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With Trens leading the pirates to seize Marine-controlled territory, his reputation among the unified crews had reached its peak.
At first, many of the pirates who joined the massive assault were incredibly anxious. But once the fighting began, and they realized that no Marine Admiral had appeared, their tension vanished. This absence made them revere Trens and the Nether Soul Pirates even more.
They actually possessed enough power to neutralize an Admiral! Every pirate knew that the Marines stationed on this island had an Admiral watching over it. Yet this time, not only had the Admiral failed to show, but even a known Vice Admiral-level powerhouse was missing.
What did that mean? Combined with Trens's earlier words, the pirates were filled with greater awe than ever. The Nether Soul Pirates, a crew powerful enough to stand up to Admirals, yet loyal enough to lead them toward a future of freedom without abandoning a single ally.
Normally, a pirate crew of such might would only exist in legends. But now, that legendary-level power stood right before their eyes.
Anyone with sense knew the law of the world: follow the strong, admire the strong.
Trens swept his gaze over the pirates below. Seeing how they already regarded him as their undisputed leader, he smiled and nodded, but in his heart, he still worried about Rojen's safety and the success of the larger plan.
"Then next, let's make this entire island our territory!" he shouted loudly, causing the pirates to erupt in wild, renewed cheers.
Just then, a blinding light streaked across the sky, striking the outer edge of their recently claimed territory in an instant.
Boom!
The resulting explosion was massive, smoke, flame, and screams rose up all at once.
"Marines! The Marines are here!!"
"Vice Admirals, five of them in the front! But I don't see Zephyr!"
"They actually dared to attack us? What guts!"
The pirates momentarily panicked, but they quickly calmed once they realized no Admiral was present. As long as it wasn't an Admiral, they had nothing to fear!
Trens stood atop a high platform, his expression tightening slightly. Beside him, Crocodile dropped down from the air.
"Fight," Crocodile said coolly, a scowl on his face. "Wipe them out."
At his command, the ground around him erupted in swirling sand.
"Kill them!"
The pirates roared, their blood surging with excitement. Drawing their blades, they charged toward the advancing Marine forces. In an instant, the two sides clashed, no words, only raw, savage slaughter.
But as the battle began, the five Vice Admirals entered the fray. These were the elite of Marine Headquarters, veterans of immense strength. Even Rojen, with the might of the Sword Saint, could only restrain such figures; he couldn't easily defeat them while distracted.
When the Vice Admirals plunged into the chaos, it was like tigers among sheep. Everywhere they passed became a wasteland, and pirates were sent flying, screaming, utterly helpless before them. Around each Vice Admiral, a circle of open space quickly formed. Any pirate who tried to approach was cut down before they could even swing their blade.
From the very start, the pirates fell into a severe disadvantage due to the presence of the five Vice Admiral-level fighters. As time wore on, more and more Marines poured into the battle. The pirates' expressions turned grim, and their defensive lines began to crumble.
"They've got five Vice Admirals, we can't beat that!" "They're monsters! Those five aren't even human!" "How are we supposed to fight this? None of us can take them, even Blanc was beaten bloody in minutes!"
Panic began to spread rapidly. To the average pirate, Vice Admirals were like towering mountains, and now five of them stood in their way.
"In the name of justice, wipe them out!" one Vice Admiral bellowed, raising his fencing sword high. "All who resist, kill without mercy! Those who surrender, arrest them all!"
The Marines' momentum surged like an unstoppable wave, overwhelming the pirate formation and collapsing it fast.
"Trens, those five are a real problem," Jason said grimly, joining him.
"I know," Trens replied bitterly. "But they're too strong. I doubt we can handle them either."
"I'll try." Crocodile's face darkened as he stepped forward and engaged one of the Vice Admirals.
Within seconds, the two clashed. Ten seconds later, Crocodile was struck right through his sand form and sent flying twenty meters, smashing through a tree and coughing up blood.
"Crocodile!"
Trens's expression changed drastically. A sinking, desperate feeling filled his chest. Even Crocodile, a former Warlord, wasn't a match for them. The battle was lost.
These five Vice Admirals had completely reversed the tide.
"Ah, i AM getting old… and still having to move around. What a pain," a weary voice suddenly sighed.
"But then again, I did promise that brat, didn't I?"
The voice wasn't loud, yet somehow every single person on the battlefield heard it clearly.
In the next instant, an overwhelming and utterly domineering aura burst forth. A powerful wave of pressure swept across the field, striking all the Marines in its path. One after another, they collapsed where they stood, eyes rolling back, completely losing the will to fight.
"Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki)!"
The faces of the Vice Admirals changed drastically as they frantically searched for the source of that voice.
"Who's there?!"
Under everyone's gaze, a middle-aged man slowly walked forward. He wore glasses, and though his expression was calm, there was a faint air of age and immense experience about him. With every step he took, the terrifyingly dominant aura around him intensified.
By the third step, even the walls of nearby buildings began to crack, and the air itself felt suffocating, making it difficult for anyone to breathe.
The five Vice Admirals instantly sensed that this man was anything but ordinary. One of them dashed forward, drawing his sword in a swift, decisive motion.
"No matter who you are, showing up here now means you're standing against the justice I uphold!"
His speed was incredible. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the middle-aged man, his blade flashing as he swung.
Whoosh!
The slash tore through the air, leaving behind a fading afterimage, fast and sharp enough that no ordinary pirate could have possibly defended against it.
But the next moment, the man moved.
No one saw how he moved.
Clang!
Steel rang out. The Vice Admiral's sword stopped dead, blocked mid-strike, unable to advance an inch further.
The Vice Admiral's face shifted in pure shock, but before he could react further, something even more terrifying happened.
The man kicked.
He didn't even seem to exert himself, but the next instant, the Vice Admiral's body was struck square in the gut.
Boom!
He flew back dozens of meters, smashing through a house before finally staggering back to his feet, utterly shaken.
He gripped his sword tightly, ready to charge again, but the Vice Admiral beside him stopped him immediately.
"Don't be reckless… that's Dark King Rayleigh!"
The name struck the battlefield like thunder.
Gasps erupted everywhere, both pirates and Marines alike stared wide-eyed at the calm figure standing in the middle of the chaos.
No one could have imagined it, the Pirate King's right-hand man had appeared here, of all places!
"I made a promise," Rayleigh said quietly, smiling faintly. "And a man should keep his word."
"Vice Admirals… I'll trouble you all to keep me company for a while."
With that, Rayleigh raised his longsword. His smile remained gentle, but the pressure that rolled off him was immense, a king's presence, sharp and unyielding.
For a moment, all five Vice Admirals fell completely silent.
At that same time, far away in Marine Headquarters, Sengoku took a deep, heavy breath, the Den Den Mushi call still ringing in his ears.
"Rojen… what are you planning?"
(End Of This Chapter)