Chapter 5: Strategy Against the Navy

Teach killed the navy men with a swift strike of his sword and returned to Whitebeard's side and delivered the important news.

"Gurarara! So they are plotting against us?!" Whitebeard laughed it off.

"What should we do? We're bound to suffer significant losses," Teach replied.

Over 30,000 naval forces were approaching, while the Whitebeard Pirates' members consisted of nearly 40,000 fighters. Though the Whitebeard Pirates were fearless in battle, they were unwilling to bear the loss of their comrades.

Whitebeard, too, was reluctant to see such a situation. "My children, I won't let any harm come to you. We'll avoid a direct confrontation when the time comes."

Whitebeard's decision was wise. Engaging the Navy head-on would be irrational. Whitebeard and Adrimal Sengoku were old adversaries, but they typically clashed only with warships and shockwaves. The shockwaves produced by Sengoku's Buddha fruit had the power to counter Whitebeard's quake fruit. "Since the Navy intends to act, we shouldn't disappoint them. Let's give them a show!" Teach remarked. "We may be weaker than the Navy in overall strength, but to avoid being encircled, we must weaken them."

Teach smiled, his hair wrapped in a black skull-patterned turban. "Teach, your sinister smile is rather enjoyable to see GURARARA!" Whitebeard laughed in response.

The strategy was simple. By not confronting the enemy head-on, Whitebeard wouldn't be restrained by the Sengoku, nor would his performance be hindered by concerns for his allies. However, it might tarnish Whitebeard's reputation a bit.

"For my beloved children, I'll gladly teach that Sengoku a lesson he won't forget," Whitebeard laughed. Under the circumstances, this strategy was to his liking. The gloom in his heart dissipated. When it came to protecting his beloved children, there was nothing he wouldn't do.

"Father!" his childrens joyed out, moved to tears. "Pops, you're so cool with your thick-skinned attitude." Unfazed by their teasing, Whitebeard replied, "give it your all and don't give them a chance!."

…

…

The situation on the battlefield became increasingly difficult to sustain, but with this plan in motion, it quickly fell apart. The sound of shelling—boom, boom, and boom—filled the air as warships were engulfed by the sea and sank.

The Vice Admiral's body was buried at sea, vanishing along with his ship.

"The Vice Admiral's vivre card has been extinguished," a navy men announced. Everyone knew what that meant. The navy had lost a a high-ranking officer. Vivre cards, also knows as Paper of Life, is connected to a person's life force, if it disintegrates completely it means the person it was linked to as died.

Sengoku gazed at the remaining ashes and took a deep breath. As the fleet admiral, he couldn't let his emotions sway him in his role.

"Notify the near by vice admirals to accelerate. They must hold the Whitebeard Pirates until we arrive and prevent them from escaping," he ordered. The entire G1 Fortress Navy was mobilized to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates. Even if they couldn't kill Whitebeard himself, the navy forces under his command could inflict heavy damage on the pirate group, greatly enhancing the navy's reputation and suppressing the pirates' audacious arrogance.

The Sengoku period furrowed his brow, as if a cloud had settled in his heart. 'there's an ominous feeling within me.'

…

…

Before long, two warships approached from a distance, one after the other, positioning themselves on either side, as if intending to trap the Moby Dick in between. "**, where's is the vice admiral? Has he died? How useless! We won't be able to hold on until reinforcements arrive at this rate," ** exclaimed. The vice admiral's relationship with others was hostile due to personal grievances, factional battles within the navy, and clashes of ideas. So he looked down on the navy quite a bit even though he himself was one.

"Enough with the negative talk, Let's speed up. After all, we're up against the Whitebeard Pirates". "Aim at the Whitebeard Pirates's ship and fire the cannons!" ** gave the order. The cannons were primed and ready. To engage with the Whitebeard Pirates, they couldn't afford a direct confrontation. Maintaining a distance and bombarding them was the best strategy, a common approach employed by the navy and pirate factions.

Typically, the Whitebeard Pirates might play with their adversaries. However, this time was different. Aware of the navy's intentions, before Sengoku's main forces arrived, they planned to kill the three vice admirals as a greeting, not to only inflict significant losses on the navy but also proclaim the invincibility of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Trying to buy time? Don't even think about it," Whitebeard observed as the two warships attempted to create distance. Understanding their strategy, he waved his hand and commanded, "Children, full speed ahead! Don't let them escape!"

"This ship's protection is our responsibility. How could they harm our Moby Dick? This ship is our home," Vista declared, brandishing his swords. "Flower Dance!"

Beautiful petal-like objects filled the air, sharp as knives. They effortlessly cut through the flying shells, causing the space to seemingly freeze. The shells halted mid-air and then exploded simultaneously.

Soon, the naval forces on the two warships realized something was amiss. They hadn't anticipated that their shells would backfire, but that's exactly what had happened. The distance between the Whitebeard Pirates and them was rapidly closing, already reduced by half.

"Why are the Whitebeard Pirates approaching us so quickly? Have we become their target?" one naval officer wondered.

"They've already taken down one vice admiral . Are they now focusing on us?" another officer pondered.

Only now did they realize that their plan against the Whitebeard Pirates had been exposed.

"We can't withstand the power of Whitebeard at all. Full speed ahead, increase the distance from the Whitebeard Pirates, and continue shelling without pause," ** commanded, staring at the approaching Moby Dick.

But before long, both warships shook violently, buffeted by a strong gust of wind originating from the Moby Dick. The naval officers struggled to maintain their balance, but many fell to the ground. The attack had come suddenly, without warning. On the warship, cries and groans filled the air, alongside the sound of bodies plunging into the water.

Cracks appeared on the warship's hull. ** clung to a handrail, his head spinning. "Damn you, Whitebeard!" They hadn't even exchanged direct blows, yet a single long-range attack had inflicted heavy losses. Morale plummeted, their spirits broken. "Can humans wield this kind of power?" Naval officers laboriously rose from the deck, their fearful expressions impossible to hide. Some had injured legs or hands, while others remained unconscious.

Vice admiral Rona found himself suspended in mid-air. He maintained his balance by repeatedly stomping on the air. Reacting swiftly, he employed Moon Step technique to distance himself from the warship. However, a powerful hurricane assailed him, nearly blowing him into the sea.

It was Whitebeard who had made the move. "Gurarara! Planning to escape, are you? Navy brats, you won't stand a chance," he proclaimed. Fixing his gaze upon the two warships, he remained vigilant, monitoring the situation aboard. But when he realized the warships were about to flee, Whitebeard didn't hesitate. He took decisive action.

"It's pops! Now that pops has made his move, there's no escaping for these navies," the Whitebeard Pirates cheered.

Teach's eyes gleamed with excitement. This was the devil fruit he had always sought to acquire in the original story—the quake fruit. It symbolized immense power. However, the quake fruit also had a powerful counter-shock force. In his younger days, Whitebeard could withstand it with his robust physique, even using the quake fruit's shock power to bolster his own body. But as he entered his twilight years, his physical abilities began to decline, aggravated by old injuries that were reawakened, rendering his body unable to withstand the counter-shock force. The stronger the shock force he employed, the greater the corresponding counter-shock force.

Now, at the peak of his powers, Whitebeard possessed the ability to lay chaos to the world. He could rise and grow even stronger. He had yet to demonstrate the true might of the quake fruit, the power that instilled fear across the globe. Even in a head-on confrontation like this, should Whitebeard become enraged, none of the fleet would survive—they would all be buried.

If he had the quake fruit in his possession, Teach would be able showcase its devastating power and become a true swordsman, surpassing the level of iron-cutting he had been stuck at for so long.

Just got to until he acquired the Dark Fruit.

"Hurry up! Move forward at full speed! Don't let them catch up!"

" it's not looking good, vice admiral ." As soon as the voice faded, a panicked navy men emerged from beneath the ship. His body swayed, desperately holding onto the wall for support. His face wore a grim expression, and he barely had time to catch his breath. "The power system of the warship has been destroyed."

"What? And what about the other ship?" Rona turned to look at the second warship, sensing the answer in his heart. However, a glimmer of hope still remained, only to be swiftly extinguished. He received news that the power system of the other warship had also been destroyed. To make matters worse, both ships were now flooding, leaving no time to repair the leaks.

The outcome seemed predetermined, but the more desperate the situation became, the more resolute their hearts grew.

They retrieved their weapons one by one—knives, swords, and guns—each one determined.

"In that case, let's fight. Taking down two more pirates will be a victory," they stood at the forefront of the warship. "Fight with all your might, hold them off until the Fleet Admiral arrives. Even if it costs us our lives, we'll have no regrets."

At this moment, personal feelings and grievances were set aside, leaving only a single thought in their hearts—for justice!

"hahah! Before you die, you display such astounding conviction. Admirable, just as I'd expect from the navy. This sea area shall be your graveyard. Allow me to hold a luxurious funeral in your honor," Teach laughed, taking charge of the situation with uncontainable excitement. "Father, I'll go ahead."

The Moby Dick drew closer, and Teach unsheathed his dual swords, holding Thunder Teeth in his left hand and Purgatory in his right. He utilized Moon Steps, rushing forward.

He intended to make a break through in his powers in this battle.