"Captain Sonic, please don't think like that."
The subordinates exchanged glances. A bald pirate clad in heavy furs quickly stepped forward to persuade him:
"Things on Hall Island are getting more and more chaotic. Rushing in recklessly would be far too dangerous. Lord Kaido told you to wait for Queen because he values you—he doesn't want you, who only just joined the Beasts Pirates, to risk your life so soon."
"Well, that's true."
After hearing this, Sonic's expression softened noticeably.
"That Queen guy only got promoted to Calamity because of his seniority. But me? Lord Kaido personally crossed seas to invite me into his crew."
Crossing his arms, he gave a cold snort:
"Just wait. As long as I bring Lord Kaido the Poneglyph this time, I'll rise to become the head of the Calamities. Then that fat slob and that stinking woman can stop putting on airs in front of me."
"Uh…"
Since his words involved other high-ranking officers, the bald pirate scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh, wisely choosing not to comment further.
Ever since the great battle at G1 last year, when "Famine" Arno had died, "Plague" Sena had taken his place as the head of the Calamities, and Queen had been promoted as well.
As for the final vacant Calamity seat—it had landed on their captain.
The "Giant Scorpion" Sonic.
Former captain of the Scorpion Pirates, now one of the Beasts Pirates' Calamities, nicknamed the "Poison Calamity."
A Scorpion-Scorpion Fruit user, with a bounty of 630 million Berries.
Compared to the other two Calamities, that bounty seemed a bit shabby.
But Lord Kaido clearly valued their captain highly. Once he gained more experience, with the Beasts Pirates' reputation backing him, his bounty might easily rise to over a billion.
And as his men, after following their captain into the Beasts Pirates, their own bounties would inevitably climb as well, making them big names in the New World.
"Speaking of which, Captain, aside from Whitebeard and Big Mom's people, we should also be careful about the Marine."
The bald pirate rolled his eyes, smartly changing the subject:
"I heard that a few days ago, that Marine Vice Admiral named Nao stationed his fleet at Dressrosa, which isn't far from here. If he suddenly gets interested and comes meddling…"
"Impossible!"
The "Giant Scorpion" Sonic waved his hand dismissively, sneering:
"That brat? He'll just stay cowering on that island. Even if you gave him two extra guts, he wouldn't dare come to Har Island!"
"Eh? But…" The bald pirate blinked.
"I know what you're about to say. You heard those loudmouths from the last war bragging, right? Saying that brat's terrifyingly strong—that he not only defeated Arno, but even Big Mom and Lord Kaido couldn't take him down?"
Sonic scoffed:
"I'll admit the kid's got some strength, but that was a war, not a one-on-one fight. Lord Kaido didn't kill him because Sengoku got in the way. And as for Big Mom? He clearly had Sakazuki helping him hold her back!"
"With that level of strength, if he's dumb enough to come meddle here…"
His lips twisted into a cruel grin, both fists cracking audibly as he clenched them tight.
"Then I'll use him as my first stepping stone on the path to becoming the head of the Calamities!"
"Gyahahaha! Captain Sonic is absolutely right!"
"Don't compare Lord Scorpion to that dead Arno!"
"If that brat really dares show up, we'll show him what true Calamity power is!"
…
This outburst instantly drew a wave of agreement. The pirates gathered on deck all roared with laughter, looking as if they didn't take the Marine or Nao seriously at all.
It wasn't just empty flattery either. As former subordinates of the Scorpion Pirates, their admiration and loyalty to Sonic ran deep. In fact, in their eyes, even their new boss Kaido didn't hold as high a place as Sonic did.
"Lord Sonic, look! What's that in the sky?"
At that moment, a startled shout rang out from the lookout tower.
"Hm?"
Sonic frowned upon hearing this. He looked up, his gaze piercing through the thick curtain of rain towards the distant horizon.
Amidst the storm's darkness, a faint silhouette surrounded by lightning could just barely be seen—rushing toward their pirate ship at terrifying speed.
"What the hell is that…?"
Though he couldn't make out the figure clearly, an inexplicable sense of dread suddenly welled up in Sonic's chest. With a sharp motion, he drew the blade from his waist and gave a heavy order:
"Everyone, attention! Prepare for battle!"
"Yes, sir!"
The pirates aboard the ship responded at once, drawing their weapons and gathering around Sonic, their eyes fixed warily on the black figure high above.
Though they had only recently joined the Beasts Pirates, all of them had long histories in the Grand Line. Each had a bounty of at least five million berries and no shortage of combat experience.
In a situation like this, they wouldn't lose their composure like rookies.
Shhh!
A sharp sound of the wind cutting came from directly overhead. The figure's speed was far greater than they had anticipated.
What seemed moments ago to be distant in the skies was suddenly upon them—blazing down like a bolt of blue lightning straight toward their ship.
The next instant—
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, the figure slammed into the foredeck.
The impact shattered the planks in a wide radius, splinters flying everywhere.
Several pirates standing too close were caught in the violent winds and crackling electricity from the figure's thunderous wings. Their balance lost, they screamed as they were hurled over the railing into the sea.
"Already falling overboard? Since when did Kaido's men become this weak?"
A lazy voice came from the bow.
The pirates who remained on deck turned toward the sound—just in time to see the blue wings on Nao's back fold into his body as he landed lightly, sweeping his expressionless gaze across them."
"It's Natsuya Nao!!"
Every pirate on the deck paled upon meeting his gaze. A chill ran down their spines, and they instinctively took two steps back.
"Damn it, how is it him?!"
"He really came..."
Many of them gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes full of fear and caution as they stared at Nao.
A man's name carries the weight of his shadow.
Just moments ago, these veteran New World pirates had been openly mocking him as a "brat."
But with Nao truly standing before them, they were like ducks strangled by the throat—unable to utter a single bold word.
The air of panic spread rapidly across the deck.
"What are you all panicking for?!"
Just as the atmosphere grew heavier, Sonic's furious roar shattered the suffocating silence.
"Nao, Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral…"
With all his subordinates' eyes now drawn to him, Sonic stepped forward. He pulled out his massive, rough-hewn battle axe, his lips twisting into a cruel grin as he spoke:
"Talk about coincidence. We were just mentioning you, and here you are. Brat, it's one thing to meddle in this mess—but to actually step onto my ship? Looks like you've grown tired of living…"
Nao's gaze finally fell upon him.
Looking at this unfamiliar face, he frowned and asked doubtfully:
"…Who are you?"