“It’s already been three days.
These Marines really are slow.”
“If it were Garp, he would have arrived long ago!”
“Hmph.
Sakazuki is nothing special!”
Looking at the seawater below that had already been dyed red, Golden Lion, who had a cigar clenched between his teeth, let out a disdainful snort.
After Judge became capable of taking on the task of cultivating Chimera Ants, Morin was temporarily freed from the work of producing them.
He planned to use Sakazuki to test the combat strength of the Chimera Ants.
At the moment, Merveille had been lingering in the same stretch of sea.
The fish in the surrounding waters had nearly been eaten clean by the Chimera Ants, yet there was still no sign of the Marines.
“They’re here!”
Suddenly, Morin looked into the distance.
A small black dot appeared on the calm sea surface, followed by a second, then a third…
“Jihahahaha!
They only sent ten warships.
Looks like we’ve been underestimated!”
Golden Lion burst into laughter when he saw that there were only ten warships.
“What we’re testing is the Chimera Ants’ strength.
Don’t make a move!”
Morin looked at Golden Lion, who was preparing to smash the ships with an island, and spoke to him.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.
If you get defeated by the Marines, I won’t save you, Morin!”
Under Golden Lion’s control, Merveille flew toward the higher sky, leaving only the earliest version of the Chimera Ants on the sea surface.
Merveille was the base Morin had chosen.
He would not allow the flames of war to spread there.
“Sakazuki, Golden Lion’s islands are flying away!”
Seeing the islands in the sky rise higher, Yamakaji, who was serving as the lookout, reported to Sakazuki.
This operation was led by Sakazuki.
In order to take down Golden Lion and Morin in one move, Sengoku had also dispatched more than ten vice admirals, including Momonga, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Doberman.
These vice admirals all belonged to the iron-blooded faction, and even among vice admirals, their combat strength was among the best.
With this lineup, there should be no unexpected problems in dealing with Morin and Golden Lion.
“It doesn’t matter.
As long as Morin is there, that’s enough!”
Sakazuki said coldly.
“Golden Lion and Morin haven’t left.
There are also many Chimera Ants around them!”
As the warships approached, Yamakaji, still acting as the lookout, reported again.
“Looks like Morin intends to fight us.
How arrogant.”
Hearing Yamakaji’s words, Sakazuki immediately sensed Morin’s intentions and sneered.
Under Sakazuki’s command, the cannons on the Marine warships began loading shells, and the Marines also prepared for battle.
“Morin, the Marines are coming.
Do you have any tactics?”
Looking at the approaching Marine warships, Golden Lion narrowed his eyes slightly.
After being away from the sea for several years, the coming battle stirred the fighting spirit in Golden Lion’s body, making him itch to move.
At his peak, Golden Lion had commanded more troops than Whitebeard and Roger combined.
During the Battle of Edd War, Golden Lion had surrounded Roger’s pirate ship with dozens of pirate ships.
If fortune had not stood on Roger’s side, perhaps Golden Lion would have become the Pirate King.
As a former great pirate, Golden Lion also had considerable experience in naval warfare.
Morin could learn his swordsmanship in an instant, but this kind of naval combat experience was not something Morin could learn so easily.
“Tactics?
Our troops outnumber the enemy by a hundred times.
The advantage is mine.
What tactics do we need?”
Hearing Golden Lion’s words, Morin’s eyes were filled with disdain.
A mass army strategy did not need tactics.
With an absolute numerical advantage, one only had to sweep over all enemies directly.
In any case, these Chimera Ants were cannon fodder, and they did not fear sacrifice.
No matter how many casualties they suffered, they would not retreat.
“Charge!”
As Morin pointed his finger at the incoming Marine warships, the well-fed Chimera Ants rushed toward the warships like mad.
Seen from high above, a dark shadow passed over the white Kunpeng and pressed down toward the Marines.
The sight was truly breathtaking.
“They’re coming!
Those Chimera Ants are coming toward us!”
The Marines also saw this scene and began loading the cannons.
“He’s actually starting the fight directly?”
“This Morin really is different from ordinary pirates.”
The Marine vice admirals began discussing in low voices.
“Fire!”
The moment the Chimera Ants entered the range of the Marine cannons, Sakazuki decisively ordered the soldiers to open fire.
Boom, boom, boom!
Clusters of flame appeared within the dark shadow, but they were instantly swallowed by the Chimera Ants.
Although shells continuously exploded among the Chimera Ants, their charging speed was not affected in the slightest.
“How is that possible?
The cannons can’t injure these monsters?!”
Seeing this scene, the Marine vice admirals’ eyes were filled with shock.
They could see clearly that when the cannonballs struck the Chimera Ants, the Chimera Ants were only blasted away.
After a brief moment of confusion, those Chimera Ants charged toward the Marine warships again.
Aside from blackening their carapaces, the Marine bombardment had no other effect.
With the Chimera Ants’ speed, the Marines could at most fire one more round of cannon fire before they would have to engage them in close combat.
Looking at the Chimera Ants’ ferocious faces, even battle-hardened Marines could not help feeling a chill in their hearts.
They had just used cannons to verify the monsters’ defensive power.
Monsters like these were not something their swords and blades could break through.
“Let me do it!”
Sakazuki took a deep drag of his cigar.
Then his body began turning crimson red.
He was about to use his Devil Fruit ability.
“It’s coming!”
Seeing this, the Marines’ spirits immediately rose.
With Sakazuki’s disaster-like offensive power, those Chimera Ants were nothing to fear.
“Meteor Volcano!”
Sakazuki’s fists transformed into enormous crimson magma fists.
Then he punched toward the sky at incredible speed.
His fists moved extremely fast.
Every time he swung a fist, a magma fist shot into the sky.
As the Chimera Ants drew closer and closer, Sakazuki’s fists became so fast that afterimages appeared.
The sky in front of the Chimera Ants had already turned crimson.
As living creatures, the Chimera Ants instinctively sensed the aura of destruction.
If they were ordinary creatures, they would instinctively avoid this area.
But the Chimera Ants were different.
The moment they sensed danger ahead, they let out restless cries, then charged forward at even greater speed.
At that moment, the first giant magma fist in the sky began falling, dragging a long trail of flame behind it.
The scene looked like a meteor about to smash into the earth.
Immediately after, the second fell, then the third…
In less than a second, magma fists rained down from the sky like a torrential storm.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Carrying shrill whistles, one magma meteor after another smashed into the Chimera Ant swarm.
The Chimera Ants directly struck by them immediately turned crimson.
They were scorched by the magma’s heat of several thousand degrees.
As the magma projectiles smashed into the sea, a massive cloud of steam covered the Chimera Ant swarm.
The Marines’ vision was blocked by the water vapor, making it impossible for them to see the Chimera Ants’ situation.