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"Are... are you sure?" The Master Chief Petty Officer asked, licking his lips nervously as everyone watched. He sought confirmation from Hyaku once more.
Leading a mission would bring far greater merit than merely participating. Naturally, the Master Chief Petty Officer wanted those accolades and the promotion they would bring.
"I'm sure." Hyaku replied, his expression unchanging. His gaze swept across those present, "Do you want to come at me one by one, or all together?"
His words ignited everyone's anger.
They had all earned their positions through countless battles and achievements. How dare this newly recruited soldier show such disregard for them?
Everyone began cracking their knuckles, eager to teach Hyaku a lesson.
Boom...Beep!
Just as tensions reached their peak, the small battleship's hull shook violently. An alarm siren blared.
"Sea King! Sea King spotted ahead on our course!"
The marine soldiers manning the controls shouted in alarm. They had spotted a massive Sea King creature directly ahead!
The warning spread through the ship's interior, and within moments, a hundred sailors rushed to surround the deck.
Everyone heard the alarm and immediately forgot their quarrel, rushing to the bow.
Hyaku looked ahead first.
Less than five hundred meters in front of the small battleship, a giant octopus-type Sea King emerged from the seafloor.
The enormous creature thrashed its massive tentacles against the sea surface, creating rolling waves that made their small battleship sway precariously.
Without Garp leading the mission, they traveled on a smaller battleship instead of the large marine vessel from the original story. These smaller ships were faster and more commonly produced for routine missions.
Though quicker, the small battleship's defenses paled in comparison to its larger counterpart. Against a Sea King, one wrong move could spell disaster!
Splash!
The giant octopus noticed their vessel and suddenly rolled across the surface, disappearing into the depths.
"Did it not notice us?"
The marines let out a collective sigh of relief.
"No — it's swimming straight for us!" Hyaku called from the bow, frowning as he pointed at the water's surface.
Despite the darkness, his keen eyes tracked the creature's movement.
The giant octopus had become a dark shadow beneath the waves, charging toward their ship at frightening speed!
The crew rushed to where Hyaku pointed, their expressions turning grave as they spotted the creature.
Evidently, they all saw it too.
"We're done for..."
"This ship's hull won't survive even one hit..."
"None of us can stop it..."
"If only Vice Admiral Garp were here!"
"..."
Panic rippled through the crew. Some wished the legendary hero Garp was leading them instead of this unknown commander.
Boom!
The sea around them began to tremble.
Splash!
The water parted as a massive tentacle shot up from the depths. It rose high into the sky, coiled, and plunged toward the ship below.
One hit from that tentacle would split their small battleship in half!
"Quick! Prepare the cannons!"
The Master Chief Petty Officer barked orders to his soldiers, desperate to blast the approaching tentacle.
"It's too late." Hyaku said.
The giant tentacle was falling too fast — they wouldn't have time to load the cannons before it struck.
"So we just sit here and wait to die?!" snapped the Master Chief Petty Officer, his earlier frustration with the commander bubbling to the surface.
The crew glared at their "commander" with displeasure.
"I'm just saying you won't make it in time." Hyaku replied coolly, unfazed by their hostility, "But I will."
✣ Rokushiki: Soru ⭄ Shave! ✣
Whoosh!
In an instant, Hyaku stomped hard on the deck and vanished from sight.
When his silhouette reappeared, he was already high in the air.
"What incredible speed!"
The crew stood astonished.
His movement had been too fast for anyone to follow!
All eyes tracked his ascent.
✣ Rokushiki: Geppo ⭄ Moonwalk! ✣
Hyaku used Geppo again, his feet kicking off the air itself as he accelerated toward the falling tentacle.
As he neared his target, he bent his body slightly, gripping his beginner's tachi with both hands. His breathing remained steady.
Concentrating his strength, Hyaku unsheathed his sword and swept it horizontally as the tentacle descended.
Slash!
The exceptionally sharp tachi, powered by his explosive strength, cut cleanly through the surface of the octopus tentacle. The blade sank deep into the flesh.
"Wow!"
The marines below cheered as they watched the sword slice through the tentacle.
"Wait, something's wrong! The tentacle is too big — a single cut won't be enough to sever it!" Called out one of the sharp-eyed marine soldiers.
Though Hyaku's tachi had successfully cut into the tentacle, the Sea King's limb was simply too massive. The cut wasn't deep enough to sever it completely.
The tentacle would still come crashing down!
The focus returned to the sky above.
Hyaku had noticed this problem too, yet his face remained completely calm, without a hint of panic.
Gripping the tachi's hilt tightly, he pushed forward while using Geppo to step on air, spinning his entire body around!
Rip...!
As he rotated in a circle, his tachi moved with him, its sharp edge tearing through the tentacle's flesh.
In the blink of an eye, he had spun a complete circle around the tentacle!
A deep wound now encircled the entire tentacle.
Splurt...!
The tentacle severed completely, and blue octopus blood rained down from the sky.
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