The pirates watching the spectacle were caught between excitement and dread. That strange mix, bloodlust laced with fear, was something every pirate knew well. Death was inevitable at sea. You either embraced it or you broke beneath it.
The Death Race was no ordinary competition. It wasn't about honor, treasure, or fame, it was pure, unfiltered survival. The endless sea itself was the arena, and the waves carried screams instead of cheers.
Teach reclined lazily in his chair, a grin splitting his face as he popped a chunk of roast meat into his mouth. "Zehahahaha! This'll be good."
Beside him, Baccarat looked almost elegant, swirling her glass of wine as her eyes gleamed with intrigue. "You really find this fun?"
Teach swallowed, smirking. "Ain't it? Watching idiots risk their necks for Berries is the best kind of entertainment."
Gar trembled with barely contained excitement, his gaze locked on the screens. His fingers twitched, itching for the kill. "I can almost smell the blood, Captain…"
Teach laughed lowly. "Keep that hunger for later, lad. There'll be plenty of killing when it's our turn."
Meanwhile, Pito sat quietly apart, flipping through a well-worn storybook, completely unfazed by the chaos filling the air. "Boring," she muttered.
The crowd's cheers turned to gasps.
A low rumble shook the sea. Then
BOOM!
The ocean erupted. Gigantic shapes tore through the surface...Sea Kings.
Their massive bodies blotted out the moonlight as they emerged from the depths, their scales glistening like black steel. One opened its maw and inhaled, forming a colossal whirlpool that dragged ships and screaming pirates into its jaws.
"TURN THE RUDDER! FULL SPEED!"
"WE'RE BEING SUCKED IN—AAAH!"
Ships were crushed to splinters, crews screaming as they were swallowed whole. Cannonballs exploded uselessly against the monsters' hides.
CRACK!
A ship snapped in half, its remains hurled into the air before vanishing beneath the waves.
"Sea Kings?! Here?!" Baccarat gasped, her eyes wide.
Teach grinned, unbothered. "The rulers of the sea decided to join the fun, eh? Zehahahaha!"
The pirates watching roared their approval, cheering the Sea Kings instead of the competitors. "Crush them! Eat them all!"
Pirates were fickle creatures, today's allies were tomorrow's corpses. The sight of others dying always made the survivors feel more alive.
The Sea Kings seemed to answer the crowd's cries, thrashing harder, turning the race into a full-blown massacre.
Night fell. The waves glowed faintly under the moonlight, stained dark red. From thousands of ships, only nine remained.
Each surviving crew was seasoned and ruthless, their bounties above forty million.
Baccarat yawned softly. "It's getting late. Should we wrap up for today? They'll probably just drift till morning."
Teach shook his head. "Nah. Night's when the clever ones start showing off. Zehahaha."
"There's nothing left to see. They've run out of cannonballs," Baccarat countered, sipping her wine.
Teach wagged his finger at her with a grin. "Don't underestimate pirates, lass. It's not all about firepower. The night brings out creativity."
He leaned back, eyes gleaming. "And who said there were only nine ships?"
Baccarat blinked, turning to the screen. "There are nine. I can count."
Teach chuckled darkly. "Heh. Then count again."
She looked harder, but still, only nine ships. "Where's the tenth?"
Teach didn't answer. "Just watch. An interesting little fellow's hiding in there."
From the start, he'd noticed a stowaway presence—someone alone, patient, and cloaked in the shadows. His Observation Haki couldn't reach that far, but his instincts were never wrong. And this one… was a Devil Fruit user.
The race suddenly flared back to life.
"Men, prepare the secret weapon! This 300 million is ours!" a captain shouted, slamming a button on his deck.
CLANG! CLANG!
The ship split open. Mechanical wheels unfolded from both sides, and chains rose from the deck—each connected to pedaling seats.
"HAHAHA! Behold my masterpiece! The ship-bike of the century!"
"Go! Pedal, lads, pedal!"
Dozens of pirates mounted the seats and pedaled furiously. The giant wheels spun, driving the ship forward at incredible speed.
"Move faster! Victory's ours tonight!" their captain howled, the crew shouting in rhythm as their ship shot across the waves like a bullet.
The crowd went wild.
Another ship refused to be outdone. "Don't let them steal the spotlight! Launch the fists!"
Panels burst open at the stern, revealing massive steel arms that slammed into the ocean, propelling the ship forward with each thunderous punch.
Elsewhere, a third vessel spread mechanical wings, gliding along the sea breeze like a flying fish.
Others dove below the surface, transforming into armored submarines.
Every crew had a trick up its sleeve and the crowd couldn't get enough.
Then came the last ship.
At its stern, a giant turbine roared to life, spewing steam and fire.
"HAHAHA! I ripped this baby off a Navy warship myself! Who's laughing now?!" bellowed the captain, his voice booming through the loudspeakers.
The turbine screamed louder, the ship tearing through the ocean with a roar that drowned out the others.
"Simon did it again!" one spectator yelled.
"Of course! He's worth a hundred million! That beast of a ship is unstoppable!" another shouted.
Everyone thought Simon's crew had already won.
But beneath the deck, clinging to the metal frame like a shadow, waited Wallace.
A lone pirate. A thief.
He grinned as the turbine rumbled above him. "Heh… You didn't see this coming, did you? That prize money's mine."
He had snuck aboard before the race even began, knowing Simon's ship had the best chance to win.
And now, as Simon's crew sped toward victory, Wallace was preparing to steal it right from under their noses.
The other pirate captains, realizing they were losing ground, roared in desperation.
"Fire! Fire everything! Sink the Simon Pirates!"
Cannons flared. The dark sea lit up like a battlefield as explosions echoed across the waves.
Teach's grin widened as he leaned forward, eyes glinting in amusement.
"Zehahahaha… Now this is what I call a race."