"Hmm?"
Assam blinked, head full of question marks.
He looked down at his spring-like legs, thick with hair like steel needles...
My legs...
Do they offend you somehow?
Or is it the hair...
That's your problem?
Of course, he didn't bother arguing.
Because only action could vent his irritation and rage.
"Go to hell!"
His scarred face twisted into a savage snarl, the five-meter-tall brute exploded forward like a launched cannonball.
"Vice Admiral Kisame isn't gonna get flattened, right?"
Five meters of pirate muscle versus two meters of shark-man vice admiral...
Even the onlookers—and the marines on the battleship—didn't have high hopes for their new superior.
At Marine Headquarters, which vice admiral wasn't built like a walking fortress?
Even Vice Admiral Gion was tall and, uh... impressively built.
But this newly appointed guy…
Most of them hadn't even heard his name before this. Everyone just knew he'd been promoted out of nowhere.
They couldn't help but worry. …
Staring down the human cannonball hurtling his way, Kisame didn't flinch.
Sure, it looked terrifying, but compared to Zephyr's attacks?
This guy didn't even come close.
Not even in the same dimension of power!
Calm mind, steady hands—Kisame gripped his Samehada tightly, locked onto the incoming threat.
He sank his hips, twisted his waist, and swung with full force—
"Sit down."
BOOM!
The heavy, black, spiked Samehada connected cleanly.
A dull thud, the ground shook, and a cloud of dust erupted into the air...
"WHAT!!!"
"Assam got flattened with a single hit?!"
The surrounding pirates, still frozen in shock, dropped the melons they were munching on.
The melon vendor nearby quickly restocked with a fresh batch of pre-sliced ones.
"O-One hit?!"
Even the marines aboard the warship rubbed their eyes, struggling to believe what they just saw.
"D-Dammit…"
Face-down in the crater, Assam's head was ringing like a temple bell.
If he hadn't instinctively activated Armament Haki at the last second, his brains would probably be decorating the dirt by now.
"Heh… still conscious?"
Kisame stared down at the pirate in front of him, inwardly marveling at the human body's absurd durability.
That tenacious life force—just like a cockroach.
And envy… well, envy was strength.
BOOM!
Another heavy thud.
Everyone around widened their eyes in unison—
Stunned. Completely floored.
Wasn't this the part where a strong fighter says something cool?
Why did this guy just go for another full-powered smack without saying a word?!
They didn't know Kisame wanted to say something cool.
He really did.
But… all he had in his heart was jealousy. That's it.
So he decided to follow a simple rule:
Anyone taller than him? Must be a powerhouse.
And when it comes to powerhouses, you go all in. No breaks. No mercy. No time to breathe.
Watching the pirate's bloodied and cracked skull after the second blow, Kisame figured he probably wouldn't be getting back up.
"Don't worry. I've already sharpened the blade. Cuts real clean…"
"I just want your legs."
Splat... BOOM!
The weighty Samehada came crashing down once again.
"B-Bastard…"
"Hm?"
Kisame tilted his head. The pirate was clearly in agony, but his lower body was now sheathed in a thin layer of black armor.
"Haki… physical toughness… what a damn blessing."
"Why… don't I have that?"
"But judging by the look of it… must be what Zephyr described—a recent awakening."
"Guess I'll have to smash him a few more times…"
Hearing the vice admiral casually muttering to himself like no one else was there,
Assam nearly passed out in terror.
Sure, he had Haki, but he'd only awakened it a few months ago. Still barely knew how to control it.
And his Haki? Not exactly top-shelf.
That earlier blow already left his legs totally numb.
If I lose the whole lower half… how the hell am I supposed to survive?!
If he took another couple of hits, even with Tekkai from the Navy's Six Powers, he'd probably die right there on the spot!
To save his own life, Assam had no choice but to scream:
"W-Wait! Stop! I'm a pirate! Arrest me! Take me to Impel Down!"
"I surrender!"
"Impel Down?"
"No vacancies."
Kisame still had to head to the New World and find Doflamingo—he didn't have the time or interest to babysit some pirate prisoner.
Without hesitation, he raised his blade—
BOOM!
Another hit.
"AAARGHH!!"
The dull thud sounded like it landed directly on everyone's heart, and the agonized scream sent a shiver down every spine nearby.
And in that moment, the look in everyone's eyes changed.
Staring at this not-so-tall, only moderately bulky Marine…
They finally understood—
This guy is vicious. Brutal. A man of few words and way too much violence.
Pissing off someone like him?
Not a great idea.
However—
While the crowd on the island was collectively stunned into fear, the Marines aboard the warship looked on with a different kind of expression.
Admiration.
A pirate with a bounty over 100 million…
Reduced to a whimpering mole in the dirt by their vice admiral.
"I'm a pirate! Take me to Impel Down!" Assam kept howling in pain, still begging.
BOOM! BOOM!
Kisame didn't say a word. He just went wham wham, two more hits for good measure.
The dust cleared. His body relaxed. And as he looked down at the pirate's bloodied, mangled legs, the stuffy resentment in his chest finally dispersed.
He looked up toward the warship.
"How long are you planning to just stand there and watch?"
At the sound of his voice, the Marines snapped to attention with a jolt.
A moment later, a ranking officer stepped down from the ship with a squad of about a dozen soldiers. His gaze was sharp. He raised his hand in a crisp salute and shouted:
"Vice Admiral Kisame!"
"What's the official procedure for dealing with this guy?"
Kisame looked over at the unfamiliar officer and troops—these were the team Sengoku had assigned him, but they hadn't worked together much yet.
He only vaguely recalled that the major in front was named Jiateng Ying. Everything else? Blank.
But that didn't matter.
There'd be plenty of time to get acquainted down the line…
"…This guy—"
Jiateng Ying glanced at the pirate lying in the dirt pit, looking somewhat troubled...
By proper procedure, the guy should be detained and later sent to Impel Down.
But this pirate, who was already half-dead and barely hanging on, would probably rot before he even made it a day on the ship.
"I got it."
Seeing the hesitation, Kisame didn't waste time—he simply lifted his foot and kicked the pirate's body into the nearby sea with a splash.
"Get Smoker onto the ship and start treatment. I'm heading out to gather intel. If anything comes up, contact me via Den Den Mushi."
"Especially if there's a pirate attack."
As he spoke, Kisame swept a cold, murderous gaze across the crowd gathered at the harbor.
He knew—someone among them had to be a companion of the man he just beat.
Want revenge for your buddy?
He didn't care. Bring it on.
But if they touched his warship?
He'd personally make sure they regretted ever being born.
With that, he slung Samehada over his shoulder, ignored everyone else, and swaggered off toward the island's bar.
If he wanted news from the New World, he needed a proper source.
Even the Navy wasn't as well-informed here as the locals.
"If this place really is good for information… maybe I can sniff out that bastard Doffy's trail."
With that thought, Kisame headed toward the center of the island.
Around him, whether pirates, merchants, or vendors—they all stared at him with strange expressions.
"Boss… how much for this melon?"
The sweet scent of ripe fruit was strong. Kisame, eyes gleaming, smiled at the melon vendor.
"N-no charge! A-and I guarantee it's ripe!"
"Free?"
Kisame blinked, then picked up half a melon and took a bite. Not bad—pretty sweet. "Thanks, pal."
And with that, he walked toward the town center, munching on melon, sword slung casually over his shoulder.
Once he was out of sight…
The melon vendor wiped cold sweat from his forehead, silently grateful for his quick thinking—he'd just saved his own life.
The nearby pirates glanced at one another, then huddled together.
"That guy's got some serious guts. He actually killed someone from the Mad Shark Pirates?"
"Guts? More like a death wish. A Marine dares to show up on this island?"
"You realize this is Mad Shark territory… And I heard a rumor—their captain's already in with Boss Jack."
"Won't be long now… The Mad Shark Pirates will be part of the Beast Pirates' fleet."
"In this sea… messing with the Beast Pirates?"
"Even if Sengoku himself came, he couldn't save him."
(End of Chapter)