When Kid woke up again, it was already deep night.
The campfire's faint glow illuminated his swollen forehead. The pain made him suck in a sharp breath.
"What the hell is wrong with this damn island?!"
His roar echoed through the forest, startling night birds resting in the trees.
His subordinates trembled, not daring to speak.
Just then, a lazy voice came from overhead.
"Got any manners? Making noise at night, are you letting people sleep or not?"
Kid looked up sharply. A man with dead-fish eyes lay on a tree branch, yawning, looking impatient.
"You dare anger me?!" Kid stood up furious. His mechanical arm creaked.
The two groups he encountered earlier… one strange, one pretty. But this guy was dressed as ordinary as could be. Such a person couldn't possibly be strong too, right?
"Die!" Kid's mechanical arm swelled suddenly, smashing toward the man on the tree with a howling wind.
Wood splinters flew. The thick branch snapped.
"Hit!" Kid felt a flash of joy.
But before he could rejoice, he saw the dead-fish-eyed man scratch his hair after falling to the ground.
"Put some force into it. No strength when hitting people, and you dare call yourself a pirate?"
"Damn it!" Kid went completely berserk. Metal fragments converged from all directions, transforming both arms into giant mechanical limbs.
His assault poured down like a rainstorm.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The ground shook. Trees moaned.
Ten minutes later, Kid knelt on the ground, panting like an ox.
His mechanical arms smoked from overheating. Blood seeped from his knuckles.
Yet, that man was picking his ear with a twig.
"What the hell is going on?" Kid couldn't believe it as he knelt. Wasn't he the strongest pirate in the South Blue? Why was everyone on this island stronger than him?
Marco looked helpless. He hadn't even struck. Why had this guy collapsed on his own?
He sighed, his tone full of helplessness. "Your strength is bottom of the bottom on this island... better keep a low profile."
Blue flames suddenly rose, transforming into magnificent feathered wings. "Eh, time to find another place to sleep."
The spectacle of the phoenix spreading its wings made Apoo's pupils contract violently.
Fear and excitement mixed in his eyes. "This is a conspiracy! A huge conspiracy against the Celestial Dragons!"
Killer turned to him. "Meaning?"
Apoo suppressed his excitement. "You think that guy just now was ordinary? If I'm not mistaken, he should be the 1st Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Even in the New World, he's a major figure!"
Killer's pupils contracted sharply. "Why would such a figure be on an island in the South Blue?"
"Don't you get it? Maybe there are no ordinary people left on this island," Apoo looked around, lowering his voice. "All the 'ordinary people' are disguised by vicious great pirates. Once those Celestial Dragons land, who the prey is becomes hard to say."
Killer couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. They seemed caught in a super massive whirlpool. One slip, and they'd be smashed to pieces.
"Compared to those great pirates, us South Blue pirates are of course the bottom," Apoo sneered. "You better keep a close eye on your Captain. Don't let him go crazy again. Not all pirates have such a good temper."
…
Two weeks later, the port of the Sorbet Kingdom was crowded with lavishly decorated ships.
Celestial Dragons wearing transparent helmets landed one after another. They wore luxurious attire, held specially crafted hunting weapons. Each face bore a sickly excitement.
In the island's central plaza, an obese Celestial Dragon stood on a high platform, announcing to all participants through an amplified Den Den Mushi:
"Noble fellow clansmen! The prey has been released!"
"On this island are 10 ultra-rare 'rabbits' worth 10,000 points each… they are Beasts Pirates' members wearing Seastone shackles!"
The Celestial Dragons below burst into cheers.
"And one SSR-class 'rabbit' worth 100,000 points… the son of Rocks, the most evil bloodline in history!"
The cheers grew even more fervent. Some even fainted from excitement.
"As for rare rabbits and common rabbits..." he spread his arms. "The lowly commoners on this island are countless!"
Amidst the Celestial Dragons' insane cheers, the hunting contest officially began.
…
Saint Charlos, snot dripping, rode on a slave's back. He held a gold-plated pistol, venturing deep into the island's interior with his guards.
"Hurry! Faster!" he slapped the slave's head. "I must be the first to hunt the SSR rabbit!"
Suddenly, movement came from a valley ahead.
Charlos's eyes widened excitedly. A dozen or so ragged pirates were gathered there, seemingly wearing shackles on their wrists.
"It's rare rabbits!" Snot bubbles popped from his excitement. "Watch my godly marksmanship!"
He fired immediately. However, the bullets struck the pirates and were all deflected.
Charlos froze. "Wh-what's going on?"
Those 'prey' slowly turned around, ferocious smiles on their faces.
The leading giant flexed his wrists, easily snapping the seemingly sturdy shackles. "Finally, you trash are here."
"Not good!" A CP0 instantly appeared before Charlos, cold sweat beading. "Saint Charlos! Please retreat immediately!"
He had recognized the other party… It's none other than Jack the Drought, one of the Beasts Pirates' three All-Stars.
More terrifyingly, these pirates not only wore no Seastone cuffs, even their shackles were fake.
"This is a major blunder! How could such a mistake happen?!" The CP0 hurriedly pulled out a Den Den Mushi to call for help, only to find all signals were blocked.
His face instantly turned ashen. He realized. "A trap! This is a trap targeting the esteemed Celestial Dragons!"
"Saint Charlos!" The CP0's voice trembled. "Please evacuate immediately! I will do my utmost to hold them off..."
Slap!
Charlos slapped him across the face. "Useless! You dare make me run in front of these trash?! Quickly, cripple them..."
He wiped his snot. "...then let me finish them off."
The CP0 despairingly looked at the approaching Jack. He was just an ordinary CP0. Holding off such a great pirate for a moment was already difficult. How could he possibly cripple him?
The battle ended swiftly.
One minute later, the CP0's corpse was impaled on Jack's tusks, nailed to a tree trunk.
Blood slowly flowed down the bark, staining the ground red.
Charlos finally realized the seriousness. He slumped to the ground, voice trembling. "You... you lowly commoners, what do you want? I am..."
"A Celestial Dragon, right?" Jack sneered, interrupting. "We kill Celestial Dragons!"
He waved his hand. Four pirates stepped forward, grabbing Charlos's limbs separately.
"No... don't..." Charlos's snot and tears mixed. "Father will kill... AHHHH!!!"
A piercing scream echoed through the valley.
His limbs were cruelly torn off, his death declared in the manner of 'drawn and quartered'.