"There are plenty of high-ranking officers over there. Although, strategically speaking, our first line of defense is meant to act as a suicide squad to wear down part of the Beast God Pirates' forces and delay their main troops, we can't collapse too quickly! Old man, why are you the only one here? They should have sent at least two more top-tier fighters!"
Sentomaru complained bitterly.
Kizaru picked his ear. "Their abilities aren't well-suited for naval combat, and they're too slow. If we accidentally lose an Admiral here, Sakazuki would go mad. Besides, we have the Pacifistas and the Seraphim units, don't we?"
As he spoke, Kizaru pointed behind Sentomaru.
On the deck stood five children with wings on their backs and flames burning behind their heads.
The appearances of these children looked exactly like the Seven Warlords in their childhood!
There was a young Hancock.
A young Mihawk.
A cynical young Doflamingo,
A young Crocodile with a cigar in his mouth, slicked-back hair, and an arrogant expression,
and A young Moria with horns on his head, holding a pair of scissors.
Without exception, all these children had black wings growing on their backs, just like King, burning with the innate flames of the Lunarian tribe, and their eyes were star-shaped, making them seem unlike the rigid cyborgs of the Pacifistas.
On the back of their necks, hidden from view, each had a different number.
"There are too few of them! And I've said it before—why did that old man Vegapunk have to make them so human-like? Wouldn't it be better to turn them into pure combat weapons? Like the Pacifistas!"
Sentomaru dug his nose angrily, pointing at the five Seraphim who completely ignored him, each doing their own thing on the deck—some sitting, some standing, and some simply lying on the ground, fast asleep.
"Only you, old man, have the primary command authority!"
Kizaru also looked rather troubled as he observed the Seraphim, who appeared to be around ten years old but possessed mature minds and the ability to make their own judgments.
These new war weapons, upgraded and modified from the Pacifistas, not only retained all the functions of the previous models but also had self-judgment capabilities, allowing them to counter enemy attacks with appropriate moves.
Compared to the rigid Pacifistas that only fired laser beams, their combat power was already approaching the mid-level of the Seven Warlords.
Even more terrifying was that they possessed even more comprehensive skills.
"Now is not the time to think about these things!" Drake suddenly shouted nervously.
"The Beast God Pirates are approaching!"
Kizaru immediately raised his right hand high, and the communication device on his collar simultaneously broadcast to the hundred warships spread out in a fan shape across the outer sea.
"All soldiers, listen up! Aim your cannons at the enemy! Prepare for battle!"
Not far away, just five hundred meters apart, ten massive pirate ships, comparable in size to warships, showed no signs of slowing down.
They roared through the waves, charging straight toward the inner bay exit where Kizaru was stationed!
Behind them stretched an endless, countless fleet of pirate ships!
At the top of their masts, all flew the same pirate flag!
The Beast God Pirates!
From this distance, all the Marines could clearly see the figures standing on the ships—each one like a Demon God!
At the bow of the lead ship stood a towering Demon God, nearly ten meters tall, draped in a wide black cloak, with horns on his head, muscles like a dragon, and an aura that shook the world!
The moment he saw this figure, Kizaru's body began to rapidly turn pitch black, as if stained by octopus ink.
"Beast God! Barbarossa Caesar!"
A thick, black beam shot through the air in an instant, piercing hundreds of meters to strike directly at Caesar's face!
Caesar's lips slowly curled into a smile, but he made no move to act.
Almost simultaneously, a translucent ice crystal barrier shot up like lightning before Caesar.
Whoosh!
The thick black beam of light was instantly reflected upon contact with the ice crystal barrier, instead shooting toward the hull of a warship on Kizaru's side!
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted from the hull of the enormous warship, as pre-aimed cannons were obliterated by black laser light, causing the colossal vessel to shake violently!
The black light faded from Kizaru's body, revealing an unpleasant expression on his face.
"Kuzan!"
"What? Admiral Aokiji! How is this possible?" Drake rushed to the ship's railing, gripping it tightly as he stared intently at the approaching vessel.
Before Caesar, a figure all Marines were extremely familiar with was kneeling on one knee, pressing his palm against the deck.
A chilling airflow surged from between his five fingers, spreading upward and coalescing into the ice crystal barrier that had just blocked Kizaru's laser beam!
This tall, lanky figure was none other than the former Marine Admiral - Aokiji Kuzan!
Beep beep beep beep!
On the surrounding warships, the mouths of numerous Pacifistas began gathering dazzling light, preparing to unleash light waves.
"Stand down! Let them pass!" Kizaru shouted coldly with a stern face.
Sentomaru and Drake didn't voice any objections.
Because from the very beginning, this had been the Marines' strategy!
The naval forces in the outer sea needed to block the pirate forces under the Beast God Pirates, which numbered nearly 100,000!
The Marines' tactic against the overwhelmingly large Beast God Pirates was to divide and conquer them one by one!
Caesar stood at the ship's bow with his arms crossed, the massive vessel passing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kizaru's warship.
He could feel the piercing killing intent in Kizaru's gaze.
Truthfully, Caesar could completely transform into Kunpeng and, like Whitebeard, start by unleashing a several-hundred-meter-high tsunami upon the Marines!
But doing so would also affect his own fleet with the waves created by the tsunami.
And when it came to tsunamis, there were too many things that could counter them.
The vast Marine headquarters wouldn't lose its ability to resist tsunamis just because they'd lost Aokiji and his Ice-Ice Fruit!
Most importantly, what Caesar wanted to achieve was the complete defeat of the Marines' main combat forces!
Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals!
This was likely the strategic objective Akainu also wanted to accomplish.
That's why Kizaru had opened the path before him, allowing him and his Beast God Ten Armies to charge straight into the inner bay!
This battle was destined to claim lives on both sides - many lives!
But like sand washed by great waves, only those who survive will be the true strong!