After several rounds of cannon fire, the Silver Pirates had taken almost no damage. The Marines seemed to realize that such attacks weren't working, so they ordered the warships to close in.
Watching the warships draw nearer, the members of the Silver Pirates all looked eager and ready for a fight. It had been about two months since they'd last had a real battle.
The hot-headed Jora immediately charged onto one of the warships. The Silver Pirates lived by one rule when it came to combat: no matter what, never fight on your own ship.
Seeing Jora already pick an opponent, Yuristine followed right behind and boarded another warship. He hadn't had a chance to properly practice his gun-fu these past few days—this was the perfect opportunity to get back into form.
Having only recently joined the crew, Kurokam naturally had to make a strong impression. He rushed the last remaining warship, which, according to his senses, was the one carrying the strongest Marine officer present.
As for Riddle, he took on the ordinary Marines. Salar's opponents were the lower-ranking officers. For two crew members who still hadn't fully mastered Haki, these match-ups should be just about right.
Shirakawa didn't recognize any of the three Marine Vice Admirals who had come. After all, the current timeline was twenty years before the story began. The Vice Admirals of this era were naturally not the same ones from the future.
The ones who would later become Vice Admirals were still Rear Admirals right now. They were nowhere near a match for the Silver Pirates and couldn't possibly be sent to fight them; they could only follow higher-ranking commanders on campaign.
Shirakawa didn't make a move. He wanted his crew to get proper training too. He simply took care of the odd Marine foolish enough to think they could capture him.
Before long, everyone in the Silver Pirates except Kurokam was on the back foot. That was because this time, the Marines had sent not only three Vice Admirals, but also five Rear Admirals.
With a Marine lineup like that, even pirate crews in the New World would steer clear.
The Vice Admiral facing Kurokam, however, was suffering in silence. Where on earth did this monster come from? His strength completely overwhelmed mine, and I've never even heard of him before.
"So this is a Marine Vice Admiral? I'm a little disappointed," Kurokam said, without even having drawn his second hammer.
"Hmph, insolence. I might not be able to beat you, but your comrades look like they're about to cave."
Indeed, the others all sported wounds big and small.
"Have you forgotten? Our captain hasn't even stepped in yet."
At those words, the Vice Admiral's eyes went wide. He'd been so focused on his duel with this hulking brute that he'd completely forgotten about the main threat.
On the surface, it looked like the Marines had the upper hand, but the enemy captain had yet to act. If he did, the situation would become an unknown. The Marines might find themselves at a disadvantage in an instant.
"Kurokam, can you clear out this cannon fodder? They're not much, but they keep messing with our fight. It's annoying," Jora called out.
Hearing Jora call them cannon fodder only made the Marines attack him even more furiously. In no time, he was bleeding from several fresh cuts.
"Alright," Kurokam replied. The Vice Admiral facing him watched with a grave expression, wondering what he was about to do.
He found out soon enough.
A domineering force slammed straight into his mind. His consciousness went blank. Taking a hit of Conqueror's Haki at such close range naturally delivered the greatest impact.
But as a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, he wouldn't be knocked out by Conqueror's Haki. After a brief moment of disorientation, he immediately distanced himself from Kurokam.
"You possess Conqueror's Haki." Cold sweat beaded on his face. The opponent's strength had once again defied all his expectations.
"And why shouldn't I?" Kurokam shot back.
Because this Vice Admiral believed that those with Conqueror's Haki resided in the New World, or at the very least, in the first half of the Grand Line. Never had he imagined that someone from the Four Blues could wield Conqueror's Haki.
"Just where did Shirakawa find this guy? He's got Conqueror's Haki himself, and now his crewman does too."
In his mind, he immediately raised the Silver Pirates' threat level another notch. If their crew grew a little more, they'd be able to rampage through the New World freely, especially with the Roger Pirates backing them.
The fact that Silver Pirates Captain Shirakawa had come from the Roger Pirates was no secret. Anyone who knew of the Silver Pirates knew it well.
So the Marines had assumed that if the Silver Pirates were ever in danger, the Roger Pirates would definitely come to their rescue.
That was why they had deliberately chosen a place beyond Roger's reach—the Four Blues or the first half of the Grand Line—to make their move.
But now, it seemed they had miscalculated. The Silver Pirates' strength had already far exceeded their expectations.
Once the grunts fainted, things got much easier for the rest of the crew, especially Riddle. Now his opponents were just one Rear Admiral and a few officers who hadn't collapsed.
Salar, on the other hand, was up against two Rear Admirals.
Jora faced one Rear Admiral and one Vice Admiral. Yuristine had the same setup.
Right now, the worst spot unquestionably belonged to Riddle. His current strength was a perfect match for a single Rear Admiral, but with extra enemies thrown in, he was barely holding on.
"Captain, save me!" After fighting a little longer, the desperate Riddle had no choice but to call out to Shirakawa.
At the sound of Riddle's plea, every Marine's gaze instantly converged on Shirakawa. The main act was finally taking the stage?
"Looks like after this battle, Riddle, you're in for some intense drilling."
The remark clearly showed that he didn't take these Marines seriously at all. The Marines bristled, but there was nothing they could do. Right now, they only held the slightest edge over the Silver Pirates.
But the moment Shirakawa entered the fray, everything flipped.
Then, Shirakawa drew his sword. The Marines surrounding Riddle honestly didn't warrant unsheathing it, but Shirakawa couldn't resist the urge to show off a little and let everyone get a look at his Supreme Grade Blade.
"Know what this sword is? It's Purple Sun, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades."
As if afraid the Marines wouldn't know, Shirakawa made a point of announcing its name.
"What?! A Supreme Grade Sword?" Every Marine present was stunned. Even Marine Headquarters didn't possess a single Supreme Grade Blade.
A Great Swordsman wielding a Supreme Grade Blade—it was like adding wings to a tiger. The Marines' hearts sank to the bottom. They could no longer see a single path to victory.
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