"Alright then. So this is how the enemy moves."
If Robin or Perona were here, I'd already have a map marked with enemy positions by now... but what one person can do alone is limited after all.
Being on top of the already high Red Line makes the wind even stronger.
With my hands burned, it's hard to hold down paper against the wind or grip a pen properly...
"Around the castle. More precisely, the outer side of the moat is the main battlefield. No particular obstacles. They're trying to restrict movement with fences and such, but the effect is minimal..."
My shaking hands make the writing quite messy, but it should help organize the situation.
"Since there are no obstacles, the enemy formation is thicker and they're overpowering us with momentum."
Not much debris fell around here.
From the start, they planned to push through with military force... or rather, they made it easy to deploy zombie soldiers.
I can see several remains of defensive barriers that were trampled over.
Probably traces of being pushed back and retreating.
"I can see scattered corpses of Marines and slaves. That means no reuse as zombies and no intention to collect them."
This pretty much confirms that muscle-bound fool isn't present on this battlefield.
Still, I'll stay maximally alert since getting ambushed and having my shadow cut would be unforgivable.
"...It's a pirate-like aggressive attack, but... I get the gist of it."
"I found the opening, but how to exploit it..."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Damn it! Of all places, why does this have to happen at the Holy Land?!"
At Pangaea Castle's north gate, facing the avalanche-like zombie horde, CP Chief Spandam was shouting orders to his subordinates, his face dripping with sweat.
"You guys better pull yourselves together! If even one soldier gets through to the other side, all our heads will roll!"
It wasn't a metaphor. Seriously, everyone's heads would roll, or rather, they might literally be decapitated.
No, being killed might actually be merciful.
He'd seen plenty of the tragic fates of Marines and royalty who had accidents and went missing, only to be kept as pets by their employers.
(Damn it! Forget about us and the knights' positions, but is the Navy side okay?!)
Part of him wanted the Marines to fail.
If the Marines made a notable blunder here, their own safety would improve somewhat, and extracting failures from the Navy was part of CP's assigned mission anyway.
But now that things had deteriorated to the point where he couldn't predict where the anger would land, he couldn't help but worry about the other front's situation.
(Kuro, hurry up and bring that girl over here! You're currently the only liaison between us and the Marines!)
They'd received reports that he'd engaged Golden Lion, the enemy leader, but didn't know what happened after that.
Moreover, right after that report came this battle with the army, and maintaining the defensive line left no spare capacity for information gathering.
Ring ring ring. Ring ring
"You're late, you bastard Kuro!!"
'...Spandam, isn't your reaction a bit too fast?'
"Shut up, you idiot, you fool! In this situation, who else would call me on a Den Den Mushi from outside?! You defeated the enemy, right?! Right?! Say yes! Right?! Right?!"
'Spandam, calm down a bit.'
Perhaps because of this, the moment the Den Den Mushi that had been silent finally responded, the CP Chief grabbed it himself before any deputy could react.
'I managed to drive off Golden Lion Shiki somehow. But he took the food storage...'
"That can be dealt with later! So you can move now, right?! Then come help us right now!"
'Spandam, you need to think with a broader perspective... this is pretty bad.'
"Shut up, I'm swamped dealing with what's right in front of me, so do something about it! You're a pirate, right?! Fulfill your obligations!!"
'That's a bit of a contradiction traffic jam, isn't it?'
The pirate that CP Chief Spandam encountered as an enemy in the West Blue member nation of Mogwa. Captain Kuro, also known as 'Black Cat.'
While Spandam found him a difficult opponent to deal with, his job required repeated conversations with 'Black Cat,' and through exchanges with the young Marine woman who usually accompanied him, by the time they were in situations with only that Marine woman as witness, they'd developed at least a casual talking relationship.
Meanwhile, 'Black Cat,' who had been focused on smooth talking to successfully lower Spandam's guard, was internally licking his lips.
'Honestly, even at full strength I'd be questionable as a fighting force, but I did think of something while watching enemy movements...'
"So you have a plan?!"
'...Yes. So, Chief Spandam.'
"What?!"
'Could you set that whole area on fire for me?'
"Like hell I could, you idiot!!!"
Spandam opened his mouth wide and shouted into the receiver.
The pirate on the other end quietly muttered, 'I figured as much.'
"This is the Holy Land?! It's one thing if the enemy sets fires, but if we go around burning things ourselves, we'll be cut down!!"
'Well, I had a feeling about that. Then I'll go with Plan B, though it'll be a bit tiring.'
"Don't say things you knew would be rejected!"
'Sorry, I'm at that age where I want to take it easy.'
Unlike Spandam who had no composure whatsoever, the pirate was even enjoying this conversation.
"So! What's Plan B?!"
'Yes. Rather than obstructing enemy movement, I'll prepare a small dam to test the enemy's true nature.'
"A dam?! How?!"
'For that, I'd like you to prepare a few things and lend me some personnel.'
A few minutes... actually, about one minute was all it took to explain.
The pirate's proposal was impossible for ordinary people, but simple.
"I understand the plan. I can spare that much, including personnel."
'Please hurry as much as possible. I'll start preparations immediately too.'
"Got it! ...Kuro!"
'Yes?'
"We can win, right?!"
'Of course.'
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
Fire!!
At what could now be called the final defensive line, Hina was firing her rifle alongside other soldiers in defense.
(I've been told by Sensei and Rear Admiral Momonga to learn from Kuro's methods, but what am I supposed to do in this situation?!)
The man feared as Black Arm Zephyr was using his trademark haki-blackened arms to blow away modified zombies one after another, but he didn't have the same momentum as in actual combat she'd witnessed before.
This was a relatively open area where he could go all out if he wanted, but his fists lacked their usual sharpness.
Being at the Holy Land was unconsciously dulling his strikes.
(The head... aim for the head anyway...!)
While Hina was better at close combat, she could handle firearms better than most Marines.
She claimed her rhythm had been completely off since the day she met Black Cat, but the recent rare genius of the Navy wasn't just for show.
If Kuro had been here, he probably would have muttered, "Somehow you alone have a ridiculously high kill rate... or rather, headshot rate."
"Second Class Petty Officer, is ammunition supply okay?!"
"Yes sir, no shortage!"
Fortunately, being a defensive line at the Holy Land meant they hadn't run short of ammunition so far.
Thanks to that, they'd managed to create a decent barrage and somewhat slow the enemy's advance.
But what would happen if the enemies kept coming endlessly?
The enemies seemed to pour out infinitely without stopping.
(At this rate... it would be good if we could drop the moat bridge, but whether the Celestial Dragons would allow that is unclear. At worst, we might have to fall back to the castle gate...)
Ironically, through this battle, Hina was realizing the difference that having a competent commander made.
If Sengoku or Vice Admiral Tsuru were here, or at least if communication were easier, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
Or perhaps... perhaps...
(Kuro! You're safe, aren't you?!)
All the debris rain had finished falling, and there was no more threat from above.
Moreover, all the truly dangerous giant debris had been blown away by shock waves that could only be described as such, coming from a distance.
Most Marines didn't understand what was happening, but Hina and some others knew whose attacks those were.
While that informed them of Kuro's safety, it also conveyed how intense the battle being fought was.
The fact that it had stopped meant some form of resolution had been reached.
(If you're safe, show yourself already!)
The moment Hina shouted that internally, as if it had been conveyed, a new change occurred on the battlefield.
A roar echoed from the sky.
Several Marines looked up, wondering if they were about to be attacked from above again, but there was nothing there.
Conversely, those who kept their eyes straight on the enemy noticed it.
A ship was running through the sky.
Not from above, but a huge ship flying horizontally.
"All personnel, evacuate!!"
Simultaneously with the commanding officer's shout, a huge ship landed in the large plaza in front of the castle with a thunderous roar, crushing many zombie soldiers.
"Could this be...?!"
Following orders, she turned her back to the battlefield once and evacuated while glaring at the direction the ship had come from.
In that sky, another ship was flying toward them in the same manner.
"Honestly!!"
"Report before taking action!!"
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Good, good. Perfect distance and direction."
Since galleon-class giant ships were impossible, I used smaller, non-burning ships instead. Confirming the landing of the third and final ship, I finally felt relieved.
(The experience of kicking through cave walls on that island paid off. If I'd relied on brute force to break through, the ceiling might have collapsed.)
Thanks to that, I was able to kick the ships without breaking them.
Not using haki was a bit tough, but well, no problem.
(Alright, it forms a perfect triangle.)
It was arranged like an equilateral triangle with one corner open.
I positioned it so that one corner pointed toward Pangaea Castle, where they were charging.
"Now, the enemy is also panicking... but their flow hasn't collapsed."
As expected, one more push is needed.
They're probably already moving, but when I tried to confirm the action with Spandam via Den Den Mushi, the Den Den Mushi started ringing.
"Hmm, a call from them... is that you, Spandam?"
"You idiot!! If you're going to do something, say so before you do it!!"
...That was Hina.
"Well, I'm glad you're safe anyway. How's the situation there?"
"How should I know?! Ships suddenly came flying, so I had to pull the troops back a bit!"
"Are the zombie soldiers pouring in?"
"...No, they seem a bit confused too. Thanks to that, we've completed troop repositioning."
Yeah, good. Just as I read it.
"Hina, I contacted CP earlier. They'll probably take action soon, so if possible, I'd like you to relay the situation there as it happens."
"That's fine, but what are you going to do?!"
"Nothing much, you'll understand soon."
While we were talking, I sensed movement.
Probably several CP agents.
Now then...
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Can we really stop this many with something like this?"
"It's better than nothing. Make sure to drive them in firmly and secure them."
The three ships that the pirate called Black Cat had kicked over.
Among them, several masked men and women approached the ship closest to Pangaea Castle, the one with its bow pointing toward the castle gate, and began their work.
"If the enemy disrupts the flow, they'll avalanche into this narrow space all at once. Hurry."
What they were doing was nothing special. It was simply blocking what looked like an exit between the two bow tips with a large number of chains.
They were hammering metal stakes with chains securely attached into the ships using their respective specialized Six Powers techniques.
"Even if we fail, in this location the responsibility belongs to the Navy and that ridiculous pirate called Black Cat who devised the strategy. Actually, it would be easier for us later if they failed."
"Well, the Navy aside, that pirate is fine, isn't he? Strong, clever enough for the Five Elders to regret losing him, and that handsome face... hehe, I'm looking forward to a few years from now."
"Just finish it quickly. Don't miss the timing."
"Yes, yes."
Don't be scared! Our bodies are many times tougher than ordinary people!
Take everything inside the castle!!
Many zombie soldiers raised war cries and began advancing again.
While the ships created obstacles, there was still plenty of space for an army to move, and the forces were actually more energized.
Seeing this, the masked male of the pair snorted quietly and struck a stone he'd taken from his pocket hard against the stake.
Sparks flew vigorously, and those sparks reached the chains... adding heat to the oil that had been thoroughly applied to the chains.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"...I see. Zombie soldiers are flammable."
The leading zombie soldiers pressed against the flaming chains were instantly engulfed in fire, and that fire spread to the soldiers behind them.
"They're turning into fireballs left and right."
"But that's all. If they continue their avalanche, this level of chain blockade will be easily broken. At most, it just reduced their numbers a bit..."
"...What?"
"Oh my."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Kuro, your fire strategy stopped the enemy soldiers! Actually, many zombies are confused and trying to run the other way!"
Several men and women who had appeared without notice had set up devices on the ships Kuro had kicked over.
Chain blockades and flame nets. They'd probably rigged the chains with oil or something.
And with just that simple engineering, the zombie army had suddenly fallen into confusion.
'Ah, as expected. Looks like I won't need the backup interception plan...'
"What do you mean?! How can they collapse so much from just that flame net..."
'Simply put, that army isn't made of pirates.'
Seeing the army they'd struggled against, that had cost many soldiers their lives but couldn't be stopped, easily crumbling from one engineering trick, the surrounding officers and soldiers were dumbfounded.
And they listened to the pirate on the other end of the Den Den Mushi for answers.
'While they can somehow manage to collect corpses and modify them a bit, the problem is the shadows that move them.'
"Shadows?"
'The personality base of these zombies comes from the shadow owners. And how they collected that many shadows in just half a year...'
"...The people taken from West Blue!"
'Exactly. So even though they were made to follow orders as zombie soldiers, their essence is civilians with little familiarity with combat, let alone violence.'
'I repeat, these guys aren't a military force. They're closer to rioters.'
"...Rioters."
She knew about them and understood what they were like.
But as a Marine, they were unusual opponents.
A nearby Headquarters Vice Admiral groaned quietly.
'The true nature of their charging power is the combination of bodies without pain sensation, plus the group psychology of having allies around them moving in the same direction and taking the same actions.'
The voice from the Den Den Mushi sounded more fatigued than Kuro usually did.
'Crushing them one by one won't stop them. To stop them, fire is most effective rather than human gunfire or violence, because it's a more fundamental fear. After all, it's one of their bodies' greatest weaknesses. When they see many burning and falling before their eyes, of course they get scared.'
Hina, who was somewhat like his attendant, remembered that Kuro had only slept fifteen minutes in the past two days.
'Hina, please ask the surrounding officers to request cleanup of those who escaped the ship enclosure. Even those far from the fire's terror should sense that something is happening on the other side of the ship wall.'
Indeed, the enemy's movement has slowed from this side too, Kuro's words proved true. Looking closely, the soldiers responding had gained some breathing room.
Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals turned around to take command of the cleanup operation.
"Alright, Headquarters officers are heading to command now."
'Good, then I'll leave the rest...'
"So what should we do next?!"
'...Hm?'
"Eh?"
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"Sengoku, Garp."
"I understand, the atmosphere has changed."
After each defeating about forty of the particularly powerful zombie soldiers, the three of them felt with their skin that the fighting spirit had greatly changed far behind them, around Pangaea Castle.
It wasn't the desperate fighting spirit of soldiers barely holding on.
It was the fighting spirit of an army continuing to engage according to certain rules, even while heated by the fever of mortal combat.
"It's Kuro! Hahahaha! What a waste that he's a pirate!!"
Three mistakes had driven the situation to this point.
First, they had reduced the number of Marines to avoid overly stimulating the government during these negotiations.
Second, for the same reason, they had left high-ability Headquarters officers at Marineford.
Finally, thinking they could regroup with Kuro after protecting the Holy Land from the initial debris attack if the enemy was only Shiki, they had prioritized intercepting debris, causing command to be divided and forcing them to rely on Vice Admirals guarding the rear.
"Sengoku, don't let your guard down! A big one's coming!"
A galleon ship that had long since stopped producing modified or even soldier zombies split in two, and something slowly began moving.
Whatever method was used to create it, it was a zombie with gorilla-like body hair, matching the giants in size.
"...I wonder if this one also has explosives packed inside?"
"Probably. If it's crammed full, carelessly defeating it could cause considerable damage."
"But if we leave it alone, the front line that finally recovered might collapse. I'll stop it."
At Tsuru's words, the other two nodded in agreement.
Besides this giant soldier, there were many other troublesome enemies that couldn't be carelessly attacked, even though their numbers were decreasing.
For the sake of the soldiers fighting in the rear, this position had to be defended at all costs.
"Kuro... we're counting on you."
"Sengoku, Tsuru, I'll leave the medium-sized ones to you."
"You're going after that big guy?!"
"Nothing much, there's a way to handle it."
"If done well, it can be used to support the youngsters and Kuro."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
'Captain Kuro! We've begun engaging zombie soldiers that broke through the flame net!'
Yes, okay, keep pushing like that.
"Continue advancing. The enemy soldiers trying to retreat straight back will find the rear ships acting as walls, leaving them confused about escape routes. As a result, greater confusion will occur at the two exits that serve as escape routes."
Yeah, I can see it from here too, so there's no mistake.
At the two corners of the triangle's base that serve as exits, confusion is occurring between forces trying to attack from both sides of the ship to avoid going through it, and soldiers trying to escape the enclosure.
Damn it, Hina unnecessarily efficiently set up the communication network...
Thanks to that, my workload increased.
Please, please let me sleep.
"Admiral Zephyr. From your position, can you see any isolated soldiers among those retreating, ones trying to stay in place?"
'Indeed, I've confirmed several. ...Commanders?'
"More like guides. Since they can't completely suppress the confusion, their command skills don't seem like much, but leaving them alone will be troublesome."
'Understood, I'll prioritize crushing them.'
That helps. Even though they're confused, that's still right in the middle of enemy territory, so only strong individual pieces can avoid being crushed.
(I only diverted the direction of confusion, they're still rioters.)
They said they don't want to burn too much, so to minimize damage while following their wishes as much as possible... well, this is about right.
(The enclosure also serves as countermeasures against engineered soldiers with explosives, but there are fewer than expected. The plaza damage should be less than anticipated too.)
Actually, why am I doing this kind of thing again?
Like during the pirate alliance incident before reorganizing the command structure, all these Marine guys are way too obedient...
They really follow a pirate's instructions well.
(Come to think of it, the officers who came didn't seem that pressuring, except for some... oh.)
"Rear Admiral Airven's unit should fall back while harassing the enemy. Please resupply. Colonel Shih Tzu and Colonel Norwich, take their place at the front."
'Wait, Black Cat! We can still fight!!'
"I'm aware. But your unit's remaining ammunition should be approaching thirty percent soon."
'We are elite! With just sabers in each hand, we can...'
"While fewer than expected, there's still the possibility of engineered soldiers with explosives mixed in."
'...!'
(Probably the type who got promoted due to sudden restructuring... too used to frontline work.)
Unlike previous defensive battles, now that we've turned to offense and are pushing back, the importance of resupply timing has skyrocketed.
"Rear Admiral, battle has psychological warfare aspects. While we've successfully incited confusion and broken the enemy now, pushing too hard could cause them to revert to desperate frontal breakthroughs."
'All the more reason!'
"If we carelessly strike engineered soldiers here and their explosions wound our troops, the rioters might see that as a breakthrough opportunity."
'...But...'
Hmm, still not convinced... combat high? Then...
"I want the Rear Admiral's unit to resupply ammunition, get into perfect fighting condition, and then handle the follow-up that will ultimately decide the situation."
'Follow-up?'
"The battle with the army is mostly decided. From here it's about how to suppress the enemy while minimizing damage. I want the Rear Admiral's unit to handle the decisive battle that could finish this."
I'm not lying. I'm really not.
However, returning to resupply rifle ammunition, simple sword cleaning, and light treatment of minor wounds...
(I can let them rest for at least fifteen minutes. With travel time before and after, I can cool them down a bit.)
"So please fall back once and get the soldiers into the best possible condition. I don't want any more damage to the soldiers, or even burden them if possible."
Now, how about it?
'...Understood. Falling back.'
"I appreciate your understanding."
'Kuro, should we push forward?!'
"Yes, both Colonels' units should advance as planned. However, be careful about distance from the enemy. Advance while protecting Rear Admiral Airven's retreat route, and pursue."
'Understood!!'
Yeah, saying "understood" isn't really appropriate here.
...Really too late for that though.
Actually, having to build communication and trust in the middle of battle is such a pain.
I've thought this over and over and over again, but having even a few Imperial Guard members here would have made a huge difference.
(At least if it were Marines I'd fought alongside in West Blue...)
"Spandam, how's your side?"
'The soldiers flowing to our side have decreased considerably! What should we do, push forward?!'
Not bad. If I have CP strike from the side here... ah, no...
"Right now we're using the enclosure to create confusion in the army, so one wrong step could restore their unity."
'I see... then what?'
...Let's see.
"Slowly push up your front line to give the battle line breathing room, while I'd like to borrow some regular forces."
'Huh? Well, with the situation this settled, I don't mind... will they be useful?'
"Yes. And I'd like them stationed on the two ships serving as valves toward Pangaea Castle."
'On the ships? ...I see, from high ground!'
"Exactly. Since I kept the fire strategy to minimum scale, I want to add pressure to the rioters with gunfire from elevated positions to compensate."
Good, thanks to gaining some trust, the conversation is moving quickly.
If only I didn't have to watch my back, this would be so much easier!!
'We can't burn everything down, but we can use Molotov cocktails! Inside the enclosure, we can control fire spread!'
"Please do."
Well... never thought I'd rely on Spandine.
Though it's incredibly complicated considering Robin.
Now then...
(If CP and government forces move, the confusion will continue for a while longer. Thanks to Admiral Zephyr, agitators and guides are being eliminated. Modified zombies have been confirmed in areas with at least three Headquarters field-grade officers assigned. Considering troop losses, I want a bit more support to maintain breathing room... I could fire one shot risking unconsciousness... no, that's no good. Once I've become the commander, I can't lose consciousness until the end...)
At that moment, a sudden roar and impact exploded in the sky above the Holy Land, quite high up, at about the altitude where I'd fought Shiki.
I was completely off guard, so I prepared for an attack from that rotten rooster geezer, but there were tremendous fireworks going off in the sky.
(Looks like that thing from Arabasta... wait, this is...)
I sense Garp's presence a bit below that.
Maybe because his haki is too strong, my Observation Haki isn't working well or feels blurred.
(No no, this isn't the time to space out. I need to do my job properly.)
This is a chance. I might be able to finish this in one go.
I switched the Den Den Mushi from individual to open channel and shouted.
This is really tough, but this kind of thing is important for raising morale.
"Marines! The enemy's trump card has been destroyed by Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admirals Garp and Tsuru! The enemy no longer has any cards to reverse the situation!!"
I don't know if it was really a trump card, but it's probably not wrong.
At least, since such big fireworks ended up as a waste shot, unless there are multiple of them, it's meaningless now.
Even if there were, with Sengoku and Garp around, they could handle anything.
"All that remains is annihilating the enemy! There's absolutely no need to rush! If you follow instructions and tighten the encirclement, there's no way we can lose!!"
If we could finish this with an all-out charge, that would be best, but given our forces, getting into a quantity battle would increase casualties.
The key is how much we can prevent the enemy from moving while beating them one-sidedly.
"Vice Admiral Whippet's unit, hold position temporarily! We'll respond after seeing enemy movements that will deepen their confusion."
'Understood.'
"Rear Admiral Airven, current position?"
'Just reached the rear and rushing resupply and treatment.'
Oh, okay.
You don't need to rush actually.
"After completing resupply and treatment, please secure the point with the large fountain to the southwest."
'The enemy will come there?'
"Not yet. But if the enemy falls into complete confusion, that's the most likely place for them to avalanche into."
'Understood. But if enemies avalanche in, my unit alone would be insufficient.'
Right.
Uh, wait wait, the units I have in the rear now... Colonel Shett is one of the key units guarding the south gate side, Vice Admiral Stafford... his individual ability is on the lower side but he's quick-thinking so I want him maintaining the front line, Rear Admiral Ritany's unit composition is close-combat oriented... and then...
"Colonel Pembrook and Colonel Weird, can you move?"
Two people who are slow to judge but faithfully follow instructions would be good.
They're particularly useful types for defense within my oversight range.
'Black Cat here, no problems on our end.'
'Soldier treatment is also complete. We can deploy anytime.'
Good, we can go.
"After Rear Admiral Airven completes resupply and treatment, please support him."
'Roger!'
'Understood.'
'Kuro! The enemy soldiers at the southwest exit look like they might flow into our area!'
I know, Hina! Countermeasures are already in place, so don't worry!!
"It's fine. Vice Admiral Keeshond has already secured the defense. When they realize they can't break through, the enemy will scatter further. Units three and five, stand by behind Vice Admiral Keeshond. Please strike the enemy's flank after combat begins."
Really now...
I'm definitely going to end up helping with reconstruction somewhat too.
Please let me rest, let me rest, Clemens.
I ended up spending another two hours on enemy cleanup after all.
What Holy Land? This is hell, damn it...
***
[Power stones and reviews please]
Support link: www.patr eon.com/Well_being
[10 Advanced Chs] [7 Chapters/week]