Holy Land, Mary Geoise. (Mariejois and Mary Geoise are the same.)
The center of the world, where the Celestial Dragons live on the Red Line.
This holy land, where all fighting is supposed to be forbidden, was now in chaos.
"We never ordered an attack! There are still marines who were about to be made slaves! Did the World Government do this!?"
"The World Government is still confirming the facts. Until that is over—"
"That's all you've been saying since the marine slave incident!"
"Then what about the Nico Robin situation? Weren't the Marines hiding the survivor of Ohara?"
"That's ridiculous!"
"We have a witness report that a giant marine hid Nico Robin during the Buster Call. You aren't planning on betraying the World Government, are you?"
"Even for you, the Five Elders, I will not allow any more insults to the Marines!"
The Commander-in-Chief, who controls all forces of the World Government, and the Five Elders, the five highest authorities.
These two sides, who should have been working together, were so angry they were about to fight.
This is bad, if this continues...
Marine Admiral Sengoku was worried as he watched the other marines who were called here.
The Commander-in-Chief was shaking with anger, and behind him, instructor Zephyr looked like he could start a rampage at any moment. And—
Please, Garp, I'm begging you, hold it in! If you go wild, everything will get worse!
Vice Admiral Tsuru was secretly holding back the trembling arm of Garp, who became a hero after his fight with the Pirate King, Roger.
Kuzan seemed restless, and Sakazuki was clenching his fists with a serious look on his face.
The Five Elders, on the other hand, were calm, but Sengoku could tell that CP0 agents were nearby.
It felt like a war could break out at any second.
Something is strange. I can understand that man hiding Nico Robin. He's the kind of man who would help.
From Sengoku's point of view, the man named Kuro was a pirate, but he was far from "evil."
So, it was easy to imagine him hiding a child like Nico Robin if he found her and she asked for help, even if she had a bounty.
But why didn't that information come from the West Blue branch!?
The news that Nico Robin was with Kuro came just when he thought there was finally progress from the World Government on the marine slave incident.
Fleet Admiral Kong.
Sengoku glanced at Fleet Admiral Kong, who was standing behind the Commander-in-Chief with him and Zephyr. Kong gave a small nod, his eyes also showing a hint of worry.
Damn, even though the World Government called for me, maybe I should have stayed in the West Blue...
Sengoku had left a skilled and trustworthy subordinate behind just in case, but he hadn't heard anything yet.
What is happening in the West Blue right now...!
–
A huge number of cannonballs were fired at a single pirate ship.
Yep, that means they were fired at us. I really wish they'd stop, but...
You guys should learn from Bege's soldiers.
That time they were shooting at point-blank range, but still, their aim was sloppy...
I run through the air, kicking away every cannonball.
Unlike last time, I don't have to worry about where I kick them, so even though there are a lot more, this is much easier.
...Well, I guess that makes sense.
Last time, Bege was driving around on caterpillar tracks, blocking my kicks with his tough armor while shooting cannons and guns like crazy.
"Sir! The enemy... Where is 'Silent Step'!?"
"Ugh...! Just fire where you last saw him! He should be around there!"
Well, I'm not there anymore. In fact, I'm already on your ship.
...Hello? Do you really not know? I'm right behind you.
Oh well. For now, let's test out my 'Cat's Claws.'
"Claw Sharpening."
I cross my 'Cat's Claws,' slide them against each other, and then quickly open them to slice my target.
"!? The mast— You, when did you get here!?"
"You're slow to react and slow to decide."
I cut down the mast and, while I'm at it, use 'Biting Cat' to destroy the ship's wheel.
Now this ship can't be steered.
— Damn you! All hands, attack! We have to defeat him here...!
— Sir, it's no use! He's gone!
There's no need to sink the ship. I'll just leave quickly and find the next target.
All I have to do is disable as many ships as I can to slow them down.
...Yeah, some ships are tipping over because of the strong winds... I guess they were just unlucky.
Honestly, it's helping me out because it's stopping a good number of ships while they try to rescue them.
"Robin, is the Den Den Mushi still the same?"
I speak to an ear I grew on the back of my hand while running through the air. A mouth appears next to it and speaks.
"Yeah, it's been nothing but static since the battle started."
"I thought so... The marines have been using signal flags to communicate."
"Why? The Den Den Mushi is more reliable, and it's hard to see the flags..."
"They probably want to block all signals."
I'm sure of it now. That useless Regional Manager has someone behind him—probably that future scheming, pink-feathered old man.
There's no other reason for this.
Ah, controlling information is a basic part of any scheme.
I have a good idea of what's happening.
That Captain, Momonga, was probably left behind by Sengoku. Maybe Sengoku felt something was wrong or just wanted to be safe, but he should still have a way to contact him.
That must be why this is happening.
He was probably told to jam the signals so we can't talk about anything that would make it harder for them to escape.
That Regional Manager is amazing. He's carrying his own coffin, running at full speed to his own grave, and digging it himself.
Well, it makes some sense.
If Sengoku or Sakazuki found out what was happening, they would come and ruin everything.
When I think about it that way, it's good for us since we're trying to escape. But...
"Robin, tell Daz we're choosing Plan C for our route. I'll hold them off a little longer before I come back."
"C? Isn't that the most dangerous route?"
"Well, it is, but..."
I kick down a cannonball that was heading straight for us. With the rebound, I unleash a 'Biting Cat' at an approaching ship's mast... I guess it can't cut it from this distance. It only tore the sail.
...Oh well. We'll be getting close to their main fleet soon, so they'll fire less to avoid hitting their own ships. As long as they slow down, it's not a problem.
I check our ship's deck. A soldier who managed to jump aboard attacks Amisu with a saber, but she blocks it. Amisu and another crewmate—the girl who was training hard on her defense—work together to push him into the sea.
Good, good. That's the way.
It would leave a bad taste if they had to cut them down, and it's better for the morale of Amisu and the other former marines.
Was that Daz's order? He's growing in a good way.
He used to be an assassin who worked alone, but here he's starting to learn how to lead people.
"I'll return to the deck to fight off the enemy, but set our course now. It will surprise them more. Repeat the order."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"I will now tell them to set course for the enemy's flagship! ...Is that right?"
"Yes, that's perfect."
Now, I'm sorry to bother you as I'm passing by, but I have some business to take care of.
Mr. Regional Manager, I'll be taking over your ship for a little while.
–
"Vice-Captain! We've cleared the enemies from the deck."
"Any of our crew injured or fallen overboard?"
"None! We did a headcount, and everyone is here!"
"...Good. A real battle will start soon. Get to your posts and make sure nothing happens until the Captain returns."
Daz gave a small smile as Amisu saluted him out of old Marine habit, then looked at the fleet ahead.
Their course was set to pass right by the enemy flagship.
Naturally, the enemy's strongest forces would be there.
There might even be a Devil Fruit user.
"Perona."
"Horo Horo, I know. You want me to stop them before they start, right?"
"That's right. Any mistake in steering from here on will cost us time."
"And if that happens, more marines will board the ship. Yeah, leave it to me. I'll at least do enough to calm the new guys' fears."
Next to Daz, Perona floated around with her ghosts.
She used her astral projection to also intimidate the enemies who jumped onto the deck.
If she was attacked, the attack would pass right through her, and the enemy would realize there was a Devil Fruit user.
In the Four Blues, having a Devil Fruit user can completely change a battle.
Letting the enemy know you have one—and one they don't know how to fight—is a great way to lower their morale.
"We don't have a single cannon. The plan is to disable the enemy ships and use them as obstacles instead of sinking them..."
"If things get bad, I'll sink them with my Special Hollow. I've been practicing. I can make it more powerful than last time."
Daz gave a small nod at Perona's words and looked back at the path they had taken.
A few organized fleets had tried to surround and board them, but they all ended up stopped in their tracks.
Farther away, there were ships with torn sails from Kuro's kicks, and others that had tipped over from steering mistakes.
And just now, another ship had its sail torn— (Note: A sail is a large piece of fabric attached to a mast that uses wind to propel a boat or ship)
"—Alright, is everyone here?"
At almost the same moment, the captain of the ship landed silently in the middle of the deck.
"Captain. You're back early."
"Yeah, the soldiers were weaker than I thought... The marines from Perona's island must have been the best of the best."
"Horohorohoro, or maybe you just got even faster?"
Kuro didn't seem convinced by what Perona said and just shrugged.
"The problem is that a lot of those soldiers are probably coming now. No one let your guard down. From here on, we need to be fast and precise."
The former marine at the ship's wheel stared ahead nervously.
"It helped that we studied the maps of the area when we were planning the infiltration. Helmsman, have you memorized the sea chart?" [Kuro]
"Yes! No problem!"
One of the few men—a man who looked like a woman at first glance—was one of the hardest workers among the former marines.
Even when he was still a marine, he was one of the most dedicated trainees on their temporary island. During the recent fight against the zombie army, he held the front line so well that even Daz remembered him.
"The worst thing we can do is stop. The moment we stop, a flood of marines will board the ship. If that happens, they'll overwhelm us with numbers."
Amisu and the other fighters tensed up.
"So, we will push through the areas where they hesitate to steer. Lookouts, watch the sea surface carefully and tell the helmsman if you see anything strange. Fighters, your job is to protect the crew steering the ship at all costs."
"This is where the real fight begins."
–
"What are you all doing!?"
The man who always boasted about controlling this sea was screaming pathetically at the awful situation.
"It's just one ship! An unarmed boat!"
Right in front of him, a marine warship that tried to attack the enemy ship heading straight for them had its mast cut down, and the soldiers on its deck fell one after another.
The enemy ship—a pirate ship with no flag—had a carrack ship approaching it from behind with the wind. But a giant ghost suddenly appeared on the carrack's side and exploded. The blast caused the carrack to lose balance and tip over. Now it was an obstacle, blocking other ships from getting close.
"Just capture them already! It's just a kid and a bunch of weaklings on board!"
"B-But, sir! The enemy is 'Silent Step,' with a bounty of almost 100 million!"
"We're also getting reports that the other pirates on board are working together so well that it's hard to break through!"
"It's no good, the other unit's mast and wheel were destroyed! We've confirmed their signal that they can't move!"
"Captain Jace's unit was defeated too! They managed to board the ship but were fought off, and all of them were thrown into the sea!"
This is impossible! I thought he only got that high bounty because he knew about that incident!
"Where is Momonga!? If he's a Captain from headquarters—"
"He-He's currently protecting the ceremony site!"
"Why is he there!?"
The Regional Manager himself had ordered him there, but he had already forgotten. He only did it to get someone he found annoying out of the way, so he didn't remember it well.
"Hey, have any ship just ram their ship now!"
"What?"
"If 'Silent Step' is this strong, he must be some kind of Devil Fruit user! If we take down the ship, he won't be able to fight properly!"
"But what about Nico Robin?"
"We can deal with that later! Right now, that kid—"
...is what we need to handle.
The man couldn't finish his sentence.
The moment he tried to speak, a sudden impact hit his jaw, and he collapsed along with the marines guarding him.
— Good, just as planned. Now, if the timing is right, escaping should be easy... Alright, Mr. Regional Manager. Sorry to drop in, but could you tell me where the Den Den Mushi that's jamming the signals is...
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