The Battle was under way. Only 12 Minutes had passed. And the Redbeard Fleet was working their way through the Crescent Bay of Ingens Fortezela. Bombs, Explosions, Gun Fire, and Artillery exploded up into the air. The smell of Gunpowder, dust from the shattered concrete, and blood rich in iron permeated the air
The 3rd Commander was in an intense battle between himself and a Veteran Commodore! The Commodore was on the Ropes, but Rowdy Row was sweating, feeling the pain and ache in his Arms as he swung his axe! Going from hand to hand!
Zero was firing shots from across the Island, Protecting and fending off Threats up close and from afar. Granted to him by the Legendary Firearms; The Akimbo Contour Pistols: Punkt and Kurve. Forged by a legendary gunsmith Rohr Schmied 45 Years ago.
They had the ability to Curve and Change Trajectory and to change to a point where it was not head on from the Target. Seeming to be a constant injury of surprise!
"Crowley! What do you see!?" Spice Gal screamed into her receiver up to the dozens of meters tall Crows nest of the Lookout. Using a chair that was connected to a complex contraption like that of a telescope. It could spot supposedly over the horizon itself! But not it had to look, and gave a clear picture of the movement of the entire fleet through those special lenses
"We're making it closer to the first part of the city!" Crowley yelled back. "There just another line of trenches we need to get- What the?! Hold on!" She clicked a few switches and made her voice be heard across the entire Crescent Bay
"Attention! All Crew! Halt! Halt Damnit!!!" She screamed loudly! Redbeard still standing at the bow of the Fancy, furrowed his brow. Those eyes of his curtained by wrinkles of suspicion at the corners of his eyes. He hadn't thought about it. Those strange crates that had been sitting out on the battle field. Being missed by everyone. It had been assumed it was supplies, or construction supplies from rushed creation and modifications to Marineford…
Suddenly! All Marines seemed to have gotten a command. Cutting away at the bands that held the crates together while others exploded open!
Engines roared! And an incredible rumbling filled the battle field amidst the Chaos! The Steel grinding against steel as immense weight attempted to compress concrete beneath something massive!
It was-
Tanks!
Boxes of steel on treads that had a turret on a swivel! They were colored a deep grey with a blue tinge, the logo of the Marines simplified geometric shape on the front downward slant of the Tank.
Tanks had long been used in some form through out history. Down to the Basic idea of a group of men with shields in a turtle formation. As for these machines…They'd been introduced 3 decades prior for the battles in the North Blue that had been privately funded by the Rear and VIce Admirals of the Marines…Some of whom were on this very Battlefield
A gloved hand of the tank crew who wore coveralls of a deeper blue and black gloves gripped a turn wheel, the handle pointed upwards to control the turret. Screams and shouts from the four man tank crew in the near literal coffin of a confined space.
The Tanks were quicker in that they now had the element of surprise for even some of the extremely powerful and potent commanders of the Redbeard Fleet had never seen an automobile! The most advanced they'd seen was the boiler and steampowered boats of the Redbeard! The Concept of Power Gems that could be used on the Fancy was seen as genuine magic!
The Breach was opened inside of the Tank and a 75mm Shell was slammed home and closed! "Fire!" The team leader screamed they had their target in sight! Between the glass view finder and the distant sky was the Crows nest that Crowley oversaw the battle from!
The front of the tank exploded as the flame from the barrel expanded outward! Propelling the multiple kilogram payload faster than sound through the air! The rifling, those sizeable groves within the barrel of the turret, allowed it to spin like any other bullet!
Crowley's eyes widened! She was glass canon! She had only a unique ability of being able to see and sense danger extremely well but had no speed to make it out of the Crows nest in time!
The Fireball expanded with immense power through the air as the shell detonated on impact! Glass shattered, wood splintered and rended, metal was forced apart! The explosion sent Crowley, mangled and bloody, across the room! With a slam she slumped down… Blood pooling beneath her…
An Unceremonious end…
"Crowely!" Polo screamed, attempting to leap towards the tower only for a group of Commodores to move as fast as they could to even catch such casual speed of the Redbeard first commander! "Gah!"
"I can't get to her…Can't focus on the loss! If we let one loss get to us then we won't be able to wherewithal to save Azar!' He slammed a fist into a commodore! Ending him with one blow!
"We won't let your death be in Vain! Crowley!!" He screamed! Spurring on the crew!
Elsewhere, only minutes prior. Kilometers from the war but still within sight. The foot steps of a sneaker adorned foot clattered against the Execution Platform from behind Azar…Azar recognized that rhythm of steps. The weight behind them…
It was Jack…His Adoptive Grandfather…
Azar could not see. As the pirates eyes were focused on staring out to the carnage that was being caused because of his failure…But Jacks face was solemn. Brow wrinkled and furrowed across his Senior face….
The foot steps stopped next to him. The Hero of The Marines looked to Muromachi. Who had just given the command to activate the Tanks and take out the Spotter…
"Give me some space with my Grandson, will ya, Murry?" He called the Fleet Admiral a nickname. Whom he thought was his friend, but Jack being Jack. He tended to be either overt or coy with friendship…They Butted heads a lot.
Muromachi's brow grimaced slightly. But with a long blink. He relented. "Of Course…."
As Muromachi's footsteps disappeared down the stairs. Mumbles of Harbingers and waiting to initiate their activation and needing space for their deployment faded away
Jack, with a grunt from chronic pain, sat next to Azar. Who finally gave a side eye to the man…