In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.
There were no civilians left in the town of Chronos Forest. With the Marines and agents evacuating the area, how could the civilians possibly refuse to believe them? On top of that, the battle between Red Hawk and Marine Admiral Kizaru had raged on, explosions echoing without pause, and countless buildings had been reduced to rubble by the terrifying aftershocks of their clash.
There was simply no way for ordinary people to remain there.
At this moment, on the seas surrounding Chronos Forest, fifteen massive warships surged forward like ferocious beasts closing in on their prey.
Ten Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals stood solemnly at the bows of their ships, including Doberman, Onigumo, Dalmatian, Momonga, and Ponsky.
"I heard that because of Red Hawk's interference, everyone on the island has already evacuated. Admiral Borsalino is currently still engaged in battle with him," Momonga said with a grave expression.
"Red Hawk again! A vicious pirate like him should be thrown straight into Impel Down!" Doberman said angrily, his tone filled with resentment.
The other Vice Admirals remained silent. After all, Doberman had once insisted Red Hawk should be eliminated on the spot, yet now he had changed his stance to imprisonment.
"What about the bombardment? Admiral Borsalino is still on the island," Dalmatian asked calmly.
"Do not concern yourself with that. This level of bombardment cannot threaten an Admiral. We simply follow orders," Onigumo replied in a low voice.
The others nodded in agreement.
---
Within Chronos Forest, waves crashed against the shore with dull, rhythmic sounds.
Kalifa stood alone by the sea, anxiety written all over her face. From time to time, she glanced toward the ocean, then back toward the town that had already been reduced to ruins.
The entire town had been devastated by the aftermath of the battle. The thunderous clash of Haki had echoed continuously for an entire day, and it still had not ceased.
Through her binoculars, she had already spotted the approaching Marine warships. Her heart tightened with worry.
Why was Alvin still fighting?
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
"Red Shadow · Thousand Feathers!"
High above the town, two dazzling attacks collided with a deafening roar.
The overwhelming power crashed down upon the ruined city. In an instant, violent explosions shook the heavens, flames surged skyward, and thick smoke billowed into the air.
After more than ten seconds, the smoke gradually began to dissipate.
Above the burning ruins, chaos reigned. Alvin and Kizaru stood facing each other, nearly a hundred meters apart.
"How frightening, Admiral Kizaru. After fighting me for an entire day, not even a speck of dust has touched your clothes," Alvin said lightly, a teasing smile on his face.
"How terrifying indeed, Red Hawk. In just a few days, your strength has grown to such an extent," Kizaru replied, narrowing his eyes, his usual casual demeanor replaced with rare seriousness.
He was genuinely wary of Alvin now.
Although he had not used his full strength during the day-long battle, it was still far beyond what ordinary people could endure.
Yet Alvin showed no signs of exhaustion. On the contrary, he appeared completely relaxed.
A doubt began to form in Kizaru's mind. Had Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru miscalculated?
Would forcing Red Hawk into the New World truly weaken the balance there, or would it instead create an even more terrifying force?
Most importantly, Red Hawk had displayed Conqueror's Haki.
At that thought, hesitation flickered in Kizaru's eyes. For a brief moment, he even considered eliminating Alvin right here and now.
However, he glanced toward the outer sea.
The Buster Call had already arrived.
Continuing this fight would not produce a decisive outcome anytime soon.
"It seems Admiral Kizaru no longer wishes to continue. In that case, let's have another proper fight next time. To be honest, I quite enjoy fighting you. You are fast enough to keep things interesting," Alvin said as he sensed Kizaru's intention to withdraw. He casually stored Chronicle away into his spatial storage.
Kizaru did not respond. He only gave Alvin a long, complicated look.
In the next instant, his body transformed into a beam of golden light, shooting away from Chronos Forest and leaving behind a fading afterimage.
Seeing Kizaru depart, Alvin prepared to leave as well. But before doing so, he decided to upgrade his jet ski.
"System, use a vehicle upgrade coupon to upgrade the jet ski."
"Ding~"
"Upgrading… 3… 2… 1… Upgrade successful!"
"The jet ski has been upgraded into a Sea Stone Smart Yacht. Fuel consumption remains unchanged."
Alvin inhaled sharply. He had not expected such a dramatic upgrade.
Still, this was even better. At least now he would not have to endure wind and rain while traveling at sea.
A sudden thought crossed his mind.
Do yachts not usually come with a "mood-setting" crew of beautiful women?
With that in mind, his gaze unconsciously shifted toward Kalifa, who stood by the shore.
In the next moment, Alvin's figure flickered as he instantly appeared beside her.
Seeing him finally arrive, the worry on Kalifa's face intensified.
"Alvin, we need to leave now! The Marine bombardment is about to begin!" she said urgently as she ran toward him.
"No need to panic. I have a big surprise for you," Alvin replied with a mysterious smile, gesturing for her to relax.
"Alvin! At a time like this, you are still…" Her words suddenly stopped.
On the sea before them, a stunningly beautiful yacht appeared out of thin air.
Its pristine white hull and elegant curves shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.
Cough cough ~ This kind of, should be very suitable for life on a boat ~
"How… how beautiful…" Kalifa's eyes widened in astonishment, unable to hide her admiration.
"Here, this will be our ship from now on. Let's go. We will pay the Marines a visit before leaving," Alvin said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and leaped onto the yacht.
Kalifa felt her body lifted, and before she could react, she was already aboard.
"This scoundrel is taking advantage of me again!" Her cheeks flushed slightly, her heart filled with irritation as she glared at him.
Alvin ignored her reaction and walked straight to the control panel. After fiddling with it briefly, he understood what the system meant by "smart."
It was fully self-operating.
At that moment, a sharp whistle cut through the air.
The Marine bombardment had begun.
"Alvin!" Kalifa snapped back to reality, panic returning to her eyes.
"Oh? I have not even started yet, and you are already so eager to die?" Alvin's gaze turned cold as Chronicle appeared in his hand.
As he activated the yacht, he slashed forward multiple times, sending sharp sword waves that cut through the incoming cannonballs.
The struck cannonballs exploded instantly in mid-air.
The remaining shells crashed into Chronos Forest, and thunderous explosions echoed across the island.
Under Alvin's control, the yacht left the dock. With a sharp turn, it accelerated directly toward the Marine warships.
Alvin swung his sword again, unleashing a terrifying slash that tore across the sea toward the fleet.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Red Hawk, you cannot attack over there, or this old man will be put in a difficult position," Kizaru's voice rang out as his figure suddenly reappeared.
Suspended in mid-air, he gripped Ama no Murakumo with both hands and forcibly blocked Alvin's attack.
"Kizaru, do not worry. I was only testing whether you had truly left. Ya hahaha…" Alvin stood at the bow of the yacht, laughing loudly.
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.