"But isn't that what a pirate does? Take what they want, kill who they must, and follow orders without question," Bellamy said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. In his mind, this was the very essence of piracy. As a self-styled captain of the Bellamy Pirates and once a proud follower of Donquixote Doflamingo, he had long internalized the idea that cruelty and strength were a pirate's greatest virtues.
"Hmph, this is the first time I've seen someone justify killing like it's some noble code what a pathetic excuse for a man," Rin sneered coldly. "Fine then, let's keep it simple you two, fight each other. A duel to the death. Whoever wins, I'll let him walk free." Rin's expression didn't waver. He had given Anilu the earlier command to keep one of them alive precisely for this moment he wanted to observe how they would act under pressure, not as warriors, but as desperate men.
"Duel?" Bellamy echoed bitterly, instantly realizing the trap. Rin wanted them to turn on each other like dogs, and he cursed internally. He didn't show it on his face, but he knew exactly what was happening.
"Really!" Saqis, the Great Dagger, perked up like a man drowning who'd just spotted driftwood. To him, Rin's offer was a thread of salvation. He gritted his teeth and clung to the hope that Rin might be sincere kill Bellamy, and earn his freedom. But deep down, even Saqis had his doubts. Would Rin Pandora really let him live, even if he won? Wasn't it more likely he'd be executed next, once his use was up?
"Saqis! Don't be fooled by him! Even if you and I fight to the death, he's not letting the survivor go. Can't you see? He's just playing with us!" Bellamy warned, his voice sharp and steady. He knew how this worked Rin was just another man with power, trying to amuse himself by watching desperation and betrayal unfold. Bellamy had lived under Doflamingo long enough to recognize sadistic manipulation when he saw it.
"But we can't beat him, not now," Saqis muttered, his voice torn between fear and grim determination. "I'm sorry, Captain but if there's even a chance, I have to try." He'd made up his mind. He believed Rin's promise and was willing to trade loyalty for a sliver of survival.
"Saqis! You…" Bellamy's heart sank. He never expected Saqis one of his own crew to fall so quickly to fear. But then again, was Bellamy really any different? Wasn't he himself once a man who'd followed Doflamingo, laughing at weakness and mocking dreams? Now he was on the receiving end of it. Perhaps he deserved it.
"Captain, take this!" Saqis suddenly lunged with his signature dagger, aiming a sharp, deadly strike toward Bellamy. The blade came fast and wild.
"You!" Bellamy rolled to the side, barely dodging in time. Saqis's dagger slashed into the wooden deck with explosive force, slicing through the planks and leaving a jagged gash that exposed the water sloshing beneath. The strength behind the blow was real Saqis wasn't holding back.
"Saqis, stop! Don't fall for his bait! You really think Rin's going to let you live?" Bellamy shouted, his voice rising with both panic and fury. He had seen this play out before, in the cruel theater of pirates who betrayed their comrades for the slimmest hope of escape.
"YAAAH!" Saqis responded only with a roar and another downward slash, this time aimed at Bellamy's head. Bellamy caught his arm at the last second, straining with every ounce of strength to hold back the dagger from finding its mark.
"Captain!" Saqis suddenly whispered, low enough for only Bellamy to hear. "Ribath still has a fog bomb left he kept it from the last raid in Loguetown. I'll distract Rin. You grab it and go." The sudden change in tone hit Bellamy like a wave. Everything—the wild attacks, the betrayal, the fury had been an act. Saqis had risked it all to pass on this one piece of crucial information.
"Saqis… you…" Bellamy froze. A second ago, he was sure his crewman had turned on him. But now? Now he realized Saqis had stayed loyal all along, risking his life to help his captain escape. Everything had been a performance, played out under the eyes of Rin who remained unaware, watching from afar, believing the two were still locked in genuine combat.
In truth, Saqis had played the part of a traitor to perfection all to give his captain a fighting chance.
Suddenly, Saqis's entire body collapsed backwards.his movement was deliberate, as he allowed himself to fall in a way that appeared accidental. The motion not only drew attention but also allowed him to shove Bellamy forcefully toward the lifeless body of Ribas, whose head had been severed earlier by Rin's strike creating a critical opportunity.
"Bang!" Bellamy's hand darted toward Ribas's belt, where the unused smoke bomb from their previous ambush on the South Blue merchant convoy still remained. He yanked it free and smashed it onto the deck, and in the next moment, dense smoke erupted across the pirate ship, blinding everyone's vision.
"Captain, run! I'll hold them off!" the Great Dagger Saqis shouted, his voice full of grit and urgency. He had scrambled back to his feet and, seeing the smoke engulf the battlefield, dashed directly at Rin without hesitation, determined to be the shield that would allow Bellamy to escape.
"Oh? Self-sacrifice?" Rin's golden eyes narrowed slightly in the mist. He hadn't expected such loyalty from the Great Dagger. Only now did the pieces fit together Saqis and Bellamy had staged their duel, an act carefully constructed to retrieve Ribas's smoke bomb and set this escape in motion.
Emerging in the haze with the movements of a trained killer, Saqis used the brief moment of confusion to his advantage. Drawing on muscle memory and instinct, he found Rin's location within the smoke, raised his curved dagger high, and swung with lethal force aiming directly for Rin's neck in a bold attempt to end it all in one strike.
"Bell!" Rin sensed the incoming threat. In a blink, he reached into his dimensional space ring and drew his thunder blade, a weapon that shimmered with condensed lightning, just in time to block the ambush from Saqis.
"Anilu go after that rat that got away!" Rin ordered sharply without breaking eye contact, referring to Bellamy who had vanished into the thick mist.
"Yes, Captain!" Enel responded without hesitation. With his Logia Lightning body giving him enhanced speed, he flashed in the direction Bellamy had fled, aiming to catch him before he could escape too far.
"When, when did you draw that sword?" Saqis stammered, disbelief on his face. He hadn't seen Rin make a single move and yet now the blade was in Rin's hand, as if summoned by sheer will.
"Hmph, no need for you to understand that. Just die!" Rin sneered. With a single swing of his Thunder Calamity Blade, he slashed toward Saqis, who instinctively raised his own massive dagger to block. But the power behind Rin's blade was overwhelming Saqis's weapon split cleanly down the middle, shattered by the raw force and electrical discharge.
"This… this can't be…" The Great Dagger Saqis's voice trembled. His weapon, his only hope, had been destroyed. He stared at the broken hilt in his hand, realizing he was completely exposed.
"Death throes draw cut!" Rin sheathed his blade with a sharp click. Then, in a flash, he pulled it free once more in a single fluid motion, releasing a wave of concentrated sword energy. The air cracked as the shockwave carved through the mist like a reaper's scythe.
Saqis didn't even have time to react. His head was severed in a heartbeat, tumbling to the deck with a dull thud. Blood erupted from his neck in a geyser, identical to the fate that had befallen Ribas earlier shooting nearly three meters into the air and staining the deck crimson.
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