'Damn it, Miss System… are you really that eager to use the coffin you prepared?' Zechs cursed inwardly, frustration and irritation rising within him.
The source of his anger was the sudden shift in the weather that had occurred the moment he accepted the quest.
Without warning, the skies had darkened. Heavy clouds rolled in, and moments later, a torrential downpour began hammering the deck like countless tiny fists. The waves rose violently, crashing against the hull with brutal force and sending sprays of saltwater whipping through the air. The sea, which had been calm just minutes earlier, now churned like a living beast, rocking the ship so violently that every movement became a risk.
Naturally, Zechs immediately questioned Miss System, wondering if she was trying to get him killed.
But Miss System replied calmly, [Host, don't blame it on me. The weather change is not deliberate. This is a natural phenomenon.]
After all, the Grand Line was infamous for its unpredictability, especially when it came to weather.
Clear skies could turn into raging storms in moments, and no sailor, whether pirate, marine, or merchant, could ever truly foresee their mood.
This was why most deaths in the Grand Line were caused by its erratic weather. Pirates and Marines sank fewer ships than the sea itself did. And at this moment, Zechs was experiencing that reality firsthand.
The problem was the timing. This sudden change in weather couldn't have come at a worse moment.
In fact, having been a pirate for more than five years, Zechs was no stranger to the Grand Line's unpredictable climate. But this storm was the largest he had ever encountered. Combined with its unfortunate timing, it almost felt intentional, as if the sea itself had turned against him, determined to prevent him from completing the quest, or even to swallow him whole.
Still, no matter how suspicious it felt, he knew the truth. This had nothing to do with Miss System.
It was simply bad luck.
Shaking his head, Zechs gripped the ship's railing to brace himself against the violent swaying and scanned the horizon, asking the girl beside him, "Pudding, do you see any opening? Any direction we can sail to avoid this storm?"
"No… as far as I can see… it's nothing but clouds, heavy rain, and the storm everywhere," Pudding replied, shaking her head.
"Is that so…?" he murmured, a hint of helplessness creeping into his voice.
Zoooo…
At that moment, the ship shuddered violently under the relentless assault of the waves. A sharp cracking sound followed.
Creak… crack!
"Pudding-chan…!" Zechs reacted instinctively, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her firmly against him.
"Z-Zechs-sama…" Pudding replied nervously. She didn't resist. Instead, she clung to him tightly, afraid that if she let go, the next violent lurch might throw her overboard.
Keeping her close, Zechs looked down at the deck. The cracks that had formed earlier from Linlin's attacks had widened significantly. And it wasn't just the deck; the ship's sides were fractured as well, with seawater already beginning to slosh in through the openings.
"Abel! Check the damage!" Zechs shouted, immediately issuing the order to the shipwright.
"Aye!" Abel was already moving before the command finished. After a quick look below, he called back, "Captain! She's taking on water below deck!"
"Patch it up however you can," Zechs ordered sharply. "We can't let any more water in, not until we shake off that bastard Kong and find an island for proper repairs."
"Already on it, Captain." Abel nodded and rushed forward with three crewmen. Armed with hammers, nails, and wooden planks, they began sealing the cracks with quick, temporary fixes.
Before long, the work was done. The ship still pitched and rolled under the storm's fury, but it held together.
"It's only a temporary repair," Abel reported, "but it should hold for a while."
Zechs gave a brief nod, though the tension in his expression didn't ease.
Under normal circumstances, the damage wouldn't have been a major concern. But right now, the situation was different.
Because the real threat wasn't just the storm.
Still held in his arms, Pudding tugged at his sleeve. "Z-Zechs-sama… they're getting closer…"
Zechs looked out into the storm and saw dark silhouettes cutting through the rain. Two Marine battleships were closing in fast, their sails stretched tight against the wind. Leading them was Admiral Kong's flagship. Its red monkey figurehead loomed through the sheets of rain, its wide, simian grin appearing less assuring but ominous, like a harbinger of doom.
"As expected…" Zechs muttered, clicking his tongue. "Marine battleships use the best technology. They're faster than ordinary vessels, and their durability surpasses most ships in the world."
Unless a ship was built from rare, high-grade timber and crafted by a master shipwright, few vessels could compare to Marine warships. Pirate ships, in contrast, were often poorly constructed or stolen, then used for years with minimal maintenance. Under those conditions, their performance and durability were naturally inferior. After all, how many pirates could afford cutting-edge shipbuilding or advanced materials?
The Straw Hats were an exception. Their ship was built from Adam Wood and designed by a master shipwright like Franky.
But for most pirates, including Zechs, such luxury was simply out of reach.
This is one of the reasons why his ship had sustained damage from Linlin's attack… his ship is simply not something like the Thousand Sunny, Oro Jackson, or Moby Dick.
Zechs had once considered having a ship built by Tom.
But the thought of diving ten thousand meters beneath the sea to reach Fish-Man Island, where Tom would still be working in the Fish-Man District, had always stopped him.
There was also the issue of Adam Wood itself. It was extremely rare on the market, and even harder to obtain for a pirate like him.
'Still… after this is over, I need a better ship,' he thought.
His thoughts were cut short when a booming voice thundered across the sea from the lead Marine warship. The words came through a megaphone Den Den Mushi, amplified above the roar of the storm.
"Charlotte Linlin! Asmodeus Zechs! This is Admiral Kong of Marine Headquarters! Surrender now, and we'll take you in alive. Resist, and we'll send your whole crew to the bottom of the ocean!"
At the stern of her ship, Linlin stood with Zeus and Prometheus hovering at her side. She threw her head back and burst into loud, mocking laughter that cut straight through the wind and rain. "Mama… mama! You want me to surrender so I can be a slave to those rotten, ugly Celestial Dragons? Fuck you, Kong! Come and take me if you've got the guts!"
Zechs wasn't about to stay quiet either. "Yeah, Admiral Kong," he shouted back. "Why don't you crawl back to your masters and suck on your masters' banana? I'm sure you'd earn a bigger reward doing that than chasing us around out here!"
The insults clearly struck a nerve. Veins bulged on Kong's forehead, his expression darkening with fury—especially at the mention of bananas.
"That bastard… what the hell is he comparing bananas to?!" Kong snarled. "He deserves to die!"
Bananas were Kong's reverse scale. Anyone who touched them, mocked them, or made crude comparisons in front of him would instantly provoke his wrath. And Zechs had gone too far—comparing bananas to those Celestial Dragon pigs' dicks?
How could that not enrage him?
Just then, a sailor rushed up and saluted. "Admiral, sir! The cannons are loaded and ready to fire!"
"Then what the hell are you waiting for?!" Kong barked. He snatched up the megaphone again and roared across the storm, his voice filled with rage.
"Give them hell!!!"
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
The command echoed across both Marine warships, and the response was immediate.
Boom! Boom!
The air filled with the thunderous roar of artillery as iron balls hurtled toward the two pirate vessels.
"Incoming!" Rob shouted from Zechs' deck, his voice steady despite the chaos. The crew already prepared snapped to action as the cannons were lit to meet the barrage.
"Fire!"
Boom! Boom!
The cannons weren't the only weapons firing. Several marksmen stepped forward, raising their rifles and pistols.
"Shoot the cannonballs! Don't let them hit the ship!"
Bang! Bang!
Guns barked in reply, bullets shattering incoming projectiles mid-air in bursts of smoke and shrapnel.
Pudding, now released from Zechs' hold, was among those firing. Gripping her gun with both hands, she steadied herself against the violent rocking of the deck. Taking careful aim, she squeezed the trigger.
Bang! "That's one…"
Bang! "And two…"
Bang! "The three… and then…"
"Fufu… you're doing well, Pudding-chan," Zechs said, sounding genuinely impressed by her marksmanship.
"Hehe…" she giggled shyly, her cheeks faintly flushed as she steadied her aim once more. Bang!
Pudding's firing speed was slower than the others, but her accuracy made up for it. Each shot was followed by a loud explosion in the distance, her bullets striking the incoming cannonballs and detonating them midair.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Splinters and explosions rained into the sea, but not all cannonballs were intercepted.
A few managed to graze the hulls, splintering wood and sending Abel and his subordinates scrambling for repairs.
"Hold the line! Keep firing!" Zechs commanded as the crew continued their relentless barrage.
At the same time, Rob stood nearby, directing the brown-bearded helmsman to adjust the wheel whenever massive waves rolled toward the ship, guiding their course to keep the vessel from being overwhelmed any further.
But Zechs could also knew that they can't keep this much longer… and he knew that they needed to do something…
Immediately, he took out his personal den den mushi, and dialed Linlin's number that he had received yesterday…
…
On her own ship, Linlin suddenly felt a faint vibration.
Buruburu… Buruburu… Buruburu…
Realizing what it was, she slid her fingers into her cleavage and pulled out a small Den Den Mushi that had been resting there.
The snail, which had nearly been smothered to death between Linlin's breasts, finally got a chance to breathe. It took a long, shaky gasp and looked up at her with watery eyes, clearly on the verge of complaining about its treatment.
If a bunch of hot-blooded, shameless young men had seen the scene, they would have cursed the heavens, collapsed to their knees, and pounded the ground while screaming, "It should've been me, not him!"
But the transponder snail was no degenerate. Or perhaps it simply didn't have any interest in humans. Instead of feeling blessed, it could only tremble, glare at Linlin resentfully, and silently protest its suffering.
Linlin, however, was completely indifferent to the snail's near-death trauma. She paid no attention to its teary eyes and instead focused on its features.
When she saw Zechs' face reflected on it, she blinked, glanced in the direction of his ship, then picked up the call and asked flatly, "What is it?"
…
'Her tone… she sounds irritated,' Zechs noticed immediately. But he chose not to comment. Given their current situation, irritation was only natural. If someone called him at a moment like this, he'd be annoyed too.
[Host, are you sure that's the only reason for her irritation? What if there's another one?] Miss System hinted subtly.
Zechs narrowed his eyes but deliberately played dumb. 'What do you mean, Miss System? What other reason could there be for my future wife to be irritated at me?'
[…] Miss System rolled her eyes. It was obvious her host could make a few guesses, but he was intentionally avoiding the more likely explanation. Deciding not to indulge him, she fell silent.
With Miss System no longer speaking, Zechs turned his attention back to one of his future wives.
"Linlin," he said, his tone turning serious. "It looks like simply running isn't going to work. We'll have to take action. Let's work together on this."
"What do you want me to do?" Linlin asked after a brief silence.
She had already realized that simply running like this wouldn't work. Of course, she had her own ideas as well, but she didn't mind hearing what he had in mind.
"What I'm thinking is simple," Zechs said. "But it should work." Then he explained his plan.
After listening, Linlin gave a short nod. "Got it. I'll move."
Then cut the call.
Kacha!
'Hmm… she really does seem unhappy,' he thought.
But he chose not to dwell on it right now. His focus shifted back to the quest. As for everything else… he would deal with that later.
…
"Zeus! Prometheus! Give them hell!" Linlin snarled from her position.
"Yes, Mama!" Zeus crackled, his body swelling with electricity as jagged bolts tore through the sky toward Kong's ship.
"Hai, Mama!" Prometheus flared brighter, hurling blazing fireballs that hissed and steamed as the rain struck them.
The storm lit up with lightning and flame, forcing Marines across the deck to dive for cover.
Kong moved immediately. His massive frame blurred as he drove a punch straight into the air.
Bang!
Shockwaves exploded outward. The compressed air shattered the incoming lightning and snuffed out the flames before they could reach the ship.
"Hah… Charlotte Linlin," Kong growled. "What's with these parlor tricks? Do you really think this shit can do anything to me?"
Linlin snorted. "Keep attacking!"
"Hai, Mama!!"
Zeus and Prometheus obeyed, continuing their relentless assault on the Admiral's warship.
Kong had no choice but to intercept those attacks. If he let them pass, they would strike the warship directly.
As an Admiral, he could shrug these attacks off himself without much trouble, but the same couldn't be said for the Marines under his command, or for the warship itself. Neither the crew nor the vessel could endure that kind of damage.
So he was forced to keep blocking.
At the same time, he counterattacked, hurling massive cannonballs toward Linlin's ship. She met them head-on, swinging her sword and smashing them apart before they could make contact.
While Kong focused on confronting Linlin, Zechs made his move.
"Rob, hold things down here," he ordered his navigator. Then he turned to his maid and, giving her buttocks a quick squeeze, added casually, "Pudding-chan, don't do anything stupid, alright?"
"You—!!!" Pudding froze for a split second, stunned that he had grabbed her butt again. She instinctively raised her gun, half-tempted to shoot him on the spot, but an incoming cannonball forced her attention back to the battle.
Gritting her teeth, she steadied her aim and fired at the projectile instead.
Bang!
The cannonball exploded midair.
Her face flushed bright red as she muttered through clenched teeth, "You perverted Goshujin-sama… just you wait. I'm going to make you pay for every advantage you keep taking of me…"
"Fufu~" Zechs chuckled as he spread his wings wide and launched himself into the storm. Cutting through the rain, he flew low over the raging sea toward the second Marine battleship, tightening his grip on his sword.
"Linlin's keeping Kong busy… so let's reduce their firepower."
Armament Haki flowed over both his arms and seeped into the weapon, coating the blade even while it remained sheathed.
Then, in one smooth motion, he drew and swung.
Sha!
A crescent of compressed air shot forward, slicing through the rain toward the warship that wasn't Kong's.
The invisible flying slash tore through the storm at terrifying speed, far too fast for most Marines to even perceive, let alone evade.
Of course, just because most couldn't see it didn't mean no one could.
A Marine officer of Commodore rank, the user of the Glare-Glare Fruit, caught sight of the incoming attack despite its invisibility. His expression hardened as he shouted, "Have to counter it—now!"
The Commodore swung his own blade, sending a cutting wave of air to intercept the invisible strike.
But what could a simple air slash do against one reinforced with Armament Haki? And beyond that, how could a Commodore's raw strength possibly compare to Zechs, whose power now approached that of Charlotte Linlin thanks to the Steel Balloon Physique?
And Zechs hadn't stopped at just one attack. To be sure, he had released two more slashes right after the first.
The outcome was going to be obvious.
The Commodore's air blades were torn apart instantly. Zechs' Haki-infused air slashes cut straight through them and continued forward without slowing.
A heartbeat later, the Commodore's neck split cleanly, his body severed before he even understood what had happened.
The remaining force didn't stop there.
The slashes tore across the deck, ripping through masts and carving deep into the hull. Wood shrieked and splintered as the ship lurched violently, seawater rushing in through the widening damage.
"We're hit!"
"The ship's taking on water!"
"She's going down!"
While the Marines fell into panic, the pirates on Zechs' and Linlin's ships erupted in cheers.
"Captain took one down!"
"Aniki got one!!!"
At the same time, Linlin flashed a wide grin and turned toward Kong, her laughter booming across the storm.
"Mama… mama… look at that, Kong. One of your warships is already going down. And in this weather, if those sailors aren't rescued quickly, they're as good as dead."
Her eyes gleamed as she continued, voice thick with mockery. "So… you still think you're taking us in?"
Linlin's words made Kong hesitate for a moment.
But the hesitation didn't last.
Through the haze of the storm, two more Marine vessels appeared, the ships he had dispatched earlier for the encirclement maneuver. They emerged from the rain and fog, moving into position to flank the pirate ships.
Their cannons were already loaded, and the moment they entered firing range—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bombardment intensified.
Even though one warship had been taken down earlier, two more had arrived to replace it. Together, they unleashed a relentless barrage, iron shells raining down on Zechs' and Linlin's ships.
Explosions erupted across the water and along the decks, while near-misses and direct hits sent towering waves crashing against the pirates' vessels.
"Damn it… They've surrounded us!" Rob yelled.
Linlin growled. "Damn it…"
She ordered Prometheus to stay behind and guard her ship from the cannonballs. Then she leaped onto Zeus and commanded, "Zeus… take me to that damn warship."
She intended to destroy it in a single strike.
The cloud homie surged forward, diving low through the storm, gathering lightning to unleash a devastating barrage on the nearest Marine vessel.
But Kong had no intention of letting that happen.
"Not on my watch!!!"
He grabbed a halberd, his chosen weapon, massive enough to look oversized even in his hands, then launched himself into the air. Using rapid Moonwalk steps, he closed the distance in moments. Armament Haki coated the blade of the halberd as he swung down with crushing force.
Linlin 'heard' him approach through Observation Haki. She turned instantly, raising her own weapon, her blade imbued with Armament as she intercepted the strike.
Ding!
A loud sound of metal clanking echoed as Haki and lightning exploded at the point of impact between the two weapons.
Boom!
The collision sent violent shockwaves rippling through the air and across the sea, rocking the surrounding warships as the already-turbulent waves churned even more violently.
"Is that all you've got, Admiral of Marine HQ?!" Linlin grinned mockingly.
She felt the pressure, but only slightly. With her overwhelming physical strength, she not only endured Kong's attack but even began to push him back.
"Tch… damn monster of a woman…!" Kong gritted his teeth, momentarily overwhelmed.
But then he smiled. "Looks like I'll have to get a little serious."
In the next instant, red fur erupted along his forearms. His muscles swelled, his frame tightening as a surge of raw power flooded his body. With that sudden increase in strength, the balance shifted.
Linlin's eyes widened, "What the hell…?"
Kong pressed forward, overpowering Linlin and driving her down toward the sea.
"Mama!!!"
Zeus rushed in at the last moment, catching her before she could plunge into the water. He barely managed to keep her aloft.
Lying against the cloud, homie, Linlin felt her arm trembling slightly. She lifted her head and looked at Kong, her gaze sharpening as if she were staring at a monster. 'An Admiral… this is no joke…'
"Hoo…" Kong exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "That just made me about twenty percent serious."
Linlin's lips twitched. The way he said it sounded like blatant showing off, and maybe it was.
"So," Kong began, looking down at her with curiosity, "weren't you supposed to be huge? How did you end up this small?"
He had heard of Charlotte Linlin—a woman said to be even taller than the Buccaneers. What made it strange was that she was confirmed to be human. The World Government had investigated her background thoroughly. She carried neither Buccaneer blood nor Giant lineage. She was human… and yet enormous.
But now that Kong was seeing her with his own eyes, she was nowhere near that monstrous size. She looked closer to a normal human's proportions.
That didn't make sense; people didn't just shrink for no reason.
For a brief moment, he wondered if something had happened to her.
Then, before the thought could go any further, he shrugged and shook his head. "Forget it. I don't really give a damn."
His expression shifted back to business. "I just want to finish this and get back in time for the Banana Festival on Banana Island. I've heard they'll have over two thousand varieties of bananas this year…"
His eyes gleamed slightly. "I'm going to try every single one."
With that in mind, he lowered his halberd slightly, eyes narrowing. "So, Charlotte Linlin… are you going to surren—?"
He never finished the sentence because at that moment, he noticed that Asmodeus Zechs had already reached one of the Marine warships and unleashed another flying slash.
"Not so fast, boy!"
Kong vanished in a burst of speed, appearing in front of Zechs in an instant. His halberd carved through the air in a brutal arc, smashing the incoming Haki slash apart mid-flight.
The Marines on the ship were spared and cheered, "Thanks, Kong-sama…!!!"
The Admiral didn't spare them a glance, his gaze locked onto Zechs, and without hesitation, he brought his halberd crashing down, "Die, Asmodeus Zechs!"
The World Nobles had specifically ordered that Charlotte Linlin be captured alive, so Kong had no choice but to take her in breathing.
As for the others, their fate didn't matter, as such, he was fully prepared to kill Zechs right here.
Zechs' eyes widened. 'Damn!'
He raised his sword and blocked. He had no choice; if he dodged, the attack would continue straight toward his ship, and the vessel wouldn't survive a direct hit.
Ding!
A loud metallic clash rang out as Haki and compressed air burst from the collision.
Kong's eyes widened. "This strength…!"
The force coming through Zechs' arms felt eerily similar to the kind of raw power he had just experienced from Charlotte Linlin. The realization caught him off guard.
As a Marine Admiral, Kong was familiar with notable pirates. Moreover, after confirming that Charlotte Linlin and Asmodeus Zechs were fighting a while back, he had made sure to inquire about their intelligence… Thus, he knew of Asmodeus Zechs, an expert-average swordsman who could use Shave and Moon Walk of the Marine Six Styles and possessed a working level of all three types of Haki.
But there was nothing in his records about overwhelming physical strength.
Asmodeus Zechs wasn't known for monstrous raw power like Charlotte Linlin. His reputation revolved around his lustful behavior and his strange ability to charm women, not raw strength on this level.
'Was he hiding it all this time?' Kong wondered.
He dismissed the thought almost immediately. That kind of strength wasn't something a person could conceal easily. Every time Zechs clashed with someone, it would show up, not to mention Asmodeus Zechs had never had any reason to hide it.
Which made him frown if there was some problem in the intelligence he received or if there was something else amiss here.
'Could he have consumed a Devil Fruit that increases strength?' he wondered for a moment and decided to act a bit cautiously…
Kong pushed harder.
His muscles bulged, red fur spreading further along his arms and chest as he drew out more power, nearly thirty percent. With a roar, he forced the halberd forward.
The sudden surge overwhelmed Zechs.
The pressure broke his guard, and he was blasted backward, slamming into the ship's mast with a splintering crack of wood.
Boom! Crack!
The crew's faces paled. "Captain!"
"I'm… fine," Zechs said as he pushed himself back to his feet without much difficulty and held his sword.
"A-are you sure, Zechs-sama?" Pudding asked, her voice trembling.
She couldn't help feeling afraid as she looked at Kong. This was the first time in her life she had seen a Marine Admiral in person, and the pressure he gave off was terrifying. He had just forced back both her Mama and her stepfather. That alone was enough to shake her.
And Pudding had knowledge of the future. She knew that Admiral Kong would go on to become Fleet Admiral, and later the Commander-in-Chief of the World Government. Knowing what he would become only made his presence feel even more overwhelming and her legs trembled.
"It's alright. Don't worry. See? I'm still fine," Zechs said calmly, giving her buttocks a quick squeeze over her wet maid uniform.
Pudding's eyes widened in anger. "You… again!" She raised her hand, half tempted to slap him.
"Fufu… no need to be scared, Pudding-chan," he said lightly. He removed his hand and instead patted her cheek, wearing a teasing smile.
Pudding felt both irritated and helpless, and yet… she also felt a little reassured.
If this shameless pervert master of hers still had the time and mood to harass her in a situation like this, then things probably weren't as desperate as they seemed.
That thought eased her nerves, if only a little, and the trembling in her body gradually stopped.
After reassuring Pudding, Zechs rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms.
Taking Kong's attack head-on hadn't injured him, but a faint numbness still lingered through his body.
'The defensive power of Linlin's Steel Balloon physique is seriously absurd,' he thought.
If he had taken that blow before, it would have left him badly injured. But now, with Linlin's physique integrated into his body, the impact had done little more than leave him temporarily numb.
But the same couldn't be said for the ship.
He turned back and saw the mast, cracked, splintered, and leaning at a dangerous angle. It looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Seeing that, Zechs' expression darkened. "Damn it… Kong, you bastard…!"
Fury surged through him. He spread his wings and launched himself forward, gripping his sword with both hands as he charged straight at Kong.
Kong, who had been moving toward Linlin to capture her, narrowed his eyes when he saw Zechs coming at him without a scratch.
"You blocked that?"
"Damn right I blocked it!" Zechs shot back. "And you… I'm going to make you pay for wrecking my ship!"
Sure, the vessel had already taken damage earlier because of Linlin, but it hadn't been this bad. Now even the main mast was on the verge of snapping, and the sight made his blood boil.
With a furious roar, he tightened his grip on his sword and swung with all his strength. "Die, fucker!"
Kong's lips twitched in annoyance as he hurriedly met Zechs' Sword strike with his halberd…
Ding!
This time, Kong couldn't force Zechs back.
Instead, the opposite happened.
Kong was the one driven backward, nearly knocked straight into the ocean. He barely managed to stabilize himself with rapid Moonwalk steps, his eyes widening as he stared at Zechs, 'His physical strength… it increased?'
But he didn't have time to think.
"Raaaa…" Zechs, burning with fury, was already pressing the attack again.
Kong dodged the first strike with a sharp step through the air, but Zechs, able to maneuver freely with his wings, instantly adjusted his position and came at him again from another angle.
Kong couldn't move as freely without the ability to fly, but he could still keep himself steady. He maintained his footing in midair with rapid Moonwalk steps as his halberd clashed repeatedly against Zechs' sword. Sparks flew with each impact, while arcs of Haki lightning crackled around them.
Each clash sent shockwaves rippling across the sea below.
And with every exchange, Kong could feel it; he was being pushed back.
After being forced back several times, Kong retreated and landed firmly on the deck of his warship. He steadied himself and looked at Zechs with a deep frown. "A brat with a 600 million bounty… and he is holding his own against thirty percent of my strength? How the hell is he doing this?"
He was shocked. But more than shock, what he felt was irritation, and growing impatience.
"Listen, kid," Kong said bluntly. "My target is Charlotte Linlin. If you stop interfering, I'll look the other way and spare you and your crew. What do you say? Anyway… with the main mast of your ship broken, things are about to get very bad for you. You'd be smart to take the opportunity and stay out of this."
Zechs snorted. "An Admiral of Marine Headquarters willing to look the other way when dealing with a pirate? What happened to justice?"
He was slightly surprised by the offer, but not that surprised. Admirals often acted like this when it was convenient. Why would Kong be any different?
Kong shrugged. "Justice is flexible when it saves trouble." Then his eyes hardened. "So? Are you taking the offer or not?"
"Nah," Zechs replied immediately, and attacked again, landing on the Marine warship as he swung his Sword.
"Not even going to think about it?" Kong raised an eyebrow as he moved to block the blade. Then, he counterattacked, asking, "What? Have you pledged loyalty to her? Joined her crew?"
"Surrendered?" Zechs chuckled, slipping past a swing of the halberd. "Nah… we're getting married."
Kong's eyes widened. "Married? To that monster?"
The shock gave Zechs the opening he needed. He slashed, forcing Kong back across the deck.
"Yeah," Zechs said. "Got a problem with that?"
Before Kong could recover—
BOOM!
A massive explosion thundered across the storm. Taking advantage of the opening, Linlin had destroyed another warship. Flames licked across the shattered hull as the wreck slowly tilted and disappeared beneath the waves.
Kong clicked his tongue and stepped back, creating some distance, "Damn… two monsters working together. This is turning into a real mess."
With Asmodeus Zechs holding him in place and Charlotte Linlin tearing apart the fleet, the situation was becoming increasingly troublesome. He was tied down fighting one while the other continued sinking ships. At this rate, even his own flagship wouldn't be safe.
He quickly weighed his choices: retreat and face the wrath of the Celestial Dragons, or push forward and start using far more of his power.
'No… there's another option.' His gaze hardened as a new idea formed. 'Maybe… I can turn them against each other.'
.
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New week, new PS goal. The current PS goal is 70 PS within 24 hours. Please help me reach it.
And don't forget to leave comments and reviews to keep me motivated.
Of course, if the readers wish, they can certainly read up to 20 advanced Chapters on p-a-t-r-e-o-n: Knockturn_Alley