The Marines Arrive
At the port of Sakhalin Island, the pirates and bounty hunters watching from all sides were shocked by the scene, feeling somewhat fortunate that they hadn't acted out of greed; otherwise, these fallen corpses would have been their fate.
The allied forces that had targeted the Night Pirates suffered a complete defeat, with thousands of corpses lying on the ground. Their gazes fell upon a small hill of corpses in the center of the battlefield, where the Night Pirates' captain Teach, sat quietly, his fingers interlaced in front of his chest.
Not far from him, a group of officers stood around him, surrounding him in the center, followed by the other pirate crew members, all with smiles on their faces and panting heavily.
The reporters, hidden in the shadows, excitedly recorded this epic moment, while the eyes of the other onlookers couldn't help but fall on Teach.
In this battle, the Night Pirates demonstrated their dominance in the East Blue, taking on an allied force of over three thousand men with only a hundred members. The result was unexpected and a complete victory. Although some Night Pirates were injured, no one died.
Furthermore, throughout the entire battle, the captain of the Night Pirates never once made a move; they were extremely excited, as if they were about to witness the rise of a Great Pirate.
"What a bunch of trash. Numbers don't determine everything." Wallace looked at the fallen enemies, their bodies stained with blood, and sneered. "Just enough to warm me up."
The other crew members couldn't help but turn their heads and look at Teach.
Teach had already stood up, atop a pile of corpses. Looking around at his comrades' expectant eyes, a slight smile appeared on his face. He opened his arms wide. "Comrades, let's go claim our spoils!"
"Oh!" Upon hearing this, all the pirates became excited and shouted loudly.
Piracy is inherently a symbol of plunder. Since the victors in battle are the ones who take all the treasures and valuables from these pirates and bounty hunters, the goods on their bodies are theirs as well. There are also several pirate ships nearby, and the contents inside are theirs as well.
The people around were also tempted, wanting to take advantage of the chaos and make some money, but it was just a thought. They had seen the strength of the Night Pirates, and they dared not steal their spoils.
We can only watch. Also, the strength of the Night Pirates is truly terrifying, and they have a mysterious captain who hasn't made a move yet.
This battle was destined to be the one that would make the Night Pirates famous. The previous battles were just naval battles, where they wiped out the Navy and other pirate crews on the high seas. News of this spread, and with the Navy's encouragement, the situation became even more intense.
However, the strength of the Night Pirates is merely a rumor. In many people's minds, although their strength is formidable, it is not clear, and they believe that the Navy has exaggerated the strength of the Night Pirates.
However, now, in front of many people, the formidable strength displayed by the Night Pirates has been witnessed by numerous pirate bounty hunters, island residents, and reporters who had received advance notice. The entire battle has been recorded, and there is even video footage of the fight.
This battle will definitively determine the Night Pirates' status as the overlord of the East Blue. It's important to understand that the bounty hunters from the attacking Night Pirates are all quite powerful, many of them renowned figures. The Night Pirates, with their established reputation, certainly possess considerable strength.
These pirate crews, eager to make a name for themselves, mostly have captains with bounties exceeding ten million, with many others boasting bounties of twenty or thirty million. Among these bounty hunters are also renowned figures, some having hunted down pirates with bounties exceeding ten million.
However, they all died at the hands of the Night Pirates' officers. Those with decent strength were dealt with first by the Night Pirates' officers.
Although they are quite strong, how can they possibly withstand Pito and Gari? Most of the other officers are also quite powerful, ranking among the top in the entire East Blue.
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, however, it wasn't; an unexpected incident occurred.
On the high seas, three warships sailed side by side, their destination being Sakhalin Island, where the Night Pirates were based.
The Navy had already received information that the Night Pirates were heading towards Sakhalin Island and knew that the Night Pirates would stop there, so they had gathered together long ago.
Commander Spank of the 18th Marine Division and Commander Sean of the 20th Marine Division led their respective marines to the Marine Branch 22, which was closest to Sakhalin Island. After confirming the arrival of the Night Pirates on Sakhalin Island, they set off together.
The combined forces of the three Marine Branch numbered nearly two thousand, making them extremely powerful. In order to wipe out the Night Pirates, they had deployed almost the entire majority of their troops, except for a few naval soldiers left to guard the branches.
The tiny Sakhalin Island has attracted the attention of most of the East China Sea, becoming the eye of the storm in this event.
This major naval operation naturally attracted the attention of other forces in the East China Sea, as Marine Branch are mostly located in large towns, so many people can see any major operations.
The unexpected sequel to the Sakhalin Island battle has generated great anticipation among everyone. Some who wanted to leave because their time was up returned after receiving the news.
With the strength of three Marine Branch and three captains from Marine Headquarters, will the Night Pirates be able to withstand another major battle against the Navy after this one?
Those who are paying attention have already noticed that each of the three Marine Branch that have been eyeing the Night Pirates has lost a warship at the hands of the Night Pirates, and also lost three high-ranking officers and three captains.
Some people couldn't help but sneer, mocking the Night Pirates. They had offended the Navy, and the fate of the Night Pirates seemed sealed. It was all because the Night Pirates had been too active during this period, causing their fame to soar and making other pirate crews extremely jealous.
At the same time, this also reflects confidence in the strength of the Navy, because since the start of the Great Pirate Era, many pirates who went to sea have been captured by the Marine Branch and imprisoned in Impel Down. There are many such news reports every day, including some powerful pirates.
"This Night Pirates are really quite strong. They actually managed to win against the combined attacks of those pirate crews and bounty hunters." Commander Sean of the 20th Marine Division listened to the news he received through the Den Den Mushi, his eyes flashing with surprise.
"So what? Faced with the righteous navy, they still cannot escape their fate of annihilation under our power." To his right, Spank sneered, with absolute confidence in his strength.
With their three colonels in command, victory was already assured.
"I'm going to personally send him to Impel Down and let him spend the rest of his life there." Spank gritted his teeth, feeling anger and hatred towards the Night Pirates.
He had a good relationship with the deceased Captain Cran respected him greatly, but Crane died at the hands of the Night Pirates.
"Yes, the strength of our navy is far superior to that of those pirates. We also have to thank the Night Pirates for helping us wipe out so many pirates and relieving some of the pressure on Impel Down. I heard that Impel Down is almost full now," Colonel Robert said calmly, and then couldn't help but smile.
However, they were all very angry with Roger, which ushered in the Great Pirate Era. As the number of pirates increased, so did the number of pirates attacking civilians. Such incidents occurred all over the New World, which greatly increased the pressure on the Navy.
There are just too many pirates to catch. The term "Great Pirate Era" was coined at some point, but it gradually gained acceptance and was named after pirates. This is undoubtedly an insult to the Navy and a huge blow to its prestige.
Pirates have begun to disregard the Navy's authority, daring to openly attack other pirates. Among them, the Night Pirates are outstanding, having destroyed three warships and three Navy lieutenants—something no other pirates dare to do.
Therefore, this operation is not only to wipe out the Night Pirates and avenge our fallen comrades, but also to uphold the dignity of the Navy and strike at the pirates of the East Blue.
However, will the outcome be as they imagine?
On Sakhalin Island, a crowd was gathering, and some people were heading towards it. Nearby Sakhalin Island were many other islands, scattered like stars, some only an hour's drive apart.
The Night Pirates, Teach and his crew, have now received news that the Navy is on its way.
Almost everything had been moved, and a large amount of treasure was taken to the Lucky Goddess. They were also lucky enough to find a Devil Fruit on a pirate ship, which was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. Teach had Nelson take it and store it in his storage space.
One by one, the crew members gathered around Teach. "Captain, the navy is coming. Should we leave now?" Wallace asked, but he wasn't nervous. How could a mere navy frighten them?
"Let's go then. This is a great victory. Let's find a place to have a banquet." Teach said with a smile.
"Where are we going?" Upon hearing about the banquet, the other pirates' eyes lit up, and one voice jumped out.
Teach glanced at the crew members around him and chuckled, "Where's the nearest Marine Branch?"
"The Branch 22," Nelson said casually, then suddenly paused, his eyes widening as he looked at Teach. "A banquet! Could it be? Captain, you're planning to..."
"Hahaha! That's right, let's throw a grand banquet at the Marine Branch!" Teach laughed heartily.
Upon hearing Teach's words, the crew members immediately became excited. Holding a banquet at Marine Headquarters —was that something pirates did?
However, what a wonderful idea! Just imagining the banquet at the Marine Branch made my body tremble with excitement.
As expected of the captain, this is a complete slap in the face to the navy, causing them to lose face completely.
"Naval warships are heading this way. They set off from the Branch 22 and will definitely encounter us along the way," Baccarat analyzed, wiping her blood-stained hands with a piece of paper.
"No, they're already here." Pito said calmly. Hearing Pito's words, they couldn't help but turn their heads and look towards the sea. In the distance, three small dots were appearing on the horizon and approaching.
"Then let them all perish at sea. We have never lost a naval battle," Wallace said, arms crossed and head held high.
Despite having already fought a major battle, the crew of the Night Pirates were extremely excited. How could a mere navy possibly withstand their advance?
"Today is a bad day for the Navy," Baccarat chuckled softly.
"That's fate," Kos said calmly, holding his gun.
"I didn't expect the prey to come to me like this." Gari's hunting spirit, which had been calming down, was reignited.
"How boring," Pito said, pursing his lips.
"Hahaha! Well then, let's set off, take care of these marines, and have a grand feast!" Seeing the crew members filled with fighting spirit, he laughed loudly.
Following Teach, everyone returned to the Lucky Goddess, leaving the stunned audience behind.
"Hey! Did you guys hear that? The captain of the Night Pirates said he's going to the Marine Branch to hold a banquet." One of the pirates finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes wide, and nudged his companion who was still standing there in a daze.
"That's the strength of three Marine Branch! How is that possible? Are you exaggerating?"
"We'll find out soon enough. The Navy is here. Let's see if the Night Pirates can defeat these three warships. If they can, then things will get serious."
"Hmm, I'm thinking of joining the Night Pirates."
"Don't tell me, I actually want to too."
The Lucky Goddess started up and slowly left the port, turned, and headed directly towards the three Marine warship.
"They actually dare to charge at us! This Night Pirates are too arrogant! They just had a big battle, and now they've encountered our Marines, and they don't even try to run away? They really don't know what's good for them."
"They probably know they can't escape, so they want to fight us to the death."
"That's perfect, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop. If they try to escape, they might actually get away."
With each person speaking a sentence, the three-year-old warship was fully prepared, facing the approaching Lucky Goddess. The main guns at the bow were raised high, aiming at the direction of the Night Pirates.
The warship was moving very fast, and when it was about 500 or 600 meters away from Sakhalin Island, the Lucky Goddess of the Night Pirates finally encountered the Marine warship.
The main guns on the bow of naval ships are extremely powerful, surpassing other ordinary cannons, and contain very advanced technology. Each warship has one main gun and two secondary guns, a total of nine gun barrels, ready to fire.
The Night Pirates swerved their ship and turned to the left. The cannons on the starboard side of the Lucky Goddess protruded from the windows, all aimed at the three warships.
"They actually want to compete with our navy's warships in firepower? Are they courting death?" Spank laughed upon seeing the situation of the Night Pirates.
"Don't be careless. The wreckage of our three lost warships is covered in cannon fire marks. They were destroyed by artillery. The Night Pirates' firepower must be very strong," Sean said calmly, then turned to the seamen and said, "Get all the marines ready."