The sailing warships were bathed in the harsh glare of numerous searchlights. The blinding light made it difficult for the pirates, who had been shelling their target, to see the fleeing ship ahead. Forced into a standstill, they were compelled to cease their bombardment.
After all, their current course was headed straight for the 16th Branch fortress, placing them directly in the crosshairs of the searchlights.
On the deck, a masked man with spiky, Saiyan-like hair frowned deeply. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
'Purupurupurupuru...'
"Young Master, this is Gladius."
"Well? Did you catch them?"
"I almost had them, but some trouble has come up!"
"Hmm? What happened?" The voice of Doflamingo, mimicking through the Den Den Mushi, suddenly shifted in tone.
"They are less than one mile ahead of me, but they've reached the gates of the Marine 16th Branch. The Marines have already intervened and demanded that we leave immediately!"
"The 16th Branch... the one run by Sean Campbell?"
"Yes!"
"Ignore them. If they actually dare to make a move, teach them a harsh lesson. I'll handle the aftermath!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Doflamingo was aware of Sean's existence and had kept an eye on him. However, according to public records, Sean hadn't achieved any significant feats—nothing more than defeating a CP9 intelligence agent who couldn't use Haki and a few pirate crews in the East Blue.
From Doflamingo's perspective, Sean wasn't particularly strong. Even if the man possessed the strength of a Commodore, he would be no match for Gladius.
As for attacking the Marines? Other Warlords might find it troublesome, but Doflamingo didn't care. After all, he held a certain secret regarding the Celestial Dragons. No matter how much of a headache this caused, could it possibly be worse than the chaos of the year he stole the "Heavenly Gold"?
With Doflamingo's permission, Gladius no longer had any reservations. He ordered the two sailing warships to charge straight toward the Marine branch.
Seeing this, the Marines on the defensive wall immediately began calibrating the fortress cannons. These large-caliber guns had a maximum range of five kilometers. To someone from Sean's previous life, such a range would seem pitifully short, but in the world of One Piece, it was incredibly powerful. Because of their sheer size, these cannons could not be mounted on ships and were reserved exclusively for fortress defense.
"Captain, the four fortress cannons near the main gate are fully calibrated!"
"Commence warning fire!"
"Yes, Captain!"
'BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'
Four massive shells screeched from the barrels, landing in the water between the fleeing ship and the two pirate warships about two nautical miles away. Fortunately, there was nearly a nautical mile of distance between the two parties, so even if the shots strayed, they were unlikely to hit either side.
The shells used by fortress cannons were several times more powerful than those on standard warships. They detonated hundreds of meters in front of the pirate ships, sending towering, terrifying walls of water into the air.
"Damn it, the Marines are firing! And they're using fortress cannons!"
"What are you afraid of? Those were warning shots! The Marines wouldn't dare attack us directly. Keep moving!" Gladius roared at his panicked crew.
As he had predicted, the barrage from the wall was indeed nothing more than a warning. After two more rounds of shelling failed to stop the ships, the cannons fell silent.
Seeing this, the pirates on the warships burst into arrogant laughter.
'Of course! The Marines don't dare attack a Warlord!'
"Trash Marines! Fire again if you've got the guts!"
"I'm standing right here! Why don't you try and blow me away?"
"Hahaha! What a bunch of cowards! All they can do is put on a show with a few warning shots!"
"How about we fire a few 'warning shots' back at their fortress once we get closer?"
"Great idea! Let's do it!"
The pirates grew increasingly brazen. However, while the fortress cannons had stopped, the massive gates of the circular defensive wall slowly groaned open.
A large Marine warship surged out with incredible speed.
The expressions of the pirates changed instantly.
If it were a simple artillery duel between sailing ships, even the Warlords or the great pirate crews of the New World could not compete with a Marine warship. Among the Marine fleet—excluding the four super-warships belonging to Garp and the three Admirals—large warships were the absolute backbone of their power.
A "large warship" was the same class used in a Buster Call. The cannons equipped on these vessels were not standard; they were much larger in caliber, sitting somewhere between a standard ship cannon and a fortress cannon. They had a maximum range exceeding three kilometers and an effective precision range of over one kilometer.
If one ignored the presence of powerful individuals on board, a large warship treating two medium sailing ships like children was an effortless task.
'Why is there a large warship here in the East Blue?' the pirates wondered. 'Could a Vice Admiral from Headquarters be here on inspection?'
Many of the pirates began to hesitate. In their experience, warships of this grade were only found at Marine Headquarters or G-series branches. Aside from the ten fleets of the Buster Call, these were typically the personal vessels of Vice Admirals.
The Four Blues didn't just lack Vice Admirals; even if a Vice Admiral were stationed in a Four Blues branch, they wouldn't be entitled to a ship of this caliber. The Marines in the Four Blues were different from those on the Grand Line; the saying that they were "two ranks lower" was not an exaggeration.
For example, a Captain in a Four Blues branch would be, at most, a Lieutenant Commander if transferred to Headquarters. This applied to both their strength and their authority.
Of course, there were exceptions—those sent from Headquarters to the Four Blues for field experience who retained their original ranks. Smoker in Loguetown was a case like that; although he had been kicked to the West Blue because the higher-ups disliked his attitude, he had held the rank of Captain at Headquarters.
"Quiet! Keep moving! The Marines wouldn't dare and cannot attack us directly!" Gladius shouted. "Because our Young Master is one of the Warlords recognized by the World Government!"
The pirates, who had begun to panic again, snapped back to their senses. That was right! Why were they afraid? Their Young Master was a Warlord! The Marines were forbidden from attacking a Warlord directly. There was nothing to fear.
'''
Aboard the 16th Branch's large warship.
"Commodore, the warning fire had no effect. The Donquixote Family's warships continue to advance toward us."
"Keep the warships moving! Wedge yourselves between them to cut off the Donquixote Family's pursuit. Guide that sailing ship into the fortress and shut the gates immediately!"
"Yes, Commodore!"
Now, let's see what happens once any chance of pursuit has been completely severed.
What choice will the Donquixote Family make?
Will they simply turn back, or will they attack the Marines in an attempt to storm the 16th Branch and continue their capture?
Please... let it be the latter!
Otherwise, this is going to be incredibly boring!