Sasaki and Who's-Who exchanged a quick glance and immediately sprang into action.
Neither of them was foolish.
On Onigashima, an explosion could only mean trouble.
This was the stronghold of the Beasts Pirates; no one would dare cause a commotion here, so if someone did, it was undoubtedly a sign of a major threat.
Though their speed couldn't match King's, they were still incredibly fast.
...
"Kekekekeke…" Lancelot let out a sinister laugh, his gaze shifting toward a specific direction.
His Observation Haki had already detected the approaching figures. Their strength was considerable, especially the one in the air.
Whoosh… Yamato and Ulti followed Lancelot's gaze, their pupils contracting sharply at what they saw.
They had already spotted the figure flying through the sky.
Within the Beasts Pirates, only two could fly: Kaido and King.
When Kaido flew, he took the form of a giant dragon. Even from a great distance, he was unmistakable. This figure, however, had a bird-like shape.
Without a doubt, it was King, Kaido's foremost underling and the leader of the Three Calamities.
How could Yamato and Ulti not be aware of his strength?
'Gulp…' Ulti subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
When it came to the Beasts Pirates, aside from Kaido, the only one who could instill fear in her was King.
The gap in strength between them was simply too vast—so much so that she wouldn't even have the ability to resist.
Lancelot glanced at Yamato and Ulti. One of them was eager for a fight, while the other wore a fearful expression.
Even without taking action, the disparity in strength between the two sides was already evident.
He then said, "The one approaching must be King. I'll handle him... The other two are yours."
"The other two?" Yamato and Ulti were both taken aback, but then they noticed two figures rushing toward them across the distant ground.
Ulti raised an eyebrow. "Sasaki and Who's-Who?"
A slight smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
She was very clear about her own capabilities. There was no way she could stand against King, but Sasaki and Who's-Who? Why fear them?
She nodded. "Then I'll take on Sasaki! I've always wanted to know whether his Triceratops is stronger, or if my Pachycephalosaurus is superior."
Yamato, on the other hand, didn't mind.
In the entire Beasts Pirates, aside from Kaido, only the Three Calamities could make her feel any apprehension.
The others were simply not worth her attention. So, it didn't matter who she faced. It would all be settled with one strike—and if one strike wasn't enough, she'd simply deliver another.
...
King descended from the sky and landed in front of Lancelot, Yamato, and Ulti.
"It's you..."
When King saw Lancelot, his eyes widened in shock.
It couldn't be helped; Lancelot was now a sworn enemy of the entire Beasts Pirates, known to every last one of them.
His gaze then shifted to Yamato, who was standing behind Lancelot.
His brow furrowed instantly.
Even if others were unaware, how could he not know about Yamato's rebellious nature? Never mind Kaido—even the mere sight of Yamato without her shackles gave him a splitting headache.
He quickly understood that the earlier explosion must have come from those explosive cuffs.
And who else could have removed them but the man standing right before him?
Naturally, it was this Marine... But why would this Marine remove her shackles?
Clearly, they had joined forces.
At that moment, he truly wished he could dig Oden out of his grave and kill him all over again.
If it weren't for that man, how could Young Master Yamato have ended up like this?
King took a deep breath, then turned his attention to Ulti.
Confusion flickered in his eyes at first, because Ulti shouldn't have been here. But then it dawned on him. His expression shifted drastically.
His gaze sharpened as he glared at her and demanded sternly, "Ulti, shouldn't you be in Wano? Why are you with them? Has something happened there?"
Wano was of utmost importance to the entire Beasts Pirates; they simply could not afford to let anything go wrong.
Otherwise, the Captain would surely go berserk.
Ulti let out a bitter laugh and replied bluntly, "Do you even need to ask? My presence here already answers your question!"
King's pupils contracted to pinpricks. "What are you saying?"
Though he already had an idea in his heart, hearing the confirmation from Ulti still sent a shock through him.
Instantly, killing intent surged within him.
Since Ulti was standing on Lancelot's side, it was clear she had betrayed the Beasts Pirates.
The crew had only one fate for traitors: death. In an instant, he assumed an offensive stance.
Lancelot raised an eyebrow and swiftly moved to block King's path to Ulti.
"Hey... are you treating me like I'm just a decoration?"
King's brows furrowed deeply.
Then, he sensed someone approaching from behind. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he realized his reinforcements had arrived.
Ulti would naturally be dealt with by someone else.
"Flame Emperor!" King initiated the attack first, conjuring a massive fireball from the mysterious flames enveloping his body and hurling it toward Lancelot.
The projectile flew at incredible speed, reaching him in an instant.
Lancelot stood motionless, as if the fiery assault wasn't aimed at him at all.
Boom!
The next second, the fireball successfully struck Lancelot, engulfing him entirely in flames.
"This..." Yamato wore an expression of utter shock, instinctively turning to look at Ulti as if asking: Is this guy really that weak? He couldn't even dodge that move!
Seeing Lancelot standing motionless earlier, She thought he had some hidden trick up his sleeve.
But is this really all he's got?
Ulti was also somewhat surprised, though only mildly.
After all, she had witnessed Lancelot's strength in Wano firsthand. Even though King had landed a direct hit, she felt no concern whatsoever.
Sure enough, exactly as she expected, when the flames dissipated and calm returned, Lancelot stood there completely unscathed.
Not only was he unharmed, but not even a single corner of his clothing had been singed by the flames.
"What…"
Seeing this, King's pupils trembled uncontrollably.
He knew Lancelot could rival Kaido, so he was well aware Lancelot was no ordinary opponent.
But for his physical defense to match the Captain's was simply absurd.
Lancelot, however, merely brushed the dust off his clothes and remarked indifferently.
"Is this all the second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates is capable of?" After speaking, he curled a finger toward King in a beckoning gesture.
"Stop testing me. Let me experience your true strength! Otherwise, once I make my move, you won't even get a chance to fight back… Hehehehe!"
"Bastard…"
Those words felt like a direct insult, igniting a fiery fury within King.
He might truly be no match for this man, but defeating him wouldn't be easy either.
The racial advantage of the Lunarians was undeniable.
As long as the flames on his back burned, no one could harm him in the slightest.
Not even a Yonko could change that fact...
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