Completely Surrounded Star Gate!
The complete annihilation of the first advance team made the atmosphere within the Otherworld Strategy Committee extremely oppressive and heavy.
It's not that Kongming and the others were particularly saddened by the CP members and researchers, but rather that they had already confirmed that the civilization on the other side of the Star Gate had long been prepared for their invasion.
In other words, that Star Gate, which is only two meters wide and long, has already been targeted by a large amount of heavy firepower.
[Knock knock knock.]
"Come in."
"Chairman, this is the Weapons Research Institute's assessment report on enemy firepower."
A young official knocked three times and entered, showing no discomfort with the smoke-filled conference room, and casually placed a document on the table in front of Chairman Fernandez.
"Okay, go out."
"Yes!"
After the official left the room, Fernandez read through the brief dozen or so sentences in the report and then handed it to Vice Admiral Kongming beside him.
"Take a look."
"OK."
Vice Admiral Kongming took it and looked at it, his eyes widening in surprise. He said, "High-explosive landmine? Heavy howitzer?"
The report suggests that the first four CIPHER POL members who ventured out to explore the distance were not hit by artillery fire, but rather likely stepped on a high-explosive landmine or a complex multi-mine.
Because the footage did not show the sound of artillery shells hitting the air, and the Huoguang were shooting upwards.
The six people near the Star Gate have been confirmed to have been bombarded by heavy artillery. Based on the footage of the first shell explosion obtained through the pause, it was likely a heavy howitzer with a caliber of over 100 millimeters.
To be honest.
This assessment result relieved Vice Admiral Kongming, since both landmines and howitzers were gunpowder weapons, and their power didn't seem too outrageous.
However, this does not mean we can completely let our guard down; no one knows if the other side has more powerful weapons or methods.
The most crucial point is that those four CIPHER POLs actually stepped on a landmine?
Did they stumble into a large minefield, or did the enemy make precise preparations in advance? It's important to remember that the enemy possesses a strong ability to Future Sight.
If it's the latter, then there's a big problem!
It's possible that the other side is targeting them based on who they are. The reason they used landmines and grenades is simply because they think that dealing with those few Cipher Pols only requires weapons of this level.
"We should send more people to gather more intelligence. If we confirm that the enemy's capabilities are truly only at the level of heavy howitzers, we can consider deploying Admiral forces!"
Lieutenant Vice Admiral Kongming Ming handed the document to another Vice Chairman while making a solemn suggestion to Chairman Fernandez.
"Should we continue sending CIPHER POL, or the Army?"
"CIPHER POL, after all, they are the professionals when it comes to reconnaissance. However, this time we need a large number of people, and we need people who can use their Haki, preferably those who can fly, so that we can at least find out how many troops and artillery the enemy has. But just in case, we should not send any officers of Vice Admiral or above, otherwise, if the enemy uses even stronger methods, the losses will be too great."
In Kongming's view, those at the Vice Admiral and above were rare combat forces, while those below them were dispensable.
"Okay, does anyone else have any other opinions?"
Chairman Fernandez was very confident in Vice Admiral Kongming's military competence and had no intention of interfering.
To put it bluntly, his position as chief of staff of the Supreme Governing Committee was purely to support the Otherworld Strategy Committee.
Seeing the other Vice Chairman shake their heads in acknowledgment, he then said, "That's settled then. I'll immediately inform CIPHER POL headquarters. Meeting adjourned."
After speaking, he stood up and left the meeting room first.
The next day.
Twenty CP members, dressed in suits and wearing sunglasses, gathered in front of the electrical gate of the Biochemical Safety Station. Upon closer inspection, among them were CP7 Plan and Belloc, who had taken 'BIG MOOM' on a tour of the Kabane World.
One of them is a user of the Bug-Bug Fruit (Dragonfly Form), and the other is a user of the Bird-Bird Fruit (Swallow Form). They are also the only two Devil Fruit User and the only ones in the group who can use both types of Haki.
Honestly, while CIPHER POL seems impressive, that's in terms of espionage and assassination; there aren't many who can actually Haki.
At least in terms of numbers, it is certainly far inferior to the military.
Therefore, headquarters was simply unwilling to invest too many elite personnel in such a high-risk mission.
"Set off!"
The captain of this operation was Plan, simply because he was the strongest. Each of them had a Den Den Den Mushi) with a long black thread attached to its shoulder.
It is worth noting that the body surface and the black line surface of these Den Den Mushi are covered with a layer of Kabane's Heart Membrane material.
Since it had been confirmed that the air composition of the other world was not problematic, they only needed to undergo triple disinfection before rushing into the arid world Star Gate at top speed. Then, in perfect unison, they formed pairs, one in front of the other, and transformed into afterimages that scattered in all directions.
Especially Plan and Belloc, who transformed directly into giant dragonflies and giant black swallows and flew into the sky.
The key to this operation can be summed up in one word: speed!
The researchers at the Weapons Research Institute had already calculated the location of the artillery based on previous ballistic measurements, and the two men's mission was to find it!
At this moment, the World Government's top military and political officials were all watching the virtual screen with varying expressions.
Soon, as the twenty people moved at high speed, the environment around the Star Gate became increasingly clear. Experts from the Academy of Sciences of Sciences specializing in geography and climate immediately confirmed, "It should be a tropical desert climate region, with terrain mainly consisting of plains and sand dunes, and there seem to be quite a few mountains to the north."
But at that very moment...
[Boom!]
[Boom!!]
The virtual screen flashed with fierce Huoguang again, one after another, before the screen went black one after another.
Clearly, even with the Kabane's Heart Membrane reinforcing its defenses, it couldn't withstand such a powerful explosive attack.
"It's confirmed, they precisely laid the landmines! They actually predicted where these CIPHER POLs would go?!" Vice Admiral Kongming stood up abruptly, his face unusually grim as he spoke in a deep voice.
Because of the staggered formation, the latter could clearly see the attack on the former. And when the latter took two more steps forward, preparing to stop, an explosion occurred beneath its feet, and it vanished.
Within seconds, all eighteen virtual screens went dark!
Fortunately, Plan and Belloc's aerial view was still intact. Through the images they transmitted back, the World Government first noticed that this place was actually a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides.
What happened next stunned all the staff at the headquarters of the Otherworld Strategy Committee.
First of all, the sea was filled with hundreds of large ironclad battleships, all of their cannons pointed at the Star Gate!
Then, in the only direction leading to the mainland, on the arid, yellowish-brown land, countless trenches crisscrossed and fortresses were scattered like stars.
Armored trains carrying large-caliber cannons moved slowly and orderly along the tracks. Tens of thousands of heavy howitzers were deployed at various positions, and beyond that stretched an endless expanse of barracks buildings, seemingly extending for tens or even hundreds of miles.
Just how many troops are gathered here?
Million?
It can only be considered a unit of measurement.
[Whoosh----whoosh----]
Suddenly, two more incredibly sharp whistling sounds pierced everyone's eardrums, and then Plan and Belloc's vision went black.
The last thing we saw was a billowing white mist and the screams of two people!
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