Boom!!!
An earth-shattering explosion suddenly ripped through the air.
The open space cleared by the surrounding Navy soldiers was instantly engulfed by a violent shockwave. The ground cracked, scorched debris flew in all directions, and a deafening roar echoed through the base.
In the blink of an eye, a massive crater appeared—sunken, jagged, and wide enough to swallow a small vessel whole.
It looked as if an invisible, colossal hand had slammed down from the sky, crushing the area with overwhelming force.
The battlefield fell silent.
Eyes widened. Jaws dropped.
The scene before them defied belief.
The prototype fortress cannon—designed by the prodigious scientist Lie Qing—had just demonstrated its terrifying might.
More than just a regular cannon, it launched invisible, high-pressure air shells—making evasion nearly impossible.
At the center of the crowd, Bai Yu's gaze lit up with excitement.
"This is... an air cannon?" he murmured to himself, recalling a similar weapon concept from the One Piece world—the Air Door Cannon used by CP9. "But this one... it's even more devastating."
Not only did it replicate that technology—it surpassed it.
A single blast from this weapon could obliterate a small pirate ship outright!
"This is based on the blueprint you gave me, Bai Yu," Lie Qing said quickly, approaching. "Time was short, and the internal structure isn't optimized yet. If I had more time, I could amplify the output further."
Bai Yu nodded in admiration.
"Outstanding work. As expected from a true genius of the Science Division!"
He turned to her with a glimmer in his eye. "You mentioned this is only one of the new weapons. Are there others?"
"Of course!" Lie Qing replied, her chin raised with pride. She signaled one of the aides, who promptly brought forward another weapon—this time, a musket.
At first glance, it looked identical to the standard-issue Marine rifle.
But Bai Yu could tell from the subtle design—reinforced barrel, pressurized trigger frame—that this wasn't ordinary.
"I'll demonstrate," said Lie Qing, hoisting the musket. She looked around. "Now, what should I use as a target?"
The problem: they hadn't prepared a testing dummy in time. Bai Yu had arrived immediately after she completed the prototype.
"Use me," Bai Yu said calmly.
A hush fell.
Bai Yu walked to the far end of the clearing, turning to face her. "Let me gauge its power firsthand."
"No way!" Lie Qing waved her hands furiously. "This version still has unresolved stability issues—I can't guarantee what will happen. What if you get injured?!"
Unbeknownst to Bai Yu, Lie Qing had already made up her mind to follow him.
When she had casually mentioned her need for resources, Bai Yu had traveled to the Sabaody Archipelago personally, returning with an enormous supply of rare materials—purchased out of pocket.
Only later did she learn from Maya that he had done it all without expecting anything in return.
As a scientist, Lie Qing understood better than anyone: research meant funding. And Bai Yu had given her everything she needed, without hesitation.
She wouldn't risk harming him now.
But Bai Yu only chuckled.
"If your musket can injure me," he said, "we don't need to train anymore. Just mass-produce the weapons and hand them out."
If a bullet could pierce his defense, then not even Admirals were safe.
Wouldn't that make every soldier a potential general?
An absurd notion.
Lie Qing still hesitated.
"Lie Qing," Maya spoke up gently. "Trust Lieutenant General Bai Yu. A mere prototype won't scratch him."
Reluctantly, Lie Qing relented. "Understood. But please... be careful!"
She raised the weapon, heart pounding.
Bang!
The musket roared to life, sending a dark, glinting bullet screaming through the air.
Whoosh!
The bullet tore through the wind with astonishing speed, leaving behind a rippling vortex of compressed air. Its rotation intensified mid-flight, generating lift and pressure—similar to the slicing effect of Rankyaku.
Bai Yu narrowed his eyes.
Even as the bullet neared, he observed its trajectory with razor precision. Drawing Sakuragi's scabbard from his hip, he raised it at an angle.
Clang!!
The impact rang out like a hammer striking iron.
Sparks exploded. The scabbard trembled in his grip as the bullet's force bore down, unrelenting.
"This penetration…" Bai Yu thought, astonished. Even Smoker would be forced back if caught off guard. Koby or Helmeppo? They'd be skewered.
With a grunt, Bai Yu pushed the scabbard downward.
Boom!
The redirected bullet struck the earth, burying itself deep into the ground and sending up a thick plume of smoke.
Silence returned.
Bai Yu crouched down and examined the hole.
The bullet had embedded itself entirely—drilling into solid rock like a hot knife through butter.
This weapon wasn't just strong.
It was lethal.
"I used compressed air tech," Lie Qing explained, stepping forward. "Like the coating used on ships in the Sabaody Archipelago. I applied it as a thin film around the bullet during discharge."
"It reduces air resistance and increases rotational speed."
"Even standard metals can't stop it."
Bai Yu raised a brow.
She wasn't done.
"The bullets themselves are made from refined Seastone fragments," she added.
Bai Yu's eyes flashed.
Haki-proof and effective against Devil Fruit users?
In the right hands, this weapon could neutralize even Logia-types.
"You've begun mass production?" he asked quickly.
"Not yet," Lie Qing replied. "So far, we've built three of the cannons and thirty muskets. I want to stabilize the design before scaling up."
"That's more than enough," Bai Yu said, satisfied.
"Send all prototypes to me."
"I'll be needing them for my next operation."
End of Chapter.
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