The fleet was even larger than the one in the waters of Totto Land, both in overall numbers and in the tonnage of each individual warship.
The greatest difference was that these ships did not fly the Marines’ seagull flag, but the World Government’s cross-shaped banner. Yet their advance was actually faster than the Marines’.
The Red Hair Pirates had no Homies, so their defenses could not compare to those of the Big Mom Pirates. Moreover, when the Marines seized islands within Big Mom’s territory, they still exercised some restraint, avoiding civilian districts whenever possible.
This fleet was different. They were carrying out a pure scorched-earth policy, and every island they passed had been directly flattened by overwhelming artillery fire.
Islands protected by pirates were naturally not members of the affiliated nations. These people did not even care about the citizens of affiliated nations, much less those of non-affiliated nations, whom they did not even regard as human.
At the very front was an exceptionally luxurious ship. Everyone aboard seemed to be serving a single person.
He wore a dark hooded garment and boots, with what appeared to be the high-collared attire of a World Noble underneath. His hair and beard formed the shape of a crescent moon, and at the moment, he was wiping blood from his sword.
Figarland Garling, a Celestial Dragon, Commander of the God’s Knights, and supreme commander of this fleet.
“Not even a single decent attempt at resistance. This is one of the Emperors of the Sea? To think he would do something like this for the sake of these lowly vermin.”
“Reporting to Saint Garling! An island has been sighted ahead, flying the flag of the Red Hair Pirates.”
“Same as before. Flatten it, replenish our supplies, and continue onward.”
The pitch-black cannon barrels had already locked onto the island.
Boom! Boom!
Before the World Government ships could open fire, cannon blasts rang out from their flank. Pirate flags of all shapes and designs appeared one after another across the sea. As the pirate crews gradually approached, Garling only grew more irritated.
“What… are these things?”
Through his binoculars, he could clearly make out the people leading each ship.
Captain of the Puddle Pirates—”Ball Fingers” Gerotini.
Captain of the Social Club Pirates—”Memorial Blade” Fugar.
Princess of the Bourgeois Pirates—”Trembling” Pururu.
From a short, frog-like pirate, to an old man whose dentures fell out whenever he opened his mouth, to a little girl on the verge of tears, Garling could not see a single creature he considered worthy of being called “human.”
After listening to the intelligence officer beside him, he found their bounties even more absurd. It was not that they were high, but that they were far too low—so low that it was difficult to believe this was the New World, let alone that these people were Red Hair’s subordinates.
“Saint Garling, what should we—”
“Kill every last one of them first. Then deal with the island that cannot run away.”
“Yes!”
The ships’ cannons turned once more, but the pirate vessels showed no intention of stopping.
“We’re going to die, aren’t we…?”
“Probably. Chief hasn’t arrived yet, but we can’t let these people advance any farther. Those islands have already suffered disaster. Our own home might be next.
Even if we can only buy the Chief a few more minutes, that will be enough.
Other pirate crews are known for being strong or ferocious. We alone are known for being weak. It was only under Chief’s protection that we were able to live in peace. Today is the day we repay him!”
Red Hair’s forces could be said to consist entirely of the old, weak, sick, and disabled, yet they still chose to fight at this moment. That was war. Once it began, no one within the war zone could remain uninvolved.
They had made their choice. Faced with the World Government’s artillery barrage, they launched their own counterattack. However, when the smoke cleared, an enormous barrier stood across the sky. A bruised and battered Bartolomeo had arrived at some point.
He had previously been taught a harsh lesson by Red Hair. Not only had his ship been sunk, but he himself had also taken a vicious beating. During that ordeal, however, Bartolomeo learned that Red Hair had spared his life because of Luffy.
As a fanatical fan of Luffy, it was only then that he realized his mistake. Overcome with regret, he heard that Red Hair was going to participate in the war and declared that he would atone for what he had done, so he followed Red Hair here.
That was another peculiar trait of people in this world. They would not listen when spoken to reasonably, but after being beaten once, they could somehow understand things much better.
“What are you doing in a place like this? This isn’t a battle you can take part in! Get away from here immediately!”
The first thing Shanks did upon seeing them was angrily order them to leave. However, the pirates who had arrived alongside the Red Force merely formed up for battle.
The Red Hair Grand Fleet was famous for being weak because Shanks had taken far too many weaklings under his protection; no matter what it is, once averaged out, it ends up looking strange.
But Red Hair was the youngest Emperor of the Sea, and under his command were also strong individuals who joined out of admiration—these were the actual combat members.
“Chief, you’ve protected us for so many years! We want to do our part too!”
“We can fire cannons and transport supplies! We’re not people who can only be protected!”
“This is war—a war where people die. There’s still time to retreat. I won’t have the spare attention to protect you once this begins. But if you’re truly prepared to die, then come.”
The advancement of technology had also made war bloodier. Using a powerful bow required training and a strong physique, but firearms and cannons were commonplace. After only basic instruction, even those with frail bodies had the opportunity to use such weapons.
They could not defeat the monsters who had surpassed the limits of humanity, but they were still capable of dealing with ordinary soldiers.
“Please leave their protection to me! Senior Red Hair, I’ll atone for what I did before!”
Bartolomeo waved his arms and voluntarily took on the task of defending them. Shanks did not waste any more time on them and instead led the Red Force toward the front line.
“Report! Saint Garling! Red-Haired Shanks has appeared! The Red Force is approaching us!”
“Do not fire yet. Let him come.”
“Yes!”
Garling’s order was somewhat unusual, but no one objected or questioned it, because Garling did not tolerate such things.
Unlike those worthless Celestial Dragons, Garling was undoubtedly part of the elite among them, but that did not change his fundamental nature as a Celestial Dragon.
His orders were not to be questioned. Even an instinctive inquiry would result in immediate execution by him, so everyone aboard understood that all they needed to say was yes.
The ships of both sides stopped while still separated by a certain distance, but without orders, neither side made the first move.
Looking at Shanks standing at the bow of his ship, Garling stretched his arms and rose to his feet before asking, “You’re angry. Does the death of these lowly vermin make you angry, Shanks?”
“Those were three islands. If your goal is to eliminate me, what did those ordinary people have to do with it? They weren’t pirates, just the islands’ native inhabitants.”
“It seems you’ve forgotten certain things. Those weaklings possessed neither noble blood nor exceptional abilities. They were not even qualified to become slaves. Standing in my way was their crime.
Shanks, you betrayed us and squandered the trust placed in you.”
“Betrayed you? I merely made my own choices. Why did you ever think I would obey your orders?”
Only Garling and Shanks could understand parts of their conversation, as they concerned private matters.
“We need pirates, but we do not need pirates with too much autonomy who are completely beyond control. Shanks, if you surrender and admit your mistake now, I can still give you another chance.
This is a rare display of generosity. You should seize the opportunity.”
The Five Elders’ order was extermination, but as Commander of the God’s Knights, Garling also held immense authority among the Celestial Dragons. He believed certain matters could be handled flexibly.
This time, however, Shanks said nothing and merely smiled faintly.
“They’re here.”
Boom!!
From behind the World Government fleet, a shockwave tore through the air. The first ship it struck was instantly pulverized.
The shockwave did not stop there and continued sweeping forward without losing momentum.
“Kamusari!”
At the same time, Shanks leaped from his ship and swung a Kamusari toward Garling. Garling thrust out his sword as well, neutralizing Shanks’s attack, but he had no strength to spare to stop the shockwave assaulting the rear of the fleet.
After entering Red Hair’s territory, they had encountered no meaningful resistance whatsoever. Their weak opponents had made the already arrogant force even more conceited, causing the fleet’s formation to become widely dispersed.
Garling was not the only powerful fighter aboard. There were other strong people from the World Government, and even more than one member of the God’s Knights. However, the rear of the fleet was simply too far away.
That also brought one advantage. Because the formation was so loose, the attack from behind did not strike too many ships. Although four warships were lost, the damage was still acceptable.
“Shanks, it seems you have no intention of turning back.”
“Once a war begins, there is no turning back. I am nothing like people such as you, who possess no respect for life whatsoever. Talking to you for this long was merely a way to stall for time.”
In the waters behind them, two enormous Viking ships revealed themselves. Two gigantic figures stood at their bows, laughing loudly.
“Gegyagyagyagya! We missed, Brogy! It must be because you didn’t use enough strength!”
“Gabababa! You were the one who aimed poorly, Dorry! Looks like your body has gotten rusty too!”
The attack from behind was none other than Hakoku Sovereignty, unleashed by Dorry and Brogy. In their eyes, an attack that had destroyed four enormous ships had clearly gone off target.
“Giants? Does Elbaf intend to violate its agreement with us?!”
Of all the races on the seas, Giants were among the most conspicuous. Their colossal bodies were recognizable even to a blind man.
“This has nothing to do with Elbaf! We’re merely people who were exiled by King Odin. Who cares about the orders of that one-eyed old man?!”
“You’re attacking the territory of our friend! Whatever the Giant Warrior Pirates do has nothing to do with Elbaf!
“As of today, the Giant Warrior Pirates are back!”
Dorry and Brogy were the people Shanks had been waiting for. In battles between top-tier combatants, Giants had an embarrassingly poor record, with almost no victories to speak of. But in large-scale warfare, Giants were devastating weapons on the battlefield.
To this day, Elbaf still bore the title of the world’s strongest nation, and the Marines also had quite a few Vice Admirals from the Giant race. To keep the situation under control, the World Government had chosen to negotiate with Odin first.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this. The World Government simply had not expected Odin to not order the Giant guards to keep Dorry and the others under watch. He had merely given them a verbal warning not to participate in the Red Hair Pirates’ war.
Only Odin himself knew exactly what he was thinking. In any case, he had done as the World Government requested.
Dorry and Brogy, however, had interpreted the matter differently and successfully arrived at what they believed was a reasonable decision.
How could the actions of pirates be blamed on the kingdom where they were born? After all, if responsibility were truly traced upward according to that logic, the Celestial Dragons would have two fewer families.
“You tricked us, Shanks. You are disgracing the blood flowing through your veins.”
“I can’t choose whose blood flows through me, but I can choose to do what I believe is right. This is my choice! Men, the battle begins!”
“Engage the enemy! Show them what happens to those who defy the World Government!”
Garling tore off his coat. Shanks’s “deception” had greatly displeased him, and he had already moved ahead to seek out his opponent.
As a trusted force personally raised by the World Government, this fleet was no weaker than an elite Marine fleet, and its equipment was even more extravagant. But aside from those already involved in the battle, a special pirate crew was also rushing toward the battlefield.
“Dorry! Where is that ship from?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it either.”
Opposite the Giant Warrior Pirates was another pirate ship built in the style of the kingdom of giants. Even the flag hanging from its mast was identical to that of the Giant Warrior Pirates, except that the Giant Warrior Pirates’ flag had a red-and-white striped background, while this ship’s background was pure black.
“Road! Full speed ahead! Our seniors are watching us! The return of the Giant Warrior Pirates is far too exciting!”
Hajrudin swung the flail in his hand, blocking the incoming cannon fire. After hearing that the Giant Warrior Pirates would participate in this battle, Hajrudin had brought his companions to these waters as well.
Because there was no news of Dorry and Brogy, the Giant Warrior Pirates had vanished for many years. Hajrudin’s original dream had been to revive the Giant Warrior Pirates and restore their former glory.
The Giants of Elbaf were warlike by nature, and he had no intention of missing a battle of this scale.
“Dorry the Blue Ogre and Brogy the Red Ogre… They really have returned.”
Because of the difference in timing, Hajrudin and the others had already set sail by the time Dorry and Brogy returned to Elbaf from Little Garden. This was their first proper meeting.
“Hajrudin, do you have anything you want to say?”
“Of course. I want to show the two seniors that I’m qualified to lead the new Giant Warrior Pirates.”
Faced with Gerd’s question, Hajrudin was brimming with confidence.
“Don’t embarrass yourself here. This is a battle on the level of an Emperor of the Sea.”
“I know. The honor of an Elbaf warrior, the efforts of the four of you, and this divine blessing—I’ll make full use of them all!”
Some time ago, the five members of the New Giant Warrior Pirates had pooled enough contributions to grant Hajrudin an ability of his own, making him the first Blessed One among the Giants on the seas.
As the distance rapidly closed, a layer of white metallic armor appeared over Hajrudin’s body, covered in sharp spikes. Aside from his eyes, his entire body and legs—even his ears and mouth—were enclosed beneath the armor.
The sole exception was his arms. At this moment, they transformed into green, plant-like appendages, while his fists became as savage-looking as a meteor hammer. A green, braid-like meteor hammer also extended from the back of his head.
The Thorn Pod Pokémon, Ferrothorn, a Grass- and Steel-type.
The hardness of its spikes far exceeded that of steel, and the abilities manifested on his arms were based on Ferrothorn’s original feelers. In addition to immense destructive power, they possessed tremendous adhesive strength, allowing it to cling to rock walls and move freely.
The spikes themselves could also be launched as ammunition. After this power became an ability, it brought Hajrudin further changes as well: his arms could extend like vines.
Hajrudin repeatedly swung his arms before suddenly hurling them forward, pulling himself toward the towering warship.
The people aboard immediately launched an attack on him, but those insignificant attacks were all stopped by Hajrudin’s armor.
“Power Whip!!”
Boom!
Hajrudin’s arm smashed into the ship’s mast, shattering the World Government’s cross-shaped flag. Beneath his feet, a seam split open in the armor, and countless roots spread out from within.
The sharp roots pierced through the deck and firmly locked the rudder below. They then spread toward the surrounding ships, as though intending to bind and connect every vessel together, forming a vast stage upon which the Giants could fight.
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