Three Navy officers appeared, followed by two assistants, one wielding a sword and the other holding a gun. Leading them was a burly figure, no less daunting than Sage's subordinate Mute.
Mute was the three-meter-tall strongman, a mute among Sage's impressive subordinates. Thanks to his massive frame and the huge tachi he had stolen from Logue Town, he could easily fight off ten men at once.
The man cloaked in justice also fit this type, with a great tachi strapped to his back matching his stature, appearing before Lily just as she had dispatched two squads of Navy and was about to push onward.
"Don't get too cocky!"
The two deputies shouted in unison, the sword-wielding deputy quickly charging forward, while the gun-wielding deputy aimed swiftly and pulled the trigger.
Swish!
The lead bullet and deputy's sword attacked Lily simultaneously, but at this moment, Lily flashed from their sight, her sword's cold glow forming a zigzag line from the sword deputy to the gun deputy. Blood sprayed as the glow swiftly arced towards the towering Navy officer.
Clang!
The rapier was blocked by the enormous blade, revealing Lily's high-speed movements.
"Bienta Lily, the pirate with a bounty of thirty-six million!"
The Navy officer, stern-faced, gripped the hilt with one hand, and with a shake, forced Lily's rapier back. Taking advantage of the moment, he fiercely swung the blade downwards, "I am Navy Headquarters Colonel 'Wind Wall' Blade. Prepare to die!"
Lily's body slightly sidestepped, ready to evade the blade, as she countered with a thrust towards the Navy Colonel. But in the moment of action, she sensed something, her feet quickly tapping the ground.
"Soru!"
Boom!
The slightly sidestepped body suddenly flickered, vanishing from its spot, explosively retreating backwards as the descending enormous blade seemed to wield special force, blasting a rectangular trench along the deck, stretching to the ship's bow.
"Soaring Slash?" Lily wondered.
"Soru, huh? Damn pirate!"
Seeing his strike missed, Blade gripped the hilt with both hands, aggressively sweeping towards Lily's direction.
Swish!
With a swift swing of the blade, its speed defied the heaviness expected, appearing shockingly quick. The massive body seemed not only powerful but strikingly fast as well.
Boom!
As the blade swept forward, it sent out a wall-like air slash towards the front, effortlessly slicing through the ship's side railing and cutting a large hole in the deck.
Lily quickly moved her feet, dodging while Blade swung the blade, using Soru's high-speed movement to rush to Blade's other side.
"You can't escape!"
Blade's reaction was swift, the giant blade immediately flipping direction after the swing, moving so fast it almost left an afterimage, the air slash turning the deck inside out, closing in on the dodging Lily.
Just now during Gin and Pearl's attack, ten pirates had gained the upper hand against a Navy unit. Under the chase of this air slash, they were hit, bodies flowering with blood, collapsing down.
If this continues, no one on this ship will need to fight...
Lily's pupils showed a chill, her high-speed moving body halted, her advancing step suddenly tapping the air as if climbing a stair, jumping several times to the sky.
"Oh... Already mastered it?" Sage took a sip of wine, not overly surprised.
Once mastering Soru, Moon Step is not far off. Lily's daily familiarity with Soru, mastering Moon Step was expected.
Boom!
Lily's sudden ascent also caught Blade's gaze upwards, the horizontally swung blade quickly rising, sending wind-like slashes spinning upwards.
This large range Soaring Slash, simple evasion is useless, breaking it open is the only way.
"Large range, but not strong enough, so..."
Lily gripped the White Thunder tightly, her feet suddenly kicking in mid-air, launching like a cannonball, the White Thunder's blade reflecting under the sun, descending like a straight line of Thunderbolt.
"Break the surface with a point! Sky-breaking Slash!"
Like tearing through cloth, the center of the raging air slash was pierced by the Thunderbolt.
"Oh?"
Sage paused, not surprised by Lily's sudden attack. Familiar with Lily's strength, breaking such a wide but non-concentrated slash was no issue, but the sudden explosive Moon Step sprint...
"Like my Moonwalk: Comet, remember it?"
Sage chuckled softly, shaking his head, "But just this isn't enough, Lily..."
"Wind Wall!"
After the Thunderbolt swiftly broke the slash, Blade spun the blade outside with both hands, pressed the empty hand against the blade's back, the enormous blade spun like a whirlwind in front, the air slash along with it, resisting the descending slash.
Clang!
The rapier two fingers wide showed distinct sluggishness against the air, instantly blocked by the stopped blade, producing a crisp sound.
"Useless!"
Blade shouted, the blade bouncing Lily's sword aside, swinging directly, Lily's form quickly retreating, foot tapping mid-air, zigzagging to dodge the blade's slashing and charging down again.