Loguetown was engulfed in flames.
Countless pirates rampaged through the streets, chasing down panicked fleeing residents and killing them with cruel laughter.
"Please, spare me and my child."
A woman holding a baby lay on the ground, her face pleading as she begged the pirate to let her go, or at least spare her child.
"Don't worry, I'll send your child to join you." The pirate grinned and raised his sword.
At that moment, a dark shadow leaped out from a nearby alley, pouncing on the pirate and knocking him to the ground.
Dazed from the fall, the pirate barely had time to react before a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp fangs filled his vision.
"Ah!"
The pirate let out a despairing scream. Before his consciousness faded into darkness, he saw several more dark figures darting out of the alley, charging toward the other pirates slaughtering civilians.
"Maybe Gol D. Roger had his reasons for starting the Great Pirate Era, but creating so many brutal pirates means he deserves to die a hundred times over."
Reddy held the hands of Ark and Mia as he stepped out of the alley, his expression grim.
The once-bustling Loguetown had turned into a bloody hell.
The streets were littered with the bodies of civilians killed by the pirates.
The elderly, women, children, even infants—all had fallen victim to the pirates' savagery.
A blood-stained newspaper drifted by, stopping at Reddy's feet.
He let go of Ark's hand, bent down, and picked it up. After a quick glance, he muttered to himself, "So this is the incident where Black Arm Zephyr lost his hand."
The incident of Black Arm Zephyr losing his hand had a massive impact.
The Navy Headquarters lost one of its top-tier fighters, severely damaging morale and greatly reducing the Navy's deterrence.
The current chaos in Loguetown was likely the result of pirates who had been hiding in fear now unleashing their darkness.
The five Gene War Wolves nimbly hunted down one pirate after another in the streets.
Their bodies were covered in glossy black scales so tough that blades couldn't even leave a scratch.
Their sharp fangs and dagger-like claws could easily tear through the pirates' fragile bodies.
"So cool."
Ark watched as the five Gene War Wolves slaughtered the pirates like cutting vegetables, his excitement growing.
"Doctor Reddy is the best."
Mia, still holding Reddy's hand, proudly raised her chin as if she herself had killed those pirates.
Reddy looked down at the woman who had begged the pirate for mercy.
She was already dead, but a trace of relief and gratitude remained on her face.
The baby in her arms, perhaps sensing its mother's death, began to wail.
Reddy bent down and picked up the infant, gently rocking the swaddled child as he said solemnly, "Let's go. Hopefully, we can save more people."
The three of them, plus the baby, followed the five Gene War Wolves as they advanced.
"Help! Save me!"
"These monsters can't be killed! Someone help!"
"Devils! They must have been released by devils!"
The situation had now reversed. The pirates who had once slaughtered civilians without mercy were now being ruthlessly hunted by the five Gene War Wolves.
These five LV4 Gene War Wolves were created by Reddy using wolf genes as a base, combined with specific genetic sequences from pangolins and bears, resulting in these merciless war machines.
Based on Reddy's tests, LV4 was roughly equivalent to the combat strength of a Navy Ensign.
They possessed the physique and claws of bears, the scales of pangolins, and the pack mentality of wolves.
Whenever they encountered a pirate strong enough to hold off one Gene War Wolf, the others would immediately abandon their own targets and converge for a coordinated attack.
In just one strike, they could tear their prey apart before dispersing to hunt other targets.
As the wolves drove the pirates further away, Reddy would step forward to collect blood samples from the stronger pirates, storing them in his gene bank.
"Someday, I'll become a Devil Fruit user too."
Ark watched as Reddy drew a tube of blood from a corpse, making it vanish like magic, and swore with envy.
Only those who had truly suffered understood the importance of strength.
Gunfire erupted from ahead.
Reddy whistled sharply, and the five Gene War Wolves immediately abandoned their targets and returned to his side.
"The Navy's here. Let's end this chaos."
Ark, eager to help, volunteered to lead the way, occasionally reaching out to touch one of the Gene War Wolves and giggling to himself.
Only now did he show the same innocence and simplicity as other children his age.
...
Loguetown was known as the Town of Beginnings and Endings.
It was home to many former pirates who had been beaten down by reality, as well as countless current pirates dreaming of conquering the Grand Line.
When news of Black Arm Zephyr's injury reached here, the pirate captains tacitly agreed to make a big splash, proving the reputation of the weakest sea.
These people were the perfect candidates.
But the pirate captains who had survived long enough to reach Loguetown weren't complete fools.
Their goal was only to create a big incident, using bloodshed to boost their bounties.
By the time the Navy reinforcements arrived, most pirate captains had already returned to their ships with their trusted crew and new recruits, raising their black flags and preparing to set sail.
When Reddy and the two children arrived at the docks with the five Gene War Wolves, only two pirate ships remained.
Pirates swarmed like ants, hauling stolen goods back to their ships.
At the sight of Reddy's group, murmurs spread among the pirates.
"It's the Red Wolf Pirates and the Sharp Blade Pirates."
Ark, being the oldest, had taken care of the other orphans and heard many rumors from the townsfolk. He recognized the two crews immediately.
"Red Wolf Captain Arthur has a bounty of 1.5 million Berries. Sharp Blade Captain Joseph has a bounty of 1 million Berries..."
Ark gulped, instinctively gripping Reddy's coat.
Bounties didn't always reflect a pirate's strength, but any pirate with a bounty was definitely dangerous.
"2.5 Million Berries total. That should be enough for you two to live on for a while." Reddy whistled, and the five Gene War Wolves charged onto the docks.
Ark looked up at Reddy in surprise, realizing he intended to leave.
But Mia, oblivious, cheered excitedly for the Gene War Wolves.
"What the hell are these things? Kill them!"
Even though these two crews had more firearms than the pirates still slaughtering civilians in town, their bullets couldn't pierce the wolves' scales.
The five Gene War Wolves tore through the pirates, leaving a trail of blood and scattered loot.
"Who's doing this?!"
A red-haired man in a captain's hat leaped from the deck onto the docks, slashing back one of the wolves with his sword.
"Red Wolf, before the Navy gets here, take them out!"
From the other ship, a dual-wielding man jumped down, driving back another wolf with a flurry of strikes.
The remaining three wolves abandoned their targets and closed in for the hunt.
Captain Arthur "Red Wolf" and Captain Joseph "Sharp Blade" were indeed stronger than ordinary pirates, but this was still the East Blue, the weakest sea.
Five LV4 Gene War Wolves working together far surpassed the combined strength of five Navy Ensigns.
The two pirate captains lasted only ten more minutes before their throats were torn out.
Two of the wolves returned to Reddy's side, each carrying a corpse in their jaws.
The other three continued clearing out the remaining pirates on the docks.
"Let's go. They'll catch up."
Reddy, still holding the baby, turned away. Ark hesitated before calling out, "Are you planning to leave Loguetown?"