After being called out, the figures behind the coral stone remained still, refusing to emerge.
Kronos narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke again, his tone calm but sharp.
"Still not coming out?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the six pirates hiding behind the coral stone shuddered.
The scar-faced pirate, his expression panicked and fearful, was the first to step out from behind the coral stone.
"N-No! We're coming out—we're coming out!"
Under his lead, the remaining five pirates followed slowly, beads of cold sweat trailing down their faces.
At that moment, their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
They were all too aware—they were standing before a group they could never defy.
These men... these monsters... every one of them had a bounty exceeding 100 million.
Their captain, Kronos, had a staggering bounty of 3.355 billion Berries.
Even the lowest-ranking among them had a bounty that dwarfed their own.
Aboard the Kamui Pirates' ship, Kronos only gave them a glance. Cold and dismissive.
He said nothing.
He wasn't waiting for their excuses or actions.
He was waiting for the response from Fish-Man Island.
Waiting for the border guards the mermaids had mentioned.
To Kronos, the rest of Fish-Man Island didn't interest him in the slightest.
Only Dragon Palace City was worth a visit.
Not long after the scar-faced pirates emerged, a mermaid hiding in the crowd suddenly pointed toward them.
She had long, black wavy hair and wide, terrified eyes.
"It's him!"
Her cry instantly drew attention from her fellow mermaids—and from Kronos and his crew as well.
They all turned curiously in her direction.
The mermaid with the long black hair continued, her voice rising with urgency.
"I saw them a while ago! After they left, Lily-chan disappeared! It was them! They kidnapped Lily-chan!"
Gasps erupted from the mermaid group.
"What?!"
"Lily-chan was kidnapped by them?!"
In that instant, the previously fearful glances toward Kronos and his crew were replaced by furious glares directed at the scar-faced pirates.
Kronos and his companions turned their attention back toward the six trembling men—though now with a touch of amusement.
But before Kronos could say anything—
The six pirates suddenly dropped to their knees.
"Plop! Plop! Plop!"
The sound of them collapsing echoed across the bay.
Kronos narrowed his eyes slightly, understanding the situation quickly.
Then came the voice of the scar-faced pirate, trembling as he spoke.
"I... I'm so sorry!"
"It was us—we acted with malice and kidnapped that mermaid."
"But I swear to God, we didn't harm her!"
"She's on Fish-Man Street right now!"
"We'll bring her back immediately—please, please forgive us!"
"Just let us go!"
The other five pirates quickly echoed him.
"Yes! That's right! We'll head to Fish-Man Street right now and bring her back—safe and sound!"
"Please, just give us a chance to make up for what we've done—please... let us go..."
All six were on their knees, shaking like leaves in a storm, their voices filled with desperation.
On the other side of the bay, the mermaids watched the surreal scene unfold.
They were stunned.
Their pupils contracted, and their faces were filled with disbelief.
"W-What's going on?!"
"Those damn humans... why are they all kneeling?"
"A-Are they actually begging him for forgiveness?!"
"Who are these people?! Why are even those pirates terrified of them?!"
These were pirates who weren't even afraid of the Fish-Man Island patrol army.
Even under constant surveillance and the threat of the guards, they had dared to cause chaos.
They had kidnapped mermaids and, when caught, resisted with violence before escaping into the depths of the island.
But now?
They hadn't been attacked, hadn't even been threatened.
And yet these fearless thugs were groveling at the feet of this mysterious man?
Just how powerful and terrifying was this Kronos?
The mermaids were in shock.
Their eyes shifted to Kronos and his companions, a new layer of dread settling in.
But Kronos remained calm and unmoved.
Looking at the kneeling pirates, he spoke coldly.
"This is the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates. The mermaids are under their protection... not mine."
He paused for a beat, then added with a faint smile.
"At least... not yet."
Upon hearing this, the six pirates looked up in disbelief.
Hope sparked in their eyes.
But instead of celebrating, they remained on their knees, bowing deeply.
"T-Thank you!"
"Thank you so much!!!"
On the other side, the mermaids were stunned again.
He was letting them go?
Kronos—the man who had struck fear into six ruthless pirates without lifting a finger—was just... letting them go?
One of the mermaids couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward in a panic.
"W-Wait! Wait a minute!"
"They said they'd return Lily-chan if you let them go!"
"I… We're not asking you to punish them..."
"But... at least... please make sure they bring our friend back—please, bring Lily-chan back to us!!"
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