(I see, just as the captain said, we can't let our guard down! This is what happens when you gather a large number of high-quality soldiers.)
Even before the 'Black Cat' flag was raised, when they were just a group of 'Nukiashi,' she had taken care of them. Later, she became an official member of the Black Cats, carrying their emblem on her back. Amis, now captain of the elite guard unit surrounding Captain Kuro of the 'Stealth Troops,' was cutting down clone soldiers who tried to crush her by using wounded comrades as shields, while pushing back the threat of regular combatants attacking from behind with guns, bows, and spears.
The personal guards standing beside her, including former marines, swung their swords with deadly precision, piling up the bodies of identical soldiers one after another.
Unlike the battles they had fought before, they swung their swords with clear killing intent.
Even if these enemies had only one arm or one leg remaining, no, even if they had only their lives left, they would struggle until the very end. These foes were more zombie-like than the actual zombie soldiers they had faced before.
Among the elite guard, only Toya, who specialized in fishman karate, prioritized hit-and-run tactics to prevent their defense from collapsing, blowing enemies away to reestablish battlefield control rather than focusing purely on killing them.
(As the captain predicted, they're not even glancing at the empty ship. If we can move the crew to our side quickly, we can reduce the disparity in combat strength.)
Despite being repeatedly outmatched by Mihawk, Amis desperately continued to swing her blade, desperately performing the survival techniques she had finally begun to master, while recalling the pre-battle strategy meeting.
"If we try to defend the ship recklessly, we'll just sink it. So we must first move everyone onto the first enemy ship that becomes the battlefield, as if we're going to abandon all our vessels. That's the key."
"Germa is a fleet nation. They don't have a homeland in the true sense of the word."
"In other words, it's extremely difficult for them to procure the materials needed to repair or build new ships, such as timber, compared to other countries. Or it's prohibitively expensive."
"This is evident from the photos taken by Bege's men. There are traces of reused ship materials in the repair work on parts of their vessels. For the enemy, ships are valuable resources as they stand."
"Therefore, they will likely try to capture ships intact. The ships we board don't need cannons. Make them as light as possible. Also, make sure to load ladders and ropes for moving personnel and equipment."
"By choosing the battlefield here rather than letting them choose, we have the advantage of superior personnel quality."
(As always, where does he get such knowledge and insight...)
As Captain Kuro had predicted, the situation remained stable.
The quality of each enemy soldier was high, and there had been some casualties among the regular combatants. But that was all.
With the elite forces of Kuro and Mihawk spearheading the assault, breaking through the enemy's ranks wasn't particularly difficult, and advancing using the enemy ships' structures was challenging but not impossible.
"Amis!"
The voice of the girl she lived with rang in her ear.
"The enemy is trying to break through the deck from below to create an escape route!"
"Miaquis, Catherie!"
"Yes!"
"Ah, I'm here."
Two female soldiers wielding short swords, a rare sight in the personal guard, were called forward. One had been defeated in a battle against zombie soldiers and had since trained relentlessly to improve her defensive skills, while the other was a woman who preferred firearms.
Both were highly regarded members of the personal guard, renowned for their ability to defend positions alone in both training and actual combat.
"Hold your position at the rear. The enemy is collapsing the deck from below to create chaos on the battlefield!"
"Has the thinness of our rear ranks been exposed?"
"Captain, do you know the exact location?"
As the two squad members approached Amis, Robin, who had heard the question, suggested, "I'll reach out above that spot."
Upon hearing this, squad member Catherie asked, "Is it the hallway? Or the cabin?"
This distinction mattered because she used firearms, which affected her fighting style.
"The hallway. It's wide enough for three enemy soldiers to walk side by side."
"Understood, Robin. Captain, can I borrow another crew member? The enemy is elite. Without Miaquis and another vanguard, we might be breached."
Even as they spoke, the enemy's actions continued.
As captain of the personal guard, Amis had to issue orders immediately.
Looking at the battlefield, she saw Mihawk's slash, which he had thrown upward, get deflected downward by Captain Kuro, who was likely positioned there. Then Mihawk's blade cut it into pieces, scattering slash attacks across the deck, literally sweeping away the enemies.
(If we push the front line that far forward, the rest will be a battle to secure the interior. There are probably many enemies inside the ship, but I want to keep as many of the personal guard as possible to maintain the enemy's attention...)
On the deck, Kuro and Mihawk were cutting through the front lines while the personal guard led the combatants forward, and Perona's bombardment was crushing the densely packed enemy forces.
"Take two men from the starboard side and head to the location Robin marked. Bring as many combatants as you need."
"We're pushing from the inside, right?"
Amis nodded at the short sword user's words.
"If we're flanked, hold your ground and apply pressure to the enemy. The personal guard should be able to handle it."
"Understood."
"Of course."
They could do it.
The personal guard had survived Mihawk's brutal training, which could have easily cost them their limbs or even their lives.
These two, who used unconventional weapons instead of swords, no, precisely because of that, were among the most formidable members of the personal guard.
The personal guard was originally composed of former marines who had been sold into slavery.
They understood all too well that if they weren't strong, everything would be taken from them, and their dignity would be trampled upon.
That's why they had trained and fought with everything they had to become the elite guard they were today.
***
"That bastard! Would you normally throw a slash at me in this chaos?!"
I was about to ask Robin to request Perona's bombing support after checking the enemy's formation from above, but that fully automatic slaughter machine suddenly launched a slash attack at people.
I understand what you were trying to do. The area below is in bad shape.
But... you know? I just saw the image of a slash attack in my mind, so I reacted instinctively, and now look at this mess!
"Robin, what's the enemy's movement?"
"The deck will be breached soon. Then the personal guard will rush in and apply pressure from the inside."
"Who's going?"
Robin's ability to assess the situation and communicate without risk of interception was flawless.
But the only drawback was that she couldn't speak while doing it.
"Miaquis and Catherie, along with the person following Mihawk... have Chris fall back."
Miaquis, who was nearly perfect in both offense and defense, Catherie in the mid and rear ranks, and a team capable of holding off Mihawk at full strength for at least ten minutes.
Alright, the balance was good.
If we applied pressure from the inside, they wouldn't have the leisure to create holes and plan surprise attacks.
(I should probably infiltrate the enemy lines soon.)
Bege and the others were doing a good job of holding back the enemy's movements.
It had been worth giving them a large number of cannons, even if it meant abandoning them in a pinch.
After all, such a large number of cannons were more than we could handle right now.
Only someone like Bege, who literally had a "castle," could make proper use of them.
(Honestly, I really want to focus on internal affairs once this is over...)
The foundation needed to expand our power was still too fragile.
I had planned to focus on development until at least winter, but now I had to move in earnest. Tell me it's a lie, you abusive neglectful bastard! You really had to go and do that!
...No, the root cause was the pirate nation and its allied countries.
By now, Baji's men were probably causing chaos in their country. If we took him down, they'd better be prepared!
"Captain! The largest ship is approaching!"
Here they come. But...
"No problem."
"He wouldn't have missed it."
***
The man wielding the spear was known by a certain nickname.
Using the power of science, he flew through the sky and moved at speeds too fast for the eye to follow, eliminating enemies in an instant.
That's how he had always done it.
The man had been crushed by an army armed with the products of science, had enriched his own country with the power of science, had increased his own power with the power of science, and had taken everything with the power of science.
This time would be no different.
Indeed, the pirates possessed strength far beyond their expectations.
But in the end, they were still pirates.
Among the soldiers, only about 50 to 60 could be called elite. Of those, only about 20 were considered the most dangerous.
If they wore down the rest, no matter how strong they were, they could overwhelm them with numbers.
That's what the man thought.
"Guh... ugh..."
A surprise attack from the side scattered the grunts and caused chaos in the rear.
That way, he could flank the elite troops holding the front lines.
"Foolish..."
Thinking that, he used his equipment from the ship he had approached and leaped toward the enemy's deck, where they were gathered.
"Even if you're a Devil Fruit user, you can't stop me, can you?!"
But suddenly, the enemy pirates retreated, leaving only a child alone in the open space. The child grabbed his proud spear and stopped him.
"I presume you are King Vinsmoke Judge of the Germa Kingdom."
"You are..."
"Captain's orders. Neutralize him here."
There, a hunter waited to hunt down the king.
"Bounty: 15 million berries... Daz Bonez!"
The pirate known as 'Steel Blade' waited in ambush.
***
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