"Impossible…"
Vice Admiral Momonga of Headquarters, who was commanding the engagement against a vessel from the Black Cat's First Fleet—a unit said to specialize in covert combat—could not believe the situation.
"Not a hijacking, but a rebellion!? So many marines… siding with pirates!?"
While he found it unbelievable, a part of him also felt it was inevitable. Because it had happened before. He remembered the face of that pirate, the one in whom the marines—now former marines—who had lost all hope and pride, had placed their complete trust. The pirate who had survived that utterly hopeless situation: 'Silent Step' Kuro.
—"The marine uniform, the words 'Absolute Justice'… they are equally worthless."
The image of that boy, trying to guide those who were on the brink of despair with his words.
—"It is the will to help others that gives the uniform meaning. It is the will to protect that makes the two words of justice shine."
—"Marines, stand tall."
If that boy had been wearing the mantle of Absolute Justice over his black suit, Momonga wouldn't have hesitated for a second to follow him, regardless of his age. The memory of that resolute back was still burned into his mind. Yes, they hadn't had it then, but the three claw marks that would later become their symbol…
"Push! Push, push, push!"
"Take down the enemy soldiers and support the Black Cats—our allies! Gunners, fiiire!"
The men who were once marines, now wearing black suits with three lines drawn on them in imitation of that symbol, charged toward the loyalist forces. The one leading them was—
"Commodore Taki!"
"Headquarters Colonel Momonga! No, you're a Vice Admiral now, aren't you? It has been too long!"
He was a marine known to those in the know in the West Blue. A famed general, an old soldier who had spent long years improving the front lines rather than climbing the ranks at district or main headquarters. Momonga reflexively attacked. If he could just take this man down, these reinforcements would fall into chaos.
But—
"Look out!"
A woman in a black suit with golden hair tied back, wielding a black-dyed bow, effortlessly blocked his heavy blow.
"—! The three-clawed cat and the Haki of Kuja… a Royal Guard!"
"Oh, Lady Flare!" The Royal Guard member, a victim of that incident and now a quiet legend within the Navy as a core member of the Black Cat Pirates, looked just as surprised as the marines.
"Grandpa Taki! I had a feeling, but I never thought you'd leave the Navy to join us!"
"It's not just us here. To hold back the new branch chief's forces that were trying to assault Mogwa, another six ships' worth of troops have gone to intercept them alongside Capone Bege's vessel."
"So… a total of ten ships!?"
"Don't worry, we've stockpiled a considerable amount of food and supplies. Wiped out everyone's savings, though! Hahahaha!"
The defection of marines to a pirate crew—and not just enlisted men, but renowned officers—was a major scandal. He had to, at the very least, kill the central figure, Taki. But protecting him was one of the Black Cats' famed Royal Guard. On his own side, he had five elite colonel-class officers, two of whom were ability users. But just then, those two ability users cried out as their legs were shot, and they collapsed.
A shot fired with blinding speed, its power amplified by Haki, was difficult to dodge for anyone not accustomed to high-level combat against New World pirates. The three remaining colonels, shocked at the loss of their two strongest fighters, still charged forward, but they couldn't reach him. They were beaten down by a bow that had been hardened with Haki to be stronger than an iron bar, then stabbed with an arrow held in the hand rather than fired. The last one, seeing her hands were full, tried to close in for a strike, but in the next instant, she had released the arrow, tossed the bow into the air, and, with a short sword that had appeared in her hand, sliced his torso open. He crumbled to the deck.
"Why, Lord Taki…?" Momonga cried out. He had lost his men again. Soldiers meant to protect the peace of the seas were fighting and falling against those who could have been their comrades.
"…Why, you ask?"
"Yes, why!? Why betray the Navy!? Did you not boast that you came from a family that has produced excellent marines for generations!?"
"That is true. We have been marines for generations. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father—my sons who died in battle, and my grandson, too."
"Then why!?"
"…Let me ask you in return. Why?" Taki's voice was low and heavy. "Why was my granddaughter—that sweet girl who admired the marines since she was a child and worked so hard to join—taken away to the Holy Land?"
The hand that had been ready to strike at the first opening froze. So did the other defectors flanking Taki, and the Royal Guard archer called Flare.
"Why did she never return from the Holy Land?"
"Why was it a pirate, and not a single marine, who discovered this and tried to save her?"
"Why did not even a single one of her bones return from the Holy Land?"
"Why—why was there only… only…" The old soldier's voice choked. "Why was there only a single piece of paper… with the single word 'Processed'… that came back?"
A shadow fell over everyone's face, especially that of the Royal Guard. A slight shift in timing, and that could have been them.
"…Is this revenge, Lord Taki?"
"I don't know. I don't even know that anymore." The old soldier was weeping. Not loudly, but with silent tears streaming down his face. "There was certainly hatred in my heart. So much so that I didn't care about the Pirate Alliance, the Navy, or even the people I was supposed to protect. Not even my own life. Perhaps I wanted to die. But…"
—"Sorry for the delay, pirate Daz Bones. Under the Director's orders, we are here to provide support."
"But… he, and they, the ones who brought my child's suffering to light—"
—"Excuse me, Commodore Taki, about the wounded soldiers on the ship that just returned…"
—"Perona and the others are preparing medicine and bandages now, they want to hear the details!"
"To keep the flames of revenge burning in my heart, their presence was simply too…"
—"Does pride still shine in the hearts of the marines who go to their duties, risking their lives!?"
"Too much…"
A new presence intruded upon the quiet atmosphere. The Royal Guard were the first to move. Flare instantly nocked an arrow and fired it behind her, aiming high into the air. The slender arrow, reinforced with Haki to give it sufficient strength, pierced a soldier who had been flying towards them. It was a soldier Momonga, a veteran marine, had never seen before.
"What are you doing, Momonga!? That old man is a pirate now! If he's a pirate, kill him!"
Reinforcements had gathered before he'd realized it.
"Special Vice Admiral Jimuguri…!"
A Special Vice Admiral. Unlike the Special Admiral rank given to Zephyr for his role as an instructor, this title was given to one of the leaders of the reinforcements sent from the Government.
"Anyone who can't follow the Government's will is trash! If the Government tells you to become a slave, you should just give up on life! It's that stupid girl's own fault for getting noticed!"
The old soldier's fists clenched so tightly that blood began to seep from his palms. The marines-turned-pirates, the marines facing them—
"Tie them up already! Whoever captures one of those Royal Guard prancing around will get a reward from the Celestial Dragons themselves, plus a bonus from the Government—"
—"Do not open your foul mouth any further, cur."
But the words did not continue. In a flash, shorter than the blink of an eye, the man's head had been severed from his neck. The soldiers around the Special Vice Admiral, who had been sneering, were still wearing their vile smiles as they were showered in blood. They were drenched in the blood gushing from their leader's neck, yet their minds could not catch up.
Amidst the carnage, a flash of silver. The silver of the blade that had so cleanly decapitated him. And the one who wielded it was a maiden with silver hair.
"Kris!"
"My apologies, Flare. I was delayed. It took me a full two minutes to bring down the ship that was blocking our path… even though they were in such disarray. The Teacher will surely scold me."
"Well, that's partly because the Teacher himself suddenly called for Hack and went off somewhere else. I was quite surprised to be suddenly isolated in the middle of the enemy."
And in the next instant, the heads of nearly ten more of the sneering men went flying. A girl with twin swords and beautiful black hair tied back like a butterfly appeared, standing there as naturally as if she had been there all along.
—"H-hiii…!?"
Their commander had been decapitated, and the comrades next to them had been brutally slaughtered. The government reinforcements finally understood the gravity of their situation—or more accurately, just how much of a threat the girls before them were. And so, they could not move. They understood that whether they moved, or their opponents moved, they would be the ones to die.
"Alright, I have a vague grasp of the situation. Flare, could you act as Grandpa Taki's aide and support him as his second-in-command? I believe that would be the most efficient arrangement."
"Understood. —Grandfather."
"Mm."
The Royal Guard did not yet have the rank of vice-captain, but the chain of command in an emergency was an unspoken rule. Miakis, deemed the most suitable for the role in this situation, gave the order, and Flare immediately complied, taking her place by Taki's side.
"So that is how it is, Headquarters Vice Admiral Momonga!"
In stark contrast to the Navy forces, who were faltering at the sight of the Royal Guard's individual prowess, the morale of Taki's former marines was unshakable. It wasn't high. It was utterly calm, as each of them prepared to fulfill their duty as soldiers.
"…Lord Taki…!"
"It is not just me! The six ships currently fighting near Mogwa, a total of 2,377 soldiers, have all seen it in this flag!"
"In the flag of the three claws, we have truly seen the dawn!"
"—! Prepare to intercept!"
"All hands, press forward!"
"We will strike down every last pirate!"
"We will sweep away the enemy soldiers and deliver the decisive blow in this battle!"
""Chaaaaaarge!""
◆ ◆ ◆
(We've won.)
Hancock, who had been monitoring the battle, was now certain of the Black Cats' victory with the appearance of the unexpected reinforcements.
(But for that very reason, this is rather bad…!)
And because she was certain, she realized a new problem had arisen.
(At this rate, we will win too much! We might end up wiping them out completely!)
This battle required one final stage—a finishing move led by Galdino's detached force. Even if they eliminated every enemy soldier participating in this battle, the World Government's forces would remain immense. Even if they defeated two Admirals—even if they took their heads—they could shake the foundation, but not break it. Therefore, they needed to completely shatter their morale, to show them how little they stood to gain from fighting the Black Cats. And the ones who would spread that message throughout the enemy forces were none other than the enemy's own defeated soldiers.
(If Tesoro and Galdino's analysis is correct, we should treat the Government and the Navy as separate organizations. It is a bad move to unnecessarily incite feelings of animosity or revenge, never mind fear.)
In that case, they had to crush their morale while keeping casualties to a minimum. Honestly, Hancock's true desire was for the enemy to retreat already. But Zephyr, who had been their commander, had been defeated by the Vice-Director, and the remaining Admiral-class officer, Akainu, was pinned down here.
(What to do… Should we fall back for a moment?)
Hancock shot a look at Mihawk. Mihawk glanced for a second at the ship waiting behind them, then gave a slight shake of his head.
(I see. Yes, that's right. If we create distance here, Akainu will unleash his ability as a ranged attack. Even though we've shown we can deal with it, that doesn't make it any less dangerous.)
If one of the First Fleet's ships were to be sunk here, it might just tip the enemy's will toward continuing the fight. The reason Hancock and the others had sought Devil Fruits was for this very reason. Ability users had many weaknesses, but they were volatile elements that could turn the tide of battle at any moment.
"…The battle has turned in our favor. If we defeat you, who are all that remains, your forces will collapse."
(So, there is no other choice but to defeat him.)
Defeat Akainu and force the command to be transferred to someone else. Their numbers, which had once been superior, were now matched or even surpassed, and they had lost one of their greatest military assets. If they made the situation here decisive, the next person to take command would have no choice but to retreat. With that calculation, Hancock focused all of her senses on Akainu.
"Then all the more reason I must defeat you to raise their morale! Gunchō Kazan!"
From Akainu's perspective, he had no choice but to understand that he was the last line of defense. With a technique that created a barrage of smaller, more numerous volcanic bombs to suppress an area, he tried to incinerate the two pirates.
"So you're finally getting serious, Akainu!"
For an ordinary pirate, it would have been a near-fatal attack. But Hancock was unfazed. For the two of them, who had mastered the Haki known in a distant land as 'Ryuo,' it was now possible to interact with dangerous substances without touching them. Using that Haki in her feet, Hancock used the volcanic bombs as stepping stones to rapidly close the distance and unleashed a sharp kick at Akainu.
Akainu didn't dodge.
"—Ugh… gack!!"
No, he couldn't dodge. Hancock, who had always been overflowing with talent for Haki, had not only evolved that Haki but had also mastered the Black Cats' foot techniques—their silent, high-speed movement. The only ones who could deal with it were another user of the same techniques, the even more refined Captain Kuro. Besides him, there was only Mihawk, Kris, and that old man.
Thanks to his reflexes, he had avoided a direct hit to the throat, but a foot clad in black Haki still pierced his shoulder. It was a blow without her ability, all of her energy focused into Haki, and it was incredibly heavy. Even Akainu was nearly forced to one knee.
"Do not underestimate an Admiral, little girl!"
An Admiral of Marine Headquarters. The literal highest power of the Navy, the final bastion for all marines, he stood his ground.
"Unforgivable! You, who are evil! The defeat of the Navy!" He slammed his fist, burning red with his ability, onto the deck. A moment later, the deck around him turned crimson, bubbling with an ominous sound.
"Tch, this one!" Hancock immediately leaped back, escaping into the air.
"Be blown away, little girl!"
At the same time, the crimson deck erupted. Volcanic bombs of all sizes shot upwards, incinerating everything around them.
"Gu…uh!" The dense attack, with its fireballs and intense heat, severely restricted Hancock's movement in the air. A moment's hesitation, and the next attack would surely hit her, a blow that could be fatal. Hancock's eyes scanned the area, quickly assessing the situation.
(The Royal Guard is… safe! They've driven back the remaining enemy soldiers and escaped the blast radius! In that case!)
"Mihaaaaaawk!"
"—Acknowledged."
At Hancock's cry, the Marine Hunter moved. He swung his sword, sending a sharp slash flying—not at Akainu, but at Hancock herself.
"A gift in return! Take it!"
It was no betrayal. It was a combination move that Kuro and Mihawk had improvised during the battle against Germa. By colliding a sharp slash with another, slightly stronger one, they created a shrapnel of flying blades. This was no improvisation. Hancock had heard about it and had practiced it with Mihawk and Kuro several times. The technique's perfection was far beyond what it had been then. Sharper and denser than the slashes that had diced the Germa clones, the 'scattered slash' rained down on Akainu's head.
"Ngh… guhh… ah—aaaaaaaah!"
To completely evade the Haki-infused blades, a partial Logia transformation was not enough. He had to escape the area of effect entirely, but neither Hancock nor Mihawk was foolish enough to give him that opening. Immediately after the slash that had created the shrapnel, Mihawk had unleashed another, a blow meant to cut him down for good. Mihawk knew it wouldn't reach, but it had been enough to force Akainu to deal with it, delaying his next attack by a crucial second.
"Hancock—!"
"I know!"
This time, it was Mihawk who called out to the 'Pirate Princess,' and she answered.
"Gre—at Eru—!"
The pirate knew. An attack was coming. A finishing blow, aimed to surely incinerate the pirate soaring through the air.
The marine knew. He had to fire it, or he would lose.
And so, Akainu prepared to unleash an unavoidable attack that would cover the entire area where Boa Hancock was. A blow of conviction that he had to land, even if it meant taking a slash from Mihawk and having his own flesh torn open. His judgment was not wrong. It was perfectly correct. But against the Black Cats, it was far too slow.
The flow of everything Boa Hancock could perceive slowed to a crawl. Her senses accelerated to the point where she could feel the movement of the air, the flow of the wind, things that should have been invisible to the eye.
(—Take this, Akainu!)
The Pirate Princess had brought under her command an acceleration too fast to be put into words. A high-speed movement technique, silent and almost impossible to see. Nukiashi, Silent Step. Hancock, who had mastered the technique that had been Kuro's moniker, had now acquired a way of fighting she had never possessed before.
Faster than anything.
Swifter than anything.
"Perfume Femur—"
The astonished face of Akainu, who had been about to enter his attack stance, was right before her. His torso, wide open as he prepared to unleash what was likely a massive lava flow, was pierced by a foot dyed black.
Straight, straight.
Ever so straight.
In a straight line, a single blow, containing everything, struck Akainu true.
"—Magnaaaa!"
A Marine Admiral must not know defeat.
"Ooooh!"
Especially when one of their number had already fallen. Any more losses would tarnish the honor of the entire Marine organization.
"Out of my way, Akainu!"
But the pirate was the same. Just as the Marine Admiral carried the weight of his soldiers and the people on his back, so too did the pirate carry the lives of her soldiers and people.
The petrification was beginning to spread from where the pirate's foot was embedded. He was holding it at bay by turning his body to magma, but for that very reason, he could not withstand the kick, whose power had been amplified by overwhelming acceleration.
"Our Master is waiting for us!"
"...!"
"Do not get in our way!"
"…Aaaah!"
For a moment, Akainu's Haki weakened. The Pirate Princess's all-out kick finally pierced through it.
◆ ◆ ◆
"!? All hands, away from the starboard side!"
The archer, Flare, was the first to notice. From the other side of the starboard rail—from the burning enemy flagship—something was flying towards them. Judging that it might be a cannonball, she screamed a warning.
"! Evacuate, now!"
At the renewed command from their leader, Taki, the soldiers quickly moved away from the starboard side. A deafening roar followed an instant later. A sound like a direct cannon hit echoed with a powerful shockwave. The smoke, filled with dust and wood splinters, slowly began to clear. And what they saw made everyone—pirate and marine alike—stare with wide eyes.
"Th-that's impossible!"
"Admiral Akainu… is…"
It was Akainu. Admiral Akainu, half of his body turned to stone, lay on the deck.
"Ugh… ooooh…!"
No, he was getting up. He turned the petrified parts of his body back to magma, slowly regenerating. Standing before him was the Royal Guard. Kris, Miakis, and another—a girl with a pink patterned bandana on her head—drew their swords and stood before the other soldiers. Beside Taki, in the rear, Flare nocked a Haki-infused arrow, her bow drawn taut.
"D…amn… you…"
Akainu glared at them, at the pirates who stood in his way—and fell to one knee.
"Momonga…"
"—Sir!" Vice Admiral Momonga, who had rushed to his side, knelt to listen to the Admiral's ragged breaths.
"…Withdraw… the troops…"
"This is… our… loss…"
And then, mustering the last of his strength to completely reverse the petrification, Akainu finally collapsed.
"—! Grandpa! Empress Hancock did it!"
At Miakis's cry, the old soldier, who had been stunned, came to his senses.
"By the hand of Empress Hancock, Akainu has been defeated! The enemy is now no more than wet paper! A single push will be enough to make them crumble!" At the old soldier's cry, Miakis signaled to the soldiers in the rear.
"We will sweep away the remaining enemy soldiers and drive the Navy from these seas!"
The soldiers who saw the signal quickly raised a flag on their ship. A flag with a three-clawed cat, illuminated by the light of the rising sun.
"Crush them!"
And protecting it, the flag of the serpent devouring its own tail billowed heroically in the sea breeze.
At Vice Admiral Momonga's command, the marines all began to leap into the sea, heading for the ships that were still intact. Soldiers carrying the unconscious Akainu hurriedly boarded a lifeboat and began their escape.
The great war that had suddenly erupted in the West Blue—the West Sea War—had come to an end. It was a complete and total victory for the Black Cat Pirates.
***
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