1511
Day three.
Mad Hat hadn't fully turned into hell, but the signs were undeniable. Fire spread from the port district to the eastern market. Blood pooled among the rubble, and gunfire split the air without end. Collapsed buildings, charred corpses, and the scent of gunpowder formed a new landscape for this city of sin. Mad Hat was no longer just a den of crime—it had become a symbol of inevitable destruction.
---
[Western District]
Amid collapsed buildings and cracked roads, heavy footsteps shook the earth. Butcher Fang, the giant crocodile-man, roared like a wild beast. Blood stained his jaw full of fangs. His body, covered in tough scales, looked unstoppable. He dragged a spiked hammer the size of a gate, crushing everything in his path.
But his steps halted.
At the end of the street stood Gerald Lazhar.
No words. No threats. No warnings.
Only the sound of a trigger locking.
Bang!
One shot. A black bullet wrapped in advanced Armament Haki flew straight to Butcher Fang's temple. In a fraction of a second, the bullet pierced through his scales, skull, and destroyed the contents of the pirate captain's head. The giant crocodile's body wavered and collapsed to the ground with a quake-like thud. His hammer slipped. Blood gushed, creating a thick pool around his corpse.
Lazhar blew the muzzle of his gun, then walked away without a single word.
---
[Eastern Market]
On the other side of town, a hissing sound whispered faintly through the smoke and ruins. Serpent Smile, a snake-like pirate with a disgusting grin, slithered through the shadows. His body was serpentine—flexible and unpredictable. Attached to both arms were tubes of poisonous gas that emitted a greenish vapor. He chuckled softly while pulling a trigger that released a cloud of corrosive gas toward his opponents.
But Bastien and Arthur were ready.
Gas filled the narrow alley where they had lured the snake captain. Bastien covered his face with a mask made by Arthur. They knew the poison trap would come. So before the battle began, Arthur had prepared a series of simple traps—steel snares, hidden spikes, and small explosives at key points.
Serpent Smile laughed when he saw Bastien charging straight at him, seemingly attacking head-on.
"Fool!" he shrieked, pressing the gas triggers on both hands.
Thick smoke burst from the tubes, enveloping the alley. But as he stepped forward, his body screamed. His leg was caught in a steel snare, and iron spikes pierced his thighs. He fell, flailing, trying to reach the backup gas at his belt.
That's when Arthur, from behind the ruins above, shot directly at the gas tanks on the captain's back.
Boom!
An explosion hit hard. Fire and poison scorched Serpent Smile's flesh, throwing him against the alley wall. He screamed in agony, his body melting slowly like wax.
But he wasn't dead yet.
With half his body destroyed, Serpent Smile crawled, hissing like a dying snake, reaching for his dagger.
Bastien stepped forward. He stared into his enemy's eyes without hesitation. And with a single shot from his twin pistols, the bullet buried itself right into the throat.
Silence.
Only the scent of burning and the hiss of poison remained in the air.
---
POV Elyndra
Three days in the hell beneath the earth.
Elyndra sat slumped against the wall of the iron cage. Around her, the bodies of slaves—young and old—who couldn't survive. Some died from wounds, others from thirst. She looked up, a narrow crack in the ceiling showing the red sky and smoke.
Screams. Blasts. Fire. That was all she could hear.
She bit her tongue until it bled.
"If I survive," she whispered, "the world will pay the price for this."
---
POV Rick Blacknose
On the balcony of the partially burned auction house, Rick Blacknose sat leisurely, legs crossed, a glass of deep red wine in hand. He watched the burning city with a faint smile on his face.
"Butcher Fang, Serpent Smile... pawns burned alive."
He didn't care. They were destined to die anyway.
His eyes gazed westward, toward the rising black smoke. There, he could imagine the figure of Lazhar, and the two boys—Bastien and Arthur.
"And those kids... impressive," he muttered. "More than I expected."
His hand reached into his coat, pulling out a small notebook. Inside were details of every movement, strength, and weakness of his enemies. Names were written in red ink.
"The show is over," he said quietly, placing the wine glass on the balcony railing. "Now, the stage belongs to the Navy."
He stood. His long shadow stretched behind him, seemingly darker than the night itself.
"Time to pack up."
---
[At the northeast part of the island...]
The mist parted. Six Navy warships sailed straight toward Mad Hat.
On the deck of the lead ship stood Rear Admiral Momosagi Gion, upright with cold eyes and a Justice cloak fluttering in the wind.
"Prepare for landing," she commanded. "Leave nothing behind. Buildings, hideouts, criminals. Reduce everything to ashes."
She raised her hand.
"Except the slaves. They will be rescued."
---
[Back Alley – Final Conversation]
Behind the ruins of the eastern market, in a narrow dark alley, Bastien and Arthur stood before Lazhar. Their bodies were bruised. Their breaths were heavy. But they hadn't fallen.
"She's coming," said Bastien. "And we have to fight her. This is our city now."
"Gion is no ordinary human," replied Lazhar calmly. "You won today. But if you stay here, you die tonight."
"But we can—" Arthur began.
"You want to fight? Then grow up first. Get stronger. Today, we leave. We live. Next time, we come back... not as children."
Bastien lowered his head. His jaw clenched.
Finally, he nodded slowly.
They boarded a small ship that had been prepared since dawn. The vessel sailed slowly away from Mad Hat, slipping through the shadows of night and the smoke still rising.
---
From afar, Mad Hat was consumed by fire. Navy ships began to dock.
Bastien stood at the ship's bow. His fists clenched.
His eyes burned.
"Goodbye, Mad Hat," he whispered. "We'll return. And when that day comes… nothing will be left behind."