The following morning, at the port of Valanfort.
Three massive pirate ships, flying the flag of a skull with two golden rings, slowly entered the harbor. They moved with utter audacity, docking at the pier in broad daylight under the gaze of countless onlookers.
Already moored at the dock was another ship belonging to the Chris Pirates—the vessel belonging to Sriya and Andrei, guarded by several Super Soldiers left behind to hold the line.
"Gulp..."
"The... the Chris Pirates!"
"That's the Minister of War for the Clifford Kingdom, the Captain of the Chris Pirates' 3rd Division—the Commander, Myles Dimitri!"
"And 'White Horse' Cavendish!"
"The Triangle Pirates are here too! Led by the 'Fanged Devil' Quiniel Vito himself!"
"With so many heavyweights arriving, the Royal Family must have spent a fortune!"
The people at the harbor were struck with awe as they watched the officers of the Chris Pirates disembark. It was a rare sight to see so many high-ranking members taking action together.
Dimitri stepped off the ship and surveyed the relatively peaceful harbor. "It seems that of the six Great Forts in the Bivins Kingdom, only Crofort and the port city of Valanfort have remained untouched by the rebel forces."
"Heh, why bother worrying about that?" Vito grinned, revealing his rows of razor-sharp teeth. "We're here to get paid. What happens to this country isn't our concern."
"I just feel for the commoners. They're the ones who truly suffer," Dimitri sighed, shaking his head.
Despite years as a pirate and seeing oceans of blood, at his core, he remained the same helpful sailor he had been years ago.
Knowing Dimitri's true nature, Vito and the others weren't surprised. Fernal Rock brushed a lock of blonde hair from his forehead and said indifferently, "That is the way of the world. Such is the sorrow of the weak."
While Dimitri and Vito were conversing, a strange scene was unfolding nearby.
"How could such a barren wasteland be worthy of my presence?" Cavendish muttered, sniffing a rose with a look of narcissistic disdain.
Noticing the crowd's eyes on him, his ego flared. He twirled the rose, preening for his imaginary audience. "As expected, the moment I debut, I become the center of everyone's universe!"
"Hey, superstar!"
"Oh, me?"
"Of course!"
"Cavendish-sama, look this way!"
"Fear not, my eyes have been on you all along!"
"..."
In the next moment, Cavendish began a neurotic one-man show. Using the rose as a prop, he acted out multiple roles—citizens, reporters, men, and women—mimicking a crowd swooning over his beauty. It was a severe case of narcissism; he seemed to believe that his charm was so potent that every living soul was his devotee.
The onlookers: "..."
Dimitri and the others knew Cavendish's quirks well, but every time they witnessed this, they instinctively covered their faces, wanting to disown the guy. It was beyond embarrassing.
"My lords, I was sent by Commander Sriya!"
A Super Soldier dressed in a black exoskeleton suit approached and bowed respectfully. Seeing the man's hulking three-meter frame and the Warrior-T13 Offensive Exoskeleton Combat Suit he wore, Dimitri nodded.
"Lead the way. We need to reach the front lines as soon as possible," Dimitri said gravely.
"Rest assured, Dimitri-sama. Everything was prepared yesterday," the Super Soldier replied.
Knowing the Chris Pirates were coming, the nobles of Valanfort had prepared everything—temporary housing, fresh water, gourmet food, and hot baths. For the nobles inside the fort, the arrival of Dimitri, his fellow officers, and a thousand pirates was more reassuring than the 30,000 elite soldiers already stationed there.
Dimitri, Cavendish, Vito, Rock, and Muir Marcus all nodded in satisfaction. Being backed by Aeridar and the Clifford Kingdom meant they were accustomed to luxury. They could endure hardship if necessary, but comfort was always preferable.
It was at that moment that a familiar figure entered their field of vision.
A black-haired young man with a wicked smile, wearing the black-and-white vestments of the Church and a black feather coat, stepped onto the docks carrying a black katana.
The man froze the moment he saw the massive ships flying the Chris Pirates' flag. His expression shifted instantly.
In the next second, he locked eyes with Dimitri and the others.
Aside from the still-narcissizing Cavendish, both sides stared at each other in a stunned silence that lasted several seconds.
Then, the black-haired man reacted. Without a word, he spun on his heel and bolted.
"It's Mondos Bank!"
"Don't let him get away!"
Dimitri and the others snapped out of it. With a roar from Dimitri and Vito, the four of them took off in hot pursuit.
"Mondos Bank?"
Dimitri's shout broke Cavendish out of his trance. The name sounded familiar, but he didn't register it immediately. He blinked, thought for a split second, and then his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Damn it! That's the guy the Captain ordered us to hunt down!"
Realization struck like a lightning bolt. Cavendish's face went cold. He tossed his rose aside and drew his famed sword, Durandal, dashing forward like a gust of wind.
The pirates who had just disembarked looked at each other in confusion, but seeing their bosses give chase, they split into two groups: one to guard the ships and the other to follow the hunt in a roaring wave.
On the streets, Bank was running for his life with a mob hot on his heels.
While the One Piece world doesn't have "lightness skills" like in Wuxia novels, their physical stats allowed them to leap across rooftops and sprint with feline grace. Even the "Jamaican Lightning," Usain Bolt, wouldn't be able to catch their dust.
"Damn it! Why did they have to show up today of all days?!" Bank cursed internally, his wicked smile long gone.
He had planned to leave the Bivins Kingdom today and return only when Obsidian Archbishop Bane's plan officially began. Who could have known he'd run right into Dimitri's group at the port? Four out of the five officers chasing him were people he had fought years ago at Micity Port.
He had been recognized the instant they made eye contact.
Though Bank considered himself powerful, his opponents were top-tier elites. Five against one was a fool's game; he knew he had to run.
"I didn't realize the Church of the Night had so many people in the Bivins Kingdom!"
As Dimitri chased Bank, he noted the state of the city. He had already seen nearly twenty priests of the Church of the Night along the way.
Since when did a cult get to hand out flyers and recruit members so openly in the streets?