As the flames dissipated, the warship emerged first from the chaos.
Standing tall and proud on the deck of the warship was Sakazuki, draped in his Admiral's coat, resembling an invincible war god. With both fists ablaze, he had completely neutralized Boro Breath using the power of his Magma-Magma Fruit.
The violent shockwaves surged around him, causing his coat to billow wildly. His imposing figure stood like an unbreachable wall, instilling unprecedented confidence in all the Marines aboard the warship. At the same time, the members of the Beasts Pirates, who had believed the warship would be vaporized by the Boro Breath, were struck with utter despair.
A Marine Admiral, wielding the power of a Logia Devil Fruit, was truly terrifying.
As Sakazuki's majestic figure came into view, the Marines under his command erupted in cheers. Just moments ago, they had been paralyzed with fear due to Kaido's arrival and the overwhelming pressure of his Azure Dragon form. Now, their spirits soared.
"Admiral Sakazuki never disappoints!"
"Thank goodness! Admiral Sakazuki blocked the Boro Breath!"
"Long live Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Brothers, charge! Let's take down the Beasts Pirates in one go!"
"For Justice!"
"Attack!"
Thunderous shouts echoed from one warship to another as they suddenly accelerated, surging toward the Beasts Pirates' ships with overwhelming momentum.
Meanwhile, the Momousagi Fleet, led by Gion, also experienced a surge in morale after Sakazuki blocked the Boro Breath. The lead warship collided head-on with one of the Beasts Pirates' massive vessels. As soon as the warship rammed into the pirate ship, Marines on the deck swarmed out like a tidal wave. Some raised their swords, while others aimed their guns, rushing forward in relentless waves toward the immobilized pirate ship.
As the first warship engaged, two more warships followed closely behind, ramming into two additional pirate ships.
"Brothers!"
"The time has come to offer our hearts for justice!"
Before the warship had even come to a complete stop, a Rear Admiral standing at the bow unsheathed his sword and shouted loudly:
"Shinzou wo Sasageyo!"
With a bold cry, he leapt onto the deck of the pirate ship like a wolf among sheep, cutting down the charging pirates with ease.
Behind him, a dense wave of Marines, from officers to soldiers, poured onto the pirate ship. Their bloodshot eyes gleamed with determination as they pounced on the Beasts Pirates like predators who had finally found their prey after days of drifting at sea.
"Damn it! What's wrong with these Marines?!"
On the deck of the pirate ship, the members of the Beasts Pirates, who had been brimming with fighting spirit, were suddenly overwhelmed by the ferocity of the Marine assault. Panic set in, and many of the lower-ranking pirates began to flee as the Marines charged at them with wild abandon.
"Ahhh! Are we the pirates, or are they?!"
"Don't lose your nerve! Hold the line! Fight back!"
The hours-long artillery battle came to an abrupt halt as warships collided with pirate ships, giving way to brutal close-quarters combat.
The powerful Marine officers immediately sought out the Headliners, Tobiroppo, and other high-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates, while the Marine soldiers threw themselves at the ordinary pirates on the decks.
Those with guns fired relentlessly, while those who ran out of bullets drew their swords and fought with reckless abandon. Even injured Marines clung to pirates, dragging them off the deck and into the sea in a desperate struggle.
"They're insane! They've gone mad!"
"These Marines are lunatics!"
In just one round of assault, several of the Beasts Pirates' ships were completely overrun. Despite the morale boost from Kaido's presence, the pirates' fighting spirit was quickly crushed by the Marines' ferocity. Many of the weaker pirates turned and fled at the sight of the crazed Marines charging toward them.
On one pirate ship, the Headliner and Tobiroppo had been engaged by Marine officers, leaving the ordinary pirates to fend for themselves. Swarms of Marines, their eyes glowing with a terrifying green light, charged at the pirates while letting out maniacal laughter that sent chills down their spines.
"Yahahaha! Brothers, I've taken down two pirates!"
"Don't forget to cut off their ears or fingers!"
"Haha, how could I forget? That's military merit!"
"Hey, you're injured. Fall back and let me take over!"
"Damn it! Don't steal my kill! I can still fight!"
The pirates on this ship were utterly dumbfounded.
Were these really Marines?
They had fought the Marines alongside Kaido many times before.
In those past battles, the Marine soldiers were little more than cannon fodder, barely capable of pulling the trigger on their guns, let alone putting up a real fight.
Especially during the times when Kaido had intentionally allowed himself to be captured by the Marines. When the Beasts Pirates intercepted the prison ships to free him, the accompanying Marine soldiers would tremble in fear at the sight of Kaido and watch helplessly as their ships were destroyed.
How had things changed so drastically in such a short time? The Marines, who used to cower at the sight of Kaido, were now fighting with a bloodlust that surpassed even that of pirates!
The most terrifying part was that these Marines didn't just kill their enemies—they collected trophies, cutting off ears and fingers as war spoils.
Hearing the savage words of the Marines, many pirates began to feel as though they were the Marines, and the Marines were the pirates.
One pirate, sitting paralyzed on the deck, watched in horror as a Marine killed one of his comrades and casually severed the man's ear, placing it into a bag. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
At that moment, another pirate rushed in and slashed the Marine across the back with a blade.
But the Marine seemed unfazed by the gaping wound on his back. He turned around and lunged at the pirate, stabbing him repeatedly with his own bloodied sword.
As blood splattered everywhere, the Marine's uniform was quickly soaked in red, and droplets of blood rolled down his face.
Before the paralyzed pirate could react, the Marine coldly severed the ear of the pirate he had just killed. Then, turning his bloodied face toward the paralyzed pirate, he flashed a chilling, bloodthirsty grin.
"D-don't come any closer!"
The paralyzed pirate felt his soul leave his body as the Marine locked eyes with him. He tried to stand and run, but his legs gave out under the weight of his fear.
Meanwhile, the Marine, dragging his injured body, wiped the blood from his mouth and lunged forward.
"Die, you pirate scum!"
With a roar, the Marine tackled the pirate to the ground.
In the next instant, the bloodstained blade slashed across the pirate's throat with lightning speed.
End of chapter.
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