Moria realized that if he didn't increase his output, he wasn't going to win. He suddenly accelerated, circling behind BT and kicking at its knee joint.
But BT seemed to have predicted the move. Its back armor instantly opened and released high-pressure air.
"BOOM!"
Moria stood still and watched BT adjust its position in the air.
"Kishishishi... Interesting."
"Captain, that's not Observation Haki, is it? This thing must be pretty expensive, right?"
Rhett looked at Moria like he was looking at an idiot. "It's a mech. How could it have Observation Haki? Have you heard of something called radar? You're embarrassing yourself, Moria. Read a book."
BT's mechanical eyes flickered. "Tactical update: Opponent Moria shows no killing intent. Judged: Moria is holding back. Combat type updated: Sparring."
It suddenly activated its foot thrusters, instantly closing the distance to Moria, and brought both arms down in a cross-body press.
Moria blocked with both hands, but the force drove him to one knee. The ground cracked beneath him.
"Tch..." Moria gritted his teeth. "You're pretty strong!"
Just as Moria was about to break free, BT's chest opened, revealing a small speaker.
"Lord Moria is a big idiot Lady Perona is the cutest"
Moria: "???"
Rhett: Now you know why I chose you to test it. Hehehe.
Moria froze. Veins bulged on his forehead. "Kishishishi... What kind of strange tactic is this?!"
BT responded calmly. "Tactical reasoning: 87%. Based on data analysis, sound may divert attention. This phrase had the highest damage rating in the database. Damage rate: 89%. Collateral damage rate: 100%. But the situation required desperate measures. I hereby apologize to Miss Perona."
While Moria was distracted, BT slammed its shoulder into him.
"BOOM!"
Moria grabbed BT and held it in place. "Alright, alright. Not bad. Let's stop here."
BT retracted its weapon systems. Its mechanical eyes returned to a calm blue glow. "Simulation complete. Victory probability analysis: 98%."
"Your name is BT, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Moria. I am BT-7275, Vanguard-class Titan. You may also call me BT."
"Where did you get 98% victory probability from, you bastard?!"
"After analysis, if Pilot 'Rati' were to cry due to my negligence, the victory probability for this combat would be 98%."
Rati giggled in the cockpit, slapping the control panel as if applauding BT.
Moria brushed the dust off himself. He looked around at Rhett, Tesoro, and Enel, who were all watching him. He muttered unhappily, "Kishishishi... That's not wrong..."
Rhett's blood mist reached out and pulled Moria back. "A bet is a bet, Moria."
Moria suddenly remembered something. "Hey! You bastard captain! That line wasn't from ten years ago, was it?!"
Rhett patted Perona on the head. The little girl was blushing. He said to both of them, "It will live forever, brothers."
"Oh, Lord Rhett, I was still so young back then." Perona couldn't help but complain.
"Bwahaha." Evil Rhett just laughed and didn't answer.
Tesoro rubbed his chin. "Can this thing be mass produced?"
Rhett: "Not worth it."
"Understood."
BT gently lifted the cockpit so Rati could see everyone. "Protocol 3: Protect the pilot — in progress."
Sunlight fell on the red and gold armor. Rati's green-and-gold eyes reflected the steel giant fighting for her.
Rhett put his hands in his pockets. Blood mist slowly swirled around him. "Moria, release your weak zombies. I want to see BT's limits."
Moria grinned. Shadows spread from his feet. "Kishishishi... Finally, some fun." He waved his hands. The ground cracked open with dozens of shadow fissures. "Zombie army... zombie grunts, appear!"
These were weak pirate corpses Moria had picked up in Paradise. He had been using them to mop the floors and clean the bathrooms. Rhett had no idea how strong they were. Even Moria wasn't sure. They were about as strong as regular Marine soldiers.
BT's mechanical eyes quickly scanned the battlefield. "Hostile units detected. Zombie soldiers. Count: 37. Threat level: Low. Combat mode engaged."
It gently moved Rati's cockpit to a secure location in its chest. Layers of armor covered the cockpit.
"Begin, BT." Rhett gave the order.
BT's arms extended high-speed spinning chainswords. Its mechanical voice was calm and efficient. "Tactical recommendation: Clear the area quickly."
It charged into the zombies. The chainswords spun wildly.
BT couldn't use Armament Haki. But against weak grunts, cutting them apart so they couldn't repair themselves was enough.
Tesoro let out a low whistle. "The efficiency is good. The damage is sufficient."
Zombies lunged from all directions. BT's back armor opened. Small missile launchers locked onto targets.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
In the explosions, over a dozen zombies were blown away. Limbs scattered on the ground.
Moria watched with interest. "Kishishishi... The firepower is pretty decent too."
Moria snapped his fingers. The zombies began to surround BT in a coordinated way.
They spread out to surround, trying to attack from blind spots. BT's mechanical eyes flickered. Its tactical system updated quickly. "Surrounding tactics detected. Tactical decision: Break out immediately. Initiate wide area attack."
It leaped up, its foot thrusters at full power. It spun in the air, its chainswords tracing a perfect arc.
"SWISH—!"
The last group of zombies was cut in half. The battle was over.
BT retracted its weapons. Its mechanical eyes returned to a calm blue glow. "Combat duration: 2 minutes 47 seconds. Enemy forces eliminated. Self-damage: 0%. Recommendation: Improve response strategies against high-mobility units."
Rhett's eyes were practically glowing. "Wow, wow, wow. That is so cool. That is so cool."
Back when Rhett had first seen it, and the pilot was thrown — that scene had been so exciting. What little boy didn't dream of piloting a mech? Forget little boys, even Rhett now thought it was cool. The roar of the thrusters. The pressure of the cannons. Oh, don't even get him started.
Rhett thought back to the cartoons he watched as a child. A pig, a few sheep, a cat, a rabbit, a few dozen suits of armor. Don't even mention that pink hair dryer.
Moria looked at the zombie remains on the ground. His mouth twitched. "Kishishishi... My zombies..."
BT turned to Moria. Its tone was sincere. "Thank you for cooperating with the test, Mr. Moria. Your zombie soldier data has been recorded. Future responses to similar threats will improve by 23%. Thank you very much for providing the data. As the pilot is currently unable to communicate normally, BT and the pilot express their gratitude to Mr. Moria."
Moria: "...You're welcome."