The upgrade was like giving every dish he made both a critical strike and a hidden passive effect.
Ryne glanced toward Newgate, who was currently arm wrestling with Rocks on the deck.
Every clash of strength made the ship groan loudly beneath them.
His gaze grew even deeper.
This man…
Really was the ultimate catalyst.
At that moment, Rocks’ booming voice echoed across the ship.
“Everyone!
Front and center!” The crew immediately dropped what they were doing and gathered at the bow.
Rocks spread the nautical chart across the table once again.
His eyes swept over everyone before finally stopping on Newgate.
“Whitebeard.” “Your arrival has increased our strength by more than a single level.” A proud grin spread across his face.
“So…” “We’re putting the Land Where Gods Slumber on hold.” “It’s too uncertain.” “It isn’t the right stage for our first performance before the world.” He jabbed a finger firmly onto another location on the map.
It was a fortress island marked by the World Government as the embodiment of Absolute Justice.
One of the Marines’ most important strongholds in the first half of the Grand Line.
Marine G-8 Base.
Renowned for its impregnable defenses and commanded by a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, G-8 was known throughout the seas as the fortress that had never fallen.
“Our next target…” “…is here.” Rocks spoke calmly.
Yet every word carried unquestionable authority.
“They’ve been searching for us everywhere.” “So we’ll save them the trouble.” “We’ll deliver ourselves right to their doorstep.” “I’ll show the whole world just how fragile this ‘invincible fortress’ really is before the Rocks Pirates.” Both Gatz and Dorum inhaled sharply.
Attack the Marines’ largest base in the region…
One guarded by a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral?
That wasn’t merely madness.
It was suicide.
Whitebeard, however, burst into hearty laughter.
“GURARARARA!” “Now that’s interesting!” “Much better than chasing after some sleeping king!” He lifted his barrel and took a huge swig.
“Let’s go.” “I’ve been wanting to see just how many Vice Admirals these Marines have who can actually fight.” The decision made by the two future legends instantly swept away every remaining doubt.
Gatz’s fighting spirit reignited.
‘ OOOH!
Let’s smash the Marines’ nest!
Even Silver’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Only Dorum silently stared at the fortress marked on the chart, its countless cannons and warships clearly visible.
He clutched his chest.
‘It’s over…
The ship’s definitely falling apart this time.
.” Rocks waved a hand.
“Dorum.” “Change course.” “Destination—Marine G-8 Base.” “Ryne.” “Start planning the victory banquet.” Their weathered sailing ship turned proudly toward its new destination.
Like a sword drawn from its sheath…
It sailed directly toward the mighty fortress that symbolized the authority of the World Government.
A storm destined to shake the world was beginning to gather.
Fifteen days into their voyage…
They drew steadily closer to the waters surrounding G-8.
Even the sea breeze seemed tinged with the smell of gunpowder and rust.
That afternoon…
The ocean was unusually calm.
Gatz lounged on the deck beneath the sun, lazily patting his round stomach while letting out a satisfied burp.
Lunch had been a rich soup made from the spinal marrow of a giant Sea King combined with Lightning Grass, a herb that naturally induced mild paralysis.
The warmth spread throughout his body.
Every cell seemed to vibrate with explosive strength.
“Ah…” “If every day could be like this…” “I wouldn’t mind being a pirate forever.” “Shut up, idiot.” “If you get any heavier, you’re going to collapse this section of the deck.” Dorum muttered while performing his daily maintenance on the hull.
Just then…
Silver’s calm voice rang out from the crow’s nest.
“Three o’clock.” “Fleet spotted.” “Marines.” “The Marines?” Gatz leapt upright and grabbed his anchor.
Instead of looking nervous…
He grinned.
“Perfect!” “I’ve been looking for somewhere to use all this energy.” Rocks and Whitebeard sat near the stern drinking together.
Neither bothered standing.
“How many?” Rocks asked lazily.
“Six warships.” “G-8 patrol squadron.” “They’ve spotted us.” “They’re moving into an encirclement formation.” “GURARARARA…” “They’ve delivered themselves as appetizers.” Whitebeard took another drink, completely unconcerned.
Rocks smiled toward the galley.
“Ryne.” “Looks like dinner’s ingredients have arrived.” “I imagine Marine warships have better food stores than this old tub.” Ryne’s calm voice came from inside the kitchen.
“That depends.” “If they don’t have professional cold storage…” “The freshness of the ingredients will be significantly lower.” Not one person aboard treated the approaching battle seriously.
Instead…
They discussed the quality of the loot.
Aboard the flagship of the Marine patrol fleet…
A brutal-looking Marine Colonel observed the approaching vessel through a telescope.
“Report, Colonel!” “The enemy has only one small pirate ship.” “Approximately five or six crew members.” “They aren’t flying a pirate flag.” “They’re probably inexperienced rookies.” A Marine soldier delivered the report.
The Colonel sneered.
“Rookies?” “Perfect.” “Ever since that bastard Rocks caused all this trouble…” “Marine Headquarters has ordered us to make an example out of every rookie pirate we find.” He raised a hand.
“Signal all ships.” “Fire.” “Blow them—and their ship—to pieces.” “Yes, sir!” The order was given.
Six warships simultaneously trained their rows of cannons on the lone sailing ship.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Dozens of cannons roared.
A storm of iron shells streaked across the sky trailing black smoke.
Facing enough artillery to flatten a small island…
Rocks couldn’t even be bothered to stand.
Whitebeard simply yawned.
“Gatz.” “Silver.” “Dorum.” “Stretch your legs.” Rocks casually waved a hand.
“Remember…” “Don’t sink every ship.” “We still need supplies.” “And while you’re at it…” “Ask the G-8 Vice Admiral what kind of food he likes.” “So Ryne can prepare the menu.” “OOOH!” “Leave it to me, Captain!” Gatz roared excitedly.
With one explosive leap…
His enormous body shot dozens of meters into the air.
“Whirling Anchor Smash!” His gigantic anchor spun so rapidly that it became a solid black cyclone.
BOOM!
The incoming cannonballs slammed into the spinning anchor.
Instead of reaching the ship…
They ricocheted away and exploded harmlessly in midair like fireworks.
“What?!” The Marine Colonel’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
Before he could recover…
A silver blur flashed from the pirate ship.
Silver.
He raced across the sea like a phantom.
His feet skimmed over the waves created by the exploding cannonballs as though running across solid ground.
“Stop him!” The Marines opened fire in panic.
Not a single bullet even brushed his clothes.
Within moments…
Silver landed aboard one of the warships.
His spear moved like a dragon.
Every strike produced countless afterimages.
Rather than killing…
Each precise blow struck a Marine’s wrist, knocking weapons from their hands without inflicting fatal injuries.
In the blink of an eye…
One entire warship had been completely neutralized by Silver alone.
Meanwhile…
Dorum stood calmly at the bow.
He didn’t dodge the incoming shells.
Instead…
He swung his enormous axe.
CLANG!
A cannonball split perfectly in half.
The two halves flew harmlessly past either side of the ship before splashing into the sea.
“Hmm…” “The cannon forging isn’t bad.” “But the gunpowder mixture could use work.” “The explosive force isn’t concentrated enough.” Like a professional weapons inspector…
Dorum calmly critiqued Marine artillery while casually splitting another shell in two.
The Marine Colonel stood frozen.
Cold sweat poured down his face.
These weren’t rookie pirates.
They were monsters.
Just as he prepared to order a retreat…
Two figures suddenly appeared on either side of him.
Rocks.
And Whitebeard.
“Hello there…” “Colonel.” Rocks smiled like a devil.
“I hear you wanted to blow us to pieces.” “GURARARARA…” Whitebeard casually lifted an empty barrel.
“We’ve run out of liquor.” “So we’d like to borrow some of yours.” The Colonel rolled his eyes back.
He fainted on the spot.
Calling it a battle would have been generous.
It was little more than armed robbery.
Half an hour later…
All six Marine warships had been completely stripped clean.
Every Marine soldier had been tied together with seaweed after being relieved of their uniforms.
Meanwhile…
The Rocks Pirates’ ship overflowed with food…
Liquor…
Ammunition…
And supplies.
Ryne emerged from one of the warships’ cold-storage rooms carrying a beautifully chilled cut of premium beef.
He nodded with satisfaction.
“Not bad.” “It seems this Vice Admiral has decent standards when it comes to ingredients.” Rocks lounged in the command chair aboard the captured flagship.
After slapping the unconscious Colonel awake…
He leisurely questioned him about G-8’s defenses and the Vice Admiral stationed there.
Whitebeard had already located the liquor storage.
He happily hugged the finest barrel of rum aboard.
Nearby…
Gatz and Dorum excitedly inventoried their spoils.
“We’re rich!” “So many Berries!” “These cannon shells are exactly the size I need for my new design…” This absurdly one-sided victory filled the crew with unprecedented confidence for the coming assault on Marine G-8 Base.
Ryne glanced at the rapidly increasing experience bar on his system interface.
Then toward the distant horizon.
His expression remained calm.
Only one final step remained before reaching Master Rank.
From the unfortunate patrol fleet…
Rocks learned everything there was to know about G-8.
The commander was Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Will, a strategist famous for flawless defensive tactics.
While not among the strongest Vice Admirals in terms of raw combat power…
He was notoriously difficult to defeat.
Under his command, G-8 had become a true iron fortress.
Over one hundred heavy cannons.
Three massive seawalls.
An elite Marine landing force.
“Sounds like someone hiding inside a turtle shell.” Rocks dismissed the report with a snort.
“GURARARARA…” Whitebeard grinned.
“The tougher the shell…” “…the more satisfying it is when it finally breaks.”
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS sagamaster789 Liked It?