After forcing back Kizaru, Redfield turned around, eyes flashing with a cold glint as killing intent surged. The hand holding Raigō slowly rose, and judging by his stance, he looked ready to paint the sea red with the blood of those hundreds of fodder Marines.
But just then, Hakusei's eyes shot open wide!
A wave of immense Conqueror's Haki burst from him, crashing down like a tidal wave toward the Marine mob!
This invisible force was terrifying to the extreme. Even Hakusei's own allies furrowed their brows in discomfort, let alone the disorganized crowd of grunts.
In an instant, as the Conqueror's Haki surged out, every last one of the several hundred Marines froze mid-step. A blink later, they rolled their eyes, foamed at the mouth, and collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious, without exception.
Seeing this, the Marines on the distant ships were dumbfounded.
What just happened?! That's insane! He wiped out hundreds of men in a second?!
Some of the younger, hot-blooded Marines who had just been about to leap from the railings instantly retracted their legs and scrambled behind their superiors or mentors to hide.
Hell no, this guy is a monster!
The Vice Admirals watching couldn't bear the sight, covering their faces in frustration, while Kizaru and Aokiji both sighed in relief.
Phew...
Thank goodness. When they saw Redfield draw his blade, both Admirals had sucked in a breath, bracing for a massacre. Thankfully, it was just Hakusei knocking them out with Haki. Otherwise, the losses to Marine HQ would have been catastrophic.
While they were still recovering from the shock, Hakusei's group had widened the distance even further and was nearly at the shore.
Aokiji sneered. "Hmph, I'd like to see how you Devil Fruit users plan to escape by sea!"
Huh?
Wait a second...
He suddenly noticed something, out on the sea, heading toward Hakusei's group, was... a ship?
His pupils shrank. No way... there's actually a ship?!
"I'm here, Mira! I've come to rescue you all!"
This time, not just Hakusei, Redfield, Waldo, Crocodile, and even the seven Vice Admirals who possessed Observation Haki, heard the voice echo in their minds.
"Yo yo yo... what's that sound?" Kizaru blinked. "Could that be... the legendary ship spirit? This crew really is something else..."
Aokiji's heart sank. "Not good! After them!" he roared and chased forward with all his strength.
Meanwhile, Hakusei and the others had already spotted the approaching ship.
It was the Going Merry.
Of everyone, Crocodile looked the most shocked.
That's... the Straw Hats' ship?! What the hell is it doing here? And that voice earlier, could that really have been the so-called ship spirit?
Questions flooded his mind faster than he could process them.
He glanced at Hakusei again. The more time he spent with this man, the more mysterious he seemed. Every move he made left jaws dropping.
Following him... might actually be pretty fun...?
That stray thought shocked even Crocodile himself.
What the hell am I thinking? I wouldn't even bow to someone like Red-Haired or Whitebeard. So why... why does this brat stir a genuine sense of loyalty in me?
Before he could overthink it, Hakusei's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Get on the ship!"
"Yes!"
The three answered in unison and quickly leapt aboard the Going Merry, raising the sails and getting to work.
Hakusei, meanwhile, stood at the Merry's figurehead, locked in an awkward staring contest with the ship itself.
A massive bead of sweat rolled down from Merry's carved head.
What the hell is going on here? Who are you people? Where are my actual crewmates?!
The Merry was utterly confused. This wasn't right. None of these guys were supposed to be here!
But Hakusei, standing there, felt nothing but awe.
Back before he'd been reincarnated, he too had cried watching Merry's farewell scene with the Straw Hats. That moment was seared into his memory, it had been so touching, so emotionally raw, that even someone as down-and-out as him, someone who had tasted the bitterness of life, couldn't help but break down.
He'd cried so hard in front of the school's convenience store TV that the cops nearly mistook the clerk for a human trafficker.
And now, seeing the Merry in person, a ship so full of spirit, it was like a dream come true.
"Merry! Luffy and the others have already escaped. They're probably on the Sea Train headed back. Please help us get out of here and reunite with them!"
The Going Merry paused, seemingly touched by Hakusei's sincerity. Without a word, it allowed Waldo to steer, turning its bow toward Water 7.
"Trying to run? Not so fast! Ice Age!"
Crack crack crack!
The sea around the Merry began freezing rapidly, locking the ship in place.
But at that moment, a familiar voice rang out from above.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
A flurry of light bullets rained from the sky as Kizaru launched his ultimate move!
Hakusei watched in awe as the nearly frozen sea shattered under the onslaught of light.
"Now's our chance! Waldo, go!"
"On it!"
Waldo slapped his palm against the Merry's hull and bellowed,
"20x SPEED BOOST!"
BOOM!
In a flash, the Going Merry shot forward like a wild horse unleashed, instantly putting hundreds of meters between them and their pursuers, escaping Aokiji's range in a blink.
Damn you, monkey! You let the pirates escape again! You had to be doing that on purpose!
Wait... again?
Aokiji stared at Kizaru with suspicion. That guy looked more like an undercover agent with every passing second.
Kizaru just shrugged helplessly. "Yo yo yo~ Looks like they slipped away again... lucky bastards, huh?"
Aokiji twitched violently. "Then why don't you go after them?!"
"I mean... you saw it. I can't handle that bunch on my own."
Aokiji's mouth twitched harder.
Great. I'm definitely getting chewed out again.
With Waldo's speed buff, the Going Merry blazed across the waves faster than even the Marine battleships could catch up. Before long, they had shaken off their pursuers and were cruising under a sunlit, sparkling sky.
"Whew... finally over. That really was one hell of a thrill."
Hakusei leaned back on the Merry's deck, basking in the sun with a satisfied sigh.
Redfield, Crocodile, and Waldo all looked at him like he was some kind of lunatic.
You call that a thrill?!
You barged into Marine HQ's front yard just to stir up trouble, and you're calling it a thrill?!
Thrill your damn melon, you psycho!
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