Chapter 9 - Battle

"Yo, Roger! Long time no see! I've missed you so much!"

A booming voice reached Shirakawa's ears as soon as he saw the dog-headed warship.

'That voice carries so far!' Shirakawa thought, impressed. The ships were at least three or four hundred meters apart, yet Garp's voice easily overpowered the crashing waves.

"Garp, I haven't missed you at all. Your face makes me sick, and we only met two months ago," Roger retorted loudly.

"Really? I forgot," Garp said, picking his nose and flicking it into the sea.

"Garp, you're my nemesis," Roger muttered under his breath, scowling. He couldn't understand why Garp was so obsessed with chasing them, while ignoring other powerful pirate crews like the Golden Lion and Whitebeard.

Roger raised his saber high. "Crew, prepare for battle!"

"Aye aye!" The crew cheered, and even Shirakawa felt his blood pumping.

But his excitement was quickly extinguished.

"You apprentices stay back. We haven't reached the point where we need trainees to fight," Rayleigh said, grabbing Shirakawa's collar from behind.

"What's wrong with trainees? We need to contribute too!" Shirakawa protested.

"No. You'll only get in the way and distract us. We'll have to protect you."

"I don't need protection!"

"That's not an option," Rayleigh said firmly.

Shirakawa reluctantly gave in.

"Buggy, keep Shanks and Shirakawa safe. If anything happens, it's on you," Rayleigh ordered.

"Don't worry, First Mate. I'll complete the mission," Buggy said, puffing out his chest.

Rayleigh knew Shanks was always eager for a fight, but he also knew Buggy preferred to avoid danger whenever possible. While he wasn't entirely confident in Buggy's ability to control Shanks and Shirakawa, there was no time to worry about that now. Garp had already launched his attack.

Cannonballs rained down on the Roger Pirates, seemingly fired without the use of regular cannons.

"Garp's strength is as terrifying as ever," Rayleigh remarked.

The crew sprang into action, deflecting the cannonballs with swords, hooks, and fists. Not a single one hit the ship.

"Alright, let's go hide," Buggy said, eager to get away from the danger zone.

With no islands nearby, the only safe place was inside the ship. Buggy dragged Shirakawa and Shanks into a small room, where they could only observe the battle through a tiny window.

As the ships drew closer, the Marines began boarding the Oro Jackson.

Garp was the first one over, met head-on by Roger and Rayleigh. Only the Captain and First Mate could handle such a monster.

Bullet was engaged in a fierce battle with a female Marine. The contrast between the hulking Bullet and the petite Marine was striking, but Bullet's expression showed he wasn't taking her lightly.

"Who's that fighting Bullet? She looks strong," Shirakawa asked Shanks.

"That's... I think her name's Tsuru. She's either a Rear Admiral or a Vice Admiral, I can't remember."

'Tsuru?' Shirakawa was surprised. The Tsuru he knew was an elderly woman with white hair, not this young and powerful Marine.

"Don't underestimate Tsuru because of her appearance. Her Devil Fruit ability is terrifying. Even Bullet has to be careful."

Shirakawa observed the fight. Bullet was using traps to try and gain an advantage, but he dodged every one of Tsuru's attacks.

"Who's that fighting the ice Marine? He's really good," Shirakawa asked, recognizing the future Admiral Aokiji but not the swordsman facing him.

"You have a terrible memory. Didn't I introduce him?" Shanks gave Shirakawa a look.

"I forgot," Shirakawa admitted sheepishly.

"That's Silver Axe. He might look chubby, but he's fast, and one of the top five fighters on our ship."

"I wouldn't have guessed."

"Just watch. That ice guy is no match for him."

Shanks was right. Within a few exchanges, Aokiji was bleeding from several wounds, even coughing up blood, indicating internal injuries. Silver Axe, on the other hand, was only slightly out of breath.

Despite his injuries, Aokiji fought on, refusing to back down.

"That Marine has guts," Shirakawa remarked.

"Yeah. The Captain said he's a true Marine. He'll probably become an Admiral someday."

"The Captain's really good at predicting people's futures," Shirakawa said.

"It's not just a guess. We've encountered that Marine a few times. Both sides have a decent understanding of each other's strength."

The battle raged on, but Shirakawa and Shanks could only watch helplessly, feeling frustrated. Shirakawa was itching to test his own strength after two months of training.

"Shirakawa," Shanks whispered.

"What?"

Shanks glanced at Buggy, and Shirakawa immediately understood his plan.

"Alright," Shirakawa agreed.

Shanks and Shirakawa turned to Buggy, smirking.

"What are you two up to?" Buggy asked nervously, trying to sound tough. "The First Mate put you two in my care. I'm in charge here!"

"You're in charge, but if you can't handle it, we are," Shanks retorted.

"No, don't..." Buggy pleaded.

Shirakawa saw himself from two months ago in Buggy's fear. But that only made him more eager to proceed, perhaps to satisfy some mischievous urge.