Chapter 291: Red-Hair's Confusion, Reiju's Wandering Thoughts
Meanwhile.
The battle on the outer perimeter had shifted from cannon fire to ship-to-ship combat, reaching a fever pitch! The air was thick with smoke, the sound of cannons replaced by the clash of swords and the cries of battle. The warships of the Curtain Call and the Marines were locked together, their decks a chaotic melee of flashing figures and splattering blood.
"Charge! Take this deck! We can't let them surround us! The counterattack starts with us, brothers!" a particularly hairy Marine Rear Admiral roared, leading dozens of elite Marines onto an enemy ship.
But they were met by a three-meter-tall silver wolf with a flowing mane.
AWOOO!
The silver wolf let out a howl, and a chill shot up the spines of the Marines. Their grips on their swords faltered. The Rear Admiral leading the charge was the worst off; his legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.
"Rear Admiral?!" the Marines stared in disbelief.
"Whimper… whimper…" The hairy Rear Admiral trembled on the deck, a low whimper escaping his throat. What's happening?! He felt an inexplicable, instinctual fear and submission towards the silver wolf, a primal suppression he couldn't resist! He couldn't even move, let alone fight back. I'm a pure-blooded human, so could it be because of…
"Is my Devil Fruit ability working against me?" the Rear Admiral gritted his teeth. "What the hell? The Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Husky… shouldn't be scared witless by a wolf, right?"
Awoo? Gin tilted his head, looking at the man in confusion. He hadn't expected such a surprising bonus from a simple howl. The last time his bloodline had suppressed someone was back in Spring Queen City, that CP9 agent whose name he had forgotten.
Whatever. A suppression was a suppression. He wasn't one to overthink things. He grinned and pounced, his massive body a blur of silver lightning as he crashed into the group of Marines.
BANG!
With a thunderous crash, Gin tore through the ranks. The dozens of Marines screamed as they were sent flying like bowling pins, splashing into the sea. The Rear Admiral met the same fate, not even lasting a second before he was sinking into the depths.
"So efficient," Shiryu said from nearby, exhaling a puff of smoke. He looked away from Gin and sneered. "At this rate, we'll have a complete victory in half an hour at most."
The deck around him was also littered with Marines, either unconscious or groaning in agony with severed limbs. There was no one who could stand against him. And this was with him holding back, following the crew's policy of showing restraint against lower-ranking Marines.
"They're not even in the same league," Shiryu said, shaking his head, and continued to walk forward. The Marines he passed scrambled to get out of his way, as if they had seen a ghost.
The Curtain Call had brought the majority of the Combat Corps' elite for this operation. Compared to the War of Whole Cake Island, their numbers and coordination were significantly improved. But the most crucial factor was the quality of their officers! The gap was already significant, and to make matters worse, Akainu had taken most of the high-ranking officers with him in his attempt to rescue the Celestial Dragons. The remaining forces were no match for the Curtain Call's mid-tier officers.
As for the top-tier fighters… Shiryu looked up towards the sky. "Tsk, one against four, and he's still holding on. That old monkey is really putting his life on the line this time…"
"Wind Blade: Heavenly Divide!"
With Kuina's low cry, a massive, azure-blue sword slash swept across the sky, instantly cleaving a light clone in two at the waist, tearing it into countless particles of light. But in the next second, the particles re-formed into Kizaru, who smiled and re-formed his light sword.
"Again. What a pain," Kuina said, wiping the blood from her lip with a slight frown. She was confident she could defeat a single light clone in a one-on-one fight, but the problem was, as long as the real Kizaru wasn't defeated, the clones could regenerate infinitely. The battle was at a stalemate.
"Don't be hasty, Miss Kuina," a steady voice came from behind. Fujitora landed on the deck beside her. "I can sense that with each regeneration, the real Kizaru's stamina is significantly drained. And maintaining so many clones is already consuming his energy at a much faster rate than normal."
Fujitora held his cane-sword, his eyes closed as he sensed the energy fluctuations. "Even a Marine Admiral's stamina is not limitless. If this continues for a little longer, he will surely be defeated."
To be able to become an army of one, to hold back four of their top officers at once with his clones… he was truly one of the world's top powerhouses. But it was a temporary measure. From a strategic perspective, the Curtain Call's main force would annihilate the Marine fleet in less than half an hour. And Kizaru, even if he gave it his all, could only hold them off for a few more hours at most. By then, the battle between Shane and Akainu would have been decided.
In other words, this war would be decided even faster than the War of Whole Cake Island. Before nightfall, the Curtain Call Adventurers would achieve a complete victory over the Marines!
"I know that, Mr. Issho," Kuina shook her head. "But I still want to end this fight as quickly as possible. I don't want to drag it out. This isn't the New World. We have to consider unexpected factors, like Marine reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?" Fujitora deflected two approaching light clones with a wave of gravity. "Lord Shane and I have discussed this. The Holy Knights are the Celestial Dragons' prized elites. After their heavy losses last time, they've lost their nerve. If they didn't show up at the start of the battle, they're unlikely to interfere at all."
"As for reinforcements from Headquarters, they're too far away. It would be impossible for them to arrive within a day." The small bases in the North Blue were even less of a concern. "So, the only thing we have to worry about is the position of Germa 66."
Fujitora landed back on the deck. "As a member of the World Government, that army could indeed appear as reinforcements, but… hmm?" He suddenly sensed something and turned to look in a certain direction.
Kuina immediately understood, a sharp, cold light in her eyes. "They actually dare to come?" In terms of the range of Observation Haki, Mr. Issho was undoubtedly number one in the crew, even surpassing Lord Shane.
"There's a saying in the North Blue, 'Speak of Germa, and Germa shall appear,'" Fujitora chuckled. "It seems it's come true. But… they've stopped. They don't seem to be getting any closer."
Northeast, a considerable distance away.
In the faint sea mist, the iconic, massive snail warships of Germa 66 floated silently on the water. Vinsmoke Judge stood at the prow of the main ship, gazing at the distant, smoke-filled battlefield through a peculiar monocular telescope. Behind him, his three sons, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji, stood in a line, their arms crossed, their expressions impassive. Only Reiju leaned against a wall, lighting a cigarette. She looked up at the sky, her beautiful jawline exposed, lost in thought.
"Father, the Marine fleet has been mostly defeated. The Curtain Call's encirclement is tightening," Ichiji reported coldly. "The elite rescue team led by Akainu has also been intercepted by Shane's officers. As for Kizaru, his clone tactic probably won't last much longer."
"The situation is even worse than we thought. Hmph, if it weren't, the World Government wouldn't have stooped to asking us for help."
"Shall we make a move, Father?" The blue-haired Niji casually flexed his wrist, and blue arcs of electricity crackled over his body. "I'm eager to test out this new and improved raid suit."
"Make a move? Against whom?" Judge lowered his telescope and glanced at him.
"Is that even a question, Father? Of course, we'll give the Curtain Call a good thrashing!" Yonji grinned. "The World Government paid a huge deposit. If we can turn the tide of this battle, I can't even imagine how much the grateful Marines will pay us…"
Judge snorted, cutting Yonji off. He was very satisfied with his sons' progress. The investment in the Lineage Factor research had not been in vain. But they were still too young, lacking the long-term strategic judgment of a commander.
Money? What was the use of more Berries? It couldn't change Germa's current situation! In its heyday, the Vinsmoke family had conquered four nations in a month, uniting the entire North Blue. But it had only lasted 66 days before it was dismantled under the secret manipulation of the World Government. Judge had always been bitter about this, his life's dream to restore the family's glory. But he also knew that the World Government would never allow another overly powerful force to rise in the North Blue. To achieve his dream, he had to seek a stronger power outside the World Government!
"It seems Father's intention is… to continue to observe and not help either side," Reiju said, blowing a puff of smoke at the sky.
"Correct," Judge nodded. "You should have understood sooner. From our current position, we can only observe with my high-tech telescope. In other words, neither the Marines nor the Curtain Call know we're here."
"They are in the open, and we are in the dark."
"We just have to wait patiently for the battle to be decided, and then pretend we just arrived. Whoever wins, we help them!"
Help whoever wins? Ichiji frowned slightly. "Even if the Curtain Call wins? Father, if we anger the World Government, our lives will not be easy. At the very least, we'll lose our status as a member nation."
"Hmph, foolish!" Judge sneered, his gaze fixed on the distant battlefield. "Are our lives so easy now? The Curtain Call is rising too fast. If they can really win this battle, the future of this sea may truly belong to them!"
He thought of the shocking news that had been coming out of the New World since the beginning of the year… The 800-year-old order of the World Government had never faced such an unprecedented challenge! Not even Rocks had been this much of a threat!
"As long as they win, what's to stop Germa 66 from defecting to their side? The Curtain Call's current strength is far from enough to face the World Government in a final showdown. In that case, they would be desperate for our help!"
"Besides, don't forget, that Sanji is now one of the core members of the Curtain Call! We can finally make use of that failure!"
"Who?"
"Sanji?"
"The name is unfamiliar, but strangely familiar…" The three brothers stroked their chins, deep in thought.
"Ah, I remember," Niji suddenly slapped his forehead. "That useless brother who could only cook!"
"A failed experiment, and he didn't die at sea? He actually became an officer of the Curtain Call?" Yonji pouted. "Tch, what luck."
"Hey, you two, that's enough," Reiju said coldly.
The three brothers sneered, about to retort, but Judge raised a hand to stop them. "Reiju is right. The next time you see Sanji, you will all show him some respect."
Eh? Under the three's astonished gazes, Judge's tone grew heavy. "Don't misjudge the situation. That boy is now an important link between us and the Curtain Call!" The bond of family and blood cannot be broken. We must not let this opportunity slip away!
"Of course," he raised his telescope again. "Everything I've said depends on the Curtain Call winning this war." If they lose… hmph, then there is no Curtain Call, just a bunch of audacious pirates! And Germa 66 has always been an expert at kicking a man when he's down!
At almost the same time.
After sailing day and night, the Red Force had finally reached the location indicated by the Vivre Card. Seeing the massive fortress rising from the sea, all the officers of the Red-Hair Pirates were stunned.
"Impel Down?!!"
"How could it be here?!" Lucky Roux's eyes widened, the chicken leg in his hand forgotten. "Hey, hey, is the Vivre Card broken? What are the Curtain Call doing in a place like this?"
Behind him, Shanks stared blankly at Impel Down, his face a mask of utter confusion.
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