Cray narrowed his eyes, his voice laced with menace.
"Pirate... you've got some nerve."
"Just as I thought," muttered Wazz, unsurprised, already drawing the katana at his waist with calm precision.
"There are pirates here!"
"Fire the signal flare—get everyone back now!"
"Emergency battle stations!"
The moment Aeridar revealed his identity, the tension among the gathered Marines skyrocketed. In an instant, everyone was in motion—even the cannons aboard the warship swiveled to aim straight at him.
"Now, now~ no need to get all worked up," Aeridar said casually, waving his hand as if to shoo away the hostility. "I'm not here to fight. I just wanted to ask—what's so special about the pirate you're chasing?"
Cray's expression turned even more grave. He enunciated each word slowly and clearly: "I can't just stand by while a notorious pirate stands right in front of me."
"Oh~? So you figured it out. Well, I'm afraid that kind of info... isn't something I can share with you," Wazz replied, his tone lazy and indifferent—but beneath that laid-back surface, his muscles were wound tight, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. "Besides... I think I recognized you."
"Did you now? I'm flattered!"
Aeridar turned to him with genuine surprise in his eyes.
"I didn't think I was that famous already."
Cray frowned and turned slightly toward Wazz. "Who is he? Is he that well-known?"
Wazz's lazy demeanor vanished. His tone turned cold.
"Before even reaching the Grand Line, he had an 80 million bounty on his head—Golden Ring Aeridar."
"He first earned his bounty by killing Mori, the so-called 'Pirate Slayer.' Then, in the battle at Loguetown, he faced off two-on-one—killed Evans, the 'White Devil,' crippled Farlier-senpai's right arm, and nearly flipped the entire outcome of the fight."
"W-Wait... A man with an 80 million bounty?!"
"He committed crimes that serious before even reaching the Grand Line?!"
"He killed the infamous Captain Mori—and Rear Admiral Evans, the White Devil?!"
"We actually ran into someone like that?!"
A cold sweat broke over the Marines' faces. The sheer weight of Aeridar's bounty—earned from just two clashes before entering the Grand Line—was terrifying.
"Eighty million... and he took down Mori and Evans... what a monster," Cray muttered, pupils shrinking in horror. He finally recognized the face that had dominated headlines half a year ago—a rising pirate who'd shaken the seas.
He wasn't unfamiliar with power. After all, he'd fought in the New World for half a year. He'd seen pirates worth 800 million, even laid eyes on two of the Four Emperors—Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, and Kaido of the Beasts.
But that had been as a mere background extra.
Aeridar, on the other hand, had slain Marine Captains and a Rear Admiral with his own hands. From what he'd seen so far, Aeridar's strength already rivaled that of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. He was out of Cray's league.
"You've finally made it to the Grand Line, huh?" Wazz stared daggers into Aeridar and suddenly sneered.
"What is it? You finally healed up from last time?"
"You've got a damn sharp tongue, bastard." Aeridar's smile faded, replaced by a cold glint. That was a scar he hadn't forgotten.
He'd clearly outclassed both Evans and Farlier—but inexperience in real fights against powerful foes had left him wounded. A draw. A disgrace.
"If that's your goal... then congrats. You've succeeded."
The moment the words left his lips, Aeridar vanished—leaving behind only a fractured, cratered patch of ground.
Wazz's heart skipped a beat. Too fast!
His katana flew up, guarding his chest just in time—
A pitch-black fist slammed into the gleaming blade, power erupting in a shockwave that kicked up a cyclone of wind.
The overwhelming force sent Wazz flying like a ragdoll. BOOM! CRASH! CRACK!
He smashed through three... four... five massive trees, before slamming into the trunk of a sixth with a deafening CRACK.
Before the echoes even faded, Aeridar raised his left arm, intercepting another Haki-clad punch with ease.
CRACK! The ground split beneath them like a spiderweb, the sheer pressure radiating through the earth.
He glanced at the blackened fist pressing against his arm, then looked up—face to face with Cray.
"Impressive," Aeridar said. "Marine Headquarters elite who've fought in the New World really are on another level. That Armament Haki... you're not any weaker than those two Rear Admirals back in Loguetown."
"Tch... What insane Observation and Armament Haki..." Cray grimaced, his stone-carved face darkening.
"Heh." Aeridar smirked, then with a whip of his arm, cast Cray's fist aside.
His right fist, now fully hardened with Haki, ripped through the air as it rocketed straight toward Wazz—
Cray managed to catch the punch with his own blackened palm, but the impact buried both of his feet deep into the dirt. He skidded back nearly four meters, dragging twin trenches in the ground.
"D-Dammit... that strength—!"
A second later, Aeridar's left fist crashed into Cray's gut, sending a spray of blood from his mouth. His face twisted in pain, bloodshot eyes bulging.
Aeridar's spinning back kick connected with Cray's chest, the dull boom of impact rocking the air itself.
Cray was launched like a cannonball, a black streak across the forest.
BOOM, BOOM, CRASH, CRACK!
He smashed through tree after tree until finally, his body slammed into a massive boulder, embedding into it and leaving behind a shattered web of cracks.
"Captain Wazz?! Commodore Cray?! N-No way!!"
One of the Marines, rifle trembling in hand, stared at the two downed officers in disbelief.
"I-I must be dreaming..."
His rifle dropped to the dirt as he collapsed, hands cradling his head, mumbling to himself like a broken record.
"T-This can't be real..."
Another soldier rubbed his eyes frantically, trying to wake himself up.
"Monster... he's a monster!"
Aboard the warship, another Marine began to shake.
The entire squad was paralyzed with fear. Many just dropped to the ground, stunned speechless.
They simply couldn't comprehend what they had just witnessed.
"Oi, anyone gonna tell me why you're here?"
Aeridar turned to the shell-shocked soldiers, voice casual, but his eyes sharp.
"Relax. I won't hurt you."
The Marines bunched together, shouting in panic.
Aeridar's eyes turned icy.
"Then... do you want to die?"
The Marines scattered like birds, scrambling in every direction.
Suddenly, a massive slash tore through the air, heading straight for him.
He raised a brow, stepping lightly to the side. The blade of energy whooshed past him and cleaved into the far bank, carving a deep, jagged rift into the earth.
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