"Mohji the Beast Tamer, with a bounty of 10 million."
The Lieutenant stared fixedly at the wild-looking man riding a lion.
Not long ago, it was Mohji who drove the lion to crush their squad. His strength was terrifying but the most frightening thing was that lion, which possessed horrific power and speed.
Bullets couldn't even pierce the lion's hide, only causing him to bleed slightly.
However...
The Lieutenant glanced at the two figures revealed after the wooden crates collapsed, both were young men carrying swords.
Although it was somewhat shameful to be unwilling to fight, they were civilians after all. They must have hidden here to avoid the pirates, yet he was the one who exposed them.
"Run! I'll hold these bastards off for you!"
The Lieutenant shouted at the two of them, then stood solemnly in front, raising his somewhat bent standard-issue longsword.
"Cover? Escape? Still thinking about protecting civilians at a time like this?"
Mohji, riding his lion, looked down on the Lieutenant from above, waving his hand dismissively as the surrounding pirates encircled the three.
He asked, "Do you really think you can escape from the Buggy Pirates?"
"You might as well scream for help. Anyway, even if you scream, no one will come to save you, just like you Marines can't save those civilians who cry for help."
He didn't intend to kill them directly because bringing back a few live Marines was Buggy's order.
Although they had taken Marine Branch 153, many Marines were still fighting to the end under the leadership of a Marine Staff Officer. Support had likely been called, so Buggy planned to use a ruse to take them down quickly.
"For justice!"
The Lieutenant ignored him, letting out a roar as he prepared to fight.
"Kill him!"
Seeing such a tough nut to crack, Mohji frowned, and with a wave of his hand, the surrounding pirates lunged forward.
Just as the Lieutenant was about to be hacked to pieces, a sudden whistling wind swept in. Three flashes of a blade slashed through, and seven or eight pirates were suddenly sent flying as if hit by a carriage.
"Captain, you said we aren't pirates, so there's no need to adopt a pirate's perspective, right? In that case, it's fine if I step in now, isn't it?"
Zoro stood in front of the Lieutenant, eyeing the surrounding pirates coldly.
"As you wish."
As Hiroto spoke, his hand was already resting on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"Not civilians?"
The Lieutenant was stunned, why did they still sound like pirates?
Had another pirate crew come to Marine Base 153?
At that moment, a pirate looting a merchant ship at the harbor suddenly poked his head out and shouted, "Vice Captain Mohji, a sloop is approaching! It's not flying a pirate flag, it looks like a civilian ship."
"Let it through."
Mohji gave a casual instruction, then stared at Zoro for a moment before asking, "You are... the Pirate Hunter?"
"Correct."
Zoro responded coldly, "There's no point in talking during a fight, is there?"
"The rumored Pirate Hunter..."
Mohji seemed to be thinking about something, then looked at the other man with him.
After a few glances, he seemed to remember something and said, "I remember you, the rookie pirate who popped up recently. Your bounty is 7 million, right? I am Mohji the Beast Tamer, with a bounty of 9.5 million. Whatever you're planning, leave now, and the Buggy Pirates won't stop you."
The Buggy Pirates periodically updated information on pirates in the East Blue. According to Buggy, these people were all competitors for treasure, so it was necessary to know more about them.
Under these circumstances, Mohji was unwilling to let other pirates meddle with the treasure that was nearly in their hands.
"You're the Beheader Swordsman Hiroto?!"
Hearing this, the nearby Lieutenant looked at the man behind him, who looked almost no different from a civilian, with absolute horror.
He had been too nervous to look closely just now, but now the man looked more and more familiar.
The man who seemed like a terrifying beast in his eyes merely raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say earlier?"
"Hmm?"
Mohji frowned, dismounted from the lion, and gripped the whip at his waist. "Whatever you're planning, leave now, and the Buggy Pirates won't stop you."
"I mean, right at the beginning."
Hiroto pointed at the Marine in front of him. "What you said to this Marine."
"Even if you scream, no one will come to save you." Mohji narrowed his eyes, seemingly realizing something.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
Hiroto slowly drew Wado Ichimonji. "I'm here to save someone."
Mohji laughed out of anger, feeling insulted.
Since the other party was being so tactless, he could die along with the Pirate Hunter Zoro.
"Everyone, get back!"
Without hesitation, Mohji pulled a red pellet from his waist and flicked it at Zoro.
Richie immediately jumped to the side as if he had seen something terrifying. Mohji jumped along with him, drawing his whip in the process, preparing to have Richie maul Hiroto to death.
As for the troublesome Zoro... he wouldn't be able to react at this distance, he was already a dead man.
And Hiroto, who was also within the blast radius but might not die instantly, was the second dead man in his eyes.
"Deflect it."
Hiroto instantly recognized what that red pellet was: the buggy ball developed by Buggy.
A normal-sized buggy bomb could destroy a small part of a town with a single shot, and this miniature version was not to be underestimated either.
Hearing the warning, Zoro drew his blade and slashed without hesitation.
A shockwave deflected the red pellet, and then he charged at the surrounding pirates.
As for Mohji, who was charging at Hiroto, he was already a dead man in his eyes.
'What's going on? How does he know the secret of the Buggy Ball? It was only developed recently.'
Despite his shock, Mohji cracked his whip, driving Richie to attack.
The plan had failed, but it didn't matter, as long as he killed this pirate whose strength was inferior to his own.
The remaining Pirate Hunter would be easy to deal with. If worse came to worst, he'd call Buggy. A mere swordsman was nothing to fear.
"Richie, tear him apart!"
"Roar!"
At his command, Richie roared and leaped, his front paw swiping down as his bloody maw gaped open.
Hiroto gripped the hilt of Wado Ichimonji, feeling the sudden surge of power. The lion falling toward him appeared incredibly slow in his eyes.
He raised his hand and swung the blade, a violent flash of light suddenly erupting.
Steel-Severing Slash!
A sharp slash whistled out, slicing through Richie in an instant and leaving a deep trench in the ground without losing momentum.
Splattering blood showered the stunned Mohji, making it impossible for him to comprehend the horrific scene before him.
No, wait...
This is a pirate with a 7 million bounty?
Where was his partner? Where was his precious lion? Where was the masterpiece he was so proud of?
Damn it!
Mohji was fuming with rage, and then he turned tail and ran.
Although he didn't understand what that attack was just now, anyone who could kill Richie in one stroke could kill him just as easily.
This swordsman's strength far exceeded his own. He had to get Captain Buggy, the natural enemy of swordsmen.