Ambush!

The warships' guns unleashed a fierce barrage across the sea, forcing the pirates who had shown themselves to duck back into hiding.

In terms of numbers, pirates on the open sea were as plentiful as carp crossing a river, far outnumbering the Marines.

As for equipment, aside from a few exceptions, most pirates were armed with guns, cannons, and swords the Marines had long since discarded.

"Good! Keep firing just like that!"

Akita rose into the air with Geppo and ordered the Navy Ensign beside him, "I'll disrupt the enemy's formation. Lead your men and follow when you get the chance!"

"Understood!"

The ensign answered and swiftly organized the troops.

There were only a little over twenty Marine soldiers with him on the island. Their job was to seize a favorable position and help the Marine soldiers from the ships land.

On the speedboat, Kazan stared in shock at the smoking hilltop, then turned to look at Morito.

Had it been a coincidence?

It couldn't have been a coincidence!

Could this guy actually see the future?

Morito had specifically told him where to aim the cannons!

When they fired, Kazan had taken a good look at the spot. There had been nothing unusual about it; the dense forest had made it nearly impossible to see anything amiss.

And yet that single cannonball had done it!

It had blasted through the pirates' ambush, forcing the Bourne Pirates to show themselves and fight head-on!

Vice Admiral Akita's warship carried more than a thousand men, while the Bourne Pirates had only a little over three hundred, at most.

The captain of the Bourne Pirates, Bourne, had a bounty of 290 million Beli, but leading the Marines was the veteran Vice Admiral Akita Jiichiro!

It wasn't that Vice Admiral Akita could unquestionably overpower Bourne, but he certainly wouldn't be at a disadvantage in a head-on fight.

In a direct confrontation, the Marines had an overwhelming advantage.

Otherwise, Marine Headquarters wouldn't have sent just one warship. They'd been certain the Marines could win this battle.

But if they'd fallen into an ambush, things would've been a different story.

In the end, Kazan couldn't hold back his curiosity.

He asked, "How did you know the Bourne Pirates were hiding there?"

"Instinct."

Morito gave him a perfunctory answer.

Instinct?

Kazan's pupils shrank. You've got to be kidding me. Do you think I'm an idiot?!

"Don't celebrate too soon. It's not that simple."

Morito spoke up without warning.

Kazan immediately came back to his senses.

He looked closely at the battle in the harbor. The Navy Ensign was indeed capable; with only a little over twenty men, he'd already secured an important position.

The warships behind them were rapidly closing in. Soon, the more than a thousand Marine soldiers aboard would be able to land and join the fight.

Vice Admiral Akita was already battling Bourne.

They had a clear advantage!

"What have you noticed now?" After Morito's earlier prediction, Kazan asked almost instinctively.

"Instinct tells me there's danger."

Morito answered with complete seriousness.

This time, he genuinely had a bad feeling. Last time, he'd only given a casual answer because he didn't want to reveal the secret of his Byakugan.

The Marines under Vice Admiral Akita and the Bourne Pirates were at best evenly matched, with the odds around six to four.

If Bourne wasn't an idiot, he must have another card up his sleeve.

Were there idiots in the world of pirates?

Apparently, there were!

With a hint of doubt, Morito and Kazan followed the main force onto the island.

Kazan, who'd been itching for a fight, drew his standard-issue Marine saber and charged ahead, striding right past the vanguard to the very front.

In the forest on the mountainside, Akita and Bourne were locked in combat. They were the strongest fighters on their respective sides, and no one else could interfere in their battle.

The Marines and pirates alike steered clear of the battlefield around them.

"Drawing Slash!"

"Heavy Strike!"

Both were skilled swordsmen. One wielded a heavy blade with forceful strikes, while the other's sword was light and nimble. Every move was a lethal attack, with neither holding anything back.

No matter how the battle below went between the Marines and the Bourne Pirates, the outcome ultimately depended on the two of them.

Clang!

They clashed once, then immediately sprang apart.

Seeing Akita calmly defend himself and launch one attack after another, Bourne sneered. "Do you think you've already won?"

"Isn't that right?"

Akita raised an eyebrow.

In terms of individual strength, he had a six-to-four advantage over Bourne. In terms of overall strength, the Marines had a thousand elite soldiers, while the Bourne Pirates had only a little over three hundred at most.

No matter how you looked at it, weren't the Marines clearly on top?

"Look over there!"

Bourne lifted his Tachi and pointed behind Akita, toward the town on the island.

"You think I'll fall for a trick that obvious?"

Akita thought Bourne was trying to make him turn around, but he refused to take the bait.

Then, in the next instant, Akita's expression changed.

He spun around and saw a sea of figures, armed with blades and guns, filling the narrow road.

"How is this possible?!"

Akita cried out in shock.

The figures pouring out from the direction of the town were packed together, and there were at least three thousand of them!

Three thousand wasn't an exact count; it was Akita's estimate.

Where had the Bourne Pirates gotten so many men?

The intelligence had been wrong. There was more than one pirate crew on Frances Island!

Akita had no time to think. Taking advantage of his distraction, Bourne launched a sneak attack, swinging his Tachi at Akita's waist.

Feeling the cold killing intent, Akita came to his senses and hurriedly lowered his blade to block.

Clang!!

The two Tachi collided violently, throwing off a shower of sparks.

Akita glared at Bourne, his expression dark, and asked in a low voice, "Where did you get all those men? Did the Golden Lion arrange this?"

Aside from the Golden Lion learning of the Marines' plans in advance and secretly reinforcing the forces on various islands, Akita couldn't think of another possibility.

If that was really the case, it meant there was a spy inside the Marines!

Akita wasn't worried about the battle on Frances Island. He was worried about the entire Marine fleet's campaign!

"Who knows?" Bourne licked his lips, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face. "You'd better worry about yourself first!"

"Then I'll take you down first, and deal with them afterward!"

Akita's eyes narrowed, and he put even more strength into his grip.

If the Marines were fighting three hundred pirates with a thousand men, he could afford to take his time and steadily bring Bourne down.

But now the balance had shifted. The pirates numbered several thousand, so he couldn't afford to attack slowly. He had to end the fight as quickly as possible!

Speed brought chaos, and chaos brought mistakes.

That was Bourne's plan.

Akita was slightly stronger than Bourne, so Bourne had chosen to unsettle him and make him slip up. In a fight, even the smallest mistake could affect the final outcome.

After all, the gap in their strength wasn't great, and Akita couldn't guarantee a win.

"Roar!! Kill them!"

The battle at the road below erupted into a fierce clash. The pirates charging out of the town attacked the Marine positions like madmen, heedless of their casualties.

Akita grew anxious, and Bourne seized the opening to slash his arm!

The tide of battle suddenly turned in the pirates' favor.