"Kuro, Amis and Hancock's forces are advancing northward smoothly as well. Mihawk... well, he's doing whatever he wants."
"That's fine. But the enemies aren't spreading south as much as I expected. Cazary, have you destroyed most of the ships on your end?"
"Yes, all ships within visual range have been rendered unable to navigate."
"On this mini-hologram as well, we're making sure to sink even small fishing boats just to be safe."
"Understood. Relay this to Amis and Hancock via telegraph: prioritize stealth in your actions. We'll draw the enemy's attention as much as possible, so use that opportunity to rescue the trapped civilians first."
"Yes, immediately!"
Targeting the enemy's confusion was a solid strategy, but the chaos is too severe and the enemy's movements have slowed down too much.
Are these really pirates? They're worse than street thugs.
If this were Buggy, he would've already regained control and come up with at least one or two escape plans... No, he must've prepared something already, that bastard.
"This... this is the 'Black Cat's' battle?"
"Yes, Major General Manchikan."
It was decided that the main force for this battle should be composed of forces from the West Blue, which is why Colonel Tashigi was nominated as commander. However, the problem was the personnel from headquarters.
After all, when they came to assist, they were unable to do anything and had their ship sunk, losing most of their personnel and supplies.
On top of that, they were rescued by the West Blue Navy they were supposed to help and the pirates they had ceased hostilities with... in other words, their reputation was completely ruined.
To make matters worse, the few personnel who were rescued are almost all undergoing treatment.
In an effort to at least have some able-bodied personnel participate:
"With all this chaos, if we join the battle, we could settle this quickly, right? Hina has a question."
It was Major General Manchikan and Hina. Seriously?
"There are two things we must avoid as a result of this battle. First, the spread of the pirate rabble. If we let a large number of pirates escape and scatter here, the damage will spread instantly."
Well, to be honest, that's not a big concern.
These idiots didn't even bother to post proper lookouts; they were just drinking and causing a ruckus.
Thanks to that, they're all clustered in a very small area, making them easy to deal with.
"However, in this case, there are no islands nearby, so pirates who escape without proper preparation will likely die. As a precaution, we should keep an eye out for any islands they might reach."
That said, dying of starvation at sea is tragic, so we'll do our best to find them.
"The other issue is allowing commanders who were preparing to flee to escape. Of course, this would be the most painful outcome."
If possible, I would like the Navy to secure any connections to the mastermind behind this incident.
If that Peacock is involved, I'm a bit skeptical about how seriously the government will take it... But if we had them on our radar from the start, it would at least serve as a deterrent... I hope.
If it's not Morgan, then I want you to hurry up with the investigation.
To be honest, it's already impossible for us to achieve a "complete victory."
I don't know how long they've been preparing this plan, but if they were able to put it together in such a short time, then they're seriously dangerous.
Honestly, they're more terrifying than a bunch of pirates or even the Navy.
"We probably won't be able to obtain any clues leading to the mastermind behind this. The enemy is highly skilled. At the very least, we should try to gather fragments of information that could help us piece together clues."
"So we should step back and focus on observing the battle situation."
"If this were just a simple gathering of pirates, and the only threat was their numbers, I would already be fighting on the front lines..."
No, if that were the case, we could have ended it with a surprise attack by the personal guard.
I've suspected it since training and mock battles, but stealth is the most dangerous when used in a group.
"Unless we eliminate the pillars holding the pirates together, they may once again bring chaos to the West Blue... or perhaps to some other sea."
Now that the harvest season has begun, the pirates have something to steal.
Following this chaos, it's almost inevitable that more pirates will turn to plundering to survive in the West Blue.
If someone uses them, a second pirate alliance could emerge... Actually, if I were aiming solely to cause chaos in the world, that's exactly what I'd do.
"Taking that into consideration, after discussing it with Colonel Tashigi, we decided that the most important thing right now is to give our troops some breathing room and maintain the encirclement in case of an emergency."
Additionally, I didn't want to reveal too much of our strategy, so I wanted to attack head-on.
Colonel Tashigi aside, the generals' objectives seem to align with our analysis.
As was the case when we fought before, his inability to hide his guilt is his weakness.
I wish he would learn from Hina's boldness.
This guy is using me as a textbook example. Well, whatever.
"The northern front is being sealed off by Daz's Black Cat Guard, the second and third ships, and the elite troops led by Major Generals Bigle and Corrie, and they are currently advancing."
"Pirates... excuse me, 'Black Cats,' are there any issues with coordination?"
"Colonel Corrie has extensive experience working with us on military operations, and the soldiers under Colonel Bigle's command are primarily composed of flexible troops, including Private First Class Lucima. There are no issues."
Plus, Colonel Bigle's soldiers have a good relationship with us, and their morale is high after the recent mental adjustment incident.
If we had left them in the rear, it might have had repercussions later on.
If Brigadier General Tashigi gave the okay, it should be fine. Just in case, I've assigned Miaxis, who is skilled in fighting large numbers.
We need another person to support the front lines... No, if I start listing them, there are countless people I want.
Combatants, of course, and operators who can reduce Robin's burden. Or someone to replace Perona as an observer.
For domestic affairs, we need people who are good with numbers, farming, shipbuilding, medicine... basically, people with skills.
How are we, mere pirates, supposed to gather all that? Kidnapping is out of the question.
"...Kuro-sama."
"Yes?"
"Do you know everything about the officers and soldiers?"
"There are bound to be soldiers who feel aversion to working with pirates... I wanted to use that as a guideline for gaining their trust by identifying them as soon as possible... I gathered as much information as I could and memorized it."
Incidentally, memorization was essential to make it easier to identify any government officials who might have infiltrated our ranks.
I had predicted that some people would try to assassinate Robin, and there were actually a few who did. Mihawk and I captured them and handed them over to Kuzan.
Man, it was tough matching names with faces...
"But they're weaker than I expected. Perona, what's the situation?"
"We're overwhelming them. Most of the enemies are staggering around. They're drunk."
"Are they idiots?"
Don't they realize they're pirates and supposed to be on the run?
Well, I guess pirates are supposed to have fun and make noise, but shouldn't they take turns keeping watch or patrolling?
"...Let's just push them in. Catherine."
"Yes."
"Use you and Chris's squad. Have Chris's group attack from the west first. Shake them up a bit more."
"What about me?"
"By then, some of them will probably start trying to use the hostages. The twelve men under your command are skilled archers trained and approved by Hancock. They won't miss at medium range."
"I see... A hit-and-run operation to rescue civilians in the danger zone."
"That's right. I'll leave it to you."
"Understood. I'll meet up with Chris and get started on the operation."
That takes care of the enemy.
Now...
"Perona, what's the casualty rate among the troops?"
"Amis's southern unit doesn't have any visible casualties. Over here... there are a few here and there. Nothing too serious, though. At first glance, the Marines seem to have more injuries. I don't think it's more than ten percent yet."
"...Major General Manchikan."
"Hm."
"I apologize, but could you lead the headquarters forces participating in the battle and reinforce the front lines?"
"The front lines?"
"Yes. At the same time, we'll rush our medical teams to the front and set up minimal facilities to treat the wounded."
"The idea is to use the gaps created by pushing forward as temporary medical facilities."
"Yes. In this battle, whether it's us or the Marines, wasting troops needlessly would be a disgrace to the 'Black Cats.'"
"..."
Hey, why are you silent?
"Alright, I'll head out immediately. But, Kuro-sama..."
"Yes?"
"Could you have Ensign Hina accompany you as a liaison?"
"Huh? Is that okay?"
Isn't it risky to have a young Marine on the pirate side, even if they're a Marine?
"You must have already guessed, but the Navy wants your information."
"...Is it really safe to say that out loud?"
I think it would have been better to leave that unspoken.
You know, considering your position.
"To be honest, your tactical skills and abilities are something we desperately need. For Hina, who will soon become a member of Navy Headquarters, observing your work will be a great asset."
"...Training the enemy... well, it's not like it's something I've never done before."
Actually, since I've already learned the Navy's detailed data, formations, basic tactics, and training methods, that's not a big deal.
Besides, it's not finished yet anyway.
"Is it okay with Hina?"
Hey, stop glaring at me.
I get where you're coming from, but...
To be honest, in pure combat, this girl seems strong enough now that she wouldn't be easily knocked down like that anymore.
Despite everything, Hina must have trained hard since then; she seems to be as strong as our elite troops.
Well, she's still not as strong as the personal guard who managed to survive Mihawk's boot camp without losing any limbs.
...Huh? Could the personal guard have become a pretty dangerous group?
"Hina is also interested in your strength... Garp also told Hina to come and see you."
...
Why did the name of a naval hero come up there?
Purururu, purururu, purururu
Oh, a Den Den Mushi... This one is...
***
"Hancock! Robin too!"
"Amis! I didn't expect you to join us already..."
The decisive battle against the pirate alliance is progressing at an astonishing speed.
The main force is attacking from the north, Hancock from the southwest, and Amis from the southeast, in a strategy to surround the enemy from three sides.
"Amis, something's wrong."
As planned, each unit is steadily advancing the front lines.
Following new orders to avoid drawing attention, they are eliminating careless pirates who try to escape, rescuing civilians they come across, and achieving results beyond expectations at an unprecedented speed.
However, the two commanding the battlefield were far from satisfied.
"The enemy soldiers are far too weak."
"Yes, I've been concerned about that too..."
The enemy soldiers were far too weak. This was simply too strange.
While some were indeed intoxicated to the point of disorientation, there were also those who were still relatively sober and fairly strong.
However, even they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and easily subdued by Robin's joint locks.
"It's as if the commander has completely abandoned the battlefield. They're fighting in disarray, reacting haphazardly."
"Um... Could it be that the commander was caught within the range of the initial cannon fire...?"
A few more drunken pirates wielding sabers charge toward them.
Rather than targeting Hancock, who is armed with a bow and seems experienced in combat, one pirate reaches out toward Robin while desperately running toward her, presumably thinking she could be taken hostage.
But in the next instant, the pirate's head was severed.
Behind him, a member of the personal guard swung his blade silently.
She then silently cut down the remaining enemies and vanished, targeting the next one.
"At the strategy meeting, the captain said to target the ships first. Additionally, they have six or seven ships manned by skilled gunners, so their aim should be quite accurate. Moreover, it's unlikely that the commanders were all gathered around the ships during the banquet."
"Perona had already scouted the area, but the only ships that could escape were in the harbor."
"...Is there a hidden harbor?"
Having grown accustomed to development at a base that had become, in a sense, a second Fish-Man Island, the first thing that came to mind was a hidden harbor.
"But there were no paths that looked like that from above, right?"
"Then it might be below... Amis, contact the captain."
Hancock urged Amis to contact Kuro, and Amis was already holding a small communication device.
...Huh. Yes, understood... Understood, roger that.
"Amis, what did the captain say?"
As soon as the communication ended, Robin asked Amis.
Amis responded with a vague smile for some reason.
"Ah, yes. He's fine over there."
"...Fine?"
"...I haven't seen him since earlier... Could it be...?"
***
"No, it can't be..."
In a narrow tunnel, a slightly wider side passage dug by slaves who had been killed to keep them from talking, several huge men lay on the ground.
"The captains were killed in an instant?!"
"So there was a secret passage after all. They were such a disorganized group that I thought there would be an entrance or exit in the weakest spot when we attacked the fort, so I came to check..."
Standing before the pirates who had followed the fallen man was a lone swordsman.
He wiped the blood from his sword and thrust the beautiful blade, which glinted faintly in the darkness, toward the pirates.
"Relax. I didn't kill those captains... If we kill anyone who knows anything, it'll slow down that man's progress."
The pirates, who had caused quite a stir in the New World, immediately realized who the man before them was.
"You're the 'Marine Hunter'?! Why are you with those Marines?!"
Although they were slightly different from pirates, to the pirates, the "Marine Hunters" were nothing but enemies of the Navy.
The fact that they were attacking alongside the Marines made no sense to them.
"It's just how things turned out. Don't take it personally."
But the reality remained unchanged.
The pirates had to acknowledge that a swordsman who ranked among the best in the New World had come to hunt them down.
"Damn it, don't mess with us!"
"We're not going to get caught in this sea!"
"The enemy is alone! Attack him all together and get as many of us to the ship as possible!"
"I think Kuro has already arranged for someone from the personal guard to hold the ship... but never mind."
"It's our agreement with him. We can't let you escape."
Within five minutes, the ship hidden for escape was seized by the Navy and Black Cat, and by the time ten minutes had passed, all pirates had been eliminated and civilians rescued. Colonel Tashigi, the operation commander, declared the mission complete.
***
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