Closer! They are getting closer!
Both sides felt themselves getting closer to their respective targets.
But likewise, as the Straw Hats approached their ship, the marines had already formed a complete encirclement, trapping them tightly.
The Straw Hats had no openings to escape!
At this moment, the Straw Hats' faces turned grim again, while the marines smiled.
Just as a Rear-Admiral stepped forward, waving his hand to signal all the marines to advance further…
Suddenly... The sky went dark.
The Marines seemed to sense something... then a massive cannonball fell from the sky.
"Hey, hey, hey, run! Hey, why are you stopping?"
A voice rang out, and the Marines immediately realized what was happening.
Their expressions changed. "Run! It's Vice-Admiral Garp's cannonball!"
With that shout…
Boom!!
The cannonball smashed into the marines' encirclement. Fortunately, the marines dodged in time, and no one was hurt, but the encirclement was... torn apart!
The Straw Hats were stunned for a moment, but the next second, their faces lit up with joy.
"Run!"
This suddenly torn-apart encirclement allowed the Straw Hat crew to see another opportunity.
But just then...
"Jiisan?"
The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates suddenly shouted toward the front, which also caused the marines to freeze in place.
The marines who had originally been annoyed that Vice-Admiral Garp could not aim properly all turned their heads to look at Vice-Admiral Garp walking toward them, with strange, hesitant, and slightly suspicious expressions on their faces.
But Garp, being stared at by so many people, did not care at all. He still cheerfully shouted, "What are you standing around for? They're about to get away!"
Everyone: "..."
This voice also pulled the Marines back to their senses. They hurriedly turned their heads again to look at the Straw Hat crew.
Maybe they had just heard it wrong!
Besides, now was not the time to worry about such things.
It just seemed that it was already too late. This brief pause had already allowed the Straw Hat crew to successfully board their ship.
"Catch them!"
The marines' expressions changed, but they had not given up yet.
After all, the Marine Headquarters fleet had already surrounded the Straw Hat Pirates.
Just like what they had said before, facing the inescapable net of Marine Headquarters, this group of pirates absolutely would not be able to escape!
But the Straw Hat crew did not pay attention to them. At the moment they boarded the ship, Nami had already swiftly given the order.
"Hoist the sails, hard starboard!"
Immediately afterward, the Straw Hat crew split into two groups. One group continued to block the marines rushing up, while the other group followed Nami's commands to control the ship.
However, unlike the serious-looking Nami, as they looked at the increasingly close marine warships, the others showed anxious expressions on their faces, and could not help but feel doubtful inside…
Could they really escape this time?
Even Garp felt the same when he saw this scene. A strange glint flashed through his eyes, and he held the cannonball in his hand tightly, hesitating over whether to throw it or not.
At the same time, on Teach's side... he also noticed that the Straw Hat crew had already rushed onto their ship, and his expression became both ugly and regretful.
He had made the wrong choice!
He should have left together with the Straw Hat crew!
Damn it, Marine Headquarters' target from the very beginning had been him, the one who inherited Rocks' blood.
Separate?
Wasn't that just making himself draw the attention of the Marines?
Teach clenched both his hands tightly, his expression ugly while constantly roaring in his heart : [Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!]
[Why won't Umbrella Corporation make a move?]
[Is it over for me?]
"It looks like it's finally coming to an end!"
Unlike Teach's ugly expression, Kuzan glanced over at the Straw Hat crew before his gaze fell back on Teach. "I didn't expect that you were actually hiding your strength. It seems Marine Headquarters' assessment of you will need to be updated again, oh, no, this time there's probably no need to update it anymore!"
Teach: "..."
At this moment, the anger on Teach's face instantly disappeared, replaced instead by a bitter expression, though his hands were still tightly clenched into fists.
His dream... Was it already over?
...
"It looks like it's over."
Sakazuki also coldly looked at Rayleigh, whose expression was dark. "Obediently accept judgment! Silvers Rayleigh."
"Sigh, you people at Marine Headquarters are really going too far."
Rayleigh bitterly smiled as he sheathed his sword. "Just to deal with a few kids, you actually send out such a lineup. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by other forces?"
"A mere bunch of evil forces, dare to laugh at the Marines?"
Sakazuki sneered disdainfully, then took another step forward. "It looks like you're not going to surrender—"
However, before he could finish speaking, at that instant.
Something seemed to stir up ahead, causing Sakazuki's expression to change as he widened his eyes and looked in disbelief in the direction of the Straw Hat crew.
Rayleigh also seemed to notice it. His face froze for a moment, then he let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahahaha!"
"Damn it!"
Sakazuki did not hesitate any longer and immediately rushed toward the shore, but was once again stopped by Rayleigh.
"It looks like it's not over yet!"
...
"Finally, it's here!"
Nami, as if she had been waiting for something, wiped away a drop of water that had fallen from the sky onto the corner of her eye and shouted loudly with an excited voice.
"Now hard starboard, full speed ahead, we're leaving this place!"
As Nami's voice fell…
"Drip…"
Rain started to fall from the sky, and not only that... a strong gust of wind suddenly appeared, blowing toward the right, directly pushing the Straw Hat crew's ship forward.
It not only widened their distance from the port, but also widened the distance from the approaching marine warships.
At this moment, the Straw Hat crew was stunned for a second, then everyone let out hearty laughter.
Even Teach, who saw this scene, had his expression changed.
But just when the Straw Hat crew thought they had finally escaped.
Ahead... The marine warships that had long since blockaded the Sabaody Archipelago also discovered the anomaly here and quickly surrounded them, causing the Straw Hat crew's expressions to change and making the originally furious marines reveal happy expressions.