Chapter 54: Landing on the Island
The island had been built as a commercial destination, lacking substantial defensive fortifications. The Marine warships landed with ease, using concentrated artillery fire to clear the shoreline of any obstacles.
Experienced fighters could roughly gauge enemy strength from the intensity and sound of their bombardment.
"Contact Spark immediately! This Marine invasion force is far beyond what we can handle," Rao G said in a low voice, walking to the window. He squinted at the approaching ships for a moment before speaking.
Harmon's expression shifted slightly, but he acted without hesitation, immediately attempting to contact Spark.
Normally, Spark would be training elsewhere, leaving trivial matters to his subordinates.
However, what truly alarmed Harmon was that he couldn't reach Spark at all!
At that moment, Spark had no time to worry about his subordinates.
He stared grimly at the two figures before him. "Vice Admiral Momousagi, Black Arm Zephyr... The Marines certainly hold me in high regard."
With his strength, he might have a chance of escaping against either of them alone, but facing both together, while he might hold out for a while, escape would be nearly impossible.
"Devil Spark, you committed countless crimes ten years ago and have continued your criminal enterprises ever since. Today, you will face justice," Zephyr said coldly, his eyes gleaming with lethal intent.
"Justice may be delayed, but it will never be denied."
"Hah, justice," Spark sneered.
At his level, he had long since seen through the true nature of this world and felt no need to debate justice with Zephyr.
Zephyr's eyes narrowed as he remained silent—partly because he refused to engage with pirates in philosophical debate, and partly because he himself harbored doubts.
The numerous internal conflicts within the Marines and the World Government's various decisions had shaken his faith in absolute justice.
He lacked Garp's carefree nature or Sengoku's strategic cunning. In the end, he had chosen to go his own way, establishing the Neo Marines to pursue justice as he understood it.
Suddenly, the ground trembled as endless artillery fire rained down on the island. Simultaneously, piercing alarms echoed across the landscape.
The Marine assault had begun in earnest.
"We need to finish this quickly," Momousagi said, slowly drawing her famous blade Kinpila from her waist. "I don't want my precious student getting hurt."
She walked toward Spark with an expressionless face, Zephyr following suit.
Battle erupted instantly!
The tremendous commotion immediately drowned out both the wailing sirens and the distant thunder of artillery fire.
Black Arm Zephyr, a former Admiral and master of pure Taijutsu, had seen his strength decline due to his severed arm and advancing age. His typical power level now approximated that of a Vice Admiral, though he could still reach Admiral-level strength in short bursts.
As for Momousagi, a Great Swordsman at the peak of her abilities, while perhaps inferior to the current three Admirals in overall combat capability, her offensive power was devastating.
Together, they could easily suppress even someone like Doflamingo, making them overwhelming opponents for Spark.
But Spark, with his 340 million berry bounty from ten years ago, was undeniably formidable. As a user of an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit, combined with his exceptionally advanced Armament Haki, he possessed incredible durability and could hold his ground for a considerable time.
After all, the strongest fighters in the pirate world were renowned for their endurance, and Zoan users were particularly tenacious. If Zephyr had faced him alone, the battle might have lasted an entire day and night.
All three combatants tacitly moved their battlefield away from the main engagement.
Zephyr and Momousagi worried about accidentally harming their Marines, while also preventing Spark from charging into their ranks in a desperate final assault. Spark, however, clung to a slim hope that the island's forces might defeat the invading Marines and come to his rescue.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have harbored such confidence—Zephyr and Momousagi's forces were more than sufficient to crush his organization. But with members of the Donquixote Family still on the island, there might be a glimmer of possibility.
Spark was no longer the reckless pirate of his youth. Ten years of relative peace had certainly increased his strength, but had also made him more cautious about preserving his life, never abandoning even the slightest opportunity for survival.
The facade of prosperity crumbled as the smoke of war filled the air.
Spark's stronghold was a lawless island populated only by pirates and criminals—no innocent civilians to worry about.
The Marines had barely established their beachhead when they encountered fierce resistance, but under Eleanor's leadership and tactical coordination, they steadily advanced inland.
Elite fighters like Ain, Shuzo, and Binz pushed ahead, targeting enemy officers and disrupting their command structure.
On the streets, Rhodes strolled casually, as if enjoying a pleasant spring outing.
His confidence stemmed from absolute faith in his abilities.
While Rhodes might not yet possess Dracule Mihawk's legendary prowess—the ability to traverse the Grand Line with sword alone—he had more than sufficient strength to handle most situations.
On this island, only the great pirate Spark himself could pose a genuine threat to his life. As for the others, even the highest-ranking officer Harmon, he would need to actually fight them to know for certain.
At that moment, he sensed hostile intent and looked toward the corner ahead.
Beneath a utility pole, a tall, muscular man glared at him with murderous eyes—apparently one of Spark's officers. What was his name? What was his bounty?
Rhodes shook his head, too disinterested to recall such trivial details.
Whoosh!
He stomped his foot, causing the street to shake violently and creating spider-web cracks in the pavement. An invisible shockwave erupted as his body shot forward with lightning speed.
The murderous intent in the pirate officer's eyes hadn't faded when terror suddenly crossed his features.
Snapping back to reality, he turned and fled.
However, after only a few steps, a sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out behind him—the sound of someone approaching at tremendous speed, the rushing wind scattering debris across the street.
He had only witnessed such terrifying velocity from Harmon, their highest-ranking officer.
"I can't escape!"
Sensing the cutting wind at his back, the officer gritted his teeth and roared defiantly.
His Armament Haki hardened across his body.
Simultaneously, he employed some kind of Rokushiki technique to reinforce his defenses. His skin instantly turned blue-black like steel, taking on an seemingly indestructible texture.
"Go to hell!" he snarled, prepared to fight to the death.
However, just as he spun around, a figure flashed past him, the displaced air making his face tremble.
He suddenly stood motionless, the light in his eyes rapidly dimming.
A thin line of blood quickly spread from his left shoulder, across his neck, down to his lower abdomen.
His body trembled slightly as half of it began to slowly slide away along the crimson line.
Rhodes maintained his calm expression, flicked his blade clean, resheathed his sword, and continued walking forward at a leisurely pace.
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