"This cocky little brat!"
"Dammit!"
Vista and Thatch were furious, while Jozu was so enraged by Jack's audacity that he nearly spat blood. Just as the three were preparing to launch another round of attacks, Jack shifted back into his mammoth form.
"Ivory Spray!"
The three dodged to the side, only to see Jack charging straight toward the center of the battlefield. His massive body caused the ground to quake with every step.
"This guy! Stop him!"
"Wait, that's—"
"A monster!"
"Run for it! Jack is on a rampage!"
The towering 20-meter mammoth rampaged across the battlefield, an unstoppable force of destruction.
Anyone in his path was crushed. Whether it was man or beast, nothing could withstand Jack's charge. His sheer ferocity threw the battlefield into chaos, a chaos Jack had deliberately sown. He had quickly realized that, while both sides were evenly matched in numbers, his side was losing ground in terms of mid-level combat power.
The samurai of Wano, who could have balanced the scales, had been ordered by Kaido to stay behind on Onigashima. Some officers were also missing from the battle, stationed at key locations to guard against potential attacks from the World Government. As a result, the artificial Devil Fruit users and large-numbered subordinates hadn't joined the fight either.
The stark difference in the Beast Pirates' and Whitebeard Pirates' development models was on full display here.
The Beast Pirates focused on recruiting the strong and eliminating the weak, heavily investing in weapon factories, stirring up wars to sell arms and minerals for profit.
The Whitebeard Pirates, on the other hand, sustained themselves through protection payments from allied territories, occasionally taking out pirates to boost their funds. Compared to Kaido, Whitebeard's protection extended to a wide range of nations and towns.
Kaido preferred fewer, stronger territories—places suitable for building factories. Recruitment in the Beast Pirates was a merit-based process, favoring those who could survive the challenges thrown at them.
Whitebeard, however, simply chose sons based on intuition. Though unconventional, his instincts were sharp—every "son" he accepted was a top-notch fighter.
When Whitebeard was making his name, Kaido had still been a child. Even now, though their reputations were evenly matched, Whitebeard carried the title of the Strongest Man in the World, while Kaido was seen as a lunatic who sought fights wherever he went.
This reputation dissuaded most powerful individuals from joining Kaido. Only a handful, like Sasaki—an ardent fan—or Who's-Who, who sought refuge from the World Government, had joined the Beast Pirates.
For the average pirate, though, the Beast Pirates' top-tier weapons and decent benefits made them an attractive option, leading to a recent surge in numbers.
This difference in philosophy played out on the battlefield.
At first, the battle had been evenly matched. But as it raged on, the Beast Pirates began losing ground. While strong officers were invaluable, weapons only went so far.
The commanders of Whitebeard's fleet were powerhouses, capable of taking on two of the Beast Pirates' officers at once. And the division commanders? They were dominating.
Aside from Yamato and Who's-Who, only Rim managed to hold his ground against a particularly flamboyant, kimono-clad figure. Of course, that made sense—Rim had a knack for taking down individuals of "questionable" genders.
Jack's rage escalated as he trampled his way through the battlefield. Jozu wanted to stop him, but against Jack's mammoth form, even his immense strength wasn't enough.
"This bastard!"
"Vista! Forget him for now!"
"Let's deal with those two instead!"
Thatch's gaze shifted to two massive figures locked in combat with Rakuyo and Kingdew.
The two were none other than Gurian and Basna, two of the oldest members of the Tobiroppo. They were evenly matched with Rakuyo and Kingdew, completely unaware that they'd been marked for death.
By the time Thatch and Vista reached them, their fates were sealed.
"Lord Gurian! Lord Basna!"
"No way..."
"Hm?"
While many had fallen, the sudden death of two high-ranking officers like the Tobiroppo sent shockwaves through the Beast Pirates.
"Gurararara…"
"Your officers don't seem to be holding up, Kaido!"
Whitebeard turned to Kaido, his voice booming with authority.
"Tobiroppo? Hand over Andre, or this ends in blood today!"
"You old bastard! Dream on!" Kaido roared. "If you've got the guts, then kill me!"
Jack, back in human form, now stood in front of a man who dared block his path. Lowering his head, he muttered, "What did you just say to me?"
The man, wearing a bright pink octopus-shaped headpiece and wielding three swords, shouted back angrily, "I said, don't you understand the debt we fish-men owe Pops? How dare you fight against him as a fish-man yourself?"
"Huh?" Jack frowned for a moment before baring his sharp teeth in a cruel grin.
"Another idiot, huh?"
"Karma! Watch out!"
Boom!
Jack grabbed the fish-man by the throat, ignoring Jozu's charge. Though staggered, he remained firm, lifting the octopus-headed man into the air.
"Arthur! No!"
"Soru!"
Another figure leaped toward Jack, attacking from above. Jack vanished, reappearing behind him in an instant.
Thud!
With one in each hand, Jack slammed both into the ground, turning to Jozu with a cold smile.
"Don't move. Or they'll die."
"You bastard!"
Ignoring Jozu's fury, Jack studied the two he'd captured.
"Karma? Arthur? What ridiculous names. Sounds like something out of a video game."
He sneered. "Too bad. You're neither champions nor saviors."
"So, don't do this in your next life."
Snap!
Jack tossed the lifeless bodies onto the ground in front of Jozu. Scratching his head, he muttered with mock regret:
"Sorry, what I meant was..."
"Whether you move or not, they're going to die."
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg