Larn Island, a defensive outpost near Sase Island, temporarily housed evacuees from Frans and Sase Islands. The transport ships carried a contingent of Marines, patrolling the sacred waters alongside the Buster Call.
Under the Buster Call and Admiral Kizaru's orders, all Marine forces were mobilized to hunt down Crocodile and prevent anything from escaping Lantis Island.
"Wait here for my signal," Rosen instructed the nearly hundred Lantis warriors aboard the pirate ship, all fully recovered thanks to his intervention.
Rosen had sent Queen Hathaway on a suicide mission to divert attention and cut off potential Marine reinforcements. Though the queen was powerful, facing an encirclement by Vice Admirals and Admiral Kizaru would almost certainly be fatal.
Rosen moved when he saw Kizaru drawn away by disturbances on the Buster Call warships.
"Oh? You're still alive—and seemingly unharmed." Kizaru's speed was unmatched. Upon receiving reports, he transformed into a beam of light and appeared above the warship in an instant.
He studied the Lantis Queen, whom he had previously sentenced to death, puzzled and intrigued. Did she possess some special ability? Whatever the case, a thorough execution this time should settle things.
"Ama no Murakumo." Given that this was a Marine vessel, light-speed kicks and lasers were risky—warships were expensive. Besides, ordinary lasers might not kill the Queen of Lantis; witnessing her death up close or capturing her directly would be more reliable.
"Admiral Kizaru!" Kizaru flashed into the battle between Vice Admiral Doberman and Queen Hathaway. Doberman bore several sword wounds, including a thin cut on his neck—a near-decapitation from the queen.
Kizaru slashed at Hathaway with his light sword, expecting to easily overpower his former opponent. Yet when the blades clashed, neither yielded, and the shockwave shattered the warship's steel plating.
"Admiral Kizaru," Doberman acknowledged with forced courtesy.
"You're stronger than you were on the island, and your recovery is remarkable. What kind of Devil Fruit user are you?" Kizaru eyed Hathaway curiously.
But the queen remained silent.
After the clash, Hathaway swiftly retreated. Though temporarily at her peak, she knew she couldn't defeat the Admiral. To buy time, she had to stay cautious and avoid direct confrontation. Despite her fury, she restrained herself—for Lantis' survival.
Meanwhile, as the transport ship patrolled the opposite side of Larn Island, Rosen turned into swirling sand and launched himself onto the deck with Moon Step.
"Enemy attack!"
"It's Crocodile!"
"Dust Storm!" Rosen unleashed a sand tornado, hurling hundreds of Marines into the sea.
"Die!" A few skilled Marines broke through the storm, charging at Rosen with weapons drawn—only to be sent flying by a single punch.
Normally, these Marines could hold their own for a few exchanges, but Rosen was racing against time. If Kizaru or the Buster Call Vice Admirals learned of this and reinforced the area, he'd have to flee—rendering the operation pointless.
So he fought ruthlessly, alone, using wide-range attacks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One Marine officer after another fell before his overwhelming strength, swept away by his sandstorm.
There were no true powerhouses on this transport ship—just capable fighters, none of whom could stop him.
"The Jason transport is under attack! The enemy is coming this way—in the air! Fire!" Gunshots erupted instantly.
After securing one transport ship, Rosen immediately targeted a nearby Marine vessel.
The fleet consisted of three transports and one Marine warship. While transports had comparable firepower to average pirate ships, the Marine warship was fully armed.
Rosen prioritized the warship next—its position and firepower made it the biggest threat.
Gunfire and cannon blasts filled the air, but they barely fazed Rosen.
If not for needing intact ships, a single Dark Prison Bullet would've sunk the warship. But to preserve the vessels, Rosen engaged in close combat.
Screams echoed as Marines were thrown overboard.
"Call for backup!" An officer on a transport ship panicked as Rosen seized two ships in minutes. The former Shichibukai was unstoppable. If this continued, they were doomed.
But before they could dial, Rosen—aiming for a blitzkrieg—was already upon them.
Minutes later...
"Set course for the rendezvous point—fast!" Rosen, having cleared all resistance, pulled out a Den Den Mushi. A pirate ship approached, and Lantis warriors boarded the captured vessels to steer them away.
The entire battle lasted under ten minutes—unheard of in naval warfare.
"Damn it!" A Marine officer, treading water, watched the fleet disappear, seething with rage. He hadn't dared resurface mid-battle, fearing Rosen would kill him.
He couldn't believe this had happened. With Buster Call Vice Admirals and Admiral Kizaru present, who would dare attack and steal Marine ships?
"Find me a Den Den Mushi! Report this immediately! Those pirates will learn the meaning of Marine justice!"
Rosen had assumed everything would go as planned: next, landing on Lantis Island and evacuating its people from this "hell." If Hathaway escaped, the mission would be flawless.
But then, as the transport ships advanced, they encountered a massive merchant vessel heading toward Lantis —an anomaly under these circumstances.
And when Rosen spotted the figures on its deck, his suspicions deepened: "Sabo, Fish-Man Hack, Koala."
Why were Revolutionary Army officers here? Was it related to Kuma? And they'd definitely seen him. Hopefully, this wouldn't complicate things.
Rosen frowned. Though Sabo was the Revolutionary Army's chief of staff, his bounty—602 million Berries—wasn't exceptionally high.
If conflict arose, Rosen wasn't sure how strong Sabo was currently. Post-timeskip, even without the Mera Mera no Mi, Sabo had demonstrated fearsome power in the Colosseum.
(End of Chapter)
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