Time waits for no one; rescue must be swift.
After confirming Carol's story, Darian and Nami sprang into action. The sloop was already a fair distance from West Ali Island, and it took them about ten minutes to sail back to the port.
According to the little girl, her father had ordered her to escape in the dinghy around noon.
In truth, Darian suspected Daddy Masterson might already be dead. Don Krieg was not known for his mercy. But they had to see for themselves.
West Ali Island housed a Marine branch, but its situation was complex. It was a thriving commercial hub situated on one of the main sea routes leading to Loguetown—the gateway to the Grand Line.
A thriving commercial sector inevitably attracts pirates. Although the island had a Marine presence, its military strength was relatively weak. Fortunately, a tacit understanding existed between the two sides, preventing pirates from causing excessive trouble in the main town, provided they stuck to their designated areas.
The Krieg Pirates were once the undisputed rulers of the East Blue. They boasted the largest fleet, the most territory, the deepest pockets, and the strongest fighting force.
Captain Don Krieg adhered to a philosophy of overwhelming military might: "A massive army guarantees victory." After years of development, his armada had possessed over fifty large warships and five thousand combatants.
Of course, that was in the past. Having been chased out of the Grand Line by Dracule Mihawk, and subsequently defeated by the Straw Hats at the Baratie, the Krieg Pirates were now merely a remnant crew trying to rebuild.
But even as remnants, they were dangerous. And today, they had done something that shocked the entire island.
The despicable Krieg had captured Carol, using her to blackmail the notorious bounty hunter, Daddy the Father. Although Daddy had managed to secure his daughter's escape, he was outmaneuvered and captured by Krieg's treacherous tactics.
Daddy, severely injured, was now strung up on display in the streets of the island's red-light district—a pirate haven.
Upon arriving at the port, Darian left Nami and Carol on the ship and quickly scouted a local tavern to gather this intelligence.
He returned to the docks shortly after. Nami was waiting for him, holding the little girl's hand.
Seeing Darian approach, Nami asked with a worried expression, "How did it go? Did you find out anything?"
Darian had put his mask back on before entering the port, so Nami couldn't see the grim expression behind it.
"Come with me," Darian said quietly.
He reached out to take Carol's hand, but the little girl didn't let go of Nami. She gripped Nami's fingers tightly, staring at the ground.
The little girl was clever. Darian didn't need to say anything; she understood from his tone that the news wasn't good. Perhaps, when she was crying alone on that drifting boat, she had already anticipated the worst.
Seeing the girl stay silent—heartbroken but refusing to cry—Nami looked at Darian with deep concern.
After a moment, Darian simply picked Carol up and carried her. The little girl didn't resist. She went limp in his arms like a ragdoll as they walked toward the red-light district.
West Ali Island - The Red Light District.
As night fell, the neon signs of the taverns, casinos, and brothels lit up, casting the streets in a sleazy, colorful glow. The area became increasingly lively.
Women dressed in revealing clothing stood outside the establishments, soliciting customers. The patrons were almost exclusively pirates or rough dockworkers. Ordinary citizens struggled just to earn a living, and the wealthy nobles wouldn't be caught dead in such a lawless place.
As Darian, Nami, and Carol walked down the street, passersby cast them strange glances. A masked man carrying a doll-like child, accompanied by a stunningly beautiful young woman, was an odd sight in this den of thieves.
In the center of a busy intersection, elevated on a crude wooden frame, hung Daddy Masterson.
Two burly pirates from Krieg's crew stood guard beneath him.
Ordinary passersby cast pitying glances and hurried along, while passing pirates would spit on the ground and curse the captive. Aside from his past as a Marine Ensign, Daddy's current occupation as a bounty hunter made him the sworn enemy of every pirate in the East Blue.
As Darian's group turned the corner and came within ten meters of the display, Carol saw him.
Daddy's hands and feet were pierced with spikes, his clothes stained dark red with blood. He hung from the frame, his head drooping.
The little girl immediately burst into tears.
"Daddy!"
Her voice was so clear and desperate that the entire street went silent. Everyone turned to look at Darian's group.
Hearing that voice, Daddy—who had looked dead just moments before—jerked his head up. His eyes went wide as he stared at Darian and the others.
"Carol!" Daddy rasped in disbelief.
Then, a look of pure panic crossed his bruised face. He roared angrily, "Didn't I tell you to run?! Why did you come back?!"
The effort of shouting aggravated his internal injuries, and Daddy coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Darian, who had assumed the man was dead, breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey, hey," Darian muttered. "Don't yell so loud. You're coughing up a lung up there."
Seeing her father alive, Carol began to struggle in Darian's arms.
"Don't move," Darian warned her softly. "If you don't want him killed right now, stay still. There are two guards."
Hearing this, the little girl obediently stopped moving, burying her face in Darian's shoulder.
The two pirates guarding the frame burst into cruel laughter.
"Well, well! Isn't this the little brat who ran away today?" one pirate sneered. "She actually came back to get herself killed! Gahahaha!"
"And look what she brought with her," the second pirate licked his lips, his eyes glued to Nami. "That chick is top-tier. Captain Krieg will definitely reward us for bringing her in."
Darian set Carol down on the ground.
"Nami," Darian said calmly. "Cover her eyes. It's not good for kids to see blood."
Nami understood immediately. She pulled out her collapsible bo-staff and pulled Carol behind her back, covering the girl's eyes with her free hand.
The two pirates scowled, displeased by Darian's utter lack of fear.
"Hey, pretty boy. What do you think you're doing?"
The first pirate stomped over to Darian. A pungent smell of cheap alcohol and stale sweat rolled off him.
People in the One Piece world were notoriously huge. Anyone under six feet was considered tiny. This pirate was easily over six-and-a-half feet tall, armed with a massive broadsword. He looked down at Darian, who stood at a comparatively average height.
Sensing a fight, the surrounding crowd of pirates and prostitutes scattered, forming a wide circle to watch the bloodsport.
Hidden in the shadows of a street corner, a plainclothes Marine pulled out a baby Den Den Mushi.
"Moshi moshi, this is Smoker."
Captain Smoker, currently en route to West Ali Island from Loguetown, answered his receiver.
"Report, Captain Smoker! We have a situation in the red-light district. Someone is trying to rescue Daddy the Father. And... they brought his daughter with them."
"What?!" Smoker's gruff voice roared over the line. "Idiots!"
"Orders, sir?"
"Keep a close watch. Ensure Daddy's safety if things go south. We'll be there soon. I don't care if we have to fight Don Krieg himself; we're ending this."
"Roger, Captain Smoker!"
With Gol D. Roger's death ushering in the Great Pirate Era, the Marines' military strength in the East Blue was stretched thin. The local base on West Ali Island didn't have the firepower to challenge the Krieg Pirates directly without risking massive civilian casualties. Furthermore, since Daddy had resigned his commission, the Marines had no official obligation to rescue a bounty hunter.
But Daddy still had friends in the ranks. Smoker hadn't forgotten him.
The giant pirate glared down at Darian. "You got a death wish, mask boy?"
Darian didn't waste time talking. He didn't issue a warning.
He stepped inside the pirate's guard and unleashed a devastating uppercut.
CRACK!
Darian's fist slammed squarely into the pirate's chin. The force shattered the man's jaw and throat instantly. The two-meter giant was launched into the air, flipping two and a half times before crashing to the cobblestones in a heap of broken bones.
The second pirate stood stunned for a fraction of a second, then roared in fury, swinging his massive broadsword at Darian's head.
"You bastard! Ambushing us?! DIE!"
Facing the incoming blade, Darian casually raised his left arm to block.
The surrounding spectators gasped. The pirate grinned ferociously, expecting to cleave the masked man's arm clean off. Even without formal swordsmanship, a giant swinging a twenty-pound slab of steel could cut a man in two.
CLANG!
The heavy blade struck Darian's forearm—and stopped dead.
It didn't even break the skin.
A faint white aura flowed around Darian's arm. The Human Path (Silicone) combined with the Hungry Ghost Path (Absorption) completely nullified the kinetic energy of the strike. To break through Darian's defense now, an opponent would need Armament Haki.
Before the pirate could process the impossible sight, Darian stepped forward and drove his right fist into the man's chest.
CRUNCH!
The sound of shattering ribs echoed through the street. The pirate's chest caved in as the force of the punch surged through his massive body.
WHOOSH!
The pirate flew backward like a cannonball. Fortunately, Darian had aimed down the center of the street, avoiding the buildings. The pirate skidded across the cobblestones for twenty meters, scattering the terrified onlookers. He lay motionless, coughing up blood, his internal organs severely damaged.
Darian lowered his fists, flexing his fingers.
I'm getting stronger, Darian thought.
Even without the Devil Fruit multipliers, his base physical strength was growing. After the intense 'Dual Cultivation' sessions with Nami and Nojiko, his stamina and raw power had surpassed human limits. Even a fish-man would have struggled to throw a giant that far with a single punch.
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