Bege's ferocious slash descended like an enraged Buddha bringing down his blade upon the wicked, a massive wave of sword energy crashing down with brutal force.
Lilos's face paled in terror. He scrambled to evade, but the immense strike tore into the ground, carving a deep chasm. The shockwave even ripped through the ranks of the Black Tiger Pirates, bisecting those unfortunate enough to be caught in its path, sending flesh and blood flying.
Lilos, undeterred, charged again. Bege unleashed another wave of sword energy. Lilos dodged with a burst of speed, closing the distance to Bege. He swung his broadsword with savage strength, the image of a black tiger once again leaping forth.
"One Sword Style: Dragon's Bite!"
Bege countered, meeting force with force. He slashed, and a dragon-shaped wave of energy surged out, even larger than the black tiger. The dragon of ki swallowed the tiger whole and continued towards Lilos. He gritted his teeth and dodged, but the dragon-shaped energy slammed into the ground, detonating with explosive force. Countless smaller blades of ki shredded the ground, leaving it riddled with a web of deep gashes.
Lilos continued his relentless assault, closing in on Bege and swinging his broadsword. Bege raised his sword to parry. Suddenly, Bege's left leg stiffened. Lilos's tiger tail had wrapped around it.
With a powerful tug of his tail, Lilos yanked Bege's leg, throwing him off balance. Lilos, sneering, seized the opportunity and brought his sword down in a heavy blow.
"Too fast!"
Bege's pupils contracted. His sword rose instinctively, meeting the descending broadsword.
CRACK!
Lilos's strength was monstrous. The sheer force of the impact drove Bege's body into the ground.
Lilos pressed his advantage, the broadsword falling again and again, each strike slamming against Bege's sword. After three brutal blows, Bege's sword shattered.
"Hahaha! Die!" Lilos roared in triumph, bringing his sword down one last time, aimed directly at Bege's head.
The cold point of the blade was a hair's breadth from Bege's forehead. The chilling sensation sent a shiver down his spine, his body reacting instantly. He shifted to the side, the blade grazing the ground.
Bege grabbed the back of the blade, and his right foot lashed out, catching Lilos's ankle. The kick was ferocious, sending Lilos stumbling.
Bege quickly scrambled to his feet, but his left leg was still trapped by the tiger tail. Lilos quickly regained his balance, swinging his broadsword.
"No Sword Style: Hawk Gale!"
Bege channeled his energy, transforming his palm into a blade. He slashed forward, sending a hawk-shaped wave of energy slamming into Lilos, who was almost upon him, sending the pirate captain flying.
"Sword!" Bege called out, his expression unchanged. Modi immediately tossed him a sword, which Bege caught effortlessly. He began to move, his speed building with each step. When he was three meters from Lilos, his body blurred, vanishing in an instant.
Lilos's eyes widened, scanning his surroundings. Suddenly, his gaze focused, and he quickly raised his broadsword to block at his waist. A metallic clang rang out as a sword slammed against his broadsword. Bege was crouched before Lilos, his blade having nearly struck the pirate captain's waist.
Lilos swiped with his razor-sharp tiger claws. Bege swiftly dodged, appearing behind Lilos.
"One Sword Style – Rhinoceros Charge!"
A gigantic rhinoceros charged straight into Lilos's back. Lilos reacted quickly, spinning around and grabbing the rhinoceros's massive horns.
"ROAR!" Lilos unleashed a roar like a savage tiger, his hands ripping the giant rhinoceros apart.
"ROAR!" He roared again in defiance at Bege, only to be met with an even more powerful wave of sword energy.
A dragon-shaped wave of ki lunged at Lilos, biting down. Unable to dodge, Lilos chose to endure the attack head-on, his tiger claws a blur of motion. The dragon-shaped energy swallowed him whole.
With a deafening BOOM, the dragon-shaped energy exploded. Lilos was drenched in blood, his body covered in countless gashes. His right arm was severed at the elbow. Blood sprayed across the ground.
"Big Brother! Save Big Brother...!" The Black Tiger Pirates, witnessing Lilos's grievous wounds, were overcome with a surge of emotion. They charged at Bege, brandishing swords and guns.
Bege's form flickered, easily evading the bullets.
"Don't you dare interfere with Bege," Modi stated, lowering his crossed arms. He dashed forward with incredible speed.
"One Sword Style – Gale Slash!"
Modi unleashed a single slash, sending a howling gale of cutting wind into the ranks of the pirates.
Several of the more hardened and vicious pirates, wielding swords, managed to block Modi's slashes.
Modi, thrilled by the challenge, charged forward, engaging them in a fierce battle.
Hank and the others also joined the fray, clashing with the Black Tiger Pirates. Aside from the top few fighters, the remaining pirates weren't particularly strong. Under the relentless assault of Bege's elite forces, they were slaughtered one by one.
Bege's form blurred, disappearing from Lilos's sight.
"Where is he?!" Lilos's eyes widened, fear flooding his gaze. He frantically scanned his surroundings.
In a fleeting moment, the cold point of a blade appeared at his chest. The razor-sharp tip pierced his flesh. He looked down at the blade protruding from his chest, struggling to turn and see Bege's sneering face behind him.
He roared in defiance and despair. Bege twisted his sword, completely shredding Lilos's heart. The light faded from Lilos's eyes, and his massive body slumped forward, collapsing to the ground.
"A 50 million berry bounty pirate… and this is all he was," Bege thought, glancing at the dead Lilos.
Bege sheathed his sword and pulled out a cigar, lighting it. He observed the ongoing carnage, but he didn't intervene. These pirates would serve as good practice for Modi and the others.
With Lilos dead, the Black Tiger Pirates lost their will to fight. They tried to flee back to their ship, but under the relentless pursuit of Modi and the others, not a single pirate made it back.
The hundred-odd members of the Black Tiger Pirates lay dead in the harbor. Blood stained the wooden planks, the crimson liquid dripping into the sea, attracting a swarm of razor-toothed fish.
"Collect the bodies. Chop off the heads of any pirates with bounties," Bege ordered the gang members behind him, his gaze cold as he surveyed the scene of carnage.
"Yes, sir!" The gang members bowed respectfully. They pulled out bounty posters and began searching for pirates with prices on their heads.
Bege planned to send someone to deliver these bounties to the Marines and collect the reward money. He intended to set sail in the future, and he would need a substantial amount of money. The Capone Family needed significant resources to develop. Money was needed for everything, and accumulating as much as possible was a wise move.
The harbor was quickly cleaned. The bodies were thrown into the sea, destroying all evidence.
"Boss, the Black Tiger Pirates have been taken care of," Bege announced casually.
"Good, very good! Now the Capone Family can finally rest easy," Rod roared in excitement.
"Boss, it's time to start our expansion plan," Bege said seriously.
Bege had an even grander scheme. He wanted to expand the Capone Family's territory and amass greater power, hoping it would aid him in the future.
Rod's expression turned solemn. "I've been thinking about this for the past two days. How much territory we can acquire depends on your ability."