After moving away from the Moby Dick, which measured over a hundred meters in length, Makoto finally escaped Whitebeard's range of observation.
With the pirate emperor no longer watching him, his movements became considerably bolder.
He immediately activated his Stand ability, completely silencing the sounds of his movements. At the same time, he switched on his optical camouflage, causing his figure to disappear from everyone else's sight.
With both abilities working together, only powerful fighters possessing Observation Haki could hope to detect him.
Picking up a long sword abandoned by a fallen pirate, Makoto put the swordsmanship knowledge in his mind to use. He transformed into a terrifying, silent killer, claiming the lives of more than a dozen pirates with every passing breath.
Fortunately, there was no shortage of enemies to kill. Whitebeard's forty-three allied pirate ships were filled to capacity, bringing the total number of pirates to approximately 50,000.
Although many remained aboard their ships, operating cannons and exchanging fire with Marine warships, there were still more than ten thousand pirates within Makoto's field of vision.
Ten thousand people!
Even if Makoto killed ten pirates every second, it would still take him roughly sixteen and a half minutes to cut through them all.
Throughout this slaughter, his Contribution Points continued climbing at an astonishing rate. More importantly, however, Makoto's state of mind gradually shifted from calm rationality toward complete indifference.
It was almost as though the people he was killing weren't human at all. Instead, he felt like he was playing a Warriors-style hack-and-slash game, with himself as the protagonist of this immersive experience.
Makoto vaguely realized that something about his mental state wasn't quite right. He therefore slowed his killing spree slightly and redirected his attention toward using Observation Haki to locate the newcomers.
Eventually, he discovered one of them.
Kane Miller was aboard one of the pirate ships, miserably loading cannonballs into the artillery. Although his combat abilities were pitiful, his large frame made him useful for manual labor, so the pirates had treated him as an ordinary crew member.
Makoto was just about to rush over and rescue him when Izo and Speed Jiru suddenly charged toward his position.
Clearly, Makoto's indiscriminate slaughter had attracted the pirates' attention. However, since they couldn't see or touch him, they had no choice but to seek help from division commanders possessing Observation Haki.
"There he is!"
Holding a pistol in each hand, Izo took the lead and rushed toward Makoto.
Makoto glanced toward Whitebeard, who was currently occupied fighting Admiral Kizaru. For the time being, he abandoned the idea of killing a few more division commanders and instead used the Flying Raijin Technique to summon a Shadow Clone.
Although the Shadow Clone didn't possess his Stand ability or optical camouflage, it could still use Sky Manipulation to conceal itself from sight.
However, unlike Makoto, the clone made no attempt to hide the sounds of its movements. As a result, hundreds and eventually thousands of pirates immediately locked onto its position and began pursuing it.
Yet the clone didn't even need Spatial Manipulation to deal with them. Simply combining the Six Powers with a little Chakra to reinforce its body was enough to push its speed beyond what these pirates could react to.
While the Shadow Clone distracted their enemies and confused their judgment, Makoto silently activated Spatial Manipulation and slipped aboard the large pirate ship.
Without bothering to explain anything, he grabbed Kane Miller and threw him straight into his cursed technique's spatial dimension.
"Captain?! Is that you, Captain?!"
Kane shouted excitedly, but nobody answered him.
Fortunately, he adapted to his new circumstances almost immediately. He grabbed the supplies Makoto had prepared, began stuffing himself with food, and happily settled into the comfortable life of a newcomer who could leave all the hard work to someone else.
Meanwhile, Makoto continued searching the pirate ships one after another. Before long, he discovered traces of three more newcomers.
Lina Carter, Sato Yuta, and Lin Dongqiang were all still alive, although their circumstances varied considerably.
One had been considered a burden and locked inside a water-filled prison, while another had said something inappropriate and been beaten severely by several pirates, leaving them seriously injured.
Lin Dongqiang, on the other hand, had attracted the attention of his ship's captain because of his Pain Reflection Talent. The captain had imprisoned him, intending to use him as a secret weapon to catch a Marine Admiral off guard.
Makoto rescued the three newcomers one by one, throwing them into his cursed technique's spatial dimension. He then carefully searched the remaining ships, only to discover that Yuuki Asuna was nowhere to be found.
Something wasn't right.
Since he hadn't received any notification from the Main God Space, Asuna should still be alive.
Perhaps she wasn't aboard the allied fleet at all. Could she have been assigned to one of the ships belonging directly to the Whitebeard Pirates?
But Makoto had already scanned those ships with his senses, and there hadn't been any trace of the newcomers aboard them.
Just as he was preparing to return and investigate the Whitebeard Pirates again, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before him.
Makoto frowned.
'Why is he here?'
"Friend, I'm perfectly willing to let you slaughter the pirates on our side. After all, they're nothing more than low-level pawns. If they die, they die."
"But why must you take away the newcomers we've taken an interest in? They could have become valuable new members of our Tavern."
"So, how about you stop making things difficult for the Tavern Guild?"
The newcomer was none other than Spink, the bartender from the Tavern.
At the moment, he wore a formal tailcoat and a tall top hat while carrying an elegant walking cane. His appearance was that of a proper English gentleman.
However, Makoto knew that the man standing before him was anything but ordinary.
An overwhelming vitality radiated from Spink's body. His mastery of Haki was at least comparable to Makoto's, if not superior, and his overall strength didn't seem much weaker than Whitebeard's.
That was precisely why he had been able to intercept Makoto.
And those were merely the abilities Makoto could detect. There was no telling what other methods Spink might have hidden up his sleeves.
Most importantly, Spink somehow knew that Makoto intended to rescue the newcomers.
This inevitably made Makoto suspicious. Had Spink seen through his intentions from the very beginning and only decided to intervene now because he could no longer tolerate Makoto taking the newcomers away?
There was another troubling question.
If there were Players on the opposing side, why hadn't they made a move yet?
Combined with the information he had obtained before entering this world, Makoto increasingly felt that the situation was far more complicated than it appeared.
Rather than immediately resorting to violence, he decided to see whether they could negotiate. After all, he, Yukino, and Sakiko were still staying at the Tavern Guild.
"To tell you the truth, I accepted a mission to guide some newcomers."
Makoto used his Stand to alter his voice, speaking in a hoarse, elderly tone.
"These are all newcomers under my protection. They were accidentally dragged into this Battlefield Mode."
"Once the mission ends, I'll guide them through the clear. After that, where they go has nothing to do with me. You're welcome to sign contracts with them right now if you want."
Spink showed no surprise whatsoever.
In his opinion, the moment he revealed his connection to the Tavern, any reasonable Veteran would naturally show him and the Guild a certain degree of respect.
Besides, he had already allowed Makoto to slaughter ordinary pirates as he pleased to complete his mission.
If Makoto couldn't accept such a generous display of goodwill, there would be nothing left for them to discuss.
"In that case, friend, please summon those newcomers so I can sign membership agreements with them."
Then, as though remembering something, Spink added, "As a gesture of goodwill, allow me to offer you a warning. Don't tie yourself too closely to the Marines."
Makoto raised an eyebrow.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Spink merely raised a finger to his lips.
"You'll understand soon enough."
He then casually tossed Makoto a card.
It was a C-rank Emergency Escape Card!
"Consider this a meeting gift, just in case something unexpected happens. If the situation becomes impossible to handle, I hope you'll be sensible enough to retreat while you still can."
"And if you suffer any losses during this process, you're welcome to visit me at the Tavern afterward. I'll personally reimburse you."
With that, Spink removed his hat and bowed politely, displaying an almost excessive degree of courtesy.
Although Makoto remained suspicious, he still nodded.
"All right."
Since the other party had gone so far as to offer him a valuable item, Makoto decided to cooperate and brought the rescued newcomers out of his spatial dimension.
Naturally, he made sure Spink couldn't see the Spatial Gate during the process.
However, Makoto had a vague feeling that with Spink's Observation Haki, the man had probably already guessed that he possessed some kind of spatial ability.
Spink calmly produced a stack of agreements, and the sight immediately reminded Makoto of his own experiences in the first world.
However, after glancing through the documents, Makoto realized that their terms were far more favorable than anything Chen Guohao had offered.
Not only were the newcomers exempt from paying any membership fees or handing over their belongings, but the Guild also promised to provide them with sufficient information and guidance on strengthening themselves.
They would even be allowed to take out loans to improve their abilities.
Only now did Makoto truly understand the difference between a disorganized operation and a properly established organization.
Of course, the Tavern Guild was clearly playing the long game. By offering favors and loans, it intended to bind Players to the organization through gratitude and debt for the rest of their lives.
Nevertheless, its methods were still far more appealing than Chen Guohao's approach, which had shown absolutely no concern for whether the newcomers lived or died.
Once the four newcomers finished signing their agreements, Spink looked curiously toward Makoto.
"Are these the only ones?"
"Are there supposed to be more? The remaining two are my teammates."
Although Makoto hadn't officially formed a team with Asuna yet, he had absolutely no intention of allowing her to become a member of the Tavern Guild.
The reason was simple.
Someone with Asuna's potential was far too valuable to let go. Naturally, he wanted to keep her by his side.
"I see! No wonder you ended up getting dragged into a Battlefield Mission. Three Veterans teaming up to guide newcomers... I can't believe you actually came up with something like that."
Spink shook his head in amusement.
"I suppose your financial situation must be rather difficult, am I right?"
With that, he tossed another card toward Makoto.
Makoto's eyes immediately lit up when he saw its description.
[C-rank Team Buff Card: Temporarily increases team loot rewards by 10% for one hour.]
"Write the names of all three team members on this card, and you can activate it to grant the Buff to everyone."
"For the next hour, you're still free to attack any pirates below the division commanders in strength."
"However, if you kill too many people and attract the attention of the division commanders or Whitebeard himself, that will be beyond our control."
"Understood."
Makoto accepted the card without the slightest hesitation. He then returned the four newcomers to his spatial dimension and prepared to leave.
However, Spink raised his hand once again.
"One more thing, friend. Have we met somewhere before?"
The seemingly casual question made Makoto's heart skip a beat.
Nevertheless, he calmly shook his head.
"I've only heard of the Tavern before. I haven't had the opportunity to visit it yet."
Spink offered an apologetic smile.
"My apologies. It seems I was mistaken. Hopefully, we'll meet again someday."
Only then did Makoto silently depart.
After sensing Makoto's presence move far into the distance, Spink finally reached into his belongings and took out an item.
It was a black notebook.
Two words were written across its cover.
DEATH NOTE.
That's right!
It was the legendary Death Note, an artifact capable of killing someone simply by having their name written inside it.
Not only could its owner cause someone to drop dead, but they could also specify the exact circumstances and time of the victim's death.
The only requirements were knowing the target's name and remembering their face.
Moreover, Spink had already made a deal with a Shinigami during his time in the Death Note world.
By sacrificing half of his remaining lifespan, he had obtained the ability to see other people's names and remaining lifespans.
That was precisely why he worked as a bartender at the Tavern.
Whenever he encountered someone, he could learn their name, memorize their appearance, and gather information about their abilities.
Such information could eventually become an extremely valuable source of income.
Unfortunately, today he had encountered a difficult opponent.
The mysterious person who had appeared before him had used abilities to conceal both his appearance and voice, preventing Spink's Shinigami Eyes from functioning properly.
This inevitably made him wonder whether the stranger had truly become involved in the conflict by coincidence or had arrived with preparations specifically designed to counter him.
That was why Spink had repeatedly tested Makoto throughout their conversation.
Although Makoto had successfully navigated almost every one of those tests, he had finally slipped up with his last answer.
Spink possessed a Talent that allowed him to detect whether someone was lying.
Because this ability offered absolutely no combat advantages, he had suffered considerably during his early days as a newcomer.
However, he eventually grew wiser and began making money by gathering and selling information.
Later, through sheer coincidence, he entered the Death Note world and obtained this terrifying weapon from a Shinigami.
From that point onward, his strength and influence had increased dramatically.
And today, he was planning something particularly ambitious.
To accomplish his goal, Spink had gathered enough people to serve as actors in his elaborate scheme.
As long as everything proceeded according to plan, he would be able to squeeze every last bit of potential value out of this Mission World.
Unfortunately, an unwelcome guest who refused to reveal his identity had appeared at the worst possible moment.
Spink rested his chin against the space between his thumb and index finger, lost in thought.
He tried desperately to match the mysterious stranger's actions and behavior with everyone he could remember meeting, but ultimately failed to identify him.
There was simply no helping it. He had encountered far too many people over the years.
The name Kitano Makoto had actually crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed the possibility.
As far as Spink was concerned, Makoto simply shouldn't possess that level of strength.
"Forget it. I'll wait a little longer."
He put away the Death Note, temporarily abandoning his plan to write everyone's names inside it immediately.
This battle would continue for several more hours, so he still had plenty of time to determine whether the mysterious newcomer was a friend or an enemy.
For now, however, it was time to make this war even more intense!
With a casual wave of his hand, Spink sent his teammates advancing alongside the pirates.
Each of them carried firearms whose technological sophistication far exceeded anything available in the One Piece world.
More importantly, their weapons were loaded with specially manufactured bullets made from Seastone.
With those bullets in their possession, practically every Devil Fruit user below the Admiral level on the Marine side could be considered effectively neutralized.
...
Some distance away, Makoto vaguely sensed the unusual movements taking place among the pirates.
However, he couldn't determine what weapons they were carrying, nor was he particularly concerned about it.
After all, he was confident that his own abilities would allow him to handle the overwhelming majority of situations.
Besides, his most pressing concern was finding Yuuki Asuna.
Since he had already searched all forty-three ships in the allied fleet without finding her, Asuna could only be aboard one of the vessels near Whitebeard himself.
There was also a very small possibility that she had been placed aboard the ship carrying Luffy and his companions.
The moment Makoto remembered that the ship was filled almost entirely with escaped criminals, he increased his speed even further.
Meanwhile, the battle between the Marines and pirates on the front lines had already entered another stage.
Admiral Kizaru, who had been attempting to harass Whitebeard, was intercepted by the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Polo Marco.
Marco possessed the powers of a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix.
With Marco standing in his way, Kizaru could no longer freely threaten Whitebeard.
Of course, Marco wasn't actually a match for Kizaru in a serious fight.
However, Kizaru was perfectly happy to find an excuse to slack off without getting scolded for it.
And so, the two continued their leisurely exchange, with Kizaru throwing seemingly slow-motion, light-speed kicks while Marco relied on his extraordinary regenerative abilities to withstand them.
Meanwhile, Koby, the future Marine hero, had officially earned himself the title of King of Deserters as he fled deeper into Marineford.
On the Whitebeard Pirates' side, Little Oars Jr, a descendant of the Ancient Giants standing 38 meters tall, charged recklessly toward the execution platform without any concern for his own survival.
Unfortunately, the Seven Warlords of the Sea intercepted him.
In the end, he could only use his own corpse to smash open the defensive wall, creating a passage for the pirates advancing behind him.
…