Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

"Now, go drown in the sea, old man."

Behind his sunglasses, Duke's eyes turned icy cold. The drones he had deployed earlier deactivated their optical camouflage, instantly surrounding the Dread Abyss and locking their sights on every single target aboard.

Dozens of infrared targeting beams danced across the ship as the Siren pulled away to a safe distance. At the bow, a terrifying weapon began to take shape.

Wally stepped forward, dragging out the wiring of the railgun and plugging it into his own body.

"All this fun, and I get stuck setting up the railgun? Father, you really underestimate me."

The crew aboard the Siren cast looks of fear and respect toward the steel-skinned automaton. Wally was Duke's insurance policy, his final trump card for cleaning up.

"You little runt! Spouting crap like that, don't bite your tongue!"

Gangplank spat out a piece of citrus peel and drew the flaming cutlass under his foot. "I'll show you what happens when you cross the Pirate King. I'll paint this whole dock red with your blood!"

Duke didn't respond. He simply clapped his hands.

With a heavy thud, a massive object dropped onto the deck, Pride.

"ROAR!!"

With a ferocious roar, Pride's glowing blue eyes instantly turned blood red.

"Combat mode: unrestricted kill."

As Duke gave the command, jets of flame burst from Pride's hollow fingers, forming ten blazing claws of pure fire.

"As you command, Father!"

Pride's massive tail swept across the deck, charging toward the panicked crewmen. Gangplank raised his burning blade and bellowed, "Men! With me! Cut them down!"

The Dread Abyss erupted with activity. Over a hundred crew members unsheathed weapons, some brandishing muskets, others wielding sabers and axes. One hulking brute even hoisted a ship cannon onto his shoulder, while a scrawny monkey-like man perched on the other, torch in hand, cackling madly.

"Yihahaha! FIRE!!"

With a shrill laugh and a grunt from the brute, the torch lit the cannon. A thunderous blast echoed across the sea.

Whoosh!

A cannonball tore through the air, hurtling toward Duke. He remained motionless, eyes still locked on Gangplank.

ROAR!

Pride leapt into the path of the cannonball, forming a blazing wall of fire with his claws. The shell was sliced to shrapnel mid-air, but still exploded on impact.

Flames engulfed Pride. Some nearby gasped, but through the smoke, two glowing red eyes emerged. Pride stepped forward, unharmed, venting a hiss of superheated steam.

"Pathetic."

He opened his mouth. A pinpoint of searing light lit up deep in his throat.

The next second, BZZZZT!!

A searing laser beam erupted, carving a molten red line across the length of the Dread Abyss, burning through deck and hull alike.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A series of chain explosions tore through the left flank of the ship. Screams rang out as flames consumed the crew.

High above, Sarah, aka Miss Fortune, rose with her battle suit, unleashing a hailstorm of bullets with twin rifles. Under the brutal barrage, the Dread Abyss turned into a floating sieve.

THUD!

A smoke grenade clattered to the deck and exploded. Gray smoke billowed out. Graves took a long drag on his cigar, grinning wide.

"Lights out!"

With a pull of the trigger, a beam of energy surged forth. No one was left standing.

"Your crew's about wiped out," Duke said coldly. One desperate sailor dove overboard, only to be gunned down mid-air by a drone. "Just you left."

"As long as I live, I can gather a hundred more!" Gangplank snarled.

With a heavy stomp, he lunged at Duke, flaming cutlass raised.

"This is my city! No one causes chaos here!"

Duke didn't flinch. He charged forward, blackwood pistol in hand, stabbing with the barrel like a dagger. His finger tightened on the trigger.

BANG!

Gangplank's cutlass shattered into glowing shards.

A fist crashed into Gangplank's face. Then another blow smashed into his ribs.

CRACK!

Several ribs broke. Duke twisted, spun, and landed a brutal roundhouse kick.

BAM!

Gangplank flew like a ragdoll, crashing through a cabin door and vanishing inside.

"Trash."

Duke holstered Blackwood and drew a new weapon, twin chain-linked gauntlets known as Trigger Rings. Each finger bore a ring, all connected by iron chains, gear made specifically for fist-gun combat.

A sailor crawled from below decks, brandishing a blade, only to be vaporized by an energy blast.

"Don't mention it, boss!"

Graves cradled his weapon, grinning behind clouds of smoke. Outfitted with a matching exosuit, he wasn't airborne like Sarah, but he was just as deadly.

Plop, plop, plop…

Crew after crew leapt into the sea, only to be gunned down by drones. Edith monitored the battlefield through the network.

As Duke neared the cabin, a barrel rolled toward him. Gangplank lay inside, arm aimed, pistol ready.

"I saw your body at the bottom of the sea, brat!"

He grinned and pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

The barrel erupted in fire, aimed straight at Duke.

Duke clenched his fist. The Trigger Rings began to glow red hot.

With a shout, he punched forward.

The fireball met his fist head-on.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

A massive explosion rocked the ship. But Duke held his ground. The explosion was forced backward into the ship.

Fist-Gun Technique , Full Arena Bombardment!

Duke landed lightly, unscathed, but all five Trigger Rings shattered.

CRACK… CRACK… CRACK…

He flexed his numbed fingers and exhaled. "Still a bit much for me. If I can get my hands on Vibranium, I'll remake them."

"Whoever invented this style must've been an absolute monster. These moves were meant to take down tanks."

"And I've already been enhanced with a super soldier serum."

He glanced at the inferno inside the cabin and clicked his tongue. "Lucky you. Burned alive. I was planning to drown you myself."

"Pride, tear down the sails."

As the command rang out, Sarah and Graves turned in shock.

"Boss? Already?"

"I just got started!" Sarah frowned.

"I haven't even fired that ridiculous railgun yet," Graves muttered.

Duke gave a small smile as Pride tore down the Dread Abyss's black sails.

"A grand show needs a grand finale."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"They need to see my power. Only then will they submit. And once they kneel, "

"This city… will be ours."

At the harbor, every major faction in Bilgewater watched in stunned silence, including the Nagakabouros cult's Serpent Callers and Truthspeakers.

"You're right. I'm with you," Sarah said firmly.

Graves spat out his cigar. "So how do I get off this ship?"

"I'll have Pride carry you."

"What about you, boss?"

Sarah moved to Duke's side. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Obviously, I'm catching a ride with Miss Fortune."

"You're getting too smooth, boss."

Sarah took flight, carrying Duke skyward. Behind them, Graves blasted a sneaky sailor with a casual shot.

"Tch. Big guy, give me a lift."

Pride grabbed Graves and flung him toward the Siren, then flew after him.

As Duke landed aboard, he immediately synced with Wally.

"Pre-heating complete. Ready to fire on your command."

Duke glanced at the burning wreck of the Dread Abyss, a cruel smile forming.

"Let's end this."

CLACK!

The trigger pulled. Blue electricity crackled and surged.

A piercing beam of blue light tore through the sky.

The crowd gasped. Who had ever seen such a weapon?

Below deck, a charred Gangplank crawled like a dying insect, spitting blood.

"Not done yet, brat. I won't die. I won't, "

HUMMMMM…

A high-pitched whine vibrated through the air. Gangplank turned.

A wall of brilliant blue light consumed the Dread Abyss, bearing down on him.

"What… is that?"

In the next instant,

BOOM.

The electromagnetic blast swallowed everything.

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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