"The report Vice Admiral the containment is proceeding smoothly!"
"The Red-Hair Pirates Red Force shows no signs of turning and is steadily closing the distance to our warships!"
"Oh? So you've decided to press on... Notify the warships in other directions to maintain their speed, keep the target in the center of the encirclement, and fire a salvo once it's within range." Vice Admiral Momonga calmly gave the order after hearing his Lieutenant's report.
Knowing Shanks' abilities, the Momonga was now on high alert.
And they hoped to sink the Red Force before close combat even began, so that the enemy would be nothing more than a sitting duck!
Since it's in the Calm Belt, any warships that could appear here, even if they are branch ships, must be newly equipped hybrid-powered warships.
Without wind and without sails, the warships relied entirely on engines for propulsion, making speed easier to control.
The reason for this blockade was not only because of the chaos caused by the G8 branch, but also because the Navy did not want to see pirates able to sail freely in the Calm Belt.
However, the navy clearly misunderstood as well...
The Red-Hair Pirates were believed to have entered the Calm Belt because they had subdued a sea monster capable of intimidating ordinary Sea King —similar to how the Daughter Country used the "Serpent."
Even the clever Momonga clearly misjudged the situation...
Just as Sig blew the whistle, the Momonga suddenly realized something, quickly ran to the side of the boat, and peered down into the sea from the side of the ship!
The deep sea appeared normal at this moment, but the Momonga's Observation Haki had already detected the unusual activity brewing beneath the seemingly calm surface...
"Issue the order! All personnel on high alert..."
Before the Momonga could utter its last word, the sea had already begun to boil.
Tentacles with suckers, fleshy wings that look like they've shed their fur, smooth dorsal fins covered in mucus... all sorts of strange "organs" attacked the warship—and what they all had in common was that they were all enormous!
Seeing tentacles reaching onto the deck and coiling towards the marines, Momonga's face darkened. With a casual slash, he severed all the tentacles that had reached onto the deck. After the marines who had been pulled up fell to the ground, their comrades immediately rushed to their rescue.
On the other headquarters warships, there were at least a Rear Admiral in charge, so even the irrational collective frenzy of the mere Sea King only slightly hindered them.
However, the flotillas deployed to assist in the encirclement in other directions were not so fortunate...
Even though they were all large and powerful warships, and none of them capsized immediately, they were all caught in a fierce battle due to insufficient combat power!
As the commander of the lead ship, the Momonga's Den Den Den Mushi kept ringing—all alarms and distress calls from surrounding warships.
"Order the branch ships to retreat, self-preservation first! Headquarters ships, follow me!" The Momonga had already realized something was wrong.
Normally, naval warships have Seastone radiation-emitting devices on Sea King bottoms to avoid attracting the attention of Sea King.
And even if they were discovered by Sea King, they shouldn't be attacked by a swarm like this!
Even though the Momonga had severely damaged the Sea King attacking the warship, the other Sea King that had gathered together became increasingly agitated and showed no signs of being dispersed.
And it just so happens to be at this time; if it's a coincidence, that's too much of a coincidence. It's more likely...
The Red-Hair Pirates, to some extent, have mastered the method of controlling Sea King!
The strongest evidence is that the Red Force did not slow down at all and continued to charge forward—clearly, it was not only not attacked by the Sea King, but also not surprised by the Navy's situation.
The Momonga, realizing that the previous "plan went smoothly" was entirely the result of the other party's deliberate actions, couldn't help but mutter a curse under its breath. It then leaped up, slicing the lion-headed Sea King, whose head was mostly above water and which was trying to crush the warship, in two with a single stroke. Large amounts of blood splattered onto the ship as if washing the deck.
But just as the Mole was falling...
"Hmm?" The Momonga's Observation Haki sensed something, and the blade shifted slightly.
There was a loud "clang," as if some hidden weapon had been deflected...
Out of the corner of its Momonga spotted a miniature trident-shaped blade wreathed in a deep blue, Haki.
Before the Momonga could think carefully about whether there were any experts on the sea who used similar weapons, a figure appeared Flash of Lightning next to the Mole, right where the mini trident had been!
This sudden appearance immediately reminded Momonga of Shanks' ability— the Fly-Fly Fruit —which the Navy had already considered.
But the next moment, the Momonga noticed something was wrong. Although the other person was facing away from the sun, making the Momonga only see a shadow at first glance, the newcomer was much more muscular than Shanks!
Without time to discern the figure, the Momonga hastily swung its sword at the figure, and the other party immediately began throwing punches at the Momonga...
The Momonga even suspected that the opponent had been gathering power for this punch before "teleporting" over, and that the punch was a well-prepared attack the moment it appeared.
In contrast, the Mole hastily drew his sword, but the opponent's fist possessed the same eerie blue Haki as the previous "hidden weapon," and upon colliding with the Mole's strike, it directly "hammered" the Momonga back onto the deck!
The next moment, another Flash of Lightning... However, the Mole, which had smashed a hole in the deck, could barely "see" the other's movement trajectory. Although it could also be described as lightning fast, it was not the same as the previous sudden appearance.
The lightning converged at the top of the main ship's mast—the warship was a hybrid power ship, only it didn't have sails in the Calm Belt, but it still had masts.
A burly figure with distinct Fish-Man features and crackling electricity stood atop the mast.
The Momonga emerged from the hole it had punched in the deck before the dust settled.
However, the slightly disheveled appearance of the Momonga still caused the marines on the main ship to pause in surprise...
As a vice Vice Admiral, Momonga is not an Admiral Candidate, but his strength is still highly recognized in the navy, especially since the captain's crew are all men he trained.
However, judging from what just happened, the flying Momonga was completely overwhelmed.
Just then, a powerful aura spread out in all directions, causing the ordinary marines to faint, while only the captains remained conscious.
The Momonga cursed inwardly, calling the other party despicable—their methods were unorthodox, and their strength was indeed considerable, but if they were to fight head-on, they would never suppress him so easily!
He even used Conqueror's Haki at the moment when his momentum was at its peak and the Navy's morale was at its lowest...
Even if the seemingly brave first one charges forward, the Momonga doesn't believe the other is a simple-minded person.
At the same time, the Momonga had already confirmed the other party's identity.
In the Red-Hair Pirates, there are only two Record users of Conqueror's Haki, and they also have those Fish-Man characteristics. Even if they are backlit and their facial features are not clearly visible, there is no need to make a second guess.
"Siegfried... the culprit who betrayed the World Government's promise of reconciliation with the Fish-Man Race? It seems I really underestimated this follower of the most vicious Fish-Man's spirit!"