The Roger Pirates' ship surged forward at full speed, aiming to breach the Marines' defensive perimeter. Their goal was to exploit the current dispersion of Marine forces and break through before the fleet could regroup. A delay would make infiltration nearly impossible.
As the ship raced ahead, the Marines detected their approach.
"Attention all Marines!" Sengoku commanded into the Den Den Mushi. "The Roger Pirates are attacking from the front at the port! Leave a few ships to patrol the island's rear, but the rest of the fleet is to converge on the port immediately!"
After issuing his orders, Sengoku turned to his companions. "Your task is to hold off the strong ones in the Roger Pirates. I'll handle deploying the Vice Admirals to eliminate the lower-ranked crew. The more troublesome ones can be dealt with later."
"Understood!" came the unanimous reply.
Sengoku watched the pirate ship approach, calculating. It was clear the Roger Pirates intended to storm through the front lines to rescue their allies. While the Marines' firepower could only delay them, victory would hinge on the World Government's secret measures.
Privately, Sengoku couldn't help but worry. "The Marines' top-tier strength is on par with the Roger Pirates. If the World Government's backup plan isn't reliable, any victory here would come at too great a cost. A pyrrhic victory would cripple our ability to maintain order on the seas."
Sengoku resolved that preserving Marine forces was paramount. If necessary, he would allow the Roger Pirates to escape rather than risk devastating the Marines' strength, knowing full well the seas were already overrun with Whitebeard, Shiki, and other formidable foes.
As Sengoku brooded, the Roger Pirates' ship closed within firing range.
"Prepare to fire!" Sengoku ordered. "Target the pirate ship!"
A volley of cannonballs erupted from the surrounding Marine warships, blotting out the sky like a deadly rain. Over twenty warships opened fire simultaneously, creating an overwhelming barrage.
Onboard the Roger Pirates' ship, the sight of the incoming projectiles caused unease among the lower-ranking crew. Such a relentless bombardment was enough to shake even seasoned sailors, especially when it came from twice the firepower of a Buster Call.
"Everyone, prepare to intercept those cannonballs!" Roger commanded from the ship's bow.
"Got it, Captain!"
Rayleigh and Kozuki Oden, both master swordsmen, leapt to the ship's rigging, ready to intercept.
"Slash! Slash! Slash!"
As the projectiles neared, the two unleashed devastating slashes of sword energy, weaving a protective net above the ship. The cannonballs detonated in mid-air, lighting up the sky with fire and smoke.
Squatting in a corner, Reno watched the display, impressed. "These two old guys are something else. They make handling this insane bombardment look easy!"
While Reno admired their skill, he knew he could handle the situation even more effortlessly. His telekinetic powers could have deflected all those cannonballs with a mere wave of his hand. Though his offensive capabilities were still developing, his wide-range abilities made him unmatched in certain situations.
"If I went all out," Reno mused, "I could probably flip those twenty warships upside down. But I'm better off lying low for now."
The pirate ship continued charging forward, its goal in sight. Onboard, Roger finally drew his sword, raising it high above his head in preparation to clear a path through the enemy.
Before he could act, a figure launched from a Marine ship, laughing boisterously. "Hahaha! Roger! Let's take this fight to the skies!"
The man hurtled toward the pirate ship, clearly intent on boarding.
It was none other than Garp, the Marine Hero, determined to force Roger into an aerial duel.
Seeing Garp's approach, Roger sighed in exasperation. "That old fool is as reckless as ever." Turning to Rayleigh, he issued a command. "Rayleigh, I'll leave the ship to you. I can't let Garp board, or he'll smash the whole thing apart!"
"Don't worry. The ship's in good hands," Rayleigh assured him from the rigging.
Roger nodded and leapt to meet Garp mid-air, their clash inevitable.
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T/N:
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