The first half of the Grand Line has seven main sea routes, each with a certain number of islands, but all ultimately lead to the Sabaody Archipelago.
However, many islands aren't within these seven main routes, and Gurri Island is one such example.
It's a long, narrow island, about twenty kilometers long north to south, but only five or six kilometers wide east to west.
The first pirate to land on this island was named "Gurri." For convenience, he led his subordinates to establish a foothold at the narrowest point in the middle of the island. It gradually expanded into a town, and ports and docks were built in the east and west bays, making it convenient for passing pirate ships and black market merchant ships to dock without the effort of taking detours.
According to Marine Intelligence, Gurri Island is currently home to about a dozen pirate crews, plus some scattered pirates who've lost their captains or ships, and a few black market merchants, totaling around four thousand people.
However, because Gurri Island is so small, there isn't enough strategic depth, meaning the main cannons of Marine warships can cover the entire island.
It's worth noting that this time, Borsalino mobilized most of the G-2 Branch's military strength: one first-class warship, four second-class warships, and nine third-class warships, totaling fourteen warships and nearly ten thousand Marine soldiers, to pincer Gurri Island from both east and west.
Because the initial intelligence work was well done, Borsalino led the G-2 Branch fleet, departing at night and arriving at Gurri Island at dawn. They launched a fierce barrage at the dozen or so pirate ships docked in the harbor, quickly turning the entire port and dock into a sea of fire.
The pirates in the town were jolted awake from their hangovers by the thunderous, dense cannon fire. They didn't even have time to put on their clothes, just grabbed their weapons and ran into the streets.
Then they watched as pirate ships in the harbor were struck by falling cannonballs like raindrops.
Huge explosions and scorching flames rose, and powerful shockwaves sent countless burning fragments of wood, nails, and canvas flying.
In the end, the pirates all looked stunned, watching helplessly as their pirate ships were engulfed in the raging inferno, slowly sinking into the sea.
And as the port and docks were destroyed, the G-2 Branch fleet wasn't satisfied. They extended their bombardment into the island's town, indiscriminately shelling it with a style reminiscent of a Buster Call operation.
Of course, this was because the town on Gurri Island was entirely a pirate town, filled with pirates and illegal black market merchants. That's why Borsalino ordered the bombardment of the town, completely disregarding any potential collateral damage.
As a result, the unprepared pirates were bombed by the artillery of over a dozen warships, crying out in agony, suffering heavy casualties, and even the town was severely damaged.
However, Cross understood that people in this world possess extremely high physical capabilities; they don't die so easily.
Plus, among the dozen or so pirate crews, there were always some strong individuals, and it wasn't uncommon to find those who could even withstand cannon fire.
In short, it wouldn't be long before the pirates reacted.
Since Cross had received authorization from Borsalino and command of over three hundred Marine soldiers, his first order was to gather all Marines in the town on the main street, preventing them from scattering.
At this moment, Gemodo the Mountain Demon, whom Cross had gravely injured with a single strike, was also tied up with Sea Stone chains by the Marines and brought before Cross.
However, also brought along was Rear Admiral Kadar, who had gone pale and long since fainted, dug out of the house ruins by the Marines.
Seeing this, Cross simply ordered a portion of the soldiers to construct fortifications at this location, establishing a temporary camp specifically for wounded personnel and captured pirates.
"Understood!"
Gasparde's expression showed a hint of displeasure, but he still didn't dare defy orders on the battlefield. He and Shuzo, Masterson, Very Good, and several others responded in unison. In truth, Gasparde had always been resentful of Cross, even though he couldn't beat him.
Cross didn't care; as long as Gasparde obeyed, that was enough. Otherwise, he wouldn't mind making an example of him to teach that green-haired candy monster a lesson.
Afterward, seeing that the first wave of Marines to land on Gurri Island had mostly gathered, Cross assigned fifty Marines to remain at the temporary camp.
He then personally led the rest of the Marine soldiers, advancing along the main street to assault the interior of the town.
Although Cross wasn't a master tactician, he had read some ancient, modern, and contemporary military books in his previous life. Coupled with his recent studies in command tactics at the Marine Academy, he deeply understood the principle of speed in warfare.
Taking advantage of the G-2 Branch fleet's fierce bombardment, which left the island's pirates disoriented, Cross wasted no time.
He aimed to push into the town and link up with the Marines from the East Port before the pirates could react, effectively splitting Gurri Island in two. Because Gurri Island harbored over a dozen pirate crews, some of them formidable, allowing them to gather would undoubtedly cause significant casualties for the Marines.
Therefore, Cross intended, after linking up with the East Port Marines, to jointly encircle and segment the pirates within the town, breaking up their forces on the island. Finally, once the main force of G-2 Branch landed, they would systematically eliminate them piece by piece. In short, it was about penetration and encirclement, then individual annihilation!
"One-Sword Style: Flying Edge!"
"Enliven: Inorganic Reincarnation!!!"
"One-Sword Style: Danku!"
"…"
Wielding the famous sword Kagehide, Cross stormed through the town on Gurri Island like a monster, unleashing his full power with overwhelming force.
He cut down anyone who dared to defy or block his path. The very ground seemed like a cake, shattered into pieces by the dreadful slashes he unleashed.
"Is this guy… a monster?!"
Gasparde, witnessing such a spectacle from the side, couldn't help but turn pale with fright, cold sweat dripping down his face.
Normally, a penetration tactic involves concentrating forces to pierce through gaps or weak points in enemy deployments.
But Cross was different.
Relying on his own formidable strength, and with the cover of the Enlivened creatures in the sky, he directly led nearly three hundred Marine soldiers in a head-on assault, as if entering no-man's land, literally fighting his way through the front.
"Monster… a monster!!!"
"Run! Get out of here!"
"We're gonna die! We're really gonna die!"
"Damn it, is this guy even human?!"
"…"
In this manner, Cross, along with nearly three hundred Marine soldiers, practically tore through the entire pirate town.
The surviving pirates scattered in terror, for those who weren't afraid had already been cut down on the spot.
In the first half of the Grand Line, pirates with bounties in the tens of millions were, to Cross, barely considered elite-level threats; they couldn't cause him any significant trouble or harm.
For example, Gemodo the Mountain Demon, with a bounty of 94,000,000 Berries, was no match for Marine Headquarters' Rear Admiral Kadar, yet he couldn't withstand more than a few slashes from Cross.
This clearly showed just how powerful Cross truly was.
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