Waters off Shiloh Island.
Gurgle gurgle~
In the depths of the gloomy seabed, where sunlight rarely reached year-round, numerous colossal light sources now emitted a faint glow. Upon closer inspection, each light source turned out to be a large warship encased within a giant soap bubble, resembling ships carved inside crystal balls.
A quick glance revealed over twenty warships of various types, forming a massive fleet, majestically navigating through the dark depths of the sea.
Cross stood on the deck of a warship, gazing up at the enormous soap bubble that enveloped the entire vessel. A school of fish, emitting a soft blue light, suddenly swam outside the bubble, seemingly following the warship.
Silence. Darkness.
These were his sensations during his days spent underwater. If not for the spectacular sight of over twenty warships sailing beneath the sea, coupled with over a hundred people on his own vessel, he might have developed thalassophobia or claustrophobia!
Tap, tap, tap, tap...
Footsteps approached from behind and soon stopped beside him.
"What, still not used to it?" Gion also looked up at the giant soap bubble above and the fish swimming outside.
"Not really, I just don't feel secure." Cross chuckled, shaking his head, and lightly stomped his foot on the oak deck beneath him.
"I can tell. It's a common affliction for Devil Fruit users, this awe of the sky and sea." Gion didn't seem to mind. She just patted Cross's shoulder, as if comforting him.
"Perhaps." Cross spread his hands, his tone languid. "But the ocean is truly magnificent yet dangerous. Even a slight ripple could probably swallow our Marine fleet whole!"
"Hey~ Don't say such terrifying things in such a casual tone!" Gion couldn't help but complain.
"Can't help it, I'm so bored!" Cross yawned listlessly, then seriously looked at Gion, saying, "Tell me a joke, or I might just die of boredom."
"Hmm... When I was in Water 7, one night I was lying in bed reading. A noblewoman snuggled into my arms and said she was cold, feeling a draft. Do you know what that means?" Gion pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned her head to ask Cross.
"Uh... Who was that noblewoman?" Cross asked abruptly.
"Don't worry about who the noblewoman was, she was a widow whose husband died anyway. I'm asking about what I just said." Gion waved her hand, speaking seriously.
Cross pondered for a while, then looked up and said earnestly, "Empty words make for empty winds?"
"So that's what it meant! No wonder she was so proactive that night!" Gion's eyes lit up, suddenly understanding.
Cross looked at Gion in shock, horrified, "Even girls are getting this wild now?!"
Pere pere pere... Pere pere pere...
Suddenly, the communication Den Den Mushi hidden inside the main mast chirped, making Cross and Gion turn to look at it simultaneously.
"Hmm?! Could it be..." Cross seemed to have a guess. He quickly walked forward, reached out, and opened the small iron door in the middle of the main mast, revealing a yellow Den Den Mushi with blue and white striped shells.
Click!
Cross picked up the receiver from the Marine-issued Den Den Mushi's shell and said in a deep voice, "This is Cross!"
"This is Fleet Commander Sakazuki. The operation officially begins. Your unit is to surface first and occupy the Bion Kingdom's Oneway Port. That is all!"
"Understood, immediately executing orders!"
...
Bion Kingdom, Oneway Port.
This was a port city nestled between mountain cliffs. On both sides were steep cliffs, almost ninety degrees vertical, with only a width of over two hundred meters separating them in the middle, forming a canyon nearly a kilometer long.
The people of the Bion Kingdom had built many houses and buildings within this canyon, and on the fan-shaped coastal open ground, they had established the nation's only port and dock.
However, at this very moment, this port city, which had stood for hundreds of years, was suffering heavy devastation.
Thousands of ferocious pirates had landed in the port city. They killed all the defending soldiers, destroyed almost all defensive facilities, and wantonly plundered the area.
Numerous houses and buildings collapsed. The already narrow streets were filled with craters and gruesome corpses. As far as the eye could see, there were only fallen building ruins and raging fires, with thick smoke billowing into the sky, almost forming dark clouds.
Within the bay, over a dozen ships burned fiercely, their hulls half-submerged in the sea, while many corpses and debris floated on the water's surface. Yet, there were even more pirate ships, adorned with large red sails and pirate flags featuring a pattern of ten white skulls, either docked in the port, beached on the shores on either side, or anchored at sea.
Just over an hour ago, a fierce battle had just concluded.
The Roberts Legion's pirate grand fleet had breached the Bion Kingdom's Oneway Port. Intense bombardment and the landing pirates destroyed the port's defenses. Thousands of Bion Kingdom soldiers and civilians were either dead or wounded, and over a dozen fishing boats, merchant ships, and warships were sunk or destroyed.
With this, the Roberts Legion had completely torn open the Bion Kingdom's gate, almost their entire force landing on the island.
"Hahahaha~ So much treasure!"
"Gehehehe~ Lady-chan~ don't run!"
"Stop playing, damn it! Commander Roberts has already gone to the Bion Kingdom's central city, we need to hurry too!"
Many pirates roamed through the port city within the canyon, either plundering treasure or committing evil deeds, letting out unrestrained, arrogant laughter. The weak civilians could only watch as these pirates broke into their homes, powerless to protect their property and families.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound, like distant thunder, echoed, followed by a sharp whistling sound, drawing the attention of many pirates.
"Huh?! That sound is..." Some pirates reacted, quickly looking up at the sky. They saw three small black dots flying rapidly overhead, landing on a pirate ship near the coast.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions thundered.
Three scorching fireballs, mixed with black-gray smoke, rose, almost engulfing the pirate ship.
On the spot, the pirate ship was heavily damaged. Countless shattered wooden splinters exploded outwards, and three burning holes appeared directly on its hull. Even the large red sail caught fire, and the ship began to list to one side.
"B-bombardment—" At this moment, a lookout on a pirate ship, spotting a warship suddenly appearing on the nearby sea, incessantly let out a terrified shriek.
"What's going on? Why are we being shelled?"
"The cannonballs are coming from the sea! Look at the sea!"
"Oh my god! It's the Marines! Marine warships are surfacing from underwater!"
"This is a test shot! Quick, counterattack! Fire the cannons! Don't let the Marines land!"
"..."
Countless pirates looked out to sea in terror. They saw the vast, boundless blue ocean churning, gurgling with bubbles, followed by one warship after another surfacing from the seabed. The soap bubbles encasing their hulls popped bang, bang, bang!
One, two, three... the number of warships continued to increase.
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