Ring ring...
Ring ring...
In the office of Steel Bone Kong, Marshal of Marine Headquarters, the Den Den Mushi kept ringing. They were all calls for help from Marines under attack on islands belonging to Golden Lion. The operation was being commanded on the front lines by Admiral Sengoku himself. Yet the calls for help were coming through to Marine Headquarters! The reason was simple: Sengoku had no time to deal with those calls. His battlefield faced the main ship of Golden Lion's Flying Pirates! Golden Lion and all his senior officers had assembled there. "Damn it, where did all these pirates come from?!" Steel Bone Kong slammed his fist into the office wall, his face dark as he glared at the Den Den Mushi. He had already received five calls for help since this began, all from Marine warships attacking islands under Golden Lion's control in the first half of the Grand Line. Marine Headquarters' strategy wasn't complicated. They had divided fifty thousand elite troops among six warships, sending them to attack several of Golden Lion's islands in Paradise. Meanwhile, the main fleet, led by Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, was waiting in the stretch of sea Golden Lion had to pass through. Golden Lion's Float-Float Fruit let him move his fleet through the sky, so he could bypass the Marines' main force and deal with the scattered warships. But that man wouldn't do that, because he was Golden Lion! That was why Marine Headquarters had been so confident in devising this plan. If you don't come, I'll tear out your power in Paradise by the roots. If you do come, I'll be waiting, ready to fight you head-on. You're Golden Lion, so you'll never back down from a fight! "How are things going with Sengoku?" Steel Bone Kong put down the Den Den Mushi and asked grimly. His adjutant immediately reported, "Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp are engaging Golden Lion's main fleet in the Polar Sea. They likely can't spare any forces to reinforce the other locations." That was why the calls for help were coming straight to Marine Headquarters. The situation on the main battlefield wasn't looking good either. Though Golden Lion had chosen to face the Marines' main force head-on, there was no way he'd give up his advantage in the air. It was easy to imagine how difficult the Marines' anti-air battle would be. Sengoku was hoping Marine Headquarters would send more troops to support him. How could he spare any to help the other battlefields? "Send five warships, each with a complement of five hundred men, led by a colonel, to reinforce the five islands in the Polar Sea." Steel Bone Kong couldn't send everyone out at the start. Keeping a reserve force was standard practice in war. Marine Headquarters still had five thousand troops in reserve. With a single order, he sent half of them out! "Yes, sir!" The adjutant received the order and was about to go pass it on. But Steel Bone Kong suddenly stopped him. "Wait. I remember sending six warships to attack the Polar Sea. Shouldn't Golden Lion have six islands in that area?" "Yes," the adjutant replied. "Then one island hasn't called for help?" Steel Bone Kong's heart skipped a beat. There could only be two reasons for the silence: either they couldn't get through on the Den Den Mushi, or they didn't need to call for help. If they couldn't get through, the signal might have been jammed—or the entire force might already have been wiped out. As for not needing to call for help, could it mean they had the advantage? "Which island hasn't called for help?" Steel Bone Kong asked urgently. The adjutant checked the records and quickly found the answer. Frances Island, where Vice Admiral Akita's forces had been deployed. "It's Frances Island. Vice Admiral Akita is leading the troops. The enemy is the Bourne Pirates, one of the Flying Pirates' main fleets." "The captain is Twin Blade Bourne, with a bounty of 290 million Beli." The adjutant rattled off the intelligence. Steel Bone Kong fell into thought. Akita was a veteran vice admiral, powerful, composed, and steady in his approach—not one to chase glory recklessly. He absolutely couldn't believe that Vice Admiral Akita's forces had been wiped out. That meant the Marines might well have the upper hand on Frances Island! "Quick, get me Akita on the Den Den Mushi!" Steel Bone Kong was desperate to hear how things were going on Frances Island—or, more accurately, to hear some good news. "Yes, sir!" The adjutant immediately called through. ... Frances Island, harbor battlefield. Thousands of civilians carrying flintlock rifles surged toward the Marines' position in a dark mass. The Marines managed to hold them back, barely, thanks to their superior equipment and well-drilled tactics. "Colonel Doug ordered us not to hurt the civilians, but these people are pushing their luck and charging us." "We can't keep this up. We can't stay on the defensive forever." "Are you suggesting we attack the civilians?" "..." The natives of Frances Island were no match for regular Marines, especially elite soldiers. But there were thousands of them. Even if they shut their eyes and fired straight ahead, a hail of bullets came crashing down. With so many attacks raining down indiscriminately, surely a few would hit their mark. The two sides had been fighting for more than half an hour. The Marines still held the harbor position, but they had suffered plenty of casualties. Especially since Colonel Doug had ordered them not to harm the civilians. That put the Marines at an even greater disadvantage. "This is no good, and that's no good either. Are we just going to let our soldiers die for nothing?" "Wait a little longer. Once Vice Admiral Akita takes down Bourne, we'll win." The two second lieutenants in charge of directing the troops argued heatedly. The first lieutenant was eventually persuaded by the second and decided to hold on a little longer, but neither of them felt confident. Just as everyone was caught in a dilemma, a huge crowd suddenly poured out of the road leading to the town. People packed together, stretching as far as the eye could see. The Marines' stomachs clenched. Did the Bourne Pirates have reinforcements? They were already struggling to hold the line. If more enemies arrived, they'd have no choice but to retreat to their warships! However, these people weren't enemies. They were the natives of Frances Island. Aside from several dozen Marines at the front, the thousands of people behind them were all elderly people, women, and children from the island. Second Lieutenant Jimmy, who had recovered considerably, quickly made his way to the front. He climbed to the top of a tower at the crossroads. It was an old clock tower. It had originally been built to warn the island of approaching pirates, but after Golden Lion took over Frances Island, it had fallen into disuse. Now, though, it would play a crucial role! Dong! Dong! Dong! The bells rang, deafening and clear. Deep, resonant, and far-reaching. The entire battlefield was bathed in the clock's deep, timeworn chimes. Marines, pirates, and civilians all turned toward the tower. "Everyone on Frances Island! Your loved ones have all been rescued!" "Use the weapons in your hands to drive those pirates out!" There was no grand speech, just two simple sentences—the words that struck deepest. Your loved ones are safe. Now, let's drive out the pirates who have been terrorizing us! In an instant, the battle turned. Thousands of young men swung their rifles around and aimed them at the pirates of the Bourne Pirates. The Marines didn't actually need help from the civilians. As long as the civilians stopped getting in their way, the Marines could wipe out the remaining Bourne Pirates. More than six hundred Marines against just over a hundred pirates. The difference in strength was overwhelming, and the scales of victory immediately tipped toward the Marines.