Chapter 202: Volume 2 – Chapter 104: Kaidou... Hand Over Daren

In that moment, it was as if the entire world had fallen into a silent film.

Dark red flames lit up pale, terrified faces.

Every member of the Beasts Pirates stood frozen in shock, staring at the distant arsenal complex as it collapsed one building after another. Streams of molten steel and lava sprayed from the explosions, stirring a tidal wave of dread in their hearts.

"It's over..."

"Our resources..."

"Everything's gone..."

"How could this happen..."

"Our weapons factories..."

"..."

An overwhelming fear seized their minds. The pirates stood still in the smoky, sulfurous wind like soulless statues.

Some couldn't hold it together, collapsing to their knees, trembling uncontrollably.

"Damn it!! How is this even possible..."

King slammed his fist into the mountain wall beside him, punching out a deep hole as his contracted pupils trembled violently.

What was the core of the Beasts Pirates?

Besides Kaidou, King, and Queen—the three central pillars—their most vital asset was the massive arms production complex built on this island.

Unlike Big Mom's power, rooted in blood ties and endless political marriages, the Beasts Pirates had expanded through brute military strength and industrial power.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say the ten weapon factories on this island were the very lifeline of the Beasts Pirates.

And now... everything that mattered most had gone up in flames in an instant.

Years of accumulation and effort...

All wiped out in a single moment.

"We're done for... Kaidou-sama's going to twist my head right off..."

Off in the distance, Queen's face had gone deathly pale. His body trembled, his flabby cheeks twitching as he clutched his head in panic.

At the center of the battlefield, Kaidou stood frozen. His bloodshot, vertical pupils reflected the ruins of the crumbling arsenal, and thick, pulsing veins crept across his forehead.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

He suddenly roared to the sky, and countless arcs of black and red lightning exploded from his body, engulfing nearly the entire island.

An uncontrollable fury surged up like boiling magma. The oppressive aura of a legendary beast swept over everything, draining the color from every face.

"Daren... Bullet... you damned bastards!!"

Snapping out of his daze, Kaidou gripped his kanabō and whipped his head around, searching for the two fools responsible.

But as he turned, he froze in shock—Daren and Bullet were nowhere to be found.

Even the small silver ark they'd arrived in had vanished.

Kaidou immediately unleashed his Observation Haki, and through the smoke-filled skies, he finally locked onto their presence in the distance.

High above on the swiftly moving ark, Daren and Bullet, both bleeding from the corners of their mouths, looked back at him from afar—wearing mocking, cold smirks.

"Goodbye, Kaidou. Thanks for the hospitality."

Breathing heavily, Daren—already battered from the battle—wore a defiant grin at the corner of his mouth.

"If you hadn't dragged me back here, I never would've had the chance to blow up the Beasts Pirates' base of operations..."

"Oh, right."

He turned his gaze toward Queen, his grin turning sarcastic.

"Appreciate the care, you overalls-wearing fatass."

Before Kaidou and the others could react, blue arcs of electricity flickered from Daren's fingertips.

In an instant, the nearly boiling magnetic field surged violently, launching the metal ark forward with explosive acceleration. It shattered the sound barrier and disappeared into the distant sky in the blink of an eye.

Watching it vanish, Kaidou's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, his teeth grinding audibly.

He slammed his kanabō into the ground with a thunderous crash, splitting the earth with a deep, bottomless fissure. His furious roar echoed across the sky.

"No matter where you run!! One day, I'll take you both down!! Daren!! Bullet!!"

He didn't bother transforming into a dragon to chase them.

Though Kaidou could fly in his dragon form, he was well aware that his speed couldn't compare to Daren's magnetically propelled ark, which had easily broken the sound barrier.

Even if he transformed, he wouldn't catch them.

Besides, Kaidou understood that the most urgent matter now was to take immediate action—do whatever he could to salvage what remained of the production lines.

...

"Kaidou-san!"

A shadow dropped swiftly from the sky, taking the form of a tall figure who landed steadily beside Kaidou.

Black wings slowly folded behind him as King spoke, his expression grim.

"There was a chain reaction, but if we act quickly, we might still be able to save part of the production line."

Kaidou took a deep breath and gave a short nod.

He then turned and glared at Queen, who was trying to sneak away, his voice menacing.

"Queen. What the hell happened?"

"I told you to keep an eye on those two! They were in Seastone shackles! How the hell did they escape?!"

Steam-like fury burst from Kaidou's nostrils. The murderous tone in his voice made Queen tremble uncontrollably.

"U-Uh... Kaidou-sama... I-I didn't do anything..."

Queen looked like he was about to cry, too scared to meet Kaidou's eyes.

"I swear I tortured them with all my latest virus tech... but I don't know how—it looks like someone infiltrated the base, triggered an explosion, and stole the key to the shackles..."

Kaidou raised an eyebrow.

But then—

BOOM!!

The muffled thunder of cannon fire suddenly erupted from the distant harbor. Explosions lit up the horizon, one after another, spewing fire into the sky.

"What now!?"

Both Kaidou and King's expressions sharpened.

"R-Report... Kaidou-sama... it's the Marines...!"

A pirate, reeking of panic, staggered out of the smoke and shouted in a trembling voice,

"The Marines are here!!"

Marines!?

Beneath the black mask, King's pupils narrowed.

How did the Marines find this island?

Is there a mole in the Beasts Pirates!?

And who's leading them!?

A storm of thoughts raced through his mind.

...

The howling wind blew away the thick black smoke, finally revealing a clear view of the port.

A warship surged through the waves at full speed, unleashing a relentless barrage of cannon fire as it charged toward their base.

Its hull-mounted guns roared with flame, forcing the Beasts Pirates stationed at the port into a frantic scramble.

At the bow of the warship stood a towering figure with short purple hair, arms folded across a broad chest. His sunglasses gleamed coldly as he locked eyes with them, his presence suffocating.

Behind him, a billowing white cloak of justice flapped wildly in the wind.

From across the distance came a deep, chilling roar.

"Kaidou!! Hand over my student—Daren!!"

...

(70 Chapters Ahead)

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