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"Kyle!!"
The roar tore through the air, carried on the screaming wind.
Kyle's body shuddered. The bloodied hole in his forehead healed almost before his eyes, and a misshapen bullet popped free, clattering onto the deck.
His movements were lightning-fast, bending low almost instantly as he ducked behind the ship.
"I'm fine!"
He drew a deep breath and shouted back.
From the rear of the ship, Satori finally exhaled, relief flooding his voice. Then he yelled again. "What about Vice Admiral Jerry?"
"He's dead… shot through the forehead."
Kyle cast a glance at his superior. The man still stood upright, rigid—but utterly lifeless. Kyle inhaled sharply, steeling himself as he relayed the news.
A wave of tension rolled through the ship, shifting the atmosphere like a storm.
"Dead?"
Satori froze.
The weight of dread pressed down on everyone aboard. Even as they tried to stay hidden, muffled groans leaked out from every corner. A grim sign: their comrades had been hit.
Kyle's eyes caught the helmsman—already shot, slumped limply, blood dripping steadily into the deck.
The ship hadn't moved an inch. Panic clawed at Kyle's chest.
"Satori, cover me! I'll get us moving!"
A sudden shout rang out. Kyle looked up to see Koby leaping toward the helm in a blur. Satori, roaring like a mountain, planted himself in front of Koby, swinging his massive sword.
Clang! Clang! Bullets flew from every direction, met by Satori's blade. The ship lurched, carving a path through the waves as it began to move.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
But there were too many enemies. Blood splattered across Satori's body. He defended every vital spot with a desperate ferocity, but after barely a minute, he went down with a loud crash.
Kyle pressed his lips together and sprang to his feet.
What greeted his eyes made his pupils snap tight with shock.
A massive fleet loomed almost within arm's reach. Lightning split the dark sky, the storm amplifying the sense of doom. Countless pirates laughed, cold eyes fixed on them.
The sky, the sea, every direction filled with the banners of death—the Jolly Rogers of a vast armada.
Kyle couldn't help but recall the stories of the Golden Lion Shiki, the sky pirates defeated by King Luffy in the movies. To see them now in real life, here, was staggering… a scene drenched in despair.
"Koby!"
"I've got this! You stay safe!!"
Kyle drew in a deep, bracing breath and leapt to Koby's side. The younger man glanced down at his bloodied stomach and nodded grimly before moving aside.
The clash with the enemy had already claimed too many lives among the ship's officers. Few comrades remained.
"Roar!"
"Cut these bastards down!"
"Look at them! They're scared! Trembling! They don't even know which way to run!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The voices carried on the wind, clear and cruel. Kyle gritted his teeth, icy eyes scanning the overwhelming mass of pirate ships ahead.
And then he saw him—a figure like a mighty lion, regal and imposing, arms crossed, standing at the prow of the flagship, looking down on them.
Tall, broad-shouldered, golden hair like a wild lion's mane brushing the deck… a living embodiment of dominance.
The Golden Lion. One of the Four Emperors.
Kyle slammed his hands on the helm. The ship shuddered violently beneath him as he angled toward the fleet's weakest point.
On the flagship, a rifle-wielding pirate with an optical sight stared in shock.
"I hit him with that shot!"
"You did… he must be a Devil Fruit user."
His comrade nodded. They had seen the boy fall, shot through the brow. But now, he stood unscathed—obviously wielding some incredible power.
Above, on the massive flagship:
"They're trying to break through!"
"We're only 500 meters away. These rats are ours!"
"Shall we have some fun, Captain Shiki?"
A thunderous laugh echoed across the deck.
"Hahaha! Not now!" Shiki's golden eyes narrowed, a predatory grin spreading. "I want Roger. I've been chasing him for three days in these waters… and still haven't caught him. That little bastard is slippery."
Suddenly, a dark speck appeared on the horizon. Sharp-eyed officers immediately shouted.
"The Roger Pirates!"
"We've found them again!"
"And they're right in our trap!"
Shiki's laugh boomed. "All units, give it everything you've got! Catch Roger!"
He glanced briefly at Kyle's ship below. A casual, dismissive glance. Then the fleet turned sharply, heading for the dark speck at full speed.
As the sky pirates approached, the main fleet suddenly withdrew. The remaining officers exchanged relieved glances—but relief faded quickly when they noticed another ship trapped in the circle.
"That flag?!"
"The Roger Pirates! They're here!"
Kyle saw the fleet of pirate ships rapidly converging on that dark speck, repeating the same nightmare scenario.
Despair and suffocation awaited anyone facing the sky pirates.
"Roger… where is he?"
"Prepare to break out! We're not safe yet!"
"Five pirate ships are still coming at us!"
Koby struggled to his feet, pale, whispering.
Kyle nodded. He saw the five pirate ships closing in from behind.
"Five…" he muttered, eyes narrowing with lethal focus.
"Prepare for battle! Vice Admiral Jerry is dead, but the officers are all veterans. Move!"
"Range! Cannon range reached!"
"Load the shells!"
"Fire!"
Cannons thundered as the ships exchanged volleys. The deafening explosions splashed water high into the air.
But within seconds, the weight of despair returned. The enemy outnumbered them, and their firepower was overwhelming. The aft section of the ship was hit, flames licking the deck.
"Rear hit! Prepare for boarding!"
Koby drew his long sword with a roar.
Kyle's gaze swept the deck. Officers drew weapons, grim yet fearless. All of them ready to die.
Pressing his lips together, Kyle turned toward the rear. Beyond the raging fire, pirates approached, faces twisted in madness and grins, long blades catching the flames.
From afar, the main fleet of the sky pirates had already surrounded the dark speck, forming a clear perimeter.
Kyle inhaled sharply, eyes blazing.
Boom!
An overwhelming, majestic aura exploded outward in a fan, crashing toward the five pirate ships bearing down on them.
"..."
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