Above the Ark, the girls were confused. The Navy fleet had surrounded them, but there was no movement, no one shouting orders, and not even a flag raised. What were they planning?
Ron's Observation Haki gave him insight into what was about to happen.
"Oh no, it's terrible!" Aisa cried out suddenly. "Brother Ron, they're preparing to shell us!"
"You 'saw' it too?" Ron wasn't surprised. Aisa's Mantra was at a high level, allowing her to anticipate the enemy's next move.
"Shelling? Are they really going to bombard us?" The girls grew tense, their nervousness evident.
Ron simply smiled, leaping to the top of the Ark. He stood there with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed as he gazed at the approaching warships. He showed no sign of worry.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of cannons roared as black shells rained down like a storm toward the Ark. The barrage was fierce, and if the shells hit, the ensuing explosions would surely result in casualties, with only a few of the crew potentially surviving.
Conis, Makino, Nojiko, and Kaya, who lacked combat abilities, would be in great danger. Even Vivi, Nami, and the others, despite being stronger, would struggle to protect themselves amidst such a ferocious assault.
Though Ron's face remained calm, a flash of anger gleamed in his eyes. He had expected the Navy to target him specifically, but this reckless attack showed they were aiming to wipe out the entire crew. It was unforgivable.
As the girls watched in horror, Ron sprang into the air, moving like a blur as he intercepted the shells. Leaping and twisting, he kicked and swatted the shells away with incredible speed. His figure darted around in the sky, striking each shell back toward the warships.
While some of the shells missed the Ark and fell into the sea, every shell that posed a threat to the ship was deflected by Ron, sent hurtling back to where it came from.
How many shells had been fired by the eighty-two warships?
At least several hundred!
Of those, around three hundred shells were intercepted by Ron and returned to the warships that had launched them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted across the ocean as flames engulfed the warships surrounding the Ark. One ship after another was damaged or destroyed, with several beginning to sink beneath the waves.
After the chaotic barrage, Ron floated back down to the deck, his expression indifferent. The girls, still in shock, soon realized that none of the shells had struck the Ark. Instead, the enemy fleet had suffered severe damage, prompting cheers from the crew.
"Ron, you're amazing!" Kaya exclaimed joyfully.
"He's incredible!" Aisa and Apis cheered, clapping their hands.
Robin, watching in disbelief, thought to herself, To deflect such a terrible wave of attacks so easily, and even turn it against the enemy… just how powerful is he?
"Nami!" Ron said calmly, "Take the Ark toward the two large warships. I want to see which Admirals are leading this attack."
"Are you sure? Just sail straight over?" Nami was momentarily hesitant, but quickly followed Ron's instructions, steering the Ark toward the remaining fleet.
On one of the large warships, the fleet commander's face turned pale as he listened to the report from his subordinate.
"Sir, after that round of shelling, the enemy vessel remains undamaged. We've lost fifty-seven warships: fifty small warships and seven medium-sized warships have sunk. Three other ships are heavily damaged, while the rest have suffered minor damage. Casualties have reached over two thousand, with nearly a thousand dead and over a thousand injured."
The commander's heart trembled. How could this be? Their artillery barrage was supposed to destroy the enemy, yet it had resulted in catastrophic losses for their own fleet. The other side appeared untouched!
How can we continue this fight?
The commander fell silent for a moment, gritting his teeth as he watched the Ark approach. He no longer had the confidence to give further attack orders. If they launched another round, his fleet could be completely destroyed.
"Admirals, the situation is now in your hands." The commander turned to Aokiji and Kizaru, bowing his head respectfully. "Please deal with this enemy."
"I told you from the start," Aokiji said, shaking his head, "a pirate with a bounty of a billion berries can't be defeated so easily."
The Admiral's calm demeanor contrasted with the chaos of the battlefield as he focused on the approaching Ark. The pirate named Ron had effortlessly deflected a massive shelling and retaliated with devastating effect.
"Focus on rescuing the sailors who went overboard," Kizaru instructed the commander. "Leave this to us. I'm curious to see how strong Ron really is."
The commander nodded and quickly left to oversee the rescue efforts.
"Aokiji, did you see that?" Kizaru remarked. "His movements were incredibly fast."
"With your abilities, you could match that speed, couldn't you?" Aokiji replied. "Your power is based on light, and you're certainly faster than his movements just now."
"It's not quite the same," Kizaru mused, touching his chin thoughtfully. "My speed is derived from my Devil Fruit. His speed seems to come from sheer physical prowess. If he's this fast, it means his abilities are well-rounded, making it hard to find a weakness. Do you have any strategies, Kuzan?"
"I don't have a clear plan yet," Aokiji admitted, hands in his pockets as he eyed the nearing Ark. "But let's go introduce ourselves to this young prodigy. He's only nineteen and already known as the world's greatest swordsman, with a bounty of a billion berries. If the two of us have to take him on, he must be something special."
"Yes," Kizaru said with a grin. "For a man to warrant the attention of two Admirals, even if he's captured, he can take pride in the fact."
The two Admirals prepared to confront Ron as Ark Maxim continued to close in on the remaining warships.