Chapter 565: Chaotic Battlefield
In general, the war between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates is a conflict of encirclement and counter-encirclement.
The Navy’s forces are undeniably powerful, but the pirates also have their ways to counteract. A part of their forces appearing upfront attracts the Navy’s attention. Then, suddenly emerging from the seabed, Little Oz and a large fleet of pirate ships directly infiltrate the Navy’s formation. When the advantage of long-range artillery cannot be utilized, the Navy immediately suffers losses.
“Kill them! Brothers!”
“Brothers! Kill them! “
On a pirate ship, two burly men with strikingly similar appearances laugh heartily, brandishing their swords to command the pirates in boarding combat against the Navy. They are the Decalvan Brothers, twin captains, both wearing captain hats adorned with a dual skull pattern. Each has a scar on their face, but their locations are mirror images of each other. When they speak, they always enjoy reversing each other’s words.
The Decalvan Brothers are trusted pirates under Whitebeard’s command, and this rescue operation is commanded by the two of them.
Facing the tidal wave-like attacks of the pirates, the Navy soldiers on each ship are valiantly resisting. However, the Navy’s tactics require coordination to be effective. Currently, being split up and fighting individually against the pirates feels overwhelmingly challenging because the pirates’ individual combat capabilities surpass those of the Navy soldiers.
Pirates who can survive in the New World, even if they rely on Whitebeard, are not to be underestimated.
Blood and slaughter fill the battlefield. Navy soldiers are constantly being cut down by the pirates’ swords and axes. Similarly, pirates are also being hit by Navy soldiers’ bullets. The sounds of painful screams and battle cries intertwine, making the entire battlefield resemble hell.
People are constantly injured and falling into the water. Their bleeding wounds taint the sea red, and the intense smell of blood attracts fierce carnivorous marine creatures that gradually gather around.A Navy soldier who fell into the water struggles to climb back onto his ship. After managing to swim to the side of the ship and grabbing a rope ladder to climb up, unexpectedly, as he reaches halfway, a burst of water erupts below the surface. A ferocious Saw Shark, several meters long with two sharp horns on its head, leaps out from beneath the sea, opens its mouth full of sharp teeth, and bites the soldier’s legs. It drags the soldier deep underwater, leaving behind a spreading pool of blood-red on the surface.
People witnessing this scene are horrified to see the dorsal fins of Saw Sharks swimming all around in the sea. Besides, they can also see carnivorous large marine creatures like Tiger-striped Whales or Leopard-patterned Octopuses. Anyone who falls into the water, whether a Navy soldier or a pirate, becomes their prey.
Before people can recover from their shock, something even more terrifying happens. A Navy ship, just damaged, is slowly sinking. The Navy soldiers on board collectively jump into the water, trying to swim to other ships for help. Perhaps because they are too densely packed, suddenly, a gigantic creature bursts out from below the sea. It’s a one-eyed sea serpent, opening its huge mouth and lunging at the group of Navy soldiers. After a wave, dozens of Navy soldiers disappear! All swallowed by the creature.
Even Sea Kings have appeared!?
With this, both sides of the battle are even more horrified. The Sea King that appeared earlier was relatively small, probably due to the high seabed and limited depth here. That’s why larger Sea Kings haven’t been seen yet. However, it’s undeniable that the appearance of one Sea King will attract more. The battle between the two sides has created a great feeding ground for marine creatures, and more Sea Kings will appear in the future.
After the sea serpent swallowed dozens of Navy soldiers in one go, it was still not satisfied. It raised its head again above the surface. This time, its gaze locked onto a Navy warship with hundreds of people battling on board. Delighted, it opened its large mouth and lunged towards its feast…
Seeing the Sea King attacking, both the Navy soldiers and the pirates in the battle were shocked. They hastily stopped fighting and fled in all directions. However, unexpectedly, just as the sea serpent was about to strike, a flash of light streaked across its neck.
The sea serpent’s movement abruptly stopped. A second later, its head actually slid off its body, and a large amount of fresh blood sprayed into the air. Its massive body collapsed into the sea.
The huge snake head crashed onto the Navy warship, making a deafening noise. Some Navy soldiers who couldn’t escape in time were crushed by the snake head, screaming in terror.
“Hold your ground!” A voice came out, and a figure appeared on the huge snake head.
It was a man with a scarred face, a rugged appearance, and a pair of curved mustaches. His left hand held a bloody long sword, while his right wrist was empty.
“Ah! It’s Vice Admiral Doberman!?”
The Navy soldiers immediately recognized the person and couldn’t help but shout in excitement.
Starting with Vice Admiral Doberman killing the Sea King, other Vice Admirals from the Navy began to appear one after another, joining the battle against the pirates. They targeted the prominent figures among the pirates and engaged them in combat, immediately halting the pirates’ rampant momentum.
Not only the Vice Admirals but also other well-known elites from the Navy joined the battle at this moment. Hina and Smoker, one smoking a cigarette and the other a cigar, used their Devil Fruit powers to trap and subdue the pirates who charged at them. Although both were only Colonels in rank, their efficiency in dealing with pirates was astonishing due to their abilities, even surpassing some Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals.
Koby and Helmeppo were also present. Both had been recruited by Vice Admiral Garp and became part of the Navy. They joined this war as well. Unfortunately, the warship they were on was also involved in the battle against the pirates. Seeing fierce-looking pirates with swords jumping onto the ship to attack the Navy, both were trembling with fear.
They hadn’t been in the Navy for long. Although they had undergone strict training and improved their strength, this was their first time participating in such a large-scale war. They were inevitably panicked. Despite mustering the courage to fight alongside the Navy, deep down they were terrified.
In fact, their mindset represented the mindset of most Navy soldiers. Even some lieutenants who had participated in several battles felt uneasy facing such a brutal fight. The Navy belongs to the order faction, and most of the time, they live in peace. However, pirates are different. They belong to the chaos faction, especially those in the New World. They live in battles every day, not only fighting against other pirates but also battling the sea’s climate and environment. The disparity between the two sides in this regard is enormous.
Koby and Helmeppo fought back-to-back. However, when a group of pirates noticed them and surrounded them, they immediately found themselves in a dangerous situation. Helmeppo was the first to be slashed, injuring his arm, rendering one hand unable to hold the sword. Seizing this opportunity, a pirate with explosive muscles all over his body took the chance, grinning menacingly as he swung a huge iron hammer towards them.
If hit, both would either die or sustain severe injuries. However, just when Koby and Helmeppo thought their end had come, a figure suddenly darted out from the side. A slender figure swung a sword, its tip piercing the incoming hammer.
A surprising scene unfolded. The pirate wielding the hammer was undoubtedly a strong and muscular man, and no one would doubt the power of his hammer. Yet, his massive hammer was effortlessly deflected by what seemed like a fragile sword tip, making a crisp sound as the pirate was thrown back by the rebound force, sliding far away on the deck.
Koby and Helmeppo finally came to their senses and looked towards the figure who saved them. Then, they exclaimed in surprise, “Lieutenant Commander Kuina!?”
However, Kuina didn’t respond to their surprised shout. She had merely noticed the two Navy soldiers were in danger and had saved them on impulse. In fact, she didn’t even know their names.
Kuina had become quite famous at the Navy Headquarters, and many recognized her. However, she couldn’t recognize others…
She wore a Navy coat over her uniform, gripping her sword with swift and fierce slashes, taking down another pirate. As she moved, her Navy coat fluttered impressively. Koby and Helmeppo watched in awe, thinking how cool she looked!
On the other side, a pirate ship had just taken down a Navy warship. They set fire to the warship, intending to destroy it completely before returning to their own ship to search for their next target.
However, at that moment, their pirate ship suddenly split apart without any warning, cleanly dividing into two!
“What’s happening!?”
“The hell!?”
“Damn it, someone help! I’m falling!”
Pirates on the ship panicked. Some unfortunate ones were standing right where the ship split, their bodies torn in half, blood spurting freely. Others fell into the sea, knowing there were man-eating sharks below. They cried out desperately for help, some lucky ones managing to grab onto the edge as they fell, hanging on and also calling for help.
After splitting, the pirate ship slowly began to tip to either side, revealing a gap in the middle. The surviving pirates on board watched in horror as a candle-lit coffin ship navigated through this gap towards them.
On this coffin ship, a man with a black hat and a cross hanging from his chest sat casually with his legs crossed. Behind him stood a massive black sword, forming an even larger cross shape behind him.
“Hawk-Eye Mihawk!?”
The pirates on board immediately recognized him. One pirate hanging on the edge couldn’t help but exclaim in despair and indignation, “Mihawk! You’re also a pirate, why are you helping the Marines!?”
Raising his eyes, sharp as the edge of a blade, Hawk-Eye Mihawk replied expressionlessly, “Don’t get it wrong. I haven’t helped either side.”
“Then why did you cut our ship!?” The pirate asked in confusion.
“Because your ship was in my way!” Mihawk dropped an answer that left the pirates stunned. Without looking back, he sailed his way through the gap between the pirate ships, leaving the pirates staring in a mix of shock and resentment as he departed…