The Battle of Sphinx ended in a final victory for the White Wolf Pirates, led by Mongge, but it had been a brutal fight.
According to incomplete estimates, at least three thousand pirates and Marines had died in the war, and more than five thousand had been seriously wounded. Countless others had suffered minor injuries.
In the end, around eight thousand Marines had retreated aboard their warships.
Another seven thousand remained on Sphinx.
They were Marines who, for various reasons, hadn't received the news in time and hadn't managed to evacuate.
If the Marines' morale hadn't held together during their retreat, and if Kong hadn't still been there as an Admiral-level fighter, the pirates would have dared to pursue them as they fled.
In that case, far more than those seven thousand would have been captured.
In the end, the Marines led by Kong faced off across the water against the pirates led by Mongge, neither side daring to make a move.
There was no chance of continuing the fight.
But with so many Marines still stranded on Sphinx, Kong couldn't simply abandon them and leave.
"I'll have Rona come here as soon as possible!"
Since an Admiral had to remain stationed at Marine Headquarters, Scarlet Snake Rona was the only Admiral-level fighter the Marines could send out right now.
Sengoku had regretted more than once sending Rona to deal with the Giant Shark Pirates.
With three Admiral-level fighters bearing down on him—
How could he possibly lose with that kind of advantage?
But it was obvious that could never happen.
If three Marine Admirals really showed up, Mongge would turn tail without a second thought.
Even after sending two Admirals, Sengoku was worried Mongge would spot the danger and slip away.
That was the great thing about pirates.
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