Chapter 365: Jinbe Makes His Move (7/22)
When Ian learned that the Germa ships were actually a fleet of peculiar, giant snails, he immediately knew that the Thunder Roar Cannon would prove incredibly useful.
It had to be said that Waldo, as a scientist who had once worked alongside Vegapunk, was truly remarkable. The power of the Thunder Roar Cannon was immense. If not for the fact that their previous battle had taken place on land, where Ian could easily exploit Waldo's weaknesses, the outcome would have been far from certain.
Bringing the Thunder Roar Cannon aboard the ship had been no small feat for Waldo. Although the cannon had no recoil, its sheer size was a problem. Furthermore, because it required Wine Iron Ore as the material for its barrel, the cannon was incredibly heavy. Only strongmen like Sardine and Dorry could lift it onto the ship. Another issue was that the cannon used Thunder Stones as its energy source, which meant energy consumption was high and a significant concern.
However, these flaws could not overshadow the cannon's immense power. When Waldo originally built the Thunder Roar Cannon, his ambition was to create a weapon comparable to the ancient weapon Pluton.
The moment the Thunder Roar Cannon fired, many people saw the flash of light from Ian's ship, including Gaji and his children. But they could not react effectively, because the lightning sphere fired by the cannon moved at an incredible speed.
By the time they saw the cannon fire, the lightning sphere was already upon the Germa fleet.
Gaji only had time to shout a warning and push Reiju and the others to the deck.
But to his surprise, the sphere did not strike any of their ships. Instead, it landed on the sea surface in the center of the fleet.
This was a carefully calculated shot. The Thunder Roar Cannon's trajectory was not arced like a traditional cannon; instead, it was aimed slightly downward, because the lightning sphere traveled in a straight line.
When the sphere hit the sea, it exploded instantly.
The seawater at the point of impact was instantly vaporized, creating a momentary concave depression on the surface.
This depression lasted only an instant before the surrounding seawater rushed back to fill it. But at that moment, the electrical energy spread outward through the seawater in all directions.
Though it takes time to describe, it happened in the blink of an eye. A flash of electric light surged across the sea surface in the impact area, and every single Germa snail ship in that region shuddered violently.
The snails' large eyes closed simultaneously, completely paralyzed by the massive electric current.
Not only the snails, but also the fish and small sea creatures beneath the surface in that area were affected, electrocuted and left paralyzed, slowly floating up from the depths.
When the Germa snail ships were knocked over by the electricity, the snails lost their ability to float on the surface. They tilted and began to fall into the sea.
The fully armed Germa soldiers on their backs could not maintain their footing as the platforms tilted. They screamed in panic and slid down, hundreds of them falling into the water like dumplings being dropped into a pot, creating a series of splashes.
Since the snails had capsized, the buildings on their backs could not escape either. As they flipped over on the sea surface, their weight caused them to sink, dragging the snails down with them. The sinking of such massive objects created whirlpools that pulled the floating Germa soldiers under.
Gaji and Reiju stared in disbelief, unable to accept that a single cannonball had caused this.
With just one shot, Germa had lost nearly half of its ships.
Even Ian was stunned by the sight. Although he had anticipated that the Thunder Roar Cannon would be effective, he had not expected it to be this devastating.
The Germa snail ships had a remarkable feature: they could travel not only on the sea but also on land, making them amphibious. They could even climb mountains, and even the towering Red Line could not stop them. The Germa Group relied on these snails for their superior mobility.
Additionally, the snails' shells were made of metal. In battle, they could retract into their shells, forming a sturdy fortress that could withstand considerable damage. In many of Germa's wars, these snails had been key to their victories.
But what made the snails strong also made them weak. Although they were formidable, they were still living creatures. When the electrical energy exploded in the seawater, their resistance was pitifully low.
In contrast, if the target had been ordinary wooden ships, this cannonball would have been far less effective.
Regardless, the Thunder Roar Cannon had proven its worth. With one shot, it had halved the Germa fleet, significantly reducing their firepower.
"Excellent! Keep firing!" Ian shouted, his spirits soaring. "Aim for their densest clusters! Disrupt their formation!"
Waldo was also excited to finally unleash the Thunder Roar Cannon freely. He now considered himself a member of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, which was why he had come along.
Moreover, knowing that the enemy commander was his former colleague, Vinsmoke Gaji—the man who had fled with Vegapunk's Lineage Factor research—made Waldo even more eager.
Although they had been colleagues, Waldo and Gaji had often clashed. Both were excellent scientists, but neither could match Vegapunk's genius. They each believed themselves superior to the other, a rivalry that had simmered in the research institute but had intensified after they parted ways.
"Come on, Gaji!" Waldo shouted excitedly as he adjusted the cannon's aim. "It's time to prove that I'm better than you!"
Two more lightning spheres were fired, targeting the densest areas of the Germa fleet. Although Gaji had reacted quickly and ordered the ships to disperse, the snails needed time to start moving. As a result, many ships were still hit by the two spheres.
Though the results were not as devastating as the first shot, it was enough to make Gaji's eyes burn with fury.
For Gaji, every snail ship was a piece of the Germa Kingdom's territory. Once these snails were electrocuted and sank into the sea, they were lost forever. This meant Germa had directly lost territory. How could Gaji not feel the pain?
He had always dreamed of reviving the Germa Kingdom, but now he was suffering a massive loss here. How could he accept this?
"Father, what do we do?" Ichiji shouted at Gaji. "We have to stop them, or Germa will be finished!"
"Quickly!" Gaji ordered. "All remaining ships, charge toward them! Ichiji, Reiju, all four of you, move out! You must stop them!"
At Gaji's command, Reiju and the other three pushed off the ground with their feet.
The strange jet shoes on their feet gave them incredible jumping power, launching them high into the air.
As they began to descend, they floated in midair. Powerful jets of air shot out from their shoes, pushing against the sea below and supporting their bodies.
Once airborne, the four of them began to run through the sky. With each step, they covered a great distance. In just a short time, they had crossed the twenty-odd miles separating the two fleets.
But just as they were about to reach Ian's ship, a thin stream of water suddenly shot up from the sea below. It formed a water arrow, carrying immense force as it whistled toward the leading Ichiji.
Startled, Ichiji twisted his body in midair.
But he could not dodge in time. The water arrow struck his waist, and the tremendous force exploded like a cannonball. With a loud bang, Ichiji's body was sent flying higher into the air.
"Big brother!?" Niji and Yonji behind him shouted in surprise.
Ichiji tumbled through the air several times before regaining control of his body. Though the spot where the water had hit him was unharmed, the attack infuriated him.
It was the first time he had suffered such a setback.
Looking down, he saw a fish-man with a topknot floating on the sea surface. It was none other than Jinbe.
Jinbe was still holding the pose from his palm strike. It was he who had just used a Water Shot to hit Ichiji.
"Let this old man be your opponent!" Jinbe said, looking up at Ichiji.