Although the G-1 Branch still had to wait twenty years before it could become a fully-fledged base, it was stationed in the New World — and the Marines stationed there were no pushovers.
The branch commander was a Marine Vice Admiral. Grand Line branch bases held ranks equivalent to Marine Headquarters, so naturally their combat strength wasn't anything to scoff at.
After Gecko Moria attacked the Marine base, the Vice Admiral immediately counterattacked. But Moria wasn't a Logia user, so his sensitivity to Haki was fairly limited.
He just felt that the Marines at this base were unusually tough to deal with. Many of his high-speed slashes were nearly invisible to the naked eye, yet the Marines could still dodge them.
Even the attacks that did land didn't seem to have the effect he'd expected.
"Marine Rokushiki — Iron Body and Paper Dance?" Moria of course knew about the Rokushiki. He couldn't use them himself, but he'd witnessed them in action several times back in Paradise.
He'd mistaken the Vice Admiral's Haki for Rokushiki.
"Not bad for New World Marines — even your Rokushiki is way stronger than what those Paradise Marines can pull off." Moria gritted his teeth as he sat on his fleeing ship.
Though he had attacked the Marine base, the assault was more thunder than rain. After catching the Marines off guard and causing a brief moment of chaos, they'd immediately begun their counterattack.
An entire Marine base's worth of combat power was not something to trifle with. They had over twenty warships alone — there was no way they'd let a single Moria run wild.
After weathering Moria's first wave of attacks, that Marine commander had immediately launched a counteroffensive, quickly driving Moria and his crew into full retreat.
That said, Moria hadn't actually taken much damage. He might not know how to use Haki, but Haki was like martial arts in a way — those who trained in it were naturally strong, but those who didn't could still possess raw, god-given physical power.
And Moria was clearly one of those born with monstrous strength.
The guy didn't even look human. If this were the Middle Ages, he'd have been tied to a stake and burned at the stake for sure.
After the clash with the Marines, Moria realized his crew's firepower simply wasn't up to par. He decided to cut his losses, turned his ship around, and retreated with his men.
The Marines behind him had been chasing him for two days straight and still hadn't given up.
"Shishishi — what a persistent bunch." He stretched his long neck to look back. The Marine commander in the white cape was still standing at the bow of the lead ship, looking ready to fight to the death.
"Seriously, these Marines have no idea what they're up against. Being this clingy is just annoying." His crewmates laughed along.
The atmosphere aboard Moria's pirate ship was surprisingly harmonious. There was nothing particularly grim or oppressive about the crew. Moria himself was a fairly decent captain — he didn't put on airs and treated his subordinates well.
But this raid had made Moria realize a few things.
For one, he was severely short-handed. If he couldn't even take down a small Marine branch base, what hope did he have of conquering the New World?
If he could get his hands on a thousand or more subordinates, he wouldn't need to fear the Marines at all.
Of course, in his mind, there was a clear distinction between subordinates and crewmen.
"Listen up, boys! Shake off these idiot Marines!
After this, my bounty's definitely going up again.
Then we'll ride that fame to recruit even more subordinates — and set our sights on the Pirate King's throne! Shishishi!"
The pale, purplish onion-headed man stood up and spread his arms wide.
He wore a tight leather jacket and jeans — a style completely different from what the future would bring.
Clearly, Moria was feeling very optimistic about his future at this point.
The smooth sailing he'd experienced since setting out had given him the false impression that the road ahead would be just as easy. But he would soon learn why they called the New World the pirates' graveyard.
Aboard the iron warship, a woman in a white sailor's cap and a military-style outfit stood at the bow. Her not-too-large trench coat flapped in the sea breeze — this was Shichisei, cutting through the wind and waves.
"Lord Ryuki, that looks like Gecko Moria's pirate ship up ahead, heading straight toward us. There are six Marine warships chasing behind him."
The lookout on the warship had dynamic vision comparable to a hawk's — or more accurately, that person was some kind of avian Oni.
"Moria's crew and the Marines — looks like the G-1 Branch's pursuit force." Beneath her military cap, Shichisei's long hair fluttered in the wind.
She appeared slender and delicate, but her strength was extraordinary.
"Should we avoid the Marines?"
"Why would we avoid them?" Shichisei lifted her sharp, pretty chin. In an instant, her eyes transformed into cold, slit pupils — like those of some ruthless, cold-blooded predator.
"It's just a fraction of one branch's forces.
The New World is not the Marines' territory!"
Her voice was ice-cold. Suddenly, she drew the blade at her waist and slashed it forward.
"Charge straight through. If the Marines try to stop us, we'll teach them who really rules the New World!"
With that, she tossed the blade aside. Shichisei wasn't much of a weapons fighter anyway — in her Oni form, her claws were sharper than any blade!
Meanwhile, aboard Moria's ship, the crew had also spotted Shichisei's warship bearing down on them.
"Captain, that looks like the flag of Inazuma! Are they here to cause trouble for us?"
With enemies both ahead and behind, Moria's crew was growing uneasy. But Moria himself remained calm — he showed no fear and simply drew his sword, preparing for battle.
"No need to be scared. It's just one ship. Bring us alongside them!"
As the two ships closed the distance, Moria had already ordered his crew to load the cannons. The gunner was estimating whether the enemy was within range when, suddenly, the iron warship across from them opened fire!
BOOM —
BOOM —
Beams of intense energy that seemed to glow with golden light slammed into Moria's ship, shell after shell!
Moria was still daydreaming about how he'd fight the boarding battle when Shichisei's cannons caught him completely off guard. The energy blasts were over half a meter thick — one shot obliterated his entire bow, nearly blowing his six-meter-tall frame off the ship.
"Captain, are you okay?!" His crewmates scrambled for cover but still shouted out in concern.
Moria's entire face was nearly scorched black. His mouth hung open in a daze, smoke still rising from it.
He wasn't seriously hurt — he'd just taken a blast to the face and was a little dizzy. He shook his head and quickly recovered his wits. Inazuma's ships clearly packed firepower on a completely different level from ordinary pirate crews, and their vessels were far more advanced.
"We can't win a ship-to-ship fight! Close the distance, boys — we'll take them head-on!"
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day across two active fictions, along with bonus releases and extra chapters. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, my financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
Adventurer — $3 per month
10 chapters in advance for all of my works
Warrior — $7 per month
20 chapters in advance for all of my works
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
30 chapters in advance for all of my works
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee (Apple/Patreon policy). Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late (2 to 3 months), which makes it much harder for me to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help me continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]