Step. Step.
Without saying a word, Kaito Arisawa rested his left hand lightly on the hilt of one of his golden sabers.
With Robin and Mangu at his sides, he moved forward through the corridor formed by his men, his expression calm and composed.
He cast a casual glance toward the onlookers at the port before continuing straight toward the city.
His stride was steady and measured.
Behind him, the thousand members of the War Pirates followed in tight formation, moving in disciplined silence under his direction.
"Wow… who are these pirates? I almost couldn't breathe just watching them."
"Same here. I've never seen pirates like that before. The pressure was overwhelming."
"Wait… those people look familiar. Isn't the man in front the former leader of the Sword Gang from Rumtown?"
Murmurs erupted the moment the War Pirates left the docks.
From the moment they disembarked to the moment they disappeared into the city streets, not a single word had been spoken by the crew. Yet the oppressive aura they carried had kept the entire harbor in tense silence.
Only after they departed did the suppressed voices break free.
Some marveled at the War Pirates' unusual bearing.
Others recognized their origins.
Rumtown and Lovisa were not far apart. Trade and travel between them were common. In Rumtown, the Sword Gang had ruled the underground. Naturally, their leader was well known.
Kaito was not an easily forgotten figure.
Those who recognized him were stunned.
They could not understand how the Sword Gang had transformed into a pirate crew.
Still, such transitions were not unheard of. Many gangs eventually turned to piracy.
…
Kaito was no stranger to Lovisa.
Though conflicts with the Iron Fist had been frequent, he had never allowed himself to be confined to Rumtown. He had visited Lovisa multiple times.
Even the twin golden sabers he carried had been forged here.
Though not ranked among the famed swords of the world, they were unquestionably high-grade weapons.
Their quality lay in their material.
They were not made of gold.
Gold was far too soft for weapon forging.
Instead, they were crafted from a rare metal with a golden luster and extraordinary hardness—an ideal material for blades.
Such metal was expensive and scarce, circulating only in prosperous cities like Lovisa.
Kaito had come here years ago specifically to commission them.
Returning to the present—
He was not only familiar with the city itself, but also with the headquarters of the Iron Fist.
An enemy's terrain was knowledge that had to be mastered.
Given the long-standing enmity between them, neither side would ever miss an opportunity to eliminate the other.
"Who are these people…?"
"Something feels off. Let's get out of here."
"Are they the kingdom's army?"
As Kaito led a thousand armed men through the streets, commotion naturally followed.
Uniformed pirates bearing rifles and blades did not blend into civilian life.
Pedestrians halted in curiosity.
Others hurried away in alarm.
Robin quickened her pace slightly and moved closer to Kaito's side.
"We're making quite a spectacle," she said quietly. "If we keep this up, the Iron Fist will be here soon."
"That's exactly what I want," Kaito replied with a faint smile, continuing forward without breaking stride. "Let them come."
Robin understood immediately.
One of their purposes in coming to Lovisa was to deal with the Iron Fist.
Sooner or later, confrontation was inevitable.
The timing no longer mattered.
More importantly—
This was no longer the past.
"With him here," she thought, glancing at Kaito's composed profile, "the Iron Fist is nothing."
Her confidence was not baseless.
After witnessing him drag a warship-sized vessel through the ocean for six hours straight, how could she not feel secure?
It was natural that the Iron Fist could dominate a city like Lovisa.
But natural dominance did not equate to invincibility.
Soon, figures in black suits began appearing at the far end of the street.
They moved quickly.
Knives at their waists. Rifles in hand.
They formed a barrier across the road and blocked Kaito's path.
Swish—
Without waiting for orders, the War Pirates reacted instantly.
In perfect unison, rifles were raised.
Barrels aligned.
Aiming directly at the approaching men.
The number of suited figures continued to increase as more rushed in from side streets. In mere moments, their force equaled Kaito's in size.
"They mobilized quickly," Robin murmured, crossing her arms subtly in preparation to activate her Flower-Flower Fruit at any moment. "There must have been eyes at the port."
The black-suited men were unmistakably members of the Iron Fist.
Given that the War Pirates had marched openly through the city in full force, their arrival here was hardly surprising.
Though the Sword Gang had become the War Pirates, the core leadership remained unchanged.
And the Iron Fist had clashed with them enough times to recognize them on sight.
The air grew tense.
Two forces stood facing one another.
Guns raised.
Blades ready.
Kaito remained calm, his left hand resting lightly on the golden hilt at his waist.
The city of Lovisa held its breath.
The first confrontation of the War Pirates' voyage—
Had begun.
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