“Robin, looks like we really do need to disappear for a while.” Although the Marines had retreated, Yuri’s expression had turned grave.
“Didn’t you already defeat a Marine Rear Admiral?
As far as I know, that Rear Admiral was probably the highest-ranking Marine officer in the entire West Blue,” Robin said.
“That’s exactly why this is troublesome.
Now that the strongest Marine force in the West Blue has been defeated, Marine Headquarters is bound to take notice.
The others aren’t a big problem, but there are a few troublesome people at Headquarters.
They’re Logia Devil Fruit users, and right now, I have no way to deal with them,” Yuri said.
Logia Devil Fruit users!
Hearing Yuri’s words, Robin’s face immediately turned pale.
His words reminded her of Kuzan, of Akainu, and of the Buster Call that had destroyed Ohara.
“We’ll set sail tomorrow,” Yuri decided.
“Okay.”
…
The Grand Line, Marine Headquarters.
Bang!
Akainu’s blazing red fist slammed into the desk.
“Lacroix was defeated?” Akainu’s face was filled with anger.
Lacroix had once served under him before later being transferred to the West Blue.
Now that Lacroix had been defeated there, it reflected poorly on him as well.
“Oh my, how frightening.
Since when did someone like this appear in the West Blue?
He actually managed to defeat Lacroix.
Gadile Yuri…
and he used to be a pirate hunter, too.
Yet now, all because of Nico Robin, he’s opposing the Marines and even declaring that he’ll become a pirate.
How frightening, truly frightening.
Could it be that the Devil Child also has some ability to bewitch people?” Borsalino said with a smile.
Lacroix’s strength placed him among the backbone of the Marines.
He even had a chance of becoming a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters in the future, yet he had actually been defeated in the West Blue.
“Hmph.”
Akainu snorted coldly, rose to his feet, and turned to leave the conference room.
“Akainu, where are you going?” Sengoku asked.
“Lacroix was once my subordinate, and Nico Robin is a remnant of Ohara.
I’ll handle this matter myself,” Akainu said coldly.
Without waiting for Sengoku’s reply, he walked straight out.
Sengoku opened his mouth, intending to stop him.
The seas were currently in chaos.
Countless pirates were pouring into the Grand Line, and the Marines were already struggling to deal with them.
If a combat force like Akainu left at a time like this, the pressure on the Marines would increase significantly.
In the end, however, Sengoku said nothing.
Akainu wasn’t wrong.
Lacroix had once been his subordinate, so it was perfectly reasonable for him to handle this matter personally.
Besides, Akainu had always been forceful and iron-blooded.
Once he made up his mind, even if Sengoku tried to stop him, there was no guarantee he would listen.
Kuzan watched Akainu disappear through the doorway and frowned slightly, but in the end, he said nothing either.
Not long afterward, a massive warship departed Marine Headquarters.
“Vice Admiral, Admiral Sengoku asked me to tell you that he’s only giving you six months,” a Marine Rear Admiral said as he approached Akainu.
“It won’t take that long.
Order every Marine force in the West Blue to keep a close watch on Gadile Yuri and Nico Robin.
I want to know their movements at all times,” Akainu said.
“Yes, sir.”
…
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
One orange-red beam after another shot from a small pirate ship and struck the Marine warships pursuing it from behind.
The orange-red beams were terrifyingly powerful.
Any Marine warship struck by one was instantly pierced through before exploding violently.
In the blink of an eye, several Marine warships were destroyed.
“The Marines really are persistent.
That’s already the tenth group,” Yuri said with a frown.
“Those are all Marine patrol ships.
It looks like the Marines are determined to keep track of us.
I have a bad feeling about this.
They’re watching us this desperately, almost as though they’ve received a strict order not to lose sight of us.
Whatever comes next may be the most dangerous attack yet,” Robin said.
Yuri and Robin had already been at sea for more than ten days.
They had found a small sailing ship, raised the pirate flag they had drawn themselves, and thus the Gadile Pirates officially set sail.
It wasn’t that Yuri couldn’t find a larger pirate ship.
The problem was that the Gadile Pirates currently consisted of only two people, making it impossible for them to operate a large vessel.
Yuri had no knowledge of navigation whatsoever.
The only reason he could even sail a small ship like this was because of Robin.
As a scholar who had also spent some time aboard pirate ships, Robin had learned a decent amount about navigation.
It was only under her direction that their tiny pirate crew could sail smoothly across the sea.
If Yuri had been alone, the ship probably would have capsized long ago.
“Looks like Marine Headquarters has made its move.
I wonder who they sent?” Yuri frowned.
It probably wouldn’t be an Admiral.
Because of Roger’s final words, the Great Pirate Era had begun and the seas were in turmoil.
The Grand Line needed Marine forces stationed everywhere, and the Admirals of Marine Headquarters had to remain there to maintain order.
There was no reason for one of them to come all the way to the West Blue just for him.
Garp was impossible as well.
The New World still needed him to keep it under control.
The one coming should be a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters.
Most Vice Admirals wouldn’t be too troublesome.
But if the one coming was a Logia user like Akainu, Kuzan, or Borsalino, then things would become difficult.
It wasn’t that Yuri feared them.
In terms of abilities alone, he wasn’t afraid.
The problem was that Logia elementalization was simply too troublesome.
Without Armament Haki, Yuri had absolutely no way to deal with them.
Against opponents like that, he could only take their attacks.
His own attacks wouldn’t affect them at all.
Unfortunately, the more one feared something, the more likely it was to appear.
A few days later, when Yuri saw an enormous Marine warship appear ahead of them, along with the Marine standing aboard it in a blood-red suit, a bitter smile appeared on his face.