[Boom——]
A dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the dark sea beneath the overcast sky, but it was only a fleeting brilliance. The blackish-blue waves continuously tried to shake the towering Red Line Continent, only to be shattered into pieces.
[Splash!!]
A Navy warship, bristling with cannons, descended from the seemingly endless heights of Reverse Mountain, rushing down the Mountain Climbing Current like a wild beast, plunging into this vast sea, far larger than the Grand Line.
Every ten minutes, another identical 'beast' would dive down, until a fleet of five massive warships, far larger than ordinary ships, appeared brightly on the sea below Reverse Mountain.
"To encounter such a storm right from the start..."
Dragon, clad in a green suit and a Justice Coat, pushed open the cabin door and stepped onto the deck, looking at the gloomy sky, the howling wind, and the heavy rain with a sense of helplessness.
However, thanks to the power of the Hurricane Fruit, an invisible current of air naturally shielded him from the wind and rain.
After days of sailing, they finally reached the South Blue. At this time, Vegapunk had yet to develop the technology for warships to traverse the Calm Belt, so even the Navy had to obediently queue up and pass through Reverse Mountain.
[Swoosh——]
Dragon glanced at the surrounding warships, and a faint green current of air emanated from his body, spreading out. Instantly, the five warships were 'blessed' by the wind, not only protected by an invisible barrier from the gale and rain but also accelerating at a visible speed.
He understood the principle of speed in warfare. The South Blue was vast, and while the climate of the four seas wasn't as extreme and sudden as the Grand Line, it didn't mean it was entirely stable. Compared to the extreme and sudden climate of the Grand Line, the four seas had a more stable and orderly climate.
In other words, in the Grand Line, a storm could come and go in an instant, lasting only briefly, and no one knew whether the next one would be hail or a tornado.
In the four seas, the duration of a weather condition was relatively normal, lasting for days and nights without issue.
Thus, the time it took for the fleet to reach its destination would be significantly increased! At this moment, the various ranks of Navy personnel, who had been staying inside the cabins, gradually noticed this miraculous change. Except for those who needed to remain at their posts, they all stepped onto the deck, breathing in the fresh air with delight.
"Rear Admiral Dragon, your ability is truly convenient. As expected of a Logia user!" a Rear Admiral with a red-sheathed longsword walked over and laughed.
In this operation, Rear Admiral Avène temporarily served as the adjutant. At Marine Headquarters, only Vice Admirals were assigned permanent adjutants, and this was an exception.
Normally, Dragon, as a Rear Admiral, shouldn't have been the commanding officer of five Headquarters-class warships, but since he was, he needed an adjutant to assist in commanding the fleet.
However, Rear Admiral Avène had no complaints. Firstly, as the son of Garp, Dragon was bound to be treated differently, as few in the Navy didn't respect the Navy Hero. Secondly, Dragon's strength was enough to command respect.
Previously, Dragon, who was not a Devil Fruit user, already surpassed the average level of Rear Admirals in terms of physical combat and Haki. Now, with the addition of the top-tier Logia-type Hurricane Fruit, he has undoubtedly become even stronger.
Many Marines have already started comparing him to the three Admiral candidates: Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
However, Dragon himself is well aware of his current situation. He has only had the Hurricane Fruit for about a year, and its development is far from comparable to the three who have been honing their abilities for over a decade.
Thus, his main combat strength still lies in his physical skills and Haki! "Have you investigated the Marine branch locations around the Kingdom of Tutmosis?" Dragon didn't waste time on jokes and got straight to the point.
"It's been confirmed. The South Sea Branches 289, 242, and 194 are all located about fifty nautical miles from the Kingdom of Tutmosis, positioned to its northeast, southeast, and due west, respectively. Meanwhile, our current location at Reverse Mountain is to the northwest."
Dragon nodded, but in his mind, he wondered: these four Marine branches are so close to the slave king's stronghold, so how has he managed to remain hidden for so many years? "What's the strength and composition of these branches?"
"Branches 289 and 242 are similar, with around 3,000 troops and five small warships each. Branch 194, which is closest to the Kingdom of Tutmosis, is relatively stronger, with nearly 5,000 Marines and eight small warships, according to intelligence."
Rear Admiral Avène reported the gathered information and then asked, "Should we notify them now to coordinate with our operation?"
The Kingdom of Tutmosis has an army of nearly 30,000, along with a fleet of 10,000 slave ships scattered across the world, though it's unclear how many can return. With only the five Marine Headquarters-class warships they've brought, it would be extremely difficult to encircle the entire kingdom.
A standard Headquarters-class warship typically carries 800 troops, so five ships would mean 4,000 Marines. While these troops, being from the Headquarters, are far superior in both military discipline and individual strength compared to those from the four seas' branches, they are still outnumbered.
It's worth noting that the Kingdom of Tutmosis is a medium-sized island, significantly larger than the Drum Kingdom.
Therefore, this operation to eliminate the 'Slave King' Taklama and his entire force will undoubtedly require a joint effort with the South Sea Marine branches.
Dragon shook his head.
"No, we'll notify them when we're just one day away. These branches are only fifty nautical miles from the Kingdom of Tutmosis and can reach their positions in at most two hours. There's no need to rush."
Rear Admiral Avène pondered this for a moment and quickly grasped Dragon's reasoning. This was clearly a precaution against someone tipping off the 'Slave King.'
It made sense. Taklama had been operating in the South Sea for decades, and it would be absurd to think his influence hadn't infiltrated the surrounding Marine branches.
After all, not many can resist various temptations.
"Understood, Rear Admiral Dragon!"
Rear Admiral Avène suddenly realized that his temporary commanding officer wasn't the type who relied solely on brute strength and fists to solve problems.
Ahem, though it might not be appropriate to say so, Vice Admiral Garp had left everyone with that impression, so they had assumed Dragon would be similar.
"By the way, who currently has the highest bounty among the pirates in the South Sea?" Dragon asked again, and Major Avène pondered for a moment.
"It should be the Black Cat Pirates and the White Cat Pirates. The captain of the Black Cat Pirates, 'Tripod Cat,' has a bounty of 48 million berries, while the captain of the White Cat Pirates, 'Fishing Cat,' has a bounty of 43 million berries. These two pirate crews have been the most notorious in the South Sea in recent years."
"Tripod Cat, Fishing Cat? What kind of ridiculous names are these?" Dragon turned his head with a puzzled expression, as these names didn't sound like the kind of fearsome pirate nicknames one would expect.
Major Avène shrugged, indicating that he wasn't sure either.
"Haha, although the names are laughable, according to intelligence, both of them are Zoan-type Devil Fruit users with the abilities of the Cat-Cat Fruit. Specifically, they possess the Pallas's Cat Form and the Lion Cat Form, both of which are known for their ferocity among feline types. Since their real names are unknown, they are referred to by their nicknames."
"It's said that they are actually brothers and share a very close bond. Neither wanted to subordinate to the other, so they each established their own pirate crews under their respective captaincies. However, the two crews have always operated jointly. Over the years, whether in terms of strength or influence, they have dominated the South Sea, even to the point of being unwilling to venture into the Grand Line."
"I see, Zoan-type users, and two of them at that. That explains it," Dragon said, suddenly understanding, and he didn't dwell further on the nicknames.
"In that case, notify the three branches—no, all the surrounding branches—that we're here to capture these two 'cats.' Ask them to keep an eye out for their locations and be ready to provide support at any moment upon command!"