"Woof woof!"
After processing the information in his mind, Spike realized the man in front of him was his new master.
His tail wagged instinctively as he rubbed against Lynch's trouser leg, looking both eager and adorable.
The puppy, Tyke, had no such worries. Excited by his new surroundings, he ran circles around Lynch, his tiny paws tapping against the floor. His pure, unfiltered joy was infectious.
"Hahaha, welcome to the family, you two."
"Woof woof~"
Lynch leaned down and pick up Tyke. The little pup stuck out his tongue and eagerly licked his face.
Spike tensed up. Would this new owner be like the others—strict, impatient, maybe even a germaphobe?
To his surprise, Lynch simply chuckled and stuffed a chicken drumstick into Tyke's mouth.
That single action put Spike at ease. This guy... he's a good one.
"Woof woof!"
Looking at Spike panting happily at his feet, Lynch smirked. "You don't have to act dumb anymore, Spike. Talking animals are normal around here."
He gave a sharp whistle. "Tom, Jerry, come out and welcome your new friends."
Two streaks of light, one blue, one brown flashed across mountains, rivers, and the open sea, cutting through the cabin and skidding onto the deck.
If it wasn't the legendary Tom the Great and Jerry the Great, then who else could it be?
"Aha! Jerry, I finally caught you!"
Tom said triumphantly, gripping Jerry in his furry paws.
But before he could celebrate, Jerry smacked his paw and pointed. "Tom! Look over there!"
Tom followed Jerry's gaze, eyes widening. "Spike?!"
"What? That dumb dog is here too?!"
Tom yelped, suddenly on high alert.
"Tom! Jerry!" Spike, no longer on all fours, stood upright, his deep, gruff voice shaking with emotion.
"Woooo~ I can't believe I'm seeing you two again!"
The memories of his recent struggles came rushing back. Overcome with emotion, Spike lunged forward, wrapping Tom and Jerry in a bear hug as tears streamed down his face.
"Jerry, your eldest cousin... he's not just a rat. He's more of a dog than me! I swear, he's about to bully a dog to death!"
Spike cried, venting all his pent-up frustration.
Jerry blinked. "Eldest cousin? How's he been lately...?"
Tom the Great, Jerry the Great, and now Spike the Great the three legendary troublemakers walked off together, shoulder to shoulder, remembering about old times.
With these three around, Lynch felt certain his days would never be dull.
"Woof woof~"
The puppy, Spike Jr., licked Lynch's shoes, wagging his tiny tail.
Lynch glanced at Tyke., who was too caught up in his reunion to notice his own son. Shaking his head, Lynch scooped up the little pup.
"Looks like your careless father already forgot about you," he said with a chuckle.
"Come with me for now. Let me spoil you a little."
"Woof woof!"
Tyke. beamed, happily nestling into Lynch's arms. Unlike his father and the other two, he wasn't as sharp perhaps because he was still young.
He couldn't speak human language, but he was definitely smarter than an ordinary dog.
…
After a relentless six-hour chase across the endless sea, Jack the Drought finally closed in on Lynch's supply-laden ship.
"Tch, lulu~ Just one ship?"
Standing at the bow, Jack narrowed his eyes at the huge cargo ship in the distance. His face twisted into a fierce grin.
The gap between them wasn't much, but both ships were still moving.
At their current speed, it would take at least another hour to fully close in.
Jack was the tallest of Kaido's three calamities, as tall as 8.3 meters. At that size, he could probably hang Luffy on a hook and use him as a punching bag.
With a golden ponytail, two thick braids, and a metal jaw covering his mouth, Jack cut an imposing figure.
His body was draped in a black fur coat, and huge ivory-like ornaments on his head and shoulders.
"Boys, full speed ahead! We're getting Doflamingo back!" Jack roared.
"Yes, Boss Jack!" his crew responded in unison, pushing the ship forward with renewed urgency.
Aside from a few skeptics, most of the pirates on Jack's ship were inexplicably confident in him.
Pirates, as a whole, usually have an unshakable sense of self-confidence perhaps due to their lack of formal education.
The less one understands the world, the easier it is to believe they are invincible. Only those who truly understood the world's scale realize how small they really are.
"That flag… it's the Beasts Pirates!"
Up ahead, a lookout on the cargo ship spotted Jack's approaching vessel. He hurried down to report, his voice tense.
Being targeted by the infamous Beasts Pirates would normally strike fear into any crew. But with Lynch on board, there was no panic.
"Jack? Don't worry about him," Lynch said, glancing at the massive fool on the deck behind them. A relaxed smile played on his lips.
Since the enemy was eager to charge to their doom, he would simply let them.
Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, the weather shifted.
The New World's skies were unpredictable one moment clear and bright, the next shrouded in thick cumulonimbus clouds.
Light rain began to fall, quickly escalating into a rainfall, accompanied by howling winds.
In just five minutes, the ocean transformed into a raging battlefield.
The waves surged to an astonishing height of twenty-five meters, turning the sea into a chaotic battlefield.
In such conditions, even a hundred-meter-long cargo ship was nothing more than a fragile toy boat, tossed helplessly by the storm.
And this was still considered mild.
In some parts of the Grand Line, the weather was even more terrifying: thunderstorms, fire rain, meteor showers, and hundreds of tornadoes capable of obliterating everything in their path.
Many who set sail never met their end at the hands of pirates or Marines.
Instead, they died silently, swallowed by the unforgiving wrath of nature.
Nature was, and always would be, the ultimate force.
"Damn this weather!" Jack roared in frustration as the storm raged on.
Through the relentless rain, two huge ships closed the distance.
As they approached, the pirates on board finally got a clear view of the opposing lineup and their expressions changed from arrogance to fear.
"It's just one ship… but the lineup is insane!"
"Emperor Lynch! Immortal Swordsman Tom! Immortal Swordsman Jerry!"
"Are they planning to wipe out an entire country?!"
Some pirates tried to joke, forcing a laugh. "Mr. Doflamingo must feel honored to have such a grand escort."
But a name carries weight and Lynch's name was a towering shadow.
Even with their confidence in Jack, the sight of Lynch and his crew made many gulp nervously.
"Boss Jack… are we really doing this?" one pirate muttered.
"Maybe we should head back and let Boss Kaido deal with it."
Jack's expression darkened. "Why?"
His tone was sharp, laced with disdain.
"Idiot! Of course, we're taking Doflamingo back!"
With a snort, Jack bellowed, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!"
"Prepare for bombardment!"
"Understood, Boss Jack!"
Under the relentless downpour, the pirates scrambled across the deck, struggling to keep their footing as they loaded the ship's cannons, their hands slick with rain.
"Hurry up!" Jack shouted.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Pirates struggled to load the heavy dozens-of-kilograms cannonballs into the cannons.
"Bring the ship closer!" Jack ordered again.
But before his crew could fire—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A storm of dozens no, hundreds of shells rained down from the enemy ship.
Explosions erupted across the sea, sending massive waves crashing against the hull.
Some shells struck the ship directly, blowing holes through the deck, sending splinters flying, and taking lives with them.
Yet Jack stood firm, unfazed, his gaze locked onto Lynch.
"Click—"
Lynch flicked his thumb.
A faint metallic sound rang out Dragon Slayer's blade had changed slightly from its scabbard.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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