Pate pants as he runs but immediately stops and jumps in the side where a bush of plants completely hidden him from the emerging running group of marines.

'F*ck!' there is too much sweat on his forehead as he pants to relieve his exhaustion.

He tried to stretch his perception to the location of Old Geezer and see the clashing of killing blows of the two.

He sees how Old Geezer battles with courageous attack patterns by propelling himself using the sturdiness of the tree. Accumulating an impact and speed as he propelled at the mid-air bird type zoan capable user.

Slashing the two bloodstain scimitars in his hands creating a beautiful red arc that clashes with the claws of the pirate.

And the pirate is fighting using his razor-sharp claws by incorporating his kicking skills like Sanji, but his skills deviated far away from Sanji's skills because of his Devil fruit ability using his advantage to fly.

These advantages were dissolved by Old Geezer using the Shave skills of six styles of marines, adding to the boosting speed of the Old Man.

But all of this has a different viewpoint in the perception of Pate, he can perceive the exhaustion of Old Geezer and the mischievous intent of the pirate.

The pirate relishes the burning will to struggle of Old Geezer while Old Geezer thinks how can he end this battle faster as he starts to worry about the villagers in the evacuation site that unbeknownst to him, his body is starting to break down as the exhaustion was suppressed because of his boiling will.

It is clear to Pate how this battle will end as the thought of retreating occurs in his mind, knowing he will be a burden by just appearing there.

Gritting his teeth as he starts to struggle and the arrival of the death of Old Geezer plays in his mind when the pirate will tear him in two, or it will chop his head.

And there is a possibility that the pirate will fly him in the sky and release him to be smashed like a paste in the - 'The f*ck, what I'm thinking!?'

Slapping his face a little harder as he starts to think about how he will help the old man, he peeks out from the bushes and sees the fading back of the marines as a spark of an idea light up inside of his head.

And now after saving him from certain death, this old dog left me behind when the powerful explosion in our back transpired. Pate started to run faster but his little body can't keep up as he feels the raging hot waves from his back.

When Pate wants to stop running he feels a tug that makes him lose his balance and when he lifts his head to see, it's Old Geezer pulling him into the large trees as the tree covers them from the raging fire that blasts into the edge of the large tree.

As the two of them were suffocating from the heatwaves and surrounded by the blazing flame, in another area a heated battle was transpiring between the vice-captain of the winged jaw pirates and Marine Lieutenant Merv.

A clash of interest and scorn.

"Die! noble's dog!" a massive bear's paw clawed toward the short marine who had two silver revolvers aiming from the attacking big bear.

Bang! Bang!~

Two silver glints intercepted the incoming claws while Lieutenant Merv leaped to distance while aiming the muzzle of his revolver.

"Heh! Were we the same, right!? being a dog in the eyes of the dragon nobles!" Lieutenant Merv smirks as his footsteps didn't stop from moving weirdly but this series of movements makes it hard for the pirate to initiate close combat.

"Let's see, who will lie in the ground like a dog!" Torres growls loudly as he urges his massive body with anger making it bulge. His claws become much thicker and sharper, sparkling in the moonlight shine.

Eyeing Lieutenant Merv with his beastly eyes, Terry's legs directly pressed hard on the ground making it cracked.

"The outcome is still the same, the marines' justice will prevail!" with a glint in his eyes, Lieutenant Merv triggered both his revolver bursting two bullets penetrating two different directions as the one bullet plunged to the ground while the other one greeted the bear's claw.

Lieutenant Merv immediately used shave retreating in a hurry, while Terry was pushed back by the exploding bullet and seeing the disappearing silhouette of Lieutenant Merv leaving a mocking laugh "Accept my small gift, pirate! hahahaha!"

"YOU COWARD!!!" Terry shouts, as he pounds the ground in anger but he stops stiffly as he realizes a threatening death warning in the ground. Looking at the ground where the other bullet plunged through earlier, a white smoke slips through the crack.

BOOMMMMMMM!~

Lieutenant Merv jumped in a tree as he smiled devilishly 'I don't have time to deal with you idiot!' but a lingering thought left in his mind where that explosion earlier transpired where he got the idea on how to ditch the muscle head pirate "They have just one job and can't even do that smoothly, idiots!"

PURURURU PURURUR!~

Getting the Den Den Mushi in his pocket and answering it "Lieutenant! we discovered the hiding area of the villagers and we are currently attacking them now!" a clashing of metal could be heard in the background of the caller as he smiled happily "What is the location!?"

***

"Ack!"

"Uggghh!"

Three marines fall to the ground as their eyes turn white and their mouths foam with bubbles, Riz delicately handles dozens of needles between the fingers of her hands "Go! leave and go to the back tunnel of the river and escape!"

"We can't leave you behind mother Riz!"

"Mother!" little Jas cried out as she tried to escape the villager man's grip.

"Go! before their reinforcement comes!" Mother Riz angrily look at them signifying the danger as they are wasting time here.