Next Bonus, 100!!
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"Today, I will have to unleash a massacre," Saint Sommers said, his voice cold as ice.
He ordered his subordinates to get to shore as quickly as possible. As a Devil Fruit user, he was at a disadvantage on the open sea.
The ship had powerful fighters on board, and they took two hits before they finally made it to shore.
Saint Sommers regrouped with Vergo and his remaining soldiers.
Including the conscripted forces, they still had over ten thousand men. Most of their losses had been from the air raids, sunk along with their ships.
"Lord Sommers," Vergo said, "the Winter Blossom Kingdom was clearly prepared for us. I believe we should call for reinforcements."
"The Den Den Mushi signal is being jammed," Saint Sommers said, his face grim.
A chill ran down Vergo's spine. So they were an isolated force, surrounded?
"What are you so nervous about?" Saint Sommers snapped. "We just have to kill them all, and then we can leave."
'Easier said than done...'
Vergo thought. He had a feeling it wouldn't be that simple. "Lord Sommers, we're too clustered together. We're an easy target. We should spread out."
Having been on the receiving end of the new style of warfare, Vergo knew that the Winter Blossom Kingdom's forces were different from any they had faced before.
Even the Marines, with their widespread use of flintlocks, still relied on mass charges and close-quarters combat. But the Winter Blossom forces were different.
SLAP!
Saint Sommers slapped Vergo across the face. "I'm in charge here. Do you have a problem with that?" He was already furious from the cannon fire, and Vergo's constant suggestions were getting on his nerves.
'You have so many suggestions... are you implying that I'm not a competent commander? Does a noble Celestial Dragon need your advice?'
"No, my lord," Vergo said, lowering his head.
"Remember," Saint Sommers said with a cold sneer, "you are just peasants, slaves to the Celestial Dragons."
Under his command, Vergo led a thousand soldiers to attack Nami and the others, who had retreated to King's Paradise and Cocoyasi Village.
The rest of the forces, under his direct command, formed a line along the beach, with the conscripted forces at the front, trembling in fear. It was a standard battle formation.
Why not use the trenches Nami and the others had left behind?
First, their weapons were different, and their tactics were different. The CIU's flintlocks didn't have the rate of fire or the range of the Kar98k. After one or two shots, it would be a melee.
Second, it was beneath them. With Saint Sommers's pride, would he ever deign to hide in a trench?
When the warships were a few hundred meters from the shore, they lowered their small boats, each carrying a squad, and charged toward the shallows.
The cannons they had brought ashore opened fire first, bombarding the beach to suppress the landing.
The warships returned fire, their cannons roaring, accurately targeting the enemy positions from several kilometers away.
With Van Augur and his Observation Haki, the cannons' accuracy was greatly increased.
A single shell landed, sending up a shower of sand and dismembered limbs, leaving a crater ten meters in diameter.
These weren't ordinary cannons. They were 150mm howitzers.
Since their partnership with Fish-Man Island and the exploration and mining of deep-sea resources, the demonic carrier no longer had a shortage of metal. The Munch-Munch Fruit's synthesis ability allowed them to bypass the issue of material strength and create incredibly durable cannon barrels.
In truth, the limiting factor for modern technology was often not the technology itself, but the materials.
The synthesis of the Munch-Munch Fruit, combined with other fruits like the Gold-Gold, Copper-Copper, and Steel-Steel Fruits, allowed them to alter the properties of materials, ignoring the limitations of technology.
I think, therefore I am.
The three warships each had a 150mm cannon, modified and mounted on the deck by Franky and the other shipwrights. Each shot made the ship tremble.
After three shots, Saint Sommers's formation was in disarray.
Issho led a large contingent of the kingdom's naval forces ashore in small boats.
The rocket launcher teams, still in the boats, opened fire on the palm grove, providing covering fire for the landing and suppressing the enemy positions.
After a single volley, the smoke was so thick it was impossible to see. Half of the enemy's artillery had been taken out, one of their cannons sent flying.
Under the intense, concentrated fire, Saint Sommers regretted his decision to cluster his forces. They were just sitting ducks.
After landing, unlike the pirates' chaotic charge, the Kar98k-equipped soldiers advanced in an orderly fashion, prioritizing ranged attacks.
They spread out in a "three-three" formation, one squad providing covering fire while the other advanced.
The sound of gunfire was continuous.
The thousand-meter range of the rifles pinned down the CIU soldiers, who were armed with flintlocks and swords. They couldn't even raise their heads.
Men were falling one after another.
The conscripted forces at the front were suffering heavy casualties. The nobles and merchants who had sided with Vergo were horrified. These were their personal slaves, their expensive mercenaries. The losses were immense.
But no one dared to say a word. The name of the Celestial Dragons held them all in a state of terror.
Saint Sommers stared at the strange enemy forces. After closing to a certain distance, they had stopped charging. They had set up their triangular shields, forming a makeshift barricade, and were just... shooting at them.
In the world of One Piece, the physical abilities of the average person were incredible. With a little training, they were all at the level of a national champion. An individual soldier could carry a large amount of ammunition and equipment. Some of the stronger ones could even carry a cannon weighing several tons and use it as a rifle. The addition of shields increased their tactical options and their defensive capabilities. It was a huge advantage.
They're so... cautious.
Saint Sommers had never fought a battle like this. Who just relied on firepower, who didn't charge in for a melee?
It was heretical.
He was furious. He ordered a charge. They had to get into close quarters, or they would be worn down.
"KILL!"
"TAKE THEM DOWN!"
"CHARGE! ANYONE WHO RETREATS WILL BE EXECUTED!"
The CIU drove the conscripted forces forward, toward the enemy line.
The warships, having reloaded, opened fire again. The shells landed in the midst of the charging crowd, and a dozen men were instantly vaporized.
The rocket launcher teams fired their rockets.
The sound of explosions echoed across the beach.
The sound of gunfire was deafening.
A thousand men, either blown apart or shot, fell on the charge.
You had to admit, the people in the world of One Piece, whether human or not, were incredibly tough. Some of them, even after being shot, were still full of fight.
And the high-ranking Marine officers, in a battle like this, would have come out without a scratch.
Not to mention someone of Saint Sommers's level.
When the enemy had closed to within 400 meters, Suleiman, Issho's second-in-command, gave the order.
"Odd-numbered squads, fix bayonets! Even-numbered squads, continue firing!"
As a military man who had commanded a naval battle where he was outnumbered and still won, Suleiman was a better battlefield tactician than Issho.
To adapt to the new tactics, the Kar98k had been designed with a bayonet for close-quarters combat, rather than a separate sword. The exceptions were the elite swordsmen and the commanders.
"Thorn Serpent!"
Saint Sommers's face was taut with rage. A massive thorn serpent erupted from the ground beneath his feet and shot toward Issho.
Issho felt its power and gripped his cane sword.
The thorn serpent, under the influence of gravity, slammed into the ground.
Saint Sommers's body felt heavy, as if a massive weight were pressing down on him. He could barely stand.
He looked at Issho. "Thorns!"
Thorns shot out from the ground, aiming for Issho.
Issho cut them down with a single slash. The gravity-infused blade flew through the air and struck Saint Sommers, leaving a deep gash.
But strangely, the wound, wreathed in a black, smoke-like substance, healed in an instant.
"Strange," Issho said. He had sensed a strange aura. He frowned.
"So you saw it," Saint Sommers said, his voice cold. "Then I'll have to kill you."
He drew his sword, and it was instantly covered in thorns and hardened with Armament Haki. He shot forward, his speed incredible.
A massive thorn club crashed down.
CLANG!
Issho met the blow with his own sword. The impact shattered the ground, a terrifying sight.
The two of them were locked in a fierce battle, their movements a blur, their attacks like a tempest, the air constantly exploding around them.
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~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
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