Calm Belt, Sakalat Islands.
As mentioned before, this is a barren island where even the tenacious weeds struggle to grow. Compared to Hell Island, which looks terrifying at first glance, this place can be considered a paradise. However, one cannot ignore the giant-scale turtle shells that grow on the island.
The Sakalat Islands take on an irregular oval shape, scattered in the sapphire-like sea. But on these sparsely scattered "Chess pieces," each one harbors a gigantic sea turtle!
The smallest among them, resembling a baby sea turtle, is comparable in size to a War Behemoth— a truly colossal creature! And the largest turtle in the group… is it a king? It stands tall like a true mountain peak, overlooking all.
It dominates the central part of the island, which enjoys the best sunlight angle and air humidity. Other sea turtles can only huddle in the periphery.
Seemingly awakened by the Battleship, on the edge of the Sakalat Islands, a giant sea turtle opens its eyes, each the size of a house. It swings its fin-like forelimbs, creating a motion akin to a falling weight of ten thousand tons slamming into the sea.
Buzz! Buzz!
The deep and long hum resonates in the sea, each sound connecting to form a grand symphony!
Large-Scale Sea Kings, giant-shelled sea turtles.
This is an entire community!
The soldiers on the Battleship were so frightened that they dared not move. Compared to the grand creations of nature, the War Behemoth, and even the Flying Fortress Ark docked at the top of the Red Line for repair and inspection, all seem minuscule.
"All right, come out, you've arrived!"
Aokiji woke up at some point, standing on the deck and stretching. The turtle group in front of him was disturbed by the Battleship and they all turned their heads and glared at them with unfriendly expressions one after another.
For the giant-shelled sea turtles, anything that disrupts their sunbathing is a mortal enemy. These cold-blooded creatures need a long time in the sun to gather enough strength for foraging. Calling the Marines who have disturbed that mortal enemies is no exaggeration.
"Oh! What a huge turtle!"
Rowen was the first to appear on the deck. With his Blink ability, he was unstoppable. The sky was blocked by giant turtles, and he only realized it wasn't overcast when he looked up.
There's no overcast sky in the Calm Belt. In this sea without air convection, it's either clear skies or torrential rain.
"Buzz!"
A massive giant-shelled sea turtle lifted its foot and came down heavily toward the Battleship. There was a chorus of gasps on the ship, but the two people on the deck remained calm.
"This is your battlefield… For the safety of the soldiers, I'll keep the Battleship a bit further away. The rest is up to you."
"You really make irresponsible statements, Admiral Aokiji…"
Rowen rolled his eyes when he heard those words.
But this kind of unregulated chaotic battle… I like it!!
'Soru!'
As he spoke, a tall figure darted through the corridor. Momousagi with Konpira Sword in her hand quickly ascended into the sky.
'Geppo!'
Bang!
The air exploded with sound as Momousagi arrived at the side of the giant turtle's flipper. Her golden-adorned scabbard extended elegantly from behind her cloak, lightly gliding forward.
Clang!
With her left hand behind and her right hand in front, Momousagi struck a stance as if drawing a sword. Strands of silky black hair danced in the wind, cascading over her shoulders before she stopped her movement.
She wasn't preparing for an attack, the attack had already concluded.
"So fast with the sword!" Rowen's pupils shrank when he saw this scene; that sword shadow was so fast that he almost didn't notice.
Bang… Boom!
In the next moment, the giant flipper that came crashing down revealed a deep crater several tens of meters wide. Clearly, it was a sharp weapon that was swung, yet it inflicted a wound on the opponent as if it were struck by a blunt object.
This is the Great Swordsman!
When you want to cut, nothing is invincible; when you don't want to cut, nothing can be severed.
The enormous flipper, accompanied by the mournful cry of the sea turtle, fell slowly into the seawater. A towering wave appeared and then was promptly frozen.
In front of these four Monsters on the ship, whether it was the giant turtle or the massive wave, neither was worth mentioning!
"Phew…"
Aokiji's body turned into ice, and he blew out a cloud of ice fragments. He turned his head towards the soldiers, who were almost dumbfounded, and said, "Let's go, we're just getting in the way here."
"Ah? …Yes!!!"
Woo! Woo!
The alarm blared, and the War Behemoth swiftly sailed away at almost an escaping speed. Suddenly, Rowen felt a warning in his heart. He turned around and found that Chaton had appeared by his side without him noticing, using Geppo to hover in the air, grinning widely.
Bang!
Suddenly, a burst of blood blossomed in Rowen's chest.
Chaton had shot at Rowen's chest at an incredibly fast speed. Those guns were no ordinary flintlock firearms. Even if they were well concealed, the firing speed was not enough to catch Rowen off guard.
Not to mention that being able to imbue Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) onto bullets with such speed was a testament to Chaton's incredible mastery of Haki!
After all this, Chaton's hands remained in his pockets, and it was as if he had never taken them out.
"Let me tell you something you might not believe, Vice Admiral Rowen. Don't be fooled by my appearance. In fact, I used to be the commander of the Marine Assassination Force… Naturally, that force has been disbanded. Its role overlapped with Cipher Pol, and it didn't sit well with the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)."
"The Marine Assassination Force? I've heard of that name…"
Strands of thunder weaved around Rowen as he muttered. He seemed unscathed as he appeared behind Chaton. However, his chest was torn, proving that the attack had been effective.
Tch!
The high-speed rotating lightning Longblade swept across. In a comical manner, Chaton's hat separated from his head, evading this lethal blow.
"I never expected the renowned commander Shadow Snake, or should I say, Chaton. You really took me by surprise."
Just like the Marine Aircraft Force established last year, the Marines once formed an Assassination Force dedicated to handling dirty missions. Countless factions feared it, including the Marines themselves.
However, this force was disbanded over twenty years ago. As Chaton mentioned, its role overlapped with other divisions, which displeased the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).
Many of the high-ranking figures in CP1-8 now hold important positions, and most of them have emerged from the Marine Assassination Force.
Or, to be more precise, they were trained by Commander Shadow Snake.
Facing the historically notorious Shadow Snake… No, now codenamed Chaton, it wasn't surprising that Rowen's attack failed. He continuously swung the Thunder Ship-chopping Blade, releasing an Electrical Net that covered every inch like a rainstorm.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of gunfire suddenly echoed in the surroundings. Rowen still hadn't seen Chaton draw his guns, but the Thunder Electrical Net gradually disappeared under the continuous gunfire. The attack had taken effect.
At this moment, a silver-white streak rushed over, instantly dispersing the Electrical Net, and also causing Chaton's bullets to explode on the spot. Momousagi stood in mid-air holding Konpira, a slight smile on her lips.
"You two seem to be having a good time!"
Rowen and Chaton instantly distanced themselves and stood their ground with Momousagi.
The mysterious former commander of the Assassination Force, Chaton; the strongest swordsman in the Marines, Momousagi; the Undying Vice Admiral, Rowen. Any one of the three, taken alone, was a Monster that even the Yonko and Admirals would not dare to underestimate!
Rowen touched his lips, feeling the long-lost taste of blood. His Thunderlight surged on both shoulders, and a distorted "Thunder" symbol naturally appeared on his forehead.
Thunder God Seal!
Spear of Meteors · Gungnir!
(End of this chapter)
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