"Vegapunk's out of ammo—time for the next round, meow~" Kate purred with a wicked edge.
Cats, woven into human myths for ages, often carry the shadow of death in many tales. Right now, Kate was the embodiment of a Hellcat, a harbinger of doom. The Hextech Heart surged with amplified currents, wrapping her in a radiant glow that pierced the night. In her super-flash state, she was a blinding flare, a living flashbang cutting through the dark.
The pirates, fixated on her sudden appearance, were caught off guard. Those not blasted away by her initial electric burst were blinded by the intense light. "My eyes! I can't see!" they howled, stumbling into chaos. Some slashed wildly with knives, hoping to fend her off, but only struck their own. Others tried to flee, desperate to escape the danger.
Sizzle! Sparks crackled across the deck as Kate's electrified claws ripped through throats. Each strike left no blood, only charred marks, the source of the acrid, burnt scent carried far by the sea breeze. A wide space cleared at the deck's front, littered with fallen foes.
"She's a monster!" a pirate screamed. "Get out of the way! We can't win—run!" Fear spread like wildfire, their earlier bravado vanishing. Pirates thrived on preying on the weak; faced with real power, they crumbled. Over twenty dropped in moments, their courage shattered by death's swift approach.
"Captain Dylan! Save us!" some cried, clinging to their strongest hope. On this dark sea, escape was futile—jumping overboard was as good as suicide.
But Dylan was in no shape to answer. "Damn it! What'd I do to you? Why me?" he gasped, cornered.
"You're Heavy Axe Dylan, 37 million berry bounty," Bakin retorted coldly. "You chose the pirate life—deal with it. Your head's worth that much to me."
Dylan's axe was long gone, his arm severed by Bakin's precise strike. Testing Judge's stun gun slowed her down; otherwise, she'd have ended him the moment Kate drew attention. "Test's over. Don't move—ruin that head, and the bounty's void."
The bounty system thrived, with hunters and intermediaries profiting. Pirates couldn't claim rewards directly at Navy Headquarters, but underground brokers handled it for a cut. Bakin, ever coin-hungry, planned to pocket both Judge's payment and the pirates' bounties.
"You think you've won? If I'm going down, we all are!" Dylan roared, lunging for the ship's ammo depot, intent on blowing it sky-high.
Boom! A massive crack split the deck—not Dylan's doing, but Frankenstein's arrival.
"Frankenstein? Why'd Orlan send her too?" Bakin snapped.
"Orlan, Kate and Bakin had this covered. A 37-million bounty's nothing special," Vegapunk echoed, puzzled.
"We didn't test lethality against Caesar," Orlan explained. "This is for her weapon's other form."
Boom! A towering lightning tree erupted, shattering the night's darkness. The pirate ship vanished in the electric blaze. Blitzcrank's arm retracted, pulling Kate and Frankenstein back to MADS. Bakin returned her own way, clutching Dylan's head, her face sour with frustration.
"Sidilir Orlan! Can't you give your creations clearer orders? That was 37 million berries!" she fumed.
Orlan's command—wipe out all enemies—unleashed Frankenstein's Thunder Tree of Crucifixion. Only Bakin's quick grab saved Dylan's head; the rest of the pirates were charred to ash, sinking with their ship. Her need for Orlan and Vegapunk, plus wariness of Orlan's odd inventions, kept her temper in check.
"I told her to eliminate everyone. Didn't think you'd be so fixated on money now. Fran'll be more careful next time," Orlan said lightly, patting Frankenstein's head in approval.
His Den Den Mushi rang. "Sidilir, it's Du Feld. We've got trouble."
"Plan's gone wrong?" Orlan asked.
"It's on track, but Piercro's teamed up with Umit. They're joining forces," Du Feld replied.
Umit, the Deep Current, ruled the underworld's shipping lanes, his smuggling fleets spanning the globe. "They're stretching my resources thin. They might try to kill you before the award's finalized," Du Feld warned.
Killing an illegal scientist was one thing; assassinating an Iber Prize winner, endorsed by the World Government, would force a response, if only for show. "Got it. Umit's tricky, but you can reach him, right, Feld?"
"I've tried. He's dismissive."
"They're underworld players. Your offer's too low. Tell him about a safe route through the doldrums—see if that sparks interest."
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