As the former commander of the Ashibi Kingdom and the undefeated "Sword of Ashibi," Roberts naturally excelled in battle formations and would not neglect guarding against a rear attack from the Marines.
Therefore, the Roberts Legion had always maintained an elite reserve force, which was now put into action.
Although Doma City had three gates, there was only one main gate facing Oneway Port. Furthermore, the terrain here was mountainous and rugged, making it difficult for large armies to maneuver. Detouring to the other two gates would be incredibly troublesome and time-consuming, so Roberts deployed over three thousand reserve pirates near the main gate.
However, the strength of the enlivened legion far exceeded Roberts's expectations. The enlivened legion's advance was completely unmasked, charging straight towards Doma City. The movement of thousands of enlivened creatures created a massive commotion, allowing the Roberts Legion to spot them from a distance.
Since the enemy was discovered, they naturally prepared for battle early. As a result, the charge of thousands of enlivened creatures made of stone and metal was as ferocious as a storm. They endured a barrage of gunfire, and with just one wave, they crushed the two thousand pirates deployed in the camp outside the city.
"Monsters! Monsters!"
"Run! We can't win!"
"We're going to die! Everyone's going to die!"
"..."
Discarded cannons and firearms, bodies trampled into meat paste or gruesomely dead, pirates scattering across the mountains... The pirates who had already occupied the city walls stared dumbfounded at their comrades fleeing outside the city, almost unable to believe what they were seeing.
"Everyone, provide covering fire! Get them back into the city!"
A general appeared on the city tower, wearing an iron helmet adorned with antlers, a black iron mask covering his face, and clad in black-grey heavy armor. Two meters tall, with a katana at his waist, he coldly surveyed the monster horde outside the city and issued a command in a deep voice.
"Understood!"
Bang bang bang bang... bang bang bang bang...
Rumble... rumble... rumble...
Immediately, intense gunfire and cannon fire erupted. Dazzling flashes of light flickered incessantly, and countless lead bullets and cannonballs formed a vast net like a raging storm, covering the densest areas of the enlivened creatures.
For a time, stone fragments flew everywhere, accompanied by clangorous, bell-like thuds. Many enlivened creatures were shattered into pieces, or simply knocked down.
"Hey, you're Fabian Lent, the 'Iron Knight,' aren't you...? One of the Roberts Legion's Three Generals, with a bounty of 325,000,000 Berries!"
Suddenly, a voice descended from above, causing Lent to look up. He saw a young Marine riding a legendary griffin, circling above his head, with a girl riding a giant stone bird accompanying him.
"A Marine, huh... So you're the kid Reepel and Moratos talked about, are you?" Lent gazed at the young Marine overhead, unexpectedly feeling a faint sense of crisis, which made him narrow his eyes, guessing.
"Oh, what did that idiot pig and clumsy snake say about me?" Cross bent down, curiously looking at Lent below.
"Your 'soldiers' are surprisingly strong!" Lent didn't answer Cross, instead speaking to himself, "The flying monsters in the city and these ground monsters should be with them, right...? Moratos wasn't lying!"
Clang—!
The next second, Lent suddenly drew his sword. Its gleaming cold light almost dispelled the surrounding darkness, and an incredibly sharp slash shot into the sky, carrying a fierce gale, heading straight for Cross in the air.
"Huh?!"
Cross was startled, not expecting the opponent to attack so suddenly.
"Songstress!"
At the same time, Gion, who had held her sword at the ready and remained vigilant since entering the battlefield, immediately swung her blade, unleashing a strangely shaped slash that moved like a graceful woman, its sharp friction with the air sounding almost pleasant.
Clang—!
The two slashes collided in mid-air, producing a metallic clang, then shattered into specks of starlight. A visible circular gust of wind spread outwards, making the clothes of Cross and Gion flap violently.
"You sneak-attacked me, a 17-year-old kid! That's so dishonorable!" Cross angrily condemned him at the top of his lungs.
Beside him, Gion couldn't help but feel a little exasperated hearing Cross's words. A 17-year-old kid?! You, this "kid," have stained your hands with countless lives, causing countless pirate heads to roll. You're so a kid! Moreover, how can you talk about honor to a pirate who commits all sorts of evil? Are you out of your mind?
"Interesting... the Marines have produced quite a few formidable young ones!" Lent ignored the joking Cross, his gaze falling directly on Gion. He hadn't expected this young female Marine to possess such impressive swordsmanship.
Whoosh—!
Rumble—!
Suddenly, a cannonball landed on the city wall, causing a deafening explosion. The scorching flames that shot into the sky formed an inverted bowl-shaped fireball, blowing a massive gap in the thick, sturdy city wall. The resulting shockwave swept like a hurricane, instantly sending over a dozen pirates flying.
"Hahahaha~"
Prodi appeared below the city, carrying a single-man bazooka, laughing loudly, "Can't let you kids steal all the thunder, or Garp will mock me for ages!"
"Get out of the way!"
Vice Admiral Zack Huss roared like a brown bear. He held a two-meter-long broad-bladed greatsword, blocking the city gate, forcefully swinging his blade to cut all the surrounding pirates in half.
"...!"
"A Marine Vice Admiral... what a troublesome guy!" Lent gazed at Vice Admiral Zack Huss below, murmuring softly, "It seems I'll have to put everything I have into stopping some of these guys, otherwise, it'll be very troublesome for the Commander!"
Clang—!
On a ruined street, a thunderous clang of metal on metal erupted, sending out a hurricane-like surge of air that swept in all directions.
"Why struggle so stubbornly?!"
Roberts held his famous spear, Gae Bulg, and tried to persuade Hebrass before him, "As long as you're willing to pledge allegiance to me, once I take this country, I can still let you command the national army!"
Hundreds of pirates surrounded them, their expressions fierce, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism, like a pack of hungry wolves, completely encircling Hebrass.
"Huff... huff..."
Hebrass panted heavily, his black armor severely damaged, but his eyes were resolute. He firmly gripped the longsword in his hand, assuming the 'Ox Stance' opening posture in swordsmanship.
"You really won't listen, will you...? It's a shame I don't have time to drag this out any longer. I'll just have to kill you here!" Roberts sighed lightly, his gaze turning as sharp as a knife as he looked at Hebrass.
The next second, Roberts charged out like a pouncing tiger, reaching Hebrass in an instant. The Gae Bulg in his hand even began to emit a dazzling light.
"Death-thorn Pierce!! Five!"
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