Chapter 105: The Kid Pirates

According to the nautical charts, the journey from Saron Island to that desolate island would take six days. Adding another five days to thoroughly map the island’s magnetic field, and subtracting the three days they had already spent reaching Saron Island, they still had eight days remaining.

Time-wise, they were quite comfortable.

Yet, all the marines were brimming with pent-up resolve and anxiety, knowing that any delay could bring unforeseen complications. As a result, their current sailing speed far exceeded normal conditions. According to Nami’s calculations, at this pace, they wouldn’t even need six days—in fact, they were expected to reach the deserted island by the afternoon of the fourth day.

Upon hearing Nami’s analysis, the marines began preparing immediately.

Except for the ship’s medic, who continued tending to the survivors, the rest of the marines worked in shifts. Half ensured the ship maintained its high speed, while the other half conserved their strength. They needed to be in peak condition for the upcoming battle.

Colonel Rolan’s words to Pengles echoed among the marines—they had all heard the same from Pengles himself: if they failed to completely annihilate those pirates, how could they face the survivors with any honor?

Fueled by this determination, the marines poured all their fighting spirit into rowing. Their momentum pushed the ship to sail even faster.

Originally, they had planned to arrive at the island on the afternoon of the fourth day. Yet now, they were a full day ahead of schedule.

By the afternoon of the third day, everyone, including Colonel Rolan, spotted the pirate ship anchored near the desolate island.

It bore a blue gear-shaped skull flag, with the entire ship adorned in skull motifs, and a massive bat figurehead looming at the prow.

“Colonel Rolan, that pirate ship and its flag belong unmistakably to the Kid Pirates,” Pengles said after cross-referencing intelligence.

“Then order all cannons to be ready. Once the ship is targeted, open fire immediately,” Rolan said grimly. “With these scoundrels, there’s no need for chivalry. We must weaken their strength as much as possible before boarding.”

“I can handle their captain without issue, but when it comes to the others, avoid casualties if you can. Your lives are far more valuable than theirs. Understood?”

“Yes, Colonel Rolan.”

Pengles relayed the orders without delay.

With the marines prepared, every cannon on the ship simultaneously aimed at the pirate vessel across the water.

The breath they had been holding for days was finally released the moment the cannons roared to life.

Dozens of cannons screamed as they launched their shots toward Kid’s ship, followed by a series of explosions.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!” Pirates jolted awake amidst the blasts, shouting in alarm.

“What’s going on?” Kid reacted swiftly, rushing to the deck where he immediately spotted the warship and the incoming cannonballs.

“Damn it, the Navy? Here?” he exclaimed, using his Devil Fruit powers to intercept the cannonballs midair and hurl them into the sea.

“Kid, I told you not to cause trouble on Saron Island a few days ago,” Kira said anxiously from behind his mask. “This warship’s scale means it’s definitely from Navy Headquarters. Your actions on Saron Island have drawn too much attention. They might not tolerate you anymore.”

“Hahaha, do you think I’m afraid of these pirates?” Kid laughed heartily, dismissing Kira’s concerns. “They’re just small fry. Even if a Vice Admiral from Headquarters were here, I wouldn’t be intimidated.”

Since leaving the South Sea, was he supposed to fear these marines? What a joke.

If he were to fear ordinary marines, how could he ever face the Four Emperors? How could he aspire to be Pirate King?

“You say a Vice Admiral from Headquarters is here, and you’re not afraid?” Rolan, now transformed into his Yudian form, strode across the sea and boarded Kid’s ship. Upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Back when he was at the peak of his power—level five physical stats, level six swordsmanship, wielding dual Haki, and transformed in his Yuen form—he almost lost his life facing a relatively unknown Vice Admiral named Tuchi.

And now, this Kid, who had only just entered the Grand Line, dared to speak so arrogantly. It was laughable.

“Kid, that’s Rolan, a newly promoted Navy Colonel. We probably can’t match him,” Kira said nervously, unlike the brash Kid, immediately recognizing the Navy rising star recently featured in the newspapers. His expression darkened.

“What’s a mere colonel? How strong can he really be? We've killed plenty in the South Sea before,” Kid retorted cruelly, licking his lips with a sinister grin.

If it had been a Vice Admiral, he might have been concerned. But a mere colonel? He didn’t even take it seriously.

“That’s not true, Kid. A colonel at Headquarters is entirely different from one at a branch. There are rumors that Colonel Rolan’s strength surpasses even Smoker from the East Blue Rog Town Headquarters. He’s definitely not someone we can defeat even if we join forces,” Kira said gravely.

“Join forces against me? Do you really think the Navy has no one else?” Rolan chuckled, glancing at the approaching warship. Without even looking at Kira, he delivered a swift kick that sent Kid flying onto the deserted island.

“Kid—!” Kira shouted, rushing forward to intervene but was promptly held back by Zoro and Pengles arriving just in time.

“Pengles, handle the others. I want to test my own strength,” Zoro said, unusually eager, as he faced Kira, the masked lieutenant.

He wanted to see just how much he had improved after two weeks of intense training with Bogart.

Captain Kid was definitely out of his reach, so there was no point in challenging him.

But Kira, as the second-in-command, was someone Zoro was eager to test himself against.

Fighting ordinary pirates wasn’t much of a challenge for him.

“Be careful. If you can’t hold your ground, call me immediately,” Pengles said without objection. He had witnessed Zoro’s effort and growth firsthand.

In fact, he now believed that after a month at Headquarters, Zoro’s strength had surpassed his own, despite having a lower rank.

If not for Zoro’s short tenure in the Navy, his rank might have already caught up to Pengles.

“I think it’ll be fine,” Zoro said, grinning as he bit into his Wado Ichimonji sword.

Since joining the Navy, he hadn’t faced a proper fight—in fact, aside from the last time he and Pengles fought Tuchi’s lieutenant together, and a skirmish with the Evil Dragon Pirates’ kid Yao, he hadn’t had a worthy opponent.

Now that he finally had a rival, there was no way he’d let this opportunity slip by.