A Single Star Shining in the Night  

"Are you alright, Scotch?"

"I'm fine. Glad to see you guys are okay too."

George and the others, having separated from Samuel, returned to the ship and began assisting in repelling the Marines.

Amidst the chaos, George approached Scotch, who had a few scratches and cuts but no major injuries.

Looking around, he saw many injured crewmates. In fact, everyone had some kind of injury in this situation. They were all desperately fighting against the Marines who were swarming the ship from the warships.

Sukura had rushed back to the infirmary to treat the wounded, and everyone was starting to move to improve the situation as much as possible.

"Anyone down?"

"David got knocked out by Sengoku in one punch. Other than that, no one on the ship has sustained serious injuries."

"By Sengoku...? Is he badly hurt?"

"No, he was sent flying, but he shouldn't be too injured. We moved him to a cabin because he was in the way."

"Got it, the cabin, huh."

"Hey, what are you planning to do, George!"

"Wake him up! We need the power of Devil Fruit users to deal with Sengoku, Zephyr, and those giant Marines!"

They had to use their heads.

George was originally just a thug. He wasn't well-educated or particularly intelligent. Even so, he knew the capabilities of his crewmates.

"Kuro!"

"Aye aye! Where should I go?"

"Those giant Marines don't seem to be Devil Fruit users. Your power would be most effective with Kanata."

The one and only trump card that could create a fatal opening against Sengoku.

The ability to land an unavoidable attack, even if limited to Devil Fruit users, was a power that no one else possessed and was best utilized alongside Kanata.

With Commanders and Captains attacking the ship, there was no cannon fire from the warships. And with the sun setting, the chances of Kuro being spotted were low.

Now was the time to act.

"Then I'll head over there."

"...Be careful, you're one of the weakest on our ship, you know."

"Hehehe, I'll do my best."

George watched as Kuro disembarked and ran across the ice towards Kanata, then headed towards the cabin to wake up David.

This was the start of their counteroffensive.

Their captain was facing the most troublesome opponents, so they had to hold their ground as well.

Zephyr was struggling against Tiger, the Fishman who was more than a head taller than him.

Under normal circumstances, he could have easily subdued him, but after consecutively facing Zen and Kanata, he was running low on stamina. Of course, even in this state, he could still defeat most opponents. However, the man before him was far from ordinary.

After exchanging several blows, Zephyr checked his arms, riddled with electrical burns and frostbite, and spoke.

"Giants, Fishmen, and other strange races... the 'Witch' sure has gathered quite a diverse crew."

"There's no discrimination on her ship, only discipline. Even a Fishman like me is treated as an equal."

There were no Fishmen Marines.

This was because despite being recognized as a race by the World Government, discrimination against them was still deeply ingrained.

They were more likely to be oppressed than helped by humans. It was rare for someone from such a race to become a Marine.

Even the giants, once feared and ostracized after the rampage of the Giant Warrior Pirates, only had a Marine among them thanks to the efforts of a woman named Mother Carmel.

Until such individuals emerged, it was unlikely that any Fishmen would aspire to become Marines.

"That's a harsh truth. We Marines should be the ones upholding equality!"

"That's exactly why I'm on this side!"

Their conversation didn't hinder their fight as they continued exchanging blows.

While his Haki would recover in thirty minutes, it would still be difficult to face Zephyr and Sengoku even with some of his strength restored.

Right here, right now, Tiger had to fight with the resolve to win, or he would be the one defeated.

Meanwhile, Dragon and Sengoku were also locked in a fierce battle.

"──Marine Vice Admiral Sengoku, you're as strong as I've heard...!"

Dragon had never met Sengoku personally. But he knew of his strength through his father.

"Guh... That witch, she still had this hidden card...!"

A ship with multiple individuals capable of challenging Sengoku was an anomaly in the first half of the Grand Line.

Their objective was unclear, but... it reminded him of the worst pirate crew that had been active until a few years ago.

"With such strength, what are you planning to do!" Sengoku asked Dragon.

"She intends to defeat you and conquer the Grand Line."

A pipe dream that no one had ever achieved. Sengoku frowned at the mention of this unprecedented goal, "conquering the Grand Line."

For reasons unknown, the World Government was determined to prevent anyone from achieving this, regardless of who they were. There must be something there, he thought.

A Pandora's Box that even the World Government feared to open.

"Do you know what lies at the end?"

"No, no one knows, not even her. That's precisely why she wants to see it for herself."

The Marines were aware of the final island reachable by following the Log Pose.

Beyond that point, there were no islands, only the Red Line.

But what if there was something beyond that?

If the islands known to the Marines weren't the end, and there were still uncharted islands that no one had reached, then that would truly be "conquering the Grand Line."

"Besides, the reason she's being pursued is because of a Celestial Dragon's outburst. If they hadn't provoked us, we wouldn't have retaliated." Dragon wasn't on the ship at the time, but he had heard the story as a drinking anecdote.

The Celestial Dragon had taken a liking to Feiyun and attempted to enslave her, so Kanata had killed him and his escorts in retaliation.

It was something that could have been prevented if the Marines had kept the Celestial Dragons in check.

Their arrogance, believing that no one would dare defy their immense power, was the root cause of this situation.

"...I have no words to refute that. However, a law is a law, even if it's unjust." As someone who upheld the law, he couldn't simply ignore this.

"Indeed. That's why we'll resist with all our might."

Boom!

Their Conqueror's Haki clashed, causing the air to crackle.

The Marines, representing "justice," were the ones maintaining "order." If they turned a blind eye to those who broke the law, even if it was unjust, order would crumble in an instant. All that would remain was chaos.

"That woman will become the eye of the storm! We'll capture her here, without fail!!"

"We won't let you, even against Sengoku, the 'Buddha' –!"

Their fists collided with a resounding boom, sending shockwaves rippling outwards.

***

"Wake up, Zen!"

While Dragon and Tiger were buying time, Kanata rested and tried to rouse the unconscious Zen.

His body was battered from taking Zephyr's attack head-on, but leaving him unconscious here wouldn't solve anything.

Kanata herself was far from unscathed.

They had to utilize everything they had to break through this situation.

"Ugh..."

"Are you awake...? Can you move?"

"...Somehow. What's the current situation?"

"Dragon and Tiger are buying time. If you can fight, get up. If not, return to the ship."

"I'll fight. I can still move... and as luck would have it, tonight is a full moon."

"Full moon?" Kanata realized that the sun had completely set.

Night had fallen, and the full moon illuminated the darkness, the ship flickering with each booming cannon fire.

"I'll use my 'trump card.' Just give me a moment."

"Rest for ten minutes. My Haki will recover a bit by then."

Zen sat beside Kanata, who was catching her breath, and took a deep breath, assessing his condition.

Judging from the pain, he had probably broken a few bones. He could receive proper treatment after everything was over. If they could overcome this, they would have time to rest later.

"...I hope Feiyun is alright."

"That girl will be fine."

Kanata had heard from Dragon that Ivankov had gone to help her. If George had returned, they would have sent more people to assist as well.

The problem was that they had to deal with the giant Vice Admirals. Ivankov alone was no match for two Vice Admirals, and Junshi couldn't leave his current position.

But all Kanata could do now was trust her remaining crewmates and leave things to them. She had no spare energy to help them, fully occupied as she was.

"George is a coward, but he's not stupid. We can leave the ship to him."

He had gained some courage along the way. He would be able to handle things on the ship even without Kanata.

As they talked, the short time passed quickly.

"──Time's up. How's your body, Zen?"

"I won't be able to fight at full strength. But... I have my pride." Zen looked up at the moon, its light reflecting in his eyes. The Mink tribe's unique power – known as Sulong, the "Moon Lion."

By gazing directly at the unobscured light of the full moon, they could unleash their primal instincts and wield immense power for one night only. This was the Mink tribe's "true form."

"...I see, impressive."

Zen's brown mane, amplified by his Haki, had turned a fiery red, and the lightning crackling around him had also taken on a reddish hue, discharging electricity with a loud crackle. His body had become larger and more muscular, radiating power.

"This is my 'trump card.' But it won't last long."

The effects of his injuries, combined with the nature of Sulong, which caused the user to lose their sanity and attack indiscriminately, friend or foe, and eventually die from exhaustion within a night, made it essentially a suicidal ability. Maintaining it for too long would lead to Zen's self-destruction.

"Then we have to end this quickly... Hm?"

"Hey, I finally found you!"

Kanata turned towards the source of the voice and saw Kuro running towards them. He was coming from a slightly different direction than the ship. Could he have gotten lost again?

"It was so dark, I couldn't see anything, and I thought you guys would be near those two who were fighting so intensely, so I was running around looking for you."

"I see, but you're... no, your power can be useful. Did George send you?"

"Yeah. He said my abilities would be best utilized alongside you." He had come here to make the most of his Darkness powers.

Kanata glanced towards Sengoku, then nodded and spoke to Kuro. "I'll give you a signal. Pull Sengoku in."

"Got it, leave it to me!"

"Zen, I'm counting on you for Zephyr."

"Understood!" Zen dashed towards Zephyr with astonishing speed, far surpassing his previous movements.

After watching him go, Kanata focused her Haki on her arms and spear, assuming a fighting stance.

"I don't intend to fight them over and over again. We have to finish this here."

"Hah, hah...!"

***

"What a tough guy, chable! He's still standing after taking so many of vatashee's attacks!"

Samuel and Ivankov were struggling against Saul and Lonz.

The physical strength of giants was on a completely different level compared to humans. They were realizing just how troublesome it was to face giants in battle.

"We are born warriors! The blood that flows within us is different from yours!"

"I'm not from Elbaf, so I'm a different case."

Unlike Lonz, Saul wasn't a warrior from Elbaf. However, his strength was comparable, and he possessed the skills befitting a Vice Admiral.

Even against giants, Ivankov could handle those at the Captain level. They were simply unlucky.

"I suggest you surrender. Even if your captain is strong, I doubt she can win against Admiral Zephyr and Vice Admiral Sengoku."

"Shut up! Hah, hah... Kanata won't lose that easily!" Samuel, who had worked alongside Kanata for six years, knew her strength well. She wasn't someone who would give up so easily.

"You're free to believe that. We're not here for fun either. If you won't surrender, then here –" Lonz raised his axe, about to strike Samuel down – when an invisible cannonball struck him from somewhere.

Startled by the loud explosion, Lonz looked towards the direction it came from, reeling from the impact.

It wasn't from the Marine warships. It came from the 'Witch's' ship.

"Cannon fire? But there was no sound, no – Ugh!?"

"Lonz!?"

Boom! Boom!

Two more invisible cannonballs struck Lonz in quick succession.

They couldn't see the cannonballs. It wasn't just because it was difficult to see in the moonlight, with the night sky as their only source of illumination.

"What's flying at us...!? It's not just ordinary cannonballs!?"

"It must be some kind of Devil Fruit user! An ability to make cannonballs invisible or something!"

"No! If they were just invisible, we would still hear the sound of them cutting through the air... but there was nothing!"

The cannonballs that hit Lonz were all high-powered. They had to assume it wasn't ordinary ammunition.

They turned their attention back towards the ship, ready for the next attack – but the barrage of invisible cannonballs continued, steadily chipping away at Lonz and Saul's stamina.

Boom! Boom!

"──Target hit confirmed! It's effective!"

"Alright! David, next one!"

"Got it, coming right up!"

George clenched his fist as he heard his subordinate confirm the hit through the binoculars and gave David the next instruction.

David took a deep breath and exhaled all the air from his lungs into the cannon.

He repeated this process, making slight adjustments, before firing another shot towards the enemy giants.

David was a "Bomb Human" who had eaten the Bomu Bomu no Mi.

Not only his limbs but also his bodily fluids, such as boogers – even his breath – could become bombs.

"As expected! Your ability is quite versatile!"

"Yeah... I never thought of using it like this before."

He had been easily defeated and knocked unconscious by Sengoku in close combat. Determined to redeem himself, David eagerly loaded the cannon with his "Breath Bombs."

These invisible and silent projectiles were difficult to detect even with Observation Haki due to the distance, making it hard for even skilled fighters like Saul and Lonz to defend against them.

"Fire a few shots at the warships too! Sinking half of them will make things easier!"

"──I won't let you do that."

Berg, fighting on the ship, noticed George and the others' actions and immediately threw several daggers to stop them.

However – Junshi's spear intercepted them.

"Your opponent is me. I won't let you look away."

"...You won't fall so easily, huh. Then I'll fight as if I intend to cut this ship in two."

The battle between Junshi and Berg intensified, making it difficult to provide support. Besides, knowing Junshi's personality, interfering would only earn him a scolding later, so George continued instructing David to load the cannon with his Breath Bombs.

They would eventually fall if they kept taking hits – but giants were incredibly tough.

If they knew the attacks were coming, they could use Armament Haki to defend themselves. While it was initially effective, its usefulness was waning.

"This is as far as we can go. We should switch to using the ship's cannons now."

"...George-san, I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Please fire me as a cannonball."

"...Huh?"

Perhaps due to becoming a "Bomb Human," David was completely immune to damage from explosions.

This meant he could launch himself as a human bomb, flying towards his target and detonating upon impact.

"No, but... that's dangerous, right?"

"I know. I lost my old comrades on Little Garden... I refuse to lose any more friends!"

"...Alright, then get ready. After we fire at the warship, I'll launch you."

"Yes!"

As instructed by George, they fired at the warship, sinking two of them, then David climbed into the cannon and prepared himself.

They adjusted the angle, aiming directly at Saul and Lonz.

"Ivankov and Samuel should be nearby. Once you get there, provide them with support."

"Understood."

With a pistol at his waist, he was ready. David could create ammunition by simply exhaling, so they didn't have to worry about running out of bullets, which was a nice bonus.

"Alright – Go!!"

With a booming sound, David was launched into the air.

Air resistance quickly slowed him down, but they had anticipated this. He detonated his feet repeatedly to gain propulsion, accelerating through the air.

His attack was like a falling star.

"Take this – This is my Shooting Bomber!!!"

He dodged Lonz's axe at the last moment with a series of small explosions – and upon reaching his target, he detonated in a massive explosion.

KA-BOOM!