Elsewhere, aboard the Mammoth.
After several days of sailing, the Mammoth finally arrived at the G-7 branch base.
From the observation deck, a subordinate shouted,
"Boss Jack, the Marine branch base is right ahead!"
Jack raised his hand, eyes cold and voice stern.
"Everyone, get ready! We're landing on the island. Kill all the Marines and reclaim the Devil Fruit!"
"Yes!"
The pirates howled, eyes shining with bloodlust. After following Jack for so long, they had naturally absorbed some of his brutality.
A few hundred meters from shore, Jack bent his legs, muscles bulging. With a thunderous boom, he launched himself off the deck. The Mammoth rocked violently, nearly capsizing from the recoil.
Jack soared hundreds of meters into the air before crashing down before the Marine base, his landing shaking the ground with explosive force.
This reckless display was meant to make a statement, riding on the reputation of his "old friends." To Jack, nothing could be more intimidating.
"Marines! Get out here!" Jack bellowed. His roar tore through the air like a shockwave, shaking the very atmosphere.
Inside the base, Marines turned pale the moment they heard the voice.
"What's going on?"
"Is this… a pirate attack?!"
Some soldiers scrambled to their feet, rushing outside. From the high watchtower, a panicked sentry's voice rang out:
"Enemy attack! A pirate ship is approaching fast!"
His next words chilled every heart present.
"That flag… it's the Mammoth! Jack the Drought is here — one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates!"
BOOM!
It was as if thunder had struck their souls. The name "Jack the Drought" alone was enough to paralyze countless Marines with fear.
A pirate with a bounty over 700 million berries — what was a monster of that caliber doing in the first half of the Grand Line? And why was he attacking them?
Despair spread like wildfire.
"Quick! Report to Rear Admiral Yuno!"
"What do we do now?!"
"We have to stop them! We can't let them set foot on the island!"
"Justice can't be trampled by pirates!"
Though many Marines quaked with fear, others' eyes burned with determination. Even knowing they couldn't win against such an enemy, they refused to retreat.
The base quickly mobilized. Among the officers who arrived were Smoker and X Drake.
"Jack the Drought… one of Kaido's Three Calamities?" Smoker muttered, taking a deep breath, his face grave.
He hadn't expected to face such a crisis so soon after being stationed at G-7. Could they even hope to withstand such a monster?
Almost instinctively, he thought of one man — Rear Admiral Yuno. Could even he stand against a foe of this level?
X Drake's gaze hardened.
"A bounty of 765 million berries… Just how terrifying is a pirate like that?"
In the New World, any pirate over 500 million was already a top threat. At over 700 million, even an Admiral would need to take him seriously.
Could they possibly survive this?
'So this is what Damon meant…' Yuno thought as Jack's overwhelming presence pressed down on the base.
His keen perception locked onto the massive figure radiating suffocating killing intent.
He also recalled the report from earlier. Damon had not shown the slightest fear when interrogated. Now, Yuno finally understood why.
Not only that, Damon had also shouted:
"You're all idiots, catching us now! You'll all die, hahahaha, every last one of you!"
At the time, Yuno didn't take it too seriously, thinking Damon had simply gone insane after being captured by the Marines.
Now, however, it all made sense.
The Who's-Who Pirates… Who's-Who… the Beasts Pirates… Drought Jack… the Devil Fruit…
Yuno connected the dots in an instant, piecing together the whole story.
Then, he was left speechless. This was truly…
The Three Calamities? I wonder if swordsmanship alone can stand against them. By then, Hyōrinmaru should have already appeared upon the seas…
Since obtaining Hyōrinmaru, Yuno hadn't yet wielded it. Perhaps… this would be the time!
Ice abilities weren't like fire, which could be explained away with relative ease. Even if someone like a dog were to use the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit), it might be suspicious, but still conceivable.
But Yuno? His naval record was spotless—it was impossible for anyone to believe he had suddenly obtained a Devil Fruit.
Claiming he'd eaten one before joining the Marines was also unwise—it would only raise doubts about his character.
Why didn't you mention it during conscription? What are you hiding?
That was why Yuno had never dared reveal Hyōrinmaru's abilities.
Now, however, he could pretend he had eaten a Devil Fruit. After all, Yuno actually had one in his possession!
He even crafted a name for it—the Zoan-type, Mythical Beast: Human-Human Fruit, Model: Shinigami Form.
Only a rare Mythical Zoan could justify powers as extraordinary as Yuno's swordsmanship paired with Hyōrinmaru!
In the future, Yuno would surely unlock even more powers—not mere copies of the Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit) or some Frost-type Paramecia. Those did not fit his path.
Thus, fabricating a non-existent Devil Fruit was the best cover!
With this decided, Yuno vanished from sight in a flash!
Meanwhile, Jack had no patience to wait for the Marines to confront him. With a thunderous leap, his massive frame smashed through a building, storming straight into the G-7 base!
With a deafening boom, he landed in the central square, the ground trembling beneath his weight.
As soon as Jack touched down, his bloodshot eyes locked onto the Marines ahead. With a savage kick, the earth behind him collapsed, and his colossal body barreled forward like a living war machine, plowing through the soldiers!
Bones shattered as Marines were sent flying, their bodies scattering across the square.
Jack then snatched one unfortunate soldier, effortlessly hoisting him into the air with a single hand:
"Marine… where are my things?"
The soldier, dangling like a ragdoll, could barely breathe. The impact from Jack's earlier charge had left his skull pounding, his vision swimming. The agony nearly made him lose consciousness—he couldn't even form a reply.
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