Chapter 102: G-8 Fortress – Storming the Base & Farewell to Jonathan
"First squad assembled!"
"Second squad in position!"
"Third squad en route!"
Within minutes, the prison perimeter was packed solid with Navy soldiers. The rhythmic sound of marching boots echoed from all directions as more units rushed in to reinforce.
Rear Admiral Drake held up a megaphone, eyes sharp: "Straw Hats inside—drop your weapons and surrender immediately! Otherwise we will launch a full assault!" Secretly he was thrilled. Yesterday he had luckily captured Roronoa Zoro, and now he finally had a chance to bag the entire Straw Hat crew.
"Alert! Targets sighted!" a lookout suddenly shouted.
From the dim corridor, four figures stepped forward calmly. The front line of musketeers immediately tensed, gripping their flintlocks tightly; countless black muzzles aimed straight ahead.
"Luffy, first wave's yours. Keep it light," Sol reminded in a low voice.
"Leave it to me!" Luffy grinned wide and strode to the front.
Seeing no sign of surrender, Drake swung his arm down sharply: "Fire! Show these pirates the might of G-8 Fortress!"
Bang bang bang!
Deafening gunfire tore through the night. Hundreds of bullets formed a metal storm roaring toward Luffy.
"Like I said—it's useless!" Luffy crossed his arms over his chest; the bullets bounced harmlessly off his rubber body. "I'm a rubber man, remember!"
The bullets flattened against his skin and ricocheted like marbles in every direction.
"Ah! My hat!"
"Watch out for ricochets!"
The Navy formation instantly descended into chaos. Soldiers scrambled to dodge the bouncing bullets. Drake's pupils shrank: "Devil Fruit user?!" He immediately switched tactics: "Second wave! Sea Prism Stone capture nets—ready!"
Twenty special troops stepped forward, aiming strange long-barreled launchers at Luffy.
"Fire!"
Several large nets streaked out—special Sea Prism Stone-laced weapons designed specifically to capture ability users.
"Three Sword Style – Tornado!"
Zoro's eyes sharpened. All three swords left their sheaths at once; the violent whirlwind of slashes shredded the Sea Prism nets into fragments. Silver blade light carved fierce arcs through the dim prison. Before the Navy could react, their weapons were sliced clean in half.
"Hey curly-brow, don't steal my prey!" Zoro shouted back at Sanji.
"Hah? Who cares about you!" Sanji leaped into the fray in a flash; his shoes traced blazing trails through the air. "Banquet Table – Spinning Kick!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Consecutive impacts rang out. Navy soldiers flew like bowling pins. Some crashed into walls and passed out, others tumbled into piles of debris, and one unlucky soul ended up dangling from the ceiling light fixture.
"Two Sword Style – Eagle Wave!"
Zoro refused to be outdone. The moment his dual blades left their sheaths, visible shockwaves erupted. Wherever the pressure wave passed, entire rows of Navy soldiers toppled like dominoes.
"Hey! Leave some for me, you two!" Luffy jumped up and down in frustration. His rubber arm stretched instantly. "Gum-Gum – Gatling!"
Bang bang bang bang
A dense barrage of fists rained down like a storm. The remaining Navy soldiers had no time to dodge; in the blink of an eye, a huge swath collapsed. The entire prison corridor was littered with unconscious bodies. Only Rear Admiral Drake remained standing.
Drake's hand holding the Den Den Mushi trembled violently; cold sweat soaked his uniform: "Vice Admiral… Jonathan! Requesting reinforc—"
"Shhh."
The voice came from behind. Drake froze. Sol had appeared behind him at some point, left hand lightly resting on his shoulder. "Sweet dreams, Rear Admiral."
Thump.
A perfectly measured chop to the neck. Drake's eyes rolled back and he collapsed limply.
Sol gently laid him against the wall and even thoughtfully placed his Navy cap over his face.
Luffy grinned and gave a thumbs-up: "Sol, you're so considerate!"
"Tch, acting all nice." Zoro sheathed his swords, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly.
Sanji lit a fresh cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring: "Where to next? Straight to the docks?"
Sol looked toward the sunlight pouring in from the corridor's end and flashed a sly grin: "No rush. Since it's a drill, let's do it properly. Let the entire G-8 Fortress remember the Straw Hat Pirates' name."
Like a hurricane passing through, the four tore through G-8 Fortress in a "friendly" rampage.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji led the charge; fists, kicks, and sword light wove a deadly net. Wherever they passed, Navy soldiers "lay down" in droves.
"Gum-Gum – Battle Axe!"
Luffy's downward leg split sent an entire corridor of Navy flying from the shockwave.
"Three Sword Style – Demon Slash!"
Zoro's blade flashed; three musket-wielding soldiers froze in shock before slowly collapsing.
"Sirloin! Shoulder! Ribeye!"
Sanji's kicks flowed like water, "cooking" the flanking Navy one by one like steaks.
Sol strolled leisurely at the rear. Whenever distant cannon teams or snipers appeared, he merely lifted his gaze.
Buzz!
Conqueror's Haki rippled outward like waves. Faraway soldiers collapsed before they even understood what hit them.
"Hey! Sol!" Luffy looked back unhappily. "You're having it way too easy!"
Sol shrugged: "Someone's gotta handle the ranged jobs."
Soon the fortress's main force was "wiped out," leaving only the medical and kitchen staff undisturbed.
"Ara ara~" Robin emerged gracefully from around a corner, still wearing a crisp Navy uniform. "I wondered why the entire fortress mobilized. So it was you guys causing trouble." She covered her mouth with a soft laugh, eyes warm and gentle.
"Robin!" Luffy's eyes lit up. His rubber arm stretched with a whoosh and pulled her close. "You look so cool in that uniform!"
"Thank you, Captain." Robin smoothly straightened her rumpled collar and turned to Sol with a knowing smile. "Looks like my intel gathering was unnecessary?"
Sol shook his head with a laugh: "How could it be? Your intel is always the most reliable. But now—" He pointed at the sea of unconscious Navy sprawled across the floor. "—we should withdraw."
Seeing Robin's confusion, Sol gave a brief explanation and winked. "I need to go give Jonathan a 'mission report.' You guys head to the port and meet up with Nami. I'll catch up soon."
Luffy waved cheerfully: "Got it! We'll wait for you at the port!"
Watching his noisy crew disappear down the corridor, Sol turned and headed toward the fortress command center.
At Jonathan's office door, Sol was about to knock when the familiar voice came from inside: "Come in, Sol-kun."
He pushed the door open to find Jonathan leisurely brewing black tea, two elegant tea snacks already set on the table.
"Satisfied with the drill results, Vice Admiral?" Sol sat down without ceremony and picked up a cookie.
Jonathan sipped his tea, eyes glinting shrewdly: "Very impressive. After this incident, I can finally whip this base into shape. I'm sure this lesson will leave a lasting impression on these new recruits."
"But…" He suddenly lowered his voice. "…next time we meet, it'll be a real pursuit."
Sol grinned wide and swallowed the rest of the cookie in one bite: "Looking forward to it."
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