Chapter 145: Lieutenant General Takes ActionThe scene shifted to the battlefield, where countless explosions echoed in the air, and orange-red flames illuminated the entire area with a fiery glow.In this situation, turning off the lights was no longer effective; it was better to keep them on, as it would even aid in the battle.As time passed, the pirate encirclement gradually tightened. Many fast pirate ships were only a few hundred meters from the Marines, their cannons still roaring, but most pirates were already standing on deck.They held their weapons, their faces filled with madness, and their eyes gleamed with boundless greed. The fear of death in their hearts had long been suppressed by that avarice; all they wanted was to break through the defenses of the warships in front of them and climb aboard the transport ships."Hmph, how dare these mere pirates charge to the front, attack the Marines, and snatch the Heavenly Tribute!" Vice Admiral Bastille roared, carrying his long-handled saw blade, casually cleaving several cannonballs in two as he glared at the pirates not far away.Gripping the long-handled saw blade with both hands, he forcefully swung it towards a pirate ship. The sharp blade caused the air to tremble violently, and a powerful slash shot directly towards the pirate ship, cutting a massive rift in the sea as it passed.The seawater stirred up by the slash splashed onto the pirates' faces. Seeing this powerful attack, the pirates finally sobered up and quickly ran to the side. Although the helmsman tried desperately to adjust the ship's direction, the slow movement of the ship was no match for the slash, which was faster than the wind.The blade's gleam flashed, without a sound. The turning pirate ship came to a halt. As the waves crashed, creaking sounds echoed around the entire pirate ship, followed by the sound of wood splintering, and the entire pirate ship suddenly split into two halves.It wasn't just the ship that split in two; some unlucky pirates were directly cut by the blade's gleam, dying instantly without even a chance to react, their bodies already in two pieces."Crack, boom..." Another loud sound rang out. It turned out that after the slash cleaved one pirate ship, its power undiminished, it also split the pirate ship behind it in two."As expected of Vice Admiral Bastille. He cleaved two pirate ships with one move," marvelled a Marine soldier on the warship."Of course, Vice Admiral Bastille's Shark Slasher can even cleave Sea Kings, let alone pirate ships."Just as the Marine soldiers were exclaiming, a "bang" of an explosion erupted from a nearby warship. This was the first warship to be hit by pirates.Bastille quickly called out, "Contact the warship next to us and ask Vice Admiral Doberman what happened."Vice Admiral Doberman's strength was not weak; he was among the top-ranked Marine Vice Admirals.His ship was actually hit. Had those powerful pirates finally made their move in secret? Bastille couldn't help but ponder.The fire from the explosion immediately ignited the wooden warship, but within seconds, the flames were extinguished, presumably by the Marines on board.A Marine Lieutenant ran over quickly, arriving in front of Vice Admiral Bastille, and reported, despite his heavy breathing."The situation is clear. As the distance between the two sides closed, Vice Admiral Doberman's warship's mainmast was accidentally hit by a cannonball. The explosion ignited the canvas above, but the fire has now been extinguished. Besides a few seriously injured Marine soldiers, there were no additional casualties."On the other side, Vice Admiral Doberman breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the fire on his ship being extinguished. Having been accidentally hit just now, the surrounding pirates, seeing this, all aimed their cannons at his ship. Blocking those cannonballs had cost Vice Admiral Doberman a lot of effort.Looking at the extremely close pirate ships, Vice Admiral Doberman's expression flashed with solemnity. The closer the two sides were, the greater the disadvantage for the numerically inferior Marines. Since that was the case, these pirate ships had to be dealt with."Moonwalk!"Vice Admiral Doberman lightly jumped, and as he descended, he kicked the air with his right foot, his body rising again. Using the Marine Six Powers' Moonwalk, Vice Admiral Doberman seemed to dance in the air, advancing towards the pirate ships."Captain, there's someone flying up there..." A crew member pointed to the sky, his face full of shock, stammering.The captain slapped him directly, cursing, "Flying my ass! No one's flying..."As he spoke, he looked up at the sky and immediately spotted Vice Admiral Doberman in mid-air. "R-r-really, there's someone flying!"Vice Admiral Doberman glanced at the pirate ship below, his body plunging downwards. His right hand went to the hilt of his sword at his waist, drawing it swiftly with two swishes.A massive cross-shaped cut appeared on the pirate ship. The pirate ship, now in four sections, slowly sank into the water. The lucky pirates who weren't killed were also sucked into the whirlpool and perished."Headquarters Vice Admiral! This is actually a Headquarters Vice Admiral! Didn't they say that the Marine's fighting forces were all tied up in the New World? The Marine reinforcements this time were only Marine Rear Admirals, so how could there be a Marine Vice Admiral? The Clown, the Clown is deceiving us!"Seeing this scene, the slightly smarter pirates on the side immediately realized that the Clown was deceiving them. The reinforcements this time were not just Marine Rear Admirals, but also Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals. The Clown was using them as cannon fodder.Unfortunately, it was too late for them to realize it now. Doberman wouldn't give them time to lament. He stomped his foot in mid-air, stopping his descent, and with a flash, appeared above a nearby pirate ship. Several more powerful slashes struck, and this massive pirate ship instantly split into several pieces and sank.How could these weak pirates with bounties of tens of millions be a match for Headquarters Vice Admiral Doberman? Doberman completely crushed them.Using Moonwalk to move through the air, Doberman, at an extremely fast speed, continuously sent several pirate ships into the sea with powerful slashes.By the time Vice Admiral Doberman returned to his ship, the sea in front of the warship had been cleared. Only the wreckage of the pirate ships remained on the surface, everything else having long since sunk to the bottom of the sea.As the distance closed significantly, the accuracy of the pirate shelling also increased dramatically. Since Vice Admiral Doberman's ship was hit, most Marine warships had already been struck, emitting flames and thick smoke, with many Marine soldiers desperately trying to extinguish the fires.His own warship, too, had been hit by several cannonballs in the short time he had been away, with over a dozen Marine soldiers dying in the explosions and many more seriously injured.The deck was covered with puddles of crimson blood. Every step you took would leave a fresh red footprint. These footprints were formed by the fresh blood of companions who had been laughing just moments ago.Yet, for the Marine soldiers present, this didn't cause much shock. They were elite forces from headquarters, had seen such situations many times, and were already prepared for it—prepared to sacrifice for justice.The surrounding pirates, seeing this situation, finally showed joy on their fearful faces, and their actions quickened even more.In that barrage of cannon fire, the pirates hadn't hit a single Marine warship, while they themselves had lost over twenty ships to the Marines on the other side. Some were destroyed by cannonballs.Some, due to the dark sky and poor visibility, couldn't see what was happening at all, and pirate ships that had been firing perfectly fine suddenly sank.These scenes gradually made the other confident pirates worried and scared. If the battle continued like this, there would be no need to fight; it was likely that all the pirates would be dealt with before they even got close to the Marine warships.However, as the first Marine warship was hit, and more and more Marine warships were struck, everyone's confidence returned.Although their side had suffered heavy losses, they still had an absolute numerical advantage, still six or seven times that of the Marines. As long as they fought with this advantage, they would surely be able to wipe out all the Marines."Captain, the Clown has sent a message, telling us to seize this opportunity to accelerate our offensive and wipe out all these Marines. The Clown will also send his cadres to lead the charge and pave a way for us."On every pirate ship, each captain received this message. Everyone looked to the front of the fleet, where three ships flying the flag of the Donquixote Family pirate group had appeared at the front of the formation at some unknown point, advancing at an extremely fast speed towards the Marines."With the powerful Donquixote Family Pirate Group making a move, what do we have to fear? Charge up there and kill those Marines, snatch the Heavenly Tribute! As long as we get our hands on the Heavenly Tribute first, those other great pirates won't dare to do anything. Brothers, charge!"Such words rang out on every pirate ship. The pirate ships all began to increase their speed, following the Donquixote Family and charging towards the Marines.From a high vantage point, the previously scattered pirate ships gradually converged towards the center, forming a sharp wedge, with the powerful Donquixote Family as its tip, boring towards the Marines ahead.Unfortunately, those pirates who had realized they were being deceived by the Clown were buried in the sea. These pirates, still under Doflamingo's control, willingly carried out their cannon fodder
Chapter 146: Hao Ge Pirate CrewAmong the Marine fleet, one warship was positioned in the very center, surrounded by transport ships. It made no moves, fired no cannons, offered no counterattack, merely moving along with the fleet.Onboard, Vice Admiral Kuzan and Rear Admiral Jonathan stood silently, watching the fierce naval battle unfolding beside them, their faces devoid of expression, as if everything was within their expectations.The other Marine Soldiers, however, were not as composed. They gathered on both sides of the deck, watching their warships occasionally get hit by pirates, while they did nothing but silently observe their comrades fighting desperately. Heavy expressions appeared on everyone's faces.Their gazes occasionally swept towards the warship, but since Vice Admiral Kuzan had not yet given the order, everyone could only wait anxiously.As the chief of staff and commander for this operation, such a scene had long been anticipated in the plan. Given the numerical disparity, cannon fire was inherently disadvantageous to the Marines. Being hit now was just the beginning; it would become even more brutal once both sides closed the distance.Although the situation was developing unfavorably for the Marines, the un 亂ed formation of the Marines and the pirate ships occasionally hit by cannonballs indicated otherwise.It was clear that with Naval Officers from Marineford present, the Marines still had the upper hand and could mount appropriate counterattacks. It was not yet time for Kuzan to make his move.Moreover, these pirates were merely cannon fodder; the truly powerful pirates had not yet appeared. The enemy's trump card had not been revealed.How could Vice Admiral Kuzan, the Marines' trump card, be deployed so early? Kuzan's mission was to deal with those pirates. If those pirates didn't move, Kuzan didn't need to move either.Now Jonathan was just waiting for the opponent to lose patience. As soon as they moved, it would be time for the plan to be executed.At this moment, the pirate formation suddenly shifted. Most of the pirates, previously scattered around, began to gather towards the center. Led by three pirate ships bearing the Donquixote Familyemblem, they charged fiercely towards the Marines with formidable Aura.The Naval Officers familiar with the plan saw this scene, and a hint of a smile appeared on their frustrated faces. The previous cannon battle had left many Naval Officers feeling stifled, with all their Battle Intent used to deflect cannonballs.However, after some waiting, the order still hadn't been given. The officers couldn't help but turn their gaze to the warship in the middle. According to the plan, shouldn't they be engaging these pirates in close combat by now?This was the only way to leverage the Marines' advantage. Although outnumbered, each Marinewas an elite. In close combat, the Marine's strength could completely wipe out those pirates.On the warship, Kuzan also looked at Jonathan with a puzzled expression. He wondered why Jonathanhadn't given the order to begin the plan yet.Kuzan did not speak, choosing to trust Jonathan. Jonathan, renowned in the Marine for his strategic prowess, must have had a purpose in suddenly changing the plan.A series of footsteps approached from a distance, and a Marine communicator ran over quickly, panting as he reported, "Report, Rear Admiral Jonathan, Vice Admiral Tsuru sent word that they have reached their destination."Upon hearing this news, Jonathan's calm face finally began to change. He immediately issued the command he had mentally rehearsed numerous times."Order! All Marines are to proceed according to the original plan, form battle lines, and engage those pirates with the strongest Battle Intent. Let them witness the fighting power of the Marineford elites!""Yes!" The Marines shouted in unison, a hint of joy on their faces. Everyone had been waiting for this order.Kuzan then understood. Jonathan's delay in issuing the counterattack order was solely to attract the pirates' attention and allow Vice Admiral Tsuru and her group to safely depart from the Marine base. Without any concerns, it was now time for the Marines to counterattack.Simultaneously, all Marines received this order. Those who had long been ready at their respective posts immediately sprang into action.More than a dozen massive oars extended from the warships, and the paddlewheels beside the warships also began to turn. Driven by hundreds of Marines exerting their full strength.The slowly moving marine warships rapidly accelerated. The entire colossal warships, expertly maneuvered by skilled helmsmen, executed extreme drifts on the sea at high speed. The sight of over a dozen massive objects, hundreds of meters long, drifting on the sea was incredibly stunning.In just a few minutes, all marine warships lined up, forming long formations facing the pirates, with four massive transport ships behind them. At the very front of the formation, one warship led by a ship's length, stopping at the forefront.On all the warships, Naval Officers wearing cloaks of justice stood, their faces expressionless, their eyes fixed on the pirates ahead, while behind them were Marine Soldiers with high Battle Intent.On the opposing pirate ships, the cannons also ceased fire. All the pirates gathered on the deck, their faces filled with madness. As long as they broke through these Marines, the tenryuubito tribute behind them would be theirs.On the three ships belonging to the Donquixote Family at the front, Diamante, Gladius, and Lao Gstood on the deck, looking at the pirates closely following behind with disdainful smiles."Doffy was right. These people have gone mad over the tenryuubito tribute. We just led the way, and they all followed, charging without fear of death," Diamante said with a laugh.Lao G frowned, reminding him, "Diamante, don't get too excited. Once these pirates and the Marines clash, we'll act according to the plan: take advantage of the chaos to distance ourselves from the center of the battlefield, then rush over to support Young Master.""Although we're quite injured, our strength is still greater than Baby 5's. I'm not at ease with them over there.""Don't worry, I know," Diamante replied.Gladius snorted coldly, touching the still painful wound on his abdomen, and resentfully said, "Don't let me run into that brat. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be doing this. Next time, I'll kill that brat with my own hands."At the mention of Marcus, all three of their faces showed resentment. If it weren't for that brat, they wouldn't have been sent here to do such a thing.Meanwhile, the powerful pirates behind them also lost their patience. If they didn't act soon, and if these cannon fodder truly broke through the Marinedefense line, they would suffer a huge loss."Captain, the cannon battle between the cannon fodder and the Marines has ended. Now the cannon fodder, under the leadership of the Donquixote Family, has gathered and is preparing to break through the Marine defense line," a pirate said in a low voice, bowing.Facing the pirates, a burly man, unlike the other pirates, wore a neat, well-fitting blue plaid suit and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, intently reading a book.If not for being on a pirate ship, it would be hard to imagine that this man was the Captain of the "Hao Ge Pirate Crew," famous even in the New World, with a bounty of four hundred million — a Great Pirate even higher than Mingo — Shi Zhihao.Originally, with the Marine's forces deployed to suppress the unrest in the New World, it would have been difficult for Great Pirates in the New World to Break through the Marine's blockade and leave the New World. Even if they did, they would hardly make it in time.However, the Hao Ge Pirate Crew had left the New World just before the unrest, which allowed them to catch the tenryuubito tribute incident. Several other pirate groups from the New World also made it in time for this tenryuubito tribute event.However, none of them were as strong as the Hao Ge Pirate Crew, which was the strongest among all the Pirate Crews.Hao Ge slowly closed the book in his hand, removed his glasses, and looked at the pirates ahead, scoffing, "The Clown is still the same, only knowing how to use such schemes and tricks, making others fight for him while he hides behind, doing nothing, hoping to reap the benefits. This time, it won't be so easy."Hao Ge slowly closed the book in his hand, removed his glasses, and looked at the pirates ahead, scoffing, "The Clown is still the same, only knowing how to use such schemes and tricks, making others fight for him while he hides behind, doing nothing, hoping to reap the benefits. This time, it won't be so easy."Hao Ge stood up and suddenly waved his hand: "Brothers, the boundless wealth is right before your eyes! As long as we take care of these Marines, those four massive transport ships filled with treasure will be ours!""Wealth is at hand. Now it's up to you if you want to claim it. Tell me loudly, do you want it?""Yes!" The pirates below roared in unison."Yes? That's good! Then charge forward and wipe out all those pirates and Marines!"The most powerful Hao Ge Pirate Crew made their move. Without further hesitation, the pirates who had been watching for a long time, already excited and unable to hold back, also rushed towards the battlefield.Rear Admiral Jonathan, watching this scene, finally showed a hint of a smile on his face. Just as he had expected, once the Marines moved, those pirates behind them indeed lost their patience and acted.These pirates in front of him were not what Jonathan was worried about. In fact, from the beginning of the battle, Jonathan's attention had been on these pirates; they were the Marines' strongest enemies in this fight.
Chapter 147: Laser CannonSeeing all the pirates join in, some trump cards no longer needed to be hidden. Now was the time for them to play their role."Bring that thing out, now is the time for it to be used," Kuzan said, waving his hand.More than a dozen Marine Soldiers were seen carrying a two-meter-tall, several-ton behemoth from the ship's cabin. With just a gentle placement, it landed with a thud, indicating its immense weight.Walking up to the behemoth covered by a black cloth, Jonathan glanced at it, then turned to Kuzanand asked, "Vice Admiral Kuzan, is this thing really as powerful as Vice Admiral Tsuru said?"Kuzan shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. This item was given to me by Fleet Admiral Sengokuback then. As for how powerful it is, I haven't had a chance to test it yet."Grabbing the black cloth covering it, Kuzan pulled hard with a snap, and the entire black cloth slowly fell off, revealing the behemoth's appearance to everyone.A two-meter-tall cuboid, plus a cylindrical barrel over six meters long with an outer diameter of more than ten centimeters and an inner caliber of only two centimeters — this was the appearance of the behemoth, vastly different from what everyone had expected.And with such a thin muzzle, no! Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as a gun barrel. What kind of bullet could such a barrel fire?Kuzan was not surprised by the changes in everyone's expressions, because he had reacted the same way when he first saw it. At the time, Kuzanthought Sengoku was teasing him. If Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Dr. Vegapunk hadn't guaranteed its usefulness, Kuzan truly wouldn't have brought it.This behemoth was a Laser Cannon, developed by Dr. Vegapunk, drawing inspiration from Admiral Kizaru's 'Glint-Glint Fruit ability'. Its power was no less than Kizaru's Laser Beam, capable of destroying a pirate ship with a single shot.Of course, this appearance was merely an experimental product developed by Vegapunk over a year, roughly assembled in the lab just to test if the theory was successful. Therefore, other issues like aesthetics or miniaturization weren't considered, but its power was beyond doubt.It was demonstrated once on the firing range. At that time, its power was comparable to an Admiral Kizaru's attack, startling all the Marine Headquarters personnel who came to watch. After that, there was nothing else; Sengoku immediately brought it here to boost the combat strength of this relief force.Originally, Vegapunk disagreed, because this was just a roughly assembled prototype. Firing it too many times could easily lead to accidents. If such a behemoth were to explode, this marine warshipswould be instantly destroyed.But Sengoku said a sentence at the time, and Vegapunk immediately didn't know how to stop him."The best testing ground for a weapon is the battlefield.Moreover, deploying this weapon on the upcoming battlefield could save countless Marine Soldierlives."Thus, Sengoku brought this giant Laser Cannon over as one of the Marine's trump cards."Instead of thinking so much here, it's better to test it immediately. Now is an excellent opportunity," Jonathan thought to himself, looking at the approaching pirates.Jonathan patted the muzzle and said, "Someone, aim the muzzle of this Laser Cannon at the pirate ship at the very front. Let's see the power of this behemoth."Under the control of several Marine Soldiers, the entire massive gun turret slowly rotated, its muzzle gradually aiming at the leading pirate ship of the Donquixote Family.A golden-yellow light emitted from the muzzle, making a sizzling sound. The light grew brighter and brighter. After a period of charging, with a bang, a tiny yellow light shot out from the muzzle.Everyone's eyes quickly shifted towards the pirate ship, curiosity in their gaze. Did this thing really possess such immense power?Bang!A loud roar echoed through the air, followed by a massive explosion accompanied by orange-red flames and thick smoke erupting in front of the pirate fleet. That pirate ship instantly vanished from the world.And the pirate ships' speed immediately slowed down; everyone was stunned by this scene. Especially the three cadres of the Donquixote Family, including Diamante, were so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat.Having roamed the Grand Line, they immediately recognized this as Admiral Kizaru's Laser Beam; only Admiral Kizaru could do this.The Donquixote Family originally had no intention of participating in this battle, rushing to the front only to lead these cannon fodder. So, the three of them were not on the foremost ship; if they had been hit, they would probably have been finished there.Regardless, this Laser Beam suppressed everyone. Neither the pirates preparing to enter the battlefield nor the Donquixote Family, who were the masterminds, dared to advance further.Everyone thought that Admiral Kizaru had arrived and was hidden among the Marine fleet. Even the Marine believed this, wondering why Admiral Kizaruwasn't among the Marine reinforcements."Captain, what should we do? The Admiral is here, should we still enter the battlefield?"Seeing this, the Great Pirate Violent Shi Zhihao, who had been full of confidence earlier, now had a grave expression, silently watching the foremost ship in the Marine formation."How is this possible? Isn't the Marine Admiral still entangled in the New World? Why is Admiral Kizaru here? Does Marine Headquarters not care about the New World's chaos anymore?"Although Shi Zhihao was confident in his own strength, he didn't believe he could definitely defeat a Marine Admiral. However, if all the pirates here gathered together, even a Marine Admiral might not be unbeatable.This was a Marine Admiral, the World Government's highest combat power. Just a similar attack, without even showing himself, had already deterred countless Marines.Especially those pirates behind, who had thought they were definitely going to seize the tenryuubito tribute. As a result, before even entering the battlefield, a Marine Admiral popped up. How embarrassing for everyone."No, if the Marine Admiral's combat power were truly here, they would have acted long ago. Why wait until now, and only make one move? But that attack just now was indeed a Laser Beam, no mistake."Seeing the Marine fall silent and make no further moves after firing that Laser Beam, many pirates present immediately sensed something was off. However, no one was willing to risk their lives to test the accuracy of this hypothesis.Just as both sides were in a stalemate."Captain, Hao Ge Pirate Crew Captain Shi Zhihaohas sent a cooperation message," a pirate reported."Cooperation message."The pirate Captains behind received this message at the same time. The general content was that the Marine Admiral might not have come, but it wasn't certain. Everyone should cooperate and probe them.Even if there really was a Marine Admiral, working together might make it possible to deal with them. They could then decide whether to retreat based on the situation.The big man held a piece of white paper in his hand and asked the strategist next to him, "strategist, what do you say? Hurry up! Should we cooperate to probe, or retreat?""Cooperate!""Cooperate!"..."It seems this Laser Cannon is quite effective. Not only is its power strong, but its deterrent force is even stronger," Jonathan said with a sigh, watching the pirates stop their advance.Kuzan said in a deep voice, "However, the interval between shots from this Laser Cannon is too long. After such a long time, those pirates should have noticed something is off. They're just not sure, which is why they haven't moved. If there's still a delay, these pirates will charge again.""That's right!" Jonathan nodded in agreement, then turned and asked, "How much more time until charging is complete?""Report: it's complete, ready to fire at any time.""Good, fire another shot at the area with the most ships."With a whoosh, a golden-yellow light flashed, and another pirate ship vanished in an explosion, leaving only the scattered debris flying everywhere."What do you say, Captain? Are we still moving?" the pirate asked, turning around.After a moment of thought, Shi Zhihao said two words in a deep voice: "Continue!"Watching the pirate ships behind continue to advance, Jonathan said, "It seems that relying on this to deter those powerful pirates behind us is still not enough."Kuzan adjusted the eye patch on his head and said, "Of course, if it were that easy to solve, Marinefordwouldn't have to dispatch elite forces from Headquarters to reinforce us at such a critical juncture."It seems a major battle is unavoidable. Now is the time for me, as a combat strategist, to play my part."Orders: All marine warships, aim your cannons at the opposing pirates! Naval Officers, do your best to intercept cannonballs to reduce Marine Soldiercasualties! When close-quarters combat begins, all marine warships must not act alone; they must gather together for easy support at any time!..."He paused, then continued, "Finally, remind all Naval Officers to remember the plan: we are not here to fight these pirates head-on. Strive to minimize soldier losses. That's all. Go and convey the orders."In one breath, Jonathan smoothly reeled off this series of operational commands. Kuzan's earlier concerns vanished. It seemed that Rear Admiral Jonathan was even more capable than rumored
Chapter 148: Kuzan Makes a MoveThe two Laser Beams just now had greatly intimidated the pirates. Not daring to be as rampant as those before, they changed their fighting style, utilizing their artillery advantage to advance steadily while firing cannons to close the distance with the Marine.Tempest Kick! Tempest Kick!Marine Vice Admiral Dalmatian leaped lightly, and several powerful Tempest Kicks, carrying the sound of tearing through the air, slashed upward. The incoming cannonballs above were instantly split in two, creating intense explosions.As the only Marine Vice Admiral present who focused on martial arts, having to use such high-level martial arts to cut bombs, one could imagine how helpless and frustrated Marine Vice AdmiralDalmatian felt at this moment.However, fortunately, it was now a head-on confrontation. Only the ship's cannons or the cannons on the deck could fire, reducing the number of cannonballs by two-thirds. Added to that was the poor artillery skills of most pirates, so the hit rate was predictable.A yellow light flashed, and another pirate shipexploded under the Laser Beam. The speed of the light was unimaginable; these pirates only saw a flash of yellow light, and then that was it—all that remained were corpses floating on the sea.The artillery battle had only lasted for ten minutes, and no fewer than fifteen pirate ships had been destroyed by the Laser Beams. At the speed of light, no matter how fast a ship was, it could not dodge.Unfortunately, after firing so many times, this laser cannon had reached its limit. Many cracks appeared on the turret, and there were even a few small cracks on the barrel.This laser cannon had almost exploded just now, but fortunately, the operators shut it down quickly, and Kuzan had promptly frozen the entire turret in thick ice.Although this laser turret was ruined, its combat record was impressive. It fired fifteen times and destroyed a total of eighteen pirate ships, with three Laser Beams piercing directly through two pirate ships each.At this moment, those powerful pirates in the rear also rushed up at an extremely fast speed. The Laser Beam took tens of seconds to fire once. By the second shot, these pirates already understood: there was no Admiral Kizaru among the Marine.That kind of Move similar to Admiral Kizaru was just something the Marine produced using some method. But they did not know that while there was indeed no Admiral Kizaru among the Marine, there was a Marine Vice Admiral who held the rank of Vice Admiral but possessed the combat power of an Admiral.These pirates were powerful. They didn't care about those weak pirates and simply charged forward from the back, ramming their way through.Most pirates watching this scene were naturally unhappy. "You have been watching from the back the whole time. We exhausted so much effort, injured many Marine, and don't know how many people died, just to force the Marine into defense, yet you just come over to reap the rewards."But this was an era where the weak were prey to the strong. Fairness was only placed on equal footing; if you didn't have the strength, you could only endure it, otherwise, those few pirate ships left behind were a vivid example.They were destroyed by these pirates in the back simply because they wouldn't yield, having no power to fight back. They were too different from these pirates who shook the first half of the Grand Line; there was no comparison.Therefore, many pirates stopped firing and let these powerful pirates pass, all holding the attitude of, "Since you are going to go up, we will just watch from the side like you did, and then we'll come in to fish in troubled waters later."Thus, a bizarre scene formed across the entire battlefield: those cannon fodder pirates who had been attacking fiercely stopped their assault, even yielding the path for those powerful pirates to advance, and then followed behind them.Regarding this scene, these pirate Captains, whose bounties were almost all over 100 million, only showed expressions of disdain. They never hoped these cannon fodder pirates would be of any use during the real decisive battle; they only hoped they could consume the Marine's strength as much as possible.Their mission was already complete. Now was the real battle; this kind of battle could not be handled by cannon fodder.Not long after, these powerful pirates finally sailed to the very front of the pirate fleet. Sixteen pirate ships lined up in a battle line, staring at the Marineacross a one-kilometer-wide stretch of sea.Seeing that these true opponents had finally appeared, the Marine present could not help but show a seriousness they hadn't displayed before. These were the pirates the Marine had been worried about in this tenryuubito tribute incident.On the ships, the Marine and pirates all stared at each other from afar, with extremely intense fighting spirit erupting in everyone's eyes. This was not just a robbery of wealth; it was a confrontation of positions, a confrontation between evil and justice.The sound of cannons that had echoed across the battlefield ceased at this moment. An intense, serious atmosphere quickly permeated the entire sea, and the air seemed to solidify.Just when the pirates were preparing to concentrate all their combat power to break through the Marinedefense line at one point...With a whoosh, a figure jumped down from the marine warships. The cloak of justice fluttered in the wind in the air. The gaze of everyone on the entire battlefield was attracted to this figure, followed by confusion: what on earth did this Marine want to do?Under the confused gazes of the crowd, Kuzanslowly landed on the sea surface, standing steadily just like that. No! It shouldn't be said to be on the sea surface, but rather on the ice surface.Looking at the pirate ships in front, Kuzan's figure was so small in comparison that if one didn't look carefully, they would probably overlook this figure.He exhaled a cold breath, his pupils constricted, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. That aura of laziness vanished completely."Ice Age"As the words fell, the area of ice under Kuzan's feet expanded sharply. The waves that were still moving were instantly frozen, maintaining their original appearance. The entire sea was frozen with lightning speed, and the azure ocean turned into a vast expanse of white ice field.Those sixteen pirate ships at the very front were also instantly frozen. Countless cold ice climbed up the ship walls at an extremely fast speed, fixing tightly onto the hull.All of this happened in an instant. In everyone's eyes, there was nothing left but a vast expanse of white ice. The temperature of the entire sea dropped by dozens of degrees in an instant. Many people were only wearing thin clothes, goosebumps rose all over their bodies from the cold, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.But at this moment, no one cared about this; their eyes were all fixed on the figure on the ice. Freezing the entire sea area with one Move—just how powerful was this Marine?Watching this scene, the expressions of those Captains couldn't help but turn ugly. They had thought the Marine had not sent an Admiral, but they had sent such a powerful combatant. Trying to rob the tenryuubito tribute would probably not be so easy.And the pirates in the back, looking at this scene, were already shocked beyond measure. They couldn't help but feel lucky; fortunately, they hadn't rushed to the very front, otherwise, they would have been the ones frozen.But this was not over yet. Since he had made a Move, Kuzan was not just trying to freeze these pirate ships.On his right arm, streams of cold air swirled around, and Kuzan's right arm was also slowly wrapped in ice as he extended it forward quickly."Although I adhere to lazy justice, as a Marine, dealing with pirates is my duty.""Ice Block, Pheasant Beak."A block of ice shot out from Kuzan's hand, rapidly evolving into an ice bird. Flapping its pair of ice wings, it flew toward a pirate ship and crashed into it with a bang.The entire pirate ship froze rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning completely into a huge block of ice. The pirates on the deck were also all frozen, still maintaining the look of fear from the moment they were frozen.Seeing this scene, the pirates could not help but gasp, their faces full of shock and fear. Where had they ever seen such powerful combat strength, especially for these pirates at the very bottom of the Grand Line?With one Move, a Pirate Crew that was somewhat famous in the Grand Line was instantly wiped out, with no power to resist. How could the Marine have this kind of combat power?Regardless of what these pirates thought, the Marine side cheered endlessly. Due to confidentiality reasons, most Marine Soldiers did not know that Kuzan was this powerful.Because Kuzan had failed his promotion to Admirallast time, and Headquarters had not explained the matter, most Marine thought it was because Kuzan's strength was insufficient that he hadn't been promoted to Admiral.They only thought Vice Admiral Kuzan's strength surpassed that of a Marine Vice Admiral, but they hadn't expected that Vice Admiral Kuzan could actually freeze the entire sea. With such high combat power present, the hearts of the ordinary Marine Soldiers were instantly much more at ease.Although there were four Marine Vice Admirals and ten Rear Admirals present—which was a very powerful combat force—the pirate side's formation was not weak, being quite a bit stronger than the Marine. Now that such high combat power had appeared and frozen all the pirate ships, the Marine's morale was instantly boosted significantly.Wiping out a Pirate Crew of equal strength with one Move instantly intimidated all the Pirate Crews. But now, the pirates could neither retreat nor advance; these confident pirates were once again caught in a dilemma.
Chapter 149: Fierce BattleBefore the other pirates could even consider their options, a figure jumped down directly from the pirate ship with the words 'Brother Hao' written on its sail.Immense power erupted from his legs, instantly shattering the ice within a ten-meter radius of the figure; the cracks spread across the ice for over a hundred meters before finally stopping.This seemed to be a signal, as over a dozen figures leaped down from the pirate ships. Each landing caused a massive disturbance, as if they were demonstrating their power to the Marines opposite them.Refusing to be outdone, how could the Marines lose to pirates in terms of Aura? At the same time, all the Naval Officers leaped down from their ships. The two sides stood on the ice, staring at each other from a distance.A distance of a mere kilometer was something both the Marines and pirates could cover in dozens of seconds at their speed.As the main armies of both sides charged forward, the powerful Naval Officers and Captains had already reached the center of the ice field thanks to their extreme speed.Attacks arrived before the people did. Powerful strikes of various kinds collided violently in the center of the battlefield, releasing powerful shockwaves across the thick ice. Soon, the center of the battlefield was obscured by a thick mist of ice, and the figures of both sides were hidden behind it."Ice Block: Partisan!"Several ice balls shot out from Kuzan's hand, which had turned into ice. Passing through the thick ice mist, the air froze into tiny ice particles under the extreme cold, and a blurry trail of ice appeared in the air wherever they passed.Bang!A flash of fire flickered within the ice mist, followed by an explosion. The thick ice mist was instantly blown away, revealing the figures of both sides.At this moment, the two sides were only dozens of meters apart. Behind the pirates, an ice sculpture stood tall, frozen in the middle of a rapid sprint.The pirates behind watched this scene with shock on their faces. One must know that this pirate had a bounty of 120 million, yet he was taken out by a single move from the opponent. This was the combat power an Admiral should possess.Although another companion had been taken out in one move, this was not enough to scare off the Captains—especially the strongest among them, Shi Zhihao. He was capable of doing the same.Dozens of meters were crossed in an instant. The battle began!Without a word, the Naval Officers had already chosen their respective opponents, and the pirates did the same.Bang, boom, clang... a series of collision sounds rang out.Accompanied by countless explosions, it was fortunate that Kuzan's 'Ice Age' was powerful enough. The ice layer was very thick; otherwise, it would have been difficult to withstand this first wave of impact.Shi Zhihao looked at the tall Vice Admiral before him with a serious expression. Without saying a word, he clenched his right fist, concentrating his entire strength into his right arm."One-Fold Burst!"His speed suddenly increased, becoming about twice as fast as before. A faint red glow appeared on his right fist, which was difficult to notice without looking closely.Under the intense friction with the air from the rapidly moving fist, the entire fist emitted an abnormally high temperature, with wisps of heat rising from it.With a bang, Shi Zhihao's fist accurately struck Kuzan's abdomen, punching right through it. However, no joy appeared on Shi Zhihao's face; instead, he hurriedly retracted his arm.Not a single drop of blood flowed from Kuzan's abdomen. Instead, a large amount of transparent ice appeared, freezing Shi Zhihao's fist. The Kuzan who had been hit also slowly began to change; what was left in place was merely an ice sculpture. Kuzan had already dodged.Shi Zhihao pulled back with all his might, trying to extract his fist, but Kuzan's hardened ice was not so easily escaped. Shi Zhihao didn't dare to smash the ice block either. In a short time, he already felt his hand gradually losing sensation—a symptom of his blood being frozen.If he broke the ice now, his arm would likely shatter as well, leaving him one-armed, which was not something Shi Zhihao wanted to see.On the ice, not far from Shi Zhihao's feet, a block of ice slowly rose, and Kuzan's figure gradually appeared. Only his upper body was visible, while his lower body remained within the ice.Slowly opening his arms, which were much longer than an ordinary person's, he continuously exhaled cold air as he moved to embrace Shi Zhihao.Seeing this, Shi Zhihao's expression changed, and he increased the strength in his hand, but it still wasn't enough. He let out a low shout in his heart, "Two-Fold Burst!"The faint red light on his body deepened, and the slow-moving blood in his right arm accelerated. At the frozen part of his right arm, wisps of white vapor rose, but it was still not enough to break free from Kuzan's ice.By now, Kuzan's shoulders were only ten centimeters away from Shi Zhihao, and those hands had already surrounded him."Three-Fold Burst!"With an angry roar, the faint red on Shi Zhihao's body deepened again, turning into a light red. His entire body emitted white heat, which froze into ice particles and fell to the ground before it could drift away."Ice Time!"Kuzan's arms suddenly tightened, but unfortunately, he was a bit slow. Shi Zhihao had already yanked his right arm free.A flash of white light occurred. Before anyone could see what happened, Shi Zhihao's figure had disappeared. This speed was several times faster than Soru. Kuzan's embrace hit nothing but air.Before Kuzan could find where Shi Zhihao was, a white light flashed, and a figure, entirely red and constantly emitting heat, appeared behind Kuzan. His right fist was slightly raised toward Kuzan.Kuzan's expression changed slightly. Clearly, he was surprised by this pirate's strength. Before Kuzancould act, a punch that had been gathering power behind him struck his back with the sound of whistling wind.With a cracking sound like glass shattering, the single punch sent countless tiny shards of ice flying through the air like scattered flower petals.Previously, Shi Zhihao's punch could only punch through; now, a single punch turned the target into countless ice shards. In just a few seconds, Shi Zhihao's strength had increased several times over, yet he still hadn't hit the real target.Nearby, the other Naval Officers were also in the thick of fierce battles with the pirates. Taijutsu, swordsmanship, and Devil Fruit abilities were displayed in a dazzling array.Clang... a massive force suddenly came from the giant hammer above. Vice Admiral Momonga's legs couldn't help but bend, his right hand holding the sword trembled, and the ice beneath his feet sank several centimeters under the immense weight.With a slap, Vice Admiral Momonga's left hand also gripped the hilt. With the strength of both hands, the rapier in his hand stopped its downward trend as he gritted his teeth.Using the strength of both hands, he gradually pushed the giant hammer upward. Seeing his hammer rising instead of falling, the large man hurriedly applied more force, but the hammer continued to rise as Momonga straightened his legs.Just as Momonga was about to push the hammer aside, a figure appeared beside him. A pure white longsword gleamed coldly under the Moonlightreflecting off its smooth blade. Fresh red blood dripped along the sharp edge onto the ice, looking exceptionally bright.The man emitted a terrifying Killing Intent. The several wounds on his body further emphasized his Killing Intent, making him look intimidating to the soul.Momonga naturally felt this intense Killing Intent. Turning his head, he saw the man behind him and, not far away, a Marine Rear Admiral lying on the ground, his fate unknown.Judging by the blood flowing on the ice, one could guess that even if the Marine Rear Admiral was alive, he was likely taking his last breaths.Looking at the man, a hint of joy appeared on the large man's face as he shouted loudly, "Strategist, hurry and finish off this Marine Vice Admiral!"The man and the large man both came from the Azure Pirate Crew. Their Captain was a rugged man named Bodili, who was skilled with a large hammer. The man was the strategist, named Drew. Usually very refined, once he entered battle, a buried second personality would emerge, making him extremely bloodthirsty and bellicose.The man held his longsword and charged straight at Momonga, the sharp blade scraping against the ice with a screeching sound.He lifted the longsword upward, releasing a Sword Qi storm. Wherever it passed, ice mist filled the air, leaving behind a frozen trail ten centimeters deep.Seeing the Sword Qi attacking, Momonga's arm strength suddenly increased. He pushed away the large man's hammer in one go, hurriedly retracted his longsword, and swung it horizontally for a block."Clang..."Momonga's body was instantly blasted back, sliding over ten meters. Two deep ruts were left on the ice before the Sword Qi finally dissipated."Vice Admiral Momonga, I've come to assist you!" As soon as the words fell, a slash flew out, forcing back the large man who was trying to close in.Momonga glanced sideways and saw that it was Vice Admiral Bastille, who had finished off his own opponent and rushed over to support him.Meanwhile, on the other side.Thousands of Marine Soldiers and an even greater number of pirates collided. Since eighty percent of the pirates considered to be cannon fodder had joined the battlefield, the ratio between the Marines and pirates changed instantly. Originally, the number of Marine Soldiers was slightly higher than those pirates, but now the number of pirates far exceeded the Marines.However, in a decisive battle between ten thousand people on level ground, victory is not determined by numbers alone. From high above, one could see that although there were thousands of Marines, their formation showed no sign of disorder during the charge, whereas the pirates were simply charging with brute force without any formation to speak of.When the two sides were nearly a hundred meters apart, the Marines suddenly stopped. Their prepared guns and shoulder-mounted cannons were raised simultaneously.What does it feel like to be targeted by thousands of guns and hundreds of cannons? The pirates in the front row experienced it: terror. Aside from terror, there was only terror. Their entire bodies were instantly soaked in cold sweat.They wanted to stop immediately, but they couldn't. The pirates behind didn't know what was happening; they only knew to charge forward desperately, pushing the pirates in front. Even if they wanted to stop, they couldn't.Under the terrified gazes of the pirates, thousands of Marines pulled their triggers together. The ice field in the dark night was instantly filled and illuminated by countless flashes of light.Thousands of bullets penetrating human bodies produced a continuous series of'squelch' sounds—the unique sound of metal piercing flesh. Accompanied by powerful explosions and screams, it was a piece of 'music' to some.A grand performance by ten thousand people, with the lives of hundreds as the accompaniment and powerful booms as the rhythm; this was a rare musical event in the world. This single wave of attack resulted in the immediate deaths of hundreds of pirates and injuries to over a thousand. Unfortunately, the number of pirates still exceeded the Marines, though achieving such results was already remarkable."Kill!"Someone started the cry, and then thousands of 'Kill' roars rose. The Marines took up their weapons and charged toward the enemy with overwhelming momentum.That powerful wave of Marine attacks had caught the pirates off guard. Most pirates were stunned at the time, and by the time they reacted, the thousands of Marines had already advanced to within ten meters. The pirates could only resist in a panic.This massive naval battle involving ten thousand people finally reached its climax. Hundreds of figures fell the moment they collided, which also meant the loss of hundreds of lives.This was war. There were no lone heroes, nor were there miraculous scenes like in TV shows or movies where one charges into an enemy army and not a single bullet from a thousand people hits you.Everyone had only one purpose in their hearts: to kill the enemy with all their might. As for the matter of surviving, that had already been left to fate at this moment. (To be continued.)
Chapter 150: Kuzan's StrengthUnder these circumstances, the well-trained Marinestill held an advantage, maintaining their basic formation and supporting each other. Therefore, the Marine's casualty rate was much lower than that of the pirates.In the first wave of attack before the collision, the Marine demonstrated what true elites were like, directly delivering a heavy blow to the pirates. Then, while the pirates were in disarray, they launched a fierce assault. In just over a minute, the Marineexecuted a brilliant attack.The numerous pirates were pushed back under the Marine's fierce assault. However, these achievements were only due to catching them off guard; after all, the pirates' true combat strength was stronger than the Marine's.Although those cannon fodder pirate ships were trash, their Captains were still pirates worth twenty to thirty million, already considered strong individuals in the Four Seas, not to mention the cadres of those powerful pirate ships.Upon realizing what was happening, they immediately took the lead, bringing a portion of elite pirates to fiercely attack a certain point in the Marineformation. How could ordinary Marines be their opponents?"Kill!"Among the retreating pirates, a figure stepped forward, followed by many elite pirates, charging directly towards the Marine.This figure wore a white cloak, had short light blue hair, and over a dozen steel rings on each arm. He raised a pair of Iron Fists and struck at the MarineLieutenant Commander blocking his way.The Lieutenant Commander quickly raised his sword to block, but his speed was relatively too slow. The figure's punch landed directly on the Lieutenant Commander's abdomen, instantly tearing his clothes and sending him flying, knocking down several Marines and pirates.The retreating pirates recognized the figure and exclaimed, "This is the strongest cadre of the Hao Ge Pirate Crew, Spiral Fist Rand!"Spiral Fist Rand, as the strongest cadre of the Hao Ge Pirate Crew, possessed formidable combat power, comparable to a Vice Admiral. He was a master of physical combat, capable of unleashing powerful, spiral-like fist strikes.It was Shi Zhihao's deliberate choice that such a powerful master did not join the strong fighters' battlefield. This was precisely for moments like this: to take the lead and guide the pirates to disrupt the Marine's formation.Such combat power had no match on this battlefield. Leading a team of elite pirates, his Iron Fists swung with formidable might; every punch meant a Marine falling, directly piercing through the Marine formation.And this scene occurred everywhere. Under the leadership of these powerful pirates, the Marineformation instantly fell into chaos, forced into a large-scale melee.On the battlefield, blades clashed everywhere, blood splattered, and streaks of light flashed across the field.There was also an explosion.With a 'puchi' sound, splattered blood sprayed onto a Marine's face. Before the Marine could draw his sword, a pirate appeared behind him, raised his sword, and struck, then, without looking, swung at another Marine nearby.This scene was extremely common on the battlefield. Kills, counter-kills, and sneak attacks were innumerable. On such a battlefield, there was only one rule: eliminate the enemy in front of you by any means necessary, even if it meant biting.Human lives were worthless at this moment; every second, dozens of lives vanished from this world. To survive, one could only be covered in the opponent's blood... Shi Zhihao and Kuzan were locked in fierce combat. Seizing an opportunity, Shi Zhihao punched Kuzan. However, it was still just a pile of ice. Without hesitation, he immediately retreated, dodging Kuzan's ice blade striking from behind.This pirate's speed and reaction were extremely fast. Kuzan's speed struggled to keep up. Ever since he was almost caught earlier, Shi Zhihao had become cunning. As soon as he sensed something was wrong, he would retreat at an extremely fast speed, leaving Kuzan temporarily helpless.Moreover, this pirate's Devil Fruit Ability was also extremely powerful. He could instantly increase his strength exponentially. Earlier, Kuzan was caught off guard, allowing him to escape.Seeing that his attacks were futile several times, Shi Zhihao stood aside and laughed, "I am a 'Boost-Boost Fruit Ability' user; my strength and speed can increase exponentially in an instant.""One-time burst can double it, two-time burst is four times, three-time burst is eight times, and four-time burst is sixteen times."After hearing Shi Zhihao's words, Kuzan's face showed a cautious expression. No wonder he could instantly unleash several times his previous strength. Now, he wondered what his maximum burst level was.If it could keep increasing, it would be too strong. Five-time burst would be thirty-two times, six-time burst would be sixty-four times... Shi Zhihaocontinued, "Although I can only do a five-time burst now, it's enough to deal with you. Marine, don't think that Logia types are invincible. Today, I'll show you that in the face of absolute power, everything else is just fleeting clouds.""Five-time burst!"At this moment, Shi Zhihao's entire body was dark red, and the white Qi he emitted had vanished. Veins bulged on his arms and forehead, and his hair stood up like long needles.A white flash, followed by an explosion out of nowhere from the front. There was no gunpowder, but the large crater on the ice surface proved the explosion's existence.Kuzan hadn't realized what was happening when a sense of danger came from behind. Shi Zhihao's figure was already there, his dark fist, surrounded by gusts of wind, striking Kuzan's back.But what shattered was still just a block of ice. Shi Zhihao snorted, "Do you only know how to hide? Do you not even have the courage to fight?"After speaking, Shi Zhihao clenched his right fist, raised it high, and slammed it down onto the ice surface below. Cracks continuously resounded, and within a hundred-meter radius centered on him, the ice surface was covered in fissures.With successive 'boom boom' sounds, countless ice chunks on the ice surface shot up into the sky under the immense power. The pirates and Marines fighting nearby were also affected, falling to the ground, watching this scene in shock.The ice chunks that shot into the sky did not fall; they were controlled by some force, quickly smashing towards Shi Zhihao on the ice surface. In an instant, Shi Zhihao's figure had vanished from everyone's sight, replaced by a large pile of ice. Kuzan also slowly emerged from the ice surface.Seeing this scene, the Marines and pirates fighting nearby couldn't help but stop their actions. These two were the strongest individuals on both sides, and if one side won, it would significantly change the course of the battle.Bang... Bang... dull thuds echoed from the ice pile, and the grim faces of the pirates gradually showed a hint of a smile.With a thunderous crash, the giant ice pile shattered, and countless ice chunks flew in all directions, severely injuring many who were hit by them.A figure, shrouded in white mist, appeared before everyone, and a wild laugh emanated from within."Marine! You've used up all your Moves, haven't you? What other Moves do you have? If you don't use them now, you won't have a chance later.""Is that so?" Kuzan's face remained utterly calm. "Do you think you can still Move?"Hearing Kuzan's words, Shi Zhihao quickly tried to Move his body. Just as Kuzan expected, he looked down to see his legs were already frozen solid."Hmph," he snorted disdainfully, "Do you think this ice can deal with me? Watch me break free in an instant."But Shi Zhihao tried several times; no matter how much force he exerted, his legs remained frozen, and the area of ice continued to grow."If it were that easy for you to break free, then all my preparations wouldn't have been for nothing. Moreover, such a burst of strength isn't without cost; it's an extremely severe burden on your body, isn't it? That's why you wanted to end the battle so quickly."Kuzan did not waste time with Shi Zhihao here. He braced his hands, looked at the struggling figure, and growled, "Ice Cage."As his voice fell, several ice pillars rose from the ground, tightly encasing Shi Zhihao. Finally, more and more ice chunks grew from these pillars until Shi Zhihao was completely enveloped in ice.Seeing Vice Admiral Kuzan's victory, the Marines were overjoyed, their Battle Intent surged, and the Aura that had been suppressed by the pirates slowly rose."Hadoken"At this moment, a figure darted out from the darkness. This person was Rand, who punched the ice encasing Shi Zhihao. Unfortunately, there was no reaction, and his own fist became frozen, ultimately trapping himself as well.With his own battle resolved, Kuzan finally had the energy to assess the battle situation. Shi Zhihao was extremely powerful, requiring Kuzan's full effort, without the slightest Divided Soul.A quick scan brought the overall battle situation into view: the Marine's situation was very bad; they were currently being pushed back by the pirates.This was mainly because the pirates' mid-to-high-tier combat strength was much stronger than the Marine's. Under the leadership of these capable pirates, the Marine found it difficult to resist and could only barely hold their defensive line.Moreover, those observing pirates had also joined the battlefield, and many more pirates were still entering the fray.Just as Kuzan was about to intervene and eliminate the pirates' high-tier combatants, several retreat signal flares were launched from the marine warships behind them. (To be continued.)
Chapter 151: Marcus and DragonOn the other side, to the southwest of Korode Island, a giant ship was sailing across a calm, empty sea.Everyone on board looked at the amazing scene, all marveling in wonder. This method was shocking; even though Dragon appeared calm on the surface, he was also very surprised in his heart. This ability could be called the strongest in certain aspects.Marcus did not explain the surprise and shock of the crowd. He knew his own situation; this method only had such an effect in this darkness. In broad daylight, an ordinary person could notice something was wrong if they were careful.Where the ship passed, the continuous waves on the sea surface would disappear, as if the ship were in a circle with a radius of several hundred meters where the sea surface had no ripples at all, while outside the circle, there were continuous waves of tens of centimeters.Dragon said, "I didn't expect that your ability would have such a use besides combat."With a slight smile, Marcus said proudly, "This is it. Without such an ability, how would I dare to seek someone to cooperate with and steal the tenryuubito tribute in front of Tsuru... and the Marine?"Hearing Marcus say this, the doubt that had always existed in Dragon's heart couldn't help but surface, and he asked, "Actually, there is one point that I have always been very puzzled about and can't figure out. I hope you can explain it.""Presumably, you must be thinking why I, as a Marine, would take such a big risk to snatch the tenryuubito tribute, which isn't of much use to me."Dragon nodded and gave a low response, not hiding anything and admitting it openly."Although you said there are some things you need in the tenryuubito tribute, you don't need to take such a big risk. With your status and background in the Marine, you should be able to get those things. And from your previous distribution plan, I can feel that you don't care about the wealth of the tenryuubito tribute, but rather seem to be intentionally helping our Revolutionary Army."Marcus smiled slightly and nodded. Marcus's snatching of the tenryuubito tribute was indeed not for wealth, nor was it because there was something he needed on it.At the beginning, Marcus's purpose was just to prevent the tenryuubito tribute from falling into the hands of the Celestial Dragons. If he had to give a reason, it was that from the first time he saw the Celestial Dragons at the Marine Headquarters, he felt very displeased. He had planned to do his best to take away what he could and throw the rest into the sea.After meeting Dragon later, Marcus had the idea of cooperating with the Revolutionary Army. Instead of letting this wealth sink into the sea, it would be better to use it for something useful."Then may I ask, why is that?""Of course," Marcus thought for a moment.He replied, "The longer you stay in the Marine and the higher you stand, the more you can see how much darkness is actually hidden beneath this seemingly peaceful world. It's just that those high and mighty rulers suppress the darkness to present a beautiful and free side."Turning around, Marcus leaned against the ship's railing and said in a low voice, "And this trace of beauty and freedom is only reflected in those nobles who consider themselves superior. These illusions are built on the pain of countless people at the bottom.""The justice I practice is not the absolute justice of the Marine. In my view, there is no stance between good and evil, only actions. Therefore, although many pirates have been caught by me, I still let them go.""This is also the reason why I am helping your Revolutionary Army. What your Revolutionary Army is doing is the real justice. And the Marine's justice is just the rhetoric in the mouths of those in power. To be honest, at that time, I wanted to sink all this wealth into the sea. There's one more thing: I'm just displeased with the Celestial Dragons. Very displeased. I'm very interested in anything that can make them unhappy."After hearing Marcus's reason, Dragon's face became incredibly colorful, and he looked helpless. Just for this reason, you planned to snatch the tenryuubito tribute and do such a world-shaking thing?"To be honest, your reason really makes me... I... very... In short, it's worlds apart from what I guessed in my heart," Dragon said, shaking his head.There was another reason Marcus didn't mention: he had been seriously injured in an ambush by Mingo's three cadres yesterday. Marcus was very vengeful. Regardless of Mingo's purpose, as long as he snatched the tenryuubito tribute, Mingo would surely suffer a double loss.Marcus continued, "As for if I used the Stinky Old Man's identity to get things, the Stinky Old Manwould definitely beat me to death. You should be more aware of this than I am."Hearing Marcus's words, Dragon's eyes narrowed, and a trace of shock flashed in them. It wasn't because of the content of Marcus's words, but because of the implication revealed in those words.For so many years, Dragon had never told anyone about his family. In this world, besides himself and a few others, no one knew who his family was.Could it be that his father trusted this Disciple he had taken so much that he even told him about such things? Otherwise, how would he know?Dragon took a few steps forward, stood side by side with Marcus, and said in a low voice, "It seems you know quite a lot, even about such matters."Glancing at Dragon, Marcus recalled, "To be honest, when I heard that Teacher had a son named Dragon, I was really startled. After investigating, I was even more shocked. I didn't expect that the son of Teacher, the marine hero, would be a revolutionary leader aiming to overthrow the World Government."Dragon didn't speak, but laughed instead and asked back, "In that case, as Father's only student, isn't it just right to be here with me, a member of the Revolutionary Army, plotting against the Marineand the World Government?"Hearing Dragon's words, Marcus's whole body shook, and then he couldn't help but laugh loudly, "Hahaha... That's true. If the Stinky Old Man saw this scene, I think he would send us both flying with a punch."This conversation brought Marcus and Dragon much closer. Although both were laughing, they both felt guilt and sorrow in their hearts, merely using laughter to mask it.The laughter stopped, and the two fell into a silence. Finally, Dragon spoke first, "It's been so long. Is Father doing well?"Lifting his head, Marcus smiled and said to Dragon, "He's doing all right. Besides eating Donuts and senbei every day, he spends the rest of his time sleeping or sitting around bored. His health is better than anyone's.""I remember when I was your age," Dragon looked up at the moon in the sky and recalled, "The words Father said to me most were that he wanted me to become the strongest Marine Soldier. But since I went out into the world, what I saw and heard changed me and led me onto the path of the Revolutionary Army.""Although Father didn't interfere with me regarding this, I still know he often cares about news of me." Having said that, Dragon suddenly stopped and looked at Marcus, "However, it seems now that his dream of many years is about to be realized."Regarding this kind of topic, Marcus usually avoided it if he could. He rubbed his head and smiled sheepishly, just looking into the distance. Knowing Marcus didn't want to talk about it, Dragon didn't ask further.Ivankov looked at the two talking ahead and asked in a low voice, "Koala baby, do you know what they're talking about?"Having known Dragon for a long time, he knew Dragon was a person with strong self-control, always calm and steady. In all these years, he had rarely seen him laugh. But he didn't expect that when Dragon spoke with Lin Tian Baby, he not only laughed but laughed loudly. Therefore, Ivankov was very curious about what the two of them were talking about.Koala rolled her eyes at Ivankov. "I'm with you, and you don't even know. How would I know what they're talking about?"After speaking, ignoring Ivankov's expression, she continued to look to the side, watching Saboconstantly challenging Kuma and then constantly being sent flying.Ivankov looked at the Sabo who was being mistreated and sighed, "It seems Sabo baby was badly mistreated by Lin Tian Baby earlier and wants to improve his strength to catch up with Lin Tian Baby."Before meeting Marcus, Sabo was also very hardworking in training; otherwise, how could he have such strength? But after being beaten by Marcus, Sabo realized his strength was weak—too weak. Among his peers, he actually had no power to fight back.This was why Sabo was so eager to find Kuma as an opponent, hoping to improve his strength as quickly as possible and make himself stronger."Leader, straight ahead, the Marine fleet is coming!" a Revolutionary Army soldier shouted loudly from the lookout tower, poking his head out.Hearing that the Marine was coming, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked into the darkness ahead, where nothing could be seen yet.Before long, a Marine warship appeared before everyone's eyes, followed by a second one, and finally, a Marine fleet consisting of four warships and four transport ships appeared.Looking at this fleet, a trace of a smile appeared on the faces of the Revolutionary Army soldiers. It seemed they hadn't waited here in vain for so long. At the same time, their gaze toward Marcuschanged slightly; the previous hostility and distrust gradually faded, and their looks toward Marcusbecame much more harmonious.Most of the Revolutionary Army had previously disagreed with cooperating with the Marine. How could the Marine possibly come looking for them? Especially regarding the Marine, everyone was even more distrustful.Now that the Marine had actually come, everyone realized they had misunderstood Marcus, and there was some embarrassment in the way they looked at him.Looking at the four giant transport ships at the back, a flash of excitement appeared in Dragon's eyes. If those transport ships were truly filled with the wealth contributed by the World Government's affiliated nations to the Celestial Dragons, then the Revolutionary Army would usher in a time of rapid growth, and the plan in his heart could be carried out ahead of schedule.Turning around, Dragon walked toward the prepared Revolutionary Army soldiers behind him. Compared to the excitement on the faces of the other soldiers, Dragon's composed and steady expression made Marcus admire him from the bottom of his heart. A leader needed this kind of composed and calm mindset when facing anything.Glancing at everyone, he said in a deep voice, "Since the news of the tenryuubito tribute spread throughout the world, we have been preparing. After so much preparation, today is the time for our harvest. If we succeed this time, we will take a big step toward our dream.""Therefore, today's plan is very important. Now, our partner, Navy Rear Admiral Marcus, will explain the specific details of this plan and the matters needing attention to you."Hearing this, Marcus's mouth opened slightly in surprise. Dragon hadn't even mentioned this to him, yet he wanted him, a Marine, to explain the plan to the Revolutionary Army? Wasn't he kidding?But seeing everyone's eyes turn to him, Marcus gave a bitter smile and had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward. He was being forced into a difficult position, so he just had to go for it."This is my first time. I didn't expect my first time to be ruined by your Leader Dragon."When Marcus started with such a sentence, the Revolutionary Army soldiers were momentarily stunned, followed by a burst of laughter. The female soldiers' cheeks turned red, and they gave a light "tsck," but a trace of a smile still appeared on their faces."So, I might not say it well, please bear with me. Our plan this time..." (To be continued.)
Chapter 152: Operation StartOn the sea, this Marine fleet of eight ships was traveling at an extremely high speed. On the observation decks, several Marine Soldiers were constantly monitoring the movements of the surrounding waters in different directions.According to the execution plan, the Marines carrying the fake tenryuubito tribute would have to face all the pirates. They would be under immense pressure, and the success of the plan rested on their side; therefore, over ninety percent of the Marinestrength was concentrated there.The real tenryuubito tribute escort team led by Tsuru consisted of only eight ships. Half of them were transport ships carrying the tenryuubito tribute with almost zero combat power, while only four were marine warships.Furthermore, of these four marine warships, only one was a reinforcement from Marineford—the one Tsuru was on, which was the only Marine combat unit composed entirely of female soldiers.The other three were just Marine Soldiers from the original Korode Naval Base. Their combat power was incomparable to the elites of Marineford, but there was no other way. The plan was for the elite reinforcements from Marineford to deal with the pirates, leave some to handle the aftermath, and then have the rest of the Marines rush to support.Consequently, in the entire escort fleet, besides Vice Admiral Tsuru who had Vice Admiral-level combat power, the highest-ranking Marine was a Navy Rear Admiral. Fortunately, the pirates outside Korode had all been lured away by the other Marines, which was why the Marines dared to use such weak forces to escort the tenryuubito tribute.If they truly encountered a powerful group of pirates by chance, given the strength of the escort Marines, the tenryuubito tribute would undoubtedly be finished.As soon as they left the naval base, the entire fleet traveled at an extremely fast speed. As long as they left the Korode waters, it would be relatively much safer.Of course, on the deep sea at night, especially with all the pirates lured to the other side, the probability of encountering powerful pirates was almost zero, similar to winning the lottery. However, it would be a different story if there was a traitor.Although the probability was small, for Tsuru, the Marine Chief of Staff, any small probability could happen, so necessary preparations were still made.To this end, Tsuru not only ordered all lights on the ships to be turned off except for those absolutely necessary, but she also increased the number of lookouts from one to four, observing from four directions simultaneously. Any anomaly had to be reported.At the same time, a communicator was assigned to each transport ship to report every ten minutes. If any transport ship failed to report on time, the Marines would immediately surround it and launch an attack if necessary.Even so, the bad premonition in Tsuru's heart did not disappear; instead, it grew stronger. But right now, the sea was calm and there was nothing. Why would she still have such a premonition?Tsuru turned and asked Ain behind her: "Ain,is there anything wrong with those transport ships?"Standing behind her, Ain quickly replied: "Grandma Tsuru, there's nothing wrong. The communications are being sent on time."Nodding, Tsuru didn't say anything more and quietly looked ahead. Ain immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her expression relaxing significantly.Ever since she learned that Ain was Marcus's little girlfriend, Tsuru had transferred Ain to her side and even asked Ain to call her Grandma Tsuru. Consequently, Ain was still a bit unaccustomed to this situation."So, after we infiltrate the transport ship area and board them, we must be extremely fast. Subdue the people with communication devices and find the den den mushi immediately, otherwise there won't be any proactive communication."Everyone knew the importance of this tenryuubito tribute to the Revolutionary Army. Everyone listened very intently. Because of this, the more they heard, the more shocked and fortunate they felt.Fortunately, Marcus was there to explain everything in detail; otherwise, even if they had successfully infiltrated, they would have been discovered immediately.Finally, feeling uneasy, Marcus reiterated: "Remember, from the start until we find all the den den mushi, we only have ten minutes. Once ten minutes pass and we haven't found them, it means our plan has failed, and we will be exposed to the Marines.""Furthermore, among the four transport ships, only two have treasures on them; the others are empty. I don't know specifically which ones have them, so we must take control of all four.""If it comes to that, we'll have no choice but to take action against the Marines. Although we can seize them with our strength, you will also be exposed to the World Government."At this point, Marcus's tone became much heavier, almost emphasizing every word. Everyone nodded in unison, indicating they understood.After a few seconds of silence, Marcus said in a low voice: "If, if it really comes to that point, I hope you can refrain from killing those Marines."Marcus didn't want those Marine Soldiers to sacrifice their lives for nothing because of him. Many of those Marine Soldiers had families waiting for them at home, waiting for them to finish their mission and return alive."Don't worry. If we are really discovered by the Marines, I will take action then. I won't let the Marines fight us, and they won't be harmed either."In Dragon's calm tone, there was an aura of Hakibefitting a strong person. The highest combat power of the escort Marines was only a Vice Admiral; there was no Admiral-level combat power present. Even with over a thousand Marine Soldiers, it was just a piece of cake for Dragon.In that case, Marcus was no longer worried. As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon's strength was unquestionable. Although Grandma Tsuru's strength was also good, the gap between her and Dragon was very large.At this moment, a member of the Revolutionary Army ran over. "Leader, we just received the latest intelligence regarding the battle between the Marines and the pirates"... Time passed slowly. On the observation deck, four Marine Soldiers were keeping their eyes wide open, using binoculars to observe the surroundings, for fear of missing even a slight anomaly."Hey, did you feel a sudden gust of wind over your head?" one Marine said to the Marine on his right.This Marine reached out his hand and felt for a moment: "A gust of wind? I didn't feel anything. Besides, isn't wind a perfectly normal thing on the sea? Is it worth making such a fuss?"The soldier who asked the question quickly waved his hand and said with a hint of nervousness: "No, no, it's not that kind of wind. That wind felt like it was caused by an object sweeping past."Another Marine took down his binoculars and said with a puzzled look: "You kid, what's wrong with you today? Why are you so paranoid? An object sweeping past? What could possibly be in the sky?"The soldier looked up. The bright moon was in the sky, along with a sky full of stars and some dark clouds. Indeed, there was nothing there.Rubbing his head, the soldier said with an embarrassed smile: "Maybe I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I'm too nervous today. I must have felt wrong.""Whew..." Sabo and Koala on the main mast breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the Marines' conversation and slowly tied the canvases back up.Between the two outer marine warships, the Revolutionary Army's ship was carefully sneaking along. Just now, the canvas almost fell off, scaring everyone half to death. Fortunately, Sabo and Koalaon the observation deck acted quickly and caught it in time.Nothing else happened after that. This massive ship silently approached the transport ships right under the eyes of over a thousand Marine Soldiers.On the ship, Marcus stared intently at his watch, his face showing tension. Behind him, a group of Revolutionary Army members were already prepared, standing behind Marcus and waiting for his command.Tsuru looked at the four den den mushi in front of her, quietly waiting for the communication from the transport ships. Ten minutes were almost up. When the time came, the four den den mushi rang with a "purupurupuru" sound simultaneously.The female Marine Soldiers nearby quickly answered the den den mushi. Four responses came from the den den mushi: "Reporting to Vice AdmiralTsuru, everything is in order. There is nothing unusual. The entire transport ship is absolutely safe.""Good, continue your observation. Remember to call in every ten minutes," Tsuru said in a deep voice."Yes!" After the response, the four den den mushiwere closed simultaneously.Marcus waved his hand and shouted: "Operation start!"Without hesitation, these Revolutionary Armywarriors immediately began their operation. Everyone knew that ten minutes was very little time; every second was vital, and there was no time to waste."In that case, let's go too," Marcus said, turning his head toward Dragon and the others.Although the Marine strength this time was weak, there were still two Navy Rear Admirals and some officer-level Marine Soldiers on board. With just the strength of the Revolutionary Army warriors, it was completely impossible to deal with these Marines silently. They had to take action.Ten minutes passed in a flash. Marcus held the den den mushi in his hand and looked at the unconscious Marine Soldiers and transport ship staff on the deck, a smile appearing on his face.Using his invisibility ability, Marcus had quietly sneaked up to the powerful Marines and dealt with them instantly. Therefore, Marcus's side was the fastest to finish, taking only about seven minutes.Just now, news had also arrived from the other three locations; they had also succeeded. Now that the plan had reached this stage, it could be said that it was almost successful. As long as no major accidents occurred, the tenryuubito tribute was already as good as in their pockets.He checked the time and saw that there were only a few seconds left before the ten minutes were up. He quickly picked up the den den mushi and dialed. With a click, the den den mushi connected.Following the agreed-upon reporting format, he said steadily: "Reporting to Vice Admiral Tsuru, everything is in order. There is nothing unusual. The entire transport ship is absolutely safe.""Good, I will inform Vice Admiral Tsuru. Continue your observation."But what stunned Marcus was that a familiar voice came from the other side of the den den mushi—Ain. Why was Ain the one answering on the other end? He had thought of everything, but Marcushadn't expected the person answering to be Ain.However, from the other party's tone, she shouldn't have discovered him. This made Marcus breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, when he spoke, he had slightly changed his voice just in case.On the other side, Ain hung up the den den mushi, a hint of confusion and doubt appearing on her face. Even though Marcus had changed his voice, Ain had instantly recognized that one of the people speaking on the other side was Marcus.Although she didn't know why Marcus, who was supposed to have left, would come here, why he appeared on a transport ship, or why the den den mushi was in his hand,Ain still covered for Marcus. Presumably, Marcushad his own reasons for doing this, and all she could do was help him."Now, begin the transport. Send a few people dressed in Marine uniforms to the observation decks. Don't let anything slip. Remember, our transport capacity is limited; we only want the items. Get rid of all the packaging.""Yes!"After speaking, Marcus walked toward the tenryuubito tribute in the back! (To be continued.)