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"Run away immediately!" Onigumo desperately screamed at the Marines, but he himself was pinned to the deck, utterly unable to move.
Suzumebachi descended.
Without even releasing her Shikai, Soi Fon simply condensed her Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) into a focused blade of energy and unleashed it.
Boom!
The massive warship emitted a mournful groan, then immediately began to list violently. With that one strike, Soi Fon sliced the largest type of Marine warship clean in half!
Hundreds of Marines fell into the water.
Onigumo miraculously survived. The superhuman physique typical of the One Piece world saved his life. However, after suffering a close-range shockwave from the energy blade, his condition was utterly gruesome.
Nearly all of his bones were broken, and blood oozed from countless large and small wounds. If his Vice Captain hadn't risked his life to protect him and drag him onto a piece of deck debris, he would have drowned.
Watching the warship slowly sink, Soi Fon calmly sheathed Suzumebachi and vanished with a Shunpo.
Seeing Soi Fon retreat, the surviving Marines finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was too terrifying! A Marine Vice Admiral was utterly crushed, unable to even withstand a single true attack. Was the opponent a strong Admiral-level combatant?
The possibility sent a chill down everyone's spine. Powerhouses were becoming more numerous on the seas; it was getting harder and harder to be a Marine!
The surviving Marines relied on their conditioned physiques and bits of debris to cautiously swim toward the nearest shore.
At the pier, Vivi and the others were stunned to see the Marines defeated and their warship destroyed. After a while, they realized they needed to send people to rescue the drowning men. After all, Alabasta had officially contacted the World Government and the Marines; they couldn't just stand by and watch them die on their doorstep.
After rescuing all the Marines, Onigumo and the other wounded were sent for medical treatment. Cobra, meanwhile, handed over the captured Mr. 2 and the other Baroque Works agents to the Vice Admiral. The Vice Admiral then tried to extract intelligence from Mr. 2.
The Vice Admiral actually managed to learn that Auguro and Cobra had collaborated to capture him. So, the officer sought out Cobra, righteously demanding information about Auguro's crew.
"Those people are heinous pirates! For the peace and justice of the sea, Your Majesty must tell us everything you know!"
Cobra rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"Apologies! I have no dealings with that group! After all, they are the true culprits who attempted to usurp the throne, according to your government! What would it look like for me, the King, to be entangled with them? Am I plotting my own overthrow?"
"Therefore, I have no information to provide."
Are you kidding me? Cobra thought. I finally managed to align myself with a powerful ally; there's no way I'm selling them out to you Marines!
You couldn't even control a Warlord of the Sea, and the World Government won't even acknowledge Crocodile's treason! Such a Marine force is simply not trustworthy!
The Vice Admiral understood the sarcasm in Cobra's words, his face flushing with fury. But what could he do? The World Government had officially declared Auguro guilty of treason. Cobra, using this as an excuse, left him completely unable to argue, as it would be criticizing the World Government itself.
During Onigumo's recovery, the Vice Admiral tried various methods to gather intelligence on Auguro. He got absolutely nothing. In fact, many citizens immediately steered clear of them once they realized they were Marines, claiming complete ignorance.
Don't be ridiculous! Auguro just saved Alabasta, and now you Marines want to arrest him? The only reason they hadn't attacked the Marines outright was out of respect for the centuries-old reputation of the organization.
Finally, Marine reinforcements arrived, taking the battered and injured survivors away from Alabasta.
The news of Onigumo being defeated in a single move soon reached Marine Headquarters.
Marineford.
Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, looked at the report in his hand, feeling an increasing pain in his head.
Two powerhouses comparable to Marine Headquarters Rear Admirals or ordinary Vice Admirals would be manageable; those "Third-Tier" fighters were common in the New World. But Onigumo was a veteran elite Vice Admiral, a man who bordered on "Second-Tier" strength even in the New World. He was only ever deployed against the full power of a Warlord of the Sea or a Yonko's (Four Emperors) commander.
To be defeated in one move—that was terrifying! Within the Marines, only an Admiral-level fighter could achieve such a feat!
"An Admiral, or at least a potential Admiral-level fighter? How troublesome!" Faced with such a threat, Sengoku's first thought was to concentrate his forces and annihilate them entirely!
"Sengoku!"
Just then, the door opened, and an old woman with grey, flowered hair walked in. It was Tsuru, the Marine Chief of Staff and the user of the Woshu Woshu no Mi (Wash-Wash Fruit).
"Tsuru, what is it?" Sengoku asked, slightly puzzled.
Tsuru glanced at the report in Sengoku's hand, then slowly sat down.
"Regarding Sith Auguro, are you planning to send forces to capture him?"
Sengoku nodded immediately. "Of course! He defeated Onigumo, which is a huge provocation to the Marines' authority! We must respond!"
Tsuru sighed softly.
"Sengoku, I actually think we can treat this person in a different way."
Hearing this, Sengoku knew his old comrade had a new plan. "What are your thoughts?" he asked.
Tsuru explained calmly, "I had people investigate Auguro's background. He comes from the East Blue, and aside from the skirmish with Smoker, he hasn't committed any other major crimes."
"While he very likely killed Captain Nezumi, there is no evidence to convict him."
"Furthermore, he has killed many pirates along the way! And this time, he thwarted Crocodile's plot to steal a nation."
"If you look at it this way, his status as a pirate was essentially forced upon him by the Marines!"
"After all, as far as I know, his ship never even flies a pirate flag."
Sengoku frowned.
"Tsuru, are you suggesting I revoke his bounty? What would become of the Marines' prestige then?"
Tsuru gently waved her hand.
"Revoking it is too much; the Marines won't perform such a self-humiliating act."
"My point is that Auguro originally did not want to be a pirate, but now he is forced to be one. Given his formidable strength, I see no reason to treat him as a typical pirate who must be killed!"
Sengoku, known as the "Tactician," immediately understood.
"You want him to become a Warlord of the Sea?"
"Exactly!" Tsuru nodded firmly.
"He defeated Crocodile and commands a subordinate who is likely Admiral-level. His strength is definitely sufficient!"
"And if he accepts this condition, he won't be hunted, which he will likely welcome!"
Tsuru paused here, a flash of wisdom in her eyes.
"More importantly, a man with a conscience like him, when we require his assistance as a Warlord, won't be like those other fellows who deliberately withhold effort! This would be extremely beneficial for the Marines!"