The Terror of the Pirates

Alex managed to achieve an effect similar to the Six Styles' Paper Art using only his reflexes and speed.

No matter how fierce and relentless Abbey's thrusts were, he was like a paper boat riding the waves—dangerously close to capsizing but never actually doing so.

Wolf Rat recognized that Alex's evasive techniques weren't Paper Art, which only deepened his surprise.

This level of skill was completely different from what he had witnessed in the alley the previous night.

"Usopp… must have a close relationship with 'Trick Gun' Sol."

Wolf Rat's eyes gleamed as he attributed Alex's abilities to Sol.

He knew that one of the most formidable aspects of Trick Gun Sol was his incredible survivability.

According to the intelligence, Sol could not only escape with ease but also retreat unscathed even when surrounded by a hundred enemies.

"Now's not the time to think about this."

Wolf Rat calmed his emotions. After confirming that Alex was safe for the moment, he shifted his attention elsewhere.

The shot Alex had fired at Abbey earlier had acted like a battle cry, prompting the Pointed Bull Pirates' gunmen to instinctively pull their triggers.

In a deafening burst of gunfire, several bullets flew toward Alex and Abbey.

At the last moment, Abbey's men formed a human wall, using their swords to deflect the incoming bullets.

This was the order Abbey had conveyed with her snap—no one was to interfere with her "enjoyment" of hunting Alex.

Generally, pirate crews could be categorized into three types: those focused on numbers, those focused on quality, and those balancing both.

The Pointed Bull Pirates fell into the first category, while the Abbey Pirates were of the second.

Despite being outnumbered, Abbey's crew wasn't easily overwhelmed by the Pointed Bull Pirates.

It was worth noting that the Abbey Pirates had a total of thirty-one members, but Abbey had only brought ten to the Tomahawk Tavern.

By the time Wells and the other gunmen reloaded, the melee fighters of the Pointed Bull Pirates had already closed in on Abbey's men.

In moments, the two crews were locked in a fierce battle.

However, the first blood of the fight wasn't drawn by either pirate group.

The first casualty was the unlucky pirate who had been hit by Alex's stray bullet.

The surrounding pirates cursed under their breath, desperate to escape the chaos.

Seeing that Kazit was determined to block the entrance, they had no choice but to find another way out—by breaking through the walls.

Within seconds, driven by the instinct to survive, the pirates began smashing holes in the tavern's wooden walls.

One by one, they squeezed through the gaps and fled the tavern.

Kazit watched their actions but chose to ignore them.

He pulled out two thick stacks of berries from his pocket and tossed them onto the tavern's counter.

The tavern owner, hiding behind the counter, could only offer a bitter smile as the money landed in front of him.

After paying for the damages in advance, Kazit first assessed the situation.

His men were holding back Abbey's crew, and Abbey herself was relentlessly pursuing Alex.

Kazit could see that Abbey genuinely wanted to kill Alex, but he didn't bother to delve deeper into why.

Regardless, Alex had to die.

Covered in thick black fur, with a bull-like face and two horns atop his head, Kazit took a heavy step toward Abbey and Alex.

With the upper hand, Kazit had several options.

For example, he could finish off Abbey's men first.

Alternatively, he could let Abbey and Alex wear each other down before stepping in.

But his choice was to take advantage of the situation and try to eliminate one of them immediately.

Whether it was Abbey or Alex, he was fine with either outcome—as long as he was the one to deliver the killing blow.

Engrossed in Abbey's relentless attacks, Alex was completely focused on defending himself and didn't notice Kazit's approach.

Abbey, too, was too preoccupied to notice the looming threat.

Wolf Rat, observing from the sidelines, quickly realized what he needed to do for Alex.

He stepped forward, blocking Kazit's path.

"Wolf Rat."

Kazit glared coldly at Wolf Rat, who stood in his way.

"..."

Wolf Rat remained silent, his body and face transforming instantly as he activated his Devil Fruit ability.

His features sharpened, his body bulked up, and his hands grew sharp claws.

As a fellow Zoan user, Kazit looked down at Wolf Rat, whose beast form was significantly smaller than his own, and sneered, "You think a rat like you can stop me?"

With a cold laugh, Kazit lunged forward, his massive body bearing down on Wolf Rat.

He ignored defense entirely, aiming a powerful hoof strike at Wolf Rat's face.

In his beast form, Kazit's strength was multiplied, and the hardened hooves often crushed his enemies' skulls in a single blow.

The heavy hoof descended with a gust of wind.

Wolf Rat's eyes narrowed as he crossed his claws to block the strike.

Clang!

The force of the blow not only shattered Wolf Rat's claws but also sent him skidding back several meters.

Kazit didn't let up, charging forward with another devastating hoof strike.

Wolf Rat was forced to block again.

This time, another claw was broken.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Wolf Rat resisted the urge to use the Six Styles.

He strained to hold his ground against Kazit's ferocious attacks.

Within a minute, Wolf Rat's hands were nearly useless.

This was often the case in battles between Zoan users.

Without advanced combat skills, the fight came down to raw strength and defense.

In this regard, Wolf Rat's Rat Fruit was inherently weaker than Kazit's Bull Fruit.

"In terms of strength, how can a rat compare to a bull?"

Kazit smirked coldly.

Facing the threat of death, Wolf Rat took a deep breath.

He had tried to help Alex, but he wasn't willing to die for him.

"I wonder how Usopp's doing."

Taking advantage of a brief pause in Kazit's assault, Wolf Rat glanced toward Alex.

What he saw left him stunned.

Abbey was standing frozen, clutching her swollen cheek.

And Alex?

He was running away faster than a rabbit.

"He… sold me out?!"

Wolf Rat was dumbfounded.