As the Ark Maxim accelerated, the outline of Egghead emerged from the horizon.
It was a medium-sized island shrouded in mist, appearing on the surface to be an ordinary research base, but Roy's Observation Haki allowed him to clearly perceive the island's defensive deployments.
The eastern military camp was teeming with the presence of CP members, while several warships were moored in the western harbor.
A very familiar presence emanated from the north plaza—that must be Kizaru.
Roy unfolded a simple map and circled several key locations with a pen:
"The central white dome is Vegapunk's laboratory, and also our ultimate goal."
Approximately eighty CP members were stationed at the eastern barracks, while six warships and about twenty personnel from the Marine Science Defense Unit were located at the western port.
The north plaza is where Kizaru usually stays.
He looked up and began assigning tasks:
" Kaido and King are charging head-on into the north plaza, suppressing Kizaru."
Bullet and Tesoro cleared the eastern flank of the military camp.
Hawk Eyes and Katakuri blockaded the western port, destroyed all warships, and prevented any from sailing out to deliver a message.
The Kuma and Kyros guarded the outer sea area; if anyone tried to escape by diving, they would be dealt with immediately.
I will act as a central facilitator, ready to support all parties at any time.
Kaido slammed the Hassaikai to the ground. " Kizaru is mine, nobody else can take him."
"I'll go with you."
Jin's voice was as steady as ever.
"Leave the air blockade to me; you focus on the frontal assault."
Bullet grinned:
"Eastern military camp? Eighty CP? I can handle that all by myself. Tesoro, you just keep watch from the side."
Tesoro twirled the gold coin between his fingers, golden arcs of electricity dancing in his pupils:
"No way. The boss said it's a precision strike. If your White Tiger Gundam stomps on it, half the island will collapse."
I'll use lightning to mark the target for you; just shoot at it.
Hawk Eyes had already drawn the Black Blade Yoru; the blade reflected a cold light in the sunlight.
"Six warships at the western port."
"My slash can finish them off in one strike; the rest are Katakuri."
Katakuri nodded, his trident held horizontally in front of him, his Observation Haki already activated.
He could vaguely foresee the future in the next few seconds—explosions, screams, and the warship's broken keel sinking into the sea.
These images flashed through his mind, then he opened his eyes and said in a calm tone:
"There are no strongmen in the port area. I can hold it off by myself with ordinary naval soldiers."
Roy emphasized it one last time:
"Try to be as precise as possible in your strikes, and avoid damaging the buildings surrounding the laboratory."
The equipment inside will be treasures once we take it back.
Vegapunk has accumulated his fortune over decades; every piece destroyed is one less he has left.
Kaido grinned. "Don't worry, I'm still waiting for Vegapunk to create Devil Fruit."
"Action."
At Roy's command, nine figures simultaneously leaped from the deck of the Ark Maxim.
A few seconds later, the air raid siren on Egghead suddenly sounded, its piercing siren shattering the tranquility of the entire sea.
CP members poured out of the buildings in the eastern military camp, dressed in black suits and sunglasses, their uniforms reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.
These people are indeed of high quality.
It took less than thirty seconds from the alarm sounding to the full mobilization of personnel; the formation was orderly and there was not a trace of panic.
But as soon as they rushed into the square, darkness fell overhead.
Bullet's White Tiger Gundam had completed its combination and increased in power by a hundredfold. The sight of that giant white tiger, tens of thousands of meters tall, crashing down from the sky stunned the dozen or so CP members in the front row.
It's not that they weren't elite enough; it's that anyone facing an enemy of this caliber would have a moment of disorientation.
Then the tiger's claws slammed down.
The shockwave spread in all directions, directly collapsing the two buildings at the very front of the eastern military camp.
More than a dozen CP members were thrown into the air by the shockwave, tumbling several times before crashing heavily to the ground.
Several stronger opponents attempted to dodge with Shave, but Tesoro's lightning was faster than Shave.
Golden arcs of electricity rained down like a storm, precisely striking every CP member who attempted to retaliate.
"Enemy attack--!!!"
Just as a guy who looked like a CP captain pulled out Den Den Mushi from his waist, a flaming blade slashed from the side, cutting him and the Den Den Den Mushi in two.
Jin sheathed his sword mid-air, Pteranodon flapped its wings, swooping down towards its next target.
At the western port, Hawk Eyes casually swung his Black Blade Yoru.
A pale green slicing wave flew across the sea, neatly slicing the warships anchored in the harbor in two.
The sound of the warship's keel snapping was piercing, like metal screaming, and seawater rushed in from the break.
Both warships began to capsize within a few seconds.
The naval soldiers in the harbor were in complete disarray.
Someone tried to start the engines of the third warship, but Hawk Eyes's second strike had already landed.
The warship's mast was snapped off, and its massive sails crashed down, knocking the sailors on deck off balance.
Katakuri stood at the entrance to the port, his trident held horizontally in front of him.
His Observation Haki allowed him to foresee the movements of every naval soldier attempting to escape.
Who should run to the left? Who should dive underwater? Who should hide in the warehouse?
This information was as clear to him as looking at a map.
He grabbed a handful of candies, and with a flick of his wrist, the candies accurately struck the sailor who was about to jump into the sea on the back of the head.
The Kuma and Kyros guarded the outer sea area.
The two CP members who tried to escape by diving had only swum less than 100 meters when they were jolted out of the water by the Kuma's paw energy blast, floating on the surface of the sea foaming at the mouth.
Kyros stood in mid-air, his Float-Float Fruit powers allowing him to sense all movement beneath the surface of the sea; anyone attempting to escape underwater was within his surveillance range.
On the north side of the plaza, Kizaru was lying on a deck chair, sunbathing.
The coffee beside me was still steaming, and the radio next to the recliner was playing a lazy jazz tune.
The moment the alarm sounded, his usually half-closed eyes snapped open, a rare look of seriousness flashing in his pupils.
"Oh dear, this is really—"
Kizaru sat up from the recliner and looked at the figures continuously descending from the sky.
"--How scary."
He took out Den Den Mushi and dialed the emergency communication line at Marine Headquarters:
" Egghead has been attacked, requesting assistance--"
Before the words were finished, the Den Den Mushi's signal light suddenly went out, emitting a short electrical noise before going completely silent.
Kizaru glanced down at the Den Den Mushi, and a wry smile finally appeared on his lazy face.
"They've even cut off communications. Looks like this isn't just some ordinary petty thief."
He looked up and saw Kaido and King descending from the sky.
Then he saw Bullet's towering White Tiger Gundam, Tesoro's lightning raging in the direction of the military camp, and Hawk Eyes's slash splitting the port warship in two.
" Kaido? The Beasts Pirates?"
Kizaru's pupils contracted slightly.
" Hachinosu has arrived too."
Bullet, Tesoro, Mihawk —oh dear, this is really troublesome.