Chapter 53 - Chasing!

Snapper Head,

"Boss Ti, another Marine ship appeared!" A Fish-men holding a telescope in his hand screamed.

His scream altered the Fish-men and all of them gazed at the distant Marine ship sailing towards them.

"Fuck, the marines are endless! We just took out one, another one appears. They keep on coming." Another Fish-men commented.

"Boss Ti, what should we do?" Jinbe asked without a tinge of panic on his face.

Fisher Tiger grabbed the telescope and viewed the Marine ship. He saw a familiar face, Blaize, standing on the ship's deck staring at them while his marine coat flutters by the sea breeze.

"What's the need to ask brother Jinbe, we should destroy them as we did the one before," Arlong spoke in an arrogant tone, waving his Kirbachi.

'Smack!'

As soon as he said those words, Fisher Tiger knocked him in the head and tossed the telescope to Arlong. "Take a look!"

Without bothering about Arlong, Tiger commanded the Fishmen. "Gather the others and ready the sail, we are leaving! Jinbe, call them, I don't think we can lose them that easily."

"Yes, Boss" Jinbe acknowledged.

As for Arlong, as soon as he saw Blaize through the telescope, his hand quivered while hatred flashed past his eyes. Even so, he can only endure it.

In no time, the Fishman pirates gathered and the sails of Snapperhead were opened. The ship steered little to the right and quickly picked speed moving in the direction of the wind.

As soon as their ship left, the Rear Admiral Kadar's unit let out a sigh of relief. They were overwhelmed by the strength of Sun pirates and crushed before they knew it.

"It's the Marine ship. I think they picked the SOS signal send by us." A Marine officer spoke while groaning in pain.

"Which unit is it? Tell them to hurry and save us!" Rear Admiral Kadar with his half beaten, bloody face cried. 'Damn the Sun pirates, I am not letting them off!'

--

Blaize saw Sun pirates ship sailing against the wind and getting away. "No! You guys aren't going anywhere today!"

After his command, his ship also steered to the right. The wind pressure from the opposite direction pushed their ship's crushing speed to another few knots.

His ship reached near Kadar's, but it showed no signs of stopping. The act dumbfounded Kedar and the officers under him, 'They aren't here to save us?'

Their ship was destroyed beyond repair; their hulls were damaged with the seawater seeping inside the ship. In another hour or two, it will sink entirely.

They only have two lifeboats which cannot accommodate all the Marine officers.

When Kadar saw Blaize's ship sailing without a stop, he was enraged. "You idiots! Where are you going? Save us first. Can't you see our ship is sinking?"

Hearing them, Blaize didn't stop the ship but leaped high and walked towards them by stepping on air.

"You are Rear Admiral Kadar, right?" Blaize asked.

"Yes!"

"As a Marine, you should be ashamed. Your entire unit was crushed by a pirate crew and now, you are crying for help.

You are also obstructing another marine unit from doing its job. Do you know what sort of crime it is?" Blaize talked in a serious tone gazing at all the Marine officers.

"...No" Kadar didn't expect to be lectured by a low-ranking marine officer. He panicked when Blaize mentioned the word 'crime'.

"I don't have time to waste on you all. Be good and stay here. Once I capture the Sun pirates, I will get you all when I return." Saying this, Blaize returned to his ship.

As for Kadar and his unit, they were shocked, realizing they were left to float in the middle of the sea.

--

The distance between Sun pirates and Blaize's unit wasn't reducing. In fact, the Snapper Head seems to be cruising at greater speed.

Blaize knew the reason for this: Jinbe! He's a gifted Helmsman with a vast knowledge of sea currents and wind directions.

With his Geppo level, Blaize can walk on air and engage them himself. Just when he decided to confront them by himself, Snapper Head's cruising speed increased.

"What?" Blaize and the marine officers on the deck were shocked.

Only then Blaize noticed the school of whale sharks, pushing Snapperhead forward. 'It's Jinbe again!'

Jinbe has a unique ability to communicate with fish, even over long distances. The ability to speak with fish is usually unique to merfolks, but Jinbe is also capable of that.

During the breakout of Impel Down, he did the same thing. The whale sharks can understand and obey his orders.

Having no choice, Blaize strode towards the nozzle fixed at the back of the ship. "All of you grab onto something!' Saying this, he flared his right fist in flames.

"Blaize Captain is doing it?" Jotto watched Blaize powering the nozzle with star-filled eyes.

"Yes!"

All the marines on the ship grabbed onto something while keenly watching Blaize's every action.

Though Blaize gave the design, they made the entire thing possible by working day and night. They want to see with their eyes what it does.

Flames burst out from his hand, engulfing the nozzle. It powered the turbine which in turn spun at great speed wheeling the Paddlewheel.

Blaize controlled the intensity and temperature of the fire to a bare minimum so that the flames won't ruin the entire thing before it fulfills its purpose.

In the distance, the sun pirates were shocked by the sudden acceleration of the Marine ship. 'How are they doing it?'

"What?" Even Jinbe and Fisher Tiger were startled. They could see, little by little the Marine ship is closing the distance between them. In a few minutes, they will catch up.

"Ready the cannons!" Blaize shouted while the Marines under his command rushed here and there loading the cannonballs.

When their ship reached the shooting range, Blaize commanded: "Fire!"

'Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!'

The cannons fired at Sun Pirates ship but with Jinbe's exceptional Helmsman skills they were able to evade the shots.

But suddenly the fire-powered engine let out a cracking sound and soon shattered to pieces. It was completely wasted. Blaize cursed! 'Can't it persist for another minute?'

The ship's momentum diminished a little but it still cruised forward with residual force and wind currents.