Sengoku's Explosive Reaction

A vast, majestic chill surged from the Dragon Slaying Blade. The cannonballs in the air froze into lumps of ice the moment they entered the frigid mist, dropping straight down below.

"This young Marine is quite capable." Crocus muttered as he sat back down.

"B-Boss, our cannonballs are useless!" The members of the Pirate fleet stared at the cannons beside them. They suddenly seemed worthless.

"What the hell is this? Are all people on the Grand Line like this?"

Having never left the West Sea, Hal had never witnessed a scene like this.

He knew of and had seen swordsmen capable of cutting through iron, but he had never heard of anyone slashing out a thousand meters of freezing air with a single strike.

"What are you panicking for? If the cannonballs can't reach them, charge over and hack them to death! We outnumber them ten to one!" Hal roared.

"Hmph. You no longer have the chance."

In an instant, Lin Qi had arrived above the Pirate fleet.

His body shook, and an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from within him. Its target was the two thousand Pirates below.

Boom!

"Ugh..."

The instant they came into contact with the Conqueror's Haki, the Pirates seemed to briefly face a god. Unable to see it or hear it, utterly powerless to resist, they rolled their eyes back and collapsed.

A gust of wind blew, and all two thousand Pirates fell, leaving only their captain, Hal, standing.

That was the terrifying crowd-clearing power of Conqueror's Haki.

Crocus's pupils constricted sharply from the stands. "What powerful Conqueror's Haki! Just who is this kid?!"

"Everyone's dead!" Hal had already collapsed to the ground in terror.

Were all the Grand Line's people monsters like this... How terrifying.

He had not seen the other side make any move. The man had not even attacked, yet his fleet of two thousand men had been completely wiped out.

Hal, who only moments ago had been brimming with confidence about making a name for himself in the New World, lost all confidence in the next moment. He could not even bring himself to resist.

If heaven gave him another chance, Hal swore he would never come to the Grand Line. It was too terrifying.

"An Ability User?"

The man's voice pulled Hal back to reality. Coming to his senses, Hal found that demonic man standing before him. Trembling, he said, "Y-Yes."

"Very good."

Lin Qi tossed Hal into the Warship's prison like he was carrying a chick.

Military merit +1.

As for Hal resisting? What a joke. He had barely survived, and he had no desire to face that demon again.

As for the unconscious Pirates, Lin Qi had the Marine soldiers come over and collect their heads, while also moving the treasure from the ship onto the Warship.

Hina counted it up. There were treasures worth around twenty million Berries. Not bad.

By evening, there were hardly any Pirates left, because the death rate for crossing Reverse Mountain at night was far higher than during the day.

Pirates might be uneducated, but they were not stupid.

After a whole day, every Marine on the ship was exhausted to the point of collapse, but they had also gained considerable growth.

On the lighthouse island.

Crocus, Smoker, Lin Qi, and Hina sat around a bonfire.

Nearby, the Marine cooks prepared slabs of roasted meat, sliced them up, and served them to everyone.

As he ate, Crocus sighed. "I never thought I'd live to eat food made by the Marines."

Hina smiled. "Then eat more if you like it."

Smoker glanced at Crocus. He kept feeling that there was something strange about this uncle, though he could not say what it was.

"If you accept my invitation, you can eat Marine food every day," Lin Qi said.

"Better not. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps."

He had several Pirate friends who had eaten the Marines' and World Government's food for the rest of their lives, never to come out again.

He meant they had been imprisoned in Impel Down.

"Cheers!"

The group took a sip of wine. Perhaps because he had been alone for too long, or perhaps for some other reason, Crocus was especially fond of talking with Lin Qi.

"Young Marine, just who are you? A Marine like you shouldn't have been unknown before now."

"What identity could I possibly have? I'm just an ordinary little Marine."

Lin Qi said meaningfully, "If we're talking about status, I'm far inferior to you, Senior."

"Hahahaha, I'm just a lighthouse keeper. What status could I have? You're quite humorous, young man." Crocus laughed it off. "Drink, drink."

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Over those half a month, Lin Qi used nothing but Conqueror's Haki to eliminate enemies, growing increasingly proficient in controlling it.

After half a month of nonstop combat, his two hundred already elite soldiers had vaguely begun evolving toward becoming even stronger.

That day, one of his subordinates came to report that the two large holds of cannonballs Sengoku had stuffed onto the ship before they departed had almost all been used up.

The food and fruit aboard the ship also needed replenishing, so Lin Qi decided to have his men send Sengoku a message through an Information Den Den Mushi.

"Yes, yes. Ask Fleet Admiral Sengoku for cannonballs, fruit, and vegetables. Also, tell him about our achievements over the past half month. As for exactly how to put it, use your judgment," Lin Qi said to the soldier responsible for communications aboard the ship.

At sea, they could go without meat, but not fruit. Otherwise, they would develop severe scurvy.

"Yes, Captain!"

The communications officer answered loudly, his admiration reaching unprecedented heights.

After spending the past half month together, the overwhelming aura Lin Qi displayed every time he instantly killed an enemy had been deeply etched into everyone's hearts.

Every single soldier aboard the ship admired and respected this commanding officer.

Their admiration for Captain Lin Qi was like a surging river, flowing on without end.

See? The moment Captain summoned him, he threw aside all his work and rushed over immediately.

Beep beep beep... beep beep...

At Marine Headquarters, the Den Den Mushi on the Fleet Admiral's desk printed out a document, which landed on the tabletop.

Sengoku, who was reviewing documents, casually picked it up. The more he read, the wider his eyes became, while the corners of his eyes twitched from time to time as though he were having a fit.

After a while, he called out toward the door:

"Someone, bring Zephyr, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru here."

Thus, several old friends gathered around, staring unblinkingly at the "report" on the table.

Zephyr and Sengoku sat on opposite sides, and the corners of both their eyes twitched wildly.

Vice Admiral Tsuru was utterly speechless. Having lived to her age, she did not even know what to say.

Only Garp was laughing heartily. "I knew this kid was talented from the start. Just as I thought!"

The two-thousand-six-hundred-word report on the desk read as follows:

Captain Lin Qi's Kamui shook the heavens. Wise and mighty, he was like a god of war descending to earth. He led our forces in guarding Reverse Mountain, and for a time, all enemies trembled at the very mention of him. Lord Lin Qi was invincible and possessed an imposing aura, leading us to crush the Pirates into utter disarray. Yet all of this was thanks to Captain Lin Qi's wise command...

The entire two-thousand-six-hundred-word report was almost entirely devoted to praising and glorifying Lin Qi.

They had seen people slip personal matters into reports, but they had never seen someone slip a report into personal flattery.

Whoever could write something like this was a damn genius.

Even in the entire history of the Marines, this report was exceptionally explosive.