Under the destruction of the Allosaurus and the bombardment of cannon fire, the tavern was completely reduced to ruins, with even most of the ceiling blown away.
"Kujaku!"
Soon, the Allosaurus spotted Kujaku being carried by Gurd. The sight of her covered in wounds instantly made the Allosaurus' eyes bloodshot as it opened its maw wide and charged madly toward Gurd.
"Roar!!!"
"How noisy."
Gurd stood by the bar counter, his cold gaze fixed on the charging Allosaurus. He made no move to counterattack, merely speaking calmly.
"Page One."
"Growl!"
Just as the Allosaurus was about to sink its teeth into Gurd, an even larger Spinosaurus suddenly lunged from the side, biting down hard on the Allosaurus' neck!
The Spinosaurus' razor-sharp teeth pierced through the Allosaurus' tough hide like blades, splattering crimson blood everywhere.
Beast Pirates Flying Six—Page One!
"Rooooar!!!"
The Allosaurus howled in pain as its massive body was violently shoved dozens of meters by the Spinosaurus, crashing through several buildings in succession.
"BOOM!!!"
A thick cloud of dust billowed up.
"Captain Drake!"
The remaining Marines paled at the sight.
They were already outnumbered, and if not for Commodore "Prince" Grus' Clay Golems drawing enemy fire, they would have suffered heavy casualties long ago.
If Captain Drake were defeated, they'd be finished.
But when they tried to assist, their path was blocked.
"Hey, you lot! You've got no time to worry about others, y'know!"
Ulti stood in front of the Marines, her furious gaze quickly locking onto Grus. She leaned forward, her legs bending as she gathered strength.
"You're the one controlling those puppets, right? Stay right there—I'm gonna smash your skull in, y'know!"
"Beast Pirates Officer Ulti!"
Grus' expression darkened. Marine intelligence had files on Ulti—a terrifyingly talented young woman!
Here she comes!
Observation Haki had already predicted her next move!
But—she's too fast!
"Clay · Rampart!"
Grus swung his hand, conjuring a clay wall in front of him.
Almost simultaneously, Ulti's body shot forward like a javelin, piercing into the clay wall. The sharp horn on her head stretched the clay to its limit as she rapidly closed in on Grus' skull.
Ulti · Thrust!
"Hah... hah..."
Grus gasped in horror. Had he been even a second slower, her horn would have impaled him.
"Zzzzt—"
The rubber-like stretched surface of the clay shimmered with the glow of Haki!
Grus' pupils contracted.
"This thing—!"
Ulti's eyes widened, and the horn on her head let out a metallic "clang" as it became coated in Haki. The tip instantly tore through the clay!
"Thud!"
The bull-like horn stabbed into Grus' chest, blood spurting out!
"Commodore Grus!"
The Sword members turned pale as they watched Commodore Grus, coughing up blood, get sent flying by Ulti.
Rear Admiral Drake, Commodore Kujaku, Commodore Grus—all three leaders of this operation had been severely wounded.
The terror of Hachinosu Island far exceeded their expectations.
"Damn it, retreat now!"
The remaining officers shouted.
If they didn't leave now, they'd be annihilated.
Their top priority now was to deliver the intel and request Admiral Kizaru's aid to rescue Captain Drake and the others.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!"
After firing another volley of rockets, the Marines fled in panic.
The dust-covered pirate captains roared in fury, drawing their swords as they gave chase. "Damn Marines! You think you can escape?!"
"Take down the Marines!"
"Chase them, don't let the Marines escape!"
Over at the tavern counter, Speed gathered a group of Beasts Pirates around Gurd.
"Lord Gurd, should we pursue?"
"No need."
Gurd casually waved his hand.
With the captains giving chase, that was enough. If all the foot soldiers were wiped out, who would deliver messages for him?
His main target was already secured—especially the perverted woman slung over his shoulder. The other Marines held little value to him.
The real prize was yet to come.
For now, he would simply observe.
"Rooooar!"
In the distance, two massive dinosaurs savagely tore into each other, their fighting styles nearly identical.
Meanwhile, Ulti relentlessly pummeled the clay Marines. Compared to her brother's intense struggle, Ulti held an absolute advantage—victory was only a matter of time.
Gurd watched Ulti for a moment before shifting his gaze to the dinosaur battle. This fight was far more entertaining.
Two dinosaurs going at it!
"Drake, huh?"
Gurd stroked his chin.
Even if Drake stood right in front of him, he might not recognize him. But in his memory, there was only one Marine officer capable of transforming into a dinosaur.
Red Flag · Drake.
One of the Worst Generation, who would later join the Beasts Pirates in the New World and rise to become one of the Flying Six.
Yet, he was a spy.
The dinosaur battle didn't last long. The Spinosaurus was nearly twice the size of the Allosaurus, overwhelming it in almost every aspect.
But when the Allosaurus shrank its body, transforming into its most combat-efficient Beastman Form, the Spinosaurus lost its strength advantage, and its massive size became a liability.
The tide of battle swiftly turned.
Page One was only sixteen. Whether in Haki or physical combat, he couldn't compare to Drake, an elite Marine.
But precisely because of that, Page One needed to face this alone. To grow stronger, nothing was more crucial than battling a superior opponent—and Drake, being of the same type, was the perfect match for him.
"X · Hunting Ground!"
Drake leaped into the air, swinging his axe and sword in a cross-shaped slash that crashed heavily onto the Spinosaurus's head.
"Boom!"
A cloud of dust erupted across the battlefield!
When the dust settled, Drake stood before Page One, covered in blood, his blade pressed against Page One's throat.
The fight was over.
"Page One!"
On the other side, Ulti had easily dealt with her opponent. But when she saw Page One defeated, her fury ignited instantly, triggering her transformation.
Pachycephalosaurus · Beastman Form.
Ulti charged at Drake in a rage: "You bastard! How dare you hurt Page One?! I'll never forgive you!"
"Guh!"
A trickle of blood ran down Page One's neck!
"Page One!"
Ulti froze mid-charge in shock.
"Don't worry about me, sis."
Page One's expression darkened, showing no concern for his own safety.
"Kill him!"
"Page One!"
Furious and desperate, Ulti turned her pleading gaze toward Gurd.
"Patience, Ulti."
Gurd calmly approached Drake.
Drake's face darkened as he tightened his grip on his sword. "Release Kujaku and Plus. In exchange, I'll spare him."
"You think you can bargain with pirates?"
Gurd grinned, pulling a sharp dagger from his coat and driving it straight into Kujaku's thigh without hesitation.
"Ugh!"
Kujaku let out a muffled groan of pain, her weakened body unable to even struggle—she could only endure the excruciating agony.
Blood dripped from the blade.
Drake's pupils trembled.
Gurd pulled out the bloodstained dagger, his icy gaze fixed on Drake as he issued an unquestionable command: "You can't escape. Drop your weapons and surrender now. Don't make me repeat myself."
"..."
Drake's face turned deathly pale.
He could clearly sense that if he disobeyed, Kujaku would be killed the next moment.
He had no bargaining chips left!
Now, his only hope for survival lay with the subordinates who had fled.
"Clang!"
The sword and axe fell to the ground.
(End of Chapter)