Chapter 353: Human Experimentation
Erza took two steps forward, and the crisp "click, click" of metal colliding echoed as she stopped facing Borsalino.
The harsh reality shattered the thoughts in her mind, and the anger burned away any remaining rationality.
What is justice, and what is evil? These thoughts clashed violently in Erza's mind.
"Those two words behind you... are 'justice,' right?" Erza lowered her gaze, her bangs casting a shadow, obscuring her expression from Borsalino.
Erza lifted her head, her face full of anger as she questioned Borsalino: "But are your actions truly just?!"
"Buzz~" The Haoshoku Haki within Erza awoke, catalyzed by her rage.
"…Truly surprising," Borsalino slightly opened his eyes, deciding to cut off this unripe sapling here and now.
"As a pirate, what right do you have to question the Marines?" Borsalino slowly raised his right leg, his calf at a ninety-degree angle to his thigh, "Besides, the reason my subordinates are lying on the ground is because of you, right?"
Borsalino swung his right leg forward, extending it straight as he rapidly spun his body a quarter turn. His white shoes, powered by immense energy, closed the gap between them in an instant.
"Diamond Armor!" Erza's Heaven Wheel Armor turned into a stream of yellow light as she quickly donned the most defensive armor.
The solid armor, in white and deep blue, firmly covered Erza's body. Each of her hands held a half-white shield, which joined together in front of her to form a large, sturdy shield.
"Boom!"
The violent explosion occurred when the two collided. The powerful shockwave swept through the area, knocking all the Marines lying on the ground into the air, and the gray smoke quickly enveloped the two of them.
Erza felt the tremendous force coming from the shield, her feet rooted to the ground like they were growing into the earth.
As the smoke cleared, the immovable diamond shield left Borsalino astonished. Realizing that his attack had failed, he immediately jumped back, retreating to avoid the encroaching members of the Dawn Pirate Crew.
"Ah~" Borsalino felt a headache from Erza's defense, "Kuilong, you've recruited another powerful subordinate."
"Yes," Eric nodded with his arms crossed, "She's the Fairy Queen. Make sure to add that nickname to her bounty poster."
Erza: "…"
Borsalino: "…"
"The Marines' actions are wrong," Erza split her shield and locked her sharp, bright gaze on Borsalino's eyes.
Borsalino responded in a laid-back tone, "You're not going to say that what pirates do is right, are you?"
"…" This time, it was Erza who fell silent. The term "pirate" could never be associated with justice, no matter how she thought about it.
"At least we don't kill civilians indiscriminately," Eric walked up beside Erza, countering, "We've never harmed innocent pregnant women or babies."
"Borsalino, the pirates you speak of are those infamous scoundrels who commit every crime imaginable. They're nothing more than trash of the seas," Eric placed his hand on Erza's shoulder, "Erza, during your time on the ship, you should have realized we are not that kind of pirate."
"Even if the world looks at us with disgust, we do what we believe is right. Erza, you have me and your companions by your side! You're not facing this alone!"
Eric looked into Erza's eyes, "You're the strong and brave Fairy Queen! How could you let the enemy defeat you so easily with their words?"
[Erza's affection slightly increases, bond level unchanged]
"Heh…" Erza smiled lightly, the confident glow returning to her eyes, "Eric , you're right. If one day you stray from your path, even if I have to use force, I'll bring you back to the right way!"
"…" Borsalino pursed his lips, "Really irritating. Kuilong, is this how you—"
He continued, sweeping his gaze over the female members of the Dawn Pirate Crew, "Recruit such crew members?"
"Yes, too bad you're too ugly to pull off that trick," Eric shrugged, "Didn't shave this morning? Looking so scruffy, no woman would like you like this."
"…" The atmosphere grew tense, and all anyone could see were the orange reflections off Borsalino's sunglasses, along with his increasingly somber expression under the backlight.
"Sorry, did I hit a nerve?" Eric apologized without the slightest hint of sincerity, "I'll try to make our next conversation even more infuriating."
Borsalino, who had always adhered to the "ambiguous justice" doctrine, was truly enraged by a pirate for the first time in his life.
"Black Feather Armor!" Erza changed into a new form, her flowing red hair tied into a single ponytail. Her pitch-black armor, paired with bat-like wings, enhanced her allure and beauty.
"You still don't have Armament Haki, you won't be able to touch this old monkey," Eric stopped Erza, who was about to rush at Borsalino, and turned to say, "Esdeath, Scáthach , please hold Borsalino off."
"I don't want to fight the Marine Admiral with anyone else," Scáthach said flatly, twirling the magic spear in her hand, "I prefer one-on-one battles."
"Perfect," Esdeath unsheathed her rapier, "I'm not used to teaming up with others to fight enemies."
"Then, let's take turns, one at a time, just don't let Borsalino interrupt us."
"None of you are getting away!" Borsalino's body glowed as he transformed into photons and moved into the air, both index fingers forming a circle. The increasingly brilliant cross-shaped light spun and condensed at his fingertips.
"Yata no Kagami!"
Countless dazzling light bullets poured down like a torrential rain, enveloping all the members of the Dawn Pirate Crew within the attack range.
"Hey hey hey!" Eric shouted, "Don't you care about the lives of your subordinates?"
The response to Eric was a dazzling barrage of light, a meteor shower of attacks. However, the Yata no Kagami's attack didn't include the Marines lying on the ground.
"Boom boom boom——!"
The light bullets hit the rising ice mountain, causing it to collapse and scatter ice chunks in all directions. The ice mist produced by the collapse quickly covered the entire dock area.
Borsalino furrowed his brow, his Observation Haki sensing that Eric and some others had disappeared from his perception.
"Then let me be his opponent first, is that fine?" Esdeath slowly advanced.
"No choice," Scáthach said calmly, "He chose his opponent."
"Borsalino, does your chest still hurt from that wound?" Esdeath taunted as she charged at Borsalino.
"…" In silence, Borsalino drew the Amatsukami sword, made of condensed photons, from his hand.
The two swords clashed heavily, and the interrupted battle from a year ago began once again!
...
"What did you say?!" Sengoku asked in disbelief, confirming once again, "The Dawn Pirate Crew is attacking Punk Hazard?"
"Yes!" The Marine on the other end of the phone replied, "Admiral Borsalino has already gone to face the Dawn Pirate Crew."
"Damn!"
"Bang!" Sengoku slammed his left fist heavily on the table, causing the documents on it to shake.
"Admiral Sengoku, nearly all the members of the Dawn Pirate Crew listed on the bounty poster have appeared..." The Marine on the phone paused before continuing, "We've just received a report from the port. They said Deidara is wreaking havoc, destroying the warships docked at the shore!"
"They don't want you to escape!" Sengoku placed a hand on his forehead, "We were careless! Never expected them to dare attack a Marine base..."
Aokiji also furrowed his brow, "It will take at least two days for reinforcements to reach Punk Hazard, Admiral Sengoku. We need to act quickly. I'm leaving now."
"Mm," Sengoku nodded in agreement and immediately gave orders, "Have the Marines from G1 and G5 branches rush to support Punk Hazard at all costs!"
"Yes!"
'Why are they attacking Punk Hazard? Could it be for Dr. Vegapunk?' Admiral Sengoku thought, confused. 'Vegapunk's existence is a top secret of the World Government, and he rarely interacts with the outside world...'
Sengoku clenched his left fist and picked up the still-active phone, "We must ensure Dr. Vegapunk's safety!"
"Yes!"
On the other side of the phone, researchers in the experimental base were running back and forth, the orders to pack up the materials coming in waves.
"Take all this data with you!" A researcher in a white lab coat shouted.
"B-but there's too much!" A Marine explained hurriedly, pointing to a pile of files as tall as a small mountain, "We don't have enough people to carry all this!"
"Damn it!" The researcher cursed, then turned to Vegapunk, who was standing nearby, "Dr. Vegapunk, what should we do? Should we burn all the files?"
Vegapunk asked, "Can you memorize all this data?"
"Well…" The researcher fell silent.
"Take the most important research data and plans, leave the rest," Vegapunk turned and walked away, "The pirates won't care about this research; they only like shiny treasures. The only possibility is they'll turn this place upside down."
"Yes!" Since Vegapunk, the highest authority at the experimental base, gave the order, the other researchers had no choice but to follow.
Sentomaru, carrying a giant axe, seemed anxious: "Dr. Vegapunk, we should go."
"I know." Vegapunk led a large group of researchers and Marines toward the hidden escape passage at the base's bottom, where a warship was waiting.
...
"Boom!" Another Marine warship was destroyed in a blast created by Deidara 's explosive clay.
"Quick, put out the fire!"
Another ship caught fire, with the Marines aboard frantically trying to put out the blaze caused by the explosion.
Suddenly, the ship jolted, and a water column shot up from the side, causing the Marines aboard to lose their balance and fall.
"What's happening now?!"
"Report, sir! The ship's bottom compartment has been blown out!"
The officer shouted, "Seal it up!"
"But the water flow is too strong, it's pushing all the repairmen back!"
The seawater rushing in squeezed the air from the bottom compartment, and the area around the hole began to sink, causing the other side of the ship to tilt upward.
"It's too late, the ship is sinking. Everyone, into the water!"
At the officer's command, the Marines abandoned their work and leaped into the sea.
The ship, groaning in protest, slowly sank beneath the waves.
"Damn it!" The officer in charge of the coastal defense cannons shouted, "Why can't we hit that bastard flying in the sky?"
"The target is too small, sir!" The cannon operator Marine explained with a face full of grievance, "How can we use cannons to hit a mosquito? These coastal defense cannons are meant to attack incoming pirate ships."
"We can't break that light wall, and we can't hit the enemy…" The officer nearly pulled his hair out, "What good are these cannons?!"
"Hah? Should I blow up those turrets?" Deidara listened to the command in his earphone, "Those coastal defense cannonballs can't break the electromagnetic shield, can they?"
"The electromagnetic shield consumes too much energy!" Da Vinci grabbed the microphone, "Quickly, blow up those annoying coastal defense cannons!"
"I got it! Stop yelling. Hmm," Deidara tilted his head suddenly, the loud volume in his earphone nearly rupturing his eardrum.
"Deidara 's coming this way!" Through the Marine's scope, the view slowly became covered by a giant white bird.
"Boom!"
...
"Is it fine leaving just them?" Miku asked with some concern, "That Marine Admiral looks really strong..."
"They'll be fine," Akame shook her head.
Eric urged from the front, "Let's hurry, get what we need and leave quickly."
The group moved rapidly through the alternate dimension opened by Porche, the scenery rapidly retreating until they reached a large experimental facility.
"This should be the place we're looking for, let's go in."
Using the powers of the Door-Door Fruit, the sealed steel doors became nothing more than an obstacle, and the group easily entered the experimental base.
"Looks like all the researchers have evacuated," Eric scratched his head, "They're really fast."
"But there are still some faint traces left here," Eric led the way, "This way."
The clean corridor was littered with white papers.
"They really rushed out."
Miku curiously picked up a document, got dizzy from reading it, and then discarded it without a second glance.
The group arrived at an unmarked laboratory, and faint sounds of struggle could be heard coming from inside.
Porche whispered, "What's in here?"
Eric didn't answer. He forcefully pushed the lab door open.
In the center of the lab was an operating table, and a man, tightly bound, was struggling desperately to escape the leather straps holding his limbs.
The operating light continued to shine brightly, making it impossible for the man to open his eyes.
"Who's there?" The man called for help, "Is the experiment over? Can you let me down? These damn straps hurt!"
"Who are you?"
"Me?" The man paused, Speaking in a barely audible voice to himself, "Not one of the lab staff?"
The chance to escape took root in the man's heart at that moment: "I'm an ordinary person who was kidnapped by the World Government for human experimentation!"
(END CHAPTER)
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