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"Everyone, fall back immediately!"
"Leave this to us!"
The Commodore's face was grim as he glared at Jason and his group, barking out his orders.
The infantrymen obeyed instantly, retreating swiftly to clear the area in the blink of an eye.
"It's the Commodore's elite six-man squad!"
"Those three are strong, but the Commodore's elite squad is even stronger!"
"There's no way they'll escape!"
The soldiers' faces lit up with excitement at the arrival of the elite squad.
This Marine division boasted its most formidable seven men: the elite seven-man squad codenamed Wolf. They were the most elite, strongest special forces unit.
Once, during a training exercise, this seven-man team had single-handedly annihilated a formidable pirate crew in the latter half of the Grand Line. This legendary feat had been passed down through the Marine ranks ever since.
"These seven individuals, besides those with Devil Fruit abilities, have also mastered Rokushiki!"
The soldiers' hearts surged with excitement.
They rarely had the chance to witness these warriors in action. But now, they would finally see their power firsthand.
Led by the Commodore, the Six Paths, a diverse group of tall and short, stout and lean figures, stood at the vanguard, shielding all the soldiers behind them.
A profound sense of security washed over the soldiers, bolstered by the unwavering presence of these six protectors.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing grains of sand to drift lazily above the ground. Blood seeped from the sand, its faint metallic tang sharpening the cold glares of the seven warriors at the forefront.
Jason, Trens, and Rojen didn't charge rashly. The seven figures standing resolutely across the swirling sand currents radiated an intimidating pressure.
"These seven must be the strongest members of this force," Crocodile remarked coldly, exhaling sharply.
"They look strong, but who knows what their true strength is?" Jason cracked his knuckles, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
"Regardless of their strength, we have to fight our way out!" Trens murmured.
"Then let's move! We don't have time to waste. The captain's still waiting for us at Marine Headquarters!"
Jason thought of Rojen, currently trapped in a Marine encirclement. The sheer scale of powerhouses and numbers he faced far surpassed anything this small group could ever hope to match. Compared to what Rojen was facing, these opponents were mere small fry.
"Crush them!" Jason roared, taking a thunderous step that caused the ground to collapse beneath his foot. In an instant, his figure vanished.
Whoosh!
The ground and the sand particles in the air trembled violently, transforming into whip-like and blade-shaped weapons that surged forward like a tidal wave.
In an instant, the sky was filled with swirling yellow sand. Crocodile's large-scale area-of-effect attacks had become the greatest threat to Commodore and his group.
Boom! Rumble!
Sand particles surged upward like a raging flood, covering the heavens and earth, roaring toward Commodore and his six companions as if to devour everything in their path. The area covered stretched over a hundred meters, an absolutely enormous range.
"That guy's a Devil Fruit User of the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit)!" one of the seven shouted immediately.
"Quickly, scatter!" Commodore's expression shifted slightly. The group, originally huddled together, was instantly scattered by the force of the assault.
Just as they dispersed, a hulking figure burst through the sand with explosive force, charging forward with the imposing ferocity of a tiger descending from a mountain. He closed in on one of the Marines in an instant.
"Collapsing Mountain!"
Thick, horned dragon veins coiled along Jason's brawny arm. The air shattered as he unleashed a devastating punch.
The elite soldier, who had been swiftly dodging sand grains, paled instantly.
Under the force of this punch, he felt space itself compressing, the air churning violently, making escape nearly impossible.
Bang!
The brutal fist slammed into his abdomen. The soldier vomited a mouthful of blood, his body flung backward like a torn sandbag.
Like a human cannonball, he remained motionless in the air after being struck by Jason's blow, landing more than fifty meters away.
The Marines nearby, witnessing this scene clearly, gasped in unison.
One of the elite seven members of the Wolf team had been incapacitated with a single punch!
Hiss!
Looking again at the hulking strongman, a sliver of fear flickered in the hearts of all the Marines.
"That guy!"
Commodore's expression darkened. He had never imagined the giant possessed such terrifying power. He knew his own men better than anyone else, yet they hadn't even lasted a single exchange against the giant's fist.
"Armor-crusher Jason! His strength is monstrous, utterly terrifying! He's easily on par with Crocodile, the Sand-Sand Fruit user," an urgent voice hissed in Commodore's ear.
"Damn it!" Commodore gritted his teeth.
He realized he had severely underestimated their enemy's power. And that young man who wiped out his sniper team was equally formidable.
This trio, though small in number, was clearly extraordinary. In fact, considering their raw power, they might even surpass the pirate crew they had faced before.
After all, that pirate crew hadn't had any Logia Devil Fruit users.
Just as he was thinking this, two more screams rang out from his left.
He whirled around to see two more of his men ensnared by sand ropes. With a sudden yank, they were dragged beneath the ceaselessly flowing sand river, their life signs vanishing instantly.
In the blink of an eye, his forces had lost three combatants.
This was utterly unimaginable. Without hesitation, Commodore abandoned his original plan.
"Retreat!"
With a thunderous shout, he took the lead in falling back.
Strategic withdrawals were essential in war. His training in the Marines had always focused on becoming a Commander-in-Chief, not just a combatant.
Hearing the order, the fear-stricken soldiers snapped into action, surging backward like a receding tide.
The few remaining members of the elite unit glared fiercely at the trio before leaping away, vanishing with the main force.
"They're retreating already?!" Jason exclaimed, momentarily stunned as he watched the enemy forces withdraw.
"The Marine's approach seems completely different from the Marines'," Crocodile observed, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.
They knew virtually nothing about this other World Government force, in fact, they had never encountered them before. But from the moment the battle began, their distinct combat style and coordinated maneuvers stood in stark contrast to the Marines' methods.
"That old bastard isn't far from here," Jason said, turning to face a nearby palace. "It's time to settle the score!"
That palace was Ilinulay's residence.
The Marine's retreat had effectively cleared a path for Jason and his group, allowing them to advance unhindered to their target.
Unbeknownst to Jason's group, however, a dense wave of footsteps began to echo outside Ilinulay's palace.
(End Of This Chapter)