"Ahhh!!!"
The first wave came in the form of relentless gunfire.
A storm of bullets tore through the air, instantly inflicting heavy casualties on the soldiers of the Kingdom of San Lorenzo, who had yet to fully realize that enemy reinforcements had arrived. One after another, they were riddled with gunshots, screaming as they fell.
Boom!!!
A massive humanoid figure resembling a tyrannosaurus crashed into the crowd. With a savage swing of his ferocious mace, he blasted more than a dozen soldiers to death in a single strike.
The shattered corpses sent flying by the impact knocked even more men into the air, carving out a temporary clearing in the battlefield.
That humanoid tyrannosaurus was none other than Mangu.
After clearing space with one blow, Mangu showed no sign of satisfaction. He continued rampaging through the enemy ranks, wildly swinging his mace and crushing anyone in his path.
"Meow!"
A blur of motion streaked across the battlefield.
Neferpet, who had been following close behind Mangu, instantly transformed into her human-beast form. Kicking off powerfully with her long legs, she surged into the enemy ranks even faster than Mangu, attacking from another direction.
Sharp claws extended from her hands, flashing repeatedly. With each swipe, an enemy was torn apart.
"Roar!!"
With an ear-splitting roar, Sandy—who had already been subdued by Kaito—transformed into a massive black bear. Charging forward on all fours, he plowed into another cluster of soldiers, crushing anyone who stood in his way beneath his massive paws.
"ROOM—Slaughterhouse!"
A hemispherical energy field expanded outward.
Though not yet completely subdued, Luo was already nearly there. His gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield before he teleported above a group of enemies using the power of the Op-Op Fruit.
Drawing his sword in a swift motion, he slashed.
Within the energy field, the heads of the enemies were separated cleanly from their bodies—only to be reattached to the muzzles of nearby cannons.
Though those cut by the Op-Op Fruit would not immediately die, having their heads stuck to cannon barrels rendered those artillery weapons useless.
"No! The enemy has reinforcements—stop them!"
"Damn pirates! This is the Kingdom of San Lorenzo—you cannot run wild here!"
"Attack! Use coordinated formations!"
The arrival of the War Pirates had caught San Lorenzo's forces completely off guard, costing them hundreds of men in mere moments.
But once they regained their composure, the kingdom's commanders reacted swiftly, angrily mobilizing additional troops to counterattack Mangu and the others.
Are these the War Pirates…?
Lafayette watched the battlefield closely, astonishment flickering in his eyes.
The combat capabilities displayed by the War Pirates were unlike any pirate crew he had seen before. They resembled a well-trained army more than a band of marauders. Especially those leading figures—each possessed not only extraordinary abilities but formidable strength.
Though Lafayette had read about the War Pirates in newspapers and bounty posters, witnessing their true power firsthand was an entirely different matter.
Both Mangu and the ordinary members of the War Pirates exceeded his expectations.
After his initial surprise, a smile spread across his face.
He had joined them.
The stronger they were, the better for him.
"Little ones!"
Kaito's voice rang out, filled with boundless ambition.
"I want to seize this city. Are you willing to give your lives for it?!"
As he spoke, he swung his golden saber mercilessly, releasing another massive Slash Wave. It tore through the enemies standing between him and his men, shredding them into pieces.
"We follow the captain's command!"
"Did you hear that, brothers? The captain wants this city—what do we do?!"
"Never let the captain down!"
Their shouts echoed across the battlefield.
Even as the soldiers of San Lorenzo burned with anger, the War Pirates burst into wild laughter.
At this moment, Kaito demonstrated his absolute control over his crew and the terrifying cohesion of the War Pirates.
Amid sky-splitting battle cries, the War Pirates intensified their assault, slaughtering the enemies before them with even greater ferocity.
The sight stunned the forces of San Lorenzo.
It stunned Lafayette as well.
Unbelievable… With such discipline, such fearlessness—this is the pirate crew I'll follow from now on?
More than raw power, it was the overwhelming momentum and unity of the War Pirates that shook Lafayette to his core.
"Let's go, Lafayette."
Still smiling, Kaito greeted him casually before sending a violent Slash Wave surging in a new direction.
Boom!!!
The golden Slash Wave rose like a tidal surge five to six meters high, ripping apart buildings and soldiers alike. It swept forward hundreds of meters before finally dissipating.
When it faded, a massive crack had been carved straight through the city.
Without hesitation, Kaito stepped forward, walking along the newly formed path of destruction.
Lafayette marveled at the sheer force of the slash, then followed closely behind.
He had already decided that Kaito was someone worth following. He would not neglect his captain's orders.
Wait… this direction…
As he kept pace, Lafayette suddenly noticed something.
He recognized where they were heading.
It was the direction he had been glancing toward before—where the royal palace of the Kingdom of San Lorenzo stood.
His eyes fixed on Kaito's back.
This captain of his was truly fierce beyond reason.
Not only was he waging war against the kingdom's army in the capital—he was now targeting the royal family itself.
Amazing…
Lafayette's eyes gleamed with a frenzied light as excitement surged within him.
This was exactly the kind of man he had been searching for.
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