The undulating sea stretched endlessly.
Bartholomew Kuma stood alone on his small dinghy.
Even with three massive Navy warships arrayed before him in perfect formation,
not a trace of fear could be seen on Kuma's resolute face.
Aboard the Navy warships,
King Bekley continued to bellow incessantly.
"Navy! Kill him now!"
Pointing viciously at the tiny dinghy below, the king roared with a twisted expression.
"I am the true king of Sorbet Kingdom!"
His shrill cries carried over the sea breeze, reaching Kuma's ears.
"King Bekley..."
Kuma lowered his head slightly, the brim of his gray-white felt hat casting a shadow over his eyes.
"You dare return!"
The Navy soldiers aboard the warships couldn't hear the "Tyrant's" murmur.
But King Bekley's relentless urging forced them into action.
Every cannon on the three massive warships turned their dark muzzles toward the lone dinghy on the sea below.
King Bekley glared down at Bartholomew Kuma and swung his right hand violently toward the water.
"Fire—"
Boom— Boom—
Flames erupted from the cannons as deafening roars filled the air.
Round black cannonballs hurtled toward Bartholomew Kuma,
forming an impenetrable net of death in the sky.
Faced with the relentless barrage from three warships,
Kuma raised his head, a faint trace of pity flashing across his face.
The next moment,
he lifted his right hand, revealing a plush paw-like pad.
Just as the cannonballs were about to strike him,
Kuma swung his arm and lightly swatted at the incoming projectiles.
The cannonballs, which should have exploded on impact,
instead rebounded as if hitting an ultra-elastic net.
Boing—
With a strange, spring-like sound,
Kuma sent every single cannonball flying back—
at several times their original speed—
straight toward the three Navy warships that had fired them!
"The cannonballs! They're coming back!"
"They're moving way faster than normal!"
"Evade! Evade!"
Panicked shouts erupted across the warships.
Even though the Navy had gathered intelligence about the "Tyrant" from King Bekley before setting sail,
and had dispatched three massive warships for this very purpose—
three warships against one Tyrant—
The advantage was ours!
Yet now,
none aboard the warships could have imagined
that their pride—the mighty naval artillery—
would prove utterly useless against the Tyrant!
As the rebounding cannonballs closed in on the warships,
chaos erupted.
Many sailors chose to leap overboard in desperation.
King Bekley, who had been so arrogant moments ago,
now collapsed onto the deck, trembling in terror.
It wasn't that he didn't want to run—
his legs had simply given out from fear!
At that very moment,
a thunderous Dragon Roar split the heavens above.
This was the fusion of [Death Wink] and——
[Dragon Roar]! "Roar——"
A terrifying dragon's roar, carrying a powerful explosive wind, descended from the sky at a violent supersonic speed.
A colorless sound wave formed an invisible, transparent barrier in front of the three Navy warships.
Boom! Boom! Boom!——
The returning cannonballs collided directly with the explosive wind barrier created by [Dragon Roar].
Before they could even hit the warships, they were detonated mid-air.
The dazzling flames illuminated the faces of everyone on the three Navy warships, yet not a single person was harmed.
The Navy soldiers aboard the three ships were too weak to discern who had suddenly intervened to save their lives.
But Kuma immediately looked up at the sky.
"Another enemy?!"
When he caught sight of the legendary creature soaring through the sky, his eyes behind the lenses instantly narrowed.
"A dragon?"
On the head of the Blue-Eyed White Dragon.
Storm slowly stood up.
He raised his arms horizontally and leaped backward into the air.
A leap of faith!
Kid and Killer, still lying on the dragon's back, were immediately shocked.
"Hey! You! Me! Him! Why did he just jump?!"
"From this height, and into the sea below—isn't that suicide?"
"What about the dragon? What about us?"
"Kid! Look down! It's an Angel..."
Kid and Killer floundered in confusion for a moment.
When they looked down again, they saw the situation had changed once more.
Storm plummeted toward the vast ocean, his body in free fall.
Then, white Clay surged from his back, instantly forming a pair of pristine, crystalline wings.
Storm spread his white wings wide, soaring through the sky as gracefully as a bird.
In no time at all.
Storm positioned himself between the Navy warships and the single dinghy.
"An Angel?"
Kuma was the first to notice the stranger's sudden appearance and the white wings on his back.
As a pastor by profession, he instinctively thought of the mythical creatures recorded in the Bible. But Kuma quickly dismissed the idea.
"No, it must be a Devil Fruit user!"
Having been part of the Revolutionary Army and seen much of the world, Kuma made a clear judgment about Storm's abilities.
But the foolish and tyrannical King Bekley lacked such insight.
When he saw a "bird-man" descending from the sky, he truly believed an Angel had arrived.
He scrambled across the deck, crawling to the ship's railing, and shouted toward the sky in desperation.
"Angel! Great Angel! Kill that Tyrant at once!"
Though it was a plea for help, King Bekley's tone was unmistakably commanding.
"You."
Storm turned his head slightly, glancing at King Bekley.
"You're too noisy!"
[Heavenly Clayfall]! A strange ripple suddenly appeared in the air above King Bekley's head.
Clumps of white Clay, fluid-like, poured out from this distorted space, drenching him from head to toe.
King Bekley was instantly encased in Clay, transformed into a Clay statue.
He couldn't move, couldn't retreat, couldn't even open his mouth—only his eyes rolled helplessly in their sockets.
The naval soldiers on the warships saw King Bekley being restrained by clay, instantly realizing the hostile intentions of the newcomer.
"King Bekley is under attack!"
"Quick, prepare the weapons!"
"It's an enemy!"
Storm frowned as he observed these marines who had been invited by King Bekley.
Based on his experience, these three large warships were not the kind of advanced vessels typically assigned to ordinary branch bases.
What would branch bases in the Four Seas need with warships of this caliber?
So these ships were likely from a G-series branch...
And the marines aboard might well be "elite marines" trained in the G-series branches of the Grand Line.
For these "comrades," Storm had no intention of going too far.
"You should all calm down too!"
[Heavenly Clayfall]! Above the three warships, rippling spatial distortions appeared simultaneously.
Endless white clay descended from the void, hanging in the air like a colossal waterfall connecting heaven and earth.
Under the deluge of [Heavenly Clayfall], the three steel warships were coated in a thick layer of white "clay fluid."
The marines moving about on the decks were also transformed into "clay statues" by this baptism.
In just a single encounter, Storm had effortlessly neutralized three massive marine warships!
'This ability is quite impressive!'
[Name: Heavenly Clayfall]
[Star Rating: ★★★★★]
[Effect: Designates an area within line of sight to summon vast amounts of clay that adhere to enemies]
[Review: Taste my heavenly justice!]
This five-star ability was a new power Storm had obtained by making a wish with the [Grand Prize Trophy] of a [Teleportation Fruit] user.
Today's test run proved its effectiveness beyond expectations.
Bartholomew Kuma watched as this sudden "Angel" effortlessly subdued the three warships.
He immediately realized this "Angel" might not be an enemy.
At the very least, this "Angel" was not aligned with King Bekley or the marines!
This discovery lightened Kuma's mood somewhat.
Unless absolutely necessary, he had no desire to fight, let alone take lives...
After dealing with the warships, Storm finally turned his attention to Kuma.
"Tyrant Kuma?"
"That's me."
Kuma responded calmly, his guard silently rising.
"Who are you?"
"Vongola Storm."
Storm flapped his wings and swiftly closed the distance between them, cutting straight to the point with his offer.
"I saw your story in the newspapers.
"Kuma, how about joining me at sea as a pirate?"
"No!"
Kuma refused the stranger's invitation without hesitation.
Though he had mentally prepared himself when setting out to confront the warships—knowing that defeating the marines would inevitably brand him a wanted "criminal,"
In other words,
a pirate.
But now, before Kuma could even act,
Storm had single-handedly resolved the situation.
Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, Kuma was deeply grateful for Storm's "assistance."
Now, without the burden of "destroying the warships," he had no reason to become a pirate!
Besides, Bonney was still waiting for him at home...
"Oh, what a shame."
Storm said those words, but there wasn't the slightest hint of regret on his face.
He knew full well that mere words wouldn't be enough to recruit subordinates.
He was terrible at sweet-talking...
In that case.
Snap! Storm snapped his fingers.
The Clay covering the three warships instantly vanished without a trace.
The naval vessels returned to their fully armed state.
"Let the show begin."
Storm flashed a radiant smile.
"Tyrant."