Chapter 11: Hey, Captain Hina! Out for a Stroll and Some Sea Breeze?
BOOM!
The moment Hina grabbed onto the stern of the pirate ship, a deafening explosion erupted from the bow, echoing across the sea. It was like a tremendous clap of thunder roaring over the waves. The force was so violent that Hina's ears rang with severe discomfort, forcing her to clench her teeth.
Simultaneously, the strange shockwave bombarding the sea surface stirred up massive waves, like an enraged beast rampaging across the water. The tilted pirate ship was caught by the huge waves and swept backward.
"Damn it, this level of confrontation... What on earth happened?! That reckless fool Jock Ian... please, please don't be dead!" Hina bit her lip tightly, not daring to let go, holding onto the stern for dear life. As a Devil Fruit user, falling into the sea now would mean certain death. But currently, what worried her more was Ian's safety—it was directly tied to her mission. No matter what, she had to bring him back safely. An explosion of that scale was most likely caused by a cadre serving under a Warlord. Hina was extremely anxious, unsure if Ian was alive or dead.
...
On the opposite side, aboard Ian's personal warship.
Nami held a telescope, searching for Ian amidst the wind and waves, her face full of anxiety. After the first, smaller explosion, she had already ordered the helmsman to change the ship's heading. She knew Ian's methods and also knew this enemy wasn't easy to deal with. As the navigator, protecting her own ship was natural. So, the turbulent waves had almost no impact on their vessel.
"Commodore Ian, are you alright? You have to be okay!" Nami's palms were sweaty as she muttered worriedly to herself.
...
The pirate ship, swept back by the huge waves, now faced a new crisis.
"Oh no! There's a—!" Hina's hearing recovered from its temporary loss. What met her eyes was her own warship, not far away. The surging waves were mercilessly driving the pirate ship directly toward the location of the recently turned-around warship. If this momentum continued, a collision with Hina's warship was inevitable.
Morgan, the adjutant temporarily in command on the warship, was so frightened he dropped the telescope in his hand. "Helmsman! Keep turning! Don't sail forward! Everyone, find something to hold onto! We're about to be hit! If you fall into these waves, no one is coming back! If you don't want to die, find something to grab onto now!" Morgan raised his voice to its highest pitch, shouting at the Marine subordinates at the top of his lungs.
He had no idea what was happening. All he heard was the roar of an explosion over the sea, followed by massive waves. Then the pirate ship came rushing toward them like an out-of-control beast. The time he had to react was far too short; there was no chance to make proper arrangements or preparations. In a crisis, saving your own life is the top priority—there's no shame in that!
After shouting his orders, Morgan hurried into the cabin, found a relatively sturdy railing, and held on tightly with both hands.
Meanwhile, at the stern of the pirate ship, Hina hurriedly freed one hand and released several thicker, stronger black iron bars. This time, the target wasn't the pirate ship, but the warship about to be hit. She wanted to use multiple iron bars as support points between the two ships. Even if she couldn't completely stop the pirate ship, she could at least reduce some of the impact force and prevent the tragic scenario of the warship being snapped in half. As for how much damage would ultimately occur, Hina no longer had time to worry about that.
Shiiing!
Shiiing!!
...
Soon, several iron bars connected to the side of the warship. Hina gritted her teeth, straining with all her might to withstand the immense pressure, trying to slow the pirate ship's momentum in the waves.
"Stop... Hina orders you to stop!"
Creeak...
Groan...
...
No matter how strong Hina's iron bars were, they seemed powerless against ships weighing thousands of tons. Besides, physical strength wasn't Hina's forte. Dozens of iron bars sparked and snapped at a visibly rapid rate.
Crack!
Just as Hina was about to fall into despair, a figure leaped onto the iron bars like lightning. Hina looked up abruptly, her pupils trembling... Jock Ian!
"Hey, Captain Hina." Ian raised the corner of his mouth, even joking lightly, "Out for a stroll and some sea breeze? You seem pretty excited."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ian leaped into the air from the iron bars. The soles of his feet were instantly coated in Armament Haki, and crackling sounds of compressed air erupted around him. Immediately after, he swung his leg and delivered a powerful kick to the pirate ship!
BOOM!
The terrifying, unreasonable force actually resisted the surging impact of the waves. The pirate ship shuddered and swayed repeatedly on the sea. Hina, feeling like a kite with a broken string, watched as the iron bars in her hands shattered into pieces. Just as she was about to fall into the sea, Ian grabbed one of the iron bars extending from her arm and pulled her back from the low altitude.
Hina's figure passed over the stern of the ship, tumbling several times before rolling onto the deck of the pirate ship.
Huff... Huff... She gasped for breath, trying desperately to calm her panicked emotions.
It stopped... it finally stopped! Just a few meters away from the warship, Ian had used his own monstrous strength to halt the pirate ship!
Footsteps rustled beside Hina, and a tall shadow loomed over her. "I didn't scare you, did I, Captain Hina?" Ian stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Hina from his superior height. "These damn pirates are truly arrogant. I was just conducting a routine inspection, and they had to attack me? For self-preservation, I had no choice but to fight back."
Hina looked up. The man in front of her was completely unharmed, while she was the one in a disheveled state. She had been full of anger, ready to vent it all upon seeing Ian. But Ian's breathtaking actions just now made her realize in an instant the vast gap in strength between them.
Is this the level of a Headquarters Commodore? No! Just judging by the level of Haki and his giant-like strength, Ian's true power is probably infinitely close to that of an elite Headquarters Vice Admiral! How could a man like this have stayed at an East Blue branch for so many years?
Hina didn't respond to Ian's words. She slowly stood up and looked toward the bow of the pirate ship... Those who knew, knew that there had once been a neatly constructed bow there. But that was in the past.
Now, two-thirds of the ship's original length was horribly mangled. The hull structure was completely shattered, with black smoke slowly rising from the gaps, silently narrating the brutal destruction the ship had just endured. It was as if it had been savagely bitten by a giant deep-sea beast, leaving only half the ship barely maintaining its balance.
Something had happened. Something major had happened! Hina's mind went blank. She never imagined that an ordinary mission to escort a promotion could lead to such a huge incident!
"Did you... kill all the Donquixote Family members?" Hina's voice was hoarse and trembling as she stumbled around to look at Ian.