Chapter 460: Sharp Blade
The flickering firelight swayed, and the figure finally stepped out of the shadows.
It was a tall man wearing a dark trench coat and a Marine cap.
The hem of his coat whipped fiercely in the air currents, the metal buckles clinking softly with a low, metallic chime.
His strides were steady, each step hitting the deck like a hammer, the rhythm heavy and oppressive.
"—The Marines?!!"
Cavendish stood up abruptly, his chair legs scraping harshly against the floor, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword.
Drops of wine rolled off the edge of the table, reflecting a crimson light in the dancing flames.
Ideo furrowed his brows, his voice low. "This is big trouble..."
The man tilted his head up slightly, the familiar scar and hardened contours of his face flashing beneath the shadow of his cap's brim.
Chinjao's pupils shrank. "X Drake?!! Aren't you one of the Tobi Roppo..."
The air instantly grew taut.
Drake swept his gaze over the crowd, his face expressionless, his tone calm. "The Marines have already learned of your plans."
He paused, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up into a mocking smile.
"We intended to turn a blind eye to you all... What a pity. A pirate is always a pirate, after all—a thief's heart never truly dies."
As his words fell, several figures stepped out from behind him simultaneously.
The heavy thud of their boots was perfectly synchronized. Their auras were as sharp as blades, their killing intent almost suppressing the dancing flames.
Hajrudin's pupils shrank slightly. "Who exactly are you people?!"
Chinjao's face turned livid in an instant.
—SWORD.
The special force that once struck terror into the hearts of countless factions.
They were Marines, yet they were not Marines.
This special squad, which had once submitted their resignations and returned their marine codes, briefly broke free from the shackles of the system to become "Free Blades" unbound by orders on the sea.
They did not have to follow military commands, did not have to listen to superiors, and did not need to wait for permission.
They could strike at any moment, and could even wage war against any maritime faction without prior approval.
However, this freedom came with a price.
Their actions were no longer recognized by the World Government, and the Marines would not take responsibility for their deeds.
They could be stripped of their military records and identities at any time, or even—completely erased from historical records, becoming shadows that "never existed."
They were abandoned justice, forgotten soldiers.
Until—the appearance of Admiral Roy.
The new Marine Admiral, renowned for his "Judgment," issued a direct order the moment he took office:
—"All members of the SWORD unit are to have their codes reinstated and be incorporated into the direct special operations sequence."
From then on, this unit, once abandoned by the era, returned. Transforming from a wandering guerrilla squad into the "Hidden Blades" personally honed by Admiral Roy—born solely to eliminate all potential threats.
In this reorganization, two familiar figures had voluntarily joined the unit.
—Rear Admiral "Black Leg" Sanji.
—Rear Admiral "Sniper King" Usopp.
They volunteered to join SWORD, becoming members of this highly classified unit known as the "Phantoms of the Sea."
Drake slowly drew the longsword from his waist, the blade reflecting the dancing firelight, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
"We are the Marine Headquarters' classified special forces—SWORD, directly under the command of Admiral Roy."
His voice was deep, laced with ruthless, murderous intent. "Our mission is to purge all existences that threaten the order of the seas."
He raised his blade, pointing it at the crowd around the table. "And you... are precisely among them."
The air grew freezing cold, as if even the wind was holding its breath.
Chinjao's fists let out popping cracks, his Haki rolling like a furious tide.
The tip of Cavendish's sword trembled, the blade's gleam reflecting in his eyes.
Bartolomeo's laughter gradually faded, replaced by an intense battle intent.
The silence lasted for only half a second.
In the very next instant, the air was torn apart by fluctuating Haki.
"A mere five brats dare to act so presumptuously in front of me?!!"
Chinjao roared furiously, his voice deafening like thunder, shaking the entire secret chamber!
He stood up abruptly, his aura surging. His white beard danced wildly in the airwaves, his face looking like a ferocious demon, his fists completely covered in pitch-black Armament Haki.
"When I was making a name for myself on the seas—you lot weren't even born yet!!!"
He stomped, shattering the ground, and launched himself into the air. The massive impact blasted the air into a sonic boom as he lunged straight at Drake!
"Ancient Zoan: Allosaurus Model—Liberation!!!"
Drake's eyes sharpened. His body instantly expanded, muscles twisting, and bones reshaping with a chain of popping cracks!
In a flash, a giant Allosaurus covered in armored scales appeared with a roar, a cold battle intent igniting in its blood-red eyes!
"ROAR—!!!"
The two monstrous forces violently collided in mid-air!!
"BOOM—!!!"
Airwaves churned, and the ground instantly exploded into countless fragments! The massive shockwave blasted the surrounding dust straight into the sky, frightening even the distant seabirds into scattering!
Chinjao roared as he swung his fist down, his Haki like a falling meteor, forcefully pushing back Drake's massive beast-form body.
Drake's giant claws tore through the air, and with a sweep of his tail, the entire ground was cleaved in two!
"Plummet to the ground, old man!!!"
"Hmph! You're a hundred years too early to take me on—!!!"
The two colossal forces collided once again, the thunderous impact kicking up ten thousand feet of dust across the earth!
Meanwhile, another front was instantly ignited!
"Senior Usopp!!"
The young girl Hibari shouted sharply, taking a step back and leaping onto a broken cliff face.
Usopp grinned, responding casually. "Yeah~ I know."
The two assumed their sniping stances simultaneously.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Their sniper rifles flashed at the same time, their rapid-fire flawlessly precise! The bullets carved arcs through the air, instantly striking the nodes of the Happo Navy's charging squad, exploding one after another!
"Waaaahhh—!!!"
Over a dozen Happo Navy members were blasted flying, crashing into the fractured rock walls. Blood and splinters of wood flew everywhere!
Hibari smiled valiantly while reloading. "Senior, your aim is still as absurdly accurate as ever!"
Usopp proudly blew the smoke from his muzzle. "Hehe, the Marines' number one sniper isn't just a title, you know."
On the other side, flames suddenly erupted.
"Diable Jambe: Enbu (Flame Dance)—!!!"
Sanji's figure was like a flaming meteor, instantly turning into an afterimage as he delivered a spinning kick!
That kick was imbued with intense Armament Haki, black and red blending together as the scorching flames burned the sky!
Meeting him head-on was Cavendish—his blonde hair flying, his famous sword "Durandal" erupting with sword aura!
"Marines, you're getting in the way!!!"
"You guys are sticking your noses where they don't belong!!!"
"—!!!"
Their furious roars erupted almost simultaneously.
Sword aura and blazing flames collided, carving the air into a spiral, sparks and white light intertwining!
Sanji flipped and unleashed a continuous flurry of kicks, while Cavendish countered with fluid sword techniques, every clash sparking a searing explosion!
Attacking and defending, the two crisscrossed at high speeds over the fracturing ground, their figures almost moving too fast to see!
"Don't think I'll show you mercy just because you're a Marine!!!"
"Hah?! Your swordsmanship is far inferior to a certain moss-head I know—!!!"
Flames and sword light intertwined once more, instantly painting the entire battlefield into an inferno of shifting gold and red!
"Yo~ Little dark-skinned beauty, you dare come here all by yourself?"
Several grunts surrounded Kujaku, flashing sinister smiles.
Kujaku looked up, a dangerous light glinting in her amber eyes.
"It seems you all..."
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, her voice soft yet ruthless.
"...need a little disciplining."
With a flick of her wrist, her steel whip lashed out instantly, drawing a blindingly bright arc in the air!
"Paramecia: Muchi Muchi no Mi (Whip-Whip Fruit)—!"
"Crack—!!!"
The shadow of the whip struck the ground, instantly causing ring-shaped ripples to explode outward!
In the next second, the fractured earth transformed into densely packed stone arms, bursting from the ground like a giant to grab the surrounding grunts!
"Wh—What is this?!!"
"H-Help—!!!"
The giant hands slammed down like mountains, instantly sending the grunts flying dozens of meters away, their screams echoing endlessly!
Kujaku flicked her whip, her eyes as cold and alluring as fire.
"What I hate the most... are men who talk too much."
♧♧♧
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