Just as the warships that had set sail turned around to return to Marine Branch 133, something unexpected happened again.
What had happened at sea seemed to have somehow reached the ears of the Marines left behind at the branch. The warships turning toward the naval port were actually met with cannon fire from the Marines guarding the port.
A civil war within Marine Branch 133 now seemed unavoidable.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Sink every last one of these Marine traitors!"
"Fire!!!"
At the naval port of Marine Branch 133, a lieutenant colonel wearing a cape emblazoned with "Justice" waved the saber in his hand and shouted at the artillerymen beside him. Under his command, the port cannons spat flames, launching pitch-black cannonballs at the warships approaching the naval port in the distance.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
Some cannonballs landed in the sea, exploding beneath the waves and throwing up violent swells. Others struck the warships successfully and exploded aboard them.
Two smaller patrol ships were particularly unlucky. After taking several cannonballs, they lost all mobility and came to a halt on the sea, becoming sitting ducks.
The cannonballs exploding within their cabins also set the patrol ships ablaze. The Marines aboard had wanted to put out the fire, but it spread far too quickly. The few dozen men on each patrol ship had no way to stop the flames, and could only board lifeboats and flee before their ships sank.
On the flagship, Tsugikuni Yoriichi stood on the deck at the bow, his brows slightly furrowed as he gazed toward the naval port.
He realized that the waters of Marine Branch 133 ran deeper than he had imagined.
The highest-ranking officer of Marine Branch 133 was Colonel Kane. Just moments ago, Yoriichi had knocked the man unconscious and thrown him into the