"Kehahahaha! Quite sharp, marine. Too bad you're still going to die!" The man behind the tree roots was utterly arrogant, swaggering up to Badak."One-Eyed Worley, you've got it wrong. I'm not a marine." Badak had seen this guy when checking the bounty posters—only 1.8 meters tall but with a 35 million bounty, and a swordsman to boot.
Among pirates, those who weren't particularly tall but had high bounties usually meant they were troublesome. The first pirate Badak had captured was his subordinate, Hook Hawk.
Could he be here for revenge? But I didn't reveal my identity.
"Stop lying. You're using the Navy's Six Styles, aren't you?" Wolley's face twisted into a snarl. It was because of the Navy's relentless pursuit that he had fled to Sabaody Archipelago, planning to escape to the New World through Fish-Man Island.
All the misfortunes on Sabaody Archipelago were due to the Navy's chase. Now he wished he could storm Navy Base 66 and slaughter everyone. But he couldn't—the Navy was too strong. Even just the forces at this branch base were more than he could handle.
But luck couldn't stay bad forever. Look what he'd found—a lone young Navy soldier, so young yet already mastering Shave from the Six Styles. Could he be the child of some high-ranking Navy official? Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!
Wolley's killing intent grew fiercer. Badak didn't hesitate, immediately activating his Devil Fruit power and transforming into his Great Ape Form. His base defense was still too weak. Swordsmen were known for their powerful attacks, and Badak had never fought one before—better to play it safe. Moreover, unlike other beast forms like oxen, sheep, lions, or tigers, the Great Ape could utilize all the techniques of his human form. Precisely because the Great Ape was so versatile, Badak rarely used his Beast-Man Form, only occasionally partially transforming to employ his Fiery Eyes and Golden Gaze.
"A Devil Fruit! Damn bastard! Damn Navy! Die!"
Just think—after struggling at sea for so many years, he'd only heard of Devil Fruits but never seen one. Yet this kid, so young, had already eaten one. How could he not feel envious hatred?
Wolley swung his sword instantly, a diagonal slash from lower left to upper right, aiming to cleave Badak in two. Unfazed, Badak crouched even faster, sweeping his leg to attack Wolley's lower body.
Wolley still had reserves—a testament to his experience as a veteran pirate. Even in his rage, he kept a sliver of clarity. Using the momentum of his sword swing, he took a large step back, dodging Badak's attack.
Their exchange left both untouched.
Badak hadn't brought a weapon this time, putting him at a natural disadvantage in reach. This served as a reminder—always carry a weapon, especially when unsure if a fight might break out.
Wolley recognized his advantage in reach and launched a relentless barrage of attacks. Badak dodged left and right, realizing this couldn't go on. He needed a way to turn the tide.
"Got it—he's missing his left eye. That's his weak spot."
Using Shave, Badak appeared at Wolley's left flank and threw a straight punch at his lower abdomen—a classic "monkey steals the peach" move. If it landed, Wolley would be incapacitated instantly.
But "if" remained just that. Before the punch connected, Badak was the one sent flying by a slash.
"Kid, you're still too green. You think I don't know my own weakness? It was a trap. I've already killed 56 fools like you."
"Whew, that was close! Almost died there." Badak was glad he'd fought in his strongest form. That slash had been deadly—he'd nearly become "Ba-dashed" (a play on his name meaning "split in two").
"Impossible!" Wolley stared at his sword, White Iron—a blade comparable to a fine-grade sword—and saw it was spotless. Not a drop of blood.
"Armor. I'm wearing armor." Badak casually brushed dust off his backside as he spoke."Do I look like a fool to you?" Wolry pointed his sword at the torn part of Badak's clothes, where his golden fur was clearly visible.
"Oh? Clothes can actually tear? How come the Supreme Sandals never wear out?"
"Don't get too cocky, brat. I'll cut you down." Wolry didn't rush to attack. Instead, he sheathed his sword at his waist, gathering momentum—his next strike would surely be earth-shattering.
"Hmph, an Iaido slash?" Badak wasn't about to let him charge up freely—this wasn't some magical girl transformation scene. He instantly used Shave to kick Wolry right in the groin. Monkey stealing peaches—perfectly reasonable, right?
"Slash!" The moment Badak reappeared, Wolry's blade flashed past, even severing a massive tree root behind him.
"You fell for it again, kid! Hahaha! Swordsman—I've finally—"
Wolry suddenly clutched his crotch, collapsing to the ground in convulsions.
"Who the hell do you think I am? You think I'd fall for the same trick twice?"
After suffering a minor setback from recklessness last time, Badak had taken extra care to observe Wolry's movements this time. He was certain—this was another trap. So, he played along. The instant he reappeared in front of Wolry, he shrank to his smallest size at maximum speed. The blade passed harmlessly overhead before he returned to normal.
Badak picked up Wolry's sword—a double-edged rapier with a guard, somewhat resembling Cavendish's Durandal. He gave it a couple of test swings. Not bad. Far better than the one he'd bought.
"You ever heard of Hook Hawk?" Badak asked Wolry casually.
"Don't tell me he's—"
"You know too much."
A flash of steel. Wolry's flying head wore an indescribable expression—probably the One Piece equivalent of the "black guy questioning" meme.
Badak killed Wolry precisely because he knew too much. He'd only recently learned that the Navy interrogated pirates—no way could he let Wolry expose his secrets. Plus, some of Badak's moves in this fight hadn't been exactly honorable. In life-or-death struggles, anything goes, but it still didn't sound great. If Badak ever became a big-name figure, this would be his dark history.
After cleaning up the area, Badak spotted a suitcase hidden behind the tree roots. Opening it, he grinned—it was packed with neatly stacked Belly. A quick count put it at roughly 20 million.
"20 million plus 35 million… 55 million Belly in one night, plus a good sword. Time to lay low for a while. So this is how you break through as a swordsman? Interesting!"
Wrapping Wolry's head in cloth and gathering his spoils, Badak headed for the nearest Marine base.
"Can't use Chopper's alias this time—the persona doesn't fit. Guess I'll add another one. Kakarot. Yeah, Kakarot it is."
As he walked, his body began to shift, transforming into his Beast-Man Form.