Rumble—!
The rain of golden light bullets finally ceased.
The once lush Calebari Island port had now completely turned into scorched earth. Thick smoke billowed, like the signal fires of hell.
"Huff... huff..."
From within that massive crater came a heavy, ragged breathing sound like a broken bellows.
The dust and smoke dissipated.
That massive mammoth was already covered in wounds. Its once indestructible thick fur was scorched black by the lasers, emitting a pungent burnt smell. Blood meandered down the elephant's legs, pooling into puddles.
Tragic. Truly tragic.
This was the consequence of facing the Marineford's highest combat power. Even "Drought" Jack, with a bounty as high as one billion, could only be a passive punching bag in front of Kizaru, whose speed and destructive power had reached the extreme.
"How scary~"
In mid-air, Kizaru had his hands in his pockets, that puckered face still wearing a nonchalant smile.
"To think you can still stand after taking so many of my Yasakani no Magatama."
"Is this the vitality of an Ancient Type?"
"What an enviable constitution for taking a beating~"
Though he spoke of envy, the light on his raised right foot grew even more dazzling. Clearly, he didn't plan on working overtime for too long. He was preparing to give this reckless elephant one final, heavy blow.
"Roar!!!"
In the crater, the mammoth let out an unwilling roar. In Jack's bloodshot little eyes, there was no fear at all, only endless brutality.
"Don't look down on me! Kizaru!"
"I am... Jack!"
Though his body had reached its limit, he still tried to launch a charge. As long as he wasn't dead, he would bite off a piece of the enemy's flesh! This was the style of the Beasts Pirates!
However, at this critical moment of a battle between legends, behind some ruins at the edge of the battlefield, several pairs of bloodshot and fearful eyes were staring fixedly at the scene.
It was none other than the group of opportunists—Barry and his gang—who had previously informed Jack, attempting to trade Bruce Banner for a bounty!
"It's over... everything is over..."
Barry was shaking all over, his teeth chattering.
"Even Boss Jack was beaten like this..."
"That Kizaru... is simply a monster!"
"If we don't run now, we'll definitely be cleared out together later!"
The lackeys beside him were so scared they had wet their pants.
"But Boss, where can we run?"
"The sea is full of warships, and that glowing person is in the sky..."
"We're dead! We're dead for sure!"
Despair spread frantically among them. Barry clutched his hair tightly, his eyes darting frantically, trying to find a glimmer of hope in this desperate situation.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on the nearby ruins.
There, that frail scientist in a white lab coat and glasses was writing and drawing in a small notebook. Beside him, that mechanical bodyguard who looked like a good fighter seemed to be in standby mode, motionless.
A flash of inspiration instantly crossed Barry's mind!
Wait! Isn't the reason that Marine Admiral is here... just to capture this scientist?
Barry had heard their conversation earlier very clearly! That person named Vegapunk specifically asked for this man by name!
In other words... this frail-looking four-eyes is very important to the Marines! Important enough... that they can't even let him die!
A crazy gambler's mentality instantly took over Barry's reason. Wealth is found in danger! Since death is certain either way, why not take a gamble!
"Listen!"
Barry suddenly turned his head and roared at his lackeys in a low voice.
"Do you want to live?"
"If you want to live, follow me!"
"As long as we catch that four-eyes, we'll have a bargaining chip to negotiate with the Marine Admiral!"
The lackeys were stunned upon hearing this. Hold a hostage? Threaten an Admiral? Isn't this a bit too crazy?
"Don't hesitate!"
Barry fiercely drew the flintlock pistol from his waist, a desperate glint in his eyes.
"That tin bodyguard seems to be broken; it's not moving!"
"This is our only chance!"
"Go!"
After saying that, this group of outlaws, driven mad by fear, actually rushed out from behind their cover! Their target was Bruce Banner, who was recording data!
At this time, Bruce Banner was immersed in calculating the kinetic energy conversion of the "Light Speed Kick."
"Hmm... based on the spread of the shockwave just now, the energy level of this kick is at least..."
Suddenly, a series of messy footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He looked up somewhat blankly and pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
He saw Barry, who had betrayed him earlier, leading five or six fierce pirates, rushing toward him like starving wolves!
Click!
The dark muzzle of a gun was pressed directly against his temple! The cold sensation made Bruce Banner freeze for a moment.
"Don't move! Nobody move!"
Barry roared hysterically, one hand tightly choking Bruce Banner's neck while the other held the gun to his head. The other pirates also drew their blades and guns, surrounding Bruce Banner.
Beside them, the red light in the T-800's electronic eyes flashed. The mechanical arm lifted slightly. In just 0.1 seconds, he could tear these reckless ants to pieces.
However, just then, Bruce Banner, who was being choked, made an extremely discreet "stop" gesture toward the T-800. At the same time, he silently gave a command to the system in his heart.
"Old T, don't move yet."
"Finally, some minor characters have come to give away points; we have to let them finish their act."
"This is a big scene; I can't miss out on earning astonishment value."
Upon receiving the command, the red light in the T-800's eyes instantly dimmed. The mechanical arm dropped. It returned to that dull standby state.
Seeing this, Barry was overjoyed! He had bet correctly! That tin bodyguard really is a piece of trash!
With a hostage in hand, his confidence instantly surged!
"Hey! You in the sky!"
Barry took a deep breath and, using all his strength, roared at Kizaru in mid-air.
"Everyone stop right now!!!"
This shout used up all the strength he had in his life. His voice even became sharp and cracked because he exerted himself too much.
But the effect was surprisingly good. The originally noisy battlefield actually fell into a momentary silence because of this roar.
In mid-air, Kizaru, who was about to deliver a Light Speed Kick, suddenly paused. He looked down through his amber sunglasses, somewhat puzzled by the group of people below who were as small as ants.
"Hmm?"
"What is... going on here?"
In the crater, Jack, who was about to fight to the death, was also stunned. A hint of confusion flashed in those bloodshot little eyes. Where did these small fry... come from?
Seeing everyone's eyes focused on him, though Barry's legs were still shaking, a wave of unprecedented excitement surged in his heart!
He! Barry! A mere pirate Captain! Had actually stopped the battle between a Marine Admiral and a Four Emperors' executive!
This boast was enough for him to brag about for a lifetime!