Even if Shiryu didn't say a word, they all knew how terrifying King was.
For the initial core members of the Blackbeard Pirates, during a deal they made with the Marines, King had killed Van Augur right in front of all of them, and while he was at it, killed Strawberry in front of Blackbeard, Momousagi, and Yamakaji as well.
If Kuzan hadn't arrived just in time, the voyage of the Blackbeard Pirates might have ended then and there.
Shayna's combat record may not be as illustrious, but she had crossed paths with Kizaru many years ago. Not to mention, just moments ago when King was killing Blackbeard, Shayna had suppressed them too.
Everyone here now understood that the two monsters in front of them were not easy opponents—but getting them to work together wasn't going to be easy either.
The Blackbeard Pirates were a lot like the Rocks Pirates in nature. Most of the members didn't share any camaraderie—they had only gathered because of their captain.
When the captain was alive, they would fight together. But once the captain died, the group would scatter. At most, a few individuals might choose to team up with a comrade.
Ordinary battles were one thing, but in a fight for life and death like this, none of the Blackbeard Pirates would entrust their back to the so-called comrade. If abandoning a comrade could ensure their own escape, they would have done so already.
But King and Shayna were both masters of aerial combat, and with the ever-changing chain in Shayna's hand, trying to flee recklessly was nothing short of walking to one's death.
"I've heard the details from Blackbeard myself. We joined him mostly to get out of Impel Down—we don't have any deep connection with him.
Now that he's dead, there's no conflict between us. How about we just go our separate ways?"
Looking at Shayna in the sky and the gradually approaching King, Shiryu made his proposal—he had no intention of engaging in such a meaningless fight here.
Coming here had been part of Blackbeard's plan. According to that plan, the quake that shattered all and the darkness that devoured everything would become his spear and shield. But now that Blackbeard was dead, Shiryu and the others had no reason to stick around.
Shiryu did enjoy killing, but he didn't enjoy taking risks. Back in Impel Down, his targets were prisoners with no means of resistance—he hadn't dared to provoke the true monsters of Level Six.
Those kinds of people, even with Seastone chains on them, could pose a serious threat to Shiryu.
As Shiryu spoke, neither Vasco Shot nor Pizarro said a word. Even Devon, who had an old grudge with the Beasts Pirates, chose to keep her mouth shut.
Having finally regained their freedom, making a smooth escape was their best option.
"This is Marine Headquarters. I don't know what you came here for, but if it was to kill Blackbeard, you've already succeeded. No one could survive that situation. There's no need for a meaningless fight."
"Imperial Flame!"
A fireball was hurled by King toward Shiryu. The explosion of flames made Shiryu take a few steps back, and his expression grew tense.
Though Blackbeard was taking a beating the first time Shiryu met him—when Magellan's Hydra had nearly wiped them out—Shiryu still acknowledged Blackbeard's strength. His performance in Level Six of Impel Down wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
Now, an even stronger Blackbeard had been killed by King. There was no way they could beat these two—especially with Kaido watching from behind, eyeing them like a predator.
"He should finally be finished this time, right?"
"Of course. But these guys may have learned things they shouldn't have. To be safe, we should make them disappear."
"Then let's do it. You or me?"
"Let's just go together. The techniques Boss Kaido taught us can come in handy sometimes—especially since we've got a big guy over there."
In just a few short exchanges, King and Shayna had already decided how they were going to deal with the remnants of the Blackbeard Pirates in front of them. And they weren't hiding it at all—they were openly plotting right in front of everyone.
They were once renowned figures on the seas, yet now they were being treated like insects—their lives and deaths casually decided for them.
"I just don't want to fight you. Don't push it too far!"
"Toputoputopu... If you're gonna put it like that, guess we've got no choice but to fight, huh?"
Vasco Shot took the gourd from his back into his hand and began chugging it in front of everyone.
Vasco Shot, known as "Heavy Drinker," a Paramecia-type user of the Glug-Glug Fruit, was almost always in a drunken state.
Due to years of heavy drinking, his nose was perpetually bright red. Combined with his clown-style hat, Vasco Shot looked very much like a clown—and then he did something even more clown-like.
His liquor gourd seemed like a bottomless pit, no matter how much he drank it never emptied. After a huge amount of strong alcohol entered his body, he blew a stream of alcohol bubbles toward King and Shayna.
"Drunken Spitfire!"
Boom, boom, boom—every alcohol bubble burst, and the moment they did, the area around Shayna and King turned into a sea of flames.
"You idiot! What's the point of setting them to fire?!"
Vasco Shot's attack made Shiryu curse in frustration. How could two people who were constantly bathed in flames be afraid of fire? This sea of flames only kept them from getting close and was completely useless otherwise.
"Toputoputopu, didn't you read the files back in Impel Down? My ability releases massive amounts of ethanol. As long as there's enough of it, even those two will get drunk! Wolf! Quit staring and get moving already!"
Wolf had a unique ability—he often became marginalized without realizing it. People around him would inexplicably forget he was there, only remembering him at critical moments.
Wolf's body size was his greatest weapon. At Vasco Shot's shout, he raised his fists and brought them crashing down. The other members of the Blackbeard Pirates also launched their own attacks.
However, within the sea of flames unleashed by Shot, King and Shayna were completely unaffected. Not only did the fire fail to harm them, but the drunkenness that Shot had expected didn't occur either.
With incomplete intel, he had underestimated the Lunarian race's physical resistance. Their ability to survive in any environment was no joke.
At that moment, the two stood side by side, their weapons already crossed together. Their Haki continuously flowed into their blades, and as Wolf's attack came crashing down, they swung their weapons as well.
"Worororo, they really perfected it? As expected of the subordinate I value, and Arceus's capable assistant."
Watching King and Shayna's coordinated attack, Kaido grinned. That attack wasn't just anything—it was a technique he had learned from Charlotte Linlin, a technique of the Giants.
"Conquest of the Sea!"
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