Story Quote: "Strength wins battles. Strategy wins wars. But only trust keeps men alive long enough to see victory."
-The Southern Harbor-
Smoke drifted over the southern docks of Petalhaven. What once bustled with trade was now a Marine stronghold—barricades of timber and sea stone, snipers stationed on canopy bridges, and cages stacked like merchandise along the boardwalk.
The captured Verdalians—those too weak to escape the previous night's raid—were chained near the water's edge. Behind them, Marines patrolled in organized ranks, their faces hard and tired.
Atop the command post, Captain Nareen barked orders into a transponder snail.
"I want every exit sealed. Those pirates think they can hide in my jungle? We'll drown them in their own gas."
His voice crackled through the radios of every stationed unit. Beneath him, his soldiers gripped their rifles tighter.
They were scared. But they were desperate—and desperate soldiers fight hardest.
From the tree line, Kino and Jett crouched side by side, observing the harbor. The air smelled of gunpowder and salt.
"At least a hundred men," Kino muttered, watching through his spyglass. "Snipers on the high beams, sea stone nets over the cages, and those cannons—reinforced barrels. They're not taking chances.""Good," Jett said, cracking his neck. "Wouldn't be fun if they were."
Kino shot him a dry look. "You do realize we're outnumbered, right?"
"Yeah," Jett grinned. "But they're outmatched."
Kino smirked despite himself. "Alright, hammerhead. You want chaos, you'll have it. I'll handle the strategy; you handle the breaking."
"Deal," Jett said, hefting his weapon. "Let's go wake 'em up."
The attack began at dawn.
Jett charged from the eastern ridge, hammer blazing with Armament Haki, smashing through a barricade with enough force to splinter the entire wall. The explosion of debris and panic drew every rifle in the harbor.
"Pirates! Pirates on the east flank!"
As bullets rained down, Kino dashed from the opposite side, slicing through ropes and rigging with precision. His blade reflected the sunrise, movements almost too fast to follow.
He struck without wasted effort—disabling, disarming, dismantling. Each motion calculated. Each kill deliberate.
"He's cutting the net supports!""Reinforce the prisoners' line!"
But Kino was already gone, a blur of movement through the chaos.
Jett bellowed as he slammed his hammer into the ground, creating shockwaves that sent Marines flying.
"Oi! You boys ever heard of teamwork?" he roared. "'Cause me and my buddy here invented it!"
Nareen's voice cut through the din, furious.
"Capture the slaves! Use them as shields! Do not let those pirates near the cages!"
Marines obeyed immediately, dragging terrified Verdalians toward the docks. Kino's heart clenched. He moved faster, cutting down every rope that bound them.
A bullet whizzed past his cheek. Another grazed his shoulder. He didn't flinch.
"Jett!" Kino shouted. "Drive them back from the shoreline!""On it!"
Jett swung his hammer upward, striking a cargo crane. The impact sent its entire arm collapsing, dropping tons of metal debris between the Marines and their hostages.
The freed Verdalians scrambled to safety. Kino covered them, his blade flashing as he deflected bullets midair.
"You think this is mercy?" Nareen's voice thundered across the docks. "You think you're heroes?!"
Kino turned, eyes narrowing. "No. We're pirates who know the difference between greed and survival."
Nareen leapt from his platform, his sword coated in black Armament Haki. His strength was real—raw, practiced, dangerous. He met Jett head-on, their weapons clashing in an explosion of force that shook the dock.
The two exchanged blows that sent waves through the water. Each strike cracked planks and splintered supports.
"You're strong," Jett admitted, grinning through blood. "I like that.""You're reckless," Nareen growled. "I hate that."
Meanwhile, Kino fought three officers at once, their movements coordinated and disciplined. He weaved through them like a storm of steel—swift, minimal, lethal. But for every man he cut down, two more appeared.
"They're boxing us in!" Mira's voice crackled faintly through Kino's den den mushi. "We're seeing movement in the roots—they're responding to the bloodshed!"
"Then we finish this fast," Kino snapped. "Before the island decides it's hungry again."
Jett's hammer shattered Nareen's guard, sending the captain stumbling back. But before he could deliver the final blow, the captain smirked and pointed upward.
Above them, sea stone nets dropped—massive, glittering traps meant for Devil Fruit users.
"Clever trick," Jett said, glancing at the descending nets. "But you forgot one thing.""And what's that?" Nareen spat."You're standing in saltwater."
He slammed his hammer into the dock's foundation, cracking the supports. The planks gave way, collapsing part of the pier—and dragging Nareen, his men, and the sea stone nets straight into the ocean.
Steam hissed as the nets hit the water, dragging the Marines under.
Kino landed beside Jett, panting. "Not bad for a head-first strategy."
"Hey, I used my brain this time," Jett said with a grin."Barely."
They both laughed, breathless and bloodied. Around them, the last of the Marines fled inland, leaving the harbor in ruins.
The Verdalians—once captives—now stood free, trembling but alive.
Kino sheathed his blade and looked toward the distant palace, where faint red light shimmered through the trees.
"The others should be finishing their part soon.""And the captain?" Jett asked."Heading straight for the king."
As the Gas Chamber Pirates regrouped near the mangroves, the earth trembled.
Roots rose from the soil like serpents, coiling through the wreckage, feeding on the blood spilled in battle. The ground pulsed with that now-familiar heartbeat.
Rumi's words echoed in Kino's mind: "It's breeding."
He looked at Jett grimly. "Then it's time we find out what's giving it life."
Jett tightened his grip on his hammer. "And smash it."