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Now that the Marine warship had reached this position, it was impossible to turn back or change direction.
But since they had arrived, there was no choice but to proceed with their mission.
The warship continued to approach the shoreline. Although it wouldn't dock directly, it could allow Marines to disembark at any moment.
"Abona, do you recognize anyone on that ship?"
On the shore, Zen looked at Abona curiously and asked.
"There are so many people in the Marines; how could I know them all? When I crossed paths with the Marines, this guy might have been just another nameless soldier," Abona said with a smirk.
Fortunately, Momonga couldn't hear this, or he might have lost his temper.
"Even so, I don't understand why these Marines came to our kingdom for no reason," Zen remarked, shaking his head.
"Alright, enough of that. They're about to disembark, so go and shout a warning!"
Abona glanced at Zen and said.
With a sigh, Zen stepped forward, his expression turning serious. He shouted toward the Marine warship, which was preparing to anchor, "This is the territory of the Tru Kingdom! Marine warships have no right to dock here!"
To ensure the message was heard, Zen repeated his warning loudly.
However, the Marines had already heard the warning the first time and chose to ignore it.
Vice Admiral Momonga maintained his course, ordering the warship to proceed while keeping the crew on high alert for potential combat.
Abona's earlier smirk vanished. He had no fondness for the Marines, and seeing their dismissive attitude despite the warning only fueled his irritation.
Without another word, he stepped forward, unsheathing his blade, Dawn, in one smooth motion.
Instead of issuing another warning, Abona swung his blade. A powerful wave of sword energy erupted, carving a deep rift in the sea beside the warship.
The impact was immense, stretching for over two kilometres, and caused the seawater to split momentarily before crashing back together.
The turbulence made the warship rock violently, sending several Marines sprawling to the deck. Some even lost their footing and fell into the sea.
"A swordsman...!"
Momonga's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected to encounter someone of such calibre in the South Blue.
"Vice Admiral Momonga, should we engage?"
The adjutant shouted, his voice filled with urgency. After all, the opposing swordsman had already acted against them.
Abona calmly returned Dawn to its sheath, his eyes narrowing as his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) extended toward the warship. He could hear every sound aboard, including the tension in the Marines' voices.
"Zen, alert the guards. Prepare for battle."
Abona's voice was calm yet commanding.
Zen nodded, his earlier nonchalance gone as he barked the order, "Prepare for battle!"
The palace guards, clad in black combat uniforms, moved swiftly into position, their weapons ready.
Onboard the warship, Momonga's expression grew even graver. He gave no order to fire but instead leapt into the air using Geppo (Moonwalk), closing the distance to the shore.
Before landing, he unsheathed his blade and unleashed a crimson slash toward Abona.
The attack hurtled toward the shoreline, its power clear to everyone watching. Among the Tru Kingdom's forces, only Abona seemed capable of countering such an assault.
Without hesitation, Abona drew Dawn once more and released a golden arc of energy to meet the attack.
The two strikes collided mid-air, creating a powerful shockwave that sent dust and debris flying.
"Vice Admiral, do you intend to start a war?" Haruya shouted coldly.
Behind him, the Royal guards stood ready, their weapons gleaming under the sunlight. One word from Zen, and they would charge the Marine warship without hesitation.
Momonga said nothing, instead using Soru (Shave) to vanish and reappear in an instant, his blade aimed directly at Abona's neck.
However, Abona was unfazed. In the blink of an eye, he intercepted the attack with Dawn, deflecting the Vice Admiral's strike.
Seeing his attack thwarted, Momonga attempted to retreat, but Abona struck with a swift kick, sending the Vice Admiral flying backwards.
Abona didn't relent. In a flash, he closed the distance, raising his blade for a finishing blow.
But before he could strike, a voice resonated across the battlefield, calm yet authoritative: "Let them go."
The voice belonged to King Anos, sitting in the palace miles away. Using his advanced Observation Haki, he had been monitoring the confrontation from the start.
Abona froze mid-action, shocked but obedient. He sheathed Dawn and stepped back to Zen's side.
Momonga struggled to his feet, his blade returning to its scabbard. Though he didn't understand why his opponent had suddenly withdrawn, he no longer underestimated the Tru Kingdom.
For the first time in his career, Momonga had been wounded by what the Marines often referred to as "locals."
Worse still, this was no World Government-affiliated nation they had no obligation to comply with Marine orders.
"Abona, why did you let him go?"
Zen asked, his confusion evident.
"His Majesty's orders," Abona replied, his brow furrowed.
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