Chapter 542: Navy vs. Aragami!
The moment Ryuunosuke sensed that strange aura lingering after he killed the Aragami, he acted without hesitation.
He snatched a smaller one mid fight, locking it down with sheer force.
"Test."
The system's detection function activated instantly.
It could not read everything, but it was reliable when it came to living organisms.
The response hit him like a cannonball.
"The testing target is 80% human and 20% mammal."
Ryuunosuke froze.
Eighty percent human.
Meaning these Aragami were not pure monsters at all.
They were human.
Or at least, they were made from humans.
A single name surfaced in his mind almost immediately.
Vegapunk.
The genius the world called the greatest scientist of the seas, a brain said to be five hundred years ahead of humanity. If anyone could create abominations like this, it would be him.
But why?
If the goal was to dominate the seas, why leave them on the Infinite Continent, the moon?
Why store weapons so far away that simply bringing them down would waste precious time?
Worse, if someone discovered them early, the element of surprise would vanish completely.
Of course, that was only Ryuunosuke's logic.
A man like Vegapunk might be seeing a board with pieces nobody else could even recognize.
"Pff!"
A sharp burst rang out.
Not exactly a sonic boom, more like the sound of air tearing as an attack was released.
The speed was clearly beyond sound.
Before Ryuunosuke could fully react, a massive tentacle struck him head on and launched him away.
As his body flew, he caught the attacker in the corner of his eye.
An enormous Aragami, towering like a moving disaster.
At the same time, the others were still locked in combat with it.
"This thing's power is disgusting," Ryuunosuke muttered, jaw tightening. "And this defense feels like a cheat."
Holy Wings flared open behind him.
He stabilized himself in midair, then stepped forward.
The impact was terrifying.
It blasted him upward like a cannon shot, sending him straight back toward the massive Aragami.
…
At the same time, Marine warships arrived at the edge of the battlefield.
"Sakazuki," Borsalino said, and for once his lazy smile was gone. "Are you sure we're fighting those things?"
He stared upward, felt his throat tighten, then swallowed hard.
If they sent the Marines in like this…
Forget staying on top like Ryuunosuke and the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
Even surviving would be a struggle.
Borsalino had watched the Dragon Hunter Pirates fight before, up close.
But compared to Mary Geoise, they had improved again.
A lot.
Enough that even he could feel the gap widening.
"Boom boom boom!"
Before Sakazuki could answer, several Aragami slipped through the cracks in the aerial battle and plunged into the sea.
The moment their bodies touched seawater, something changed.
A strange substance formed around their feet.
And just like that, they moved freely across the surface.
Unaffected.
Unhindered.
These Aragami were not afraid of the sea.
"Fire!"
Sakazuki's voice slammed down like judgment itself.
"All personnel below admiral level, fall back!"
"Admirals, prepare for battle!"
Magma erupted.
Sakazuki punched, and one Aragami at the front was swallowed by molten lava.
But the next moment, it tore itself out of the magma and kept coming.
"Tch."
Borsalino lifted a hand.
Light gathered.
A storm of luminous projectiles exploded outward, smashing into every Aragami pushing forward and forcing them back.
Some were injured, some torn apart, but none of it felt decisive.
Kizaru's attacks were the kind even Supernovas could not endure.
Meaning these Aragami had durability at least at Supernova level.
"Ice Age."
A familiar voice cut through the chaos.
The next moment, the sea turned solid.
"Kuzan."
Sakazuki and Borsalino both glanced toward the sound, expressions tightening.
Aokiji rode in on a bicycle, calm as if he was arriving at a casual meeting.
The ocean beneath them was frozen, and several Aragami were sealed inside the ice.
"Move," Sakazuki snapped. "Don't let them recover."
This was not the time for old stories.
Kuzan had made his move.
Now they had to finish the job.
With the admirals coordinating, the Aragami trapped in the ice were destroyed quickly.
Only a dozen or so had fallen into the sea.
But above them, there were still thousands, maybe tens of thousands, filling the sky.
Just imagining what the Dragon Hunter Pirates were dealing with made the air feel heavier.
"Gulp…"
A Marine officer spoke up, voice trembling.
"Fleet Admiral… should we retreat?"
It was not fear of death.
It was realism.
It had taken three monsters at the top of the world to kill a handful.
If more Aragami dropped down, ordinary Marines would die for nothing.
Against numbers like that, they would be nothing but fish on a cutting board.
"Retreat?"
Sakazuki's voice turned cold.
"How do you expect us to retreat now?"
He turned, barking orders fast.
"Kuzan. The task of limiting them is in your hands."
"Borsalino and I will handle the rest."
"The other admirals, do what you can, but the priority is protecting yourselves and the Marines on board!"
Then Sakazuki shot into the sky.
The Aragami diving down were met by magma.
Molten lava surged like a living dragon, carving blazing arcs through the air as explosions bloomed overhead.
Any Aragami that broke through the first line immediately met Borsalino's follow up.
Kizaru did not bother asking whether they had ever been kicked at the speed of light.
He simply delivered the answer with his feet.
One after another, the falling Aragami were cleared.
Anything that slipped through and hit the frozen surface was sealed again by Kuzan.
Then the admirals followed up, shattering the ice and delivering the finishing blow.
The Marines' teamwork was brutal and efficient.
They knew each other's abilities too well.
With that understanding, coordination became instinct.
They were not as overwhelming as the Dragon Hunter Pirates, but they still managed to kill the falling Aragami in an organized rhythm.
As time dragged on, blood began to stain the sea.
Countless droplets, spreading into thin red patches.
Aragami blood.
Some Marines cracked under the pressure and tried to run.
The Aragami did not hesitate.
They seized the opening and slaughtered them on the spot.
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