"he Lone Wolf Pirates, the Bloodsword Pirates, and… the remnant of the Golden Lion's forces—Mad Axe Iger Bass." Jack looked at the approaching pirate crews in astonishment.
There were more than ten pirate groups of various sizes, and every one of their captains had bounties exceeding 100 million Berries. Especially Iger Bass, formerly the 11th Division Commander of the Flying Pirates, whose bounty reached 430 million Berries. Others, like One-Eyed Wolf Bartley of the Lone Wolf Pirates and Captain Hermi of the Bloodsword Pirates, were all pirates whose strength rivaled Bath's.
"Hohahahaha! Jack, the treasures of the Kingdom of Jeromeo aren't something you can hog all for yourself!" A burly man over three meters tall stood at the prow of a ship, laughing heartily as he spoke.
"Bass, without the Golden Lion, you're just a stray dog. Instead of hiding away, you actually dare show your face?"
"And you, Bartley, Hermi—you dare rob from me? Have you all thought about how you want to die?" Jack shouted, crazed and cold.
"Newcomers these days are just too arrogant. Let's see if you still feel the same in a moment!" Bass replied coldly, eyes brimming with killing intent.
Ever since the Golden Lion, in a solo assault on Marine Headquarters following Roger's execution, was defeated and captured by Garp and Sengoku, the already weakened Flying Pirates completely collapsed. Bass took the opportunity to break away and form his own crew.
But building a pirate crew requires a lot of money. After hearing that Jack had attacked the Kingdom of Jeromeo and that its nobles and royals had fled with their treasures, Bass set his sights on them.
However, he wasn't the only one. Even though the Kingdom of Jeromeo was a minor nation in the New World, it was famous and rich, known especially for its iron mines.
The moment the nobles fled with their treasure, they drew in a swarm of greedy pirates.
So, barely after setting out to sea, Bass encountered several pirate crews with the same goal. Before they could even catch sight of the royal convoy, the crews started fighting among themselves.
While others were manageable, Bartley of the Lone Wolf Pirates and Hermi of the Bloodsword Pirates were on par with Bass. With additional crews present, the standoff grew tense.
Pressed for time—and knowing Jack had already caught up to the fleeing convoy—the pirate groups agreed to form an alliance and divide the loot based on strength.
Of course, in the eyes of Bass, Bartley, and Hermi, only the three of them truly deserved a share. The rest were just cannon fodder.
"Damn it, Jack! Don't get cocky! There are so many of us here. Be smart—drop the treasure and leave. Otherwise, this place will become your grave!"
Bartley, captain of the Lone Wolf Pirates, pointed at Jack and shouted.
He knew full well Jack's strength and madness—best not to provoke him unless absolutely necessary.
"You trash think you can threaten me? Boys—attack!" Jack barked.
"Kill!"
The Mammoth Fleet launched into action without hesitation, cannon fire thundering toward the allied pirate fleet.
Bass and the others clearly hadn't expected such insanity. Despite being outnumbered, Jack charged in without a second thought. For a moment, the pirates were thrown into disarray.
"Fight back! Destroy Jack!" Bass roared in fury.
He swung his massive axe, and as expected of a former commander of the Flying Pirates, even the air distorted from the force. A huge axe wave split the sea, heading straight for Jack.
But Jack didn't flinch. His bizarre twin scythes blocked the incoming slash with brutal force.
"Hrah!"
With a mighty heave, Jack tore the axe wave apart, scattering its energy into the wind.
"Amazing! That's our Captain Jack!" Jack's crew cheered wildly.
"Hohoho! The mighty Mammoth Jack is nothing special after all!" Bass sneered.
"Die already!"
In a flash, Jack lunged at Bass, slashing wildly with his terrifying scythes.
"Kid, I was ruling the seas while you were still crawling around somewhere!" Bass roared, swinging his axe to clash head-on with Jack.
Boom!
Steel clashed with steel. The scythe and the axe met in a thunderous impact, releasing shockwaves that cracked the decks and sent splinters flying.
Bass felt a shocking force surge through his weapon—a crushing strength unlike anything he'd faced before. His giant axe trembled violently, and despite all his power, he staggered backward three full steps.
"Impossible…"
Bass's face twisted in disbelief. He was known for his monstrous strength—his giant axe wasn't just for show. But somehow, the scythe-wielding Jack had overpowered him in sheer brute force.
"Die, damn you!"
Seizing the upper hand, Jack pressed forward, scythes slashing relentlessly.
"You think you can beat me? I was the 11th Division Commander of the Flying Pirates!"
Bass snarled, refusing to back down as his giant axe met Jack's fury.
"Just a relic of yesterday. The Golden Lion's rotting in Impel Down now—and you? You were just the 11th Division Commander, nothing more," Jack sneered with disdain.
Jack, mad with bloodlust, ignored all defense. His twin scythes slashed down mercilessly toward Bath.
Bass, furious and unyielding, likewise threw caution to the wind. He swung his massive axe with all his might, aiming for Jack's exposed chest.
Blood sprayed as both men landed blows at the same time. Despite their Armament Haki defenses, their weapons pierced through.
Jack's scythe tore into Bass's abdomen, slicing so deep it ripped through his guts. Intestines spilled from the gash, blood raining down.
At the same moment, Bass's axe cleaved through Jack's chest, carving deep into his torso and stomach, leaving a massive, gaping wound.
If not for Jack's monstrous physique—and the shield of Armament Haki—that one blow would've sliced him clean in half.
"Captain Bath!"
"Captain Jack!"
Both crews cried out in shock.
"Gahaha! A double knockout? Well, it is Jack we're talking about. Honestly, this was expected."
Someone chuckled coldly.
That man moved with lightning speed, suddenly appearing beside the wounded captains.
It was One-Eyed Wolf Bartley, captain of the Lone Wolf Pirates.
"Jack, allow me to finish you off."
As he spoke, Bartley's hand turned into a savage wolf's claw, razor-sharp and gleaming.
Swish!
A sudden flash of steel. Jack, whose chest had been split open by Bass just moments ago, now slashed his scythe in a lightning-fast arc.
The attack was vicious, unrelenting. And somehow—his previous injuries were gone.
The massive wound in his belly had vanished without a trace. There was no blood, no exposed flesh—only the torn fabric on his chest remained as evidence the battle had even happened.