Hunter smiled. "So this is what you're relying on?"
The thin man now wished he could kill Takeda. Why come now? If Hunter hadn't had an excuse earlier, he certainly did now with Takeda's arrival.
Moreover, the elite troops Takeda had brought probably couldn't withstand even one strike from the dragon beneath Hunter's feet.
What the thin man didn't know was that even without Takeda, Hunter never planned to spare them.
Hunter had no allegiance to this world and felt no fear or respect for the Celestial Dragons. He certainly disliked them, and had no love for Tenjōkin either, who had kidnapped the three Hancock sisters. If not for the thin man being sensible, Hunter would have bombarded their fleet outright.
Now, with Takeda present, the thin man could only grit his teeth and give the order: "Men! If we hand over one billion Berries, the Celestial Dragons will still not spare us. Better to kill this brat now and maybe salvage a chance at survival!"
"Kill the rebel!"
"Kill!"
The thin man's shout was followed by Takeda's timely roar, and the two thousand soldiers echoed him.
The wide dock trembled with the sound of a thousand voices, like thunder rolling across the harbor.
"Kill him!"
"The vice captain is right! Only by killing him can we have a chance!"
"Better to die here than be hunted by the World Government!"
Buoyed by Takeda's presence, the Celestial Dragons' crew drew their weapons, glaring at Hunter.
Hunter's calm voice cut through the tension. "If you had just handed over one billion Berries, I would have let you go. And the rest of the tribute from the other countries—surely that exceeds a billion Berries? Take the remaining treasures, hide yourselves, and the World Government could never touch you. Why choose a path that leads to certain death? I don't understand."
As his words fell, some lowered their weapons. Over time, more and more laid down their arms.
Hunter continued: "The world is huge. Even the World Government would have trouble tracking someone down."
Most of the Celestial Dragons hesitated.
Seeing this, the thin man panicked. "Nonsense! Don't listen! Remember, even Gol D. Roger was captured and executed. Can we escape? And the World Government's reach is everywhere—you betray the Celestial Dragons, and your family suffers! If you escape, what about your family?"
Hunter secretly admired the thin man—his words were sharp and hit the crucial points perfectly.
After the thin man's impassioned speech, the Celestial Dragons' crew lost their earlier hesitation.
"Lord Takeda, that dragon doesn't seem easy to handle," a general beside Takeda said.
Takeda stiffened. The guard had said only one person, but now there was also a dragon. Its sheer aura wasn't simple. Now he regretted coming out.
Gazing at Little Sky and the Celestial Dragons' crew, Takeda gritted his teeth and ordered, "Kill that dragon! I'll reward one hundred million Berries!"
Money moves hearts. Even a million Berries could tempt men—let alone a hundred million.
With Takeda's order, archers loosed their arrows, and the rest rushed forward, knives raised, like predatory fish drawn to blood, striking at Little Sky.
"Everyone! The people of Wano are attacking too! If we unite, we can kill them!"
The thin man shouted.
Hunter, sitting atop Little Sky, watched calmly.
Once both sides had engaged, Hunter slowly stood and commanded toward Wano: "Little Sky, kill them! Call the Thunder Orbs!"
Little Sky, who had been waiting eagerly, roared with excitement. A massive orb of orange lightning immediately formed at his maw.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the dock, sending a massive shockwave outward. The surrounding buildings crumbled visibly under the force.
Takeda and Wano's so-called elite soldiers didn't even have time to scream before being buried beneath the blast.
Takeda, facing death, regretted ever leaving the palace. Staying put would have been safer.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The Thunder Orbs' power turned the Celestial Dragons' crew pale with fear; many collapsed onto the deck in terror.
"We… are facing this kind of monster?"
"Handing over one billion Berries would have been so much easier…"
"Such a monster…"
Against Little Sky, their small strength was nothing but futile resistance. Many felt hopeless.
Hunter snorted coldly. "I gave you a chance to live, yet you chose death." He then ordered Little Sky, "Kill them, Little Sky!"
"Roar! Roar! Roar!" Little Sky responded, and the Thunder Orbs coalesced once more.