Launch the Attack

Next, Xia Qiu waited quietly on the deserted island. The time when Onigumo Vice Admiral leave the branch was uncertain. Sometimes he might not leave the branch for seven or eight days, or he might not return for a long time after leaving.

However, there were also times when he left more frequently, going to the Marine Headquarters or to Enies Lobby to escort serious criminals or contact the Shichibukai.

As for maritime patrols, they are mostly handled by the branch's Rear Admiral, and top-tier warships are not used most of the time.

The responsibility of the G4 Branch was to be in charge of the sections of the three surrounding shipping routes that approached the Sabaody Archipelago.

In each country and region, there will be colonels, Commodore, and Rear Admiral in charge of each sea area.

For example, Hina was in charge of the waters surrounding Alabasta, and two years later, she was promoted to Rear Admiral, still in charge of the same area.

However, Vice Admiral is different; he does not directly command a country or region, but rather commands several shipping routes.

Xia Qiu didn't know how long she would have to wait, but fortunately, three days later, Zala received a phone call.

"A message has arrived: Evergreen City has been attacked by the Fangs Pirate Crew, resulting in the deaths of over a hundred people, the destruction of a naval warship, and the killing of a colonel. This is a major incident. Vice Admiral Onigumo has personally set out to wipe out the Fangs Pirate Crew, heading northeast."

"Zala said slowly, "Xia Qiu asked curiously, "Do you have any information about the Fangs Pirate Crew?"

"Yes, the Fangs Pirate Crew. Their captain has a bounty of 180 million, and their total bounty has reached 420 million. We need to be careful."

"I see."

Xia Qiu replied, then dived into the ocean and swam towards the G4 Branch.

The pirate captain's bounty reached 180 million, which is already quite impressive. If he were to become one of the future Supernovas in a few months, he could rank seventh, not far from the 200 million bounty mark.

Drake, one of the Supernovas, has a bounty of 200 million and ranks sixth. Before becoming a Marine, he was Marine Major General, though it's unclear if he was Rear Admiral of the Four Seas.

But no matter what, the Supernovas will definitely not be defeated by the Rear Admiral. With a bounty of 180 million and a total bounty of 420 million, it would be very difficult for the Rear Admiral to defeat such a pirate crew.

However, for Vice Admiral, such strength is not something to be feared.

This is a good opportunity.

Therefore, Xia Qiu chose to follow.

He first dived into the ocean and swam towards the G5 Branch, where the Marine Vice Admiral's warship had just started up, hoisting its sails and sailing into the distance.

Xia Qiu followed behind, and only when they got closer to the warship did they realize how big it was.

It wasn't the eighty meters I had guessed before, but over a hundred meters, and about thirty-five to forty meters wide.

The warship has four masts. The first mast has naval symbols and lettering on its horizontal sail, while the top banner on the second mast reads "g5".

The warship had two rows of twelve cannons on each side, and a three-barreled cannon on each of the front and left and right sides.

The number of cannons alone reached thirty-three.

In addition, there are two outer wheels, which can sail quickly even in the Calm Belt.

This is a top-tier warship, the standard issue warship for Marine Vice Admiral, and can also be used by Rear Admiral in emergency situations.

Xia Qiu estimated that to disrupt the buoyancy balance, he would need to make at least six to eight holes, and some of these holes would need to be connected to make a large area lose buoyancy, while also making good use of the ship's own weight.

Unlike other warships, it cannot be distributed on all sides, preventing the ship's compartments from providing buoyancy.

As for the keel, Xia Qiu wasn't confident he could break it. The keel, capable of supporting such a massive warship, was extremely thick and sturdy, making it difficult for him to break.

Besides this warship, seven or eight other warships sailed out of the port one after another, accompanying it. There was only one top-tier warship, but there were many large and medium-sized warships.

There are four types of warships in the navy.

Top-tier warships, standard equipment for Vice Admiral, are over 100 meters long and can carry up to 1,000 people.

For example, in the Enies Lobby arc, a top-tier warship has 1,200 people.

Large warships are those used by Commodore, colonels, or some Rear Admiral.

Medium-sized warships are those used by the heads of the Four Seas branch bases, or ordinary warships of Hina's Black Cage Fleet.

Secondly, there were small warships, not much larger Going Merry, with two masts and a few cannons, which the navy used only occasionally.

Currently, there are approximately three large warships, five medium-sized warships, and a total of nine warships including the top-tier warships.

There are too many.

Is a pirate crew with a total bounty of over 400 million worth such attention?

However, it seems that the Fangs Pirate Crew killed more than a hundred people in Evergreen City. Xia Qiu remembered what Zala had said. They also killed a colonel and destroyed a naval warship, which was defined as a major incident.

The Evergreen City is a nation, a member of the World Government, and is eligible to participate in the World Government Conference held every four years.

Doing something like this has been defined as a major event, and it's no longer a trivial matter.

But for Xia Qiu, this was an extremely bad thing.

With so many warships, Xia Qiu couldn't possibly attack them on his own. Even if he rammed and sank one warship, the enemy could simply replace it with another at any time.

This time, I'm giving up.

So Xia Qiu did not choose to follow, but gave up the opportunity and returned to the deserted island.

"President, why are you back?"

When Zala saw Xia Qiu return, she asked with some curiosity, "Didn't the Vice Admiral set sail?"

"Of course we set sail."

Xia Qiu glanced at her and said unhappily, "But there are as many as nine warships following us, and I have no way to attack them."

Nine ships?

Zala frowned, then quickly said, "President, the information I received didn't say how many warships were setting off..."

"It seems that person didn't have time to tell us, or didn't get complete information."

Xia Qiu said softly, "Then let's wait a little longer."

Xia Qiu believed that Zala would not hide anything. After all, the fact that several warships were on the move was obvious to him. He would not be foolish enough to launch an attack if they were ambushed in this way.

If I were Zala, and if I really intended to do something, I would notify the Navy to have powerful figures ambush me on a ship.

However, since I told her about Vivi, she couldn't possibly do anything at this time.

Unable to launch an attack this time, Xia Qiu could only continue to wait.

Over the next few days, Xia Qiu wandered around the waters near the G4 Branch base, recording the situation in the surrounding sea.

Approximately three days later, the naval warships that had set out returned to their course and arrived back at the G5 Branch.

On that day, Zala's Den Den Mushi rang, announcing, "The Fangs Pirate Crew have been successfully captured. Two days later, Onigumo Vice Admiral personally escort them to Enies Lobby."

"Enies Lobby?"

Enies Lobby is located in the south, on the right side of the Grand Line, outside the seventh route.

Together with Impel Down and Marineford, it forms a triangle, with unpredictable ocean currents that can help naval warships reach those areas.

The seventh route also did not pass through these three locations; to the left of Enies Lobby, it turned towards the Sabaody Archipelago.

This is a good opportunity.

Enies Lobby is far from here, and there are many opportunities to attack along the way. Moreover, Onigumo is personally escorting the prisoners this time. If I find an opportunity to strike, could I also devour the prisoners?

With a strength of 180 million, it is enough to provide a large amount of Reinforcement Energy.

As Xia Qiu pondered this, she arrived near the G4 Branch. Onigumo had just set sail, its massive warship heading south.

There is only one warship.

very good.

Xia Qiu felt relieved and slowly followed.

Although this warship is huge, it is not slow. With four masts and huge sails billowing, it can move quite fast even without the outer wheels.

However, for Xia Qiu, the speed was somewhat insufficient, only about half of his cruising speed.

Xia Qiu's current form is completely different from his previous fish form. The number of his fins has been greatly reduced, and his pectoral fins, pelvic fins, and anal fins have turned into legs. Even his tail fin has disappeared.

The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are mainly used for balance, but in Xia Qiu, the body becomes thicker and develops six legs, which can be used to balance the body.

Secondly, there's the caudal fin, which can provide power, but it's not as powerful as the legs in Xia Qiu.

Overall, in Xia Qiu, the speed of sprinting in the water is greatly increased, while the cruising speed is not much different from before.

Xia Qiu followed the warship, sensing the magnetic attraction of the surrounding islands to determine her location, and swam further and further away.

The warship initially headed south, but then turned around and headed southwest.

Xia Qiu rested by taking short breaks Xia Qiu, trying her best to keep herself in the best condition.

He simultaneously used magnetism to scan the surrounding islands, hoping to find a sea area with only two magnetic fields.

These two magnetic forces should be the magnetic forces at two points around the route, one before and one after. There are no other islands present, or there may be islands nearby, but they do not exert any magnetic force.

In the Grand Line, there is no magnetic field, so it won't be captured by the Log Pose, and few people know about it, nor will anyone actively seek it out.

Even if it's nearby, as long as it's not in a place that can be observed, it's estimated Vice Admiral Onigumo won't flee in that direction.

Xia Qiu must ensure that after sinking the ship, there are no islands nearby for the enemy to escape from.

And so, time passed little by little. The sun set, its golden light spreading across the sea, but gradually fading until darkness fell and the moon rose.

"It's time to take a break."

Inside the cabin, Onigumo Vice Admiral Onigumo stood up. Instead of immediately returning to his room, he went to the middle section of the cabin, where there was a cage containing several criminals wearing Seastone shackles.

"Vice Admiral General."

There were four sailors standing in the two rows of the cell and opposite the cell. In addition, there were seven or eight sailors in the corridor.

"Vice Admiral General."

From a room not far away, three officers in uniform immediately came out and walked up to Onigumo.

"It's your turn to be on duty today, so make sure you keep a close eye on them."

Onigumo said coldly, "These criminals are very important. It is said that Admiral Akainu was furious when he saw that they had killed so many people, so they must not be lost."

"I will keep a close eye on them, and there will be absolutely no mistakes."

The subordinate quickly replied.

"If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible."

After saying this, Onigumo glanced at the criminal, turned and left. He returned to his room, had water brought to him, and after washing up, went to bed to rest.

He put the boat aside, lay down on the bed, and soon became sleepy.

But just as I was about to fall asleep, the ship trembled slightly, though not too much.

"Um?"

Onigumo frowned, rolled over, and continued sleeping.

It may have encountered an ocean current, or perhaps Sea King was passing by and accidentally bumped into it.

This is a very common situation, and there is absolutely no need to worry.

The ship has Seastone on its hull, Sea King will mistake for seawater and will not attack it Sea King provoked.

Moreover, the ship's hull is sturdy, and at least on the Grand Line, it is impossible for it to sink unless attacked by others.

So Onigumo turned over, yawned, and tried to go back to sleep, but before he could fall asleep, the ship began to shake again.

boom.

The ship rocked, this time with a larger amplitude.

"What happened?"

Onigumo frowned, sensing something was wrong. The vibrations were much stronger than before, and the feeling coming from the ship was that of a massive, instantaneous impact.

It wasn't an ocean current, but rather something in the sea that hit it; only Sea King cause such a large impact.

"Waaaaahhhhhh."

The next moment, a loud noise came from the cabin.

"This signal... is the ship under attack and leaking?"

Onigumo immediately stood up and put on his clothes.

Thump, thump, thump, bang.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside, the door was pushed open, and then a voice rang out, "Vice Admiral General, the ship... the ship is leaking."

"Come with me."

Onigumo dressed, grabbed two knives, and walked out of the house. He waved to the soldiers on guard, who immediately came inside, each taking two knives and following him.

As Onigumo walked, he looked at the person who came to report and asked, "What exactly happened?"

This was a naval Lieutenant Commander, who quickly stated, "A large hole was punched in the starboard side of the second to eighth compartments on the seabed."

"Six compartments?"

Onigumo was somewhat surprised that the second to eighth compartments, which were located near the bow, had all been damaged.

"Come with me."

Onigumo then asked, "What hit the ship?"

The Lieutenant Commander replied, "I haven't seen it yet."

"I see."

Onigumo nodded, stepped onto the stairs, and arrived at the top. Many sailors had already gathered on the deck, and torches and fire baskets were lit, illuminating the sea.

One of the naval officers saw Onigumo and immediately stepped forward, saying, "Vice Admiral, the emergency plan has been activated, and the crew is repairing the ship. The kerosene is ready and can be dumped at any time."

"Don't rush, see if they launch another attack. Everyone on alert."

Onigumo shouted loudly, and the sailors immediately went on alert. Onigumo, holding two swords, stood there without saying a word, but closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Onigumo leaped off the spot and disappeared, instantly appearing on the left side of the ship. He drew his twin swords and slashed downwards.

Swoosh, swoosh.

Two enormous Rankyaku instantly swept downwards.

Wow.

The seawater parted, the Rankyaku continued to cleave downwards, and struck a figure.

The next moment, the figure crashed into the ship.

boom.

A large hole was punched through the bottom of the warship. Onigumo snorted coldly, raised his long sword, and suddenly swung it rapidly.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Waves Rankyaku towards the sea and struck the water.

Damn it.

Xia Qiu didn't dare to circle around, but continued to sink, diving towards the ocean.

After dodging the Rankyaku, as he swam deeper into the sea, he felt a tremendous pain in his back.

It is very powerful.

The scales on its head had been cut open, and its first dorsal fin had been severed. There were also wounds on the bony plates on its back and its tail.

This is the strength of Vice Admiral; the power of his Rankyaku far surpasses that of Colonel Penn, whom he had encountered.

Penn was unable to sever his own dorsal fin.

However, Onigumo was different. The part of its dorsal fin exposed above the water was directly cut open by his Rankyaku, its bony plates shattered, and the scales on its underwater head were also cut open.

However, the dorsal fin was not severed on the first attempt. It was hit four or five times at different locations above and below the dorsal fin before it was completely severed.

The base of the dorsal fin was struck twice before it slowly broke off, but a section of it remained underwater.

The slash broke through the fish scales underwater but did not damage the bones; instead, it was neutralized by the muscles.

Although he was powerful, he was also becoming stronger.

After consuming T-Bone and the Commodore, his body was strengthened once again.

Not only that, but for a year and three months during that time, he continuously fed on pirates, consuming the Reinforcement Energy of at least three Commodore.

Its dorsal fin and scales have become incredibly tough; even if Heckle were to hit it directly, it might not be able to cause any damage.

The Onigumo's Rankyaku, weakened by the seawater, could only slice through its own scales and some of its muscles.

Besides, although Onigumo is a swordsman, his slashing power is not particularly strong.

He is Vice Admiral, Devil Fruit User, and fights using the Eight Sword Style.

Secondly, he also possesses two types of Haki Armament Haki and Observation Haki.

It possesses Armament Haki, enabling it to strike Logia- type users and cut through hard objects.

He doesn't need to pursue pure power and the intensity of his Rankyaku waves; combined with the Eight Sword Style, he is invincible.

Moreover, he knows Six Powers and his speed is extraordinary.

Therefore, his Rankyaku and the power of his strikes are not particularly outstanding among Vice Admiral who use swords.

Otherwise, with the Eight Sword Style, dual-color Haki, and the Six Powers, it would be excessively strong.

It's bearable, but we need to avoid it.

Xia Qiu thought for a moment, then changed direction, dived into the water, and rushed forward again. Once she got close, she slowly slid upwards.

But before they could hit the pirate ship, another Rankyaku suddenly struck.

"Damn it."

Xia Qiu was struck by seven or eight more Rankyaku, and his back injury worsened. However, he also crashed into a naval warship, and with a loud bang, the deck shattered.

This time, the point where he crashed was on the side of the hole that had just been created, which, when connected again, created about five compartments.

Three holes.

They were distributed on both sides of the hull, but that wasn't enough; the ship was too big.

It will crash at least twice more.

But if things continue like this, I'm afraid I'll be killed by the other side first. I have to think of a way.

On the warship, Onigumo suddenly shouted, "Sword, come!"

With the sound, his body slowly changed, his buttocks grew larger and bulged, and his hair grew longer, turning into six hands that grasped the six long swords handed to him by the sailors behind him.

There are a total of eight knives.

Onigumo gripped his sword, closed his eyes, and awaited the arrival of Xia Qiu.

One more time, and we'll kill it completely.

But Xia Qiu never came.

Five thousand words. Also, Onigumo's sword is controlled by his hair, but he is indeed Devil Fruit User; there are manga illustrations showing his buttocks transformed into spider buttocks.