ROAR—!
The massive metallic Black Dragon took flight, soaring straight into the clouds under the watchful gaze of Borsalino and the others.
By then, Tashigi had arrived at the devastated battlefield with two or three hundred battered G-5 Marines. The scene before them sent a shock through the ranks; the once lush, verdant forest had been razed to the ground. Not only were there no standing trees, but even the stumps had been largely obliterated.
The earth was scarred with countless trenches, craters, and fissures. Vast sections of the terrain had been shattered and overturned. Even the nearby jagged stone peaks had suffered collateral damage, at least a dozen had been snapped or pulverized.
"Destruction on a monster level again... it's terrifying!"
"No wonder we felt such violent tremors while we were down below!"
"It's a miracle the entire strait didn't collapse!"
The G-5 Marines whispered among themselves, many unable to hide their lingering fear. Had the destruction been severe enough to cause a total structural failure of the cliffs, the thousand-plus Marines stationed at the shore would have been caught in the landslide, leading to far more catastrophic casualties. At worst, a massive surge from the collapse might have even damaged the warships anchored offshore.
"Simply horrific!"
Tashigi exhaled sharply, beads of cold sweat dotting her forehead as she contemplated the grim possibilities of a cliff collapse. Steadying her nerves, she walked toward the high-ranking officers and greeted them in turn: "Admiral Borsalino, Vice Admiral Vergo, Vice Admiral Smoker!"
Borsalino and Vergo nodded. Smoker was the first to speak: "Casualty report?"
"We haven't finished the count, but we're looking at nearly fifty percent casualties," Tashigi replied, her expression grim. She paused, glancing around at the settling dust. "Is the battle over? And... who is that?" She pointed toward Malha.
"A nonsensical battle that ended in a nonsensical way. That man seems to be the objective of this mission," Smoker said, his brow furrowed.
Tashigi nodded silently, though she couldn't help but cast a curious, lingering gaze at Malha.
"While I'm not sure how you convinced the World Government, you're coming with me now," Borsalino said, stepping up to Malha and looking down at the seated man.
"Heh... get me a doctor first. You wouldn't want me dying on the way, would you?" Malha pointed at his severed arm, his face ashen. Blood had long since soaked through the makeshift bandages torn from his coat.
"Medic, go stop his bleeding and patch him up," Vergo ordered.
"Understood, Vice Admiral Vergo!" A burly man with a crooked Red Cross badge stepped forward. With his muscular build and ferocious scowl, he looked nothing like a doctor; even the medical kit on his back was battered and worn.
"My, my... truly, appearances can be deceiving," Borsalino remarked, feeling a bit of a toothache just looking at the thuggish medic.
"Admiral Borsalino, what are our next orders?" Vergo asked.
"Next? Next, something big is going to happen. That monster is definitely going to go ballistic. How scary~" Borsalino scratched his head, looking troubled. "It seems I'll have to contact Sakazuki and the Gorosei first, just so they can prepare themselves."
With that, he fished a Den Den Mushi out of his pocket. Vergo and Smoker exchanged a look of confusion, not entirely grasping the gravity of what had transpired.
…
In a small castle within the Bivins Kingdom…
"Charge!"
"Kill the scumbags of the Church of the Night!"
"Hold the line! May the Goddess of the Night protect us!"
"Slay these pirates! Archbishop Max will surely prevail!"
Over a thousand men were locked in a fierce melee within the small castle. Over a hundred corpses already littered the ground, most clad in the black-and-white cross vestments or armor of the Church's clergy and knights.
The surrounding buildings and environment had been reduced to ruins by the collateral damage of the fight. Every moment, someone fell to a blade or was mowed down by bullets and shells.
BOOM!
An explosion shattered the cobblestone street. As the shockwave rolled through, a thick shroud of dust rose into the air. Suddenly, three figures burst out from the haze.
"Bastards! Why must you hunt us to the last man?! ROAR—!"
A werewolf nearly four meters tall stood in the street, his black-red tail fur shimmering with a silvery glint.
"If you have a grievance, take it up with my Captain. I'm just following orders," Smythe Betilla said impatiently, flourishing her silver rapier.
"Exactly, exactly!" Cavendish added, holding a sword in one hand and a rose in the other. He preened self-indulgently. "Besides, now that this young master has caught you, don't think escaping will be that easy!"
Betilla shot Cavendish a look of pure disdain, wondering how she had ended up teamed with this guy.
"You bastards!" The werewolf, Archbishop Max, gritted his teeth, his eyes turning blood-red as he looked at his fallen followers. These were the core strength of the Church!
Pere pere pere... Pere pere pere...
Suddenly, the sound of a Den Den Mushi rang out. Betilla's brow furrowed just as she was about to strike, but she reached into her coat and answered.
Clack.
"Hello, Betilla speaking."
"What? Return immediately?"
"Is it that urgent? I've cornered the Archbishop of the Church of the Night!"
"Fine. I'm heading back now."
"Straight to Griffinfort? Understood."
After a short exchange, Betilla ended the call. Her face had turned incredibly solemn.
"What happened?" Cavendish asked, noticing her expression.
"Consider yourself lucky. You won't be so fortunate next time!" Betilla ignored Cavendish, speaking instead to the frustrated Max. She sheathed her sword and turned away. "We're leaving!"
Both Cavendish and Max were left utterly bewildered. Nevertheless, Cavendish followed her out. The pirates who had been assaulting the Church members also withdrew in confusion, abandoning the small castle.
It wasn't just Betilla and Cavendish. Backan and Lucien in the wasteland, Dimitri and Abel near the river, every unit hunting the Church of the Night was recalled.
Because they were spread so far apart, returning to Ronalfort or Griffinfort would take time. Consequently, Aeridar ordered all pirate ships to move from Ronalfort to the port of Griffinfort, designating it as the final assembly point.
As for Aeridar himself, he took Mina, the sulking Enel, and Sriya's elite strike team aboard the Chris to return to the Clifford Kingdom ahead of the others. Oliver was left in charge of the forces in the Bivins Kingdom, with orders to return as soon as everyone had regrouped.