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CHAPTER 57

Amid the chaotic backdrop of the frenzied sea and the enemy's determined attempts to board, Honey Queen's intense eyes zeroed in on Kuina, almost as if they shared an intimate secret. The air was tense with expectation.

"Ara, ara... You will make a good wife for our big brother," she declared, her voice dripping with mischief. The laughter that followed was equal parts playful and seductive, echoing across the decks.

Amid the commotion, Boojack turned into a menacing ball of spikes with great momentum. Without hesitation, he charged towards their ship, akin to a wrecking ball. Ready for the challenge, Kreegan swiftly unsheathed both of his swords, preparing to intercept the imminent assault. The gray mark of level 3 on Boojack signaled the gravity of the confrontation.

"Jolt, Nanajuni Pound Ho (72 Pound Phoenix)!"

As Kreegan cried out, his blade released an intricate dance of spiraling energy that met Boojack head-on, shattering the spikes that adorned him. The force of the impact caused Boojack to be thrown against the ship's side, disorienting him. The aftereffects of the Jolt left him incapacitated, causing his form to topple into the churning sea below.

Honey Queen's sultry demeanor underwent an abrupt transformation. Her voice, now laden with fury, pierced the ambient noise,

"How dare you!!!"

"Kuina, engage the two ships starboard, and Lex, you fend off the remaining adversaries," Kreegan ordered amidst the pandemonium.

Without missing a beat, Honey Queen exhibited her unique abilities. Her form dissolved into a shimmering, pinkish liquid. Utilizing water jets, she soared skyward, her ascent elegant and fluid. Upon reaching the desired altitude, she extended her hands forward, unleashing a massive cascade of liquid.

In defense, Kreegan anchored his sword, Yubashiri, to the ship's deck and turned his hand toward her, conjuring a roaring inferno. "Burning Hands!" The ensuing blaze met Honey Queen's watery onslaught, resulting in a fierce clash of elements.

Witnessing him sticking his sword to the ship's deck, Lex's voice rose in frustration, "Hey! Kree, you asshole, what the hell are you doing to our ship."

Kreegan's response was terse, "I'll fix it later. Now, shut up and fight!"

Lex shot back, "You shut up and fight!"

Their heated exchange was interrupted by a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Gentlemen, perhaps focus on our attackers rather than bickering like little girls?"

A thick, blinding fog emerged from the confrontation of fire and water, muting the world around them. Kreegan, always the strategist, had mentally selected his spells upon sighting Honey Queen and Boojack. With Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Flame Burst, and Cat's Grace at his disposal, he was primed for battle.

Invoking Cat's Grace, Kreegan dashed through the obscuring mist, launching a "Magic Missile" at Honey Queen. Twin magical projectiles, luminescent in their blue hue, raced toward her. The sound of their impact resonated with great force.

To Honey Queen's bewilderment, both projectiles hit their mark. Accustomed to the defensive advantages of her logia devil fruit, she struggled to fathom this direct assault. It seemed impossible. Yet, the hits she received felt akin to brutal blows from a steel mace rather than mere punches. Memories of Baer King being the only one capable of inflicting pain on her resurfaced. The shock and pain from the unexpected attack visibly shook her, causing her to falter and lose balance in mid-air.

Seizing the opportunity before him, Kreegan unleashed a fierce assault. "Shocking Grasp, Nigiri: Hirameki (flash)!" he roared. Like an avian predator descending upon its prey, he leaped from his ship, delivering a swift cut to Honey in mid-air before making a flawless landing on her vessel.

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Although his blade, Yubashiri, couldn't inflict damage and just passed through her, Ichinami's enchantment managed to produce a superficial cut. It was minor, but the real potency lay in the Shocking Grasp spell, which boasted a 100% stun rate at their matched levels. Given Honey's unique liquid form, the electrical effect was magnified. The intensity of the shock rendered her unconscious, her form plummeting into the vast depths below.

Boojack, already struggling to recover from the earlier attack that left his ribs shattered and his Spike armor demolished, witnessed Honey's fall. "Honey!!" he cried out in anguish, diving back into the treacherous waves to rescue her.

Kreegan calmly returned his swords to their scabbards, observing the scene with hawk-eyed precision. As Boojack dragged Honey Queen to the surface, desperate to prevent her from drowning, Kreegan launched himself, cannonball-style, toward them. Just as he jumped, he invoked another spell: "Flame Burst!" A fiery sphere, four meters in diameter, erupted on the water's surface, shrouding the vicinity in a dense steam fog.

Relying on his coat, Kreegan cast "Air Bubble." An odd sensation enveloped him as a transparent, skin-tight barrier formed around his head. It looked peculiar, resembling a clear plastic bag more than a bubble. Diving beneath the water, he soon located Honey Queen and Boojack. The aftermath of the explosion was evident: both had severe burns on half of their faces, and their left arms were obliterated. Yet, they were still identifiable.

With grim determination, Kreegan grasped Honey Queen's sinking form, drew his blade, and decapitated her with considerable effort, storing the head in his item box. Boojack, on the other hand, remained afloat. Perhaps his coat contained some buoyant material, Kreegan mused. Retrieving Boojack's head proved to be an easier task since it bobbed above the waterline.

Emerging back onto their ship, Kreegan observed Lex and Kuina wrapping up their confrontations. Lex had left no survivors in his wake, while Kuina's opponents, although incapacitated, were mostly still breathing, bearing testimony to her precision strikes.

Witnessing Honey Queen's ship make a hasty retreat, Kreegan decisively commanded, "Let's pull back for now."

Kuina's brow furrowed in confusion. "We've clearly emerged victorious. Why the retreat?"

Lex chimed in, "His most potent skills have a cooldown. Six hours before he can unleash them again."

Kuina eyed Kreegan, an unspoken question lingering, "You emerged from the water. Aren't devil fruit users unable to swim?"

Kreegan locked eyes with her. Although they held differing opinions on several matters, a foundation of trust had been established between them. Without hesitation, he began explaining the intricacies of his unique abilities.

...

Bear King sat imperiously atop his throne, ensconced within the grandeur of his castle's highest chamber. Before him stood two figures adorned in pristine white lab coats, their demeanor a stark contrast to the brute force that radiated from the pirate king.

"I desire a super weapon. A cannon capable of striking any location within East Blue," Bear King commanded.

The female scientist responded defiantly, her voice trembling but firm, "We are already manufacturing weapons for you. Why would you need such destructive power?"

Her anger towards the Marines was palpable. Despite numerous distress signals and pleas for help, no assistance came. Their supposed protectors acted as if they were invisible, rendering them effectively prisoners to the whims of the Trump Pirates.

Bear King's voice dropped to a dangerous growl, "This isn't a request; it's a command. Need I remind you who holds the ratchet key? Comply or watch your precious island crumble."

Cornered with no alternative, the scientists begrudgingly consented. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted as a group of ragged pirates burst into the room, voices soaked in panic.

"Captain, it's Honey Queen and Boojack..."

Bear King's eyes narrowed. "Out with it!"

"They... they've been slain."

In a flash of motion that belied his massive frame, Bear King seized the messenger by the throat, smoke beginning to rise from where his hand clamped down. "Repeat yourself," he hissed.

But the unfortunate pirate could only emit strangled gasps until an ominous crunch silenced him forever.

"Lead me to them!" Bear King roared.

Guided to two lifeless, decapitated forms concealed under sheets, Bear King's fury ignited as he confirmed the identities of his fallen comrades. His hands, now aflame in red heat, clamped onto a pirate's shoulder, causing the man to scream uncontrollably.

"Who committed this atrocity?"

Through his agony, the man stammered, "Their ship... it bore a white tiger figurehead. No Jolly Roger. Just... just that."

Pin Joker interjected, "I've heard tales of such a vessel. It's manned by renowned pirate hunters notorious for collecting their bounties in heads. Known only as Wild Tiger Lex and Shinigami Kreegan."

Another pirate hesitantly chimed in, "They were accompanied by a woman, Captain. Honey Queen intended to capture her for you, but their swordsman intervened, taking her down. She was formidable, destroying two of our ships singlehandedly."

Pin Joker mused, "Four ships decimated without so much as a scratch on them? And you've returned without an earbleed?"

A younger pirate beside him whispered a correction, "The saying is 'nosebleed,' sir."

In a swift motion, Pin Joker's rapier sliced through the young pirate's throat, continuing his monologue unfazed. "How did you manage to flee without a nosebleed?"

In a fit of unbridled rage, Bear King unleashed a hail of fiery fists on the fleeing pirates.

"You should've been there to guard Boojack and Honey Queen on their expedition! How dare you come back here while you failed at your job!" he roared, his anger echoing through the halls.