"What happened?" Annie's voice cracked with panic.
The street around them dissolved into chaos.
People screamed, stumbled, and shoved each other, the stampede threatening to trample anyone too slow. Teach shielded Annie with his arm as he pushed through the crowd, scanning the madness.
It didn't take long to catch the whispers...no, the truth.
The Blood Scythe Pirates had landed. Seth Island's port was in ruins.
"Oh no… we have to find Mom first!" Annie's eyes widened in horror. Without hesitation, she darted into a narrow alleyway, dragging Teach by the hand.
She knew these streets like the back of her hand. Within minutes, they reached the dessert shop. The shutters were drawn, the street outside eerily deserted.
"Mom!" Annie's voice broke as she spotted a familiar figure at the doorway. Her mother spun around, tears spilling freely, relief overtaking her terrified expression.
The two embraced, clinging to each other as though afraid the other might vanish.
Meanwhile, at the shattered port, Vice Admiral Anthony landed lightly on the rubble, his gaze sweeping over what had once been a thriving hub of trade. Now it was fire, screams, and blood.
The sight carved fury into his chest.
"Hahaha! No one can stop me!" Barton bellowed, his massive frame drenched in blood. With a casual swing of his scythe-arm, he cut down a wounded civilian who had dared to crawl away.
Anthony's jaw tightened. "Six Powers Secret Art—Tempest Kick: Great Windmill!"
In an instant, he appeared before Barton, his right leg blackened with Haki. He swept a massive crescent slash straight at the pirate captain.
Barton's instincts flared. Both arms morphed into blood-colored scythes, gleaming with Armament Haki. He crossed them just in time, sparks shrieking against the incoming strike.
The slash shattered against his guard, dust erupting. Barton skidded back but stood firm.
"Tch. As expected, a Vice Admiral stationed in the New World isn't simple," Barton growled, his lips curling into a cruel smile.
"And you..." Anthony surged forward, his fists hardened in black steel. "...won't let you rampage on my watch! Steel Fist: Bone Crusher!"
His fist crashed into Barton's abdomen.
The impact boomed like thunder, hurling the pirate hundreds of meters back.
Barton plowed through the ruins before slamming into a boulder, the stone shattering around him.
"Damn Marine…" Barton staggered up, blood dripping from his mouth. And yet he laughed. "That punch was good. You're far stronger than the trash that tried to corner me before."
He pointed both scythes at Anthony. The two clashed again, each collision shattering buildings, the battlefield turning into rubble.
Anthony's fists, infused with Haki, hammered relentlessly. But Barton was a mad beast, his scythes sharper than steel, each swing forcing Anthony into dangerous trades.
Still, Anthony's speed gave him the edge. He weaved, struck, countered.
All around them, Marines swarmed the docks, clashing with Barton's men. "Surrender, pirates!" an officer bellowed.
"Surrender?!" a pirate captain roared back, eyes gleaming with bloodlust. "You heard the order. Kill every Marine you see!"
The port descended into full-scale slaughter.
Back on the main field, Barton let out a savage laugh. His scythes crossed, Haki and bloodlust coalescing into a searing crimson slash. "Blood Scythe: Guillotine Slash!"
A cross-shaped wave of destruction ripped through the battlefield, five meters wide, roaring toward Anthony.
"Damn it!" Anthony grit his teeth. At this range, there was no dodging. His muscles tensed. "Six Powers Secret Art—Iron Body: Haki Reinforcement! Six King Gun!"
His body blackened with Haki, fists clashing against the incoming slash.
The explosion consumed everything. Buildings crumbled in a hundred-meter radius, the shockwave swallowing Marine and pirate alike.
When the dust cleared, Anthony stood panting, his chest gashed with a bleeding cross. But he was alive.
"Life Return," he muttered, forcing his body to burn through stamina, sealing wounds and restoring his stance. His glare locked on Barton. "This fight isn't over."
Barton sneered only to be interrupted by a furious roar.
"You destroyed my ship, you bastard!" A pirate captain charged with his saber raised high. He never reached Barton. One casual swing, and Barton's scythe carved straight through his torso.
"Pathetic," Barton spat, grinding his heel into the corpse. "The weak don't deserve dreams."
Even his own men shivered. Some turned and ran, unwilling to test their captain's wrath. Barton's eyes burned, his scythes dripping blood as he hunted down even fleeing allies.
Back on the streets near the dessert shop, Annie's reunion was cut short.
"Run! They're coming this way!" Mobius's voice cracked as he appeared with a gang of armed orphans. Dozens of kids, weapons trembling in their hands, stood behind him.
"This street is too close to the port," he said urgently. "We have to move, or we're dead."
But their group was too large. Pirates spotted them almost immediately.
"Haha! A pack of rats trying to escape!" a squad leader laughed, pointing his saber. "Chase them down, don't let them get away!"
The Blood Scythe Pirates thundered forward.
Mobius froze, then planted his feet. He turned, raising his battered saber. "Everyone, run. I'll hold them off."
"Mobius, no!" Annie screamed.
"You must survive!" Mobius didn't look back. He charged.
"Boss Mobius, we'll fight too!" Several of the boys ran beside him, blades trembling but spirits burning.
The pirates only laughed. "Wahaha! Brave little brats, offering yourselves up!" One vanished from sight, reappearing before Mobius in a blur. The kick slammed into the boy's chest, hurling him across the street.
"Mobius!" The orphans cried out, rushing to his side.
Blood poured from his mouth. His chest caved in, ribs shattered. Still, Mobius dragged himself up, using his saber as a crutch. His legs shook, but his spirit didn't.
The pirate captain sneered. "So you're their backbone, huh? Let's see how they break when I gut you."
The children screamed, charging with what little strength they had left. One by one, they were swatted aside, beaten into the dirt.
The pirate strolled up to Mobius, savoring every moment. The boy roared, swinging his saber with all his might. The blade was caught easily. Another brutal kick smashed him into the ground, this time unmoving.
The pirates jeered, the children wept—
And then a calm voice cut through the carnage.
"Enough."
Teach stepped forward, shadows creeping at his feet.