The Terror of the Pirates

The situation was growing increasingly tense.

As Kazit and Abbey stood on the brink of a fight, the pirates in the tavern who had nothing to do with the conflict grew restless.

They wanted to leave, but the entrance was blocked by the Pointed Bull Pirates.

With the door blocked, they couldn't leave even if they wanted to.

They couldn't exactly yell at Kazit and his crew, who were clearly on edge, to make way, could they?

That might not be a bad idea, but the question was: who would dare to do it?

As for the other exit—the back kitchen passage near the counter—there was likely a back door there.

However, to reach it, one would have to pass through the line of sight between Kazit and Abbey.

So, the question arose again: who would dare to step forward?

No one wanted to take the risk, so they could only retreat to the walls, hoping to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

If there was no chance to leave through the front or back door, the only option left was to break through the wall.

Although the tavern's walls were sturdier than ordinary wood, they were still made of wood and could be broken with enough force.

Coincidentally, Alex's thoughts aligned with those of the other pirates, though he had no sense of guilt as the instigator of the chaos.

Breaking through the wall was one of the escape plans he had considered.

As for the closer back kitchen passage, he had no intention of using it.

It wasn't that he was concerned about accidentally harming the tavern staff, but he was wary of the repercussions from the powerful figures behind Mad Hatter Town.

"So, they'd rather fight, huh?"

While defending himself against Abbey, Alex glanced at Kazit's group blocking the entrance and the dozen or so burly pirates who had come with Abbey.

Compared to the furious Kazit, Alex felt that Abbey was the more immediate threat.

The sudden sword thrust she had aimed at him earlier had given him a clear understanding of her ruthlessness.

Using her as a shield had been a necessary move.

Abbey stared at Alex with a dimpled smile, as if she could read his thoughts.

Though she was smiling, her eyes were filled with icy killing intent.

She turned her back to Kazit and his crew, her right hand gripping her sword, while her left hand rose slowly and snapped her fingers.

The sharp sound echoed through the tense silence.

At the signal, her dozen or so men drew their swords and moved to flank Abbey, ignoring the skunk hiding under the table.

At a time like this, a pet wasn't worth their attention.

As for Kazit's crew, they had already drawn their weapons the moment Kazit transformed into his beast form.

The Pointed Bull Pirates, led by their cadre Wells, even raised their guns and aimed them at Abbey's group.

However, most pirate crews had members skilled in gunplay, and the Pointed Bull Pirates were no exception.

On the other hand, Abbey's group was armed primarily with melee weapons, with no guns in sight.

In this environment, the Pointed Bull Pirates had the advantage in both numbers and firepower.

The tension in the air was like a taut rubber band, ready to snap at any moment.

The battle was about to begin.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, Wolf Rat quickly composed himself.

In the calm before the storm, he didn't want to attract attention by crying too dramatically.

He quietly moved closer to Alex, positioning himself carefully—not too close to Abbey's attack range, but not too far from Alex either.

This distance would allow him to assist Alex if needed.

"Ugh, why do I have to do this?"

Wolf Rat's heart was filled with reluctance, but he had no choice.

After all the acting he had done, if Alex didn't manage to escape, it would all have been for nothing.

Worse, he would have gotten himself into trouble for no reason.

So, even if it felt as unpleasant as eating dirt, he had to endure the discomfort and help Alex escape.

Everything was for the sake of completing the mission as soon as possible!

He repeated this to himself.

At this moment, Alex didn't have the luxury of appreciating Wolf Rat's "goodwill."

After Abbey snapped her fingers, he couldn't even spare a glance at Kazit's group.

Because Alex realized that despite the pressure Kazit's crew was putting on Abbey, she was completely focused on him.

"Big Sister Abbey, staring at me like this won't help. It'll only get your men killed faster."

Alex's reminder was pointed.

"I feel the same way, Usopp-chan."

Abbey's smile grew more flirtatious, her sword arm tensing slightly.

"But who told you to tease me?"

Before the words had fully left her lips, Abbey lunged forward, her foil sword transforming into streams of light as she attacked Alex.

[Sonic Triple Thrust]

The slender blade cut through the air, producing a high-pitched whistle.

The sword's light split into three, aiming for Alex's throat, chest, and lower body simultaneously.

"This crazy woman…"

The oppressive force of the sword strikes made Alex's expression tighten.

He managed to sidestep, narrowly avoiding the thrusts aimed at him.

The three sword strikes swept past him, so fast that only afterimages remained.

Thump! Thump!

The fabric of Alex's shirt tore open at the chest and abdomen, just barely missing his skin.

If the strikes had been even slightly deeper, he would have been bleeding.

Maintaining his defensive stance, Alex smoothly drew his flintlock pistol and fired a shot at Abbey's face from close range.

Bang!

The bullet shot through the smoke, heading straight for Abbey's face.

But it only hit an afterimage.

The bullet passed through the shadow and struck an unlucky pirate behind her.

Alex was stunned by Abbey's speed.

In the West Sea, Abbey's 38-million-berry bounty was well-deserved.

Realizing he couldn't gain the upper hand against Abbey with his current strength, Alex quickly changed tactics.

He holstered his flintlock pistol and focused entirely on defense.

He couldn't afford to worry about other threats now. His only goal was to hold off Abbey.

As long as he could keep Abbey occupied, her crew would likely be overwhelmed by Kazit's group in a short time.

The longer the fight dragged on, the worse Abbey's situation would become.

By then, even if Kazit realized that Abbey was trying to eliminate Alex without sacrificing her own men, he would surely finish her off.

Alex had to force Abbey to give up attacking him.

In a flash, Alex's thoughts became clear, and his focus on Abbey intensified.

[Heart Drop Fist Listening]

With his concentration heightened, Alex used a technique similar to the effects of Observation Haki.

His gaze locked onto Abbey.

The flow of her killing intent, the tension in her limbs, the trajectory of her sword strikes—all of it was instantly processed by Alex's heightened senses.

Just as Abbey's eyes were fixed on Alex, his were now solely focused on her and her sword.

He had no other choice.

The prerequisite for activating [Heart Drop Fist Listening] was complete focus on a single target.

Abbey sensed something was off.

For a moment, she felt as if she had been stripped bare before Alex's gaze.

But she didn't dwell on it, driving her foil sword toward Alex with another series of rapid thrusts.

[Sonic Triple Thrust]

Her ability to chain high-speed thrusts was her true trump card.

To finish Alex off quickly, she didn't hold back.

A storm of sword strikes enveloped Alex.

Yet, Alex weaved through the onslaught, dodging every thrust with precise movements.

In just a few seconds, Abbey's dozen or so strikes all missed.

Her expression shifted.

Not far away, Wolf Rat's face was a picture of shock.

He had been ready to support Alex, but he hadn't expected Abbey's sword to be so fast and precise.

He had been certain Alex would be skewered.

But instead, he watched as Alex effortlessly dodged Abbey's relentless attacks.

"Is that… Paper Art? No, it's not Paper Art…"

"This guy's been hiding his strength all along!"

The thought of deliberately approaching someone like Alex sent a chill down Wolf Rat's spine.

Even though he was in the shadows, he couldn't shake the unease creeping over him.