Chapter 96: Unstoppable Momentum

Boom, boom, boom!

Loubrunni Kingdom, port town of Bootleg.

The booming sound of cannons echoed, accompanied by a terrifying roar that pierced the sky, casting an orange-red glow onto the faces of everyone on the pier.

On the sea, the Donquixote Pirates' ship, the Donquixote, positioned itself sideways facing the city's port. The cannons on the port side continuously belched out flames and smoke. While the spectacle was impressive, its intimidation factor outweighed its actual effectiveness.

The towering water columns continuously erupting ahead of the pier were the "spoils" of battle.

Flanking the Donquixote on both sides were snail ships belonging to the Vinsmoke Family.

Although these ships didn't seem to adhere to principles of "fluid dynamics" or "aerodynamics," and looked nothing like conventional warships, the continuous rumbling from these two snail ships indicated that the buildings on the opposite pier were crumbling amidst explosions, fully demonstrating the Vinsmoke Family's reputation as a war-oriented family.

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"Well, firing cannons was never our strong suit to begin with."

On the deck of the Donquixote, Rosinante held the Third Generation Murasame and watched as the smoke and flames from the cannon fire whizzed past, squinting his eyes as he looked toward the opposing harbor.

The entire battlefield was divided between water and flames.

"The cannons have been cleared out, it's our turn now—"

————

"Damn you, Germa 66!"

In the destroyed upper half of the gun battery on the pier, a sudden enraged shout echoed.

Following that, amid the booming sounds, the sturdy wall shattered, and an armored behemoth with clenched fists strode forth.

He was the general of this city, "Silver Blade" Bricken. —Although he had a physique that could serve as a mount for a person or a horse, he was actually a swordsman.

"Has that landless family gone mad?"

As the legendary royal family that once ruled the entire North Blue, every general without a country knew how powerful Germa was.

But under the suppression of the Marines and the World Government, Germa had been in hiding for over a hundred years, to the point where many countries felt perfectly fine hiring Germa soldiers to fight for them.

So—why were they suddenly attacking today?

Unfortunately, before he could figure out what the Vinsmoke Family was up to, several figures leaped down from an armed merchant ship on the sea.

?

Those figures landed on the surface of the sea and didn't sink. Instead, they strode across the water's surface toward the pier. Behind them, water spouts surged upwards.

?!

Damn, they're experts.

Being able to "walk on water" like this not only required skill but also an extremely exaggerated level of physical capability. "Silver Blade" Bricken swept his gaze across and found that there were six people in total!

It's over, these experts, along with the elite soldiers of the Vinsmoke Family, might be able to break through today's defenses...

"Firearms unit, aim at those guys!"

Drawing the silver longsword that had made him famous from his waist, the burly general pointed at the approaching figures.

"Artillery unit, load with scatter shot! Aim at the same guy—"

Even if they couldn't hold them off, they had to try!

···

"Be careful, they're about to attack us."

Leaving Pica and Torreborl to watch over the ship, all members of the Donquixote Family charged towards the pier on the water. Tearing through the enemy's defenses with their formidable strength was the task assigned to these "experts."

The six figures raced across the sea's surface, with Rosinante in his black feathered coat and Doflamingo in his pink feathered coat at the forefront.

Both of them possessed "Kenbunshoku Haki," ensuring they wouldn't be harmed by the rain of bullets and artillery fire.

After all, seawater wasn't solid ground, requiring constant movement to provide buoyancy. If their progress was halted by bullets or artillery fire and too much of their bodies inadvertently sank into the water, their abilities would be suppressed due to physical exertion, potentially leading to drowning.

"They're here—"

Whiz, whiz, whiz!

A piercing whistle filled the air as lead bullets and shotgun pellets, resembling swarms of locusts, hurtled towards them.

"Oni Fate!"

Rosinante twirled the Third Generation Murasame in front of him, using his "Kenbunshoku Haki" to track the trajectory of the bullets. With a twist and a flick, he deflected the ordinary bullets off course.

"Whip Twine!"

In the palm of Doflamingo's hand, transparent threads rapidly wove themselves into thick whips. With a swing of his arms, the dual whips lashed out, forcibly knocking the incoming bullets aside.

With them leading the way, the others behind them had an easier time following suit, charging forward without obstacles.

???

It seemed like they wouldn't be able to hold their ground this time!

Ratatat...

Under the full-force sprint of Rosinante and the others, several hundred meters were covered in an instant.

While flintlock guns could still fire a few more rounds, after firing one volley of scatter shots, the six figures had already crossed the sea and leapt into the defensive lines of the soldiers.

"Woo hahaha, Half-Moon—"

The moment they touched down, Diamente swung his extra-long Western sword high into the air before slashing horizontally with force.

"Funeral Offering!"

His sword, like a spear, swept through the ranks, creating a horrifying scene of carnage among the ordinary soldiers. His weapon was exceptionally effective against these foot soldiers.

Crunch!

Meanwhile, on the other side, the silent young man, Vergo, whose body was still developing, struck one soldier's chest with a fist. With the sound of bones shattering, the soldier was sent flying.

Another soldier clenched his teeth, his flintlock gun aimed squarely at Vergo, ready to pull the trigger.

But Vergo extended his hand and grabbed the barrel of the gun, then tightened his five fingers.

Crack,

The metal barrel crumpled.

Bang!

Sparks flew, and fragments from the breech exploded simultaneously towards both men.

A piece of shrapnel pierced the soldier's eye, killing him instantly. As for Vergo, he simply allowed the whizzing metal to collide with his body.

Ding, ding, dang, dang,

"This physical strength... even someone like me finds it abnormal."

Rosinante muttered under his breath, then without looking, he swiped his Third Generation Murasame forward.

Splat,

With the sound of metal breaking, several sailor knives were neatly sliced in half.

"Step aside, you're not my match."

Facing these horrified soldiers, Rosinante didn't take their lives. Their goal was to capture the city, not create massive casualties.

"Retreat!"

As a few soldiers, who were now weaponless and at a loss, hesitated, a tall, burly figure stepped forward to stand in front of them.

"General Bricken!"

"The general is taking action—"

After being swept away by the charge of the Donquixote Family, their morale plummeted to freezing point. Now, as if finding their backbone again, the soldiers gathered behind this general, once again raising their weapons to resist.

"You also use a sword?"

Seeing the weapon in the general's hand, Rosinante became intrigued. Since these soldiers trusted this general so much, he must be quite skilled.

"Let's exchange a few moves!"

After saying that, without hesitation, Rosinante flicked his Third Generation Murasame towards the general.

Clang!

Flames patterns, silver as snow,

The two blades collided with a deafening clash of metal.

"Fufufu, I'll leave this to you."

Having blocked the general's attack, Rosinante then directly charged towards the center of the town, while Doflamingo soared ahead to seize the head of the most influential person in the city.

As for the general?

The person in the most prominent, magnificent building would be the city's ruler!

"I'll go as well."

Pica, swimming through the rocks on the pier, followed closely behind Doflamingo. After a moment of hesitation, Jora also chased after them.

Compared to slaughtering ordinary soldiers, they would prefer to capture the city's leader and force their surrender.

...

On the pier, a large battlefield had already opened up.

Although Rosinante's height had surged as he matured, he still barely reached the general's chest. In terms of size and strength, the disparity between the two was quite pronounced.

However, the clash of the two long blades continued, with Rosinante's sword movements resembling thunder and lightning. Each heavy strike resonated, causing the burly general to feel pain in his wrist.

"Is this all you've got—?!"

Rosinante lifted the Third Generation Murasame upwards, forcing the general to take a big step back.

Just at that moment, the general's long sword suddenly descended!

Although the distance between them had just been opened up due to the general's retreat, this strike shouldn't have reached Rosinante. However, Rosinante's expression turned serious as he sidestepped a fraction of a second before the strike landed.

Splat—

The long sword missed its target, but a bright silver blade light abruptly shot out from the blade, slicing through the rocky ground of the pier with precision before disappearing several meters away.

"Sword Qi?"

"No, it should be called 'Flying Slash'."

Rosinante squinted his eyes, revealing a glint of interest.

To be able to "Cut Iron" was a hallmark of a swordsman, while executing the "Flying Slash" indicated a mature swordsman. As for becoming a "Great Swordsman," that required mastery of Busoshoku Haki.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, Rosinante couldn't even achieve "Cut Iron," let alone "Flying Slash."

During his battle with "White Dragon" Barthelemy Kuma, Rosinante relied on the boost from his "Inspire-Insipire Fruit" and the weapons provided by Jora's Art-Art Fruit. It wasn't a display of his true strength.

"Let me see what's so exquisite about the true 'Flying Slash'—"

Finally encountering a swordsman, Rosinante was ready for a good sparring match.

...

Marine Headquarters, Mariejois.

"Vice Admiral Dragon,"

"Vice Admiral, sir,"

As a man walked by, draped in his justicerobed Vice Admiral's coat, his stern face and disheveled black hair attracted salutes from excited Marines. He nodded casually in response.

Monkey D. Dragon!

The son of Monkey D. Garp, he was only 26 years old and already an elite Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters.

A star figure that had long dominated newspaper headlines, he had taken down more than ten notorious pirates, amassing a sum that reached hundreds of millions. It was quite astonishing to see that a hero's offspring was just as remarkable!

Unlike his father Garp, who had explicitly and repeatedly declined the title of Admiral, Dragon had no aversion to titles. Thus, the topic of when he would become an Admiral was the most popular gossip within Marine Headquarters.

"Vice Admiral Dragon is the embodiment of 'justice'~~"

"Yeah, yeah. Though he looks stern, he really cares for his subordinates. There was one time—"

As Monkey D. Dragon passed by, countless Marines in his wake were excitedly saluting him, as if they were devoted fans of an idol.

Behind his imposing, reliable, and serious appearance was a good man who cared for his subordinates and handled social situations with great tact. He even baked delicious cakes, causing numerous female Marines to exclaim, "I want to marry him!"

Thud,

Just as Monkey D. Dragon turned a corner in the corridor, he collided with a young lieutenant.

"Are you alright?"

Although Monkey D. Dragon had already foreseen the young man's carelessness, avoiding him preemptively was inappropriate:

Firstly, the military was a hierarchical place, and having a Vice Admiral step aside for a lieutenant would not be praised but would disrupt the military order.

And secondly:

"Are these documents going to the Fleet Admiral's office? I'll take them there—"

Furrowing his bald eyebrows, the young Vice Admiral glanced at the documents in his hand. The beginning was highlighted in bold red letters:

July 6th, the Vinsmoke Family simultaneously attacked all non-affiliated nations in the North Sea! By the time this information was relayed, they had captured twelve nations, resulting in massive civilian casualties...

?!

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(End of this chapter)