Chapter 37 Red Hair Group
[Seven Days Later · G-5 Branch · Operations Command Room]
The sea mist in the early morning was like the lingering smoke from a battlefield. The salty wind blew in through the gaps in the iron windows, stirring up the documents on the desk.
The Suzheng Command Hall was as quiet as gray, with only the aroma of tea wafting in the air.
Rogge sat at his desk, still in his military uniform, looking through intelligence on the movements of smuggling gangs along the route over the past three weeks.
He held a cup of undrunk tea between his fingers, his expression as calm as usual.
suddenly--
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
There was an anxious and urgent knock on the door, and then the intelligence officer pushed the door open and rushed in, his face pale and cold sweat on his forehead.
"Your Excellency, Vice Admiral!"
He held up a sealed note. "West Blue Urgent Report—Red Hair Pirates and a suspected lightning-type esper engaged in a violent conflict! The situation is unclear!"
Bang!
The teacup in Rogge's hand suddenly shattered, and the broken porcelain and boiling hot tea spilled onto the official documents, and the tea color quickly spread.
His eyes suddenly became as cold as frozen iron, and his voice was suppressed like a rifle bolt that had not been drawn.
"...who?"
The intelligence officer stuttered, "Among the wounded... Major Binz is confirmed to be present, as is Major Ian... Another has erupted in Thor form, with a strength approaching peak combat record."
"It's Enel Commodore."
Rogge stood up suddenly, and the papers on the table flew around.
"Don't those guys at headquarters track life on every mission?!"
"Yes! Yes! But... this battle zone is located in the dark zone between West Blue and New World. The magnetic field is disordered, and the positioning system is severely interfered with!"
The intelligence officer shouted, "Headquarters Intelligence Department is searching with all their might!"
Rogge didn't say anything, but the next second he reached out and grabbed the military Den Den Mushi on the corner of the table and dialed the dedicated line.
"Gala-Gala-"
Den Den Mushi opened his eyes, and a steady voice rang out:
"What's wrong?"
"…Uncle."
Rogge's voice was low and cold, "The redhead has crossed the line."
The other party was silent for three seconds.
"...What's going on?"
Rogge's eyes flashed with a fierce look like lightning: "Ein and Binz are both injured, Enel stopped them."
A dull, heavy breathing sound came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"I'll immediately have the CP mobilize the external spy network to quickly find them."
Sakazuki said in a deep voice:
"You don't have to ask."
"Go do what you want to do."
Rogge gently put down the Den Den Mushi and his fingertips brushed across a yellowed old paper on the table. On it was written:
[Red-haired Shanks, Four Emperors, the most uncontrollable force in active service...]
He moved his nails slightly, sealed the document with a snap, and his eyes pressed into the misty morning light like a blade.
He whispered softly:
"Red hair..."
"...Two hands are indeed too many."
[At the same time·The Kingdom of Flowers·Post-war Scorched Earth]
The sky torn by thunder finally fell silent, and the charred mountaintop looked like an altar of the earth cut by the sharp blade of Thor.
The thick smoke has not yet dissipated, and the embers of lightning are still jumping in the cracks of the rocks.
Enel was half-kneeling on the top of the mountain, half of his cloak had been burned off, his metal armor was charred and twisted, his thunder-patterned armbands were flickering, and blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth, but he never frowned.
His eyes were as sharp as blades, staring coldly at the gradually disappearing ship at the junction of the sea and the sky in the distance.
"...Red Hair." He murmured in a low voice, lightning brushed past his earlobe, and the heart net had already chased him dozens of kilometers away.
"You are indeed ridiculously strong."
"But the distance between you and me—is getting smaller and smaller."
A weak gasp came from behind me.
Ainn was pressing down hard on Binz's chest wound, and the power of the Retrograde Fruit condensed into a faint Uzumaki in the air, forcibly reversing his sternum and internal organs that had been pierced by the armament-colored sniper bullet to the state three minutes ago.
"again..."
Aien's face was pale, and his palms were shaking. "I can push for thirty seconds at most... We have to hurry, otherwise... he won't be able to hold on."
Binz had passed out. Although the wound on his chest was no longer bleeding, the residual Haki poison was still spreading like ink.
Enel suppressed the fishy and sweet taste in his throat and gathered the lightning in his palm.
"Heart network activated, full-frequency search."
——[Buzz——] Lightning patterns covered the sky above the peninsula like a spider web!
Within ten seconds, his eyes lit up: "Found it."
He said calmly: "The headquarters support intelligence department has located us——"
He looked at Ain, "Can you hold on?"
Ian took a deep breath, gritting his teeth. "This isn't the first time I've brought someone back from the dead."
[Marineford · Headquarters Intelligence Department]
"Location confirmed! West Blue Dark Belt Flower Country Outskirts 17th Branch Line!
Thor Enel Mark Strength A+, Survival Status Fluctuates, Two G-5 Marked Officers Nearby, One of Them is Seriously Injured!
"Notify His Excellency the Vice Admiral immediately—!"
Rogge suddenly raised his head in the air, his eyes like cold knives.
"Drum Island," he whispered.
"Divert the nearby routes and provide full support."
[Meanwhile, Red Hair Pirates main ship]
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was as heavy as if half a ton of gunpowder was pressed.
Shanks leaned against the porthole, looking coldly at the thundercloud that had disappeared behind the clouds.
In his hand, he held an intelligence map that had been nearly burned by electricity. The corners were charred black, and the surface still bore the burn marks of Madara. The words were faintly visible:
G-5 Third Force · Commodore · Enel
"Confirmed?" Shanks whispered.
Beckman nodded, his tone heavy:
"Ain, Binz, confirmed identities. Directly affiliated with G-5 branch. Core personnel in frontline operations."
"And that Thor...is none other than him."
He paused and exhaled a thick puff of smoke:
"It's Enel from the Suzheng Trio."
Yasopp gritted his teeth and said, "I just wanted to help Qingjiao's old grandson out - who knew these two brats could force Qingjiao to his knees!"
"I shot that green kid in the head, and—"
"That Thunder God just popped out of a thundercloud and nearly shattered our mainmast!"
Beckman said coldly, "We have casualties. Kira was injured by the electric shock and has been unconscious ever since."
There was silence in the cabin.
Shanks slowly lowered his head, clenched the Leihen paper in his hand, and spoke in a lower tone than ever before:
"...Xuanlin's hand has reached this far?"
"This era is really crazy."
He looked up at the distant sky where the storm had not yet ended and gave the order in a deep voice:
"Everyone—it's time to get ready."
The ship roared down and the headquarters rescue doctor landed in the thundercloud.
Enel breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Ain, his eyes calm as usual, and whispered:
"This time...I shouldn't be late."
Ian forced a smile, hugged Binz tightly, and handed him over to the military doctor.
The wind rises, and the scorched earth front falls quietly into silence.
But this world has already noticed Xuanlin's anger.
————
[At the same moment, above the sky, the high-altitude sound barrier, the air flow is interrupted]
Thunderclouds rolled and air currents howled.
A figure broke through thousands of layers of air waves and sped through the sky ten thousand meters above.
Behind him were torn wind belts and twisted clouds, as if the sky was forcibly cut apart by some will!
——That's Marine Vice Admiral Rogge.
Wearing a solemn black cloak, he controlled the [Aura Slipstream Platform] constructed by the Air Fruit with his palm, like a meteor crack, shuttling through the atmospheric fault at inhuman speed.
Behind him, there was no fleet and no reinforcements.
Only one person.
Only wind.
"Target direction."
He muttered to himself coldly, the back of his hand moved slightly, and the Den Den Mushi connected:
"Your Excellency, Vice Admiral, the Red Hair Pirates have now left the border between West Blue and New World! Latest position: The 'Mist Tide' is retreating westward! Speed has slowed, likely indicating post-battle repairs!"
"There are traces of lightning strikes and severe interference outside the fleet. We estimate the battle will end in no more than six hours!"
Rogge's eyes were as black as ink. He clenched his right fist, and the air swirled and compressed in his palm, as if the entire battlefield was hidden in it.
[Air Wall·Extreme Flow State] is turned on.
His figure flashed and the air exploded like an explosion!
——He flew above the clouds.
Thunder roars and eagles soar into the sky!
His voice disappeared in the wind, and only the remaining aura mark swept towards the sea of fog.