[POV: Kuro]
"Damn it... he got me."
I blew away most of the disgusting rain of debris with a wave of my hand, but I could not stop all of it. Dust and smoke swirled around me, choking the air. If anyone was too slow to run away, they are definitely in trouble.
When the explosion happened, I used my Haki to search the area. I only found that Fishman. I think it should be fine, but...
I had saved my energy and Haki thinking this would be a long, drawn-out fight, but now I felt completely empty.
No, wait... isn't this the world of a Shonen manga!? I know I was just an early boss character in the original story, but let me show off a little more! In a world where one strong pirate is incredibly dangerous, why am I struggling so hard against a single enemy!!
I gritted my teeth, frustration bubbling up. "I mean, what are the Marines and CP doing...!? Especially Kizaru!!"
Well, fighting alongside CP is hard because I have to watch my back, so maybe it was better they weren't there... But if I had just one person who could fight in the air, we could have saved the food supply even if we couldn't stop that old man!
If only one of my Guards was here...!
Amisu would help, of course. If Chris, the strongest fighter of the Guard, was here, we could have put more pressure on him even if we couldn't beat him. Toya or Cazarie could have easily scouted the area. Even if only one Guard member was here, we could have distracted that rooster guy.
No, there is no point in complaining. If they were here, the Golden Lion might have tried to take them hostage to control me. If I let that happen, my heart might actually break.
He was really obsessed with me for some reason... Otherwise, he would have just left as soon as he secured the food storage. Why, really... who is that guy? He doesn't even appear in the comics. Having such a buggy ability is cheating, if you think about it normally.
I still hear crashing sounds... is the falling debris blocking the path?
When I go back to the West Blue... no, I need to figure out how to negotiate first... No matter how I look at it, the food problem is going to be terrible. I don't know how much I can say, but the fate of the slaves is worrying too...
If there was a strong anti-government group like the Revolutionary Army, they could act as a stopper, but right now—
"—Wait, an enemy!?"
Something approached me at a speed that was clearly not friendly.
I instantly put Haki into my legs and caught the incoming blade just as I saw in my future sight.
"...Ah."
Then I saw who it was, and I understood. I understood immediately why backup didn't come and what the situation was right now.
"Yeah, of course you couldn't come to help," I muttered, looking up.
--
"Jihaha... It is about time the Marines stop caring about the damage to the Holy Land."
A giant ship floated in the sky, casting a dark shadow over the flames below. From the deck of the Great Pirate 'Golden Lion's' ship, Shiki and his pirates looked down at the burning Holy Land.
"Well, we accidentally took the food we planned to burn completely... what should we do?" Shiki mused, scratching his mane. "Should we throw a party to celebrate the burning of the Holy Land?"
"Changing the plan isn't like the 'Golden Lion'. Did something happen?"
While the others were dressed in matching suits, a very large, muscular man with bandages wrapped around his chest—Dr. Indigo—spoke rudely to the owner of the ship.
"Oh, I just met someone interesting," Shiki grinned. "I ended up playing around a bit."
"Did you kill him?"
"I told you I played. I might have to kill him eventually, but it is too early now."
Shiki jammed his cigar, which had become short during the fight, into the ashtray a subordinate brought over, and lit a new one.
"More importantly, Indigo, are you sure about your soldiers? You said we could use them until they break, so I'm leaving them there."
"Yeah, I don't mind," Indigo shrugged. "It's a shame about the modified ones, but as long as I have your scientist, I can make more soldiers anytime."
"Jihaha, well, I will provide the materials."
"Thanks. You saved me from falling into the sea, so I will pay you back properly with military power."
"As long as we have bodies..."
"Kishishishishi."
--
"What are the Marines doing! Chase them away without breaking our Holy Land!!"
"Hurry up and get rid of those creepy people!"
"If you don't hurry, my collection of slaves I bought for a lot of money will burn up!"
"That's right! I spent a fortune! If they die, turn them into stuffed statues immediately!"
Pangea Castle had become an evacuation shelter, filled with the chaotic screams of the Celestial Dragons. Meanwhile, outside the heavy doors, thousands of pirates who looked like a mob were rushing towards the castle gate, which was the final defense line.
"Fire! Just shoot and reduce their numbers!" a Marine commander roared.
"Yes sir!"
"B-But Commodore," a soldier stammered, his rifle shaking, "we shoot and shoot but they won't fall! They are zombie soldiers!!"
"There are too many of them! With this force, we can't—"
"I can see that! Just shoot!"
Most of the soldiers stationed here were not very strong. An overwhelming number of enemies, like an avalanche, were rushing to break the strong gates of Pangea Castle. They would fall if you crushed their heads, but otherwise, they never stopped moving even if they lost an arm or a leg.
"What is Cipher Pol doing!?" Hina shouted, kicking a zombie back. "Hina is not happy!"
"They are busy dealing with the army rushing from the north," Zephyr replied, reloading his weapon. "The Knights are at the south gate... We have to defend this place to the death."
"But Teacher, Kuro is out there!" Hina yelled, turning to the large man beside her.
"I know!" Zephyr gritted his teeth. "...We have no choice but to trust him."
While the Marines dealt with the rubble that threatened to crush the Holy Land, and CP and the Knights moved the panicked Celestial Dragons, a new threat suddenly appeared from the giant ships that had been dropped from the sky.
Countless bodies with faces clearly not of the living spilled out. —A zombie army.
You could tell they used to be human... but there were also many grotesque zombies that were forcibly sewn together with animals and other species.
"Honestly, the modified zombies are strong," Zephyr noted grimly. "The Fleet Admiral and Vice Admirals are handling the most dangerous group right now, but it is difficult to fight at full power because of the location. There might still be refugees trapped in the fire."
"But saying we can't spare any soldiers... the enemy is Golden Lion!"
"That is exactly why we cannot send weak forces. Sending a few soldiers with rifles to help would just get them killed. ...In terms of skill, he is the only one who can stall Golden Lion."
When the incident occurred and the Marines, including Hina, didn't know what to do, the pirate Kuro—who met up with the Fleet Admiral faster than anyone else—had exchanged a few words with him and immediately disappeared, heading to the battlefield alone.
"Hina, Private First Class. Intercept them here," Zephyr commanded.
It was still far from the defense line, but a zombie much larger than the others and clearly different from normal was running towards the soldiers. Looking at the thickness of its arms, it was obvious to everyone how much power it had. Average Marines stood no chance; they would just be kicked aside.
The man who had trained many Marines squeezed his fist and glared at the monstrosity.
"I will take care of the modified zombie soldiers!"
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the legends were moving.