"Help!!"
"There are people injured!"
"Help! Someone, come quick!"
"Enemy attack!!!"
"Enemy attack! Be on alert!!"
A warship was silently split in two, causing quite a commotion. The screams and cries for help from the warship, the crashing waves, and the shouts of alarm from nearby warships echoed throughout the area!
The news that a warship had been sunk by an unknown attack quickly spread to all the warships via Den Den Mushi. Faced with an unknown enemy and an unknown attack, everyone who heard the news was on edge!
Aside from the two people on the largest warship that didn't participate in the encirclement, these two were the supreme commanders of this operation: Marine Admiral Kizaru and Saint Saturn, one of the Five Elders. In order to deal with Joy Boy, the Sun God who had not yet reached his complete form, the Five Elders finally couldn't sit still anymore. Otherwise, Vegapunk wouldn't be worth their personal attention!
Where did the attack come from?
"Is it still in the sea? But weren't the mechanical sea monsters almost all cleared out?"
"Where else could it be but the sea? There wasn't a single sign; it couldn't have been an attack from afar!"
"I was very close and found some clues before the warship sank. It looks like the warship was cut in two by a sharp blade!"
"Was this made by a swordsman? Flying Slash?"
"Could the attack have originated from inside the island?"
"That's unlikely! Everyone's watching the island closely. If it were an attack from the island, it would have been discovered long ago!"
"It cannot be ruled out that an unknown Devil Fruit ability was used to make the soldiers observe their surroundings. Such an attack could not possibly be accidental; if there's a first time, there will be a second, a third..."
Just as the Vice Admiral were using Den Den Mushi to communicate and analyze the source of the previous attack, another huge wave roared.
Several Marine Vice Admiral' expressions changed. They were very familiar with this sound—the sound of attacked ships crashing rapidly onto the sea. In other words, another unknown attack had occurred, and yet another warship had been caught in the crossfire!
Is it as we guessed?
"Yes, another warship has been split in two and has sunk!"
Are there any witnesses?
Ask the nearby soldiers what they saw.
"Only one soldier saw something, but he said it might be a hallucination!"
"Whether it's a hallucination or not, let him tell us first, and we'll figure it out ourselves!"
"He said he saw a Flying Slash suddenly appear less than ten feet away from the warship, instantly splitting it in two without any warning. He thought he was hallucinating, but I don't think he was mistaken. It was a swordsman's technique, just using the power of some kind of Devil Fruit!"
I agree!
"I agree. That warship belongs to our navy? Or..."
"Not ours..."
"Oh..."
"It might just be a coincidence that we've put our people on high alert; don't let your guard down!"
The Marine Vice Admiral ' guesses were correct. Three more World Government warships were split in two and completely destroyed. Many CP Agent on board were also killed or wounded, with many losing limbs or being cut in half!
The group was relieved that this unknown assailant specifically targeted World Government ships, indicating a deep-seated grudge against the World Government. However, they were also worried about incurring the World Government's wrath. Why was the assailant only attacking their warships and leaving theirs untouched? Was there something fishy going on?
The group is currently unaware that Saturn, one of the Five Elders, is aboard the largest warship. They only assume that Admiral Kizaru is on board. If they knew of Saturn's existence, they would probably be extremely worried!
Borsalino! What's all that noise outside?
Inside the cabin of the largest warship, Saturn was leisurely drinking coffee, with Kizaru beside him. Meanwhile, the noise from the outside world grew louder and louder, eventually reaching the cabin of the warship and being heard by Saturn.
Saturn didn't take this trip seriously, but rather came with a leisurely vacation in mind. With a lineup of CP0, Seraphim, Marine Admiral, and Buster Call, he couldn't imagine how this operation could fail. However, the noise outside made him feel a little uneasy.
I'm going out to take a look!
Kizaru was like a servant in front of Saturn, bowing and scraping. Upon hearing Saturn's orders, he quickly went out to find out the situation. Where was the high and mighty demeanor of Marine Admiral?
Kizaru quickly understood the situation and returned to the cabin, but his expression kept changing. He was unsure how to report to Saturn. He couldn't very well say that several of the warships Satan brought had sunk while his own were completely unharmed, could he? Saturn might just give him a live demonstration of sinking a warship!
"Tell me, what happened?"
Seeing that Saturn's expression was relatively calm, Kizaru recounted the whole story. In fact, after Kizaru went out to investigate, he used his Observation Haki to sense the surrounding situation, but he didn't find anything unusual!
This puzzled him greatly. Such a weak Flying Slash —the enemy shouldn't be any strong individual—how could it so accurately lock onto the World Government's warship? And how could the slash travel such a distance?
Even if it's done with the help of a Devil Fruit ability, it still requires a specific location, and location is mostly obtained with the help of Observation Haki. Kizaru simply doesn't believe that the user of Flying Slash has stronger Observation Haki than him!
"Could it be Vegapunk's doing? Or did he call in reinforcements?!"
Saturn remained calm after hearing Kizaru's explanation, showing no concern for the lost warships and personnel. These were insignificant to him, not even worth the slight loss of face he suffered!
People can reproduce quickly after they die, like leeks being harvested; Saturn has seen it all too many times. But the unknown enemy is specifically targeting the warships he brought, which is a slap in the face to Saint Saturn. Therefore, his focus has always been on the enemy.
"I don't know. It's just a normal Flying Slash, but the way it comes from is very strange. It's without any warning or specific location. It always appears suddenly and completes the attack instantly. Not a single strike misses. If this continues, the fleet is in danger!"
Because he was in a hurry to report back, Kizaru only used his Observation Haki at its maximum to scan the area, and after finding nothing unusual, he returned to his cabin.
The enemy is lurking in the shadows, continuing to sabotage warships. He doesn't know if, after all the World Government's warships are destroyed, that person will continue to target their navy's ships!
If that person continues like this, the manpower he brought this time will most likely be wasted, and the final measure Buster Call, will also be rendered useless!
Kizaru was secretly pleased with all of this. He didn't want to attack his old friend Vegapunk, but he couldn't accept the cost of so many Marine lives. So Kizaru was in a dilemma!
"You're fast. Search the area thoroughly. The rest of you should land first. Warships can be destroyed, but the people on the island! Don't let a single one escape!"
Saturn knew what was important. He had come in person this time, and he couldn't let it end abruptly. Even if all the warships were destroyed and all the men he brought died on the island, he was determined to wipe out everyone on the island, especially the Straw Hat Boy!
"Let's go, let's go to the island!"
"Aren't you going to continue?"
" Kizaru is coming this way. If we don't leave soon, he'll spot us. If he knows I'm here, he might scare him away!"