Klein knew that back in her youth, Gloriosa had been a stunning beauty.
How could he possibly let this opportunity slip by?
"This ship… is too slow!" Klein turned around, his Justice cloak whipping wildly in the ocean breeze.
"Hey—everyone, hold on tight!"
Os was stunned, not even having time to react before Klein lightly bent his knees and launched ten meters into the air.
With his arms flexed, muscles swelling, Klein moved under the wide-eyed gaze of Os and the Marines. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
A single blow of Hasshoken, its terrifying shockwave rippling out from his fist and shaking the atmosphere itself. The impact smashed into the sea behind the warship, carving out a massive crater in the water. Using the recoil, the entire battleship whooshed into the sky.
Flying—through the air.
On the pirate ship, a chorus of terrified shrieks erupted.
"The battleship—it's flying!!"
"Why is a Marine battleship flying?!"
Panic erupted on the deck of the pirate ship. Rebel Pick's jaw hit the floor. "The Marines I ran into before… their ships didn't fly!"
"What the hell is happening?!"
Of course, the Marines on their own warship were just as stunned.
"Klein—Lord Klein just made the whole ship fly with one punch!!"
"What kind of terrifying punching power is that!?"
"Whoa whoa whoa—hold tight or you're flying off!!" (tears streaming)
"Help!! I don't wanna fall!!" (on the verge of sobbing)
"Holy crap!! Bro, why are your pants wet?!"
Tears and cold sweat drifted through the air. Dropping from the sky, passing through the sunlight, they scattered like countless shimmering stars. In that moment, sorrow itself took form.
Os clung tightly to the railing, his entire body suspended midair, face pale with shock. "M-Mister Klein, why the sudden change of battle plan?!"
He had mentally prepared himself for a fight—then this happened.
"Hahahaha—!" Klein burst out laughing. "Isn't this way more fun?"
"I did mess up your training plan, but hey, it's just a slight detour!"
The warship hovered in the air, casting a massive shadow over the pirate ship below.
Gulp— The rebel Pick stared up, horrified. "The battleship… it looks just like any other I've seen, but how is it flying?!"
Poor guy—he had no idea he was up against a big brother-level Marine.
A black-and-red bolt of lightning fell from the sky. In a split second, every pirate aboard was knocked unconscious.
Sure, the plan had changed—but this guy could still serve as a good warm-up partner for Os.
After all, 35 million Berries wasn't small change.
If Klein didn't care about money, he could've just pulled a Dracule Mihawk and casually split the ship in two with a basic slash.
Of all things to mess with—money wasn't one of them.
From the battleship above, Klein now had a clear view of the red pirate ship and the symbol on its sail.
He laughed to himself: Hahaha—let me borrow little bro Garp's entrance technique to give the girls a little surprise!
After all, if he's Garp's big bro, what's Garp's is his—and what's his is also his.
Suddenly, he thought: Maybe that whole "Black Blade rowing a boat" thing is just nonsense. If Mihawk sliced the sea with one slash, wouldn't his little coffin boat go flying?
Guess he'd never experience Mihawk-style sailing.
Onboard the Perfume Yuda—
All the female warriors turned to stone.
"A flying battleship? You've got to be kidding…" Gloriosa's eyes widened, her queenly composure shattered.
Sweat trickled down her refined face.
Shakky's pupils dilated as her cigarette dropped to the deck. "No way…"
"How the hell did they pull that off?"
Her brain blanked out completely.
The warship passed overhead and crashed into the sea with a mighty boom, blasting huge waves that gave the women on deck an unintentional seawater shower.
Free high-pressure rinse, courtesy of the Marines.
Before they could even recover—
Gloriosa turned toward the voice. Standing atop the warship's forward cannon was a massive man—broad-shouldered, muscular, shirt open to reveal eight-pack abs.
The voice came from him.
Staring into Klein's deep eyes, Gloriosa saw something—playfulness, even a hint of teasing.
"Stick-up?" Gloriosa clenched her teeth, eyes burning with rage. "That's something pirates say! Since when do Marines behave like pirates?!"
Her first time leading her warriors out to sea, and she runs into this kind of disgraceful Marine?
No wonder the previous queen said it: Marines are far scarier than pirates.
She hadn't believed it before. She did now.
As Klein appeared on the deck, the warriors of Amazon Lily immediately raised their bows and aimed their arrows straight at him.
With one command from their Snake Princess, Klein would be turned into a pin-cushion by a thousand arrows.
Quite a few of them were eyeing him with curiosity.
For many of them, it was their first time seeing a real "man."
And not just any man—a handsome, ripped one.
"Hahahaha—" Klein soared through the air like a hawk, landing gracefully on deck. "Not a pirate now—but who says I won't be one later?"
He unabashedly looked Gloriosa up and down. Figure, skin, face—nothing to complain about.
A woman with both strength and beauty? Rare.
Even more so—a woman like her could someday be a core officer in the Rocks Pirates.
At the very least, she'd be Warlord of the Sea material. Klein was starting to think this world ran on fantasy novel "authority levels."
Luffy inherited Joy Boy.
And of course, the Runaway King Koby, inheriting "Marine Hero" status—total bullshit!
Klein suddenly laughed to himself: Piracy's entered the 'find-your-dad' era. All this royal blood nonsense—real nobility comes from back home!
Then he noticed someone standing behind Gloriosa.
Another stunning beauty—just as striking.
Compared to these two, the other Amazon Lily warriors didn't quite measure up.
He gave her a second, longer look.
"Not a pirate now, but maybe later?"
What kind of nonsense is that?
Gloriosa trembled with fury, but kept calm.
"We were only fighting the rebel Pick for money and supplies. There's nothing valuable aboard."
They'd set sail to plunder supplies. If not for Klein interfering, Pick would've already been taken down, his ship and cargo theirs, and his bounty exchanged at a nearby Marine branch.
"No money?" Klein's lips curled into a mock sigh. "No money? Now that's a problem—"
He rubbed his chin, eyeing Gloriosa and the other warriors with interest.
"We don't want conflict, Marine. But if you're here with bad intentions…" Gloriosa's eyes turned icy.
"We're not powerless women!!"
A blast of Conqueror's Haki exploded from her body, stirring up a gale as she tried to overwhelm Klein with pure presence.
Behind Klein, the Marines who had yet to recover keeled over from the Haki shockwave, their eyes rolling back.
"This aura…" Os's face turned pale, his cloak flapping wildly. His eyes were full of dread.
"This is what Lord Klein meant by… Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Who are these women?!"
On the deck, Klein's eyes lit up. "Conqueror's Haki?"
His eyes blazed with excitement as he let out a wild, booming laugh:
"Oi, woman—tell me—what kind of "king" are you trying to become?!"