Ye Chen and the others had barely boarded the ship when hurried footsteps sounded behind them, before they could even set sail.
A mass of marines surged toward the shore like a tide. Ye Chen made a snap decision. "Set sail, now!"
Despite his serious injuries, Gin forced himself to the helm and steered the ship away from shore.
The marines gave chase, quickly boarding their Warships. The Warships were much faster than Ye Chen's Pirate ship. Whistles blared and the Engines roared as the vessels carved great wakes across the Sea Surface. In the blink of an eye, they had closed in.
"Fire! Fire! Blow them to pieces!"
Spandine roared in fury. He could not let Ye Chen and his crew sail brazenly away from Enies Lobby. He would never swallow the insult, and he would have no way to answer to Marine Headquarters.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Warships' cannons opened fire on the Pirate ship. They thundered together, sending cannonballs hurtling toward it.
Ye Chen stood at the stern with a sword in each hand, steady as a rock. Watching the cannonballs rain toward him, he raised an eyebrow and smiled with disdain.
The moment they drew near, Ye Chen leaped into the air and slashed with both swords. Two sharp arcs of light split two black cannonballs down the middle, and they exploded in midair.
Cannonballs kept coming, thick as rain. Ye Chen sprang up and down, his swords flashing. His movements were graceful and his swordsmanship razor-sharp. No matter how dense the barrage grew, not a single shot struck the ship.
But the Warships held a clear advantage in speed. At this rate, they would soon catch up. An idea came to Ye Chen, and he waved to Kuina and Gin. "Look after the ship. I'll