Boarding Battle

"Waaah! We're doomed! The cannonballs are raining down!"

On the Ol' Jackson, the man with the big red nose clutched his head, tears streaming down his face.

"Hey! Buggy! Isn't this exciting?"

Beside him, the red-haired kid with the straw hat laughed heartily, sword in hand. He'd leap up occasionally, deflecting cannonballs with a swing. "Hahaha, this kind of sea battle is something you can only experience when fighting the Golden Lion."

Cannonballs rained down.

They whistled from all directions, crashing around the large ship and sending up towering geysers of water like colossal giants.

But they couldn't stop them! Even this dense barrage couldn't halt the Olga Jackson's advance.

"Hahaha! Shiki! It seems your arrangements can't stop my crew!"

In the sky, aboard the flagship of the Golden Lion Pirates, Roger's longsword slammed down, parrying Shiki's right-hand sword before delivering a heavy punch.

"Clang!"

The Golden Lion raised his left arm, his sword blocking Roger's iron fist. He then kicked Roger in the stomach.

"Can't stop them?"

The Golden Lion rested his sword on his shoulder. With a casual wave, a massive amount of earth surged up from beneath the flagship, transforming into a colossal earth dragon that swept towards Roger. "Don't you get too arrogant!!"

"Buzz!"

The earth dragon instantly disintegrated. A brilliant slash had already enveloped the Golden Lion.

"Then we'll just have to wait and see!!"

"Whoosh whoosh!!"

From the Golden Lion's flagship, several figures plummeted down like meteors, heading straight for the sea.

"The executives are finally making their move!"

Rhode exclaimed aboard the Blood Hand Pirates' large ship.

"This is Admiral Shiki's Lion Pack!"

Louis tried intently to get a clear look at the four figures falling at high speed. The Golden Lion's most capable four executives were also monsters that struck fear into hearts throughout the New World.

"Don't stop the bombardment!"

Rhode shouted, "Provide cover for the executives!!!"

As the war had progressed to this point, the Roger Pirates were still on the defensive, being battered. The Golden Lion Grand Fleet had them completely surrounded, and the sheer volume of cannon fire was enough to keep them scrambling.

Then, finally, the tide of battle began to turn.

"Stop them!!"

"Don't let them break through!!"

"Scatter! All ships scatter! Leave gaps! Don't let them escape the firing line!!"

The Olga Jackson's speed was in no way inferior to the Navy's most advanced warships. Every position on the Roger Pirates' ship was manned by the top experts on the seas, and their helmsman was equally peerless. Even amidst such a dense barrage, they weaved through with ease. Coupled with the protection of a few monsters, the Olga Jackson shot into the heart of the enemy fleet like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"Hahaha! Now it's time for us to shine!!"

Cat Viper, a Mink from the dream country of Zou in the New World, wielding a double-headed trident, roared with laughter. His plump body moved with extraordinary agility, a blur of afterimages as he leaped onto an adjacent large ship.

"They're boarding! Engage! Prepare for boarding combat!"

The pirate captain of that ship drew his longsword.

"Pfft!"

The trident pierced his chest. Cat Viper licked the blood from his lips and leaped up, dodging several longswords thrust at him. "Hahaha!!! Who do you think we are, you scoundrel!"

"Don't get careless, Cat Viper!!"

Big Dog arrived from behind like lightning, his longsword creating sprays of blood. His sword light was invisible; only scattered limbs and severed arms could be seen flying through the air.

"Hahaha, let's have a competition! Inuarashi, let's see who takes down more enemies this time!"

Cat Viper laughed heartily, swatting away a pirate who attacked from the front. He casually turned and snapped a sword that had struck his back, blocked by Haki and causing no injury. With a single strike, he pierced the attacker's chest.

"This is interesting!"

Inuarashi grinned.

"I'm gonna die, gonna die, gonna die!!!"

The big-nosed brat was dragged by the straw hat brat onto another pirate ship, wailing with tears streaming down his face. "Shanks! You bastard! I won't forgive you even in death!"

"Hey! Buggy, aren't you supposed to be unkillable?"

The red-haired brat, hand on his straw hat, leaped up to dodge an incoming sword. Then, with a flash of his blade, his opponent's throat was cleanly severed. His young age meant his strength wasn't exceptional, but his swordsmanship and courage were certainly not lacking.

"Waaah! You bastard Shanks! Save me!"

While Shanks dealt with other pirates, the red-nosed man was already targeted by others. A sword was brought down from head to toe.

"Waaah! I'm gonna die, gonna die, gonna die, gonna die!!"

Buggy cried out as his body was instantly split in two.

"Huh? Yeah, this great me can't be cut by swords!"

Buggy's body, split in two, suddenly reformed. He blinked, finally snapping back to reality.

"Didn't I tell you you wouldn't be cut to death?"

Shanks placed a hand on Buggy's red nose, leaped up, and severed the neck of a pirate attacking Buggy with a single sword slash. He then kicked another pirate away.

"Hahaha! Invincible!!"

Buggy, with his red nose, laughed heartily. "You scum of the Golden Lion Pirates! All of you die for Buggy!"

"Hey! You guy,"

Shanks held his forehead. "Weren't you trembling just now!"

"Hey! You bastard Shanks, don't interfere!"

Buggy's hands were already full of throwing knives. "These pirates are my prey!"

"Whoosh!"

"Thump!!"

A black shadow whistled through the air and slammed heavily onto the deck, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Hey! Buggy!!"

Shanks cried out in alarm.

"Really, this isn't a place you should be! Shanks, Buggy."

A man wearing glasses, with Buggy's red nose held between his fingers, stood on the ship's railing. He looked at the still smoking large hole on the deck, casually tossed Buggy to Shanks, and said, "Children should play somewhere else!"

"Uncle Rayleigh!"

Buggy, caught by Shanks, was still completely bewildered.

"Let's go, Buggy!"

Shanks, carrying Buggy, leaped from the deck and swam towards another ship.

"Ugh, you bastard Shanks, ugh, I can't swim, glug glug glug."

"Hey! Buggy, snap out of it!!"

"Pluto, Rayleigh!!"

A deep male voice echoed from within the large hole on the deck.

"Golden Lion's right hand, Colossus Soren."

"Don't hesitate! Keep firing!!"

The same order was relayed through Den Den Mushi to all the ships. "Ignore those ships, fire indiscriminately!! Don't give the Roger Pirates any chance to breathe!! Cadres, deploy! Don't let Roger's guys get too arrogant!"

"Mario! Are you ready?"

Rhode stood on the ship's railing.

"Can I not go, Captain?"

Louis sighed.

"Don't say foolish things! Get ready to go! Admiral Golden Lion is watching from above!"

Rhode laughed heartily, looking at Louis.

"..."

Louis could only smile helplessly and jumped directly off the ship. After all, the storm was coming, and this place would be even more dangerous.

"Ah-oh-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!!!"

From above, Rhode's passionate laughter could be heard.

Next, it was a fight for survival.

A person's life should be lived like this: when he looks back on his past, he will not regret wasting his years, nor will he be ashamed of his mediocrity; thus, when he is about to die, he will be able to say: "My whole life and all my energy have been devoted to the most magnificent cause in the world, the struggle for new book votes and rewards for Hua Lushui."