Grand Line, First Half - Marine G-2 Branch.
The colossal Marine training vessel slowly entered the port, docking at its berth under the watchful eyes of many Marines on shore. The gangplank was lowered, and Cross, following behind Zephyr, was among the first to disembark with Smoker, Hina, Shuzo, and others.
"Long time no see, Zephyr-sensei! Yo~ Cross-kun, Smoker-kun, it's been a while!" Borsalino, puffing on a cigarette, approached with a carefree swagger, a few Marine generals trailing behind him.
That's right, the G-2 Branch Base Commander was none other than Borsalino, an old acquaintance of Cross. His subordinates, Rear Admiral Strawberry, Rear Admiral Kadar, and others, were also familiar faces.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, long time no see!"
"Want a cigar?"
"..."
Cross and the others responded in turn.
Zephyr glanced at Borsalino with some distaste, asking in a rather ill-tempered tone, "Borsalino, am I disturbing you by coming here?"
"Neh~ Zephyr-sensei, don't be so formal. It's just that I'm preparing for an operation these past few days!" Borsalino didn't mind, instead chuckling, "But thank you for helping eliminate the Bloodmen Pirates. Now I'll have one less opponent to deal with!"
When Zephyr retired and went to the Marine Academy to teach and implement reforms, Borsalino was one of his first students.
However, Borsalino, a Logia user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, was called a 'monster' by his peers due to his power and outstanding performance. He was also the student most at odds with Zephyr. Thus, Borsalino wasn't at all awkward when Zephyr seemed uninterested in him.
"You lazy bum, you actually have this much drive?" Zephyr asked skeptically.
"Don't say that, Zephyr-sensei. Speaking of drive, you're still going strong in your old age!" Borsalino said leisurely.
"Tch~ Stop buttering me up!" Zephyr didn't give him a kind look, directly stating, "The Bloodmen Pirates captives are now handed over to you. Send them all to Impel Down when you get the chance!"
"Leave such a small matter to me, Zephyr-sensei!" Borsalino exhaled a puff of smoke, pouting leisurely. "By the way, the intelligence division found a small island occupied by pirates, right within my jurisdiction. I'm gathering forces to clear out that island. Are you interested in joining?"
"A small island occupied by pirates…" Zephyr raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Tell me more about this."
....
Several days later.
Grand Line, First Half - Gurri Island.
Boom, boom, boom, boom… Boom, boom, boom, boom…
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble…
Several warships were anchored offshore, their massive white sails emblazoned with the black 'G-2' insignia.
The triple-barreled main cannons at their bows roared like thunder, unleashing dense, black cannonballs that flew rapidly through the sky.
Accompanied by piercing shrieks, they rained down on the island, creating deafening explosions. The ground shook violently as fierce shockwaves from the massive explosions, laden with scorching flames, swept out, utterly destroying homes, buildings, people, livestock, flowers, and trees within their range.
The power of steel and fire was truly a divine might that mere mortals could not withstand.
Under the cover of the warships' artillery fire, hundreds of Marines rowed a dozen small boats, forcing a landing on the island's sandy beach.
SCREEECH—
ROAR—
"..."
Meanwhile, various cries, including eagle shrieks, came from overhead. Many Marine soldiers looked up to see large birds rapidly soaring over their heads, kicking up gusts of wind. They sped ahead, heading towards the port in the distance.
The moment Cross stepped onto the sandy beach, he saw thick gunpowder smoke blanketing the island. He couldn't help but take a deep breath, only to inhale the acrid smell of gunpowder.
"Attack!"
Before long, as some soldiers had just disembarked and assembled on the soft sand, Rear Admiral Kadar impatiently waved his katana, loudly commanding the Marines to charge towards the nearby port.
Speed was of the essence in warfare, and Rear Admiral Kadar wanted to storm into the town before the pirates in the port could react. His idea was not entirely wrong.
As expected, with the cover of large-caliber ship cannons and the aerial assistance of Enlivened creatures, the pirates in the port had already suffered heavy casualties, allowing the Marine force led by Rear Admiral Kadar, numbering just over a hundred, to advance as if through unpopulated territory.
They met almost no resistance and quickly broke into the port. Subsequently, more Marine soldiers continuously disembarked, rushing into the port.
"Don't be scared! Kill them!"
"In the name of justice, annihilate these pirates!"
"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death!"
"Don't panic! Don't lose control! Ahhhhh—!"
"..."
Fierce battle cries came from all directions.
Cross, wielding Kagehide, casually strolled through the ruined port town, occasionally swinging his long blade to deflect lead bullets and cannon fire aimed at him.
The Marine attack proceeded smoothly because the pirates within the port town had already been routed by the bombardment of the large-caliber ship cannons. Marine soldiers, in groups of a dozen or so, engaged the enemy.
From a distance, they used muskets and rocket launchers to kill, and up close, they blocked with swords. The pirates, before they could even reorganize their formations, were repeatedly defeated, leaving countless corpses behind.
Suddenly, an enraged roar came from behind a rammed earth wall to the right: "Damn Marines! Don't underestimate 'Mountain Demon' Gemodo!"
Boom— The next moment, the thick rammed earth wall exploded. Amidst the flying soil, a figure flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
"Eh? Rear Admiral Kadar, are you alright?" Cross looked at the man before him with surprise, unable to help but ask.
Earlier on the beach, it was Rear Admiral Kadar who had commanded the newly landed Marine soldiers to attack the port town. Cross hadn't expected him to be in such a sorry state so soon, clearly having encountered a troublesome opponent.
"QUOOOOO—!!!" As soon as he finished speaking, a monstrous figure appeared in the breach of the rammed earth wall. It repeatedly hammered its chest with its fists, letting out strange cries that made the branches of the surrounding trees tremble.
This monster had a large, elongated head, a dark face, a prominent nasal bone, a protruding snout, robust jaws, and forward-facing, closely set nostrils, with only a white beard on its chin.
It possessed a strong body nearly four meters tall, covered in dark gray fur, and walked upright. With such a terrifying appearance, calling it a 'Mountain Demon' was no exaggeration!
"Rookie, get back! This isn't a fight you can participate in!" Seeing the monster, Kadar's face changed. He quickly scrambled to his feet, waving Cross away, not even bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing this, Cross took a stack of wanted posters from his pocket, carefully flipping through them. He muttered to himself, "Let me see… Found it. Bounty of 94,000,000 Berries, Gemodo Pirates Captain, 'Mountain Demon' Gemodo, Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, Fruit… Oni-Baboon Form!"