As Luffy and Francis made their way back, I couldn't help but smile at the energy in the air. "You know, my other crew is equally powerful," I announced, gauging their reactions.
And their reaction was fighting them, but in the end they were defeated too, they now all lay on deck as Wendy healed them all.
Sanji puffed out a smoke ring. "No wonder you're not interested in sailing with us. Compared to your crew, we are nothing!" he lamented, a dramatic flair to his words.
"It's okay! You can reach our level too," I replied, trying to reassure him. He nodded, though I could see the doubt lingering in his eyes.
Zoro chimed in, his brow furrowing as he asked, "We won't be able to go to other worlds without you, right?"
I understood his concern. "No, you can! The moment you master your current strength, you'll feel the pull. You can escape anytime and go to another world, even without me," I clarified, watching as relief washed over the group.
"Then it won't take much time to reach your level!" Zoro said, determination glimmering in his eyes.
"We will be waiting for you all in the New World," I stated, and Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement. "We will defeat you at that time!" he declared, clenching his fist with enthusiasm.
'In your dreams, perhaps,' I chuckled, knowing full well that I would soon be able to achieve four Emperor levels.
It was just a matter of time before I reached the New World and faced more powerful opponents. And as we were talking suddenly marine ships were seen on Horizon.
"Huh? They are here too?" Luffy exclaimed, absentmindedly picking his nose.
"You guys fought them?" I asked, trying to piece together the details. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, there was that smoke man and the other iron lady," he replied.
I couldn't help but chuckle, already knowing whom he was referring to—Smoker and Hina. "I guess they're back here," I said, glancing at Francis.
"Show them what you've got," I encouraged her. With a confident nod, she activated her noble phantasm, Golden Wild Hunt.
Suddenly, the air shimmered, and before us, a magnificent ship appeared, crafted from gleaming gold and adorned with intricate designs that seemed to shimmer in the light. It floated effortlessly above the deck, exuding an aura of power and grandeur.
Luffy's eyes widened as he pointed at the massive ship hovering above us. "This is your ship?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. The rest of the crew echoed his sentiments, their gazes fixed on the majestic vessel.
"Yep! Welcome to the Celestial Slayer Pirates' flagship," I replied proudly, grinning at their reactions.
"This is incredible!" Zoro remarked, his arms crossed, clearly impressed.
"Just wait until you see what it can do!" Francis added, excitement bubbling in her voice.
As the ship floated effortlessly above, Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Can we go on board?" he asked, practically bouncing on his heels.
"Sadly, no," I replied, shaking my head. "It's more of a weapon than a ship." The crew sighed in disappointment.
"But don't worry," Francis chimed in with a grin. "I'll show you what it means for a pirate to fight with their ship!" She jumped aboard, summoning her illusory staff, which glowed with energy. She pointed it at the ship's sails, commanding, "Move!" The sails caught a sudden gust, and the ship began to glide forward, guided by Francis's control.
Meanwhile, not too far away, Smoker and Hina had caught sight of the approaching ship from their own vessel. Smoker squinted, trying to identify it. "The only ship that fly, that supposed to be the Golden Lion Shiki's ship?" he muttered, frowning in suspicion.
"No," Hina replied, shaking her head thoughtfully. "That's not the Flying Pirate's vessel."
"So, Shiki's dead, and someone else has eaten his Devil Fruit?" Smoker wondered aloud, sharing a curious glance with Hina. They both continued watching, uncertain about what to expect next.
"Whatever it is, let's just destroy them," Hina commanded, her eyes narrowing as she watched the mysterious ship approach. "Load Hina's special cannons!"
Her Marine sailors moved quickly, loading the cannons with balls crafted from Hina's Iron Iron Fruit powers. Using her Devil Fruit ability, she could create iron bars and railings, which she had fashioned into unique cannonballs.
Unlike ordinary cannonballs that simply exploded on impact, Hina's cannonballs were deadly and strategic. Upon hitting their target, they released iron railings like spears, piercing through the ship and causing extensive structural damage. These projectiles were capable of tearing through the hull, deck, and rigging, leaving destruction in their wake.
Hina smirked as she gave the order. "Fire!"
Boom!!
Boom!!
A barrage of cannons fired from Hina's Marine ship, all aiming straight for Francis Drake's Golden Wild Hunt. Standing on the deck, Francis smirked as she raised her flintlock, signaling her own ship's cannons to respond. "Fire!" she commanded. Her cannons unleashed a powerful, precisely timed barrage, enhanced by her magical prowess.
The two sets of cannonballs clashed in mid-air, Hina's iron-laced projectiles meeting Francis's own in a furious explosion. But Francis's magical artillery tore through the iron cannonballs, sending fragments scattering back towards the Marines. The Wild Hunt's cannonballs continued forward, unrelenting, as they targeted Hina's vessel.
"Brace yourselves!" Smoker ordered, using his Smoke Smoke Fruit to create a thick fog around the deck to blind Francis and her crew. But Francis, unfazed, aimed her flintlock once more, and with a wave of her hand, summoned several illusionary ships that surrounded her real ship, each fully equipped and ready to fire.
"Blow holes in that smoke!" Francis commanded, and the entire fleet of illusionary ships joined in, unleashing a storm of cannonfire that dissipated Smoker's smoke cover and continued to tear through the Marine vessel's defenses. The resulting blasts sent shockwaves across the water, and Hina and Smoker exchanged tense glances, realizing the ship couldn't withstand much more.
Realizing her ship was near its limit, Hina gritted her teeth, knowing they'd have to retreat or face inevitable destruction at the hands of Francis Drake's overwhelming power.
***
Check out my other books while waiting for this one, My new Original : Absolute Cheater & Final Life Online.
These two Novels are in same universe, and much later the ML of my both will face each other.
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It's 10 chapter ahead.