had been injured.
Domi Sis stood in his luxurious chamber, his expression dark.
Turning to his trusted lieutenants, he ordered:
"Gandibe, Maxim—go and suppress them."
A man in a gentleman's hat and a tall, scarred warrior bowed and departed.
Domi Sis clenched his fists.
"So… you couldn't resist attacking me, huh?"
"Whoever wants my treasure… must DIE!"
---
An Unexpected Arrival
Back on his ship, Charlotte looked grim.
He was one step too late.
The entire Food City was now under lockdown.
The once bustling streets had descended into anarchy.
Smoke rose in thick clouds across the island. Pirates from various factions clashed, looted, and slaughtered without restraint.
But something felt off.
Charlotte narrowed his eyes.
"This doesn't make sense."
Even if his actions had sparked a chain reaction, the scale of this conflict was too massive.
This wasn't just a chaotic skirmish—it was a full-scale war.
As he pondered, a crew member rushed in, panic-stricken.
"Captain Charlotte! Wang Zhi's pirate crew has appeared outside Food City!"
Charlotte's eyes widened in shock.
Wang Zhi.
A former member of the infamous Rocks Pirates.
Not as renowned as Whitebeard Newgate or Golden Lion Shiki, but still an undeniably powerful force.
He should have been guarding Beehive Island, the old Rocks stronghold.
So why was he here?
Charlotte's mind raced—then suddenly, realization dawned.
This was all premeditated.
Someone had deliberately fueled this chaos.
And Charlotte's fight with Niskien… was merely an excuse to start the war.