Next, Xia Qiu quietly waited on this deserted island. The departure time of Vice Admiral Onigumo from the branch was uncertain; sometimes he wouldn't leave the branch for seven or eight days, or he would be gone for a long time before returning.
However, there were also times when he left more frequently, heading to Marine Headquarters, or to Enies Lobby to escort important criminals, or to contact the Shichibukai.
As for sea patrols, most of the time, it was the responsibility of the branch's Rear Admiral, and they wouldn't use top-tier warships most of the time.
The G4 Branch's responsibility was to cover the sections of the surrounding three shipping lanes that approached the Sabaody Archipelago.
In various countries and near various regions, there would be Captains, Commodores, and Rear Admirals in charge of each sea area.
For example, Captain Hina was in charge of the sea area around Alabasta, and two years later, she was promoted to Rear Admiral and still remained in charge of this area.
But Vice Admirals were different; they didn't directly govern a country or region but rather several shipping lanes.
Xia Qiu didn't know how long he would have to wait, but fortunately, three days later, Zala received a Den Den Mushi message.
"We've got a message. Evergreen City was attacked by the Fangs Pirate Crew. They killed over a hundred people and destroyed a Marine warship, killing a Captain. It's a major incident. Vice Admiral Onigumo is personally setting out to clear out the Fangs Pirate Crew. Their direction is northeast."
Zala said slowly. Xia Qiu asked curiously, "Is there any information about the Fangs Pirate Crew?"
"Yes, the Fangs Pirate Crew. Their Captain has a bounty of 180 million, and their total bounty reaches 420 million. We need to be careful."
"I understand."
Xia Qiu replied, dove into the ocean, and swam towards the G4 Branch.
A Pirate Captain's bounty of 180 million was quite good. If it were a few more months, he would rank seventh among the future Supernovas of the eleven, not far from 200 million.
One of the Supernovas, Drake, had a bounty of 200 million, ranking sixth. Before becoming a Pirate, he was a Marine Rear Admiral; it's unknown if he was a Four Seas Rear Admiral.
But regardless, the Supernovas wouldn't be defeated by a Rear Admiral. With a bounty of 180 million and a total bounty of 420 million, it would be difficult for a Rear Admiral to defeat such a Pirate Crew.
However, for a Vice Admiral, this strength was not enough to be feared.
This was a good opportunity.
Therefore, Xia Qiu chose to follow.
He first dove into the ocean and swam towards the G5 Branch. There, the Marine Vice Admiral's warship had just set sail, its sails hoisted, and it was heading into the distance.
Xia Qiu followed behind. As he got closer to the warship, he realized how large it was.
It wasn't the eighty meters he had initially guessed, but over a hundred meters long, with a width of about thirty-five to forty meters.
The warship had four masts. On the main sail of the first mast were the Marine insignia and lettering. On the banner at the top of the second mast was written "G5."
On both sides of the warship were two rows of a total of twelve cannons, and in the front and on both sides, there was a triple-barreled cannon.
The number of cannons alone reached thirty-three.
In addition, there were two paddle wheels, allowing it to sail quickly even in the Calm Belt.
This was a top-tier warship, the standard vessel for a Vice Admiral, and could also be used by a Rear Admiral in emergencies.
Xia Qiu estimated that to disrupt its buoyancy, he would need to create at least six to eight holes, and some of these holes would need to be connected to make a large area lose buoyancy, while also utilizing the ship's own weight.
Unlike other warships, he couldn't just make holes on the sides, preventing the ship's compartments from providing buoyancy.
As for the keel, Xia Qiu wasn't confident he could break it. The keel supporting such a massive warship would be extremely thick and hard, making it difficult for him to break.
Besides this warship, seven or eight other warships were also leaving the port one after another. There was only one top-tier warship, but there were many large and medium-sized warships.
In the Marines, there were four types of warship specifications.
Top-tier warships were standard for Vice Admirals, over a hundred meters long, and could carry up to a thousand crew members.
For example, in the Enies Lobby arc, one top-tier warship had twelve hundred people.
Large warships were used by Commodores, Headquarters Captains, or some Rear Admirals.
Medium-sized warships were used by the heads of the Four Seas branch bases, or by the ordinary warships of Hina's Black Cage Fleet.
Finally, there were small warships, not much larger than the Going Merry, with two masts and a few cannons, which the Marines used occasionally.
And now, there were about three large warships and five medium-sized warships. Including the top-tier warship, there were a total of nine ships.
Too many.
Did a Pirate Crew with a total bounty of over 400 million deserve such attention?
However, the Fangs Pirate Crew seemed to have killed over a hundred people in Evergreen City. Xia Qiu remembered Zala's words: they had also killed a Captain and destroyed a Marine warship, classifying it as a major incident.
Evergreen City was a country and a member of the World Government, eligible to participate in the World Government Conference held every four years.
Committing such acts and being classified as a major incident meant it was no small matter.
But for Xia Qiu, this was a terrible situation.
With so many warships, Xia Qiu himself couldn't possibly attack them. If he sank one warship, they could simply replace it.
He decided to give up this time.
So, Xia Qiu did not choose to follow and abandoned this opportunity, returning to the deserted island.
"President, why did you come back?"
Zala asked curiously upon seeing Xia Qiu return, "Didn't the Vice Admiral set sail?"
"Of course, he set sail."
Xia Qiu glanced at her, saying unhappily, "But there are as many as nine warships following. I can't attack them at all."
"Nine ships?"
Zala frowned, then quickly said, "President, the information I received didn't mention how many warships were departing..."
"It seems that person didn't have time to tell us, or didn't get complete information."
Xia Qiu said softly, "Then let's wait a bit longer."
Xia Qiu believed Zala wouldn't hide anything. After all, the number of warships departing was obvious to him. If he were ambushed in such a way, he wouldn't foolishly launch an attack.
If he were Zala, and truly intended to do something, he would notify the Marines to have strong individuals lie in wait on a single ship to ambush him.
However, he had already told her about Vivi's situation, so she wouldn't do anything at this moment.
Unable to attack this time, Xia Qiu could only continue to wait.
For the next few days, Xia Qiu roamed the waters near the G4 Branch base, recording the conditions of the surrounding sea.
About three days later, the departing Marine warships returned to their route and arrived back at the G5 Branch.
On that same day, Zala's Den Den Mushi rang, "The Fangs Pirate Crew has been successfully apprehended. In two days, Vice Admiral Onigumo will personally escort them to Enies Lobby."
"Enies Lobby?"
Enies Lobby was located to the south, on the right side of the Grand Line, outside the Seventh Route.
It formed a triangle with Impel Down and Marineford, with treacherous currents that could help Marine warships reach it.
The Seventh Route did not pass through these three locations; to the left of Enies Lobby, it turned towards the Sabaody Archipelago.
This was a good opportunity.
Enies Lobby was very far from here, with many opportunities for an ambush along the way. Moreover, Onigumo himself was escorting the prisoners this time. If he could find an opportunity to strike, could he also devour the prisoners?
An ability worth 180 million would provide a large amount of Reinforcement Energy.
As Xia Qiu thought this, he arrived near the G4 Branch. Onigumo had just set sail, and a massive warship was heading south.
There was only this one warship.
Very good.
Xia Qiu relaxed and slowly followed.
Although this warship was huge, its speed was not slow. With four masts and large sails billowing, its speed was considerable even without external propulsion.
However, for Xia Qiu, the speed was somewhat lacking, only about half of his cruising speed.
Xia Qiu's current form was vastly different from his previous fish form. His fish fins had greatly reduced in number, and his pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins had become legs, with even his tail fin disappearing.
The main function of the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins was to maintain balance, but Xia Qiu's body had become stout, and with six legs, he could use his legs to balance himself.
Secondly, the tail fin provided propulsion, but it couldn't compare to the propulsion from Xia Qiu's legs.
Overall, Xia Qiu's speed in the water, his sprint speed, had greatly increased, while his cruising speed had not changed much from his original form.
Xia Qiu followed the warship, capturing the magnetic forces of the surrounding islands to determine his position, swimming further and further away.
The warship's direction of travel initially turned south, but then it immediately changed course and headed southwest.
Xia Qiu used fragmented sleep to rest, doing his best to maintain his optimal state.
He simultaneously used magnetic forces to track the surrounding islands, hoping to find an area with only two magnetic forces.
These two magnetic forces should be the magnetic forces of the two points before and after the route, with no other islands present, or possibly islands nearby but without magnetic forces.
On the Grand Line, areas without magnetic forces, which cannot be tracked by a Log Pose, are rarely known and no one actively seeks them out.
Even if it were nearby, as long as it wasn't in a visible location, Vice Admiral Onigumo probably wouldn't flee in that direction.
Xia Qiu had to ensure that after sinking the ship, there would be no islands nearby for the enemy to escape to.
Thus, time passed, the sun set, and its golden light spread across the sea, gradually receding until the sky turned dark and the moon rose.
"It's time to rest."
In the cabin, Vice Admiral Onigumo stood up. He didn't immediately return to his room but first went to the middle section of the ship, where there was a cage containing several prisoners bound with Seastone shackles.
"Vice Admiral."
Two rows of soldiers and four soldiers opposite stood guard in the cell area, and there were also seven or eight soldiers in the corridor.
"Vice Admiral."
From a room not far away, three officers in military uniforms immediately came out and walked up to Onigumo.
"You are on duty today. You must keep a close eye on them," Onigumo said coldly. "These prisoners are very important. It is said that Admiral Akainu was enraged upon seeing how many people they had killed, so no mistakes are to be made."
"I will watch them closely and absolutely no mistakes will occur," the subordinate quickly replied.
"If anything happens, you will be held accountable."
Onigumo left these words, glanced at the prisoners, turned around, and returned to his room. He had water brought to him, washed up, and then went to bed.
He set the ship aside and lay down on the bed, feeling sleepy before long.
But just as he was about to fall asleep, the ship trembled, not by much.
"Hmm?"
Onigumo frowned, rolled over, and continued sleeping.
Perhaps it encountered a sea current, or a Sea King passed by and accidentally bumped it.
Such situations were common and there was no need to worry.
This ship had Seastone on its hull. Sea Kings would mistake it for seawater, and they wouldn't attack proactively.
Moreover, the ship was sturdy. At least in the Grand Line, as long as it wasn't attacked by others, this ship couldn't possibly sink.
So Onigumo rolled over, yawned, and intended to continue sleeping. But before he could fall asleep, the ship shook again.
Boom.
The ship swayed, and the tremor was larger this time.
"What's going on?"
Onigumo frowned, feeling something was wrong. The vibration was much stronger than before, and the sensation from the ship indicated a sudden, massive impact.
It wasn't a sea current; something in the sea had hit it. With such a large impact, it could only be a Sea King.
"Wuwuwuwu."
The next moment, a loud sound echoed from the ship's cabin.
"This signal... the ship is under attack and leaking?"
Onigumo immediately stood up and put on his clothes.
Stomp, stomp, stomp, bang.
Heavy footsteps sounded from outside, the door was pushed open, and a voice rang out, "Vice Admiral, the ship, the ship is leaking."
"Come with me."
Onigumo put on his clothes, grabbed two swords, and walked out of the room. He waved to the soldiers on guard, who immediately entered the room, each grabbing two swords and following him.
As he walked, Onigumo asked the person who came to report, "What's the specific situation?"
It was a Marine Major. He quickly replied, "A large hole has been smashed into the starboard side of the second to eighth compartments below the sea."
"Six compartments?"
Onigumo was surprised. The second to eighth compartments were near the bow of the ship; they had all been damaged.
"Come with me."
Onigumo then asked, "What hit the ship?"
The Major replied, "We haven't seen it yet."
"I understand."
Onigumo nodded, stepped onto the stairs, and went up to the deck. Many sailors had already gathered on the deck, and they had lit torches and fire baskets. When lowered, they illuminated the sea surface.
Upon seeing Onigumo, a Marine officer immediately stepped forward and said, "Vice Admiral, the emergency plan has been activated. The men below are repairing the ship. The fire oil is ready and can be poured at any time."
"Don't rush. Let's see if there will be further attacks. Everyone, be on alert."
Onigumo shouted loudly. The sailors immediately became vigilant, while Onigumo stood there, holding his two swords, not speaking but closing his eyes.
Suddenly, Onigumo pushed off from the ground and disappeared from his spot. He instantly appeared on the port side, drew his twin swords, and slashed downwards.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Two massive slashes instantly swept downwards.
Splash.
The seawater parted, and the slashes continued downwards, striking a figure.
The next moment, the figure slammed into the ship.
Boom.
A large hole was smashed into the bottom of the warship. Onigumo let out a cold snort, raised his long sword, and began to swing it rapidly.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Slashes shot towards the sea, striking the water's surface.
Damn it.
Xia Qiu didn't dare to circle around. He continued to descend, diving into the ocean.
After dodging the slashes and swimming away in the depths of the sea, he felt a sharp pain in his back.
The power was immense.
The scales on his head had been cut open, and his first dorsal fin was directly severed. The bone plates on his back and his tail also bore wounds.
This was the strength of a Vice Admiral. The power of the slashes was far greater than that of Colonel T-Bone, whom he had encountered before.
T-Bone couldn't cut through his own dorsal fin.
But Onigumo was different. The part of his dorsal fin exposed above the water was directly sliced by Onigumo's Rankyaku. Bone plates shattered, and the scales on his submerged head were also cut.
However, the dorsal fin wasn't severed in one go. It took four or five hits in different spots, both above and below the entire fin, before it finally broke completely.
The base of the dorsal fin was hit twice before it slowly snapped, but a section still remained underwater.
The slash, after breaking through the scales underwater, didn't damage the bones but was absorbed by muscle.
Though his strength was great, he himself was also getting stronger.
After consuming T-Bone and a Commodore, his body had been further reinforced.
Not only that, but during the intervening year and three months, he had continuously consumed pirates, absorbing the Reinforcement Energy of at least three Commodores.
His dorsal fin and scales had become incredibly tough. If Heckle were to directly attack him, he might not even be able to inflict damage.
With the seawater weakening Onigumo's Rankyaku, it could only scrape his scales and some muscle.
Besides that, although Onigumo was a swordsman, the cutting power of his slashes wasn't particularly strong.
He was a Vice Admiral, a Spider Devil Fruit user, and fought using the Eight Sword Style.
Furthermore, he possessed both Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
With Armament Haki, he could strike Logia users directly and cut through hard objects.
He didn't need to pursue pure strength or the power of his slashes; combined with the Eight Sword Style, he was unstoppable.
He also knew the Six Powers, making his speed extraordinary.
Therefore, his Rankyaku and the force of his slashes, among Vice Admiral swordsmen, probably weren't particularly outstanding.
Otherwise, a Devil Fruit, plus the Eight Sword Style, plus dual-color Haki, plus the Six Powers, would be excessively powerful.
He could withstand it, but he needed to dodge.
Xia Qiu thought, changing direction, he dove into the water and charged again. As he got closer, he slowly ascended diagonally upwards.
But before he could collide with the pirate ship, Rankyaku struck again.
"Damn it."
Xia Qiu was hit by seven or eight more Rankyaku slashes. The wounds on his back grew increasingly severe, but he still collided with the Marine warship with a boom, shattering the deck.
This time, he impacted on the side of the hole he had just created, connecting it again and forming a space of about five compartments.
Three holes.
They were distributed on both sides of the ship's hull, but it wasn't enough. The ship was too large.
He needed to hit it at least twice more.
But if this continued, he feared he would be killed by the opponent first. He had to find a way.
Meanwhile, on the warship, Onigumo suddenly shouted, "Swords!"
Following his voice, his body slowly transformed. His backside enlarged and bulged, and his hair grew long, turning into six arms that grasped six long swords handed to him by sailors behind him.
A total of eight swords.
Onigumo gripped the swords, closed his eyes, and waited for Xia Qiu's arrival.
One more time, and he would kill him completely.
But Xia Qiu didn't come.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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