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Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hearing the thunderous roar of cannon fire and the sharp crack of gunshots behind him, Smoker, who had been leading his troops through the mountain pass, came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened in shock as he spun around.
"Impossible!!!"
They had scoured the entire route without finding a single trace of King. So how had the enemy managed to get behind them?
This rocky terrain had sparse vegetation and little cover. How had he slipped past their pursuit unnoticed?
At that moment, a Marine soldier rushed over, panting heavily as he clutched a telescope.
"V-Vice Admiral… it's bad news!"
"'Conflagration' King has appeared at the artillery post. The defense line… has fallen!"
"So it was him after all!"
Smoker clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "All units, fall back immediately!"
King's strength was notorious. Even an Admiral wouldn't claim victory over him so easily. And now, with that monster rampaging through an exposed artillery position, the outcome was already written in blood.
''White Blow!''
Without hesitation, Smoker's lower body turned to billowing smoke as he launched himself skyward in a burst of White Haze, ignoring the alarmed shouts of his subordinates.
---
Meanwhile, within the ruined artillery post—
'Clang! Clang! Sizzle!'
King casually deflected incoming cannonballs with a flick of his sword, sending them spinning off-course. Gunfire rang out, but the bullets either melted in the intense heat around him or bounced harmlessly off his armored skin.
Unless it was something as powerful as a Super Electromagnetic Cannon, these weapons were nothing more than fireworks to him.
He dodged another volley of shells with ease, then took a step forward, smoothly sliding his blade back into its sheath.
''"Cremation: Flame Spirit Whirl!"''
'Whoosh!'
A roaring dragon of flames erupted within the artillery post. The fiery vortex howled as razor-sharp air currents slashed outward, cutting down Marines and reducing the cannons to smoldering wreckage.
This technique bore some resemblance to Zoro's ''Santoryu: Dragon Twister'', but its scale was far grander, with waves of fire surging like a raging inferno, turning the battlefield into an unrelenting hellscape.
"Aaaaahhh!"
"It burns—! Someone— help me—!"
The dying screams of Marines filled the air as the eerie blue flames licked at their bodies, reducing them to blackened husks.
Koby, barely clinging to life, gritted his teeth and forced his trembling arm to move. His bloodied fingers reached out— grasping at King's ankle.
"S-Stop...!"
"Hmm?"
King halted, his blazing gaze flicking downward. He smirked slightly, amused. "Kid, you're eager to die, huh?"
He leaned down, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "You dodged my first strike… that deserves a reward. Instead of finishing you off cleanly, I'll make sure you suffer first."
King's smirk deepened as he pressed his foot against Koby's head and delivered a forceful kick.
'Thud!'
Koby's body jerked, but to King's surprise, he didn't let go. The Marine, drenched in blood and barely conscious, still clung to his ankle with unwavering determination.
King narrowed his eyes. "You're testing my patience, brat."
Suddenly, Koby's bloodshot eyes snapped open. With a roar, he swung his arm upward— hurling a spray of his own blood into King's eyes.
"Tch—?!"
Momentarily blinded, King wiped at his face, irritation flashing across his features. The thick blood stained his black armor a deep crimson.
But Koby didn't stop there.
Seizing the moment, he lunged forward, locking onto King's limbs and clinging to his back with everything he had.
"What?!"
King staggered slightly, caught off guard.
Through gritted teeth, Koby turned his head toward the surviving artillery crew near the Super Electromagnetic Cannon and shouted with all the strength he had left—
"I won't let you do as you please, pirate!"
"You there— fire on me!"
King's eyes widened.
"You little—!"
He had no intention of taking a direct hit from that cannon. He might have been enjoying his little game of tormenting Koby, but that didn't mean he was willing to risk serious damage.
"Captain!!!"
The remaining Marines hesitated, horror written across their faces.
But in the very next instant—
A roaring surge of crimson flames erupted, engulfing them before they could even react.
And in that moment, the battlefield was swallowed by fire once more.
"Kid, die!"
Retracting the flaming slash of his sword, Concubine's Blaze, King stood amidst the carnage, blood trickling from the corner of his eye, looking every bit like a demon. With a flick of his wrist, he reversed his grip on the hilt and stabbed backward without hesitation.
From cutting down the operator of the Super Electromagnetic Cannon to now targeting Koby, King's movements remained swift and relentless. Once he set his sights on a target, there was no escape.
"This is the end, Conflagration!"
'Whoosh!'
The tip of King's blade halted just a hair's breadth from Koby's eyeball. The heat radiating from the sword's edge made his eye sting, instinctively urging him to close it.
But he didn't. Instead, like King, he turned toward the source of the voice.
"Smoker!"
"Vice Admiral…"
Smoker stood behind the Super Electromagnetic Cannon, finger resting on the trigger, his bloodshot eyes burning with determination. The cigar he had been smoking had been discarded, forgotten in the heat of battle.
"Oh? Are you really going to fire, Marine?"
Even with the massive Super Electromagnetic Cannon aimed directly at him, King showed no hint of fear.
He had anticipated this scenario. The Super Electromagnetic Cannon was a devastating weapon, heavily fortified. Even he couldn't destroy it instantly.
'Whoosh!'
Dragging Koby in front of him like a shield, King sneered. "How many of your own men will this shot kill? And this brat in front of you? He certainly won't survive."
"Don't worry about me, Vice Admiral— fire!"
'Thud!'
Before Koby could finish, a crushing fist slammed into his gut. His already battered body shuddered, the gaping wound in his side widening. His breath hitched, and blood gushed from his mouth as his head drooped.
"Now, Smoker, make your choice."
King's cold gaze bore into him, a smirk curling at his lips. "Will you seize this opportunity and sacrifice your men? Or will you let me walk away with this kid?"
"Decide!"
Smoker's eyes never wavered as he glared at King.
After a moment's silence, he roared, "All units, evacuate immediately!"
King narrowed his eyes. "Ah, I see. You're buying time, trying to get them to safety while I hesitate. A clever plan."
"But I only need this one."
"It doesn't matter."
Suddenly, Smoker's expression shifted. He relaxed, placing his right hand firmly on the trigger while pulling a fresh cigar from his pocket and lighting it.
King's eyes darkened. "What's this supposed to mean?"
Was Smoker truly willing to abandon Koby?
That could be… troublesome.
But just as King considered how to avoid the cannon's shot, a 'White Smoke Iron Fist' surged forward from Smoker's arm—
—and slammed into the Super Electromagnetic Cannon!
'Boom! Crash!'
The massive weapon shattered into countless fragments, its destruction sending a shockwave through the battlefield.
King's pupils contracted— then his lips curled into a wild grin.
"Hah! So that's how the 'justice' of the Marines works!"
"You'll regret this decision, Smoker!"
"I already told you, I don't care."
Smoker clenched his fist, exhaling a cloud of smoke as his aura grew heavier, more menacing. His rage was palpable, radiating from him like a storm.
"My anger won't be satisfied with just one strike, Conflagration!"
"Interesting."
King met Smoker's glare without a trace of fear. With a smirk, he flung Koby aside and slowly sheathed his sword, his right hand hovering just above the hilt.
"Then show me what your fury really looks like."
''White Smoke: White Fist!''
''Cremation: One-Blade Style – Iai!''
'(End of this chapter.)'