"Hoo~"
Sengoku took a deep breath and pulled himself together.
Turning to his adjutant, he quickly instructed, "Contact headquarters and the World Government at once. We've been attacked by the Rocks Pirates and require immediate reinforcements."
"Also, send a request for support to the Fiore Kingdom. Since this involves a Celestial Dragon, they must prioritize the bigger picture."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! I'll handle it right away!"
Tap-tap-tap~
The adjutant hurried into the ship's cabin to make the necessary communications.
'I can only hope the Fiore Kingdom will send reinforcements. Damn these Celestial Dragons—they only cause trouble.'
Recalling the outrageous actions Saint Naya had taken in the Fiore Kingdom just days before, Sengoku felt utterly uncertain.
He couldn't be sure whether the Fiore Kingdom would actually come to their aid or merely put on a show.
Especially when he thought of the Fiore Kingdom's princess, who had died not long ago—her body probably still warm—his confidence waned even further.
But there was no other choice. The Fiore Kingdom was one of the major nations in the New World and the closest to their location.
Only with their support could they hope to turn the tide in this desperate situation.
'All we can do is pray for a miracle. I've never faced such a hopeless deadlock before.'
'No matter what, as a Marine, I must uphold the Marines' honor.'
Sengoku steeled his resolve, his gaze growing increasingly determined.
"Gyahahaha! Still thinking about calling for reinforcements at a time like this? That's so like you, Sengoku."
From the sky, Shiki, who had witnessed Sengoku issuing orders, burst into laughter.
"With Brian and me both here today, you still believe you can turn this around?"
"Gyahahaha! Appear, my men!"
With a wave of his hand, two pirate ships—one large, one small—emerged from the clouds. They belonged to him and Brian, respectively.
"Hahaha, Captain, are these Marines our target this time? They're not enough to satisfy us!"
"I never thought the captain was serious about catching a big fish—a lone Celestial Dragon! The so-called God of the World!"
"Ahahaha, how terrifying! I'm trembling under the divine radiance!"
"Let's take them down, Captain! Let's finish off this Celestial Dragon too! Show them the might of the Golden Lion Pirates!"
"Kill them all, brothers! I want to turn this Celestial Dragon into a specimen! Wahahaha!"
...
As soon as Shiki's crew appeared, they began shouting excitedly at the scene below.
Their clamor reached a peak when they spotted the Celestial Dragon aboard Sengoku's warship.
Celestial Dragons, who styled themselves as Gods of the World, were the most famous yet mysterious race in the world.
Under normal circumstances, pirates had very few opportunities to encounter a Celestial Dragon.
Those who did either ended up dead or enslaved by the Celestial Dragons, with very few exceptions.
Today, these pirates were truly witnessing something extraordinary.
Some even had the wild idea of preserving this Celestial Dragon as a specimen.
They could take it back and proudly display the Celestial Dragon's "majestic form" to their comrades in other pirate crews!
If we really do this, we'll definitely become the focus of the Rocks Pirates and even the entire world.
At this thought, many pirates felt their bodies heating up, almost reaching climax.
"Listen well, Sengoku—you must protect me at all costs."
"My great-grandfather is the esteemed Saint Saturn of the Five Elders. If anything happens to me, your entire Marine force is finished."
Intimidated by the pirates' fervent enthusiasm, Saint Naya approached Sengoku and spoke anxiously.
His previous arrogance had vanished completely, replaced by a desperate desire to survive.
He knew that his only hope for survival now lay with Sengoku.
If he fell into the hands of those pirates, Saint Naya didn't dare imagine what treatment he would face.
"Rest assured, Saint Naya, all Marines will do everything in our power to protect you."
"Vice Admirals Allen and Bill, you must ensure the Celestial Dragon's safety."
"Vice Admirals Merck and Star, lead your troops with me to hold off the pirate assault."
"Comrades, we just need to hold out until reinforcements from the Fiore Kingdom arrive—that's our hope."
Sengoku assigned tasks to the four Vice Admirals who had gathered around him.
These Vice Admirals were seasoned veterans of Headquarters, mentally prepared for such situations, and they all nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry, Sengoku, we'll protect the Celestial Dragon."
"The Marines will never compromise with pirates. Let's fight together, Sengoku!"
With the leadership setting this tone, the morale of the lower-ranking Marines surged accordingly.
The entire Marine force's fighting spirit skyrocketed instantly.
War was imminent!
"Gyahahaha! Follow me, men! Annihilate all Marines and capture the Celestial Dragon alive!"
"Ooh~~~"
Shiki took the lead, sweeping his hand through the air and causing the surrounding seawater to react instantly.
Centered around Shiki's position, seawater within several kilometers converged rapidly, forming a colossal water lion dozens of meters tall.
"Lion's Roar·Sea Coil!"
"Roar~"
The massive water lion let out a thunderous roar and slammed down with overwhelming force toward the five Marine warships ahead.
In this water-surrounded environment, Shiki's move was practically cheating.
Seeing this, Sengoku's expression shifted drastically, his earlier composure completely shattered.
"Defend! All ships, open fire!"
"Yes~"
Boom~
Boom~
Boom~
The five warships continuously fired their cannons, but only managed to create deep pits in the water lion's body, which quickly healed.
Faced with this situation, Sengoku had no choice but to intervene personally again.
"Great Buddha·Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara!"
A dozens-meters-tall Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara replaced Sengoku's original position.
"Great Buddha·Buddha Palm Impact!"
Countless giant hands thrust forward simultaneously.
Innumerable intense shockwaves erupted, striking the water lion head-on.
Boom~
Splash splash splash~
Under this fierce assault, deep pits and wounds appeared all over the massive water lion.
Finally reaching a critical point, it could no longer maintain its lion form and shattered completely.
The dozens-meters-tall lion disintegrated entirely, drenching all the Marines.
Though soaked to the bone, they had at least survived. Wiping seawater from their faces, the Marines felt inexplicably invigorated.
"Gyahahaha, not bad at all, Sengoku."
"Then let's continue. I'll be your opponent today. You better give me a good fight to satisfy me."
Watching his ultimate move shattered by Sengoku's strike, Shiki grew even more excited instead.
Whoosh~
"Wave Slash·Thousand Rending Valleys!"
Countless sword energies erupted from Cherry Ten and Kogarashi in Shiki's hands, slashing toward the colossal Thousand-Armed Buddha.
Sengoku didn't retreat in the slightest. His towering figure moved with astonishing speed as he stepped through Moonwalk, charging aggressively toward Shiki.
The airspace in this area began transforming into a fierce battlefield between the two.