Akainu looked at the approaching Oro Jackson with a serious expression, even calmer than Rear Admiral Noville.
"Everyone, prepare for battle. Even if the opponent is the Roger Pirates, we can't surrender without a fight."
At this point in time, the Roger Pirates hadn't yet achieved their legendary status, so even a newly promoted Akainu wasn't intimidated. Instead, he was brimming with fighting spirit.
Not just Akainu—Vetus and the others were also highly motivated. Like Akainu, they didn't know much about the Roger Pirates. The only ones who truly understood the terror of Roger's crew were Brueck and Jon Lyons, whose hearts sank further and further.
"Truly, ignorance is bliss."
Brueck looked at the high-spirited recruits and sighed deeply. These people had no idea how terrifying the Roger Pirates truly were, but he knew. Even if all of them worked together, they wouldn't be enough to stand against Roger's crew. Only Garp could save them now.
After about ten minutes, the two sides were only a few hundred meters apart. Akainu and the others, who had long since prepared, immediately loaded their cannons and fired at the pursuing Oro Jackson.
"Boom!"
The cannonfire roared as shells shot toward the enemy ship. However, none of the shells from the navy's warship hit the Oro Jackson. On the contrary, several cannonballs from the Roger Pirates successfully struck the warship.
"The distance still isn't enough," Akainu muttered, staring solemnly at the Oro Jackson, still some ways off.
He had been preparing to use his abilities to attack, but due to the distance, he wasn't confident, so he hadn't acted yet.
Jon Lyons had kept his Observation Haki active the whole time. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Watch out!"
Just as the words left his mouth, a massive blue sword energy surged into the sky, slashing through the air toward the warship. It was clearly a flying slash unleashed by a top-tier swordsman.
The slash split the seawater apart as it rushed forward. Jon Lyons was the first to sense it, and his warning gave the others just enough time to mentally prepare. Yet, when they actually saw the incoming slash, they couldn't help but feel terrified.
"Stop it! Don't let it destroy the ship!"
If the slash landed on the warship, it would definitely cut the ship in two. Akainu roared and took the lead.
"Great Eruption!"
A massive fist of molten lava shot out, colliding with the flying slash. The others also unleashed their techniques in an all-out effort to block the attack.
It took everyone working together at full power to finally deflect the flying slash just before it reached the warship.
"A flying slash from a top-tier swordsman is truly terrifying," Jon Lyons gasped.
The sheer force of the attack shocked him to his core. Though he had always known there was a gap between himself and the world's top-tier fighters, he hadn't expected the gap to be this vast. If he had faced that attack alone, he wouldn't have been able to block it—only dodge using Observation Haki.
"Accelerate! Push the ship to its maximum speed! We're no match for them, but Vice Admiral Garp will arrive soon. We have to hold on until then!"
Brueck shouted, rallying the crew. They hadn't even seen the enemy, yet one flying slash had nearly destroyed their warship. Anyone with a shred of intelligence could see the difference in power between the two sides.
Terry Cavery, who was piloting the warship, remained calm. Fully focused on maneuvering the ship, he pushed its speed to the limit and concentrated on dodging incoming attacks.
Roger sheathed his sword with a hearty laugh. "They managed to block my slash. Seems they've got some skill."
Though Roger hadn't used his full strength, even a casual strike from someone of his caliber was devastating. For the navy to block it showed they had some capable fighters.
Rayleigh asked, "Are you planning to wipe them all out?"
"Well, we're already a thorn in the navy's side. Taking out a few of their warships would be a fitting return," said Scopper Gaban, another officer of the Roger Pirates.
"Gaban's right. It's the navy. We're here to fight them," Roger added with a grin.
"I'll join in too," said a man wielding a sniper rifle. He raised the gun, aimed at the warship, and fired.
With a loud "bang," the navy flag on the warship's mast was shot clean off, startling Jon Lyons and the others.
"He shot down the mast with a single bullet. What an incredible sniper!"
Jon Lyons was astonished. Even with his Observation Haki, he couldn't fully track the sniper's bullet.
"Everyone on that ship is a monster. We're completely outmatched. Where's Garp? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
Jon Lyons grew increasingly anxious. From the current situation, it was clear the Roger Pirates had no intention of letting them escape. With no sign of Garp, it was only a matter of time before they were overtaken.
"Akainu, we must give it our all to hold them off until Vice Admiral Garp arrives," Jon Lyons urged.
Akainu nodded. "Understood. I'll do everything I can."
On this warship, there were few who could attack from long range effectively. And against the Roger Pirates, ordinary attacks were useless. The best chance to inflict damage lay in Akainu's magma abilities.
Both of Akainu's arms transformed into molten lava. Though he hadn't yet become the fearsome admiral of the future, nor fully developed his Devil Fruit powers, his Meteor Volcano technique was still incomplete.
However, based on the characteristics of his Great Eruption, Akainu had been experimenting with how to launch magma blasts.
Both arms now turned to lava, and he aimed at the Roger Pirates' ship. With a sudden burst, he fired a magma fist.
Unfortunately, the attack fell short, splashing into the sea before reaching the Oro Jackson. Clearly, it was a failed attempt.
Unfazed, Akainu adjusted his aim and fired again. This time, the magma fist traveled farther, but it still didn't reach the target.
Despite these failures, Akainu remained calm, quickly finding his rhythm. In less than a minute, he transitioned from clumsy attempts to proficient execution. Standing beside him, Jon Lyons watched the entire process and was amazed.
"He's a monster," Jon Lyons thought.
In the blink of an eye, Akainu had launched over ten magma fists, all landing near the Oro Jackson with greater precision and power than cannonfire.
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