The warships drew closer to Lantis. Naval vessels were inherently fast—this distance would normally be trivial if they were truly focused on sailing. But the Buster Call's purpose was annihilation, overwhelming force. Thus, the ships advanced slowly, ensuring every inch of Lantis could be subjected to relentless bombardment.
The fleet had spread out but maintained formation when suddenly, a lookout on one ship shouted, "A pirate ship is rapidly approaching from the port rear!"
The announcement baffled the Marines, even Vice Admiral Doberman paused for a moment. A pirate ship charging toward a Buster Call fleet—what was the intention? Suicide?
"Report specifics," Doberman ordered immediately. Regardless, nothing could be allowed to hinder the Buster Call, let alone a single pirate ship.
"It's a small vessel, crew appears to be just one person. No signs of preparing to fire—still closing in… She's jumping over!!" The Marine was startled. Though the pirate ship was fast, the distance was still considerable. Yet the lone figure on board actually leaped across the gap.
Suicidal or not, the sheer audacity made them question her sanity.
But was Hathaway a fool? Far from it. She soared into the air, pivoted mid-flight, and slashed out a sword wave. The recoil propelled her forward, allowing her to land on a floating plank much closer to the warship.
"Open fire!" A turret swiveled, cannons blasting toward the pirate ship. A single volley obliterated it—a wise move, cutting off any potential danger.
"Is that…?" Vice Admiral Doberman shifted left, watching as the woman on the plank kicked off again, soaring toward the warship.
"Enemy attack!" The lookout cried in shock. In mere moments, someone had closed the distance and assaulted a Buster Call ship—unthinkable. And alone, no less!
Doberman tensed, his Haki flaring as he sensed the overwhelming pressure radiating from the woman cloaked in a faint blood mist.
Hathaway entered her burst state. Though not fully recovered, she could now unleash her full power—briefly, but fiercely. As the man had instructed: cause chaos, the more violent the better, draw as much attention as possible.
Doberman didn't dare underestimate her. Drawing his katana with his left hand, he slashed out a cross-shaped blade wave, cutting viciously through the air.
But Hathaway now wielded Tenrou Youtou—one of the twelve Supreme Grade blades, a weapon of unrivaled ferocity. She casually deflected the attack, surprised to find it stronger than typical strikes from someone of Doberman's caliber.
More importantly, she felt almost no stamina drain from the counter.
Was this the power of Tenrou Youtou? She'd heard of the legendary blades but never imagined wielding one. Its edge was sharper, its weight perfect—and it seemed to possess unique properties.
"Purgatory Slash!" To test it, she unleashed a devastating strike aimed straight at Doberman. A colossal blade wave split the deck, carving through Marines and steel alike.
"Damn it!" Doberman dodged with Soru, barely avoiding the attack as it soared past the ship and detonated in the distance.
"Almost no stamina cost…" A rare flicker of satisfaction crossed Hathaway's face. This weapon was ideal for her burst state, where every attack drained her rapidly. A blade that minimized energy expenditure was a godsend.
"Take her down!" The Marines rallied—elite fighters, coordinated, unafraid. Even a strong enemy could fall to their tactics.
Hathaway snorted. Hatred fueled her as she swung, severing weapons and sending Marines flying with the sheer force of her slash.
She carved through them effortlessly, leaving a trail of fallen soldiers in her wake.
"Fall back!" Doberman ordered, stepping in. Sending men to die pointlessly was wasteful. He clashed with Hathaway—though a top-tier Vice Admiral, he couldn't match her head-on for long.
Their duel turned the warship into a fragile toy. Every strike wrecked the vessel, until a cannon turret was split apart by one of Hathaway's waves, silencing its fire.
The bombardment on Lantis faltered—they had to deal with the enemy first.
"Why has Vice Admiral Doberman's ship stopped firing?" Vice Admiral Onigumo frowned. Doberman was a hardliner—halting the Buster Call was unthinkable.
"Report! The Vice Admiral's ship is under attack! He's being suppressed!" A lookout stammered in disbelief.
"What?!" Onigumo's face darkened as he leapt to the mast, spotting the distant battle. "One person dares assault a Buster Call fleet… Order two nearby ships to assist. The rest continue bombardment."
As Doberman's flanking ships moved to reinforce, one carried another Vice Admiral.
Meanwhile, far across the waters, a pirate ship lurked near a guardian isle. Rosen peered through his telescope, watching the fleet's altered course.
Hathaway's diversion was working—but whether Kizaru would take the bait remained uncertain. Regardless, it was time to move.
(End of Chapter)
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