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"Arashi!" A loud shout echoed, carried by the howling wind.
Arashi's body trembled, but the bullet wound on his forehead rapidly healed before his eyes.
A deformed bullet popped out, rattling as it hit the deck. Moving quickly, Arashi immediately ducked and took cover behind the ship's railing.
"I'm fine!" he called out loudly, taking a deep breath.
Not far away, Saul, hiding at the stern, finally exhaled in relief before shouting again, "What about Rear Admiral Jerry?"
"He's dead—shot in the forehead," Arashi replied, glancing at the lifeless body of his superior, who was still standing tall despite being devoid of life.
The atmosphere on the entire ship shifted noticeably. "Dead?" Saul was stunned. A tense, heavy mood settled over the warship.
Although everyone tried to stay calm, groans of pain continued to fill the air as bullets hit more and more Marines.
Arashi soon noticed that the helmsman had also been shot and lay lifeless, with blood steadily dripping from his body.
"The ship isn't moving!" A chill ran down Arashi's spine. "Saul, cover me—I'm going to steer the ship!" he shouted.
At that moment, a loud voice rang out as Simbu, one of the officers, leapt from his cover and rushed to the helm.
Saul stood as solid as a mountain before him, brandishing a large blade to block the incoming bullets.
The clattering sound of bullets being deflected filled the air as Simbu took the helm, and the warship began to change course and pick up speed.
But the sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. Blood splattered from Saul as he swung his twin swords, protecting his vital areas.
After about a minute, he finally collapsed with a thud. Arashi bit his lip and suddenly stood up.
What he saw made his pupils contract sharply. The massive pirate fleet was now dangerously close.
Under the ominous skies, with thunder rumbling above, the scene was utter despair. Countless pirates watched them with cold, malicious smiles.
The sky and sea were filled with an endless expanse of skull-and-crossbones flags on massive pirate ships.
It was hard to imagine the scene before him—the same Flying Pirates led by Golden Lion Shiki, whom Luffy defeated in the movie.
Seeing this powerful fleet with his eyes, Arashi felt an overwhelming sense of shock and hopelessness.
"Simbu!" Arashi shouted. "I'll take over! You all take cover!" He took a deep breath and stepped up beside Simbu.
The officer glanced down at his bleeding abdomen, nodded weakly, and moved aside.
The number of wounded officers on board had become uncountable in the brief skirmish, and few comrades remained standing.
"Kill them all!" came the ferocious cries of the pirates.
"Look at them—they're terrified, trembling, and don't even know where to run!"
Their laughter grew louder, carried by the sea breeze, as their voices became clearer.
Arashi gritted his teeth, his eyes cold as he stared at the overwhelming pirate fleet ahead.
Looking up, he saw a towering, imposing figure with an air of dominance standing on the bow of the leading flagship, arms crossed, looking down on them.
The figure was tall, with golden hair like a lion's mane, nearly touching the ground. At a glance, he resembled a proud and fierce lion.
It was none other than Golden Lion Shiki, one of the three great pirates.
Arashi quickly took the helm and steered the warship violently, creating a path through the water, aiming for the weakest point in the enemy's formation.
Meanwhile, within the Golden Lion's fleet, a man holding a rifle and a scope watched Arashi in disbelief. "I definitely hit him with that shot!"
"Yeah, you did. That kid might be a Devil Fruit user," his companion nodded.
He, too, had seen the boy get shot in the forehead and fall, but now Arashi stood there unharmed, evidently possessing some mysterious power.
Above, on the massive flagship of the pirate fleet...
"They're trying to break through!"
"We're only five hundred meters away! We can easily catch these little mice!"
"Boss Shiki, should we let the boys have some fun?" Laughter erupted as the officers looked at the towering figure ahead.
"Jihahaha!" Golden Lion Shiki chuckled. "Now's not the time for games!"
"I need to find Roger!"
Shiki looked down at the Marine warship, which seemed tiny to him, and laughed. "We've been chasing him in these waters for three days already!"
"And still, we haven't caught him!"
"That sly fox," he muttered, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the sea ahead. Suddenly, a black dot appeared on the horizon. At the same time, the sharp-eyed officers burst into excited shouts.
"It's the Roger Pirates!"
"We've found them again!"
"And they're close, almost perfectly within our encirclement!"
The officers were thrilled.
"Jihahaha!" Shiki laughed. "Boys, go all out and capture Roger!"
"As for those Marine rats... let's see how their luck holds out." After briefly glancing at the Marine ship below, he lost interest and turned away.
The next moment, the massive fleet of flying ships turned and sped toward the black dot in the distance.
Seeing the Flying Pirates suddenly change direction just as they were about to engage, the Marines aboard the ship exchanged glances of relief.
But their relief was short-lived as they soon noticed another ship caught in the encirclement.
"That flag?!"
"It's the Roger Pirates!"
"Who would have thought they'd show up here?" Hearing this, Arashi turned to look ahead.
The swarm of pirate ships was rapidly closing in on the black dot, recreating the same terrifying scene they had just faced against the Flying Pirates.
For them, facing the Flying Pirates meant nothing but despair and suffocation. But what about Roger?
"Prepare to break through, Arashi! We're still not out of danger!" Simbu struggled to stand, his face pale as he spoke in a low voice.
Arashi nodded. He saw five pirate ships quickly closing in on their position from behind the warship.
"Five ships," he murmured, his narrowed eyes suddenly sharp and determined.
"Prepare for battle!"
"Rear Admiral Jerry is dead, but all of you are seasoned veterans! Move quickly!"
"We're within cannon range!"
"Quick, load the cannons!"
"Fire!!"
As the distance closed, the thunderous sound of cannon fire erupted.
The two sides exchanged volleys, the loud noise ringing in Arashi's ears.
Cannonballs splashed into the sea around them, sending up plumes of white water.
But within five seconds, the weight of despair returned to all the Marines.
The enemy's numbers were overwhelming, which meant more cannonballs and firepower.
In the opening moments of the exchange, the warship's stern was hit, igniting a raging fire.
"The stern's been hit!"
"Prepare for close-quarters combat!" Simbu shouted, drawing his longsword from his waist. Arashi glanced around.
The officers, though heavy-hearted, drew their weapons with sharp, fearless eyes. It was clear they were all ready to die.
Arashi bit his lip, then suddenly turned and walked toward the stern.
Through the roaring flames, he could see the pirates on the approaching ships, their faces twisted in manic grins.
As their snarling faces drew closer, their gleaming blades caught the light.
His gaze shifted; the main fleet of the Flying Pirates was now far in the distance, surrounding that increasingly distinct black dot.
"Haah!" Arashi took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly widening.
"Boom!"
A powerful and overwhelming aura exploded from him, spreading like a fan and crashing toward the five approaching pirate ships.
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