"Managed to dodge that, huh?"
A surprised voice echoed from behind a collapsed wall about two hundred meters away.
"No wonder you're still swaggering around the streets at this point. You've got some skills."
A short, stout man with a lip piercing and a mohawk yawned as he stepped out from behind the rubble.
He appeared to be in his early thirties, with large nostrils and a face full of flabby flesh. Slung over his shoulder was a uniquely designed sniper rifle, and three swords hung from his waist. His attire was a bizarre mix of metallic punk elements, making him look quite outlandish.
"Captain of the Kark Pirates, 'Three-Sword Style Demon' Drew Kark. Bounty: 36 million Berries."
Shiryu recognized him, his gaze turning grim.
"Looks like the intel we gathered earlier wasn't complete. Didn't expect you to be a sniper in addition to being a swordsman."
"Just a hobby," Kark replied nonchalantly, tossing the expensive-looking sniper rifle aside. He placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword and grinned.
"That's more of a side gig. I still prefer being a swordsman. Oh, wait, you should be calling me a 'swordmaster'..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly drew his sword, unleashing a white slash of sword energy.
Swish!
As if anticipating the attack, Nao stepped forward, drawing his red and white twin swords simultaneously, effortlessly deflecting the incoming flying slash.
"Hmm?" Kark raised an eyebrow and whistled. "Quick reflexes, kid. You're a swordsman too, huh? Let's see how your swordsmanship holds up."
"Enough talk. Let's find out."
As the words left his mouth, Nao stomped the ground hard, transforming into a blur as he charged at Kark with terrifying speed. His eyes were sharp, and both swords slashed down simultaneously.
"Hiya!"
Startled by the sudden burst of speed, Kark quickly got serious, drawing all three swords to engage Nao in a fierce battle.
Both wielding three swords, but while a certain green-haired swordsman holds his third sword in his mouth, Kark's approach was more... unconventional. His third sword was inserted into his right nostril, controlled by his nose.
Perhaps that explained his unusually large nostrils.
"..."
Watching Kark's bizarre fighting style from a distance, Rosinante's eye twitched slightly. He turned to Shiryu.
"He's got a bounty over 30 million Berries. Should we go help Nao?"
Shiryu, cigarette in mouth, shook his head slightly. Just as he was about to speak, a sharp, eerie laugh suddenly echoed through the street.
"Help? Hee-haha! Do you even have the time for that? Instead of worrying about your comrade, you should be concerned about your own lives!"
"Watch out!"
In that instant, Shiryu reacted swiftly, shoving Rosinante aside.
Stumbling a few steps, Rosinante looked around but saw no sign of an enemy.
Confused, he suddenly noticed a circular black hole had appeared where he had just been standing, as if someone had opened a door out of thin air.
Splash...
Through the portal, the sound of crashing waves could be faintly heard.
"Seawater?" Rosinante was shocked but quickly realized, "Is this the ability of that Door-Door Fruit user, Black Hat Ron?"
"Hee-hee-haha! Correct, blondie."
The sharp, grating laugh rang out again as a black streetlamp at the corner was suddenly pushed open from the inside. A man as thin as a bamboo pole stepped out.
Dressed in a black trench coat and wearing a wide-brimmed black hat, his slender figure made him look like the streetlamp's twin.
"Two of the four captains have appeared," Shiryu exhaled a puff of smoke, coldly staring at Black Hat Ron. "I doubt you're the only ones here. Where are the other two?"
"Tsk, can't keep it hidden anymore."
Black Hat Ron's gaunt face showed a hint of disappointment. Tilting his head, he shouted into the door beside him.
"Hey, big guy! Stop dawdling and get out here. Let's take care of these three pesky brats together."
"Just what I wanted."
A hoarse, rugged voice responded as a tall, muscular figure emerged. His upper body was bare, and shimmering blue scales covered his back.
"Half-Fishman Tules. Bounty: 32 million Berries."
With the appearance of the third pirate captain, Shiryu's expression grew more serious.
"Only Giant Bear Sano hasn't shown up yet. Where is he?"
Giant Bear Sano, captain of the Black Bear Pirates, is a Zoan-type Bear-Bear Fruit user with a bounty of 52 million Berries.
Known for his brutal and violent nature, he once roamed the Grand Line for years before, for unknown reasons, returning to the West Blue with his crew.
Among the four captains, he has the highest bounty and is the most powerful. In the West Blue's underground alliance, his status is second only to Capone Bege.
Even someone as confident as Shiryu harbors caution towards him, believing that even at his peak, he would struggle to defeat Sano alone.
Perhaps it would take the combined efforts of his two friends to take him down before the assessment period ends.
"Taking on you three brats with superior numbers might make us look bad," Black Hat Ron licked his lips and chuckled.
"Sano just set off. He's gone to hunt down your other comrades. He's probably having a blast right now. But don't worry, we'll soon send you to join them."
Shiryu smirked mockingly.
Without wasting words, he drew his sword and charged at Ron. However, before he could reach him, the towering Half-Fishman Tules intercepted him with a sinister grin.
A change of opponent?
Shiryu didn't mind. In fact, since Tules had a higher bounty and appeared stronger than Ron, he was more to Shiryu's liking.
He swiftly switched targets, turning his blade to engage the Half-Fishman in battle. As he did, he tossed a remark over his shoulder to Rosinante.
"I'll handle this guy. The skinny one with the black hat is yours. Once we finish them off, we'll go help Nao. Sound good, Rosy?"
"Got it!"
Rosinante replied without hesitation. He was thinking the same thing.
After all, Nao's opponent had the highest bounty and was a swordmaster capable of flying slashes. With Giant Bear Sano absent, Kark was undoubtedly the most challenging among the three captains.
They needed to defeat Ron quickly and go support Nao to ease the pressure.
As he steeled himself, Rosinante turned his gaze to Ron by the black streetlamp, ready to engage. Suddenly, a plump figure flew across his vision, crashing into a distant wall with a scream.
The commotion drew the attention of the other three.
In the next moment, they were stunned to see Nao appear atop the wall, seemingly teleporting.
With a slash of his blade, he struck the struggling 'Three-Sword Style Demon' Kark, sending him wailing and fleeing in disarray...
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin