"Boss, they're firing at us," Bones shouted, leaping up and catching the cannonball barehanded. With a loud boom, it exploded in his grasp, but he remained unharmed.
"If they want a fight, let's give them one. Get the ship over there and wipe them out—but don't sink them. We still want their treasure," Rosen ordered. Since the enemy made the first move, there was no point in holding back.
Boom boom boom!
The two pirate ships approached each other, avoiding direct destruction. The goal wasn't annihilation, just looting—standard pirate conduct.
"Captain, that flag looks familiar," a crewman on Salis' ship remarked as the opposing ship drew closer.
"Familiar or not, it doesn't matter. If we don't get supplies soon, we won't make it to the so-called Sky Island. Even if we turn back now, we don't have enough left. What, are you scared?" the bearded captain roared, brandishing his blade at the bow.
They had reached a desperate point. The path to the Sky Island wasn't easy. They'd come up from another route and had been sailing along the Sky Path for an unknown length of time, with no accurate map.
They'd only ventured here based on rumors of the Golden City's existence and the testimony of someone who survived a visit to Sky Island decades ago.
Soon after entering the Sky Path, they lost two ships. Out of the five pirate ships they started with, only this main vessel remained.
Supplies were critically low. Thankfully, they occasionally hunted sky beasts along the way, but they weren't strong enough to catch them consistently.
Empty-handed runs were common.
"So this is naval warfare? Cool! Blackface Uncle, can I fire one?" Natalie asked eagerly, walking up to a sailor operating a deck cannon.
"It's dangerous—just watch. I'm about to hit their ship with this shot!" the dark-faced sailor said confidently, and fired.
The expensive cannonball streaked across the sky and exploded upon impact, setting the enemy ship ablaze. It wasn't a cheap solid shot either.
After getting rich overnight, Rosen had upgraded all the ship's cannons and ammunition. The enemy scrambled to put out the flames.
"Charge! Kill them all!" As the ships drew near, Salis swung across on a rope, leading dozens of men into battle.
"They've got some strength... but I doubt I'll need to step in," Rosen remarked. Unless the opponent met certain criteria, he left it to Bones.
"The Shichibukai—Crocodile!" Salis had been on the Sky Path for some time. Without news birds, they were out of touch with what had happened in the Blue Sea, but he still recognized the man standing at the center.
Fear and ambition surged. With no way out, he charged at Rosen, blade raised. Both Hathaway and Natalie looked ready to fight but were stopped by Rosen. "Let them have a go. I want to see how much they've improved."
Clang!
Salis only had a bounty of seventy million, but his skills were impressive. His large blade swung ferociously—but Bones stepped in, taking the blow. Sparks flew as the blade struck him, cracking at the edge.
"A steel man?" Salis was stunned. A Devil Fruit user? Trouble indeed. But there was no turning back now.
"Spinning Slash!" Salis's massive form spun like a whirlwind, blade storming toward Bones.
"Blade Grasp," Bones muttered. His hand formed a claw and clashed directly with Salis' blade tornado.
With a screech of metal, there was a sharp crack—Salis' weapon shattered.
Shocked, he leapt back, grabbing another blade from a crewmate and watching Bones warily.
That was just one of Crocodile's men? And his weapon was already destroyed after one move? This was too much.
"Rapid Detonation!" Mr. 5 joined the fray. With the Boss watching, he couldn't embarrass himself. Sprinting toward the enemy, he released explosive air bursts that knocked down every enemy within a meter radius.
Within a minute, a third of the enemy was down. But more pirates kept leaping over from the enemy ship.
Whoosh whoosh
boom boom boom!
The Kung Fu Dugong charged through the enemy with lightning speed, taking down pirates with a punch apiece. Few could withstand its blows.
"Damn beast!" Salis' first mate narrowly avoided the attack but flew into a rage. If he couldn't handle an animal, his crew would mock him.
"Paper Verdict!" He pulled out white cards and flung them. As they flew, they sharpened like blades.
"Hey-shoo!" The Dugong leapt and punched one, knocking it aside. With a thunk, the soft paper embedded in the deck like steel.
But the remaining paper suddenly softened and floated down, sticking to the Dugong.
"Paper Transfer!" The first mate whipped his arms and the Dugong was lifted into the air and slammed to the deck.
Seeing this, Robin looked distressed and was about to intervene, but Rosen stopped her. "Wait. Let's see more."
"Hee-shoo-shoo-shoo…" The first mate tried to control the Dugong again, but it reacted fast, tearing the paper off with a loud rip.
"What? My paper sticks too tightly for even several strong men to tear off!" the first mate gasped. He tried again, but nothing happened.
Now furious, the Dugong vanished in a blur and reappeared beside him, unleashing a flurry of punches.
The first mate activated his ability, turning into a paper-thin form like Kami-e. But his version came from the Paramecia-type Paper-Paper Fruit, not physical training.
Still, it worked—he dodged the attacks.
"Useless. I'm a paper man. You can't beat me," he gloated—just as the Dugong's eyes flashed red and it let out a sharp cry.
In an instant, countless air shockwaves blasted from it like rain.
The first mate couldn't dodge this time. He was struck repeatedly, his body twisted and contorted, and finally he was launched into the air, flying off the ship—and off the Sky Path entirely.
"Feather Arrow!" Valentine hovered in the air, carefully guiding laser arrows to avoid blowing up their own ship. The arrows weaved through the crowd, causing small explosions that took out pirate after pirate.
"Finger Gun!" Miggs unleashed a near-massacre with his mastery of several Rokushiki techniques.
"Soru!"
"Tekkai! Geppo!"
"Finger Gun—Rapid Fire!" He finished off weaker enemies, then defeated a skilled pirate after several dozen exchanges.
"Damn you!" Salis clashed again with Bones and was slashed deep by his razor-sharp leg.
Turning around, he saw that all his men—including the Devil Fruit users he'd painstakingly recruited—were already down.
And the Shichibukai hadn't even fought yet.
Were his subordinates really this strong?
Salis began to question everything.
(End of Chapter)
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