Before the words even finished, several strangely shaped pirate ships rushed out from the thick fog in all directions. The crew watched in terror as the ships appeared without a sound.
They had used the water currents and the fog to perfectly hide their tracks. They waited until the very last second to launch their surprise attack.
The pirate ships had long, narrow hulls. Sharp rams covered both sides of the ships, and the prows were curved high into the air, looking like the fangs of a spider. On the sails, a terrifying white spider pattern was painted.
"It's the Great Whirlpool Spider Pirates! Open fire!!" Commander Dal was the first to react, shouting at the top of his lungs.
But it was already too late.
On the largest ship in the lead, a man with long black hair and a spider tattoo on his forehead stood at the prow. He stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips, letting out a wicked, dry laugh.
He wore two katanas at his waist—one long and one short. He looked both cunning and cruel.
This was none other than "Great Whirlpool Spider" Squard!
"Gyahahaha! You stupid Navy trash! Another group has come here to die!" Squard grinned cruelly. He pointed his long katana at the Navy speedboat.
"Perfect. We haven't eaten our fill yet! Boys! Tear them to pieces!!"
"OHHHHHH!!"
The pirates let out bloodthirsty roars.
A second later, a massive wave of attacks hit them like a rainstorm.
The pirate ships did not just fire dense volleys of cannonballs from every angle. They also used special devices on their prows to fire giant white "spider webs."
Those webs opened up in mid-air, falling toward the Navy speedboat like a massive net designed to catch everything.
"Evade! Hurry, evade!" the driver shouted, spinning the steering wheel frantically.
But the speedboat was a step too slow. A giant spider web landed precisely on the stern, instantly tangling the propeller. The boat's speed dropped suddenly, as if it had fallen into a swamp.
"Dammit! The propeller is caught!"
"Starboard side! Cannonballs incoming!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Several shells exploded right next to the speedboat. They kicked up massive pillars of water, and the hull shook violently. Aiden grabbed Rosinante and pressed him against the side of the cabin, using his own body to block the shockwaves.
"Fire back!!" Commander Dal drew his sword and roared out his commands.
The Navy soldiers also raised their rifles to shoot. Some operated the few small rapid-fire cannons on the boat to return fire.
But there were simply too many enemies. These pirates clearly knew this foggy sea very well. Their ships moved like slippery eels, using the thick fog and complex currents to constantly dodge the Navy's fire. At the same time, they attacked from difficult angles.
Aiden used his sword to block flying stray bullets and wooden shards. Meanwhile, he used his Observation Haki to sense the flow of the battle. His expression became serious.
The Navy speedboat was completely surrounded. It was like a moth caught in a spider web, struggling and failing as the danger grew. The hull was hit repeatedly by cannonballs and rams, making painful, creaking sounds.
"Commander! The left side of the hull is badly damaged! We're taking on water!"
"Comms officer! Can you reach Vice Admiral Sakazuki?!"
"No! The interference is too strong! I can't reach him at all!"
A feeling of despair began to spread across the boat.
Squard laughed wildly and suddenly leaped from his flagship.
"Gyahahaha! Game over, Navy trash!"
His tall figure cut through the fog like a cannonball. The long sword in his hand carried a terrifying power that seemed to tear the air itself as he swung it down toward the cockpit. He clearly wanted to kill the commander first.
"Oh no! Protect the Commander!" several soldiers roared, raising their guns to fire.
But the bullets hit Squard's body and only created a few sparks. They couldn't even pierce his skin. He was clearly a powerful fighter who was skilled in Armament Haki.
"Get away from me!" Dal's eyes turned red with anger. He roared and gripped his sword with both hands, using all his strength to block the giant blade coming at him.
CLANG—!!!!
A deafening sound of metal hitting metal exploded.
Commander Dal felt a terrifying, unstoppable force hit him. The skin between his thumb and forefinger instantly tore open. However, relying on his experience and strong willpower, he barely blocked the strike. But the gap in power was too great; he was blown backward and slammed into the cabin wall behind him.
A flash of surprise appeared in Squard's eyes. He didn't seem to expect this Navy Commander to survive his strike.
He grinned cruelly and put more power into his sword. He was about to split Dal and the cockpit in half together. If this strike landed, Dal would definitely die.
On the deck, Aiden grabbed Rosinante, who had almost slipped, and pulled him behind himself. With a backhand swing, he cut the head off a pirate who was lunging at them.
He saw the danger Dal was in. He also saw the soldiers around him; they were fighting hard, but they were no match for the pirate elites.
"Tch... this is trouble," Aiden frowned slightly.
"That jerk Sakazuki... what is he doing?" Aiden couldn't help but complain in his head. "He knows Dal is no match for them, but he won't step in himself? He has to play this game of 'staying on the flagship'? Now his adjutant is going to die here..."
After spending time together, he had grown to like Dal. The Commander was honest and responsible. He also cared about the soldiers who were risking their lives with him.
"It would be a shame to die in a place like this."
Just as Squard's long sword was about to fall and Commander Dal looked on in despair—
A figure appeared in front of Dal as if he had teleported.
It was Aiden!
"Huh?!" Squard's pupils shrank. He clearly didn't expect this ordinary-looking sailor to be so fast.
Aiden did not hesitate. The sword at his waist was out of its sheath in an instant.
The blade was covered in a layer of very dense, pitch-black Armament Haki.
Facing the strike that was falling like a mountain, Aiden didn't retreat. He moved forward instead. His sword drew a fierce, unmatched arc, swinging upward to meet the attack!
The speed, power, and the density of the Haki in this strike were far beyond what Gion usually saw from the "hardworking ordinary person" she knew.
If Gion were here to see this strike, she would probably be so shocked she'd drop her own sword.
CLASH—!!!!!
An even louder, more violent sound of metal clashing rang out.
Sparks exploded everywhere like fireworks.
Under everyone's unbelievable gaze:
Squard's unstoppable giant blade was actually blocked... by this unknown Navy recruit!
Even though the force was so great that the deck under Aiden's feet began to crack and shatter, he truly held his ground.
"There's no mistake... based on the force of that impact, this guy's physical strength is definitely above mine... he's a real S-grade powerful enemy!" Aiden made his judgment instantly.
"You...?!" For the first time, horror appeared in Squard's eyes. How could this kid have this much power and Haki?!
"Kill them all!" Seeing that the Navy boat was at its limit, Squard pushed his doubts down. He swung his sword and lunged at Aiden again. He wanted to get rid of this obstacle first.
Immediately, the pirates on the surrounding ships began jumping over like dumplings being dropped into water, shouting wildly.
A bloody, chaotic battle broke out on the deck instantly.
Aiden and Squard were locked in a direct fight.
Sword lights and the giant blade crashed together over and over. Their Armament Haki created shockwaves.
Aiden pushed his strength to the limit. Combining his perfect swordsmanship with his unbreakable Haki, he fought Squard to a draw.
Although he could feel the other man's strength slightly overpowering him, Aiden used his faster speed and his Observation Haki to predict moves. If the fight continued, it was hard to say who would win.
The sailors and pirates nearby were all stunned by the fight between the two.
Commander Dal was even more shocked: "This... this kid..."
Rosinante's mind went blank as he watched Aiden's figure, which looked like a god of war.
Sea water kept pouring in, and the boat began to tilt more and more. On the shaky, wet deck, the Navy soldiers fought a desperate battle against pirates who outnumbered them many times over.
While fighting Squard, Aiden used his Observation Haki to check the boat's condition. It wasn't going to last!
"I can't keep fighting on the ship! It's going to fall apart completely!" Aiden felt anxious.
Right then—
BOOM—!!!
The speedboat shook violently. The tilting hull seemed to have hit an underwater reef.
CRACK! CRACK! The sound of the bottom of the boat shattering was painful to hear.
The ship began to break apart completely. The deck suddenly tilted upward.
A giant wave, filled with broken wood and bodies, smashed onto the crumbling deck.
"Hold on!!" Aiden stopped fighting. He used a fake strike to push Squard back, then spun around and grabbed the arm of Rosinante, who was being thrown into the air.
SPLASH—!!!
The giant wave swallowed both of them instantly.
The moment he was thrown up, Aiden had already spotted a lonely island hidden in the thick fog nearby.
"Now!"
He stopped holding back. The moment he hit the water, he used the push from the wave and kicked his legs hard against the water. It was a "water-based Moonwalk" with incredible explosive power.
PLOP!
The two of them were like accurately thrown cannonballs. They flew at a precise angle over the center of the chaotic battlefield, cut through the fog, and crashed heavily onto the rocky beach of that dark, lonely island.
The cold seawater soaked them instantly. The violent impact caused Rosinante to faint immediately.
Aiden survived thanks to his strong body. He quickly surfaced and took a deep breath.
He looked back at the battlefield that had been completely swallowed by fog and whirlpools. The presence of Squard, Dal, and the others had already disappeared from his senses.