Commodore Sea Bird

"Damn it! How many of our brothers have you killed?"

"You're not just slaves, you're vicious criminals! Pirates!"

"Wait, wait... ah!"

Sig had already lost count of how many furious Marines he had cut down charging at him. Their rage only fueled his own.

Sig could feel it—when he heard the angry pounding of his own heart, his physical abilities surged dramatically!

The protective scales that had only faintly appeared beneath his skin during the "Sailor" stage were now materializing on the surface, growing clearer and harder with each surge of "rage."

Gradually, Sig also realized that while these Marines wore the "Justice Coat" in proportions matching a Headquarters fleet, they weren't elite troops.

It made sense—sailing the Grand Line wasn't easy. Marineford, though not far from Mary Geoise and located near the tail end of the first half of the Grand Line, wasn't connected to Enies Lobby or Impel Down by the triangular sea current. How could a fleet reach Mary Geoise from Marineford so quickly?

These were likely ships that happened to be nearby, not a force dispatched from Headquarters on orders.

Otherwise... with such chaos erupting in Mary Geoise, an Admiral stationed at Headquarters, or even the Marshal himself, should have come personally.

For now, the strongest opponent was an officer on the lead ship who seemed to be a Vice Admiral from Headquarters, and he was being held back by Fisher Tiger.

The pirates, driven by sheer courage, were already losing momentum. Too many Marine warships surrounded them, and the escape route to the open sea was completely blocked. The merchant ships they'd seized were mostly wrecked—either already sunk or sinking.

Sig grew increasingly frantic. He could see no path to escape now!

Unless...

He could slip away unnoticed and swim for it?

If he could reach the sheltered harbor, he might find a small dinghy and paddle off quietly—whether he survived the open sea would be up to fate!

Just then, Sig felt a sharp gust of wind closing in. He twisted instinctively, raising his sword...

Clang—

A crisp clash of blades rang out, clearly centered on Sig. A Marine officer in a Justice Coat had swung at him.

Though Sig managed to block, his heart sank.

The opponent's strike drove his sword downward only slightly, meaning Sig had the edge in strength—but barely!

More importantly, Sig knew his combat skills were a poor match for his physique.

"Whew... there's a big fish here, heh." The newcomer whistled.

Glancing at his shoulder ornament, Sig's gut twisted. He knew he'd been marked.

Usually, only Marine Headquarters officers at Commander rank or above could wear the "Justice" coat outside of ceremonies, and only a select few with distinguished service earned shoulder ornaments.

Even the simplest red-and-blue ornament typically required at least a Commodore. Gold ornaments belonged to Admirals and a rare few Vice Admirals, gold-and-white to the Marshal, and the special red-and-black ornament was reserved for those who'd achieved legendary feats in the Marines—like Garp.

The man before Sig wore a red-and-blue ornament. From his strength, he was likely no higher than a Commodore!

Sig didn't have to guess long. The man announced himself: "Vile slave, I—Commodore Sea Bird—will end your criminal voyage!"

Commodore Sea Bird leaped back, his posture like a bird in flight. He looked young, under thirty, with an easy confidence that barely concealed a flicker of excitement. Dark circles under his eyes were as prominent as the black markings around a seagull's eye.

The weapon in his hand wasn't a standard-issue sword but a straight-bladed saber!

Sig knew he'd been targeted. There was no choice but to fight to the death. Awkwardly gripping his sword with both hands, he swung at the man.

The sword's hilt wasn't designed for two hands, but for Sig, who knew nothing of swordsmanship, two hands meant more power and threat.

Sig opened with "Body Shattering Slash"—a wild, chaotic flurry of strikes aimed high, low, left, and right at the man's face. Commodore Sea Bird started serious but grew more relaxed as he parried each blow.

"You're just a Celestial Dragon's plaything, aren't you? Some banned drug experiment to boost your physique?" Commodore Sea Bird sneered, disappointed.

Though Sea Bird kept retreating under Sig's relentless assault, it felt like Sig was the one walking into a dead end.

After pressing forward for over a dozen steps, Sig suddenly saw his opponent's lips curl. The next moment, the man vanished, and Sig stumbled half a step forward from his own momentum.

Before Sig could react, a searing pain exploded in his lower back!

Commodore Sea Bird had dodged Sig's attack and landed a vicious slash from behind.

"Impressive for a Fish-Man. Against an ordinary man without Haki, that would've severed the spine." Sea Bird touched his blade with some regret.

Clearly, Sig's scales had led Sea Bird to mistake him for a Fish-Man—or some kind of experiment.

If Sig were a Fish-Man, his racial traits were still lacking.

Clutching the long wound on his lower back with his left hand, Sig turned painfully to face his opponent...

Just then, a sharp gunshot cut through the air. The lead ball whizzed less than a meter past Sig's ear, sending a jolt of extreme danger through him. He instinctively followed its trajectory.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw D'Artagnan take a bullet square in the back of the heart while locked in a clash with his opponent...

The accuracy was unmistakable—a sniper using Observation Haki was "calling names"!

The distance was too great to pierce D'Artagnan through, but the powerful impact against his heart made his grip falter.

The next moment, as the Commodore he faced swung his blade, blood sprayed from D'Artagnan's chest and abdomen.

"Is that your captain? You don't seem close... but since you're so kindred, you can join him on the road!" Commodore Sea Bird leaped high, arms spread, his shadow in the sunlight resembling a seabird.

Just as Commodore Sea Bird was about to unleash his signature sword technique to finish off this oddly tough Fish-Man, a thunderous roar erupted!

Three Marine warships seemed to take simultaneous heavy blows from beneath the sea. They lurched sideways, hulls shattering, as several water jets rose like giant pythons from the surface, smashing into masts and snapping them instantly...

To dodge a falling mast, Commodore Sea Bird twisted midair and landed aside!

From the air, he spotted a blue, fat figure flickering on the sea surface...

"Damn Fish-Man!" Commodore Sea Bird cursed. He had no time to finish off Sig, now blocked by a collapsed sail, and instead began directing the Marines to suppress the Fish-Man below.