"All hands, fire!"
"Counterattack! Counterattack now!"
"Third squad, follow me!"
"Charge! Drive these Marines into the sea to feed the fish!"
"..."
The resounding cries of battle echoed. The deck of the Bloodstained pirate ship was littered with corpses, blood, and deep holes.
Hod Weiss gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at the colossal Marine warship just meters away, his heart filled with despair.
His Bloodstained pirate ship was barely forty meters long, yet the warship before him boasted an astonishing length exceeding one hundred meters, a giant ship he had never seen.
Crucially, this enormous Marine vessel not only possessed formidable firepower but also incredible speed, chasing them for nearly a full day.
Despite their efforts, they couldn't escape, and now, with a single cannon shot, their main mast was broken, completely crushing any hope of escape.
Most importantly, Hod Weiss had been prepared to fight to the death, relying on boarding tactics to counterattack and seize the Marine warship.
Who would have thought that on the deck of the Bloodstained pirate ship, over a hundred gunners and sailors, ready to board, hadn't even thrown their grappling hooks when they saw the Marine warship majestically approach from a commanding position?
The dozen or so cannons on the third deck of its hull simultaneously fired grapeshot.
Instantly, hundreds of grape-sized iron pellets formed a terrifying curtain of fire, a devastating blanket attack that, in a single wave, cleared the deck of the Bloodstained pirate ship.
Hod Weiss looked on, seeing the entire deck of the Bloodstained pirate ship smeared with a gruesome, sticky layer of blood and shattered flesh.
Severed limbs, mutilated corpses, and severely wounded crewmates, missing hands or feet and howling in agony, lay everywhere. Fewer than thirty survivors remained.
Then, Hod Weiss saw large numbers of Marine soldiers poking their heads out from the deck of the opposing warship, throwing dozens of grappling hooks and iron chains towards the Bloodstained pirate ship, linking the two vessels together.
The next moment, dozens, even hundreds, of Marine soldiers, armed with muskets and cutlasses, either used the grappling hooks and chains or leaped across, boarding the Bloodstained pirate ship to engage the surviving pirates on deck.
Fortunately, many pirates were still on the lower decks and within the cabins of the Bloodstained pirate ship. They climbed up the stairs, joining the fight against the Marine cadets.
"It's useless. You won't escape!" Hina's pretty face was stern as she took the lead, swiftly striking out her arm at the nearest pirate, only for it to eerily pass through his body.
Before the pirate could react, he found himself bound by circular iron bars, unable to move.
"Woman, let Manne the Great kill you!" A corpulent man, wearing a white apron stained with gray grime, blocked Hina's path. His eyes greedily appraised Hina. He held a half-meter-long cleaver, radiating a fierce aura.
"Bloodmen Pirates Combat Commander, bounty of 39,000,000 Berries, 'Manne the Butcher'… In the name of justice, I arrest you!" Hina's lovely face was solemn as she gazed at the pirate before her, charging forward without hesitation.
"Ahahaha~ I'll chop your bones to pieces!" Manne guffawed, the fat on his face jiggling. He fiercely raised the cleaver in his hand and swung it at the charging Hina.
"Iron Warding: Black Spears!" Hina deftly dodged the cleaver's attack, circled behind him, and her arm quickly transformed into black iron bars, piercing into Manne's waist like a spear.
"Bitch, you're looking for death!" Manne cried out in pain, angrily twisting his torso and raising his cleaver to strike Hina again.
Instantly, Hina, instead of retreating, advanced. Her arm swiftly passed through Manne's body, instantly transforming the black spear into circular iron chains, trapping Manne's body.
Thud— Manne, unable to move, fell heavily to the ground.
"Hina is a Paramecia user of the Cage-Cage Fruit! Anything my body passes through will be locked down!" Hina declared proudly.
"Fire! Shoot these Marines dead!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
On the other side, several pirates yelled as they raised their muskets and pulled the triggers simultaneously. After several bangs, several lead bullets flew out, piercing through Gasparde's body, leaving several holes.
"Huh?!" Gasparde turned his head, his expression annoyed, glaring angrily at the pirates.
The pirates stared at the transparent holes in Gasparde's body, made by the lead bullets. To their horror, no blood flowed out. Instead, a strange green substance emerged, rapidly healing the wounds, causing them to involuntarily reveal terrified expressions.
"Candy Spike Tank!" The next second, Gasparde let out a low growl, spreading his arms as if preparing to embrace, and countless conical green spikes appeared on his body. He then charged forward.
Boom—
Instantly, several pirates, unable to dodge, were directly struck by Gasparde. They were then impaled by the green spikes on his body, becoming like sieves. Even the solid wooden wall of the captain's cabin was smashed through, sending countless splinters flying.
"Scattered Balls!" Not far away, Very Good's head floated like a ghost in mid-air. His body transformed into dozens of spherical particles, striking the pirates in all directions as fast and accurately as kicked soccer balls.
"Ow, ow, ow—!"
"It hurts like hell!"
"A ghost!"
"..."
More than a dozen pirates had their bones broken and tendons snapped, crying out and desperately fleeing.
"Wheel Spin Strike!"
Nearby, Sharinguru, wearing a horned helmet and red goggles, spun his hands like wheels, perfectly demonstrating the phrase "the vehicle is too fast, even the wheels run over your face."
However, those pirates had more than just a single wheel mark on their faces; their noses were crushed, their eyeballs exploded, and their facial bones shattered.
Hod Weiss watched the scene before him, his heart growing cold. He never imagined that there would be so many Devil Fruit users on this Marine warship. Could this warship be escorting some major pirate?
"Bloodmen Pirates Captain, bounty of 58,000,000 Berries, 'Hod Weiss the Bloodman'! In the name of justice, I arrest you!"
Suddenly, a man with a lower body of smoke and an upper body with short silver hair, a fierce, stern face, blocked Weiss.
On the warship, Smoker had already set his sights on this bald man, who wore a brown captain's coat, wielded a sailor's cutlass with a gilded guard, and had a pistol tucked into his waist.
Weiss stared at the Marine before him, realizing he was another Devil Fruit user with strange abilities.
But things had come to this; he had no choice but to fight with all his might!
He had risen from a street thug to a great pirate with a bounty of 58,000,000 Berries, naturally committing many evils like arson, murder, and plunder. All of it was thanks to his sheer ruthlessness.
"Damn Marines, you've ruined my dream!" Weiss roared with immense anger, a hysterical, distorted expression on his face. He swung his sailor's cutlass at Smoker.
Clang—
The Jitte parried the sailor's cutlass. The collision sparked a few embers and stirred up a fierce gust of wind that spread outwards.
Immediately, Smoker pressed forward, his free left hand reaching for Weiss's neck. In a flash, Weiss's left hand swiftly pulled out the flintlock pistol from his waist and fired a shot at Smoker like lightning.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Smoker's head exploded, turning into a cloud of smoke.
"Nani?!" Weiss was shocked. He then saw the headless Marine continue to reach for his neck, scaring him into rolling on the ground, narrowly dodging Smoker's grasp.
"Damn it, a Logia user!" Weiss cursed under his breath, watching wisps of smoke gather at Smoker's neck, reforming his head.
Then, Smoker charged again, swinging the Jitte in his hand down at Weiss's head.
Clang, clang, clang, clang…
Weiss was not to be outdone. He continuously swung his sailor's cutlass, clashing repeatedly with Smoker's Jitte, producing a series of harsh metallic sounds.
Unfortunately, while Weiss's swordsmanship was strong, his continuous slashes at Smoker's body failed to cause even a speck of damage.
Instead, Smoker seized the opportunity to land several blows, almost making him vomit blood.
Just then, Smoker transformed into smoke, quickly circled behind Weiss, and thrust his Jitte downwards like a swiftly piercing spear.
Boom—
Weiss rolled like a donkey, narrowly avoiding the Jitte's attack, but the oak deck where he had been was pierced clean through by the Jitte.
"Hod Weiss, surrender now!"
Just then, Yukimura stepped forward, his katana transforming into a sharp, flowing streak, slashing horizontally towards Weiss's neck. Weiss quickly got up, dodging Yukimura's slash again, then wielded his sailor's cutlass and engaged Yukimura in battle.
However, Weiss, a great pirate with a bounty of 58,000,000 Berries, was still no match for a mere cadet like Yukimura.
Clang, clang, clang, clang…
Within moments, the two exchanged a dozen or so blows. Weiss's sailor's cutlass swung like the wind, each strike powerful and heavy, forcing Yukimura to retreat repeatedly.
However, the more Weiss fought, the more his heart trembled, for he never expected to encounter a random Marine soldier with such strength. It was truly terrifying.
"Tekkai!" Suddenly, a long arm with two elbows extended, interposing itself between Weiss and Yukimura. Like an iron rod, it struck directly at the sailor's cutlass in Weiss's hand.
Clang—
The sharp sailor's cutlass sounded like it had struck a real iron rod, producing a metallic clang. The recoil made Weiss's palm tingle.
"What is this?! Is it also some kind of ability?!" Weiss's face slightly changed. He subconsciously took a step back, then saw that the owner of the strange long arm was a brown-skinned man who was charging directly at him, his long arms swinging out like steel whips.
"White Vine!" Suddenly, just as Weiss tried to evade the frontal attack, a spiraling columnar smoke surged from behind him, swiftly coiling around his body, directly seizing him and lifting him into the air.
"What is this…" Weiss looked terrified, struggling desperately.
"Shigan Five!" The next second, Shuzo appeared nearby, his expression was cold. He leaped up, his right hand's five fingers forming a hawk claw shape, thrusting straight out, piercing into Weiss's body without any obstruction.
Splurt—
Accompanied by a soft sound of flesh being torn, Shuzo retracted his arm and landed on the deck. Weiss's chest now had five bloody holes, as if struck by lead bullets from a musket.
"Kuuk… Puaagh…" Weiss lowered his head in disbelief, looking at the five bloody holes in his chest. The smell of rust filled his nose and mouth, making him directly spit out a large mouthful of blood.
A battlefield is not a gladiatorial arena where people can engage in one-on-one duels. The Marines now held the advantage, and naturally, they aimed to resolve the battle as quickly as possible and minimize casualties.
This was also what Marine officers had to do. Despite Shuzo's heavy blow, Hod Weiss the Bloodman, the pirate with a 58,000,000 Berries bounty, though not dead, was severely wounded and completely lost his combat capability.
The battle on the Bloodstained pirate ship did not last long.
After Manne the Butcher, the Bloodmen Pirates' Combat Commander, was captured, and they lost their captain, Hod Weiss the Bloodman, their first mate, sniper, navigator, and other officers and combatants also successively fell, either killed on the spot or severely wounded and collapsing.
Facing the formidable elite Marine cadets, including Smoker, Hina, Gasparde, and Shuzo, all members of the Bloodmen Pirates were annihilated; not a single one escaped.
Finally, this chase, which had lasted for nearly a day, concluded with a great Marine victory.
In this fierce battle, all 364 members of the Bloodmen Pirates, from captain to ordinary crewmembers, were either killed or captured.
On the Marine side, 17 were killed and 26 were wounded, resulting in a casualty ratio of about 1:8.4, a resounding victory for the Marines.
However, the casualties on the Marine side were all future officers, the future backbone of the Marines.
The deaths of 17 students still pained Zephyr.
But this was unavoidable.
Without true combat experience, no matter how talented, they couldn't truly grow. Only after brutal real-world combat, like sifting through sand, could these surviving cadets truly become the future of the Marines and protect the innocent.
"The ocean sees the beginning of the world,"
"And the ocean knows the end of the world."
"Thus, it calls us towards the way we must take."
"Thus, it leads us towards a proper world."
"Enveloping pain and suffering,"
"Greatly and kindly wrapping them up."
"..."
Under the lingering sunset, a low, solemn song echoed over the sea.
Everyone stood on the warship's deck, singing in unison, bidding farewell to their fallen comrades.
Pirates had their songs, and Marines had theirs.
This song, "Ocean Guide," didn't stir excitement or boiling blood. It was only low, solemn, and sorrowful.
Everyone sang this song, hoping that the ocean would guide the deceased Marine soldiers, soothe their wounds, and allow them to return to the tranquil depths of the ocean.