The Golden Lion Pirates descended from the sky, true to their name, a pirate crew capable of flight.
They had no wings, nor did they possess the ability to fly on their own. But under the Golden Lion's mighty power, they had been granted this extraordinary ability.
The sudden aerial assault took the Marines completely by surprise, forcing them into a hasty counterattack.
When the battlefield is your own headquarters, every Marine instinctively becomes more cautious, restrained by the fear of destroying their own base.
The Golden Lion Pirates, though attacking only a small corner of the vast Marine Headquarters complex, had already caused devastating chaos; their strike at the very start of the war had an immediate and powerful effect.
The Marines fell into disarray, clashing with the pirates head-on amid smoke and confusion.
From his vantage point on the high platform, Fleet Admiral Kong's face darkened.
"Issue the order, restrict their movement to one area! Also, have all Marines retreat from that sector! Let the pirates take it! Once they occupy it, surround the entire area!"
At his thunderous command, the Marines quickly withdrew, clearing the zone and leaving a wide open space.
"Take the high ground! Commence bombardment!"
A Marine officer shouted from above. At once, the Marines snapped back to their senses. This was their territory, after all, their own stronghold, filled with powerful and deadly military installations.
Once they regained control of these facilities, the advantage would shift sharply in their favor. The more perceptive Marines immediately realized the brilliance behind Kong's orders.
"Fleet Admiral Kong's strategy it's a tactical retreat! He's lured the pirates into that area only to encircle them!"
"Just one clever move, and those fools have already stepped into a death trap without even realizing it!"
Only the Marines themselves truly knew how terrifying their military firepower could be.
"Weng weng weng!"
On the rooftops of nearby structures, massive gun turrets rose into view, their barrels swiveling toward the pirates. With a deafening boom, the heavy cannons began to charge.
From hidden hangars, gigantic black humanoid robots marched out, weapons in hand, crimson eyes glowing ominously as they strode into the ranks of the Flying Pirates.
The moment the encirclement was complete, the situation shifted dramatically.
"Xiu! Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!"
Countless cannon blasts erupted simultaneously. Even the air itself distorted under the immense force of the bombardment.
"Boom!!!"
Flames soared skyward as dark shells rained down, exploding among the pirates and sending bodies flying amid screams of agony.
Not far away, Rojen and his team of four, retreating alongside the Marines, stood frozen, utterly stunned by the display of destruction.
"So this is… Marine artillery fire?"
Before them, the area occupied by the pirates had turned into a sea of fire. Kong had directly ordered a full-scale cleansing operation, annihilating every pirate in that sector.
His command was decisive, ruthless, and terrifyingly effective.
"It's like watching two giants fight," Crocodile muttered darkly. "And we're just four ants passing by, completely powerless to resist."
His self-mocking words drew no argument from the others.
Compared to the massive powers clashing before them, they truly were insignificant, tiny figures standing in the shadow of titans.
This was not a battle between individuals; it was a war between transcendent forces, something far beyond their current reach.
"Let's move. If I'm right," Rojen said suddenly, snapping out of his daze, "The Celestial Dragons' palace should be accessible through that alley to the northwest!"
Amid the chaos, no one was paying attention to them, making it the perfect moment to act.
The four of them took one last look at the blazing battlefield before them, imprinting the sight deep in their minds.
Right now, they were nobodies, insignificant players in a vast war. But in the near future… they would become the protagonists. High above, Fleet Admiral Kong watched as the tides of battle began to turn, a faint smile curling his lips.
"Sengoku, where's Garp?" At that, Sengoku's expression darkened.
That troublesome old friend of his… had disappeared again!
"He should be arriving any moment now," Sengoku replied helplessly, still covering for him.
"Good. Tell him to hurry. I suspect the Golden Lion is about to make his next move." Kong nodded gravely.
Sengoku could only sigh inwardly and curse Garp once more, but he nodded all the same.
Amid the enormous chaos of battle, no one noticed the four shadowy figures darting swiftly through the narrow alleys. Their movements were blindingly fast, each leap covering dozens of meters in an instant. Anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path was swiftly and silently dealt with.
Moving quickly through the labyrinth of side streets, Rojen's group of four soon vanished from the main battlefield.
After about half a quarter-hour, the four finally came to a stop. Before them loomed a towering wall, easily thirty meters high, a massive, seamless barrier of stone and steel.
They exchanged wordless glances.
"Old boss… don't tell me you mean to say the Celestial Dragons' palace is behind this?" Jason glared at Rojen, utterly incredulous.
This captain of theirs was acting stranger by the minute. Had he really brought them here just to stare at a wall? Was this some kind of joke?
But to Jason's disbelief, Rojen nodded seriously.
"That's right. This is it. Jason, break through this wall, and we'll see the Celestial Dragons' palace."
"What?!" Jason was stunned. He glanced back over his shoulder, on top of the high military buildings behind them stood thousands of elite Marines, all on alert.
Yet their captain was actually telling him to blast through the wall by brute force?!
If the Celestial Dragons' palace truly lay beyond, then fine, but if he was wrong, the moment they broke through, they'd be treated exactly like the Golden Lion's forces.
And against that kind of retribution… they wouldn't stand a chance.
"Jason, break through it!" Rojen's eyes hardened, his voice sharp with command.
"Do it fast!"
There was no hesitation in his tone. At this stage of his realm cultivation, Rojen's training energy had reached the level of Spirit Transformation, allowing him to awaken a refined divine sense; his perception was far sharper than ordinary people's.
And what he sensed beyond this wall… was unmistakable. He was certain, absolutely certain, that the Celestial Dragons' palace lay on the other side.
"All right then…" Jason sighed helplessly.
Crocodile quietly lit a cigar and stood back, watching. Jason clenched his fists. His muscles swelled like living steel, veins bulging and writhing beneath his skin like horned dragons, producing a low rumbling growl as his entire body tensed.
"Power Amplification, Four Hundred Times!" With a roar, Jason threw his punch.
"Collapsing Mountain!"
"BOOM!!!"
His right arm shot forward like a rocket at point-blank range, the air itself detonating with a sharp crack as the pressure wave tore through the street.
The punch slammed directly into the thick wall.
The wall exploded outward, a jagged crack spreading rapidly, forming a two-meter-deep collapse zone. Jason's arm trembled slightly, pressing forward again.
"Weng!"
The collapsed section shattered completely, dust and rock bursting outward as debris was hurled backward, and through the breach, a shaft of light shone from the other side.
"Done."
Jason withdrew his fist, peering through the hole.
At that exact moment, the four of them were spotted. Alarms blared throughout the area, sharp whistles piercing the air as the Marines raised the alarm.
(End Of This Chapter)
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