Boarding

"Kill!"

At the Captain's order, Sig and the other fighters hurled weighted ropes toward the Marine warship's masts.

This was where the difference in experience showed. Many seasoned fighters weren't as strong as Sig, but with a clever flick of the wrist, they sent their ropes sailing not only around the enemy's masts but also around the many Marine soldiers tied to them!

Sig swung a huge barrel full of water as easily as if it were weightless. It was certainly an impressive sight, but...

His rope flew straight as an arrow and slammed into a Marine officer wearing a Captain's Coat, knocking him flat on his back. The barrel shattered on impact.

Just as Sig was feeling awkward, cheers rang out around him.

"Nice one!"

"Great hit! Hahaha..."

Sig immediately struck a "strongman" pose to show he'd done it on purpose.

Then Sig helped pull on the ropes that had caught. The Marines weren't on a merchant ship, and their soldiers weren't civilians. They had no fear of boarding combat, so they weren't doing much to keep the ships apart.

The difference in firepower between the two sides was now on full display. The ship that had just been christened Freedom Sword was already riddled with holes, and many of its crew had been wounded.

The Marine warship, on the other hand, had suffered little damage. Cannonballs that lacked sufficient force merely lodged in its armor. And the Marines still had several times as many warships around them. The priority now was to capture one of their ships!

Seeing that they were close enough, a short fighter—who seemed to have been a pirate—shouted himself hoarse: "Anyone with guts, follow me up the rope ladder!"

The rope ladder hung from the mast and could be used to climb up and down.

Someone nearby seemed to understand what he meant and helped spread the ladder wide, while Sig was still trying to figure it out.

Then someone cut the ropes connecting the ladder to the deck and used a pistol to shoot through its connection to the sail. Sig guessed the man with the gun knew Observation Haki!

Once the ladder had lost its support on that side, the weight of the crew climbing it swung it in the opposite direction, toward the Marine warship.

Many of the fighters climbing up knew how to use their momentum, making the swing even wider. At the perfect moment, they let go and charged straight onto the deck through a hail of bullets. Several were knocked into the sea by lead shot and slashes...

"Don't just stand there! Charge while they can still hold out!"

"Kill these Marines, or we're dead!"

"Hey, you Celestial Dragons' lackeys! Your pirate grandpa's here!"

The remaining fighters couldn't just sit around. The ships weren't close enough to make a bridge, so they climbed along the ropes instead. Judging by how many of them could climb backward with such practiced ease... they were old pirates.

Quite a few others, like Sig, didn't need to climb backward. Their incredible stamina let them run straight along the ropes.

Sig had no experience with this, but the People of Fury had given him astonishing balance. He not only never got seasick and could adapt to the waves, but also walked the ropes as if on level ground.

In just a few steps, Sig reached the deck. Along the way, his senses had grown sharper and his reactions faster, letting him knock away several lead bullets aimed at him with his sword.

The moment he landed on deck, Sig felt more confident. He swung his big "sword" and cut down several Marines!

Though it was called a "sword," the Bari Saber's broad upper half, narrow lower half, and single-edged blade made it more suited for use like a cleaver.

Given Sig's physical prowess, he had very little combat experience and lacked fighting technique. A "beginner's weapon" like this was definitely more effective in his hands. Even if someone gave him a Great Grade Sword, he'd only swing it around wildly.

Sig also had no idea how to unleash a slash that could strike from a distance. He hadn't asked about the details before.

But with his brute strength, Sig could cut an ordinary Marine's sword in half with a single blow. Whether he cut the man in half, too, depended on how close the man was standing!

As for why Sig's own sword hadn't broken...

It wasn't a Fine Grade Sword or a Great Grade Sword, but Sig had replaced it several times while fighting his way out of Mary Geoise. He'd kept the finest one each time, so it was naturally far sturdier and sharper than the average Marine's sword.

Since he couldn't unleash slashes and didn't know any Swordsmanship or Martial Arts styles, Sig didn't stand out much or draw much attention. But anyone watching closely would have noticed that he was killing enemies very efficiently.

"We're Marines! Drop your weapons!"

"You damn slaves! Surrender!"

"Make sure we recover the Celestial Dragons' slaves..."

"We have our orders! If you can't capture them alive, kill them on the spot!"

To avoid being targeted, Sig deliberately kept moving around the deck and... tried to stay away from officers in coats, clearing out the rank-and-file as quickly as he could.

After all, Sig knew he wasn't a master of Swordsmanship or Martial Arts. He wouldn't stand a chance against a real fighter, so using his physical prowess to clear out the rank-and-file would contribute the most!

Hot blood splashed across Sig's face and body again and again. His fear gradually gave way to excitement, and Sig couldn't tell whether this change in his nature came from being repressed for too long or from the Paths of the Divine.

Sig noticed that D'Artagnan had been blocked by an officer from the neighboring ship. The two were dueling across the entire deck of the ship beside them.

"D'Artagnan, the blond swordsman? I never expected you to become a Celestial Dragon's slave after failing as one of the three leaders of Hunting Great Axe... and now you've become a pirate, too? The famous Pirate Hunter turned pirate—what a joke!" The Commodore, a smug grin on his face and another grinning face on his sword's hilt, mocked him.

"Have the Marines sunk so low that they've become the Celestial Dragons' lackeys? Do you even know what goes on in Mary Geoise every day?" D'Artagnan angrily unleashed a slash.

The Smiling Commodore raised his hand. His entire sword turned pitch-black as he blocked the slash and replied, "What goes on in Mary Geoise? Justice, of course! The Marines exist to protect Justice!"

Clang—

D'Artagnan lunged at him. Their blades clashed, and since they were fighting at the bow, the warship's prow was forced down by a third. The enormous lurch sent many Marines tumbling into the sea...

"If a Commodore's head could earn a bounty from the pirates, that'd be nice." D'Artagnan stared coldly at his opponent through their crossed blades.