Rediat's Open Plot
It was immediately apparent to the naked eye that the ground beneath Wallace's feet had melted and turned into flowing magma due to the high temperature.
The area containing this magma was within a radius of only three meters around Wallace.
However, this also reveals just how hot Wallace's body is right now, which is hard to imagine.
Everyone knew that Wallace's current temperature had surpassed that of Sakazuki, the Magma-Magma Devil Fruit User.
"Is this still the Steel-Steel Fruit? Is it just my imagination?" At Marine Headquarters, a Marine General was somewhat incredulous. He had seen the Devil Fruit User before. Many of the other users present knew this, because the previous Steel-Steel Fruit user was a Vice Admiral in the Marines, who had died in a battle against Great Pirate from the New World.
"It's been developed to this extent; its power is no weaker than those top-tier abilities, is it?"
"The difference between people is really this great? If abilities were developed to this extent, Vice Admiral Domitai wouldn't have been beaten to death by Kaido, right?"
"This operation failed. Although we expected it, we didn't anticipate that the Night Pirates' strength would exceed our expectations. We need to update our intelligence." Sengoku rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. Such a huge loss, and also some worry about the Night Pirates.
However, it's somewhat fortunate that the Navy still has so many promising talents; the newly emerging future comes from the elite training camps in Zephyr.
Among them are many promising candidates who could become Vice Admiral. With hard work and the help of this chaotic era, in order to alleviate the pressure on the Navy and strengthen its power, and probably as compensation for Frieda's promotion to Admiral, the World Government sent the Navy a batch of Devil Fruit, some of which have very outstanding abilities.
Therefore, the Sengoku was confident about the future.
Since Borsalino's efforts had been ineffective, there was nothing he could do. Judging from the power Rediat had displayed, "Dark Emperor" Teach's strength would only increase.
As a representative of absolute rationality, he was already considering the aftermath of this incident, viewing the loss as a test of the Night Pirates' strength.
However, he hadn't forgotten the question Rediat had asked Atchison, and a sense of foreboding lingered in his heart.
Finally, Wallace made his move. Wallace has never had any long-range attack methods. He doesn't often use techniques like Tempest Kick or Finger Pistol. He mostly relies on his physical skills to complement his abilities.
Over the years, Wallace has become extremely proficient in mastering the Marine Six Styles, and he can even use them in battle at the Life Return. Wallace naturally also knows the so-called secret technique of the Six Powers, the Rokuogan.
With a familiar gesture, Wallace raised his fists high, pointing them diagonally towards the sky.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Air cannons materialized on Wallace's fists, but they were scorching hot.
The entire air cannon was extremely hot, its overall color a deep reddish-gold. It was spherical, with air evaporating and expanding, seemingly about to explode at any moment.
Wallace, by using the Rokuogan, changed the way he used it, just like Teach directly punched out the impact pillar.
Regardless, the kernel within them is universal.
As Wallace's voice rang out, Wallace erupted in a burst of energy. At incredible speed, air cannons materialized in Wallace hands and shot rapidly into the sky, much like Sakazuki's Meteor Volcano. In fact, this move was indeed modeled after Meteor Volcano.
In a short time, the entire sky was covered by scorching air cannons, rising high into the air and then falling down.
The sky was ablaze, turning the entire sky crimson. Looking up, one felt a sense of dread, especially the palpable heat.
The members of the Night Pirates had already gradually retreated to a distance when they saw Wallace unleash Wallace attack, knowing how terrifying and wide-ranging it was.
One after another, scorching air cannons, each larger than a fist, rained down from the sky. Many sailors, still in shock and filled with fear, had barely taken two steps.
Boom!
An air cannon shot crashed down, landing right next to them. Those who were unlucky enough to be hit directly on top of them were instantly blasted into a crater three meters in diameter by Wallace's air cannon.
But it wasn't over yet. Wallace's air cannon was scorching hot, and the air inside contained extremely high heat. At the moment of impact, this already unstable air cannon exploded, and the scorching air spread outwards instantly with the explosion.
The scorching air meant that even if they avoided the air cannons, their bodies would still be affected by the extremely high temperature waves. These sailors could not withstand such high temperatures and suffered severe burns in a short period of time.
The burns weren't targeted at a specific part of the body, but rather spread throughout the entire body, affecting all the vulnerable areas. Some sailors painfully closed their eyes, clutching their eyes as they collapsed to the ground.
Rolling on the ground, unable to bear the pain, only brought more suffering.
Hundreds of powerful air cannons, like missiles, covered a wide area of the battlefield. The scorching air after the explosions had an even greater impact. With this attack, cries of pain and screams filled the air, and most of the navy died in agony.
Those who were still alive looked absolutely horrific, their bodies scorched by the intense heat, as if they had been bathed in boiling water.
With this single move, hundreds or even thousands of sailors fell, and this move became the most striking sight on the entire battlefield.
"There are still more than four thousand people left," Pito's voice rang out, and the scene shifted back to Rediat's side. Because people were dying all the time on the battlefield, the exact number of survivors could not be determined.
This number made Atchison's pupils shrink, and for some reason, he felt a sense of oppression in his heart, while a bitter feeling appeared in his eyes.
"So? Still not going to talk? Just one sentence could save the lives of a thousand naval soldiers. Once a mistake has been made, it can't be hidden. Someone will find out eventually, and it will be exposed sooner or later. As for your navy, you'll only lose a little honor and reputation, which will be restored with the passage of time."
Looking at Atchison's expression, Rediat couldn't help but laugh. "Do you think this will deal a huge blow to the Navy? As long as pirates exist, the Navy will not disappear. The Navy will always be the representative of justice. Besides, most incidents are carried out under the orders of the World Government and have little to do with the Navy. Trading a little bit of prestige for the lives of a thousand young marines is such a worthwhile deal. Are you really planning to give up the lives of these marines for a little bit of fame?"
This is undoubtedly a psychological attack. If these sailors' lives are sacrificed, it will be a huge blow to the navy and will certainly affect the confidence of the lower-ranking sailors. This is their foundation, a blow they cannot bear, and one that will be difficult to heal over time.
However, if they were to say it out loud, the high command of the navy and even the World Government would not want to accept it.
This is undoubtedly a difficult choice, and upon hearing Rediat's demand for resignation, many people have speculated about Atchison's next decision.
Rediat seized the opportunity to shift Atchison's concerns about the damage to the Navy's reputation onto the World Government. Upon hearing this, the World Government officials' faces darkened.
What do you mean by "following their orders"? Does that mean the World Government is to blame for everything, and the Navy is just the executor?
Those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see things more clearly. They realized that Rediat wanted to dispel Atchison's concerns and get Atchison to reveal those buried events that would damage the reputation of the Navy and the World Government.
Atchison was well aware of this, but he was in great turmoil. These were the lives of a thousand marines! When he first heard that only four thousand marines remained, his heart bled, and he was in immense pain.
Moreover, Rediat's words made sense, and he couldn't help but silently apologize in his heart.
He slowly raised his head. "I don't trust your character; I don't believe you'll keep your promises."
These words indicate that Atchison has made the decision to speak out, albeit a very difficult one, but one that will make him feel better in order to save the lives of these navy personnel.
At the same time, he didn't trust the Night Pirates' credibility, after all, they were pirates.
"Heh! Don't worry, we are the Night Pirates. We've never broken our word since our debut." Rediat couldn't help but chuckle, looking at Atchison. "Besides, you can choose not to tell. The choice is yours, Vice Admiral Atchison."
"Besides, there aren't just the two of us here. Many people are watching what's happening here, the whole world. Our Night Pirates have a reputation to uphold," Rediat laughed, his words subtly mocking the shameless Navy for sending Borsalino into the battle.
"Just to give you some confidence." With that, Rediat took out the Den Den Mushi again.
"Pito, tell everyone to spare the lives of three thousand marines, but do not let them escape," Rediat said into the Den Den Mushi. Pito nodded without questioning Rediat's order.
In the Night Pirates, when Teach is absent, Rediat is the captain, Rediat's will represents Teach's will.
"Okay." Then, Pito relayed the message to Otto, who was rapidly killing marines with his mechanical arm.
The powerful mechanical arm contained a force that these marines could not withstand, and its material was so hard that even some of the navy's swordsmen could not destroy it.
Otto relayed the order and observed the number of naval forces on the battlefield. Soon, these naval soldiers died one by one, and their numbers quickly dropped to three thousand. When he felt that was about right, Otto held a large megaphone, a device that could amplify the sound.
"Stop! Don't kill them yet. Surround these marines and don't let them escape!" Otto's voice rang out, and the members of the Night Pirates stopped what they were doing, retreating and staring at the marines, forming an encirclement.
Behind the navy, both bigwigs Gari and Wallace, were still standing there, blocking the navy's escape route.
Besides them, some members of the Night Pirates, panting excitedly, followed behind Wallace and Gari.
Seeing Wallace and Gari, the marines dared not approach, having witnessed Gari immense power, Wallace rendered them powerless to resist.
Although they had some doubts, the Night Pirates had already stopped, so they naturally stopped resisting and had no desire to fight anymore.
At this moment, these marines gathered together, standing distinctly from the Night Pirates, looking around, and a sense of sorrow welled up in their hearts.
They were surrounded by members of the Night Pirates, and the ground around them was littered with the corpses of Marines. Only now did these Marines on the battlefield realize how many of them had died.
Originally a large fleet of 15,000 men, it now has only one-fifth of its original number of marines.
Some young sailors, unable to bear the psychological strain, dropped their weapons and squatted on the ground, weeping bitterly.
Otto's voice was transmitted to Rediat via a loudspeaker and also through Den Den Mushi.
"Now you can begin." Rediat looked at Atchison expectantly. "Their lives are now in your hands. How much you can say determines how many Navy lives you can save."
Atchison rolled over and lay in the pit, his hands handcuffed with Seastone. He was powerless and unable to resist; he didn't even have the strength to stand.
Because the Seastone Handcuffs that Rediat gave Atchison were of very high purity.
Atchison closed his eyes, took a deep breath. As Marine Vice Admiral, a veteran Marine Vice Admiral in his fifties, he had served in the navy for over thirty years and was naturally aware of some of the things that had happened within the navy.
Although he was unaware of some of the inside details, he was clear about what had been done.
He knew that if he spoke out, it would definitely damage the reputation of the Navy and the World Government, causing the public to lose trust in them.
In this chaotic era, there is little trust, and many people cannot even make a living. The Navy and the World Government are somewhat distant from them.
The Great Pirate Era has begun, bringing chaos to the seas, the Affiliated Nation, and the Navy. To develop and strengthen the Navy, military spending must be increased. The World Government also faces immense pressure due to the loss of the New World, which has prevented many New World Affiliated Nation from paying their Heavenly Gold.
Some pirates brazenly plundered Heavenly Gold. Before the Navy re-entered the New World, these Affiliated Nation stopped paying Heavenly Gold. After all, without the Navy providing them with protection, why should they pay Heavenly Gold?
However, the World Government naturally has its own methods, so it increased the amount of Heavenly Gold in each Affiliated Nation.
The kings and nobles of the Affiliated Nation naturally did not want to bear this enormous sum of Heavenly Gold themselves, so they shifted the burden onto the common people at the bottom of society, and they did not care about the lives of these commoners.
As a result, the Affiliated Nation became even more chaotic, and more and more people turned to piracy.
As the images spread, some people learned a lot and strengthened their own power. As a result, it was not uncommon for wealthy people and nobles to be murdered and their wealth stolen in secret, which further exacerbated the conflict between the two classes.