Torrential rain poured from the sky, and fierce winds howled across the sea.
The Marine warships quickly closed the distance to the black vessel. The strange ship had never attempted to flee — instead, it hovered nearby, as if deliberately waiting for them.
This only fueled Captain Morgan's rage.
> "Closer! I want the gangplanks ready!" he bellowed.
"I'll jump aboard and take the captain's head myself!"
Lieutenant Commander Ripper relayed the order at once.
The ships continued their approach. The Marines now clearly saw the battered, patched hull of the black ship. It gave off an air of rot and decay. Barnacles clung to the keel like parasitic growths — the sight alone sent shivers down their spines.
> Could this really be a pirate ship?
What kind of pirates would sail something so decrepit? It looked like a derelict, barely held together — as though it had once sunk, been haphazardly repaired, and set adrift again.
And yet this wreck — this corpse of a ship — had evaded their cannon fire with ease. It was unnatural.
Suddenly—
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—
Strange mechanical sounds echoed across the sea.
To the Marines' shock, several dark cannon ports burst open along the hull and sides of the black ship — their barrels aimed directly at the warships!
Up until this point, the hull had shown no sign of artillery. But now… they were armed and ready to fire.
> Where were these cannons hiding?!
> What kind of trickery—?!
They had no time to react.
Even Morgan was stunned — the overconfident brute now caught completely off guard.
> "Scatter! Break formation! Scatter, all of you!" he shouted in panic.
But his vague command only deepened the chaos. The Marine soldiers panicked, unsure what to do.
Only Lieutenant Commander Ripper, with his years of experience, understood the intent and quickly barked orders for the three ships to veer apart.
But it was too late.
The cannons on the Terror Ghost had already fired.
BOOM!
A shell exploded across the deck of one warship. A Marine screamed as he was flung into the shattered hull.
BOOM!
Another blast tore through the mast, crushing a sailor beneath its splinters — his leg twisted into something inhuman.
Morgan's face twisted in rage and fear.
> "Turn around! You idiots, turn the ship around!"
But no one could hear him.
The rain fell like bullets, and the thunder of cannon fire echoed through the storm — a macabre symphony of destruction.
In mere moments, the first warship's hull ruptured and began taking on water. Marines flung themselves into the sea, shouting for help.
Then the second ship capsized, tilting hard to one side, spilling its crew into the waves like ants from a kicked nest.
And still, the black ship advanced.
Still firing.
Still relentless.
Still not missing.
Morgan squinted through the storm.
> Where were they getting this much ammunition?!
What he didn't know — what none of them could've known — was that this ship, the Terror Ghost, generated its munitions by consuming debris and feeding on fear. The remnants of Alvida's pirate ship, along with the terror David Jones had harvested from their crew, had become the ship's new arsenal.
Compared to standard Marine warships, its firepower was monstrous.
In less than five minutes, two of the three Marine ships had been sunk.
This… was the strength of the Terror Ghost.
Lieutenant Commander Ripper managed to reach Morgan's side. He shouted into the captain's ear over the storm:
> "Captain Morgan! We must abandon ship! We can't win this!"
Morgan clenched his teeth.
Even he had to admit — this battle was lost. If they didn't jump now, they wouldn't even make it to shore.
But the thought of retreat was unbearable.
To flee meant humiliation. Defeat. The collapse of his entire persona as the "invincible Axe-Hand Morgan."
> No. There must be a way to salvage this.
Unless…
Unless he could recreate that legendary moment — the night he'd single-handedly captured Captain Kuro.
> Yes! If I can take down the enemy captain… no one will question the loss of a few ships! The ship itself will become mine — reforged into the Navy's mightiest vessel!
> Reputation, glory, wealth, promotion… they'll all be mine!
His eyes lit up with mad determination.
Ripper stared, confused and unnerved by the look on Morgan's face.
Morgan ignored him. Ignored everyone.
Without warning, he turned and strode toward the ship's edge, rain pounding his metal jaw and axe-hand.
Ripper's heart dropped.
> He's really going to board it?! Has he gone mad?!
Unable to tolerate it anymore, Ripper shouted:
> "ABANDON SHIP! All hands, abandon ship!"
Whether they heard him or not, the Marines jumped like stones into the sea.
Moments later, the third and final warship suffered a direct hit to its hull — and began to sink.
Ripper dove in, swimming hard until he grabbed hold of some drifting debris. He surfaced, coughing, and looked up.
The black ship was still coming.
Then — something terrifying happened.
The broken hulls, splintered planks, and metal scraps from the warships were being sucked into the Terror Ghost, as if pulled by an invisible whirlpool.
The bottom of the ship opened like a gaping maw — devouring the remains without hesitation.
> What… what is that thing?!
Ripper's heart pounded in his chest.
He shouted to his men:
> "Swim to shore! NOW!"
Diving deep like a dolphin, he surfaced and paddled furiously toward Shells Town. The other Marines followed suit, swimming for their lives.
---
On the bow of the Thriller Bark, Davy Jones raised a hand.
The cannons fell silent.
There was no point in continuing the bombardment. He had no interest in killing the Marines — at least not yet.
So long as they lived, he could continue feeding on their fear.
On deck, Alvida and Koby stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the scene they had just witnessed.
Koby's mind reeled.
He had told Davy Jones about the island in the hopes that the Marines stationed there would defeat him. He had placed all his faith in the Navy's justice.
But now?
> The Navy was routed — utterly humiliated!
> How could this happen?
That was justice. That was supposed to be strength.
Unless…
Koby couldn't speak. His throat tightened.
> Unless… he really is the "Demon of the Deep"...
He felt something crack inside.
Alvida, meanwhile, was paralyzed with terror. Her pirate crew had always run at the mere sight of a Navy ship — yet Davy Jones had faced three and emerged completely unscathed.
> What kind of monster is he?!
Then, a wet, heavy sound — THUD — echoed on the deck.
A tall, drenched man had climbed aboard the Terror Ghost and landed with a stomp.
It was Captain Morgan.
Of course, Davy Jones had sensed him. The ship was an extension of himself. Nothing moved on it without his awareness.
But he wasn't concerned.
Morgan stood there, gripping his massive axe-hand, scanning the ship in disbelief.
> Three people?
A pink-haired kid…
A pockmarked, obese woman…
And a fish-headed man with tentacles?
> You're telling me… just these three destroyed my entire fleet?!
His fury erupted.
Face red, eyes wild, Morgan roared and charged across the deck, axe raised.
Koby shrieked and bolted, diving behind the mast for cover.
> How could this be justice?!
> How could a Marine be this grotesque?!
Alvida, disarmed and helpless, stumbled backward in fear — and in her panic, accidentally stepped on Davy Jones's foot.
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