Assault

It was Rosinante!

He really couldn't hold it in anymore! The icy rain had given him a cold!

"Who's there?!" The searchlights atop the fortress walls instantly swung around! Their beams swept across the open ground like sharp blades!

"Clang-clang-clang!!!"

Worse still, Rosinante was so startled by his own sneeze that he jerked violently, lost his balance, and knocked over a string of the most primitive "alarms"—cans and metal scraps hanging from a nearby tree!

"Enemy attack—!!!"

The piercing alarm instantly echoed throughout the entire fortress!

"Bzz—!"

The snow-white searchlights immediately locked onto Rayne's area! Everyone was exposed beneath the blazing beams!

"Damn it!!" Lieutenant Colonel Dal's eyes turned red with fury. He whipped around, looking as though he wanted to skin Rosinante alive on the spot! That useless fool, incapable of accomplishing anything and always ruining everything!

"We've been exposed! Everyone, charge!!"

At this point, Stealth was meaningless. Lieutenant Colonel Dal made the decision without hesitation, drawing his sword and rushing out first!

"Squads One and Two! Charge with me! The armory and command room are the targets!"

"Squad Three! Go blow up the ships in their harbor!"

"Yes!"

The elite Marines moved at once, charging toward the brightly lit fortress with roaring cries like unsheathed blades!

The battle erupted in an instant!

Inside the fortress, the raucous banquet music came to an abrupt halt.

Large numbers of drunken Blood Axe Pirates, many of whom had not even fully grasped what was happening, poured out from every corner with curses, swords, and guns in hand. They were initially disorganized and confused, but the moment they saw the Marines charging in, the ferocity of desperate outlaws was instantly ignited!

"It's the Marines! Kill them!"

"Slaughter these sons of bitches!"

The pirates surged forward like a tide, brandishing blades and firearms as they clashed fiercely with the well-trained Marine elites!

Gunfire, clashing steel, explosions, and screams blended into a single cacophony!

The entire fortress instantly became a bloody meat grinder! Rainwater mixed with blood, gathering into filthy streams across the ground.

Lieutenant Colonel Dal led from the front. His Swordsmanship was broad and forceful, precise and lethal. Like chopping vegetables, he cut down several pirates charging at the forefront and pressed straight toward the pirate officers deeper within the fortress.

Rayne, meanwhile, played the role of a qualified "elite recruit."

In truth, Rayne had already used Observation Haki to sense the situation on the island before they landed.

This so-called Blood Axe Pirates crew had only a captain and first mate with barely any real strength. None of the others were worth mentioning.

If he went all out, he could slaughter everyone here in less than five minutes, let alone ten.

He drew the saber at his waist and stayed close to the flank of his squad without rushing to advance.

Against a few ordinary pirate grunts reeking of alcohol and swinging curved blades, Rayne handled them with "ease."

His movements were textbook-perfect, and his strikes were efficient. Every slash precisely deflected an enemy attack before his next blade thrust pierced their heart or throat.

He showed no strength beyond the level of an "elite recruit," but his killing efficiency was not low in the slightest.

In only a short while, notifications of successful judgments had already flashed across Rayne's system panel several times.

"Tch, as expected of pirates from the Grand Line. There isn't even a single N-rank one."

As Rayne dodged an axe chopping toward him, he silently sighed, But... that's all they amount to. Even if they're all R-rank, they won't improve me much now.

Rayne gave them a quick scan to see whether any pirates had interesting skills or talents. Sure enough, he found [Intermediate] Fishing on a pirate named Jimmy. Without another thought, Rayne immediately chose the skill he had been longing for for so long.

At the same time, Rayne spared some attention for Rosinante, the big blond nearby. Seeing him shrink back and hesitate to fire at the pirates, Rayne could not help feeling frustrated by his failure to live up to expectations.

"Rosinante! Stop spacing out! Shoot!" Rayne cut down the enemy before him and roared at Rosinante, who was almost scared senseless and could only fire wildly.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Rosinante finally came to his senses and hurriedly raised his gun. But he was far too nervous, his hands trembling badly. His shots went "bang, bang, bang" into the ground around Rayne's feet, kicking up a shower of sparks and nearly hitting an ally instead.

"Idiot!" Rayne cursed under his breath, sidestepping his comrade's "fire support."

Just then, a pirate who appeared badly wounded, clutching his arm, staggered and collapsed near Rosinante with a pained groan.

At the sight, Rosinante's damned kindness flared up again. He instinctively moved to check on the man and even lowered his gun.

"Watch out!"

Rayne's Observation Haki had already sensed every detail!

The hand the pirate held over his arm concealed a poisoned dagger! Those seemingly pain-filled eyes were brimming with vicious killing intent!

The instant a fierce glint flashed in the pirate's eyes and he prepared to spring into action—

"Whoosh!"

With a flick of Rayne's wrist, a throwing knife flashed through the night like lightning, striking after yet arriving first!

"Pfft!"

The knife precisely pierced the pirate's wrist holding the dagger, pinning his hand firmly to the ground!

"Aah—!!!"

The pirate let out a miserable scream.

"Rayne!" Rosinante jumped in fright. Only then did he see the dagger in the pirate's hand and the savage expression on his face.

"Stop staring! He was trying to kill you!" Rayne growled, his voice icy. "Your kindness will get you killed! This is a battlefield, not children's play!"

Rosinante's face turned deathly pale. He clenched his fists, his eyes full of conflict.

Just then—

"Boom—!!!"

An even more violent explosion erupted from the rear flank of the squad! It seemed the pirates, driven to desperation, had detonated barrels of explosives planted by the wall!

The powerful shockwave swept over them like raging surf! Rubble and flames sprayed in every direction!

Rayne's eyes narrowed. In an instant, he judged the explosion's location and force, lowering his center of gravity slightly and forcibly withstanding the brunt of the shockwave.

At the same time, he reached out and grabbed Rosinante, who was nearly blown away, pulling him behind himself.

"Boom—!!" Smoke and dust filled the air as rubble flew everywhere! The entire battlefield instantly descended into chaos!

Rayne stood calmly where he was, the smoke, dust, and blast waves automatically kept away by the Armament Haki coating his body.

He glanced around and discovered that he and Rosinante had been completely separated from the main force by the explosion. The nearby Marines and pirates had all been knocked unconscious.

Lieutenant Colonel Dal's voice rang out from the other side of the blast, gradually fading into the distance.

They had gotten separated.

"Cough, cough... Rayne... are you all right?" Rosinante crawled up from behind Rayne, coughing miserably with his face covered in ash.

"I'm fine." Rayne patted away nonexistent dust from his clothes and calmly looked toward the end of the alley.

Several tall figures were slowly approaching from there, blocking their path. Rain washed the blood from their bodies, making them appear even more ferocious.

At their head was a one-eyed, burly man nearly four meters tall, carrying an enormous blood-red battle axe over his shoulder!

He radiated a savage, violent aura. He was none other than the captain of the Blood Axe Pirates, "Blood Axe" Barton! Bounty: 80 million Beli!