The New World — Waters of Marine Base G-3, Daco Island
On the blood-soaked shore, the crew of the Blood Axe Pirates laughed and jeered as they hauled their plunder back onto their ship. The deck was piled high with Beli and jewels still stained red, the metallic stench of blood thick in the air.
A few pirates casually kicked the villagers who lay barely alive at their feet.
"Hey, scream louder!" one of them mocked. "If you can still scream, you're worth a good price as a slave!"
A young pirate wiped the blood from his axe, his expression uneasy as he glanced toward the distant sea.
"Captain… this is G-3's jurisdiction, isn't it? Aren't we being a little too reckless…?"
"Idiot!"The Blood Axe Pirates' captain—'Blood Axe' Redek, a man with a bounty of 530 million Beli—grinned wide, exposing a mouthful of yellowed teeth.
"The Marines at G-3 are busy dealing with the Flying Pirates. You think they've got time to worry about small fry like us?"
He slapped the railing and sneered. "Besides, no matter how vicious Sakazuki is, what—can he split himself in two?Hahahaha—!"
His laughter hadn't even finished when an eerie red glow suddenly spread along the distant coastline.
"W-What is that?!" a pirate screamed, pointing toward the horizon.
A colossal wave of crimson magma surged up from the sea, roaring like a monstrous beast as it charged straight toward the pirate ship.
"Hound of Hell."
The low, icy voice seemed to crawl straight out of the underworld.
"BOOOOM!!!"
A gigantic molten fist smashed down on the ship. The wooden hull vaporized instantly under the infernal heat. The pirates on deck didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to charred remnants.
Redek barely managed to coat his body in Armament Haki before the shockwave blasted him away, sending him crashing hard onto the beach.
"Cough—S-Sakazuki?!"He struggled to look up, his pupils shrinking in terror.
The magma flowed like a living thing. Sakazuki strode forward atop the blazing molten rock, step by step. His justice coat billowed violently in the heat waves, his gaze colder than ice.
"N-No… wait! We were just—"
"BOOM!!"
Magma swallowed Redek's scream whole. His body twisted and carbonized under the extreme heat, finally collapsing into nothing but a blackened skeleton.
Sakazuki withdrew his hand, swept the area with a cold glance to confirm there were no survivors, then turned and walked toward the shore.
Out at sea, Gern Reginald Sigmar stood at the bow of a Marine ship. One hand rested casually in his pocket; the other tossed an apple into the air and caught it again.
Seeing Sakazuki return, Gern grinned."Done?"
"Just trash," Sakazuki replied as he leapt onto the deck, his expression practically saying:
What just got on my fist?I thought they were real pirates.Go complain to my Hound of Hell.We're all just doing our jobs, after all.
"That makes seventeen," Gern said, taking a bite of his apple as he rubbed Lipo's head beside him."At this rate, we'll clean up most of the nearby seas within three days."
"Not enough," Sakazuki snorted coldly. "Far from enough."
He stared toward the distant horizon, suppressed fury burning in his eyes.
"These scum dare act so brazenly in G-3 territory because they think we're shackled by 'orders.'"
"So?" Gern raised an eyebrow.
"So it's time all pirates understand—"Sakazuki clenched his fist, magma dripping between his fingers."From the moment they step into waters under G-3's jurisdiction, their lives enter a countdown!"
Before Sakazuki had even finished speaking, a white blur flashed in front of him.
"Uncle Sakazuki!"Lipo stood with her hands on her hips, cheeks puffed as she glared at him."You didn't leave any survivors again, did you?!"
Sakazuki fell silent for a second, then quietly looked away."…Forgot."
"Forgot again?!" Lipo stomped her foot, her long ears flopping up and down."Do you have any idea how useful pirate blood is?!
"Especially high-bounty pirates! The 'Healing Carrots' made from their blood are super—duper effective!"
Sakazuki: "..."
Did he know? Of course he did.
The relentless purges over the past few weeks had left many Marine soldiers injured.And the "Healing Carrots" Lipo developed using her Healing Devil Fruit had practically become lifesaving treasures at G-3.
The principle was simple—but the effect was absurd.
As a Healing Fruit user, Lipo could extract a portion of a person's blood through physical contact, then use her ability to condense it into the shape of a carrot.
These "Healing Carrots" could rapidly stop bleeding, accelerate wound recovery, and even relieve fatigue.
The most outrageous part?The stronger the blood's original owner, the greater the healing effect.
Conversely, the pirates whose blood was taken would suffer a permanent reduction in their lifespan.And the more powerful the carrot's effect, the more lethal the life-drain to the donor.
Some especially vicious pirates would die on the spot after having a single top-grade Healing Carrot extracted.
Because of this, every time pirates were hunted down, Lipo would wait eagerly for Sakazuki or Gern to leave a few alive—so she could "stock up."
Unfortunately, Sakazuki's Hound of Hell never left complete bodies behind.
"Forget it, forget it!" Lipo sighed. She pulled a vivid red carrot from her pocket and stuffed it into Sakazuki's hand."Here—this one's made from yesterday's giant martial artist. The effect should be pretty good… next time, remember to leave survivors!"
Sakazuki looked down at the carrot biscuit in his palm. After a moment of silence, he spoke.
"…Thank you."
Lipo blinked, clearly surprised that this stone-faced man had actually thanked her. She immediately beamed, her eyes curving into crescents.
"You're welcome! Don't forget to eat it—it's good for you!"
With that, she bounced off toward the wounded soldiers' area, her long ears swaying softly in the sunlight.
"Haha—so? What do you think of my adjutant?" Gern laughed, nudging Sakazuki with his elbow. "You approve now, right?"
Sakazuki looked at Gern's grin, then at Lipo's retreating figure. He silently popped the carrot biscuit into his mouth.
…Unexpectedly sweet.
"She can be called a partner of justice," he said at last."Especially when it comes to dealing with pirates. She's… talented."
A Corner of the Warship's Deck — The Medical Area
More than a dozen wounded Marines lay on makeshift stretchers. Some had broken ribs. Some had been slashed by pirate blades. A few were even poisoned.
Yet none of them wore expressions of pain—only anticipation.
Because Lipo had arrived.
"Line up, line up~ One each, no pushing!"Like a nurse handing out candy, Lipo carried a basket of freshly made Healing Carrots, placing one into each soldier's hands.
"Ensign Lipo, what flavor is it this time?" a young Marine asked with a grin.
"Hmm… yesterday's 'Iron Wall' Pirates' captain!" Lipo puffed out her chest proudly."That guy's Armament Haki was really strong, so the effect should be super—amazing!"
Cheers erupted as the soldiers eagerly bit into their carrots.
In the corner, however, a group of shackled pirate prisoners trembled violently.
One of them—among the few Gern had deliberately kept alive—stared in horror as Lipo approached him with a bright smile.
"D-Don't come closer! You rabbit—stay away from me!" the pirate scrambled backward.
"But you said I was cute the first time we met!"Lipo squatted in front of him, her smile sweet and harmless."Don't worry~ I'm only taking a little blood this time. It won't hurt!"
Pirate (internally): That's life expectancy you're stealing, damn it!!
Five minutes later, Lipo left cheerfully, carrying a large basket brimming with Healing Carrots.
The pirate collapsed limply onto the deck, pale and visibly aged, muttering to himself:
"Demon… that rabbit is a demon…"
Not far away, Gern leaned against the railing, having watched the entire scene. He couldn't help but laugh.
The contrast between adorable and terrifying…was truly the deadliest of all.