At the critical moment, Onigumo took to the skies again. His eight swords unleashed a flurry of fierce slashes, detonating the incoming cannonballs mid-air. At the same time, the Commodores and other high-ranking officers on the other warships sprang into action, managing to intercept the majority of the remaining projectiles.
The Marines continued to pull away from the pirates, maintaining distance for a long-range artillery duel, trying to pin the three pirate crews down.
The cannon exchange lasted for a full ten minutes, by which time both sides had nearly exhausted their ammunition. Despite being at a disadvantage, the Marines had managed to trade one damaged warship for two pirate vessels.
Now, only three Marine warships remained, while the pirates, having lost five ships, were down to their last five.
The five pirate ships closed in from all sides, surrounding two of the warships and cutting off their escape.
"How much longer until Admiral Zephyr arrives?" Vice Admiral Onigumo's face was extremely grim. His own flagship had managed to break free from the encirclement, but the other two were trapped and had almost no chance of escape. He couldn't abandon them. Besides, there were still many Marines in the water who hadn't died, and he wanted to rescue them.
"It's unclear, sir, but Admiral Zephyr is heading this way at full speed. I estimate it will be at least another ten minutes," his adjutant reported gravely.
"Then we fight. We'll hold them off until the Admiral arrives," Onigumo commanded, his eyes sharp. "Close the distance! Prepare for boarding! Everyone, give it your all! Even if we are outmatched, we must hold out until Admiral Zephyr is here!"
"Sir!" the Marines on the warship roared in unison, their expressions resolute as their ship turned to rendezvous with the other two.
"They're not running anymore. Good. We'll annihilate them all. Prepare for boarding!" Golden Tiger Raikoshin's eyes were cold as steel. He glanced at the wreckage of his ships floating on the sea, the fury in his eyes practically bursting from their sockets. He had started with four ships and was now down to one. It was a devastating blow.
On the Red-Eye Pirates' ship, the first mate whispered to Captain Squafo, "We've pretty much won this naval battle. There's no need to continue fighting. Besides, Marine reinforcements must be on their way."
Squafo's eyes flickered. He was already considering a retreat. He had only lost one ship in this battle, which was within his acceptable limits. Most importantly, if Marine reinforcements arrived, they really wouldn't be able to escape.
Just then, Raging Bull Fossum's rough voice came through the Den Den Mushi. "I just got a call. The Black Shark Pirates and the Vulture Pirates are almost here. How about we take this chance to finish off Onigumo?"
"If the Black Shark and Vulture crews are coming, then there's no reason to retreat." A savage grin spread across Squafo's face. He turned to his first mate and other officers. "Close in," he ordered in a low voice. "Kill every last one of these Marines."
The Black Shark Pirates and the Vulture Pirates were first-rate crews in the New World. Both fleets had five ships, and both captains were major pirates with bounties exceeding 600 million. They each had three or four subordinates with bounties over 100 million. Either one of these crews was stronger than their three crews combined. The imminent arrival of these two powerful crews gave them the confidence to continue the fight.
And it wasn't just them. Three other crews of a similar scale were also on their way, along with many smaller pirate bands. With such an allied force, they had more than enough strength for a large-scale naval battle.
The five pirate ships pressed their advantage, rapidly closing the distance. In a tacit agreement, both sides ceased firing their cannons. At such close range, cannon fire would cause massive casualties on both sides and was completely unnecessary. The final battle would be decided by the raw strength of their fighters.
On the decks of the ships, Marines and pirates locked eyes, their gazes filled with killing intent.
"Now, the real battle begins!" Onigumo's eyes were icy as he gripped his swords. True warriors would not fall to cannon fire. The boarding action would be the truly brutal part of the fight.
As the ships began to grind against each other, the eyes of every fighter on all eight vessels turned bloodthirsty.
With savage grins, the pirates were the first to move, leaping onto the Marine warships.
"Charge! Kill them!" Onigumo roared. The Marines gripped their swords and leveled their rifles. At his command, they let out a unified war cry and charged.
"KILL!!!"
The sound of battle cries instantly shook the seas as the two sides clashed in a bloody melee.
Onigumo and the other Marine officers moved at the same time. He was the fastest, charging directly at the pirates. His eight arms became a whirlwind of blades, creating a dense net of slashes that cut down pirate after pirate. He then leaped onto one of the pirate ships.
His eight swords slashed out in all directions at once. A fierce wave of sword-light swept out, cutting more than a dozen pirates in half at the waist. Blood sprayed everywhere. With just two attacks, he had inflicted massive casualties. The surrounding pirates froze, their faces filled with terror.
"You damn brat! You're looking for death!" a rough, angry roar echoed across the deck. A tall, powerful figure charged forward. It was Golden Tiger Raikoshin, wielding a ferocious greatsword. He leaped into the air, raising the massive blade with both hands and bringing it down on Onigumo in a furious chop.
Onigumo quickly brought four of his swords up to block. The powerful blow sent him staggering back. Two of his hair-arms were nearly knocked aside, going limp for a moment before stiffening again.
Raikoshin grinned savagely and charged again. Though old, his speed was still incredible, and his fighting style was brutish, like a tiger descending a mountain—the very reason for his epithet. He swung his blade wildly, each blow carrying immense power, forcing Onigumo back with every strike.
A ferocious smile spread across Onigumo's grim face, his eyes cold. He took a step, moving even faster than Raikoshin, and his eight swords became eight streaks of light, all slashing toward the pirate captain at once.
"Eight-Sword Style—Eight-Spider Slash!"
Raikoshin's reactions were just as fast. He quickly raised his greatsword to defend. The eight streaks of light struck the blade almost simultaneously. The eight consecutive slashes sounded like a single, deafening clang, sending sparks flying. The astonishing force of the attack sent Raikoshin flying back, his feet shattering the deck as he stumbled. His face changed; Onigumo's attack had sent a chill down his spine. He knew he had underestimated the Vice Admiral.
In the next instant, he looked up, his expression changing drastically as he pushed off the ground and retreated. Onigumo had already used Soru to close the distance, and two blades scraped past Raikoshin's body.
Onigumo pressed his attack, his eight swords a continuous, dense flurry of slashes. Raikoshin was forced to defend, unable to find a single opening to counterattack. In the midst of the relentless assault, Onigumo suddenly picked up the pace. His right hand moved faster, his blade quicker and fiercer. In an instant, it slipped past Raikoshin's guard and left a cut on his body.
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