The gamblers descended into a frenzy after their devastating loss to Gojo, whose face was obscured by a triumphant smirk. The casino erupted into absolute chaos, compelling the enraged gamblers to place the blame squarely on the duo who had strolled into their den of millions solely to obliterate everything with their absurd, infuriating luck.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots lingered in the air as patrons turned on one another, challenging and accusing in a storm of violence. Amid the bedlam, the duo casually weaved through the barrage of bullets as if it were nothing more than a light drizzle, all while calmly proceeding to gather their substantial winnings.
The Marines, seizing the opportunity presented by the distraction the pair had created, sprang into action to apprehend the local pirates and bandits taking refuge within the establishment.
"Freeze!" a voice boomed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shots rained throughout the casino, shattering the elegant chandeliers and reducing the opulent furniture to splinters. The once-luxurious interior was transformed into a world of anarchy—a cataclysm single-handedly triggered by Gojo. Blood splattered across the walls and floors as men were sliced down and shot from every conceivable angle, one after another. Managing to secure his cash, Gojo fled the main gaming floor only to crash directly into a Marine.
A Marine officer.
The officer glared daggers at Gojo, his sword already gleaming in his hand. "You pirates have no chance of escape!"
"Then catch me if you can… Baaaka!" Gojo teased playfully before charging past the stunned commander.
"Ryu! Let's get out!" He exclaimed.
"Give me a minute!" Ryuken scoffed, hurriedly stuffing his pockets with one last handful of cash before turning to leave. A Marine lunged at him from behind, swinging a sword in a wide horizontal arc, which Ryuken dodged with effortless grace before continuing his sprint toward the elevator.
Tap… tap… tap…
Their footsteps echoed in the brief respite. Before the elevator doors could fully open, a squad of Marines charged forward, only to be effortlessly knocked unconscious by the formidable duo.
"Just who the hell are you guys?" The Marine commander gritted his teeth in sheer frustration, his mind struggling to process the pair's staggering strength.
"We are the Blue-Eyed Pirates. Remember that, Marine."
Ting!
The doors slid open automatically, and the duo stepped inside as they began their descent. The haunting notion of these two pirates fleeing justice seared itself into the Marine commander's mind as he watched them escape successfully, even as his forces successfully rounded up the other pirates and bandits in the casino.
"We've got new pirates to chase," he growled. "The white-haired man and the swordsman with him."
All the Marines snapped to attention and saluted sharply. "Yes, sir!"
Outside, Gojo and Ryuken exited the casino laughing, a huge bag of money slung between them as they ran.
"Shoot them!" A sudden voice commanded.
They tilted their heads back to see a line of Marines aiming their firearms directly at them.
Bang!
Shots once again filled the air. Ryuken expertly parried the incoming bullets with his sword, while Gojo dodged them with fluid, effortless motions, not even bothering to activate his Infinity.
"Catch us if you can! Behhh!" Gojo mocked, smacking his own backside in a final, brazen taunt.
"Way to go, Cap'n!" Ryuken laughed.
The Marine commander of the 64th Division in East Blue gritted his teeth in humiliation, furious that his men were so utterly outmatched by two lone pirates.
"Find their ship and their crew! Open fire if they refuse to surrender!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines trailed closely behind the duo as they darted through a hallway, the street lights casting long, frantic shadows. Birds scattered into the night air, their wings flapping as they ascended into the darkness.
The duo concealed themselves within the shadows of a tall building as the Marines surged into the hallway, their footsteps echoing ominously, guns held firmly in their hands and ready to fire at any given moment.
Gojo plucked a stone from the ground and tossed it deftly against a metal trash bin. The sharp 'clang' caused one of the jumpy Marines to instinctively pull his trigger.
"A cat?" One muttered, lowering his weapon.
"You got me freaked out for a second," another sighed in relief.
The Marines collectively let out a tense breath, though each one remained on high alert as they continued patrolling the dimly lit hallway.
"Those pirates are dead meat," one soldier grumbled under his breath.
"...Heh? Dead meat, you say?" Gojo materialized as if from thin air, flash-stepping directly behind the Marine and draping a casual hand across the soldier's shoulder.
"That fool can't just stay hidden without causing a scene?" Ryuken cursed to himself, emerging from the shadows with an exasperated sigh.
The Marine jolted backward in sheer shock, his eyes wide upon seeing the very pirates they were hunting.
Click-clack!
A chorus of hammers cocking and blades being drawn filled the air. Guns were instantly pointed toward the duo, while the Marines who were swordsmen brandished their weapons.
"You're surrounded, pirates," the marine commander uttered, his voice cold and authoritative. "You've got nowhere to run, as you're clearly outnumbered. Surrender peacefully, or we will open fire!"
"Okay," Gojo said, raising both hands above his head in a theatrical gesture of surrender—until his lip curled into a familiar, teasing smirk. "No way, baaaaaaka!"
"Pfff."
The duo burst into uproarious laughter, a sound that made the Marines grit their teeth in raw frustration.
"Open fire!" The commander uttered in pure anger.
His soldiers wasted no time, pulling their triggers relentlessly and unleashing a hailstorm of bullets toward the duo. Simultaneously, the Marine swordsmen charged forward, blades held high above their heads. One lunged at Ryuken, who quickly pivoted sideways, effortlessly dodging the full, powerful swing. Unsheathing his blade in a single fluid motion, he slashed the Marine soldier vertically; blood immediately splattered from the man's chest.
Witnessing this, the remaining Marines struggled to comprehend how two pirates could so effortlessly decimate their ranks despite such an overwhelming numerical advantage.
Gojo, on the other hand, had deactivated his Infinity, genuinely enjoying himself in this playful skirmish with what he considered mere small fries.
"Commander Keigo, we can't beat them!" A soldier cried out.
"Argh!"
The large number of Marines began to reduce gradually as Commander Keigo was forced to watch the defeat of his men, one after another.
"Call HQ!" He barked. "Tell them we've encountered an exceptionally strong foe here in East Blue."
"B-But, Commander—"
"Don't make me repeat myself! Contact HQ, now!" Commander Keigo clenched his fist so tightly that blood began to stream from where his nails dug into his palm. "I'll fucking kill you pirates."
"..Hoho. Seems we made daddy mad!" Gojo winced playfully. "Ryu, let's dish."
"Aye aye, Cap'n."
Commander Keigo's ears perked up, listening to the duo exchanging whispers about fleeing before he let out a furious sigh.
'I can't let these pirates go after they've defeated my entire fleet.'
"Fall back, men," he commanded, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. "I'll handle the rest."
"Get 'em, Commander Keigo!"
"Show them what you've got!"
Commander Keigo took a firm grip of his standard-issue marine cloak and tossed it aside with a flourish, exposing the magnificently expensive gold armor that engulfed his entire torso. He jammed his gauntleted fists together, producing a faint, metallic ringing sound. With explosive speed, he leaped toward Ryuken, clenching his fist and striking a devastating blow. Ryuken's body reacted just in time, crossing his sword to block the fist, but the immense force of the impact sent him crashing through the wall of a nearby building.
"Next," Keigo growled, turning his gaze.
He charged forward at Gojo, who was casually holding an unconscious Marine under his arm, until…
Bam!
A thick cloud of smoke obscured everyone's vision until it gradually dissipated, revealing Commander Keigo's fist halted mid-air, stopped mere inches from its target by an invisible barrier—Gojo's Infinity.
"Huh? What the hell is happening? I can't move my fist any further," Commander Keigo's eyes widened in profound disbelief. "What kind of trick did you pull?"
"Nothing at all," Gojo replied casually, tossing the unconscious Marine aside. He deliberately deactivated his Infinity, allowing the commander's powerful fist to finally make contact.
Boom!
The force of the blow sent Gojo crashing explosively into the brick wall behind him. He emerged moments later from the lingering smoke that hung heavy in the atmosphere, completely unscathed, and fixed a piercing glare straight into the commander's eyes. "So bad," he let out an exaggerated, theatrical sigh of relief. "And this is the full power of a Marine Commander?"
Enraged by the taunt, Keigo roared and charged at him once more, unleashing another devastating punch. This time, however, Gojo simply pivoted sideways with effortless grace and delivered a sharp, precise kick to the commander's backside, sending him headfirst into the very same wall.
"Commander Keigo!" His soldiers cried out in unison.
Seeing all the Marines completely preoccupied with trying to extricate their commander, whose head was now thoroughly lodged in the brickwork, Gojo muttered under his breath, "Ryu, now's our chance."
Exiting the chaotic hallway with the Marines still scrambling behind them, they darted through a narrow alleyway and quickly approached a deserted wharf.
"Something feels off," Gojo uttered, finally catching his breath. "My body feels… light."
"Don't tell me you're thinking what I'm thinking," Ryuken replied, a dawning horror in his voice.
They shot a simultaneous, panicked glare at each other. "The money is gone!"
In a fit of pure frustration, Ryuken delivered a swift bicycle kick to Gojo for his catastrophic oversight in leaving the enormous bag of cash behind. The two argued vehemently for several minutes before the Marines finally caught up to them.
"There they are!"
"Open fire!"
They immediately ducked behind a stack of crates, narrowly dodging the sudden barrage of bullets fired by the Marines, all while terrified civilians scrambled for cover around them.
"Pirates!" A woman from the fleeing crowd screamed.
Her cry triggered a full-scale panic, compelling the other civilians to evacuate the area immediately, leaving the escalating situation entirely to the Marines now closing in on the duo.
"Let's just grab a boat and go!" Gojo shouted over the gunfire.
"Okay!" Ryuken agreed.
They sprinted toward the end of the wharf and hastily commandeered a half-fixed, dilapidated boat from the dock, heaving it into the water with a loud splash.
"Hey, tell me you at least know how to navigate this thing," Ryuken said, eyeing the questionable vessel.
"Like hell I would know! We just have to paddle like hell and head straight until we see an island!"
"Anyways, let's get in! We don't know when their reinforcements will arrive!" Ryuken urged.
They hopped into the precariously small boat and began paddling away with all their might. The Marines could only watch in furious frustration as the two stole the miniaturized boat, designed to hold only two people, and began their escape.
The Marines unleashed a final, futile volley of gunfire, but every shot missed miserably, and they could do nothing but watch the boat fade into the distance.
Tsk.
"They made absolute fools of us," Commander Keigo seethed, having finally freed himself, his face a mask of fury. He clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Give me the Den Den Mushi."
A Den Den Mushi, also known as a Transponder Snail, is a unique class of telepathic snail that serves as the primary means of vocal and, in some advanced models, visual communication across the world.
He outstretched his left hand to receive the device, all while keeping his furious gaze locked on the horizon where the pirates had successfully fled.
He dialed the HQ phone number, and the snail began to ring continuously.
Pere pere pere! Pere pere pere! CLANK!
"This is Commander Keigo of the 64th Division, East Blue," he addressed himself formally, his voice strained but clear.
"Confirmed. What is your report?" A Marine officer at HQ spoke through the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"It's about a certain pirate crew…"
"Pirate?"
"Yes…!"