"Hey, they are swarming! Sengoku, I'm going to blow them all away!"
"Wait, Garp! Some of them are packed with gunpowder, don't crush them carelessly!" Sengoku warned.
"Zephyr and the other soldiers are doing their best. You two focus. We will hold them here," Tsuru added calmly.
The Admirals, counted as the highest power within the Marine Headquarters, were fighting a horrifying number of monster soldiers away from the defense line. Even the soldiers that looked normal had arms that stretched because they were sewn with snake bodies, or had guns hidden inside them.
"Damn you, Golden Lion!" Sengoku yelled, slamming a shockwave into the ground. "When on earth did he meet up with Gecko Moria!?"
"Looking at the timing, probably after Kuzan and Kuro defeated him," Tsuru surmised.
Around her, zombie soldiers of all sizes were flattened and hung on ropes to dry like laundry. Tsuru, the devil fruit user who did this, looked at the giant galleon ships lying around and clicked her tongue in rare annoyance.
"I thought they were bullets meant to burn and destroy the Holy Land, but to think he used them as ships to sneak soldiers in."
"His power attaches shadows to corpses to make them soldiers. That ability should depend on the owner of the shadow though..."
"The strong individuals are probably using the shadows of skilled fighters from his crew," Tsuru explained. "Even if we defeat them, the shadows will just return... how annoying!"
Zombie soldiers continued to pour out of several of the galleon ships.
"Where did he collect all these bodies!" Garp bellowed.
"Probably not all of them, but he is likely using humans kidnapped from the West Blue," Tsuru said. "Or maybe they are used for the shadows of the weak soldiers."
"Then Sengoku, what about these reinforced soldiers with modified bodies?"
"...Gecko Moria lost his crew in the battle with Kaido. That means this must be the work of Golden Lion's subordinates."
"This is troublesome..."
The phrase 'Marine's Greatest Power' was not just for show. But still, the fact that they had few troops against an overwhelming number was weighing heavily on the battle situation.
"Sengoku, where is Borsalino!?" Garp asked, punching a zombie so hard its head vanished.
"He is guarding the Celestial Dragons by their orders."
"Are those people only good for getting in the way!?"
"Do you know where we are, Garp! Watch your mouth!!"
The Hero of the Marines punched a swarm of zombies filling the passage, blowing them all the way to the other side. But even more soldiers stepped over those fallen zombies and approached.
...Even if Kuro held back Golden Lion's movements, in this situation, we have no choice but to give up on the food. I can't say anything because of my position, but we will probably be ordered to collect food again.
While turning zombies back into mere corpses and intercepting the zombies stepping over them, Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, internally agreed with Garp's opinion.
To think the absolute power of the Celestial Dragons living in the Holy Land would become a shackle protecting this Holy Land instead...!
— I will go ahead and move to intercept the enemy dropping near the food storage. Once I have suppressed the confusion to some extent, I ask you to handle the explanation to the Government and provide support.
The pirate who understood the situation before any other soldier and took action immediately without speaking useless words was strong. When Sengoku met him again in the Holy Land, he could hardly believe the growth he witnessed compared to when they met at the regional headquarters in the West Blue.
The current Kuro has power that cannot be stopped unless you are Vice Admiral class.
How many near-death situations had he survived in just half a year? Sengoku estimated that even he or Garp could not win easily enough to end the fight instantly.
Still, fighting Golden Lion alone is too reckless! If only... if only I could have given him just two platoons!
Above all, unrelated to his personal strength, Kuro had a strategic eye that looked at the whole picture. He reported with the minimum and appropriate amount of words to avoid misunderstanding. He had the leadership shown during the Pirate Alliance incident and the flexibility to deal with emergencies.
And he had the skills to win over the hearts of the Marines who followed him, and the educational ability to raise them into elites good at teamwork.
If only that man was a Marine...!
Kuro, a particularly valuable talent in this critical situation, is a pirate. Therefore, from the position of Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had to draw a line with him. Even more so, this is the Holy Land, the base of the Celestial Dragons who stand above them.
If Kuro were a Marine, Sengoku could have assigned subordinates to him immediately before unnecessary instructions came from the Celestial Dragons. But the single fact that he is a pirate made Sengoku hesitate in his judgment.
--
[POV: Kuro]
"Ugh... this has turned into a textbook battle of quantity."
I punched a stray zombie and ran toward the Pangea Castle area where the sounds of battle wouldn't stop. When I climbed to a high vantage point, I saw the castle... or rather, the castle gate and defense line in front of it being pushed back by an insane amount of zombie soldiers.
Hmm... this is bad.
I should assume that most of the Marines I brought were lost in the initial falling debris. That means the Marine combat power is significantly lower in numbers...
The fact that Shiki left means he doesn't intend to destroy it. He just wants to deal a blow. And maybe test the zombie soldiers.
If left alone, Sengoku and the others would probably win eventually. Actually, if it weren't for the shackles of the Celestial Dragons, slaves, and guards left in the rubble, the chain of command would have been restored long ago.
But from here, I can see modified soldiers here and there, overwhelming numbers, and the Marines are split up in terrain that is disadvantageous for them. In the end, individual special-grade combat power will probably turn it around, but it's meaningless if casualties increase in the meantime.
I must change the flow of battle as soon as possible. The morale of the Marines on the front line is likely already affected.
If I jump in, what is the most efficient tactical result...
Honestly, kicking all of them is too hard on my stamina and Haki. Above all, um... I feel like I'm going to fall asleep right now.
Ever since the fight with Shiki ended, I haven't slept at all. I haven't slept since yesterday, and since coming to the Holy Land, I've only had naps.
...Huh? Come to think of it, I didn't sleep the day before yesterday either, so that's two all-nighters. Why am I acting like I did in my previous life in a place like this...? I planned to live doing whatever I wanted this time, but thanks to that gorilla, look at this mess...
If this was inside the castle during peace time, Hina would notice I'm tired and make me coffee... Is Hina safe?
The original story is completely gone, so anything could happen. Even if she is an original character, I don't know if she survived safely.
Please don't die, Hina. If you die here, it would leave a really bad taste in my mouth. Zephyr is probably with her, so I think she's fine, but...
I don't sense any zombie soldiers coming this way. They probably only received orders to attack the castle from the start. Assault troops work better with simple orders after setting a target.
The enemy was riding those huge galleon ships that fell in a cluster. ...Wait, are they still coming out? What is the total troop strength... no, I see. They are using the shadows of the humans kidnapped in the West Blue.
If they collected bodies during the raids, it makes sense. That explains why there were so few bodies lying around at the scene. After I and Kuzan blew them away, that muscle-head somehow met up with the rooster guy.
Damn it, if I had the power I have now back then...
Anyway—
Since the orders are simple, they head straight for the castle and hit the defense line set up by the Marines.
Just as I thought that, some small elephant-sized zombies were blown into the sky, exploding in mid-air as if they were packed with bombs.
Dirty fireworks. Judging by the location, that must be Sengoku's side.
...Huh? Come to think of it, I don't feel Kizaru fighting. Despite his flashy ability, I don't see any light at all. Was he sent to guard the Celestial Dragons?
...That sounds likely. Gross.
So, while putting massive pressure on the defense line, the overflowing forces are going around to other gates.
Then—
"Stopping the overflow... is a bad idea," I whispered to myself. "If I do that, the pressure on the main stream will increase."
They are barely holding on now. If the pressure increases, the front might be breached. There is also the problem of ammunition. Adding the CP, who are quality over quantity, to the current Marine force won't mean much. It's better to have them handle the waves spilling over from the main stream as they are now.
The Knights' forces—Celestial Dragon soldiers—are strong but unreliable, so counting them is out of the question. They should just guard the Celestial Dragons, and preferably send Kizaru to the front lines... Well, that won't happen.
So, to turn the battle situation around with the current forces...
First, let's slow down the enemy's flow a little.
I stretched and lightly extended my knees to check the condition of my legs. Hmm, no effect from 'Ikoku'. The fatigue and sleepiness are intense, but my legs aren't in bad shape.
"Now then—"
I sighed, staring down at the swarm.
"Another job. Ah, I hate this."