Upon the blue waves of the South Blue, a dozen or so pirate ships flying Jolly Rogers faced two white battleships head-on.
"Haha, those Marines still aren't running away?"
"Do they not know our Captain is the strongest pirate in the South Blue, Captain Eustass Kid?"
The pirates jeered arrogantly, showing none of the fear ordinary pirates had when encountering Marines.
Eustass Kid stood at the bow of the Victoria Punk, his crimson spiky hair wildly tousled by the sea breeze. "Men! Open fire! Blast those Marine ships to pieces! Let these two battleships be my farewell gift to the Marines before I head to the Grand Line!"
"Captain, the configuration of those two battleships seems a bit off..." The navigator wiped cold sweat from his brow. "They don't look like South Blue's battleships."
"Who cares?!" Kid spat. "Even if they're sent by Marine Headquarters, I've fought Commodore-level officers before."
Just then, two figures appeared on the battleships' decks.
Both wore Justice cloaks. One had a cold gaze that sent chills down the spine. The other smoked a cigar, with a smile on his face.
"M-Marine Vice Admirals?! I've seen them in the newspapers!" The navigator said in a terrified voice.
Killer's pupils under his mask contracted sharply. "Vice Admirals? You're sure you're not mistaken?"
The navigator looked miserable. "One is Onigumo, the other is Yamakaji. Both are Marine Vice Admirals who've been in the papers."
"You're joking, right?" Killer's fingers gripping his scythe turned slightly white. "To deal with pirates like us who haven't even entered the Grand Line... they'd send Vice Admirals personally?"
Onigumo's voice was cold. "Trash pirates like you don't deserve our attention. But who told it's a Celestial Dragon's order?"
"C-Celestial Dragons?" Killer found it unbelievable. "How could we have provoked such beings?"
Yamakaji exhaled a smoke ring with a laugh. "The World Nobles just want to add some fun to their hunt. Good luck."
"Afraid? Of mere Vice Admirals?" Kid's eyes showed no fear. "Let Marine Admirals come!"
The battle ended faster than imagined.
When Kid awoke from unconsciousness, he found himself in the battleship's hold, wearing heavy Seastone shackles.
Through a small porthole, he saw the wreckage of the Victoria Punk floating on the sea. His crew were imprisoned in adjacent cells.
"Damn it!" Kid slammed the ship's planks. "Marine Vice Admirals... Celestial Dragon's orders... what the hell is going on?"
After several days at sea, the battleships finally reached their destination.
When Kid was roughly dragged out, blinding sunlight forced him to squint.
He was surprised to discover this wasn't the legendary Impel Down, but an unfamiliar island.
Even more shocking… the Marines removed their Seastone shackles.
"Get lost, trash."
The Marine soldiers threw them onto the beach like garbage, then sailed away without looking back.
"Hey, you're [Captain] Kid, right?" A flippant voice came.
Kid turned. A long-arm tribesman with a ponytail leaned against a large tree, a grin on his face that was infuriating.
"You're [Roar of the Sea] Scratchmen Apoo?" Kid asked, his face grim.
"Apapapa~ Didn't expect the two highest-bounty pirates in the South Blue to meet this way," Apoo laughed.
"I'm the highest. You're second," Kid corrected coldly. "You were captured too?"
Apoo spread his hands. "Not just us. All South Blue's pirates were captured."
"What the hell is going on?" Kid asked, extremely annoyed.
"I know a little," Apoo let out a series of strange laughs. "Those World Nobles are holding a hunting competition on this island. The prey is the island's people. But they seem to think hunting ordinary people isn't exciting enough..."
Kid's expression grew increasingly ugly. "So they had the Marines capture all South Blue's pirates as prey?"
"That's right," Apoo snapped his fingers.
Kid snorted, flexing his wrists. "Those idiot Marines think starving us for a few days will make us submit? Taking off the Seastone cuffs is their biggest mistake!"
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. "I'll see if they hunt us, or we slaughter those Celestial Dragons!"
Apoo looked at him like he was an idiot. "You think the Celestial Dragons won't have guards? You saw the Vice Admirals' strength. With our power, we can't even get close."
"Then kill everyone on this island!" Kid roared violently. "When the Celestial Dragons arrive, they'll find all the prey killed!"
Apoo stared at him, shocked. "You're really extreme. I mean, we could try to escape—"
"Humph! I don't think the Marines left such an opening. Escape is impossible. Might as well go on a killing spree now!" Kid finished and strode into the jungle depths with his crew.
Shortly after entering the jungle, he saw an 'ordinary islander' passing by.
It was a strange man nearly three meters tall, with absurdly long legs. A giant eggshell hung at his waist. He walked with elegant slowness.
"Hey, you over there!" Kid grinned ferociously, activating his Devil Fruit power. Metal objects prepared by his crew attached to his arm. "Tough luck, meeting me!"
Without another word, his mechanical fist smashed toward the strange man.
Bam!
The moment the air blast exploded, Kid suddenly felt intense pain in his abdomen.
His vision spun wildly. Only after crashing through three giant trees did he stop.
He struggled to get up, blood trickling from his mouth and nose, his eyes filled with shock.
That strange man had sent him flying with just one kick?
"Tamago, let's go," An impatient voice came from afar.
A lion-like man wearing a top hat stood at the forest edge, frowning. "Why are you wasting time here?"
Tamago shrugged, his tone lazy. "Ran into some fools."
The two soon vanished into the woods, leaving Kid and his crew standing dumbfounded.
An eerie silence filled the air.
Kid's subordinates held their breath, not daring to speak, afraid of angering their boss.
"Kid," Killer's throat was dry. "That man..."
Veins bulged on Kid's forehead. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly—
"Wait for me, Pay-tan!" A clear female voice came from the distance.
Kid turned to see a green-haired girl with horns on her head hopping after a shy-looking boy wearing a hat.
"Die!" Kid decided to vent his anger on these two 'ordinary people'.
His mechanical fist transformed, becoming a huge steel axe chopping towards the girl.
Ulti turned her head, blinking. "Huh?"
Bang!
A dull sound rang.
Kid's world instantly spun.
He only felt intense pain in his forehead before darkness claimed him, completely unconscious.
"Idiot big sis!" Page One frowned. "Don't use headbutts randomly! What if you kill him? That Lord said we can't casually kill on the island."
Ulti pouted, poking the unconscious Kid with her toe. "Relax~ I controlled my strength... probably."
The two soon left, leaving only the unconscious Kid and his dumbfounded crew.