"Director Spandam, your Devil Fruit is safe on the warship," Lucci's emotionless, mechanical voice replied.
"Hahahahaha, excellent!" Spandam's unrestrained laughter boomed from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
As the son of a high-ranking official, Spandam was a useless buffoon, but his father's arrangements had allowed him to soar through the ranks to become the Director of CP9. Upon hearing news of a Zoan-type Elephant-Elephant Fruit, Spandam had immediately dispatched Lucci, who was already on a mission, to seize it.
After confirming with Lucci, Spandam happily hung up.
"Now, it's time to arrest these reckless pirates," Lucci murmured, feeding his pigeon, Hattori.
"Coo, coo..." Hattori gulped down the food, cooing in agreement.
Flap, flap!
Its hunger sated, Hattori beat its wings and took to the sky, flying steadily in one direction.
"Follow Hattori! Let's go meet these blind pirates," Lucci said to the Lieutenant beside him, sweeping his long coat back.
The Lieutenant had a generic face, dressed in the standard white uniform with a "Justice" coat draped over his shoulders. A three-star insignia was clearly visible on his epaulets.
"Hard to starboard, full ahead!" The Lieutenant glanced at Lucci, then pulled his hand from under his Justice coat and bellowed at the helmsman.
"Full ahead!" the soldiers echoed the command.
Although the Marine warship was equipped with multiple sails to harness the wind, its primary propulsion system was a steam-powered paddle wheel, allowing it to navigate even through the Calm Belt. Furthermore, since this ship frequently passed through the Calm Belt for trips to Enies Lobby, its hull was lined with Seastone to mask its presence from Sea Kings.
With a hiss of steam, the massive warship crushed the oncoming waves, cutting a swift path through the sea.
"Lieutenant, pirate vessel spotted off the starboard bow," a soldier reported, having descended from the crow's nest to approach the Lieutenant and Lucci.
Lucci's gaze shifted forward, where a pirate ship was faintly visible in the distance.
"Excellent! Full speed! Close the distance!" the Lieutenant commanded with an air of authority, swishing his Justice coat.
A new king of the boarding action appeared.
The warship let out a mightier roar, steam billowing as it charged toward the Sexy Foxy.
On Ryuuto's side, a lookout was also stationed in the crow's nest. Just as Lucci spotted the Sexy Foxy, this lookout also caught sight of the warship.
"Trouble! Captain Ryuuto, Captain Foxy, there's a Marine warship closing in on us fast!" the lookout scrambled down from the crow's nest, shouting in a panic.
"Foxy?" Ryuuto sat calmly under a parasol, taking a sip of coffee. He turned to Foxy and said slowly, "Isn't it time for your performance?"
Ryuuto gestured toward Foxy.
Having just recruited a new batch of underlings, Ryuuto had no intention of stepping in so quickly. On one hand, he wanted them to experience the gap between themselves and a once-in-a-century prodigy from CP9. On the other, stepping in to save them at the last moment would secure their unwavering loyalty.
After all, they were a rebellious bunch. They needed to be kept in line.
"No problem! Leave it to us!" Foxy pounded his chest in assurance, his long, red nose held high.
"Me too! No problem!" Buggy, seeing he'd been a step too slow, scrambled over and mimicked Foxy's pose, giving Ryuuto his own guarantee.
"Alright, it's all yours," Ryuuto said, staring at the two for a couple of seconds before raising his coffee cup to drink again.
Nearby, Nami had put on a pair of sunglasses and was feigning sleep. Hancock sat in her own chair, one leg crossed over the other, leisurely reading a newspaper.
Her seated position caused her two snow-white legs to be exposed from the high slit of her dress, a sight that was difficult to ignore. But after witnessing the petrification incident, no one dared to look directly at Hancock anymore. Such a feast for the eyes was for Ryuuto alone.
The moments ticked by as the Marine warship and the Sexy Foxy drew ever closer.
Under Buggy and Foxy's direction, Alvida and the other officers readied themselves on the forecastle, while the grunts stood by with their weapons. To be fair, they were old hands at robbing Marine warships by now.
The distance between the two ships closed to one or two hundred meters.
Buggy stood at the bow, longsword in hand, and raised his head to look at the warship. Aboard the Marine vessel, Lucci's gaze met his, their eyes locking across the water.
"We're entering firing range! Take aim!"
"Fire!"
Following a flurry of orderly activity on the warship's deck, cannons were aimed and locked onto the Sexy Foxy. At the Lieutenant's command, dozens of cannonballs shot from their barrels, whistling through the air toward the pirate ship.
"Foxy, Noro Noro Beam!" Buggy began to issue commands from his position at the bow.
As Buggy's voice faded, two beams of light shot from Foxy's hands, zipping toward the incoming cannonballs with their distinctive sound.
"Throw Alvida!" The instant the Noro Noro Beams made contact with the cannonballs, Buggy yelled again.
Cabaji and Mohji then heaved Alvida into the air, tossing her toward the volley of projectiles.
Struck by the Noro Noro Beams, the cannonballs slowed to a crawl. As Alvida soared through their path, every cannonball that touched her smooth skin was harmlessly deflected, sliding off into the sea below.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannonballs exploded in the water, sending up massive plumes of spray.
"Hahahahaha! Well done, you scum!" Buggy cheered, stomping excitedly on the ship's rail.
"Go, go!" Porche also cheered from the sidelines, waving her baton.
On the warship, Lucci's expression darkened as he watched the scene unfold.
*Are those Devil Fruit users?* Lucci wondered. *One ability that slows cannonballs, and another that makes them slide away?*
"What's going on? Why are the cannonballs moving so slowly?!"
"What? They all just slid off!"
"What kind of powers are those?"
"All our shots missed!"
The Marine soldiers stared in astonishment.
"Now it's our turn to attack!" Buggy shouted to Alvida and the other officers, raising his longsword high. "Hard to port! Close in!"
As Buggy's words fell, several pirate grunts spun the Sexy Foxy's helm with frantic energy. The ship immediately lurched into a sharp turn, charging diagonally toward the warship.
The sudden tilt of the Sexy Foxy sent Nami tumbling from her lounge chair. Her nap ruined, she got to her feet and watched Buggy orchestrate the battle.
CRUNCH!
The Marine warship and the Sexy Foxy collided.
...