Looking down, two additional arms had appeared around the Marine Commodore's ankles at some unknown moment, gripping his legs tightly.
Under normal circumstances, the strength of just two arms would not have posed a real threat.
But this moment was different.
Even the slightest delay could cost him the opportunity to escape.
Boom!!!
Held back by the arms beneath his feet, the Marine Commodore failed to dodge the descending giant fist. It smashed down on him mercilessly.
A deafening roar exploded outward. The ground collapsed under the violent impact, and spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly across the surface.
"Ahhh!!!"
A scream echoed from beneath the massive fist as the crater deepened.
When the enormous arm finally lifted, the Marine Commodore lay twisted and blood-soaked in the pit. His body was deformed, his breathing ragged.
The scream gradually weakened. His body convulsed twice—then fell still.
Robin calmly dismissed the colossal arm formed by Dazzling Hundred Blossoms and immediately turned her attention back to suppressing the remaining Marines.
Kaito Arisawa observed the entire exchange silently.
Robin's Devil Fruit development is already very mature. The only weakness left is her physical foundation.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
With the resources currently available, the most efficient way to strengthen her body would likely be the Eight-Impact Fist.
Though it doesn't have to be limited to that… The Six Forms would also be a solid option.
His gaze shifted toward the pit where the Marine Commodore lay.
Although he was not in a concentrated state at the moment, Kaito had already awakened Observation Haki. Determining whether someone was alive or dead was effortless for him.
Through his perception, he confirmed—
The Marine Commodore was not dead.
Barely alive. Hanging by a thread.
If left untreated, death would come soon enough.
Without wasting time, Kaito adjusted his talent attributes and entered the state of Observation talent concentration.
Hum—
The shift was immediate.
The world transformed.
His perceptive radius, which normally extended just over a hundred meters, now expanded to encompass the entire city—and even most of the island.
The clarity of perception sharpened beyond imagination.
Previously, he could roughly sense the number and location of people within range, along with brief glimpses of their next movement.
Now—
He could clearly perceive the strength of each individual's presence.
He could "see" everything within range as though combining telescopic vision and x-ray sight.
He could "hear" conversations across vast distances.
It was an astonishing degree of acuity.
Even many top-tier masters of Observation Haki could not achieve such precision.
But the most valuable ability was still—
Mind reading.
That was the true purpose behind this adjustment.
Focusing his Observation Haki on the barely conscious Marine Commodore, Kaito allowed his awareness to slip into the man's mind.
The process was seamless.
Memories unfolded like scenes from a film.
The techniques. The training. The muscle memory.
Everything.
So he only mastered three… "Shave," "Finger Pistol," and "Tempest Kick."
Kaito felt a flicker of disappointment.
As a branch Commodore stationed in West Blue, the man had decent strength, but compared to officers in the Grand Line or elite Marine divisions, the resources available to him were clearly limited.
From the memories he extracted, the Commodore had only learned three of the Six Forms.
Kaito had hoped for the complete set.
Still—three were better than none.
And in his view, Shave, Finger Pistol, and Tempest Kick were the most practical and accessible techniques. They were easier to train compared to the others and sufficient for enhancing the combat level of his crew for now.
He withdrew his awareness.
The concentrated Observation state faded.
The battlefield was quieting.
More than an hour later, the fighting came to an end.
"Report to the captain! First Brigade—37 dead, 56 seriously injured, 125 lightly injured. Current combat-capable personnel: 463!"
"Report to the captain! Second Brigade—17 dead, 46 seriously injured, 89 lightly injured. Current number: 483!"
"Report to the captain! Third Brigade—41 dead, 16 seriously injured, 76 lightly injured. Current number: 459!"
The three brigade captains of the War Pirates stepped forward one after another, reporting their casualties with solemn expressions.
Kaito listened without interrupting.
Then Bunier—his left arm hanging unnaturally at his side but clearly not fatally wounded—stepped forward despite the pain.
"Captain… Former Iron Fist forces—over 300 dead, more than 200 seriously injured. Almost everyone else sustained minor injuries. Remaining numbers: over 700."
Compared to the disciplined structure of the War Pirates, the former Iron Fist members clearly lacked proper organizational systems.
Still, their report was adequate.
Kaito gave a faint nod.
He understood the gap.
Robin then stepped forward. Though visibly fatigued and covered in sweat after her battle against the Marines, her eyes remained bright and composed.
"I've completed a count of the surrendered personnel," she said calmly. "A total of 3,876 individuals are eligible for direct recruitment."
These were Iron Fist members who had surrendered.
Some were official members.
Many were merely peripheral street-level affiliates.
But numbers mattered.
Nearly four thousand additional manpower.
For the War Pirates, this was a massive expansion.
With Kaito's methods, he had complete confidence in refining these recruits.
Those who could adapt would become elite soldiers.
Those who could not…
The outcome was obvious.
Kaito folded his arms, gazing over the battlefield littered with rubble and blood.
The War Pirates had taken their first major step.
And the road ahead—
Would only grow more intense.
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