"Look! Cross is fighting the pirates on that steamship!"
"Great job! Cross broke the ship's main mast!"
"Oh no, Cross's black dragon is shattered!"
"Oh, Cross landed on the pirate ship and is clashing with Regedor!"
"My goodness! Cross sent Regedor flying! Cross won!"
"..."
On the Marine warship, the lookout had been observing the distant steamship.
When he discovered the conflict between Cross and the Roberts Legion pirates, he immediately informed Zephyr and the others.
However, what transpired next exceeded Zephyr's expectations.
They were delighted when Cross broke the enemy ship's main mast.
Yet, Zephyr and the others were even more surprised that Cross didn't stop there; he charged onto the enemy ship again to continue the attack, but his metal black dragon mount was shattered by Regedor.
Just as they gasped in alarm and swiftly turned their ship to support Cross, something even more astonishing happened: Cross single-handedly ravaged the Spiral, even knocking Regedor into the sea.
Such an incredible feat left everyone on the warship both shocked and excited, with some even feeling a pang of jealousy.
"That kid is truly reckless, but… he did a good job!" Zephyr said with a hint of reproach, yet still nodded in approval. He gave satisfied instructions to Smoker and the others: "Full sail! Speed up and move forward! Don't let a single sea…"
Before he could finish, Zephyr's expression turned to horror as he saw intense flames erupt from the hull of the Spiral.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The next moment, muffled roars, like distant thunder on a clear day, reached the ears of Zephyr and the Marine Academy students.
They watched as the Spiral exploded violently, the scorching flames and massive shockwave ripping the entire ship in half. Countless burning debris scattered across the sky like a rain of fire.
"My god!"
"That ship exploded!"
"Cross is still on it!"
"..."
Everyone gasped in alarm. However, their worries were unfounded.
"Geppo!"
On the Spiral, Cross roared, immediately leaping into the air as if climbing an invisible staircase. His expression filled with vexation, Cross watched as the Spiral was torn in half by the violent explosion, finally sinking into the raging flames.
Steamships were rare, and he had originally intended to claim this one as his personal vessel, but the Roberts Legion pirates had sunk it in a mutual destruction attempt.
SCREEECH—
Just then, a long eagle cry echoed.
Cross turned his head to see a giant silver eagle, with a wingspan exceeding five meters, flying from the distance.
The silver eagle caught Cross in mid-air, letting him sit cross-legged on its back, then flew towards the distant Marine warship, leaving behind the burning, broken halves of the Spiral on the sea.
On the Germa 66 warship...
Judge stood gloomily on the stern deck, his gaze fixed on the silver giant eagle in the sky. Only after it landed on the Marine warship and disappeared from view did he exhale a long, murky breath.
"That kid…" Judge turned his head and instructed his subordinates behind him: "Go, find out that Navy brat's identity and abilities!"
"Yes, Commander!" A soldier, wearing a half-white hood, a yellow neckerchief, white shoulder pads, and a black combat suit with the '66' emblem on the chest, respectfully replied before turning and leaving.
"Father, you're interested in his abilities, aren't you?"
Suddenly, a slightly childlike voice sounded behind Judge. Judge looked back and saw his own daughter, Vinsmoke Reiju.
She was an 8-year-old girl with medium-length pink hair held back by a black hairband that covered her right eye. Her left eyebrow was a counter-clockwise swirl, her eyes were watery blue, and she wore a light purple neckerchief, a pink dress with dark red spiral patterns, and white ankle boots.
"Indeed!" Judge didn't hide it, stating directly: "It's an ability similar to Big Mom's. With just some stones and metal, we could have an endless supply of soldiers; cheap, strong, and unafraid of death. If we could obtain it, it would be a crucial force for the Germa Kingdom to re-establish dominance in the North Blue!"
"Perhaps, I can…" As he spoke, an idea suddenly sparked in Judge's mind. But after a careful look at Reiju, he mindlessly abandoned it. Reiju was still too young; seeking a political marriage would be far too premature.
Afterward, Zephyr's warship and Judge's battleship departed from the area, leaving the Roberts Legion survivors to fend for themselves.
For Zephyr, escorting Judge to Mariejois was the primary mission; dealing with the Roberts Legion wasn't on his task list.
Moreover, Zephyr only had a few hundred Marine Academy cadets under his command. Lingering too long and encountering the main force of the Roberts Legion would be like an egg striking a rock.
The most important thing was to quickly leave the area and shake off the Roberts Legion's pursuit.
At the same time, Zephyr reported the Roberts Legion's presence in the North Blue to Marine Headquarters and requested the Marine Headquarters Intelligence Division and the World Government's CP organizations to intensify their search and monitoring of the Roberts Legion.
This way, even if Marine Headquarters couldn't dispatch forces to deal with the Roberts Legion at present, it could allow various Marine branches to avoid unnecessary losses by evading the Roberts Legion.
However, not long after Zephyr and Judge's ships left the area, a large fleet entered the same waters, arriving at the location of Cross and Regedor's battle.
On the main masts of about twenty ships, black flags flew, emblazoned with a pattern of ten white skulls, it was the main fleet of the Roberts Legion.
"Help!"
"It's our fleet!"
"Commander Bartholomew, General Regedor is here!"
"..."
The survivors of the Spiral waved frantically in the sea, shouting loudly. Soon, the Roberts Legion ships lowered small boats and began rescuing and searching for survivors in the water.
"Cough, cough… cough, cough, cough…"
The semiconscious Regedor was laboriously brought onto a lifeboat by his subordinates. Someone immediately administered first aid, pressing and pounding on his abdomen, which caused Regedor to cough and expel a large mouthful of seawater.
Then, Regedor slowly regained consciousness, opening his eyes with a frown. He saw several subordinates gathered around him.
"General Regedor, are you alright?" someone cautiously asked.
"Rescued, huh… Cough, cough…" Regedor coughed lightly, struggling to sit up. He cursed in a low voice, "That damn brat… cough, cough, cough… You won't be so lucky next time…"
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]
There are 100+ advance chapters available for you to read!