It was Rosinante!
He really couldn't hold it in anymore. The freezing rain had gotten to him!
"Who's there?!" On the high walls of the fortress, a searchlight instantly swung toward them! The beam of light swept across the open ground like a sharp blade!
CLANG-LANG-LANG!!!
Even worse, Rosinante was so startled by his own sneeze that his body jerked. He tilted to the side and knocked over a string of "alarms" made of tin cans and metal scraps hanging from a nearby tree!
"Enemy attack!!!"
The piercing sound of the alarm instantly echoed throughout the entire fortress!
BUZZ!
The snow-white searchlight immediately locked onto the area where Aiden and the others were! It exposed everyone under the beam of light!
"Damn it!!" Commander Dal's eyes turned red with fury. He whipped his head around, glaring at Rosinante like he wanted to skin him alive on the spot. The idiot was worse than useless!
"We're exposed! Everyone, charge!!"
At this point, stealth was completely meaningless. Commander Dal made a quick decision and was the first to pull his sword and rush out!
"Squad One, Squad Two! Follow me! Target the armory and the command room!"
"Squad Three! Go blow up their ships in the harbor!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marine elites moved instantly. Like unsheathed blades, they charged toward the brightly lit fortress!
The battle broke out in an instant!
Inside the fortress, the loud party music stopped abruptly.
A large number of pirates from the Blood Axe crew, many of them drunk and still confused, came pouring out from every corner, cursing and grabbing their weapons. At first, they were disorganized, but once they saw the Marines charging in, their violent instincts took over!
"It's the Marines! Kill them!"
"Kill these sons of bitches!"
The pirates surged forward like a tide, waving their swords and guns as they clashed violently with the highly trained Marine elites!
The sounds of gunfire, clashing steel, explosions, and screams blended together!
The entire fortress instantly turned into a bloody meat grinder! Rain mixed with blood, forming dirty streams on the ground.
Commander Dal led the charge. His swordsmanship was powerful, precise, and deadly. He cut down the pirates in front of him like he was slicing vegetables, heading straight for the pirate officers deep inside the fortress.
Aiden, meanwhile, played his role as a perfect "elite recruit."
Actually, even before they landed on the island, Aiden had already used his Observation Haki to sense the situation.
This so-called Blood Axe Pirate crew only had a captain and a vice-captain with some strength. The rest were no threat at all.
If he went all out, he could slaughter everyone here in five minutes, let alone ten.
He pulled the sword from his waist and stayed close to the side of the squad, not rushing to the front.
Facing several pirate grunts waving scimitars and reeking of alcohol, Aiden handled them with "relative ease."
His movements were standard and his strikes were efficient. With every swing, he precisely parried an attack and then stabbed the enemy through the heart or throat.
He didn't show any strength beyond what an "elite recruit" should have, but his killing efficiency was high.
In just a few moments, the "Successful Judgment" notifications on Aiden's system panel jumped several times.
Tsk, as expected of pirates in the Grand Line. Not even a single C-level among them.
Aiden thought to himself while dodging an axe swing. But... that was about it. Even if they were all B-level, they wouldn't help him improve much at his current level.
Aiden did a quick scan to see if these pirates had any interesting skills or talents. He actually managed to find one on a pirate named Jimmy: [Medium Fishing]. Without a second thought, Aiden immediately chose the skill he had wanted for a long time.
At the same time, Aiden kept an eye on the big blond, Rosinante. Seeing him cowering and too afraid to shoot at the pirates, Aiden felt a bit frustrated by his partner's weakness.
"Rosinante! Stop daydreaming! Shoot!" Aiden shouted at Rosinante, who was nearly frozen with fear and only firing blindly. Aiden had just cut down an enemy in front of him.
"Huh? Oh, okay!" Rosinante finally snapped out of it and hurriedly raised his gun. But he was so nervous that his hands shook violently. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets hit the ground right at Aiden's feet, sending up sparks. He almost shot his own teammate.
"Idiot!" Aiden cursed under his breath, stepping aside to avoid the "friendly fire."
Just then, a pirate who looked badly injured and was clutching his arm stumbled and fell near Rosinante, groaning in pain.
Seeing this, Rosinante's cursed kindness kicked in again. He instinctively wanted to step forward to check on the man, and he even lowered his gun.
"Watch out!"
Aiden's Observation Haki had already sensed every detail!
Inside the hand the pirate was using to cover his arm, he was hiding a poisoned short dagger! The eyes that seemed full of pain were actually filled with murderous intent!
Just as the pirate's eyes flashed with cruelty and he prepared to strike.
Swoosh!
Aiden flicked his wrist. A throwing knife flew like a bolt of lightning through the dark!
Punctured!
The throwing knife accurately pierced the pirate's wrist that was holding the dagger, pinning his hand firmly to the ground!
"AHHH!!!"
The pirate let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Aiden!" Rosinante jumped in shock. Only then did he see the dagger in the pirate's hand and the twisted expression on his face.
"Don't daze off! He was going to kill you!" Aiden growled coldly. "Your kindness will get you killed! This is a battlefield, not a game!"
Rosinante's face turned white. He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with struggle.
Right at that moment,
BOOM!!!
an even louder explosion suddenly went off behind the squad! It seemed the pirates had become desperate and set off barrels of gunpowder they had hidden near a corner!
A powerful shockwave swept over them like a violent wave! Rocks and fire sprayed in every direction!
Aiden's eyes narrowed. He instantly judged the location and power of the explosion. He lowered his center of gravity and braced himself against the full force of the shockwave.
At the same time, he reached out and grabbed Rosinante, who was about to be blown away, and pulled him behind himself.
BOOM!! Smoke filled the air, and rocks flew everywhere! The entire battlefield instantly fell into chaos!
Aiden stood calmly where he was. The smoke and rushing air were pushed away by the Armament Haki coating his body.
He looked around and realized that he and Rosinante had been completely separated from the main force by the explosion. Several Marine soldiers and pirates nearby had been knocked unconscious by the blast.
Commander Dal's voice could be heard on the other side of the explosion, but it was getting farther away.
They were separated.
"Cough, cough... Aiden... are you okay?" Rosinante climbed up from behind Aiden, coughing hard, his face covered in dust.
"I'm fine." Aiden patted the non-existent dust off his clothes and looked calmly toward the end of the alleyway.
He saw several tall figures slowly walking toward them, blocking their path. The rain washed the blood off their bodies, making them look even more ferocious.
At the head of the group was a one-eyed giant nearly four meters tall, carrying a massive, blood-colored battle axe!
He gave off a fierce and violent aura. This was the captain of the Blood Axe Pirates, "Blood Axe" Barton! Bounty: 80 million berries!