Chapter 100: For What Purpose Have You Come?

At the break of dawn, the inner bay harbor of Mad Hatter Island was subjected to a fierce barrage of cannon fire.

Each shell screamed through the air with a speed and power far beyond what the pirates gathered on the dock had ever imagined.

Boom—

In a matter of moments, accompanied by a violent explosion, yet another pirate ship was sunk.

On the dock, the assembled pirates erupted in outrage.

"Just one warship and they’re already this arrogant? No, there are two of them!!"

"Who cares if it’s one or two? Sink them all!"

"It’s been ages since we’ve faced such arrogant navy forces, daring to sneak into the inner bay... they’re asking for death!"

"There was no sound of cannons firing, so how are these shells flying here?"

Amidst the chaos, a pirate, puzzled, pushed down the goggles perched on his forehead—goggles with slight telescopic function—and traced the trajectory of the incoming shells.

What met his eyes was a scene so terrifying it chilled him to the bone.

"People—real people!!!"

The pirate let out a scream of sheer terror.

Nearby pirates, moving quickly, glanced toward him and cursed.

"Are you out of your mind? If it’s not people, then what—ghosts?"

Then, they saw the seemingly unhinged pirate trembling violently on his legs before collapsing onto the dock, his face contorted in horror as if he had seen a ghost.

What on earth was going on?

The other pirates looked on in bafflement.

The terrified pirate’s entire body shook uncontrollably.

"All these shells were thrown by hand, and not only that—"

His voice faltered, as if struggling for breath, unable to finish the sentence.

A few meters away, a fierce-looking man could no longer stand it.

He strode over, grabbed the trembling pirate, and first removed the goggles from his face, then tossed the frightened man aside like trash.

"You call this courage? Going out to sea with such a nerve? Go home and suck your mother’s teat."

The man looked down disdainfully at the pirate before raising the goggles to his own eyes and staring toward the prow of the warship.

Then, he fell into a profound silence.

"What’s wrong?"

The strange behavior of the burly man unsettled the pirates watching nearby.

Click.

The goggles slipped from his hand and clattered lightly on the ground.

Boom—

Another explosion sounded as a ship was struck and sunk.

Yet the pirates nearby all simultaneously looked toward the fallen goggles.

After the deafening blast, they heard the man’s trembling voice.

"It’s Navy Hero Garp and... Admiral Aokiji!"

"!!!"

At the mention of those names, every pirate around froze as if immobilized by a spell, their expressions and bodies stiff as lifeless wood.

The bombardment continued relentlessly.

On the dock, panic spread like a plague.

Out on the inner bay waters, at the prow of the warship:

Garp hurled shell after shell with increasing fluidity and remarkable precision.

This was no mere warm-up.

Nearby, the navy stationed in Gion watched silently, long accustomed to witnessing Garp’s incredible feat of throwing cannonballs by hand.

But aboard another warship trailing behind, the navy from the West Blue branch gaped in shock, jaws nearly dislocating.

They did not doubt the strength of the Navy Hero, but their experience and understanding were limited.

To them, the act of throwing cannonballs by hand was nothing short of monstrous.

"A monster..."

Colonel Robby remained silent.

He was proud.

Yet he was also keenly aware of how many powerful monsters lurked above him.

Still...

"Someday, I will be able to do the same."

Robby thought quietly to himself.

He was young and already the most outstanding among his peers.

Given enough time to grow stronger, he would surely reach the ranks of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, or even Admiral.

His eyes gleamed with bright determination.

...

Atop a building in Mad Hatter Town’s Nightshade Bar:

"Finally, they’ve arrived..."

Wolf Rat watched the commotion unfolding at the inner bay harbor.

Tap tap...

Urgent footsteps echoed in the alley below.

A group of pirates living nearby gathered and hurried toward the docks to see what was happening.

Wolf Rat lowered his gaze to the group, his eyes glinting with cold murderous intent.

At this point, there was no need to hide his true nature.

Silently, he transformed into his hybrid beast form.

Storm Kick—

Wolf Rat flexed his legs, now much bulkier, and suddenly unleashed a visible cutting shockwave toward the crowd below.

The wave arced through the air like a crescent moon, slicing through the bodies of the pirates in the alley.

"Huh?"

The pirates, hurrying along, looked down in shock to see their lower halves severed.

Slit in two, their bodies collapsed to the ground, blood spraying like a fountain.

"Ahhh!"

One of the still-breathing pirates screamed in agony.

On the rooftop, Wolf Rat cast a cold glance at the struggling pirates below, then leapt lightly, heading toward the docks.

"Tatamu, whoever you are, once you leave, don’t come back..."

Wolf Rat’s beastly form sprinted swiftly atop the rooftops.

Any pirate he spotted along the way was left with no chance of survival.

He had long wanted to do this.

He did not aim to kill every pirate.

But killing one today might save several innocent lives tomorrow.

So, one after another, he struck them down!

Wolf Rat bared his murderous intent recklessly, like an executioner carving a bloody path through the streets.

The arrival of Gion and the others freed him completely, allowing him to unleash his fury without hesitation.

...

On the rooftop of a building along Liquor Street:

Lafitte stood straight, shading his eyes with his hand, gazing at the smoke-filled docks in the distance.

"Tsk, tsk, two really formidable figures have come."

Garp and Aokiji—the Navy’s top elite.

Across the seas, those who could match their caliber were few and far between.

To Lafitte, the idea that such figures would come all the way to Mad Hatter Island in the West Blue seemed utterly absurd.

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