The yellow sand filled the sky, and visibility on the sea further decreased.
This wasn't the first time they'd encountered such a situation. The climate of the Grand Line was unpredictable, and dense sea fog was not uncommon. However, the sandstorm created by Tyranitar was more deadly than sea fog.
When the sea fog appeared, they only needed to be cautious of the hidden reefs in the ocean. During calm weather, they could even choose to anchor and stop the ship, but this sandstorm was different. The yellow sand hitting their faces prevented them from opening their eyes, and the sand creeping into their clothing affected the sailors' condition.
The shadows of enemy ships beneath the yellow sand increased their psychological burden. Sandstorms don't just occur in the middle of the sea without reason — this area had always been their territory, and they'd long been in control of its climate.
It's either a natural occurrence, or the handiwork of enemies capable of changing the weather. No matter how you look at it, they're not ordinary foes.
At this moment, the radio snail on the ship sounded with a stern voice.
"Stay calm!"
The voice of Admiral Oron Bus seemed to carry some kind of magic power, and the soldiers who heard his voice immediately calmed down.
"Cover your eyes with gauze! Line up! Start shelling at the designated positions!"
Admiral Oron Bus was valued by the King of the Stanting Kingdom precisely because of this ability. Under his command, his forces were able to follow orders seamlessly. It wasn't that their military was particularly powerful, but the pressure brought by Oron Bus himself.
His self-proclaimed authority as admiral was intimidating, not just to his own men but even to their enemies, who found their bodies unconsciously forming neat phalanxes when faced with him. Oron Bus was not in a good mood in this sandstorm environment.
His authority was largely due to his menacing appearance, but his inner self was not entirely like that. His actions were meticulous, and he had a dislike of disorder. The yellow sand everywhere was a torment for him.
Bam!
His whip struck the deck as the sailors on his ship had already adjusted the cannon's firing angles. If the weather was normal, other ships could make judgments based on flag signals or the movements of the main ship.
But now, they could only act based on the voice from the radio snail. Unable to clearly see the target's specific position, they could only lock down the general area with firepower. Their firepower and ammunition reserves were enough to address this issue.
Meanwhile, Tyranitar also locked onto its target, but just as it was about to unleash Hyper Beam, Jack called it to stop. A minute earlier, one of his subordinates had raised a very critical question.
"Brother Jack, why didn't we reveal the pirate flag earlier, and only now release it?"
"Of course, it's because we were afraid of scaring them off. Now that we have them surrounded, there's no need to hide it anymore."
"But Brother Jack, letting the Ghost Princess's pet sink that ship was also for intimidation, right?"
"Sheepshead, where are all these questions coming from?"
"Uh... I have one last question. Since it's for deterrence and asserting our identity, shouldn't we let them see it first?"
Seeing Jack's slight impatience, Sheepshead directly got to the point, which was also his most curious question right now.
The yellow sand covered the view, making it impossible for the enemy to see anything. Without being able to see, how could they possibly intimidate their opponents?
At this time, Jack was wearing a pair of goggles, the new standard equipment on the ship. This kept the sand from obstructing his vision, and the lenses also masked Jack's expressions.
Jack preferred to use his fists rather than his brain. Planning out this strategy was already quite an achievement. This minor mistake was understandable.
Listening to Sheepshead's doubts, Jack did not give a response. He was contemplating how to address the issue without losing face.
Right then, Alcremie braved the sandstorm and climbed up. This wasn't a game world; the sandstorm might not necessarily cause harm, and this level wasn't damaging to Alcremie.
"Why did you come out?"
Jack's height compared to Alcremie's size was like a towering mountain. Alcremie's climb was somewhat like scaling a mountain, though it was discovered by Jack halfway through.
When there was no particular risk involved, Jack often brought Alcremie along. However, once the battle started, it would retreat into the cabin. This time, it had come out with a suggestion.
Everyone on the ship sensed there was a flaw in the plan, but they all thought Jack had another arrangement. Even if some doubted, they dared not voice it, which is why Sheepshead's question only came at the last moment.
But Alcremie was different. It had already guessed that Jack had no follow-up plan. It was brainstorming when the sounds of cannonfire reached its ears in the storm, giving it a new idea.
The heavy winds and sand affected its speech, but with its rich body language and creamy drawings, Jack understood its meaning.
"Yes, that's indeed the case; using the sandstorm to drain the enemy's ammunition could reduce casualties."
With Alcremie's assistance, his mistake got covered up, and his subordinates felt a surge of excitement. They felt the care from their "big brother," and some even felt touched.
This wasn't uncommon. Even Oden could move people emotionally, as could a leader like Jack who "cared for his subordinates." Of course, the first task was to stop the sandstorm.
Thus, Tyranitar temporarily changed its actions, retracting its Sand Stream ability, which brought relief to Emboar at the stern of the ship.
It and Tyranitar were stationed on opposite sides of the ship. Their combined weight was too great; without this separation, the ship could easily lose balance. It didn't like sandy weather. Even if it wasn't an immediately harmful sandstorm, it disliked such sand-blasted conditions.
Otherwise, it wouldn't reside in the beautifully scenic region of Kuri. The bountiful forests were its preferred environment. Trainers from another world might tear up seeing a fire-type Pokemon on a sandstorm team.
...
The shelling under Oron Bus's command continued. Unclear on the specific target's location, they could only gamble, estimating the enemy's position based on their speed.
Unable to observe the effects of their shots, an interruption in their plan caused the Hundred Beasts' ship to come to a halt, listening to volleys into the void. As Tyranitar retracted its power, the raging sandstorm ceased its howling, gradually vanishing over the sea.
When visibility cleared again, the enemy's numbers became plainly visible, which did not bring any ease. Even Oron Bus had a few beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
On the enemy's ship, the Hundred Beasts' pirate flag flew in the wind, and seeing Tyranitar at the bow gathering its Hyper Beam sent chills down their spines.