Devil's Luck Pirates

-Wasteless Valve, was it? – Ragnar asks. Not in an attempt to provoke his opponent, but because he genuinely doesn't remember the man's name – I've been waiting for this moment for years! – He shouts, swinging his ax at Valve. The latter manages to dodge yet again with a burst of steam.

-Oh! Yet another person coming after me… – Valve comments after landing – It feels good to be wanted! – He jumps into the air and propels himself toward Ragnar seemingly for a frontal attack. However, right before Ragnar could meet him with his blade, Valve zips to the left and punches the man-bear right in the face; then finally zipping away to safety. All at incredibly high speeds. Especially for Ragnar.

At least his attacks don't pack much force for someone like Ragnar. He always had a strong constitution thanks to his barbarian heritage. But after eating the Kuma Kuma no Mi, his resistance has increased exponentially. Not to mention with how fast his injuries heal now.

Eustass Valve keeps dashing all over the room. Ragnar can only see the trail of steam he leaves behind. Valve lands another hit on Ragnar. This time on his stomach, but the latter manages to grab onto Valve's leg right before he can dash away, slamming the man into the ground. Ragnar tries to bring his ax down one last time, but Valve slips away yet again.

-Tell me… – Ragnar says, catching his breath for a moment – Why did you do it? Why did you attack my village? We had no riches, nothing for you to take!

Valve also recomposes himself. He laughs at Ragnar's question. As if the answer were obvious – Asking me that is the same as asking why I breathe or eat. – He responds – There are only two things that are worth in this world: money, and chaos! – Valve's expression contorts into a sickening grin. Even though his eyes are covered by his green goggles, Ragnar can tell that they are shimmering with madness.

-Once you understand that, – Valve continues – you'll all understand the true meaning of freedom…

After coming back into the throne room, William catches Marrow and Duros locked in fierce combat. The Navy Captain throws blow after blow with his bone-covered hands. Each one of them landed on Duro's shield or armor with a loud clank. Verona is a couple of meters back, near the throne atop a flight of stairs. And Jasper is across the room, down on one knee, looking like he took a heavy hit from Marrow.

The situation is not looking good. Without Ragnar and Pearl nowhere to be seen, they are without two of their heavy hitters. Not to underestimate Verona's and William's abilities, but you cannot deny the superior strength of a bear-man and a dragon-girl.

William dashes towards his first mate without hesitation. Taking out his steam pistol and fired. The bullet hits Marrow's temple, drawing a bit of blood and the Captain's attention.

-There you are… – Marrow declares with a smile – I was wondering if you've run away like the coward you are.

Duros, with heavy breathing, takes this opportunity to swing his mace at the Captain, hitting him square on the side, and then bashing him with his worn-down shield.

-We're not done with our brawl yet. – Duros lets out confidently despite his bloodied face and heavy breathing.

Marrow backs away a couple of steps, allowing Verona to have a clear shot at him. He loads one of Bullet's special ammo into Little Timmy and pulls the trigger. The bullet releases a myriad of vines that wrap around Marrow's body upon impact. William, Duros, and even Jasper take this opportunity to gang up on him. They all swing at him from different directions, but Marrow covers almost his entire body in bone, rendering their attacks null.

-I am sick of this!! – He boomed, snaping the vines with ease. Jasper tries to move in, with the hopes of landing an opportune hit, but Marrow grabs him and violently tosses the prince at Verona, who didn't manage to dodge in time. William then throws a superheated kick at Marrow's face, leaving a burnt mark on it.

-Especially of you… – Captain Marrow growls while looking at his father's murderer. He manifests a spear from his torso and throws it at William, who manages to move out of the way enough for it to scrape his arm. Marrow then takes out yet another carton of milk from his coat. He is about to drink it when a small ax slices the carton in half. He looks in the direction it came from in a rage, only to see a smiling Duros with his arm outstretched.

-YOU WASTED MILK!!!! – He roars at him.

-Don't cry over spilled milk, haha! – The knight responds with laughter, making his allies smile.

Marrow then spurts two spears from his shoulders and throws them at Druos. One of them is deflected by his shield, the other goes through his already weakened armor.

-DUROS!!! – His three friends scream in shock and horror. Luckily, the spear only partially went through his side. However, it was enough to bring him down to a knee.

Duros winces from the pain, dropping his shield. He puts both hands on the spear and tries to pull it out without doing more damage to himself.

He looks up, his face filled with pain, at the Navy Captain slowly making his way towards him.

-I don't pretend to make the same mistake of leaving you to die again. – He declares after dropping an emptied carton of milk to the ground, stepping over it – I'll finish you off this time.

Duros mind recalls to that day nine years ago. No wonder Marrow's voice was so familiar to him. He was the man who left him to die on that day. The day he failed to protect his kingdom, his people, and above all; his best friend. Regret consumes his soul once more. Since it looks like he will fail to protect those precious to him once more.

-Not on my watch! – Jasper declares, putting himself between his friend and Marrow – As the prince of this kingdom, I won't allow you to harm anyone of my subjects anymore! – He puts his shimmering sword in front of him, ready for the worst.

-Jasper… don't do this… – The knight behind him implores as he painfully pulls out the spear from his abdomen.

-HA HA HA HA HA HA. – Marrow laughs – How pathetic. A prince has to protect his useless knight… – He muses as he encapsulates his arm in bone, forming a spear – I'll just go through both of you, then!

-Not if we go through you first. – William's voice counters from Marrow's back.

The pirate captain climbs the towering man's back and shoves something into his skull hat's eye, then jumps back graciously.

-Verona, NOW! – He shouts to his navigator, who's aiming precisely at that something on Marrow's head.

-Aye aye, Captain. – He responds and pulls the trigger.

A purple bullet flies through the air, hitting another of itself lodged on Captain Marrow's hat. An enormous explosion engulfs the upper part of the man's body.

The prince and his pirate allies watch as the tall figure stumbles back as if it were going to fall flat on its back.

They've done it. The four of them managed to beat the strongest man in the South Blue.

Or so they thought…

A hand-sized bone darts out of the smoke, hitting Verona's rifle with impossible precision and sending it flying off the navigator's hands.

Willam panics after seeing this. How could he have survived that explosion at point-blank? His shock was so great that he almost didn't notice the volley of spikes flying towards him. He scuttles back as the spikes penetrate the ground as he moves out of their way.

Marrow walks out of the smoke towards William. His head is almost completely enclosed by a helmet made of solid bone, except for a big hole where the explosion occurred that reveals one of his enraged eyes.

-You pirate scum are all the same. – The Navy Captain says as his bone helmet disintegrates back into this skull – Always with cheap tricks instead of fighting like real men.

William pulls out his gun to shoot at him. But, nothing happens. It looks like his steam gun quite literally ran out of steam, making Marrow smile before kicking William in the stomach, and making him spit out blood.

Jasper rushes at Marrow trying to prevent the worst, but his sword is stopped by the bone covering the Captain's leg. Marrow turns around and grabs the prince by the neck, shoving him to the ground and sticking a bone spear through his right leg, pinning him in place.

-You stay right there, little prince. – Marrow sadistically declares amidst Jasper's painful scream.

-That's enough, Marrow! – Verona shouts from atop the stairs next to the throne – It's me who you want.

-HE HE HE… don't think so highly of yourself, little Verona. – Marrow scoffs – I want all of you scum equally dead at my feet.

Verona unsheathes his scimitars without a word and rushes towards Marrow. He tries to slash at Marrow again and again, just to be blocked by his bone armor like all the others. Every time Verona's swords are blocked by the Captain's bone, the latter responds with a punch or a kick that pushes him back.

-Veridian was as much of a fool as you are. – Marrow declares as his opponent cleans the blood from his scarred mouth – He thought justice should be something malleable that accommodates each individual. That's how we get morally depraved pirate scum like you! – He punctuates his sentence with a kick that sends Verona crashing into the wall, falling to the ground as his back hits against it.

William wanted to rush in and help his crewmate, but all the injuries he's sustained since setting foot on Tarako are starting to take a toll on him.

-I d-don't really care about what your views on justice are, Marrow. – Verona critiqued.

-Of course you don't. – Marrow retorted – All you pirates care about is pillage and murder… – He adds as bone slowly creeps up his left arm forming a lance. A scene all too familiar to William.

-NO!! – He screams as he rushes towards the two with all the strength he has. Marrow thrusts towards a defenseless Verona.

William jumps towards the lance landing his foot on it. The attack that would've gone through Verona's chest now impales him on the side of the stomach, much like Druos.

Without missing a beat, William puts his hands on Marrow's face and heats them as high as he can.

Marrow screams in pain as the pirate's palms burn his face until he grabs him by the collar and throws him towards the throne followed by a spear.

William lands sitting on the throne and manages to move out of the way of the spear, which instead goes through his shirt, pinning him to the fancy chair.

As the Navy Captain turns to finish the job, William desperately tries to melt the bone to free himself.

The Captain once more thrusts the lance at an almost unconscious Verona when a pink blur rushes towards them, colliding with the two almost at the same time Marrow's lance hit the wall, kicking up a huge dust cloud.

After the dust settles, the lance is now lodged inside the wall with no sign of Veorna's body. Marrow looks around confused, seeing a winged figure a couple of meters away from him with a silver-haired man in her arms.

-And here I thought you were a cutie behind that mask. – The girl says sarcastically. William almost cries after seeing this.

-…h-hey there, P-Pearl… – Verona greets her with a weak voice – You l-look… different…

-Hush. – She tells him – You'll be ok. – The girl declares putting him down, ripping a part of her shirt and tying it to his abdomen covering the wound – I'll take care of this.

Pearl stands up and turns to face Captain Marrow in her complete hybrid form.