Although Kaido is often portrayed as a reckless brute, he is actually shrewd and strategic. However, Ayr seriously suspects that young Kaido was once naive—perhaps his cunning nature developed only after experiencing numerous defeats in his youth.
"So what?" Kaido asked, eyes narrowing.
"If my guess is correct, Edward should also be on Hive Island. It's going to be tough for just the two of us to face all four of them," Ayr explained.
"What are you suggesting, then?"
"Run."
Leaving those words behind, Ayr stomped the ground and bolted toward Whitebeard's direction.
Kaido shot a glance at the incoming Marines and quickly followed suit.
"Hey, Ayr, don't think you can just escape Hive Island today!" Sengoku's voice boomed behind them.
"You're not getting away this time, Ayr! I'm finally gonna knock you out!" Garp shouted, his fist clenched in excitement.
Ayr ignored them and kept running. But before he could reach Whitebeard's location, he encountered a familiar face—Byrnndi Wald.
Byrnndi Wald, who had been plotting his escape, turned and immediately fumed at the sight of Ayr.
"Ayr! I told you the next time I saw you, I'd make you pay! And now you dare to appear before me?!"
"Tsk, what luck… we just separated, and here we are again," Ayr muttered.
Not long ago, Byrnndi Wald had sworn revenge. Now, fate had already brought them face-to-face once more.
But Ayr had no time for him—he rushed past, with Kaido following closely.
"Don't run, you bastard!" Byrnndi Wald roared, ready to give chase. But then—
A chilling sensation ran through him as he sensed four incredibly powerful presences. He turned around and saw them.
"Garp…?"
The moment Byrnndi Wald spotted the Marine hero, his face twisted in recognition. He had fought Garp before and knew firsthand that the man was no joke.
But then his gaze landed on the others.
Sengoku.
Zephyr.
Crane.
"Four of them…?" Byrnndi Wald's pupils shrank violently.
Now he understood why Ayr had been running.
These weren't just any Marines—these were the top Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters.
Realizing the danger, Byrnndi Wald cursed and immediately followed after Ayr.
"Ayr, you bastard! Why the hell did you bring these Marines to me?!" he yelled as he ran.
Today was an absolute disaster. If not for Ayr, Byrnndi Wald would have already seized everything at the auction, and his crew wouldn't have been wiped out. And now? He was being hunted by some of the strongest Marines alive.
The sheer bad luck made Byrnndi Wald want to kill Ayr more than ever.
"Let's join forces," Ayr suggested, glancing back. "You already know this isn't just any Marine operation."
Marine Marshal.
Three Admirals.
Four top Vice Admirals.
They had all gathered here.
The only chance of survival was through cooperation.
"You son of a…! Once we get out of here, I'll deal with you personally!" Byrnndi Wald growled.
"Fine. But first—do you want to live or not?" Ayr shot back.
"…Tch! You're insufferable!" Byrnndi Wald clicked his tongue in frustration but didn't reject the offer. Survival took precedence over revenge.
The trio—Ayr, Kaido, and Byrnndi Wald—finally arrived at Whitebeard's location. However, what Ayr saw surprised him.
Not only was Whitebeard there, but so were Golden Lion and Charlotte Linlin.
Golden Lion raised an eyebrow at their arrival. "Ayr? What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same thing. What's going on?" Ayr responded.
"We were ordered by Captain Rocks to find a young man named Kaido," Charlotte Linlin explained.
"…Kaido?"
Ayr turned to Kaido in surprise. So this was how he ended up with the Rocks Pirates? Unlike other rookies who fought for a place, Kaido was personally scouted by Rocks.
Something clicked in Ayr's mind. "Where's Captain Rocks? Is he here too?"
If Rocks was on Hive Island, their survival odds would skyrocket.
But—
"Captain Rocks isn't here. He just sent us three," Golden Lion said, shaking his head.
Ayr's stomach dropped.
"…I guess I have to use the Six Paths Sage Mode experience card today," he thought grimly.
With the sheer number of Marine powerhouses gathered, escaping without it might be impossible.
Whitebeard finally spoke. "Ayr, the kid next to you… he's Kaido, isn't he?"
Ayr nodded. "Yeah, I found him. But getting out of here is the real problem."
"It's just a bunch of Marines. They won't stop us," Golden Lion said with a smirk.
Ayr blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
Just Marines?
Did Golden Lion not realize who they were up against?
Today, the Marine Fleet Admiral, three Admirals, and four of the strongest Vice Admirals were all here.
And yet Golden Lion had the nerve to say they "couldn't stop them"?
"Alright then," Ayr muttered. "Let's see you take them all on yourself."
Just as they spoke, Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Crane arrived at their location.
Sengoku's expression darkened. "Ayr… Byrnndi Wald… Kaido… Edward… Shiki… Charlotte Linlin… all in one place?"
Garp grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Looks like we hit the jackpot! Time to wipe out the Rocks Pirates!"
Zephyr, ever the strategist, frowned. "We need to report this to Fleet Admiral Kong immediately. The four of us alone won't be enough to handle this."
Ayr exhaled sharply.
"This is bad."
It was one thing to face an Admiral or a Vice Admiral. But all of them at once? Even the combined forces of the Rocks Pirates would struggle against this.
The only option left…
Was to fight their way out.
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