Chapter 21: So-Called Tactics
Dusk.
Behind a hillside.
The fish-man Hack led the trainees there and spoke, "I trust you all understand the objective of this mission."
"The specific attack plan is up to you."
"I won't intervene unless we encounter an enemy beyond your capabilities."
"Be careful! The enemy consists of ruthless pirates—cunning and treacherous. Show them no mercy."
His tone was deep and serious, reflecting the gravity of this mission.
Pirates of the New World were all hungry wolves, battle-hardened and responsible for countless deaths.
To ensure the trainees' safety, Hack had even transferred some Revolutionary Army officers from the coastal base.
"Yes, sir!"
The trainees responded in unison, each one nervous, especially Rez and the others.
Pirates!
They were creatures of such strength and ferocity that everyone had been warned about since childhood. No one dared underestimate them—those who did would perish.
"Rhodes, what do you think?"
Rez whispered to Rhodes beside him.
Rhodes gave him a strange look and said, "What do you mean, 'what do I think'? Just eliminate them all."
"They're nothing but scum who waste their lives anyway."
He had no fondness for pirates.
With the exception of a few like Luffy and Red-Haired Shanks, the vast majority of pirates in this world were criminals with extensive rap sheets who showed complete disregard for human life. In his previous world, they would have been executed without question.
"..."
Rez was speechless. This guy's so ruthless. I can't afford to cross him.
At this time, squad captains like Nia and Shanuo approached Rhodes and invited him to discuss the battle plan.
This was a world where strength determined status, and Rhodes' performance on the previous mission had clearly earned the captains' recognition of his standing.
"The enemy leader is a powerful pirate with a bounty of 83 million berries, nicknamed 'Black Fist.' He's likely a skilled martial artist."
"He's probably already awakened Busoshoku Haki. Leave this guy to Shanuo—you should be able to hold him off, right?"
"Once we've dealt with the other small fry, we'll come back to assist."
Nia, apparently the tactical analyst, spoke logically. "We're slightly outnumbered, but that's manageable."
"We can do this, this, and this..."
She spoke rapidly and eloquently, clearly a master of battlefield tactics.
The other captains nodded frequently; even the normally expressionless swordsman Shanuo agreed.
His strength wasn't yet at the level where he could ignore numerical disadvantages.
Off to the side, Rhodes muttered, "You've already discussed everything—why bother calling me over?"
This pirate crew seemed to have been forced off course by a natural disaster like a storm at sea. After accidentally discovering Baltigo, they had landed to explore and repair their pirate ship.
A camp was set up on the open ground near the shore.
Some pirates were on guard duty while others rested. A few had also been sent out to explore the island.
It was typical pirate behavior—whenever they encountered an island, they would explore it thoroughly, fearing they might miss discovering treasure.
In the center of the camp, "Black Fist" Slott stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "How long until repairs are complete?"
"Half a day," someone replied.
Slott nodded and turned to look toward the island's interior. It was dusk, and the dusty sky in the distance was tinged with the glow of the setting sun, creating a rather magnificent scene.
"Where are the guys exploring the island? Why haven't they returned yet?"
Slott's eyes narrowed, sensing something was wrong. He was a meticulous man, extremely particular about punctuality.
Under his command, anyone caught being late would be severely punished—often with a flogging or, in serious cases, even executed on the spot.
His crew knew this well, so such incidents rarely occurred.
"Something's wrong! This island is dangerous!"
Half a minute later, Slott gave the order for everyone to be on high alert.
Immediately, the scattered pirates on the beach began gathering at the camp, their expressions fearless despite the danger, their fighting spirit high.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
At the same time, dozens of artillery shells suddenly launched from the distance, trailing flames as they bombarded the pirate camp.
The earth trembled, and debris was shaken into the sky.
"..."
Slott stood at the center of the chaos, his figure unmoved.
His expression remained extremely calm—he was accustomed to all kinds of storms and battles.
This level of firepower couldn't faze a New World veteran officer in the slightest.
Most of the other pirates reacted similarly, showing no panic but revealing cold, bloodthirsty expressions instead.
Tormented by the recent storm at sea, the pirates were in foul moods and eager to vent their frustrations through slaughter. Finding a beautiful woman or two would make it even better.
Nia had no intention of causing immediate casualties with the bombardment—she merely used the artillery fire to scatter the pirates and create an opening for their assault.
"Charge!"
The next moment, the squad captains and their teams charged toward the pirate camp from all directions.
Shouts and battle cries filled the air, staining the beach beneath the setting sun with blood.
Taking advantage of their surprise attack, the trainees achieved significant initial success.
But the New World pirates were no pushovers. If it weren't for the formidable strength of captains like Shanuo and Nia, along with the trainees' superior equipment, casualties would have been inevitable.
"In the end, it's better to avoid direct confrontation when possible."
Watching this scene unfold, Rhodes shook his head slightly and headed toward the pirate ship.
His mission was to destroy the pirate vessel and cut off the pirates' escape route—a task specifically assigned to him by Nia based on his abilities.
As he walked, he suddenly felt a murderous presence and glanced to his left.
Near a makeshift shelter, two tall pirates, their faces flushed with an unnatural red color, glared at him with killing intent.
"How shameless!" Rhodes' eyes flashed coldly.
Soru!
A violent burst of force erupted, instantly cracking the ground and leaving a spider-web pattern.
At the same time, Rhodes, swift as lightning, rushed toward the pirates.
The murderous intent in the pirates' eyes hadn't yet faded when terror crossed their faces instead.
Snapping back to reality, they turned and ran.
However, they had only taken a few steps!
With a thunderous crash, the makeshift shelter collapsed under the whipped-up wind pressure.
At the same moment, a figure tore through the air, rapidly approaching.
The two pirates felt the intensifying wind behind them. They exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and roared. Their skin flushed instantly, muscles bulged, and countless veins emerged like writhing worms.
A fierce battle aura emanated from their bodies.
As elite pirates of the New World, how could they survive without a few trump cards?
This was an advanced physical technique similar to Tekkai, which could temporarily enhance the body's strength—comparable to going berserk.
However, the aftereffects were severe. It would cause significant blood loss and energy depletion, mental exhaustion, and render them unable to fight for several days.
But at this moment, they could no longer afford to worry about such consequences.
The young swordsman rushing toward them was terrifyingly powerful. If they didn't fight with everything they had, they would surely die!
"Go to hell!"
The two prepared to fight to the death.
However, just as they turned around, they saw a flash of lightning pass before their eyes—dazzling and instantaneous.
After the lightning, space seemed to freeze, leaving only the whistling sound of the sea breeze.
Rhodes maintained a calm expression as he sheathed his sword.
Behind him came the heavy sound of corpses hitting the ground.
(End of Chapter)
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