Chapter 63: The Human Cannon
"Who said cannonballs are useless?" Satoru said, picking up a single cannonball and hefting it in his hand. "They're very useful."
He cocked his arm back.
Whoosh!
The cannonball shot out. It was so fast it was just a blur. One second Satoru moved, the next, the main mast of the pirate ship in the distance exploded into splinters.
"Hmm. First time trying it, but not bad," Satoru mused, nodding. "No wonder the old man likes playing with cannonballs. It's actually pretty fun."
All the Marines on the warship stared, jaws slack. What had they just witnessed?
They'd never served on Garp's ship. If they had, this would be normal. The crew of Garp's ship was long accustomed to it. But seeing someone else do it was still a shock.
"What was that?!" the pirates yelled, confused. There'd been an explosion on their ship, but no cannon flash.
Only their captain's face was dark. He'd seen it—or rather, sensed it with his Observation Haki. It was a cannonball, thrown from the Marine warship. He hadn't been able to react. The speed was unbelievable. It reminded him of a legend—the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp.
He'd never fought Garp, but Garp's habit of throwing cannonballs was infamous among pirates.
"Look! The man on that warship... is it Garp?!" the captain yelled at his lookout.
If it was Garp, he wouldn't say another word. He'd turn and run immediately.
"Captain, no! The commander is a young Marine! A white-haired kid!"
"A white-haired kid?"
The captain's mind raced. A Marine matching that description... His eyes widened. He remembered.
Wasn't that the new commander of Marine Base G-8? Not long ago, three affiliate crews of the Beast Pirates had attacked G-8. The result was total annihilation. It had been big news, but the Beast Pirates were busy with their war against the Red-Hairs, then the whole 'Four Emperors' thing... they'd probably forgotten all about those three crews.
"Turn around! Get us out of here! NOW!" the captain roared, his face pale.
He was strong, but those three Beast Pirate affiliates? They were stronger. Combined, they were far more powerful than his crew. The man who wiped out all three at once... his own crew didn't stand a chance.
"Sir! They're trying to flee!" the Marine lookout reported.
"Full speed! Don't let them get away!" Cullom ordered immediately.
Their warship was one of the fastest on the sea. Only a better warship could outrun it. Marine technology was no joke. They'd catch up quickly.
"No need for all that," Satoru said casually. "Bring me a crate of cannonballs from below. I'll be the human artillery."
Cullom opened her mouth to protest, but remembered the lightning-fast shot from moments ago. The words died in her throat.
The Marines below scrambled. In under a minute, a heavy crate of cannonballs was placed beside Satoru.
"Pirates," Satoru grinned, a wicked light in his blue eyes. "Time to experience the power of a 'Meteor Shower.'"
He grabbed two cannonballs, one in each hand, and hurled them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He quickly got into a rhythm, his hands becoming a blur. The Marines could only hear the constant whooshing sounds. They couldn't see the projectiles.
All they saw was the crate of cannonballs emptying rapidly, and the explosions on the distant pirate ship growing more and more violent.
Every shot was pinpoint accurate. Not one missed. Not one was blocked.
I guess the pirates over there are gone, every Marine thought. No one could survive that barrage. It was a demon's judgment on a ship. It was brutal. It was terrifying.
It was also... kind of awesome.
One brave Marine picked up a cannonball and tried to throw it. His throw didn't even match the range of the ship's actual cannons. He gave up.
"Whew... I'm actually tired," Satoru said, shaking out his slightly sore arms and finally stopping. By now, there was no trace of the pirate ship on the distant sea. Just debris and smoke.
You're not human? every Marine mentally complained. You're the one doing the inhuman thing!
At first, Satoru threw to eliminate the pirates. But later... it seemed like he was just having fun. He threw the shells in neat, rapid succession. Because of the speed, they exploded in an almost perfect line, creating a wall of fire and water on the sea's surface.
"Ah, sorry about that," Satoru said, seeing the Marines' stunned faces. He thought they were upset about missing the fight. "I didn't give you a chance to exercise this time. I'll be more careful next time."
"Uh... huh," they all nodded blankly, not really processing his words.
"Make sure to record that eliminated pirate crew," Satoru instructed. "That's all combat merit. Report it up the chain. It might not mean a promotion, but at least you'll get a bonus."
The Marines suddenly perked up. Right now, their biggest dream was simple: money. It took a fortune to build the G-8 fortress into something rivaling Marineford. And their young commander seemed to have a talent for generating both combat victories and the funds to pay for his ambitious projects. The hunt was profitable.
(End of Chapter)
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