Chapter 154: A Warlord of the Sea Attacks!
On the deck of the escapee Okama warship, the crew was busy with their respective tasks.
Some were polishing their weapons, some were organizing ropes, and others were moving supplies.
Suddenly, the lookout in the crow's nest screamed himself hoarse, "Ship approaching ahead! Two of them! Two ships!"
His cry instantly shattered the originally busy yet orderly atmosphere on the ship!
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction the lookout was pointing.
It really was two ships!
And one of them was a Marine warship!
For a moment, the atmosphere on the ship became tense and heavy.
They were all prisoners who had been locked away in Impel Down for years. They had only enjoyed a few days of comfort since breaking out. If they were to be thrown back into that endless abyss, their lives would truly be over.
After a moment of dead silence, the crewman in charge of the alarm, as if waking from a dream, scrambled toward the alarm and forcefully pulled down the lever.
A sharp, piercing alarm instantly blared throughout the entire ship. Lightning and Ivankov, who were resting, were startled by the sudden sound and quickly rushed out of their cabins!
On the sea's horizon, the silhouettes of the two ships gradually became clearer.
The one in front flew a flag with a seagull spreading its wings.
It gave off an immense sense of pressure!
It exuded a cold, hard metallic texture. Its pristine white hull and towering masts proclaimed the authority of the Marines. The cannons were lined up neatly, their dark muzzles seeming to silently declare their formidable firepower!
This was a vessel of the greatest power on the seas, a Marine ship!
The other ship, however, looked a bit too comical.
It was a...
A bizarrely shaped, brightly colored flamingo ship!
The flamingo's form was breathtakingly realistic. The bow was sharp as a hook, and the texture of the feathers on the hull was exquisitely detailed. Most eye-catching of all, it wore a pair of exaggerated red sunglasses, which reflected a dazzling light under the sun, seeming to carry an air that was both nonchalant and extremely dangerous.
A burly man in fishnet stockings saw the ship's design and his heart fluttered. "That ship, it's just like the ship of my dreams!"
"So cute! This ship... it can't be a Marine ship, can it?"
"Definitely not. It must be some merchant ship, right? Or an exhibition ship? Or maybe it belongs to the daughter of some great noble, so the Marines are escorting it?"
An elderly bunny girl saw the situation and said, "Everyone, don't worry! This definitely isn't the Marines coming to capture us! We just need to stay calm!"
But next to the bunny girl, Pirate Ren Arakawa, with his newly acquired 300 million bounty, looked as if he were facing a great enemy.
That bizarrely shaped ship was no noble lady's ride.
That thing belonged to the man nicknamed "Heavenly Yaksha," a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the king of Dressrosa—Donquixote Doflamingo!
Aboard the Marine warship ahead, the twin-sword-wielding Vice Admiral Strawberry stood tall on the deck. His sharp eyes were fixed on the warship that was gradually veering off course, his brow slightly furrowed.
According to Marine protocol, when two Marine warships met on the vast ocean, they would always greet each other and exchange information about their missions and routes. But this ship's behavior was completely abnormal.
Vice Admiral Strawberry's suspicions grew. He decisively ordered his men to turn on the broadcast system to try and establish contact and clarify the situation.
As his voice echoed across the sea, "Which division does the ship ahead belong to?" the tension in the air intensified.
When the Okamas on their ship heard the broadcast, they were all instantly dumbfounded. Their faces, already pale with nervousness, turned even uglier.
They cried out to Ivankov in a panic, their voices filled with fear and helplessness, "Ivankov-sama, what—what do we do?!?"
Ivankov's eyes rolled, and then, in his signature booming voice, he yelled toward the Marine warship, "We are... the Okama-Newkama branch!"
As soon as he said this, the already terrified Okamas on the ship felt like the sky was falling!
How could the Marines possibly have such a bizarre branch?
But in truth, regardless of Ivankov's answer or how plausible his story was, Vice Admiral Strawberry would still confirm the serial number of the missing Impel Down warship with headquarters.
A confrontation between the two sides was inevitable.
Strawberry strode quickly into the warship's command room and took a small Den Den Mushi from a drawer.
This Den Den Mushi had a peculiar appearance, with a shell like a snail, but its antennae were as agile as human ears. Its eyes were round and bright, revealing a keen alertness.
When it was picked up, its antennae twitched slightly, as if awaiting a command.
Strawberry skillfully dialed his superior's number. The Den Den Mushi's mouth began to mimic the voice of the person on the other end. After a series of "purupuru" sounds, a clear human voice came through.
Strawberry concisely explained the situation, asking about the recent deployment of Marine fleets and whether any warships had gone missing.
As the reply came through, Strawberry's expression gradually darkened. All signs indicated that the strangely behaving warship opposite them was very likely one of the recently lost vessels!
"All hands, full speed ahead! Approach that suspicious warship!" Strawberry gave the order decisively. His Marine soldiers moved swiftly, adjusting the sails and increasing power. The warship shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, heading straight for its target!
At that moment, on the deck of the Okama warship, the Okamas who had been feigning composure instantly jumped in fright when they heard the Marine warship accelerating toward them.
Ivankov grew anxious as well. He shouted for his subordinates to get the ship moving while running back and forth on the deck, directing the crew to take various countermeasures.
The sails were quickly hoisted, and the sea wind billowed into them, pushing the ship to flee for its life.
Strawberry slapped his thigh. "Damn it! They really are the escapees from Impel Down! After them! Open fire! Open fire!"
The cannons of the Marine warship flashed with firelight as cannonballs whistled through the air, heading straight for the "Okama-go"!
The helmsman of the Okama-go gripped the wheel tightly, their face deathly pale, with beads of sweat rolling down their forehead.
To dodge the cannonballs, they used all their strength to steer the ship, swerving left and right. One moment, they would be thrown to the left, their body slamming hard against the cabin wall; the next, they would be flung to the right, struggling to stay on their feet.
The cannonballs practically grazed the ship's hull as they flew past. Their sharp whistling sound made one's eardrums ache, and the ship was violently rocked by the shockwaves from the explosions.
Just when everyone thought they had temporarily escaped disaster, a cannonball, trailing thick smoke, flew toward the center of the Okama-go at incredible speed, about to score a direct hit!
Lightning's eyes narrowed. With a powerful push from their legs, they leaped high into the air, their arms transforming into scissors that glinted with a cold light!
In the nick of time, they precisely cut the cannonball in two. The two halves lost their trajectory and fell into the water, exploding instantly and sending up massive plumes of water. The huge impact once again shook the Okama-go violently, and everyone on board clung to the railings to avoid being thrown into the sea.
Ivankov stared at the relentlessly pursuing Marine warship, his brow furrowed and his eyes filled with anxiety. He shouted, "We can't go on like this! We have to find a way to shake them!"
The Okama at the helm cried out, "No, it's no use! This warship uses a windless propulsion system! Relying on wind power, its speed is no match for a traditional ship!"
In this tense situation, Ivankov's mind raced.
Suddenly! He had an idea!
Ivankov's fingernails instantly grew long!
He shouted, "Emporio Face Growth Hormone!"
He ruthlessly injected the special growth hormone into his own face. In an instant, his face began to expand at a visible rate, soon becoming as large as a small mountain!
Then, he laid his enormous head on the deck of the Okama-go. The others understood immediately and acted quickly.
The Okamas linked hands one by one, forming a solid human chain. One end held tightly onto Ivankov, while the other gripped the sails, ensuring everyone was securely connected.
Ivankov took a deep breath, rapidly blinked his large eyes, and, mustering all his strength, yelled, "HELL WINK!"
With that roar, a powerful, invisible reactive force erupted from Ivankov's eyes!
This force instantly acted upon the Okama-go. The entire warship was like it had been violently shoved by a giant, unseen hand. Propelled by this immense reactive force, it shot forward a great distance like an arrow loosed from a bow!
The warship carved a long arc across the sea, kicking up vast sheets of spray and instantly creating a considerable distance between itself and the pursuing Marine vessel!
In the violent lurch, the connected bodies of the Okamas looked from a distance like a long, multicolored rope swaying in the wind—a truly comical sight.
But as they flung snot and tears everywhere, they were also quite pitiful.
Vice Admiral Strawberry, holding a pair of binoculars, stomped his foot in anger. "Chase them! Don't let those guys get away!"
Aboard the Okama ship, everyone was working together to escape. Lightning, now free, saw Ren Arakawa standing on the observation platform and found it a bit strange.
They leaped up to the platform and looked at the solemn-faced Ren Arakawa. "What's wrong, Ren? Why have you been spacing out this whole time?"
"I'm... brewing."
"Brewing? What do you mean?"
Pirate Ren Arakawa stared intently at the flamingo ship, the unease in his heart growing ever stronger!
Suddenly, he saw a figure!
It was...
Wild blond hair, a face with a hint of wickedness, and an innate arrogance.
He wore an iconic pink feather coat, its feathers full and swaying gently as he walked. Below, he wore a pair of crisp white trousers, tucked into a pair of black, high boots.
He opened his mouth, accompanied by a strange laugh.
"Fuffuffuffuffu!"
The eerie laughter echoed across the sea, making one's hair stand on end!
Doflamingo asked in his slightly hoarse yet incredibly intimidating voice, "Why is the warship next to us firing its cannons?"
Diamante, a high-ranking executive of the Donquixote Family, immediately stepped forward and answered respectfully, "There's a group of escapees ahead who stole a Marine warship."
The smile on Doflamingo's lips widened, becoming even more unrestrained. "Oh? Escapees from Impel Down? Fuffuffu..."
The glint in his eyes was clearly the excitement ignited by this chaos!
Ren Arakawa stood on the deck, his eyes locked on Doflamingo's every move, his heart pounding violently with each of the man's actions.
When he saw the figure in the pink feather coat leap from his ship like a phantom, stretching out wantonly in mid-air and propelling himself forward toward the Okama-go, an indescribable chill rose from the bottom of Ren Arakawa's heart.
"This is big trouble!" Ren Arakawa gritted his teeth, cursing inwardly.
At the same time, the crowd of prisoners on the Okama-go saw Doflamingo flying through the air like a demon god descending upon the world and instantly erupted in terrified cries.
"Heavens! How can there be someone in the Marines who can walk on air!?" one Okama prisoner's eyes widened, his voice trembling terribly as his body shrank back uncontrollably.
"It's over, it's over! We just escaped Impel Down, are we going to be caught and dragged back again???" Another Okama clutched his head and squatted on the ground, his eyes filled with despairing tears. They had worked so hard to break free from the shackles of prison, thinking they were starting a new life, only to find they had only been free for three days.
"No, wait! That guy's outfit doesn't look like a Marine's. Is he a Pirate?"
"Right! He's a Pirate! That's! Doflamingo!? I saw him in Dressrosa before I was imprisoned! He's a Pirate! We're fine, we're fine!"
"Fine, my ass!" another Okama retorted. "Doflamingo became one of the Seven Warlords a long time ago! He's with the World Government!"
"Aaaaaah!"
The crowd's cries rose and fell, merging together and throwing the already tense deck of the Okama-go into chaos. In the face of this sudden terror, everyone lost their usual composure and could only watch helplessly as Doflamingo drew closer and closer.
Just as Doflamingo was about to close in on the Okama-go, the calm sea surface suddenly erupted into monstrous waves, and a gigantic water dragon burst forth from the water with a roar!
This water dragon was over ten meters long. Its massive body shimmered under the sunlight like it was pieced together from countless tiny crystals, radiating a cold and majestic aura!
It held its head high, its pair of enormous, lantern-like eyes flashing with an azure light, as if they could see through everything. Its huge mouth gaped open, revealing rows of sharp "water fangs," seemingly ready to tear everything before it to shreds!
Wisps of water vapor coiled around the dragon's body like curling green smoke, adding to its sense of mystery and ferocity.
The people on the Okama-go were first stunned to see the water dragon appear, then broke out into cheers mixed with surprise and hope.
The soldiers on the opposing Marine warship witnessed this scene and couldn't help but show expressions of astonishment.
"What is that? A monster from the sea?" A young Marine soldier's eyes went wide, and he subconsciously took a step back, almost losing his grip on his rifle.
"Don't panic! Stay alert!" the commanding officer shouted, but his own eyes held deep confusion as he stared intently at the water dragon, trying to figure out what this sudden variable was.
On the Donquixote Family's side, the executives also frowned slightly, their expressions surprised.
Diamante tightened his grip on his sword and muttered to himself, "A Devil Fruit user who can control seawater?"
And at the center of the storm, Doflamingo, the moment the water dragon burst from the water, had a flicker of barely perceptible alarm in his eyes.
Seawater had always been the bane of Devil Fruit users. Even for him, who roamed the four seas, being suspended in the air at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a jolt.
But he was Doflamingo, after all. After a brief moment of panic, he quickly regained his composure.
His hands moved at lightning speed, and multi-colored threads shot out from his fingertips, weaving a giant net in the air in the blink of an eye!
The water dragon, carrying a majestic momentum, crashed violently toward Doflamingo.
Just before impact, the water dragon slammed into the net of strings. Doflamingo let out a great shout and pulled hard on the threads, using the power of the String-String Fruit to slice the water dragon into countless pieces!
However, seawater still splashed through the tiny gaps between the threads, hitting him in the face.
The cold, salty sensation made his expression change slightly. He raised a hand to quickly wipe the seawater from his face, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. He then narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Ren Arakawa on the deck, who stood with his hands clasped and a stern expression.
Wisps of lightning began to flicker around Ren Arakawa's body. The lightning danced and sparked, gradually converging in his hands and coating a feather that was emitting a dazzling light!
"Thunder Feather: Armament Enhancement!"
The Thunder Feather tore through the air, creating a sharp whistling sound as it shot toward Doflamingo!
Mingo snorted coldly, but his face showed no sign of panic. His hands moved swiftly, and multi-colored threads poured from his fingertips, weaving and tangling in the air. In an instant, they formed a dense, five-colored net, attempting to block the Thunder Feather Ren Arakawa had launched.
However, the moment the Thunder Feather made contact with the five-colored net, the unexpected happened!
The seemingly light feather possessed an unimaginable hardness. It broke straight through the net. The threads were flung aside, some even being directly melted by the power of the lightning, turning into specks of ash that scattered in the air.
Doflamingo's eyes widened in genuine surprise. He hadn't expected this ordinary-looking black feather to be so powerful, far exceeding his estimations.
After breaking through the barrier, the Thunder Feather's momentum didn't wane. It continued to whistle toward Doflamingo. He hurriedly dodged to the side, and the feather grazed the corner of his coat. The force of the wind it created made his pink feather coat flap loudly.
"Fuffuffuffuffu," Doflamingo laughed arrogantly. Just as he raised his hand to act, it was as if he suddenly understood something. He turned and flew through the air back toward his own ship!
His sudden retreat left Lightning, Ivankov, and the other Okama escapees somewhat bewildered.
Was he scared off?
That shouldn't be right, should it?
Those two attacks looked menacing, but hadn't he blocked them both?
Seeing this, Vice Admiral Strawberry immediately shouted, "Doflamingo! You are one of the Seven Warlords! I now have the authority, on behalf of the World Government, to demand that you capture these criminals!"
"Fuffuffu~"
Doflamingo laughed twice, his face as dark as water as he replied, "I'm a Devil Fruit user. I'm afraid of seawater. Such a troublesome enemy is better left to you people who aren't afraid of it."
Vice Admiral Strawberry stomped his foot in anger. "Damn it! You can't rely on Pirates! After I get back, I will definitely report this to the World Government and have your..."
Before he could finish, the three-meter-tall Doflamingo appeared like a phantom, instantly standing on the gunwale of the Marine warship.
His iconic pink feather coat danced wildly in the wind, his blond hair flying with abandon!
"Fuffuffu~"
Doflamingo's laughter was sinister and terrifying, like gusts of cold wind drilling straight into everyone's hearts, making the surrounding temperature seem to drop a few degrees!
Seeing this, the Marines were on high alert. They all subconsciously took a step back and quickly drew their weapons.
Dark gun muzzles and gleaming swords were all aimed at Doflamingo. The soldiers' hands trembled slightly, and large beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads, revealing their inner tension and fear.
One of the Marines forced himself to remain calm and warned loudly, "Don't you forget that you are one of the Seven Warlords!"
"As a Warlord, you should maintain a cooperative relationship with the Marines! You shouldn't be stirring up trouble and overstepping your bounds at a time like this!"
Doflamingo, however, seemed not to hear, continuing his strange laughter. Wave after wave of it echoed across the sea, chilling everyone to the bone.
When he finished laughing, he tilted his head up slightly and spoke to Strawberry in a tone filled with intimidation, "If my status as a Warlord is revoked, then... the first people I'll come after will be the Marines... Fuffuffu~"
Strawberry gripped his twin swords tightly, his brow furrowed as he stared at Doflamingo, silently weighing the situation. He knew deep down that this man's threat was anything but an empty one.
"Fuffuffu~"
Doflamingo's bone-chilling laughter still echoed in the air. Just when everyone thought the confrontation was about to escalate, his figure flickered, and he leaped off the warship.
The pink silhouette traced an arc through the air, heading toward his flamingo ship, and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Strawberry let out a heavy sigh of relief. The twin swords he had been gripping tightly loosened slightly, and his tense body gradually relaxed.
He raised a hand to wipe the dense beads of sweat from his forehead, feeling secretly fortunate. In that brief moment, he had truly felt an extremely strong threat!
He had long heard of Doflamingo's madness and power, but facing him today, the sense of oppression was enough to send a chill down his spine.
If he had truly torn all pretenses with this Warlord of the Sea, a vicious battle would have been unavoidable, and whether his own side could have escaped unscathed was a complete unknown.
Just then, a private ran over. "Vice—Vice Admiral! That ship has gotten far away!"
Strawberry looked into the distance, then sighed. "Report the news up the chain. The priority now is..." He looked at the flamingo ship nearby. "Head to Dressrosa first."
"Yes, sir!"
(end of chapter)