Rhett lay sprawled on the Oro Jackson's deck when suddenly he felt himself being lifted—the three brats hauled him to a corner.
"Just watch us, Rhett-bro!" Shanks and Buggy flashed him thumbs-up.
"Mm!" Laboon adjusted his tiny top hat. The trio immediately charged into battle.
"Hey! Red Nose! Why're you hiding behind me?!" Shanks' sword gleamed with faint Armament Haki, perfectly parrying an incoming blade.
"W-who's hiding?! This genius is waiting for the perfect opening!" Buggy's voice cracked even as his dagger trembled. He ducked barely in time as a spiked club whistled past his scalp.
Damn right I'm scared, but don't think I'm weak!
Back-to-back, the two stood on floating wreckage surrounded by dozens of Shiki's lackeys.
The metallic tang of blood mixed with saltwater made their first large-scale battle feel suffocating. Previous skirmishes with Garp or Newgate's crew had been nothing like this—back then, even wiping out ordinary pirates never turned the sea red. Everyone had held back.
"Ha! Just these brats?" A scar-faced hulk sneered as he stepped forward. "Captain Shiki's too cautious. I can handle this trash alone—"
Swish!
Shanks vanished. Reappeared behind the man. His sword shrieked through air before slamming into the brute's neck.
Thud!
"The hell you yapping about?" Shanks grinned. He'd always loved Rhett's signature trash-talk—damn, it felt good to say it himself.
The "iron-blooded tough guy" faceplanted.
"Too much talk." Shaking blood off his blade, Shanks winked at Buggy. "See? That's how you fight."
"Don't get cocky!" Buggy snapped, then smirked. "Watch this!"
He tossed Shanks and Laboon gas masks before hurling a smoke bomb at their feet. The tactic felt familiar?
Exactly—copied straight from Rhett's playbook. Rhett, you absolute menace.
Boom! Thick smoke engulfed the area.
"Cough...cheap tricks!"
"There's pepper powder in there, damn it!"
Buggy seized the moment. His hands split into dozens, each gripping a throwing knife.
"Special Move: Buggy Barrage!"
Blades rained into the smoke. Screams erupted. Shanks gaped. "When did you even—"
"Kuhahaha!" Buggy planted hands on hips. "Genius at work!"
His gloating lasted precisely three seconds before a sword slash cleaved through the smoke.
A one-eyed swordsman emerged, blade glinting. "Game over, brats. No more wasting time."
Gulps synchronized. This foe...radiated entirely different pressure.
Even geniuses need time to grow. Holy hell, should we bolt for Rhett?
"Oi...Shanks..." Buggy's voice quivered. "Fight..."
"Fight? Thought you'd say run. Then fight it is!" Shanks tightened his grip, eyes blazing. "Rhett's still recovering! We're Roger Pirates too!"
"Who you looking down on?!" Buggy stomped but stood firm. "If I die here, I'm haunting your ass!"
The swordsman sneered. His blade became a storm of afterimages.
"Hyakka Ryouran!"
Clangclangclang! Shanks blocked desperately, but the gap was vast.
His sword—not yet Gryphon—shattered under the assault. Blood streaked his torso.
"Shanks!" Buggy hurled a plank as a distraction.
The swordswoman bisected it midair, only to find Buggy missing.
"Above!"
Buggy descended like a firework, legs splitting into a dozen kicks. "Special Move: Buggy Typhoon!"
"Pathetic." She dodged effortlessly, countering with an upward slash.
Buggy watched the approaching steel. No Haki? She's underestimating us. Calmly, he prepared to split—
BAM!
A massive shadow bulldozed the swordswoman into the sea.
"Laboon!" Shanks cheered.
The tiny whale caught Buggy neatly, blue top hat intact. It screeched indignantly at the floundering enemy.
"Ooo! (No bullying!)"
The drenched swordswoman gaped. "What the hell is—"
Laboon inhaled.
BOOOOOOM!
A precision water cannon yeeted her halfway to the horizon.
"Whoa..." Buggy's jaw dropped. "Since when could you do that?!"
Laboon preened, hat askew. Shanks scrambled onto its back. "Amazing! Let's help the others!"
Laboon deposited Shanks, then smacked a wisp of Rhett's stored mist onto itself before diving. Months of training condensed into this moment—
OOOOOOO—!!!
The whale's roar shook the battlefield as it breached, sending tsunami-sized waves crashing. Its top hat stayed miraculously fixed while round eyes burned with unprecedented fury.
"Oi oi...that's Laboon?!" Buggy clung to a mast, nose trembling. "Since did it get so scary?!"
Shanks gripped the railing, grinning wildly. "Rhett-bro's training paid off!"
Laboon became a living fortress, rampaging with pinpoint control—no longer mindless destruction, but Rhett-honed precision.
Wham!
Its tail flipped three ships like pancakes. Yet bizarrely, the vessels stayed intact—only crews knocked unconscious.
Because Rhett had explained: Dead men don't matter, but ships hold belly. Belly buys fish snacks.
"Ooo! (Next!)" Laboon spun joyfully, mist-glued hat bobbing.
Shiki's officers panicked.
"Fire! FIRE!" A lieutenant screamed.
Cannons roared. Dozens of seastone rounds arced toward Laboon.
"Laboon, dodge! Those are seastone!" Shanks shouted.
KABOOOOOM!
A water cannon thicker than a mast obliterated the barrage midair before launching the firing ship skyward like a toy.
"Ooo (Laboon goes where Laboon pleases)" It flapped happily.
Watching the trio fight, Rhett finally understood how Roger must've felt training him. This pride? Absolutely glorious.