#39 Behemoth put in Place

In the plaza, Burgess roared, and his body began to grow wildly. His clothes ripped apart as his skin turned a deep brown, and his already massive muscles expanded even further. In moments, he grew over ten meters tall, almost as big as a giant!

He no longer looked human, with dark brown skin, a mane of white hair, and a mouth full of fangs, making him appear terrifying. But the most striking feature was his oversized forearms, two to three times thicker than his legs, bursting with explosive power.

One punch from him could likely smash even a giant, let alone an ordinary person. This was the true form of the Behemoth!

After eating the fruit, Burgess briefly adjusted to the new energy coursing through him. Unexpectedly, he immediately transformed into the beast form.

"Wiihahaha, this is awesome!"

"This body is incredible! So this is the legendary Behemoth Fruit? I can't believe I actually got it! One punch from me, and I could flatten mountains! The Navy won't stand a chance against me!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Burgess admired his enormous arms and fists, aiming towards the nearby mountains, eager to test his strength.

"Hey, Burgess, you idiot! Watch where you're going, you almost stepped on me!"

Lafitte and Van Augur's annoyed voices rose from below, ready to fight him. Burgess's sudden transformation had almost crushed them.

Before they could act, Carlo started walking towards Burgess. The others noticed Carlo's face had darkened with anger.

"This is going to be bad for him. The Vice-Captain is mad," Lafitte said, enjoying the drama.

Having observed Carlo's interactions with Blackbeard, Lafitte sensed that Carlo held significant power and respect within the crew. With his Conqueror's Haki, Carlo was definitely not someone to mess with.

True to his instincts, Carlo was annoyed. Burgess, interrupting him and showing off, had crossed the line.

Carlo's small figure contrasted sharply with the now colossal Burgess, but size didn't matter against raw power. Without hesitation, Carlo leaped into the air, aiming directly at Burgess's face.

"Vice... Vice-Captain? What are you..."

Burgess, still disoriented, didn't finish his sentence before Carlo's punch landed on his face, causing immense pain.

"Ahhhh!"

Burgess screamed as Carlo's simple punch, without even using Armament Haki, sent shockwaves of pain through him. Carlo followed with a spinning kick to the other side of his face.

The others watched as Burgess's massive body flew through the air, crashing into the nearby buildings, raising a cloud of dust.

"Alright, clean this place up. Make sure no one's left alive. We need to leave," Carlo instructed the stunned crew members, dusting off his hands as if nothing had happened.

"Y-yes, Vice-Captain!"

Snapped out of their shock, Lafitte, Van Augur, and Doc Q hurried to follow Carlo's orders, their respect for him even greater. None felt sympathy for Burgess, who had brought this on himself by being careless and arrogant.

Blackbeard, too, seemed pleased. He hated Burgess's cockiness and was glad Carlo had put him in his place.

"Zehahaha! With this successful trip, it's time for a celebration. Let's have a feast!"

Blackbeard, thrilled by their newfound power, decided they deserved a grand party. Pirates without celebrations weren't real pirates in his view.

The crew made sure to eliminate any remaining enemies before heading back to the ship. Carlo and Blackbeard were meticulous, leaving no loose ends.

With their new allies in tow, they made their way to the port. Burgess would have to catch up on his own, a fitting punishment to keep him grounded.

Their mission was a success, fulfilling Blackbeard and Carlo's objectives perfectly.

As they neared the port, they noticed another ship docked next to their own, with two enormous serpents by its side.