Grove 3.
Outside the inn, Aeridar and his crew had gathered, with a new face among them, Dalt, who was being formally introduced to the rest. When they learned that the so-called Supernova, the Orc Dorot Otto, was merely one of Dalt's experimental creations, their expressions turned to utter shock.
In the distance, blazing flames roared skyward, cannonfire thundered incessantly, and the ground trembled ever so slightly. Millie and Mina furrowed their brows and turned to ask:
"Captain… you're really going to fight the Demon Mask Pirates?"
"It's just a transaction." Aeridar's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Besides, I'm curious to see just what this so-called big shot from the New World is capable of."
By all accounts, this Gutte the Demon Mask must be formidable. Otherwise, Admiral Borsalino, one of the Navy's top brass, wouldn't have failed to capture him for so long, forcing the World Government to seek Aeridar's help.
That Gutte had been defeated in the New World by the Marine Grand Expeditionary Fleet could only be attributed to sheer misfortune. After all, he'd run into Monkey D. Garp, the Hero of the Marines, and faced the might of the First Marine Expeditionary Fleet. Outclassed in strength, numbers, and equipment, how could he possibly have stood a chance?
"Hearing you say that, Captain… I'm starting to itch for a fight," said Oliver, grinning as his hand drifted to the hilt of his blade.
"Fighting a pirate from the New World… sounds like fun to me," said Arlan, a flicker of excitement lighting up his eyes.
"A chance to gauge the New World's power in advance, huh?" murmured Dimitri, his expression calm.
"A pirate with a 580 million bounty…" The scarred face of Gorbo twisted into a grim smile.
"From… the peak… of the seas," muttered Backan, gripping the massive axe strapped to his back, then slowly releasing it.
"Hehehe, youth sure is brimming with energy!" chuckled Dalt, scratching his head.
"Oi, oi, oi…" Aeridar rolled his eyes at the crowd. "You're telling me just one large lab's worth of equipment is enough to mobilize the entire upper command of the Chris Pirates? Talk about giving the Navy and the World Government a free win."
"You lot stay on the sidelines. I'll go alone."
...
BOOM. BOOM. BOOMBOOM…
KRRAAA-THOOM—
Thunderous cannonfire shook the skies. The coastline of the islands around Grove 50 had turned into a sea of fire. The Navy was completely on the back foot.
The bodies of countless disfigured Navy soldiers littered the beaches and islands. Craters pockmarked the terrain. Each cannon blast sent Marines flying like straw dolls, and when they landed, their mangled corpses were all that remained. The Navy's makeshift fortifications were useless against the heavy artillery mounted on the pirate ships. Every artillery point set up with effort was promptly wiped out, tearing through the already-porous defensive network.
While the Navy mostly fielded 8-pounders, 12-pounders, and a handful of 18-pound cannons, the pirate fleet was stacked with 18-pounders and 24-pounders—some ships even mounted 32-pound fortress cannons. In terms of both range and firepower, the Navy of the Sabaody Archipelago simply couldn't compete.
Though the Navy had a few 24-pounders, anything above that was too heavy and cumbersome to transport or deploy in time. Most of them were fixed emplacements or ship-mounted, as normal ground couldn't handle the recoil of such massive cannons.
After more than ten minutes of intense bombardment, the vanguard of the Demon Mask Pirates had reached the shore and made landfall on Grove 53. Alongside Puda's ship were two other pirate vessels, and a wave of pirates began the landing assault.
"Damn Marines! You're no match for me—Awoooh!!"
Puda, now transformed into a massive black werewolf, let out a piercing howl. With explosive strength from both legs, he leapt skyward, shattering the bow deck beneath him.
"Charge!"
"Follow Puda-dono!"
"Kill every last Marine!"
"Slaughter the cowardly dogs!"
Following Puda the Pillager's lead, waves of pirates poured from the three ships. Some of the stronger ones leapt straight down from the 10-meter-high decks, charging into the Marine ranks. The ships that hadn't landed yet kept up the barrage, offering covering fire for the landing forces.
SWOOSH—
A massive black werewolf came crashing down from the sky, slicing through the air with a shriek of displaced sound, a sonic boom.
KR-KRAKOOM!
The werewolf slammed into the Marine formation with terrifying force, blasting open a wide crater. The impact sent spiderweb cracks sprawling across the ground, debris flying in all directions. A shockwave erupted outward, flipping a dozen Marines into the air. Smoke filled the battlefield.
"Damn it, what the hell was that?!"
"Ugh, what's going on?!"
"Did something fall from the sky?!"
"Is it a pirate?!"
The powerful gusts made it hard for the Marines to keep their eyes open. Thick smoke obscured everything.
AWOOOOOH—!
A chilling howl cut through the fog. A hulking black shadow burst from the smoke at lightning speed, faster than the eye could follow. All the Marines saw were flashes of cold, silver light—
Shlick! Shlick—SHLICK—!
In a single instant, seven or eight Marines were clawed down, deep gashes tearing open their chests, exposing bone. Blood splattered across the sand as their bodies crumpled to the ground—dead on impact.
It was then the surviving Marines got a good look at the shadow.
It was a towering, upright black werewolf, nearly four meters tall, built like a beast, with gleaming fangs dripping with saliva. Its dark fur shimmered with an oily sheen, and its bloodstained claws gleamed wickedly in the firelight. The sheer ferocity it radiated sent a primal fear through them.
"A—a monster… is that a werewolf?!"
"A Zoan-type user?"
"That's Puda the Pillager… He's got a 280 million bounty on his head!"
"Damn it, what's a pirate that dangerous doing on our island?!"
The sight before them was more beast than man: a towering, black-furred werewolf exuding killing intent. Many of the Marines around froze in fear, some even collapsing to the ground in panic. But among them, a few recognized the creature for what it was, and that only made things worse.
Puda the Pillager. A notorious pirate with a bounty of 280 million berries. His infamy wasn't just on paper, his presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavier.
The Sabaody Archipelago had roughly 3,000 Marines stationed across its many islands. But Grove 53 wasn't part of the heavily fortified central sectors. Unlike Grove 55, the primary stronghold, this zone was lightly guarded, with barely 300 Marines and a Commander at best overseeing operations.
What chance did they stand against a pirate worth over a hundred million, much less Puda and the hundreds of seasoned raiders following in his wake?
"Damn it... don't back down!" barked an officer cloaked in the white coat of Justice, brandishing his command saber to rally the troops. "Hold them off... just hold the line! Admiral Kizaru's fleet is on its way!"
"Oh?" Puda's voice was a deep, guttural sneer, his claws flexing as if bored. His gaze scanned the trembling line of Marines with barely concealed contempt. "Then let's see if any of you survive long enough for that to matter."
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