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As Luffy's punch landed, the entire sea instantly boiled.
Centered around the massive battleship, waves surged in all directions, as if an enraged sea god was unleashing disaster upon the world.
"Quick! Raise the anchor!!!"
On the violently rocking Baratie, the experienced Zeff immediately issued orders to the unsteady chefs.
Meanwhile, aboard the Going Merry, Nami took charge, directing Johnny and Yosaku to stabilize the ship amid the rolling waves.
The raging sea continued for several minutes before finally calming down.
By then, the already battered battleship of the Krieg Pirates had been completely destroyed by the force of the punch, slowly sinking into the depths.
"Damn it!!! What happened!?"
"Why did the perfectly fine flagship crack!?"
With Gin's support, the weakened Krieg clung to a broken mast, suspending himself above the turbulent waters. His face twisted with unprecedented rage as he stared at the raging sea below.
Gin, however, looked up at the sky in shock.
He had been on deck when the chaos erupted—he had seen everything!
Gritting his teeth, he hesitated before speaking. "Captain Krieg… it was a fist. A giant fist dropped from the sky and shattered our battleship!"
"Are you kidding me!?" Even after all the horrors he had witnessed in the Grand Line, Krieg refused to believe Gin's words.
At that moment, the toll of starvation and exhaustion caught up with him. His arms suddenly lost strength, and the weight of his golden armor dragged him down.
In an instant, he plunged toward the sea.
"CAPTAIN KREEEEEG!!!"
Gin shouted in panic, ready to jump in after him.
But before he could act, a strange wave surged up from the ocean, miraculously catching Krieg in midair.
"Huh~ That was close~"
A voice rang out as a figure descended from the sky, pulling Luffy along.
It was Red.
He glanced at Krieg's golden armor and smirked playfully.
"If we let such a big chunk of gold sink into the ocean, Nami would kill us when we got back~"
He chuckled, recalling how upset Nami had been when he exchanged her Pay Day to the more powerful Thunderbolt. If he hadn't quickly assured her that he could switch it back at any time, she probably would have thrown her little pearl at him on the spot.
"You… you're…"
Gin's eyes widened in shock at the bizarre sight of Red and Luffy floating in the air.
Then his gaze locked onto Luffy's straw hat.
His pupils shrank.
Fear filled his expression.
If his memory was correct… the massive fist that fell from the sky just moments ago belonged to a young man wearing a straw hat.
"You…!"
"Did you destroy our battleship!?"
Still clinging to the broken railing, Gin suddenly shouted.
His voice caught Red's attention.
"Eh?"
Red, hovering midair, blinked in surprise before smirking.
"Oh? Who do we have here?"
"Isn't this the Krieg Pirates' battle commander, Gin?"
With a teasing grin, he extended his hand.
In an instant, another powerful wave surged upward, knocking Gin off the tilted deck.
After all, a pirate with a 12-million-Berry bounty couldn't just be left behind now that he had been spotted.
As for the rest of the Krieg Pirates… well, they'd have to fend for themselves.
Another electromagnetic pulse flickered.
Red controlled the waves, carrying the three of them toward the Going Merry.
It had to be said—his Magnet Rise was unbelievably convenient.
A few minutes later.
With a splash, Krieg and Gin, both weakened by seawater and hunger, were unceremoniously dumped onto the deck of the Going Merry.
"Cough!!! Cough cough-!!!"
The moment they landed, the two immediately collapsed, violently coughing up seawater.
"You… who are you?"
Krieg lifted his head weakly, his eyes dark and filled with hostility as he glared at everyone aboard the ship.
Even after suffering loss after loss, this man still clung to the belief that he was a mighty pirate admiral—destined to rule the East Blue and conquer the Grand Line!
Unfortunately…
No one present cared about his delusions.
After landing, Red set down Luffy, who was too weak to stand after being drenched in seawater, then turned to Nami and Usopp with a firm tone.
"Nami, you and Usopp, strip Krieg of his gear."
"You take the gold, and Usopp can have the weapons~"
"And one more thing…"
"Move fast. We can't miss today's business!"
With that, Red shifted his gaze to Sanji and Zoro.
"Sanji, get some fire and dry Luffy off. A tough fight is coming!"
"Zoro, get ready!"
"The man you're looking for is on his way!"
"Remember—no matter what happens, your journey is just beginning!!!"
"Go all out and fight without regrets!"
"Yes!!!"
Red's commanding presence ignited the spirits of the Straw Hats.
Hearing his words, everyone who understood the situation instantly realized—
The world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, was near!
Even Johnny and Yosaku, despite being outsiders, tensed up at the realization.
Without needing to be told, they hurried over to assist Sanji in tending to Luffy.
In an instant, the entire crew sprang into action.
"Damn it!"
Ignored by everyone, Krieg clenched his teeth in fury and forced himself to his feet.
As a so-called "pirate admiral" commanding dozens of warships and five thousand men, when had he ever been treated like this!?
The Straw Hats' blatant disregard had crossed his bottom line!
A metallic whirring sound echoed from his golden armor as mechanical compartments slid open, revealing an array of cannons and firearms.
"If you won't talk to me, then you won't do anything ever again!!!"
With a roar, Krieg gathered his last ounce of strength and prepared to unleash his firepower.
But just as he was about to pull the trigger…
"Thunderbolt!!!"
BZZT—!
A golden bolt of lightning streaked through the air, striking Krieg like a nimble electric serpent.
The already-weakened pirate was instantly electrocuted, his body convulsing as his hair stood on end.
His eyes rolled back, and under the effects of absolute paralysis, Krieg collapsed, unconscious.
"Captain Krieg!?"
Gin's panicked shout echoed as he rushed forward—
Only for another jolt of lightning to envelop him as well.
The second he was struck, he too fell unconscious, following in Krieg's footsteps.
Nami twirled her Clima-Tact, lightly clapping her hands to dispel the lingering smoke from the attack, then flashed an "OK" gesture at Red.
"Leave this to us!" she said confidently.
"You've got something more important to handle, right?"
Red chuckled and nodded.
"Yeah."
Then, with a smirk, he murmured to himself,
"What a reliable crew~"
Before long, thanks to Sanji and the others, the seawater on Luffy's body had fully evaporated.
Freed from the ocean's grip, he instantly sprang back to life.
"Whoa~! That was close!"
"I thought I was gonna die!"
Luffy swayed on his feet, beaming brightly, showing no signs that he had just been on the brink of drowning.
"Hahaha," Red laughed.
"If you could die that easily, I'd seriously have to wonder…"
"Was there something wrong with my head when I left the perfectly good Makino behind to become your vice-captain?"