"There's no more time to waste!" Captain America's voice was a clarion call, cutting through the thunder of the distant cannons. He looked from the giant to the scholar, his gaze burning with an unshakable, righteous conviction. "You have to trust me, Saul! You have to trust me, Olvia!"
It was more than just the words. It was the certainty in his eyes, the absolute absence of doubt. It was the look of a man who did not hope to win, but who had already decided that he would not lose. In that moment, faced with that impossible resolve, the cynical scholar and the world-weary giant found their own fear eclipsed by his faith.
"Alright," Saul said, his voice a low rumble of acceptance. He gently scooped Captain America into his massive hand.
"Saul, are you sure about this?" Olvia asked, her scholar's mind rebelling against the sheer, unscientific madness of the plan. "It's… illogical."
"I know," Saul admitted, a strange, fierce grin spreading across his face. "But for some reason, I believe him. I don't know what he's planning, but he's earned our trust." With that, he began to spin. He built momentum, turning on the spot like a colossal Olympic hammer thrower, a human-sized projectile in his grasp. The world became a blur of color for Riven. Then, with a final, mighty roar that echoed across the bay, Saul let go.
FWOOSH!
Captain America was airborne. Propelled by the cataclysmic strength of a giant, he shot across the water like a cannonball fired in reverse. The vast distance to the Navy warship vanished in seconds. He was a red, white, and blue missile, closing in on his target.
He landed on the deck of the lead warship with a ground-shaking THUD, his body absorbing the impact in a perfect crouch. As he rose to his full height, the ship's crew, who had been preparing their next volley, simply stopped and stared.
He fixed them with a glare that was pure, cold steel. "My name is Captain America," he announced, his voice booming across the deck. "And I will not allow you to destroy Ohara."
For a moment, there was only stunned silence. Then, a single marine snickered. The sound broke the tension, and a wave of derisive laughter swept across the ship.
"What is this guy?" one soldier guffawed. "Is he some kind of circus performer?"
"Look at that ridiculous costume! Did he get lost on his way to the theater?"
Their laughter was a cascade of arrogance and disbelief. They saw a man in a garish outfit, not a threat.
A grim line formed on Captain America's lips. "You won't be laughing for long," he promised, settling into a low, ready stance. The shift in his posture was subtle, but to the ship's commanding officer, a seasoned Rear Admiral, it was a terrifying signal. The relaxed fool from a moment ago was gone, replaced by a coiled predator. All his instincts screamed danger.
"OPEN FIRE!" the Rear Admiral bellowed.
The marines snapped back to attention, raising their rifles as one. The deck exploded with gunfire.
But Riven was already moving. He charged forward, a blur of motion weaving through the storm of bullets. To his enhanced senses, the world was moving in slow motion. He saw the paths of the projectiles, the terrified faces of the men firing them. He moved with an effortless grace that made a mockery of their attack, not a single bullet finding its mark.
He reached the front line of soldiers, ripped the shield from his back, and threw it.
SHIIING!
The Vibranium disc became a whirlwind of destruction. It ricocheted off a cannon barrel, slammed into a bulkhead, and then carved a devastating path through the tightly packed ranks of marines. It moved with impossible geometry, striking a dozen men before they even realized what was happening, sending them flying like bowling pins. The shield wasn't a blunt instrument; it was a tactical munition, clearing a path with brutal efficiency.
As the shield returned to his hand, Riven became the wolf among the sheep. He plunged into the heart of their formation. A single punch, thrown without full force, sent a wave of kinetic energy through a cluster of ten marines, lifting them off their feet and throwing them into the ship's mast. A powerful side-kick, aimed not at a man but at the deck itself, buckled the steel plates and sent a plume of black smoke billowing up from the compartments below.
He was a whirlwind of controlled chaos, his every move a lesson in combat geometry. He didn't just fight; he dissected.
To the super-soldier's mind, the warship was not a fortress; it was a system of interconnected weaknesses. His eyes traced the lines of the superstructure, his tactical brain instantly identifying the most vulnerable points: the ammunition hoists, the engine conduits, the command bridge.
With the marines in disarray, he leapt onto a cannon turret, spun, and launched his shield again. This time, he wasn't aiming for the men. He was aiming for the ship.
The shield struck the base of the main mast, severing it with a deafening shriek of tearing metal. It then ricocheted downwards at an impossible angle, punching straight through the deck and into the bowels of the ship. A moment later, a deep, muffled BOOM echoed from within, followed by a violent shudder that ran the length of the vessel. He had hit the powder magazine.
Fire erupted from the hole in the deck. Alarms began to scream.
It had been less than three minutes since he landed.
From the bridge, the Rear Admiral watched in stunned, horrified silence. The battle was over. His ship was dying. His men were broken. And the monster responsible was standing calmly amidst the chaos, a silent sentinel of destruction.
"What… what is he?" the admiral whispered, his authority forgotten.
On the deck, the surviving marines were no longer soldiers. They were terrified children.
"He's a monster!"
"That strength… it's like a giant's!"
"Mama… I want to go home!"
The warship, once a proud symbol of the World Government's might, was now a burning, sinking wreck.
From the distant shores of Ohara, Saul and Olvia watched in absolute, stunned silence. They saw the lone figure land. They saw the flashes of combat. And then, they saw the ship begin to burn. It was like watching a superhero blockbuster, a battle of such an impossible scale that their minds could barely comprehend it.
"Riven's friend…" Saul breathed, his voice filled with awe. "He's… he's incredible. He took down a warship in less than three minutes."
Olvia said nothing. She simply stared, her scientific, logical worldview shattering against the undeniable reality of the man who called himself Captain America.