"A group of heinous pirates has arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, hiding on Grove 7!"
"The Marines are now blockading Grove 7. No one is allowed in or out until those pirates are eliminated!"
"Anyone attempting to force their way through will now be considered an act of war against the Marines and the World Government, and will be killed on sight!"
"..."
Gobert stood calmly in the middle of the bridge connecting Grove 7 and Grove 8, his left hand on the katana at his waist. He loudly issued a warning to the many outlaws gathered on the opposite side.
Behind Gobert, over a hundred Marine soldiers were neatly lined up in five rows, completely blocking the bridge. Furthermore, at the bridgehead of Grove 8, 300 Marines had formed a defensive line, with various flintlocks, rocket launchers, mortars, and other weapons laid out, all aimed at the bridge.
Since Grove 7 was connected by three numbered islands, Gobert had divided his forces into three. Four hundred men were personally commanded by him to blockade the bridge between Grove 7 and Grove 8.
At the bridgehead of Grove 7, hundreds of outlaws gathered, staring at the Marines on the bridge with various expressions, either whispering to each other or holding their weapons, maintaining vigilance.
This group of outlaws didn't believe what the Marines said, but they also didn't actively initiate an attack. After all, Gobert's words carried considerable deterrent power. Moreover, Grove 7 was surrounded by the sea and very close to other islands.
If truly pushed, they could just jump into the sea and swim for a while to reach other numbered islands, so the Marines only blockading the bridge posed little threat.
Similarly, Gobert understood this, which was why he had just made that announcement. After all, the Marines' primary objective was the lost cargo, and completely annihilating the Blood pirate crew was merely a secondary mission; there was no need to create unnecessary conflict.
Rumble—!
Suddenly, a thunderous roar deafened countless people. A blazing, enormous fireball erupted at the bridgehead of Grove 8, accompanied by thick black smoke.
At that moment, the shockwave from the massive explosion swept outwards like a gale, disrupting the Marine formation and blowing many soldiers away.
"Ahhh—!"
"Why did it explode?"
"Are we being shelled by a fortress cannon?"
"Medics! Get to the wounded!"
"..."
A charred crater nearly ten meters in diameter appeared on the open ground at the bridgehead, surrounded by dead or wounded Marines. At the very center, some Marines were even blown to smithereens.
The sudden, massive explosion threw the surviving Marines into a panic. Even the nearby spectators were dumbfounded, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Gobert, in the middle of the bridge, quickly turned to look. Seeing his severely casualties among his subordinates, he roared in disbelief, "What in the world happened?!"
"Kill!"
"Take out these Marines!"
"Charge! Wipe them out!"
"..."
The next second, intense shouts of killing suddenly erupted. Many people around saw dozens of figures rush out from the town on Grove 8, each with murderous intent, wielding cutlasses and flintlocks, charging madly towards the Marine forces at the bridgehead.
In an instant, the Marine forces at the bridgehead, still reeling from the explosion, were caught off guard by this group of people. Their already precarious formation completely collapsed.
What's more, the placement of the Marines' heavy weapons was problematic; they were all aimed towards the bridge, completely unprepared for an enemy appearing from behind.
Some brave Marines tried to resist, but they were outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed by the enemy's chaotic blades.
Gobert's face was blank. He watched helplessly as his subordinates at the bridgehead were utterly defeated by a mysterious enemy, leaving him stunned on the spot.
"Rear Admiral, what should we do?" Deputy Jeth grabbed Gobert's arm, asking in a slightly panicked tone.
Gobert suddenly snapped awake, realizing that he still had 100 subordinates in front of him. Although they were also very panicked, they still managed to maintain their composure and formation.
Clang—!
Then, Gobert's face filled with rage. He immediately drew the katana from his waist and shouted, "Don't panic! They're few in number; this was just a sneak attack!"
"Now, listen to my orders! Charge! Eliminate these damned bastards!"
"Geppo!"
As soon as his words fell, Gobert leaped into the air, soaring over his 100 subordinates in front of him, leading the charge against the enemies at the bridgehead.
"Charge—!"
Immediately, the 100 Marines on the bridge, seeing their commanding officer remain calm and even lead the charge, quickly regained their plummeting morale and followed suit.
At this point, Gobert spotted a familiar figure among the group. The opponent was a fat man with an elongated skull, a protruding chin, a thin, crescent-shaped face, and a black ponytail. He wore a blue short-sleeved shirt with star patterns, dark red shorts, and brown sandals, holding two revolvers in his hands.
"Mole Knox, you bastard!" Gobert gritted his teeth in anger, growling like a beast.
He understood now. This group of people was clearly from the Blood Pirates. They had attacked them likely to provide a diversion or to rendezvous with their comrades on Grove 7.
"Hahahaha~ Marine, wasn't that last fireworks display beautiful?" Hearing someone call his name, Knox turned to look at Gobert, cackling happily, "For that welcoming gift, I used my ability to dig a hundred-meter-long tunnel underground and buried the gunpowder beneath your feet! Too bad time was short and I couldn't get much gunpowder, otherwise that fireworks show would have been even more spectacular!"
"You're dead!" Gobert's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared almost hysterically, charging at Knox like a madman, swinging his katana as if putting his entire body into the strike, cutting viciously at Knox.
However, the next second, the ground Gobert stepped on suddenly caved in, transforming into a bottomless, deep pit, causing the caught-off-guard Gobert to fall straight down.
Thump—!
Immediately, a muffled thud of a heavy object falling and an ill-concealed cry of pain came from deep within the pit.
"Hehehehe~" Knox walked triumphantly to the edge of the pit, scoffing into it, "Did you forget my nickname? I'm Mole Knox! A Paramecia-type Hole-Hole Fruit user, very good at digging! Hahahaha~"
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, a sharp whoosh cut through the air. A katana shot out of the deep pit at high speed, like an arrow released from a bowstring, catching Knox completely off guard. He not only almost choked, but also, unable to dodge in time, was instantly pierced through the shoulder by the katana.
"AGH! AGH! AGH! AGH!—" Knox screamed, clutching his shoulder. Crimson blood flowed between his fingers, staining his clothes.
"Geppo!"
At this moment, Gobert leaped out of the deep pit, stumbling as he landed, dropping to one knee on the ground.
"Cough, cough, cough~" Gobert coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face pale. Then he looked at Knox with a mocking expression, taunting, "A rat is just a rat. Forgetting to put something sharp in your hole was your downfall!"
"How was that... cough, cough... That taste of my 'Sword Throwing Technique' wasn't bad, was it?"
"It's just a shame I wasn't using a straight sword; it went off course a bit and didn't pierce your heart. But that's not really important, is it?"
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