"The Navy's strength is truly immense," Moonlight thought, a shiver running down his spine. Even with his level 4 Armament Haki, going all out, he could only match the force of their bombardment. A hundred cannons firing at once... it was terrifying. He knew, however, that it was Nelson's perfect command that made it so effective. Without his strategic genius, even a hundred cannons would be useless against him. This man was truly worthy of his title as a figure who stood at the top of the East Blue.
But... Moonlight glanced over at Luffy and the others. They were quickly approaching the Going Merry with the ancient dragon, but it would still take some time. In that case...
His pupils flashed. "Phantom Sword Dance!"
BOOM!
Countless waves of sword energy shot out, phantoms of steel and light condensing around him as he gathered his power into a single, massive slash that tore through the sea.
"Huh? He's still alive?" Nelson's eyes widened in surprise. "This swordsman... he's a bit interesting. He can actually withstand my bombardment." It was the first time he had ever seen such a powerful swordsman.
"Admiral, I've spotted the Straw Hats!" the other admiral reported, pointing towards the shore. "They're taking the Millennium Dragon to their ship!"
"The Millennium Dragon?" Nelson's breath caught in his throat. He immediately grabbed his binoculars and looked into the distance, his eyes locking onto the massive, ancient creature. "Alright," he said, a look of decisive resolve on his face. "You all continue to focus your fire on that man. Don't stop. Everyone else, turn around and intercept the Straw Hat crew for me!"
"What?! Admiral, you're going after them in the warship by yourself? Isn't that too risky?" the other admiral asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Risky? Not at all," Nelson laughed, his confidence absolute. "I have Eric with me. With his strength, he can handle the Straw Hats. What's more, this warship is equipped with a new weapon invented by the great Dr. Vegapunk: a laser particle cannon. Are you still worried?"
"What? Vegapunk? A laser particle cannon?" the other admiral gasped. Dr. Vegapunk... the world's greatest genius scientist. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the number one scientific mind in the world. If Gol D. Roger was the king of the seas in the last era, then Vegapunk was the king of science in this one. No one could even come close to his genius.
"It's no problem," the other admiral said, his confidence restored. "But, Sir Admiral, I still have one question. Do we really need fifty large ships to deal with Moonlight alone? Isn't that overkill?" He looked at Moonlight, a hint of hesitation in his voice. Fifty ships to deal with one man... it seemed like a tremendous overestimation of his abilities.
"Hehe, it's not to deal with him," Nelson said with a faint smile. "It's to block him. This man is no longer someone we can deal with. To be able to hold him here is a victory in itself. He is very strong, no weaker than a Warlord. For such a man to appear in the East Blue... but so what? On this sea, how can one man stop me?" He turned the warship, changing course to head towards Luffy and the others.
"What?! Not to deal with, just to block? A Warlord? This Moonlight actually has the strength of a Warlord?" the other admiral was struck dumb, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and disbelief as he looked at Moonlight.
BOOM!
At that moment, Moonlight unleashed another Phantom Sword Dance, condensing a massive crescent of sword energy that surged through the water.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fifty large ships once again fired a hundred cannons, all of them aimed at Moonlight. The sea churned and roared, the waves rolling and crashing with a terrifying force. The horrible collision sent shockwaves through the very clouds. But after the bombardment, the other admiral saw that Moonlight was still standing, his sword raised, ready to strike again. He finally understood what Nelson had meant. A hundred cannons, and all they could do was block his attack. Because he already had the strength of a Warlord. Without this massive fleet, they would be helpless against him. He alone could take on the entire Navy. At first, he hadn't believed it. How could such a person appear in the East Blue? But now, seeing it with his own eyes, he believed.
With a newfound sense of grim determination, he commanded the fleet to continue their bombardment, a relentless, unending barrage of cannon fire that turned the sea into a raging, turbulent maelstrom.
"Damn, this firepower is too strong," Moonlight muttered to himself, a sense of helplessness creeping into his heart. "I can't get to them, and they can't get to me." Admiral Nelson's strategy was brilliant. The sheer power of his fleet had trapped him, leaving him unable to advance. He could retreat, but if he did, the Going Merry would be left to face the full force of the cannons. It would be blown to bits in an instant, and Luffy and the others would suffer a devastating blow. He couldn't retreat.
Seeing Nelson's warship bearing down on his friends, he knew that all he could do now was trust in them. On this sea, it was impossible to survive without companions. Even if his swordsmanship was unparalleled, he couldn't reach his goals alone.
"My God, is that really Moonlight? One person is holding off fifty Navy ships!" The shocking vibrations from the hundred-cannon bombardment had drawn the attention of Luffy and the others. They were stunned. They knew Moonlight was strong, but this was on another level. Fifty large ships... that was the equivalent of a medium-sized naval base. Did that mean Moonlight could take on an entire naval base by himself?
"He's not just an excellent swordsman; he's also looking out for us," Sanji said, taking a deep breath as he watched Moonlight's desperate stand. "He's doing all of this to protect us. The title of vice-captain... he's truly earned it." At that moment, he fully recognized Moonlight as their second-in-command.
"I recognize him as the vice-captain too," Zoro agreed, nodding. He was a proud man, but seeing this, he had no objections.
"A strong man like him could have a much greater future anywhere else," Nami said, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and gratitude. "But he's on our ship, sailing with us, caring about us, never looking down on us. And now, he's risking his life for us against the entire Navy. If a man like that isn't a vice-captain, who is?"
"You guys..." Apis whispered, her eyes moist with tears, deeply touched by his sacrifice. This was a true pirate.
"Moonlight! You have to hold on! We have to sail together!" Luffy shouted from a distance, his voice echoing across the sea.
Hearing this, a smile touched Moonlight's lips. He raised his left hand and gave a thumbs-up.
"Haha, if you have time to talk nonsense, you'd better start thinking about your own situation," a cold voice suddenly rang out. It was Admiral Nelson, who had arrived with his warship. Eric stood at the prow, staring at them with a look of pure contempt. Without Moonlight to suppress them, the Straw Hat crew was nothing. He leaped into the air, soaring towards them.
"I'll take him!" Zoro shouted, his three swords flashing as he met Eric in mid-air.
BOOM!
The two powerful forces clashed.
"Alright, I'm leaving him to you, Zoro!" Luffy said, his trust in his swordsman absolute. The others hurriedly turned the ship, sailing away in the direction the ancient dragon was pointing.
After a while, they were surprised to find themselves back at a familiar, warship-shaped island. "What's going on? We're back at Warship Island," Nami said, a look of confusion on her face.
"Apis, what's happening?" Sanji asked.
"I don't know," Apis replied, looking helplessly at the dragon. "The dragon's memory is fragmented. He just said it was nearby."
"Damn it, is he already senile?" Sanji grumbled, a frown on his face. This was going to be difficult.
BOOM!
At that moment, a massive wave exploded around the Going Merry, and the sea currents churned violently, sending the ship flying. The ancient dragon was hit by a monstrous wave, and it let out a roar of pain.
"No! It's Nelson, the villain! He's here in his warship!" Apis cried in a panic. Nelson was indeed approaching in his warship, a massive cannon the size of a water tank aimed directly at them. It was his masterpiece that had created the massive wave just now.
"Ah, a warship!" Usopp trembled. "It's the ultimate weapon of the Navy! Very few ships on the sea can withstand a bombardment from a warship!"
"The reason the Navy is so strong and can rule the seas is because of their warships," Nami added, her voice filled with a desperate worry. "Even the great pirates don't have ships like that. Now we're in real trouble." In front of the warship, the Going Merry was like a child, completely vulnerable.
"That last shot... I think he missed on purpose," Sanji said, taking a deep breath as he stood on the deck, his face grim. "Otherwise, we'd be done for."
"Don't worry! Keep going!" Luffy shouted, his fists clenched, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit.
"Alright," the others nodded, continuing to sail with the ancient dragon.
"Straw Hats, you're finished," Nelson said with a grin. The last shot had just been a warning, a formality of naval justice. But since they were still resisting, he would show them no mercy. His eyes were fixed on the Millennium Dragon tied to the back of the Going Merry, his face filled with an insatiable greed. Immortality!
"Attack! Attack with all your might!" Nelson commanded.
BOOM!
A cannonball the size of a barrel shot out from the warship, moving with an incredible speed that was three times faster than a regular cannonball. It was like a meteor, a flash of light that was impossible to react to.
BOOM!
The cannonball hit the ancient dragon with perfect accuracy, and the massive creature let out another roar of pain.
"Not good!" Nami cried. It was too fast; they hadn't even had time to react.
"So fast!" Sanji's face was a mask of grim determination. He had underestimated the power of the warship.
"Ah!" Usopp yelped, frantically turning the rudder, trying to get them out of the line of fire.
"Damn it!" Luffy gritted his teeth. He hadn't even had time to react. "Sanji, you take that side! I'll take this one! Usopp, Nami, get us out of here!"
"Gum-Gum Balloon!" he shouted, taking a deep breath and inflating his body into a massive sphere, blocking one of the possible attack routes.
"Alright," Sanji nodded, taking up a position on the other side of the ship.
"Crush them for me!" Nelson sneered. The Straw Hats were indeed difficult to deal with, but so what? In front of his behemoth of a warship, they had no way of fighting back. He steered the warship forward, intending to ram the Going Merry and smash it to pieces.
"Damn, this guy is actually going to ram us!" Luffy's face turned grim. This enemy was too cunning. It wasn't that they weren't strong enough, but all of their abilities were being countered. Their opponent seemed to know them inside and out, anticipating their every move. The feeling was incredibly frustrating.
"This is the strength of a Navy admiral," Sanji sighed, exhaling a puff of smoke. "We're being completely crushed." He could see it now. All of their tricks had been thoroughly analyzed. Their opponent was always one step ahead. As soon as they made a move, he knew what they were going to do and had a counter ready, leaving them with no way to use their powers.
"To be played like this... this kind of person is terrifying," Usopp said, his voice filled with a sense of helplessness. He was used to being the trickster, but in front of Nelson, he felt completely outmatched.
"Usopp, turn the rudder 45 degrees to the left! The warship is about to hit us!" Nami shouted, using the current to try and escape.
"Alright!" Usopp replied, his movements swift and sure.
"Haha, you're done for," Eric sneered from a distance. "Nelson is a fat man, but he's the admiral of the East Blue. No matter how strong you are, without a ship, you're just a turtle in a jar."
"Damn it!" Zoro cursed. He was in a hurry to finish his fight, but Eric's strength was not to be underestimated.
"A warship... the Navy headquarters only has a limited number of them," Moonlight thought, a sense of anxiety in his heart. "These supreme artifacts of the sea are truly terrifying. And Nelson... he's worthy of the name of admiral. Luffy and the others are being completely manipulated." He was locked in place by the endless barrage of cannonballs, unable to move.
"Is this man really human?" the other admiral wondered, his own shock evident. "He's been bombarded by so many cannons, yet he's still standing, as if nothing has happened." They had been firing continuously, without stopping for a single second, yet Moonlight showed no signs of exhaustion. He was still as vigorous and powerful as ever, his physical strength seemingly endless. But when he saw Nelson's warship bearing down on the Going Merry, he smiled. Truly, a worthy admiral.
"Great! The Straw Hats are going to die!"
"As expected of the admiral! This is finally the end!"
"The admiral is mighty! Long live the admiral!" the Marines on the other ships cheered, their victory assured. The Straw Hats were finished. No matter how good they were, they had to kneel before the power of a warship.