When Luffy made his solemn declaration, Davy Jones studied him with interest.

Pirate King?

He remembered well—"Pirate King" was a unique and weighty title in this world.

Its previous holder had been Gol D. Roger, the man who, before his execution, proclaimed that the greatest treasure lay at the end of the Grand Line—thus ushering in the Great Pirate Era.

Davy Jones held no desire for the title of Pirate King itself—but the meaning behind it, the power and dominion it symbolized, was something he sought without compromise.

It represented the complete conquest of the Grand Line—a true sovereign of the seas.

But Davy Jones aimed even higher. He didn't just want to do what the Pirate King had done—he wanted to surpass it.

To him, Pirate King was too small a title.

He wanted to become something divine, a being akin to the Goddess of the Sea herself.

Suddenly, the storm intensified. The wind howled, whipping the sails as the ship rocked violently on the turbulent waves, as if a great sea beast threatened to tear it apart.

Zoro looked up at the ominous sky, the atmosphere so suffocating he could hear the sound of his own breathing.

His left foot slid across the rain-slicked deck as he instinctively pressed his back to Luffy's side.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"Luffy, focus. He's even more dangerous than I expected."

Luffy blinked in confusion, then nodded. He cracked his knuckles with a series of sharp pops, then dropped into a taut, bowstring-like stance.

Whoosh—!

Without a word, both Luffy and Zoro launched themselves into battle.

One soared between the masts of the Terror Ghost like an agile monkey, the other a tiger flashing its claws beneath streaks of lightning.

As Davy Jones tapped his crab claw with his smoking pipe—sparks snapping in the rain—his crew understood.

Kuro, Alvida, and Buggy moved in unison.

A chaotic battle unfolded amid the storm on the Terror Ghost.

Luffy's right arm stretched like a spear, bursting through the formation of Kuro, Alvida, and Buggy, aiming straight for Davy Jones.

But just before it reached him—

CLANG!

Alvida struck it down with her iron club, sending the rubbery limb snapping back with a loud smack.

Buggy squinted through the heavy rain. As he passed Luffy in the fray, he caught sight of the straw hat hanging from a string around the boy's neck—and froze.

That hat... it looked way too familiar. Wasn't that the one that bastard always wore?!

Buggy's gloved left hand, detached and floating, crept toward Luffy's blind spot—aiming to snatch the hat.

But Luffy, like a wild beast, sensed the threat to his treasure.

He sprang upward, both hands pressing the ground, flipping into the air like a spinning top. Rain lashed around him as he landed on a mast's crossbeam, swaying slightly before regaining balance.

Shing—!

A blade suddenly split the downpour, slicing Buggy's neck in an instant.

His head flew off, a shocked expression on his face—then twisted into a sly grin as his bright red nose puffed up.

Zoro smoothly sheathed his sword, not celebrating. He had done his homework—he knew Buggy was a Chop-Chop Fruit user, immune to slashes.

Still, he kept one eye on Kuro, who lingered at the edge of the battle.

Kuro's claws hung loosely by his sides, his movements slow, almost harmless. Occasionally, he reached up to adjust his glasses, looking passive.

But Zoro, seasoned in combat, knew the truth.

This man was a wolf in waiting, one that would strike the moment the prey showed weakness.

That single instant of divided attention proved costly.

Zoro felt a sharp chill at his waist.

His blade spun reflexively—clang!—blocking a sudden dagger.

Looking up, he saw Buggy's body had split into multiple parts, flying erratically through the air. Combined with the heavy rain, it was nearly impossible to follow his movements.

When Zoro refocused, eight daggers were already bearing down on him.

He gritted his teeth and twisted his body violently.

With a roar, his three blades cut through the water curtain—whirling into an upward tornado.

The spinning force deflected the daggers, sending them clattering harmlessly into the deck.

Before he could even catch his breath—

Shlick—

Five crimson slashes appeared across Zoro's chest, spraying blood that mingled with the rain.

"Ugh." He grimaced, turning his head—only to see Kuro retreating again, hunched over in his usual twisted posture, glasses gleaming ominously.

Zoro didn't need to check—he knew his back was bleeding badly.

"These bastards fight dirty!" Luffy's voice rang out from above.

Kuro blurred into motion, narrowly dodging Luffy's descending kick, which shattered the deck with a thunderous crack.

But Luffy wasn't done.

As he dropped, he unleashed a rapid barrage of punches, raining down like a machine gun on Kuro.

Kuro retreated, dodging blow after blow as the deck beneath them cracked further.

He had drawn the attention of the worst possible opponent.

Time to change tactics.

In an instant, Kuro's claws crossed over his chest. His feet tensed. His presence changed entirely.

Silent Step activated.

He vanished, appearing silently beneath Luffy's landing point—ten blades flashing like lightning.

Buzz—!

Luffy couldn't see the attack coming.

But his instincts screamed danger.

He ducked at the last moment, evading the deadly strike by a hair.

His arms coiled around Kuro's limbs, twisting his body like a pretzel before releasing—spinning them both in midair like gears.

Boom!

Both crashed to the deck.

Kuro was stunned—why would Luffy use a self-destructive move like that?

But Luffy, already on his feet, showed no sign of pain.

He'd grown up getting beaten constantly, and with the cushioning of his rubber body, this attack was nothing.

Kuro sprang back to his feet—but Luffy's fist was already on its way.

Thunk—!

But just before it connected, throwing knives stabbed into Luffy's arm.

Pain surged through him, halting his punch—giving Kuro just enough time to withdraw.

"Oww…" Luffy muttered, yanking the blades out.

Above, Buggy's cruel laughter echoed through the storm.

Zoro narrowed his eyes.

Three deadly enemies.

And Davy Jones—still hadn't moved.

The pressure was overwhelming.

He turned to look at the Deep Sea Reaper, trying to guess his intentions.

Why… hadn't he entered the fight?

Davy Jones simply stood there, gazing silently at the restless sea.

What was he looking at?

Was there something… out there?

Zoro had no time to wonder.

He was stuck dealing with Alvida's head-on charges, Buggy's aerial ambushes, and Kuro's sneak attacks—all at once.

But Davy Jones... his gaze was fixed far off, past the battlefield.

He was watching a line of rafts.

They bobbed wildly on the violent waves, threatening to capsize at any moment.

Yet a single man sat upon them—calm and unmoving as a mountain.

Strapped to his back was a massive black sword, too large for any normal warrior.

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