"Commodore, we've confirmed that Diamante and four of his executives are on deck!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Order all firing points to open fire immediately!"
"Understood!"
It was exactly as he had suspected. Since that was the case, there was no need for courtesy.
In the next instant, the cannons of the Circular Defense Wall fired inward, while the artillery on the main island blasted straight ahead. Every single firing point was within 150 meters of the merchant ship; at this range, even a raw recruit could maintain decent accuracy.
"Damn it, it's a trap! Intercept those shells!"
Blinded by searchlights beaming from every direction and deafened by the thunderous roar of countless cannons, Diamante realized instantly that he had been played. He immediately activated his Observation Haki to track and intercept the incoming projectiles.
"Sword: Longsword!"
Unfortunately, none of the other four executives had mastered Haki. Blown out by the intense glare of the searchlights, they couldn't even see the trajectory of the shells, let alone intercept them.
As for Diamante, Sean noted that while he didn't seem to use Haki in the original story, it made no sense for the leader of the fighting group and one of Doflamingo's top four executives to lack it. He could only conclude that the character had been nerfed.
Watching Diamante accurately intercept shells despite the blinding lights, Sean mused internally.
Diamante used Observation Haki to lock onto a shell and sliced it clean in half. However, the two halves of the shell exploded a moment later. More importantly, this was a fortress-grade shell. Although the split caused the blast to veer toward the sides of the ship, the sheer concussive force still swept across the deck, mowing down waves of pirate fodder. Many were sent flying, coughing up blood from the shockwave.
The other shells, left unintercepted, rained down relentlessly. Some detonated in the water surrounding the vessel, while others slammed directly into the ship. The main mast was snapped instantly, collapsing and crushing a dozen pirates beneath it.
Splinters of wood flew across the deck like shrapnel, some turning into jagged blades that sliced and impaled the pirates. In an instant, the merchant ship had been transformed into a living hell.
A minute later, the bombardment ceased. The once-massive merchant ship was now a shattered wreck. Only a handful of pirates remained, clinging to large pieces of debris or treading water, gasping for breath.
At that moment, the heavy warships that had been lying in ambush on both flanks began to move. Their mission was simple: mop up.
Of course, the field-grade officers had a different objective... they were to deal with the executives of the Diamond Division.
The warships didn't pull up directly alongside the wreckage. Instead, the Marines showed no mercy, opening fire with rifles from the decks, harvesting the pirates struggling in the water and on the ruins.
Meanwhile, the field-grade officers had already locked onto their targets and leaped into the fray.
Kalifa and Blueno teamed up to face Dellinger.
Fukuro and Kumadori took on Senior Pink.
Kaku handled Lao G.
Jabra took charge of Machvise.
As for Ace, he acted as a roaming combatant. After all, a Logia user was a hard counter to executives who hadn't mastered Armament Haki. Sean's orders to Ace were to stay mobile, circling the battlefield and striking whenever an opening appeared to help eliminate the four executives more quickly. He also served as a safety net for the other engagements.
While Jabra and Kaku were capable enough, the others might have struggled to take down Dellinger or Senior Pink, even in a two-on-one fight.
Sean and Lucci, meanwhile, had cornered Diamante.
Standing atop a massive piece of wreckage, a thin trail of blood leaked from the corner of Diamante's mouth. It was clear that even he had sustained some injuries during the concentrated bombardment, though they weren't severe enough to hinder his fighting.
"How did you see through it?" Diamante asked through gritted teeth, staring at Sean.
"The merchant ship in front had no lights, while the pirate ships behind it were covered in torches, as if you were terrified we wouldn't see the pirate flag," Sean replied. "Don't you think that was a bit too much?"
"When something is overdone, it actually becomes suspicious. There's a saying in my home: 'Too much of a good thing is as bad as too little.' Furthermore, did you even research Buggy's personality before hiring him to act? Why would a guy like that be loud enough to cause trouble right at the doorstep of a Marine base? He'd only do that if he were certain that no one in the entire branch would be left alive to report his high-profile antics."
Sean shrugged. "There are plenty of other holes in your plan, but I won't list them all. In short... your scheme was far too crude."
Diamante's eyes widened. 'My plan had that many flaws?'
'But so what? The Young Master confirmed that this Sean hasn't awakened Haki. The difference between having Haki and not having it is a completely different dimension of power. Even alone, I could slaughter this entire branch.'
He then thought that Sean was a fool. If Sean had continued the bombardment for another hour or two, Diamante might have actually been worn down. But he had stopped after only a few rounds.
'If that's not stupidity, I don't know what is.'
"Sword: Snake Sword!"
Suddenly, Diamante launched an attack, thrusting his blade forward. Mid-strike, the sword began to curve and bend like a serpent—an application of the Flutter-Flutter Fruit's power.
Unsurprised, Sean stepped aside easily. Lucci had also studied the materials Sean had provided; he knew Diamante's abilities and techniques inside and out. He dodged with effortless precision, circled behind the man, and launched a counterattack.
"Shigan: Madara!"
In a blur, Lucci unleashed dozens of finger pistols from a single hand.
'Thump-thump-thump-thump!'
After the flurry of strikes, Lucci found that he hadn't damaged Diamante at all. Instead, his own fingers throbbed with a dull pain. He didn't look surprised, however.
"The Matador Cape," Lucci said flatly. "Just as the Commodore's briefing stated."
In terms of hardness, the Matador Cape was even tougher than his own Tekkai. Simple Shigan attacks would never penetrate that defense.
Lucci gazed at the cape—which looked soft and flowing but was unnervingly rigid—and gave a slight nod. In the next instant, he activated Soru, and his figure vanished instantly.
A dozen meters away, Sean stood atop a piece of wreckage, showing no intention of intervening. He simply watched the clash between Lucci and Diamante unfold.
As it stood, Lucci was still no match for Diamante. Sean was well aware of this.
However, this battle could serve as the catalyst Lucci needed to fully awaken his Haki. Consequently, as long as Lucci's life wasn't in immediate danger, Sean didn't plan to step in—an agreement they had reached long ago.
After all, Lucci had been studying Haki under Sanders for quite some time. Although there had been faint signs of awakening, he had never been able to truly break through.
Sean had discussed this with Sanders, and they had come to a final conclusion: Lucci likely lacked a trigger. Such a trigger usually appeared most naturally during a life-or-death struggle where one fought with everything they had.
Opponents who were too weak, too powerful, or those Lucci knew wouldn't actually kill him couldn't create the necessary conditions for such a desperate fight.
Diamante, however, was the perfect opponent. He was stronger than Lucci, but not so overwhelmingly so that the fight was hopeless. That was why Sean had decided not to intervene unless Lucci faced a genuine mortal threat.
In any case, even for Diamante, defeating Lucci would take time and wouldn't be a simple task. While waiting, Sean turned his attention to the other battles raging around them.