"D-damn it! Finger Gun!!"
A government soldier thrust his finger forward, aiming for the heart.
"An amusing trick, but your first move is far too slow," Dracule Mihawk murmured, sidestepping effortlessly. "Go to sleep."
— Slash…
"Gyaaaaaaa!!!"
One after another, the Marine Hunter lived up to his name.
He had expected the fight to follow Silent Step's usual three-person formation—Chris for support, Miakis for defense—but he found himself fighting freely, and also puzzled by the enemy soldiers.
Hmm. They aren't new recruits. They have some experience. But… as Chris said, they don't have that Marine stubbornness. They feel more like pirates.
In a one-on-one fight, these soldiers could easily overpower their own men.
But just like the battle against Germa, they had been forced into a sea fight where teamwork was everything.
And with grape shot aimed at people instead of ships, confusion spread fast, making them fall apart.
Little actual sea-battle training… they were trained to make strong individuals, not strong crews. Yes… these must be the ones trained for CP but never accepted. Gathered here just for this attack.
Two more enemies leapt in, running through the air like Kuro's style.
But compared to Kuro, they were noisy, slow, and so obvious that even Silent Step's normal soldiers saw them coming.
One was split in half by a flying slash from Chris.
The other took a knife from Miakis straight into the stomach and dropped to the deck.
They had the numbers, and the World Government behind them, while we had only what we could gather.
So why force an attack this messy?
Because Kuro isn't here?
If the government had simply underestimated them, that was fine.
But if not, then the government believed: "This is our only chance."
Which meant something about Kuro had scared them.
— Kukuku…
The thought made Mihawk laugh without meaning to.
He tried to hold it back, but it still slipped out.
"Master?" Chris asked, pausing her attack. "What's wrong? Why the sudden smirk?"
"They have some interesting moves, but nothing that should excite you this much," Miakis added, wiping her blade.
The boarding team was only five—Mihawk, Chris, Miakis, and one more Silent Step guard group from the First Fleet.
A tiny number for boarding a Marine ship.
But victory on this vessel was already certain.
The other guard unit, with Hancock's cover, had destroyed the ship's steering.
Soon this ship would become nothing but a dead hulk in the water.
"No, it's just… I look forward to Kuro's story when he returns," Mihawk said, sheathing his blade.
"Ah…" Chris smiled knowingly.
"When they heard he fought the Golden Lion, even the old man waiting in Mopuchi Country was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes," Mihawk chuckled.
Their final trump card—kept hidden from the Marines and even from most of Silent Step—had been sent away with the royal family, ready to move to a hidden base if needed.
This was Daz and Robin's choice, refusing to use him as a weapon unless absolutely needed.
"Good. The ship Hancock placed behind us is in position. Let's return."
Hancock's First Fleet continued to pin down enemy ships with switched ammo, keeping them away from the boarding point.
The recovery ship hid in the enemy's blind spot—a place with no cannons.
"That girl… I thought she was the type to fight head-on like me," Mihawk noted as he walked. "But she actually has talent for leading troops."
"She studies strategy with the Captain almost every day," Chris explained.
"Right."
"So when the Captain returns… maybe you could, you know, be a little gentler with our daily training?" Miakis suggested hopefully. "It would really help the whole crew."
"I'll think about it."
"That's the kind of 'thinking' that never leads to anything, right?" Miakis groaned.
"Hahaha."
Mihawk glanced at Miakis, who sighed and raised the whistle hanging from her neck.
Three quick, sharp whistle blows.
After a short pause, the guard unit answered with two short whistles and then two long ones.
A moment later, the same whistle pattern echoed back again.
"Their mission is done. They destroyed the cannons and only damaged the ship's movement a little."
"Good."
Mihawk swung his blade one last time, sending a flying slash that swept away the remaining enemies.
If all he wanted was destruction, he could have sliced the mast and ended the fight instantly.
But that would trap the Marines without a way to retreat.
So he made sure the ship could still move—just not fight.
These were sword strokes he never would have used in the past.
But now, they felt right.
The enemy's close-combat strength was broken, and the rest lay scattered on the deck.
A few Marines had tried to board Silent Step's ship, but the waiting guards had shot them down easily.
"We'll keep cutting down government troops and tightening the battlefield," Mihawk ordered. "The Admirals should move soon. When we return, we'll switch with Valeria's unit and rest."
"Yes, sir!"
The battle was going well—at least for now.
But Honestly, Kuro… what did you do in the Holy Land?
--
The New World.
The second half of the Grand Line—the sea ruled by pirates, the graveyard of ships.
"Ama no Murakumo."
A sword of pure light formed in Admiral Kizaru's hands.
"You're just like Kuzan—being able to make weapons out of thin air…! What a pain you people are!!" I yelled, dodging a strike that would have taken my head off.
"I think the strange one is you, fighting that with your bare hands," Kizaru drawled, swinging again. "So? Want to surrender and join the Marines?"
"I've never heard a surrender call that sounds like a job offer!!"
Seriously, how did this happen? I'm a pirate trying to build a base in the West Blue, and somehow I'm having an aerial fight with a Marine Admiral.
Don't you "Well now~" me, you damn Kizaru!!
Right after I sent Hina and the others off, this old man rode a cannonball straight at me.
I knocked him into the sea, or so I thought—But he jumped right back up at the speed of light and started a fistfight!!
If he had gone straight for Hina's ship with those laser attacks, we'd be stuck defending with no way to attack back! Damn it!!
Fighting in the air while constantly using Silent Step is already nerve-wrecking enough!!
"Why does an Admiral even have to come after me!?" I shouted, kicking off the air to gain altitude. "I mean I'm glad it's you and not Kuzan, sure—but still!! Did I do something wrong!? I worked myself half to death in the Holy Land, you KNOW that!!"
"Well now, I can't really say much about that~…" Kizaru shrugged mid-air, firing a laser beam from his finger.
"Who else am I supposed to complain to right now!? Stop acting clueless!!"
"O-oh… sorry?"
Acting calm like that just makes me angrier, damn it!!
Why—WHY—
I broke my back trying to balance everything out, and THIS is my reward!?
Okay, fine. The Marines are getting restructured again and again, and Kuzan stayed behind, so it's not the worst case.
But still!!
I have to do something about this old man!
I expected some chasing, sure, but TWO aerial battles back-to-back!? Who could predict that!?
Thanks, Shiki.
If I hadn't fought you, I wouldn't be able to keep up with this guy's movement.
Next time we meet, I'll sink you into the ocean with love, okay!?
"Why is the government suddenly so set on capturing me!?"
"When pirates show up, the government wants them caught. Simple, isn't it?"
"If you weren't told anything, just SAY SO!!"
"Oh? You figured that out?"
Seems like in aerial combat, I have the slight edge.
His power is strong—too strong—so he's fought fewer tough opponents than I expected. I can stay in the air far longer than he can.
Because of that, his moves are easier to read.
When he goes for a finishing strike, I can see it coming clearly.
He swings that light-blade down, but I twist my body and knock it aside with my haki-coated heel.
I kick at his neck—he jumps back just outside visible range.
Stop. Pointing. At. Me!!
I step in midair, shift my body—
Zing!
A thin beam of light slices through where I just was.
A sharp ringing follows, and then his light-speed kick comes flying in.
But—
"I see it!!"
"—oogh—!!"
I cross my leg against his, haki and light crashing together.
My counter kick lands on his chest—but the shock runs from my toes to my skull.
Gh…! With his size and speed, even blocking him hurts!
If only I had my claws, I could use more slashing techniques.
But with someone this fast, anything with a prep motion is dangerous.
Fine. From now on, I'm keeping Amisu and another girl at my side at all times.
There are plenty now who can keep up with me in the air.
I should rely on them more.
"Cough…" Kizaru wheezed, drifting back. "I never thought someone your age could be this strong. No wonder Sengoku wanted to keep you."
"If he wants me so much, he could let me go," I retorted. "We've cut ties with the World Government, but we aren't seeking open war."
That is the truth.
Honestly.
We'll fight with everything we have if they attack us because of Robin—but our real goal is peaceful coexistence.
If possible, I want an economy where they depend on us.
That's why we planned the Five-Island Economic Zone with Mopuchi in the beginning! Then the Pirate Alliance ruined it!
So I made the Kanan Kingdom plan and the trade route plan!
And now THIS mess blew it up too! Enough already!!
"The government doesn't think that way," Kizaru replied, adjusting his sunglasses. "They're afraid of your power growing. That's probably why."
"Shouldn't they worry about other things? Like finding the Golden Lion who invaded the Holy Land?"
"…Maybe they think you're more dangerous than the Golden Lion."
"WHYYYYY!!??" I screamed at the sky.
Explain how the rescuer ends up looking worse than the attacker, in fifty words or less, you Holy Land idiots!!
I swear I'm going to go bad at this rate!!
...
No wait. I'm a pirate.
I'm already bad.
Also—sorry. Calling someone bald is rude. Truly rude.
I shouldn't insult people's hair. My bad. I'll stop.
"More importantly," Kizaru pointed lazily toward the horizon. "What about your hostages? At this rate, we might catch them first."
"Oh, that won't be a problem."
Just then, a loud cracking noise echoes from Hina's direction.
The sound of thick armored hull boards shattering under pressure.
Kizaru's expression tells me everything.
—"C-can't move!! We're stuck!! We've run aground!!"
—"We're taking on water! Captain, orders!!"
—"Impossible!!"
—"The escort ship has no trouble at all!!"
With Observation Haki, I can hear them even from here.
"…And this is?" Kizaru asked, confused.
"I've been doing more desk work and supervision lately, so you might've forgotten—
but I'm a pirate."
I don't cross seas with sonars or radars.
But I know how to read waters and currents just fine.
"I know how to pass through the sea."
I say it partly to taunt him, partly to mock the Marines' pride.
Kizaru sighed. "Pirates don't usually do desk work, you know~?"
...…
"Well… yes. True. But still…"