At the same time, another pirate lunged at Ayr, sword raised.
SLASH!
Ayr cut him down in one swift stroke.
These pirates—while not weak—were nothing in front of him.
"Who the hell are you, bastard?!"
A pirate under Byrnndi Wald, one with a 600 million Berries bounty, watched in horror as two of his comrades fell like insects.
But instead of attacking Ayr directly, he lunged forward—aiming for his mask.
"Shuh!!!"
Ayr swung down.
A severed arm flew through the air.
CLANG.
Ayr's mask tumbled to the ground.
For a brief moment, Ayr was startled.
This pirate had been willing to lose an arm just to see his face?
Then—
"Y-YOU... You're Ayr...!!"
The pirate staggered back.
His face drained of all color.
Pain forgotten, his breath ragged, he stammered:
"Rocks Pirates... c-cadre Ayr?!"
Silence spread across the auction house.
The pirate looked like he had seen a demon.
Because in a way—he had.
Ayr.
One of the most feared men in the world.
If he was here…
Then did that mean the entire Rocks Pirates were on Hive Island?!
The Byrnndi Wald Pirates, though infamous, would never dare challenge the Rocks.
Their terror wasn't just because of Ayr.
It was because of the monster standing behind him—Rocks D. Xebec.
"Shit..."
"It really is Ayr...!!"
"No wonder he's so strong—he's one of the Rocks Pirates' top men!"
"1.5 BILLION Berries bounty... it's HIM!"
"I've heard rumors. They say Ayr is the most talented fighter in the Rocks Pirates… Some even say he might surpass Rocks himself!"
"I never thought I'd see him here!"
Shock rippled through the auction.
A moment ago, they had been doubting Ayr's strength.
Now, everything made sense.
Ayr ignored the commotion.
He calmly sheathed his blade.
Then, he bent down, picking up the Supreme Grade blade that had been on display.
And finally, he grabbed the treasure chest containing the three Devil Fruits and other stolen items Byrnndi Wald had auctioned off.
Then—
They vanished.
The moment Ayr touched them, they disappeared into thin air.
But in reality—
They had been absorbed into Ayr's spiritual world, linked with Kurama.
---
Meanwhile—
Kaido, still fighting Byrnndi Wald, was getting pummeled.
His face was swollen, his body battered.
And yet—he refused to fall.
"It was YOU, Ayr!" Byrnndi Wald growled.
The moment he had been attacked, Byrnndi Wald had known his enemy wasn't ordinary.
But he hadn't expected this.
Ayr's presence changed everything.
And that terrified him.
Because if Ayr was here…
Then was Rocks here, too?!
If Rocks himself was on Hive Island, then Byrnndi Wald was doomed.
---
Ayr smirked.
"Good job, Kaido."
Kaido wiped the blood from his mouth.
He wasn't stupid.
Ayr had used him as bait.
While Kaido distracted Byrnndi Wald, Ayr had taken everything.
"YOU BASTARD!!" Kaido roared.
He wasn't even surprised that Ayr had been his ally all along.
What pissed him off was that Ayr hadn't told him a damn thing.
And now—Ayr had stolen all the rewards.
"Ayr!" Byrnndi Wald's voice cut through the tension.
A long silence followed.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Let's split the loot."
The crowd froze.
Even Kaido blinked in confusion.
"What?"
Byrnndi Wald's expression was unreadable.
"Half and half. You get the other items. I take the Devil Fruits and the sword."
For a man like Byrnndi Wald to negotiate instead of fighting—
It was clear he was uneasy.
He wasn't scared of Ayr.
He was scared of Rocks.
Because if Rocks himself was here… Byrnndi Wald wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
Ayr chuckled.
"You must be joking."
Byrnndi Wald's face darkened.
"You bastard, don't push your luck. Hand over the sword and the Devil Fruits—"
His killing intent flared.
"Or you won't be leaving this island alive."
Ayr met his gaze.
"If you want them…"
He smirked.
"Come and take them."
"YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!"
Byrnndi Wald exploded with rage.
Veins bulged across his body.
His Devil Fruit powers surged.
"MOMO MOMO NO MI... FIVE TIMES FASTER!!!"
He vanished.
A second later—
BOOM!!!
He was in front of Ayr.
His fist surged forward, ready to obliterate him.
But—
"RUMBLE—!!!"
A massive quake shook the entire auction house.
The ceiling collapsed.
"BOOOOM!!!"
The entire building came crashing down.
Debris buried everyone inside.
Smoke filled the air.
---
Meanwhile—
On the coast of Hive Island…
Marine battleships.
Not one.
Not two.
More than a dozen.
Docked on the shores, their cannons were already firing.
And on the flagship…
A man stood tall.
Marshal Brownie of the Navy.
Behind him—
The three Marine Admirals.
Kong.
Zhenwu.
Saber.
Their arms crossed, watching as Hive Island burned.
"ROCKS!!"
Marshal Brownie's voice boomed.
A twisted smile spread across his lips.
"You've been running for years."
"But today—"
He raised his hand.
"Today, we end this."
A shiver ran through the Marines.
"Today, a poison that has plagued the world… will finally be erased."**
One of the admirals, Blade Tooth, nodded.
"The battle ahead will be brutal."
His fists clenched.
"We have to be prepared for sacrifice."
Because they all knew.
The Rocks Pirates weren't just any crew.
They were monsters.
They had faced them before.
And if they wanted to win this war—
Many of them wouldn't survive.
Garp.
Sengoku.
Zephyr.
Even Brownie himself.
Any one of them could die.
Kong exhaled slowly.
"Then we do it."
Zhenwu grinned.
"As long as we destroy Rocks—"
"Even if I die, I won't regret it."
And with that—
The final war against the Rocks Pirates… had begun.
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