Meanwhile, on the other side.
The pirates of the Gecko Pirate Crew were also confused. They had been ready to respond to the warship's artillery, yet this Marine warship sailed straight toward them without any sign of firing.
"Captain, the enemy warship shows no sign of opening fire. Should we fire?!"
"Wait a moment. Let's see what they're up to first."
The captain of the Gecko Pirate Crew frowned suspiciously, a trace of unease creeping into his heart, though he didn't know why.
With neither side firing, an extremely strange standoff emerged, as if both the warship and the pirate ship were fake.
On the warship.
Seeing the enemy ship not fire, the three Captains and the Commanders aboard dared not even breathe, feeling as though these few hundred meters were an eternity.
Even after participating in ten normal naval battles, none were as nerve-wracking as this, their hearts pounding with anxiety.
"The enemy hasn't fired… what a blessing."
A Captain wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Watching the distance close, he exhaled deeply, glancing at Roya's figure at the front, exchanging looks with his comrades in disbelief.
At this point, they didn't even know whether to obey Roya's orders, charging directly at the pirate ship without firing—what kind of tactic was this? They couldn't make sense of it at all.
"No firing?"
Roya's hand rested on the hilt of Engetsu. If the pirate ship began firing, he would immediately strike to block the barrage.
But strangely, the pirates were not firing either. Roya could not help but chuckle lightly. Were they trying to play a hollow-city bluff?
The problem was, he was not bluffing at all.
Two hundred meters…
One hundred fifty meters…
One hundred meters…
The distance between warship and pirate ship closed rapidly, almost colliding.
The tension thickened, as if storm clouds had gathered, ready to unleash a tempest at any moment.
A Captain behind Roya, seeing the two ships close and the oppressive atmosphere mounting, could not hold back. Gritting his teeth, he spoke again.
"Rear Admiral Roya, next—"
He had decided that if Roya remained indifferent, he would forcibly overstep his authority and take command. He could not watch Roya recklessly lead them to destruction.
However, to the Captain's astonishment, Roya did not respond. His gaze remained fixed on the pirate ship ahead, deep and unreadable.
"Almost time."
"What… almost time?"
The other two Captains, hearing Roya's calm, measured tone, exchanged surprised looks and instinctively asked.
"The distance."
Roya replied calmly, glancing at the three Captains behind him. "Prepare to clean up the aftermath."
Clean up the aftermath?!
What aftermath?
The three Captains were dumbfounded, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.
Then, in the next moment, Roya, standing at the very front of the deck, moved suddenly!
Whoosh!!
In an instant, he leapt into the air like a phantom, appearing midair. Somehow, Engetsu was already drawn in his hands.
"Is that… Geppo?"
"What is Rear Admiral Roya doing?!"
The three Captains' hearts skipped a beat at the sight.
At the same time, the pirates of the Gecko Pirates noticed Roya suddenly soaring and standing above them. Their expressions turned to shock and disbelief.
"That Marine… can fly in the sky?!"
"What is he planning?"
Even the captain of the Gecko Pirates could not comprehend what was happening.
In the next instant,
Roya, high above, eyes cold and indifferent, raised the banner of Marine justice fluttering in the wind. Holding Engetsu lightly, he slashed forward at the pirate ship below.
One slash to destroy all.
"Getsuga… Tenshō!"
In the next moment,
both Marines on the warship and pirates on the ship witnessed a scene so shocking it would be unforgettable for life.
A massive, dazzling white sword energy, like a radiant crescent moon, descended from the sky, slicing across the pirate ship in an instant.
Shhhh!!
Silently, a horizontal gash appeared across the ship's midsection. The enormous hull split neatly along the cut.
With a single slash!
The Gecko Pirate's ship was cleaved in two, split perfectly in the middle!
Crash!!
The two halves capsized in the sea, sending terrifying waves in all directions.
The pirates aboard the ship gaped in disbelief, their faces frozen in utter shock.
Their ship… had been cut in two by a sword?!
An utterly inconceivable sight. If it hadn't happened right before their eyes, and if they weren't about to face the capsizing themselves, they would not have believed it.
Even though they had once defeated the First Branch Base's former Rear Admiral, they had not yet entered the Grand Line and had never seen this level of power!
The gap in strength was like heaven and earth.
They finally understood why the warship hadn't fired—why bother with artillery when it had such power?!
Meanwhile,
the Marines aboard the warship were also in absolute shock. Eyes wide, none spoke, all stunned into silence.
Even the three Captains, watching the sword cleave the ship and the sea surge, felt their minds reel and their hearts pound in disbelief.
Roya's strength… was truly terrifying.
They were Marine Captains, positions not low, but since they were only from the West Blue branch, not the Grand Line officers, their combat abilities were limited.
The power Roya displayed was the first they had ever seen!
A single slash to cut a sailing ship.
This was nearly the level of a Vice Admiral in headquarters. Even weaker branch Vice Admirals could not match such ability.
In the West Blue, the highest rank was Rear Admiral Base Commander—no branch Vice Admirals existed. Such power, equivalent to headquarters Vice Admiral or higher, was extremely rare. Many who spent their lives in the West Blue branch would never see power at this level.