Chapter 22: Brutal Kratos (Patreon)

Kratos nodded at Axis and leaped onto the deck of the Straw Hat Pirates' Thousand Sunny.

"I hope this goes smoothly," Axis muttered, casually finding a crate on the dock to sit on. "Otherwise, even plot armor won't save the Straw Hats."

Aboard the Thousand Sunny.

"Stupid skeleton! Hurry up and put on a show! Sing a song, do a dance, or something," a grinning little boy demanded.

He was currently lounging comfortably in the arms of Nami, the Cat Burglar, mocking Brook. Nico Robin sat nearby, patiently peeling fruit for the boy. He wore a deceptively pitiful expression, but his sinister smirk made people want to strangle him.

"You brat! I only take orders from Captain Luffy. What gives you the right to order me around?" Brook retorted.

"You little punk, where are your hands? Get your hands off Nami-san!" Sanji yelled, a massive vein popping on his forehead.

"Despicable," Usopp agreed, looking highly displeased.

Relying on his cute appearance, this brat had been a massive headache for the past few days. The little gremlin had actually stolen the embraces from Nami and Robin that Sanji constantly dreamed of. Damn this kid! Yet, they were completely helpless against him.

Luffy and Zoro had left earlier that day, saying they were going to participate in a bullfighting tournament. With them gone, the brat was showing off again. Sanji silently vowed to give the kid a proper beating when no one was looking.

"Come on, you're all adults fighting with a child. Here, Momonosuke, come to me," Nico Robin chuckled, pulling the boy into her own embrace.

"I am going to kill you!" Flames practically erupted from Sanji's head.

"Idiots! Hahaha," Momonosuke sneered, sticking his tongue out.

"Damn it!" Sanji clenched his fists, his face a mask of grief and indignation.

"Alright, Brook, just play a song for Momo-chan," Nami sighed in exasperation. If this continued, Sanji might actually have a heart attack from pure jealousy.

As the Straw Hats bickered and played their usual games, a deafening crash echoed across the deck. A hulking, 2.2-meter-tall man had landed on the ship.

It was an incredibly fierce, bald man with ash-pale skin and blood-red tattoos etched across his torso. He was shirtless, his muscles corded with explosive power, and two jagged blades rested on his back.

"Scary!" Usopp shrieked.

"Terrifying!" Nami gasped.

"So savage!" Chopper cried out, hiding behind the mast.

"My, my. It seems we have a guest," Nico Robin smiled calmly. She wasn't intimidated by Kratos's ferocious appearance. During her years on the run, she had encountered plenty of terrifying-looking men. She assumed he was just another pirate.

"Sir, why are you here? This is our private ship, and we do not welcome uninvited guests," Robin said politely.

Kratos ignored her completely. His piercing gaze swept the deck, finally locking onto Brook. He began to walk slowly toward the skeleton, completely disregarding the crew's questions.

"Hey! Robin-san is talking to you! Answer her, you bastard! Sneaking onto our ship, what the hell do you want?" Usopp shouted from his hiding spot, his legs shaking. 'This guy looks way too scary!'

"Eh! Are... are you looking for me?" Brook adjusted his hat and gripped his cane sword tightly, sensing the man's approach. For some reason, the bald man's mere presence filled him with a suffocating sense of dread.

"Diable Jambe!" Sanji wasn't about to ask nicely. He was already furious at Momonosuke, and this bald intruder was a convenient punching bag. He would beat him into the deck first and ask questions later.

Sanji launched a blazing kick. Kratos dodged it effortlessly. His hands suddenly turned pitch-black, coated in Armament Haki. He grabbed Sanji by the leg, slammed him brutally onto the deck, and proceeded to batter him mercilessly. After violently smashing the cook against the wooden planks over a dozen times, Kratos tossed the unconscious Sanji aside and continued his slow march toward Brook.

It happened so fast that no one had time to react. In mere seconds, Sanji was defeated.

"I-impossible! Sanji... Sanji got taken down just like that!" Usopp stammered. Despite his terror, he drew his slingshot and aimed at Kratos.

"Damn it! Why did Luffy, Zoro, and Law have to leave right now?" Nami gritted her teeth, drawing her Clima-Tact.

Kratos had actually shown mercy. If Axis hadn't explicitly warned him not to kill anyone before boarding, he wouldn't have just thrown a few punches. He would have drawn the Blades of Chaos and butchered the cook on the spot.

"Cien Fleur: Hold!" Nico Robin acted instantly. Four massive arms sprouted from Kratos's body, attempting to lock him in place.

"Raaargh!" Kratos roared. Through sheer brute strength, he instantly shattered the restraining limbs and lunged ferociously at Robin. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her violently onto the deck, completely devoid of any gentle restraint.

"Cough!" A trace of blood leaked from Robin's mouth.

"Doce Fleur: Twist! Everyone, attack together!" Robin gritted her teeth, preparing another technique.

"Damn you! How dare you attack my crewmates! Take this—Hanauta Sancho: Yahazu Giri!" Brook drew his blade and lunged.

"Sniper King: Special Attack! Green Star: Skull Exploding Grass!" Usopp fired his projectile.

Simultaneously, the samurai Kin'emon—who claimed to be Momonosuke's father—and the shipwright Franky launched their own attacks.

"Fox-Fire Style: Flame-Rending Slice!"

"Strong Right!"

The crew launched a coordinated assault, surrounding Kratos from all sides.

Kratos finally drew the Blades of Chaos. A bone-chilling mist radiated from the metal—the Ice of Poseidon.

Meanwhile, Chopper rushed over to Nami. Together, they dragged the heavily injured Sanji away from the fight and began assessing his wounds.

"Chopper, hurry! How bad is it?" Nami asked anxiously.

"Let me see... Damn it! He has multiple fractures across his body. His ankle is completely shattered, and he has internal bleeding. But thankfully, it's not life-threatening," Chopper reported frantically.

The remaining crew members tried to press their attack, but their efforts were utterly futile. They only succeeded in angering the Spartan further.

Golden lightning erupted from the Blades of Chaos. Tapping into the Lightning of Zeus, Kratos unleashed a devastating electrical shockwave, blasting everyone to the deck and paralyzing them instantly.

He walked over to Nico Robin, hoisted her into the air by her neck, and raised a glowing Blade of Chaos, fully intent on decapitating her.

"Damn it, what are you doing to Robin?!"

"Ah! bastard!"

"No!"

"Stop! Kratos, I said no killing!"

Axis finally leaped aboard, his heart hammering against his ribs. 'Damn it! This bald brute has absolutely zero concept of holding back! Nico Robin might have a sharp tongue sometimes, but how could you try to execute such a stunning beauty on the spot?!'