At Marine G-5 Branch, dozens of warships lined up with their cannons raised toward the sea.
Down on the harbor platform, thousands of Marine soldiers stood in tight, orderly formations behind rows of fortified artillery, waiting for the enemy to arrive.
A heavy, solemn silence hung over the entire harbor and the surrounding town.
“Report, Vice Admiral Disque!
The soldiers have completed all pre-battle preparations and are standing by,” the adjutant reported, his posture rigid and his voice tight with nerves.
“Understood.
Go back to your post and wait for my command,” Disque answered with a grim expression.
“Once the order drops, concentrate all firepower on the pirate fleet.
Do whatever it takes to hold this position until reinforcements arrive.” “Yes, sir!” The adjutant saluted and quickly jogged away.
Disque looked out at the open water, his eyes filled with a sharp, murderous focus.
“I won’t let these pirates have their way, even if it costs me my life.
I knew the risks the moment I became the Branch Commander and came to the New World.
No, I’ve had this resolve since the day I joined the Marines.
You scum of the sea, I’ll bet my name on justice to keep you from taking G-5.” Out on the open sea, the massive fleet of the Rocks Pirates cut through the waves.
“Captain!
The Marine base is in sight,” the helmsman yelled over to Rocks.
“We’ll be within range of their cannons in fifteen minutes!” “Hahaha!
Don’t worry about those cannons,” Rocks laughed arrogantly, waving a hand dismissively.
“Those toys are only good for celebrating my victory.
Give me full speed ahead!
Run them right over!” “Yes, Captain!” Back at the base, a spotter shouted out from the watchtower.
“Vice Admiral Disque, the Rocks fleet has been spotted ahead!
There are three main ships and dozens of smaller vessels!” Disque immediately grabbed his Den Den Mushi.
“Listen up!
Once the pirate fleet enters our firing line, hit them with everything we’ve got.
Sink them before they can reach the shore!” “Yes, Vice Admiral!” Across the lines, officers relayed the command down to the ranks.
“Everyone get ready!
Once the pirates are in range, open fire with full force!” “Yes, sir!” The soldiers gripped their rifles tightly, while the artillerymen raised their torches, ready to light the fuses at a moment’s notice.
Despite their discipline, a deep anxiety filled the eyes of almost every Marine on the platform.
Dozens of minutes passed in agonizing silence.
When the lead pirate ships finally crossed the threshold, Disque barked into his receiver, “All batteries, fire!” A split second later, a deafening roar shook the harbor.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The cannons let out an endless barrage, launching thousands of cannonballs through the sky like a black rain, all screaming straight toward the Rocks Pirates.
Seeing the massive volley heading their way, the lower-level pirate underlings instantly panicked.
“What do we do?
We’re going to get blown to pieces!” “Gurararara!
No need to panic, brats,” Edward Newgate laughed.
He stepped past the screaming crew to the very front of the deck.
His massive arm muscles bulged as he clenched his fist, drawing it back before punching straight into the air toward the oncoming cannonballs.
A sharp, cracking sound echoed out right in front of Newgate’s knuckles.
The air itself visibly shattered like a sheet of glass, sending a terrifying wave of vibrations tearing through the sky.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
A chain reaction of massive explosions erupted all at once.
Under the force of the devastating shockwave, the entire first round of cannonballs detonated in mid-air, a hundred meters away from the pirate ships.
“We’re saved!
As expected of Commander Newgate!
Those cannonballs can’t even touch us!” The underlings cheered loudly, showering Newgate with praise after their narrow escape.
Near the back of the deck, Shiki the Golden Lion rested his hands on his dual blades, Koto and Ototo, and clicked his tongue in disdain.
“What’s so great about that?
You only got to show off because your legs are long and you ran out here faster than me.” Over on the Marine side, the soldiers watched in absolute shock as the legendary pirate completely neutralized their attack.
Disque gripped the railing, his face darkening.
“Edward Newgate…
the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is one thing, but that Tremor-Tremor Fruit can cause earthquakes, tsunamis, and airquakes.
He’s going to be real trouble.
Hold your ground, men!
Don’t panic!
Get ready for the next volley!” Boom!
Another massive roar echoed from the harbor as a second wave of cannonballs rained down upon the pirate fleet.
“Newgate, step back and watch how it’s really done,” Shiki said with a smirk.
Activating his Float-Float Fruit ability, he rose into the air ahead of the ship.
Drawing Koto and Ototo, he unleashed a massive, sweeping strike directly at the oncoming barrage.
“Lion: Thousand-Cut Valley!” Instantly, thousands of golden flying slashes tore through the sky.
If Allen were there to witness the sight, he would probably be drooling with pure envy—considering he hadn’t even managed to pull off a single flying sword slash yet.
The golden slashes collided with the cannonballs, triggering another massive wall of explosions over the water.
The Marines’ second volley had failed just as completely as the first.
The crew went wild again, blowing even more smoke up Shiki’s ass while feeling incredibly smug about being part of such a powerful crew.
“You trash better not get happy too early,” Shiki snapped back arrogantly, glancing down at them.
“Once we land, I’m not lifting a finger unless a ranked officer shows up.
If you die out there, don’t blame me.
Only the strong are worthy of being part of my crew.
Jiehahahaha!” “Tch.
You’re always so full of yourself, Shiki.
You just love doing those flashy, useless moves,” Newgate said, looking at him with a completely speechless expression.
“What did you say, Newgate?
Are you looking for a fight?” Shiki asked unhappily, biting down on his cigar as he glared at him.
“Bring it on.
Do you really think I’m scared of a golden tabby cat like you?” Newgate retorted, his voice laced with heavy Haki.
Seeing the two monsters on the verge of trying to kill each other, the nearby underlings immediately scrambled ten yards away, terrified of getting vaporized by the accidental collateral damage.
“Alright, that’s enough.
If you two want to kill each other, do it later.
Get ready to land,” Rocks intervened, his commanding voice cutting through their argument.
“Tch.
I’ll let you off this time,” Shiki muttered, floating back down.
“Get lost.
I’m the one sparing your life,” Newgate grunted.
The Rocks Pirates never strictly banned internal fighting, but the crew members at least knew when to hold back.
This constant hostility was exactly why Newgate hated being part of this crew.
He had set sail to find a real family, but instead, he ended up on a ship defined by greed, schemes, and backstabbing.
A knife from behind was always more dangerous than a blade from an enemy.
It went completely against his philosophy, and the thought of quitting had been on his mind for a long time.
However, leaving wasn’t as simple as just walking away.
Rocks’ fists were no joke, and Newgate knew he didn’t have the strength to survive a death match against his captain just yet.
“Ma-ma-ma-ma!
I can smell the treats from here.
Can we land this thing any faster?
I can’t wait anymore,” Charlotte Linlin laughed, resting her massive sword, Napoleon, over her shoulder.
Shiki and Newgate looked over at her at the exact same time, sharing a rare moment of mutual agreement: There isn’t a single normal person on this damn ship.
After several rounds of completely useless shelling, the pirate ships finally breached the harbor lines.
Both sides knew very well that the time for long-range warfare was over; the next phase would be a brutal, bloody melee.
“Damn it…
our cannons don’t do a thing against those monsters,” Disque said, stepping down from the high platform to the front lines of the harbor, a profound sense of powerlessness washing over him.
But he quickly shook it off, gritting his teeth.
“No, I can’t give up now.” He drew his long sword, coating the steel in a dark layer of Armament Haki, and pointed it toward the incoming ships.
“Soldiers!
The cannons might have failed, but the enemy is at our gates!
Draw your weapons and get ready for hand-to-hand combat!
In the name of justice, we will purge this scum from the seas!
Charge!!!” With a roar, Disque rushed toward the docks, leading the front line to meet the invaders.
At that exact moment, the lead Rocks ship slammed into the harbor.
Rocks himself bypassed the gangplank entirely, leaping high into the air and crashing down onto the stone platform.
The sheer impact shattered the concrete, creating a massive crater beneath his boots.
“Move out, brats!
Wipe these Marines off the map!
I’m the one who decides what justice is!
Hahaha!” “Roar!!!
Charge!” The pirate horde poured off the ships like a tidal wave, desperate to kill enough Marines to secure a promotion within the crew.
Meanwhile, just beyond the horizon, several Marine warships were sailing at absolute full speed toward the G-5 Branch.
Sengoku stood rigidly at the bow of the lead ship, staring out into the distance as anxiety gnawed at him.
Please, let us make it in time.