"Bone-Crusher" Salas's massive fleet closed in on Longquan Island, bristling with murderous intent. Salas himself stood at the bow. The power of his Ancient Zoan Deinonychus Fruit gave him a ferocious aura, and his strength sat firmly at the pinnacle of the Marine Commodore level. Several of his core officers also possessed strength at the commander or even captain level. This force was enough to run rampant throughout the West Blue.
Inside Dragon Might Hall on Longquan Island, the atmosphere was solemn, yet held a hint of composure.
Guo Jia gently waved his feather fan and analyzed the situation. "Salas is formidable, but arrogant. Our generals have all firmly reached the Rear Admiral level, so overwhelming him head-on would not be difficult. However, Marine scout ships are still cruising nearby waters. We must guard against them reaping the rewards or taking this opportunity to probe our true strength. In this battle, we should focus on concealing our capabilities and winning through cooperation. We must eliminate a powerful enemy without revealing our full strength, leaving the Marines unable to judge us accurately."
Chen Yu nodded. "Fengxiao is absolutely right. The tallest tree catches the strongest wind. We have already shown our edge, but our foundations are still shallow. We should not draw the attention of Marine Admirals, or even higher authorities, too early. In this battle, we shall defeat the enemy openly through cooperation and leave the Marines uncertain of our true capabilities. Brothers, restrain your auras and fight with seventy percent of your strength, but your coordination must be flawless!"
"Understood!" The generals grasped his meaning, and their surging auras instantly withdrew. Though they still appeared formidable, they no longer exuded that suffocating, absolute pressure. They looked more like fighters ranging from elite commander to Commodore level.
Battle erupted in the waters around Dragon Tooth Reef. It seemed fierce, but everything was firmly under control.
The following scenes unfolded on the battlefield:
Act one: maneuvering at sea, Zhao Yun deceived the enemy.
As Salas's fleet charged forward, Zhao Yun led the naval force out to meet it. He did not display his uncanny, overwhelming speed. Instead, through exquisite command and the extraordinary perception granted by Reshiram's power, he guided the fleet nimbly through cannon fire, fighting as it withdrew. When engaging officers aboard enemy ships, Zhao Yun displayed masterful spearwork, yet "barely" fought them to a draw. At times, he even "struggled slightly," needing his soldiers' assistance to drive them back. He successfully conveyed the false impression to any Marines who might be watching that "Peach Blossom Spring's navy is elite, but its commanders are not top-tier."
Act two: precise coastal defense, Huang Zhong controlled the battlefield.
Huang Zhong stood on high ground with an arrow nocked to his bow. He did not use his time-reversing arrows, and he kept the Armament Haki wrapped around his arrows within certain limits. Yet his shots remained unerringly accurate. Each arrow struck just where it needed to, severing secondary rigging on enemy ships, killing pirates operating cannons, or driving back enemy commander-level officers attempting to land. He effectively delayed the enemy ships and their landing attempts, perfectly playing the role of "a precise sniper and battlefield controller" without displaying the terrifying targeted killing ability of a Rear Admiral.
Act three: Guan Yu and Zhang Fei attacked together, showing the enemy "skill."
Once Salas's main force had been lured into the reef zone and its formation thrown into disarray, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led elite troops in a surprise assault on the Bone-Crusher.
In his hybrid form, Guan Yu's blade work remained fierce, but he held back some of the speed advantage granted by Rayquaza's power. Blade energy swept in every direction, yet he "merely" drove the captain-level officer on deck back repeatedly, unable to kill him quickly. They appeared "evenly matched."
In his hybrid form, Zhang Fei roared repeatedly, likewise restraining the strength granted by Groudon's power. His Eight-Foot Serpent Spear struck with immense weight, rattling another captain-level officer until his blood churned, yet he too "could not finish his opponent off for the moment."
Only after fighting for some time did the two barely overcome their respective opponents.
Seeing this, Salas laughed wildly, transformed fully into his beast form, and lunged at them. "Is that all you've got? Die!" His peak-Commodore-level Deinonychus power erupted, and his claws tore toward Guan Yu.
Guan Yu gave a "loud shout" and raised his blade to block, the impact forcing him to "step back slightly." Zhang Fei "roared" and attacked from the flank, his spear casting layers of afterimages, only to be "barely blocked" by Salas's other claw. The three fought in a tangled melee, force surging in all directions. It looked extraordinarily fierce, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei "beset by danger," yet they always supported each other at critical moments, neutralizing Salas's killing moves through exquisite coordination.
This "bitter struggle" between "peak-Commodore-level" fighters perfectly deceived any potential observers.
Act four: seamless coordination, one strike decided the outcome.
Unable to win despite the prolonged battle, Salas grew increasingly agitated, gradually exposing openings. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.
"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, now!" Guo Jia, commanding from a distance, gave the signal at just the right moment.
Guan Yu's blade technique abruptly changed. With a slash that seemed to take all his strength, he unleashed "Green Dragon Crescent Moon: Wavebreaker!" straight at Salas's face, forcing him to meet it head-on. Salas roared and swung his claws up to block.
At the instant blade met claw, Zhang Fei moved as though he had anticipated it all. His Serpent Spear shot out like a venomous dragon leaving its lair, thrusting from an extraordinarily tricky angle toward the exposed space beneath Salas's ribs as he blocked! The thrust was extremely fast and viciously angled, but its power remained controlled at a particular threshold throughout.
Salas sensed the danger, but it was already too late to defend!
Squelch!
The Serpent Spear pierced beneath his ribs. Though the wound was not fatal, the intense pain made Salas's movements falter.
"An opening!" Guan Yu "seized the moment," his blade's gleam surging as he delivered another slash. "Retreating Blade Tactic: Returning Wind!" It swept across Salas's arm, drawing a spray of blood.
Wounded in quick succession, Salas's momentum plummeted. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei "pressed their advantage relentlessly," blade and spear attacking together in a tidal onslaught. Finally, Guan Yu knocked Salas's weapon away with a thrust that "looked barely successful," and Zhang Fei followed through with a sweep of his spear shaft, knocking Salas to the ground and capturing him alive!
Throughout the entire process, the two displayed extraordinary combat wisdom, seamless coordination, and precisely measured use of strength, rather than overwhelming superiority in raw power.
With their leader captured and no one left in command, the Bone-Crusher Pirates swiftly collapsed under the coordinated cleanup by Peach Blossom Spring's land and naval forces.
Act five: dragon might remained concealed, unfathomable.
Chen Yu stood atop the city wall from beginning to end without making a move, his aura calm, as though he were merely an ordinary commander. Yet his composure as he sat securely in command while powerful generals fought at his orders only made him seem more unfathomable. He did not use even a fraction of Arceus's power, leaving outsiders completely unable to gauge his true strength.
The battle ended in another resounding victory for Peach Blossom Spring, but the impression it presented to outsiders, especially the Marines, was this: a powerful local force with formidable commanders, exceptionally seamless coordination, exquisite tactics, special abilities that did not reach the world-shaking level of Mythical Zoans, and a mysterious leader. Its estimated strength fell roughly into the category of "requiring an ordinary Vice Admiral or several Rear Admirals to handle safely," rather than a catastrophic threat "requiring the attention of an elite Vice Admiral or an Admiral."
As battle reports and battlefield intelligence spread through various channels, the powers of the West Blue reacted differently:
The Flower Country's court grew even more wary.
After analyzing the information, the staff department at Marine Headquarters slightly lowered Peach Blossom Spring's immediate threat rating, but still marked it as "requiring continued close surveillance; its leader's strength remains a mystery, and its commanders possess tremendous potential."
Pirates throughout the West Blue trembled at the news, though some truly top-tier great pirates might think there was an opportunity to exploit.
The Underworld's major figures made more cautious assessments.
Once again, Peach Blossom Spring won victory and consolidated its position at minimal cost, displaying precisely the right amount of strength while successfully concealing its true trump cards and preserving valuable strategic room for future development. With its edge hidden in its sheath, its sharpness stood out all the more; through victory by cooperation, its power became all the clearer. The true contest had only just begun.
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