Chapter 417: Kuina's Encounter
"Are the cannons ready?" Kuina turned and asked the Marine soldiers.
"Ready, Major!" a Marine soldier saluted. "We can open fire at any time!"
"Good! Aim, fire! Sink that ship!" Kuina drew her Wado Ichimonji, swung it forward, and pointed it at the Blackbeard Pirates' vessel ahead.
The triple-barreled cannon mounted on the bow of the Marine ship was slowly elevated under the adjustment of the Marine gunner. Once the muzzle stopped moving, bursts of fire suddenly erupted!
Boom! Boom! Boom! The triple-barreled cannon fired with slightly staggered timings, launching three cannonballs directly at the Blackbeard Pirates' ship.
At this moment, Kuina's Marine ship and the Blackbeard Pirates' vessel were still far apart, a distance that exceeded the range of ordinary firearms. This was also why the earlier sniper shot from "Supersonic" Van Augur had surprised Kuina so much.
However, just because ordinary firearms couldn't reach that range didn't mean cannons couldn't.
The first three cannonballs were a test shot, so they didn't hit the Blackbeard Pirates' ship. Instead, they landed over a hundred meters behind the stern, kicking up towering splashes.
"Recalibrate! Begin second test shot! Fire!"
Kuina commanded calmly and steadily. The cannon's angle was raised slightly again, and three more shells were launched.
This time, the impact points were even closer to Teach's ship.
Teach and his crew immediately saw through Kuina's intentions, grinding their teeth in frustration. They realized that the female Marine on that warship was employing the Marines' most common tactic: artillery saturation.
Why were the Marines the most powerful force on the seas of this world? It wasn't because they had many strong fighters or Devil Fruit users, but because their ships had overwhelming firepower!
Kuina wasn't foolish. Although she didn't fully understand the strength of the Blackbeard Pirates, she knew that any pirate her senior brother Ian took so seriously couldn't be simple. So from the start, she had never planned to engage in a boarding battle. Instead, she fully exploited the advantages of the Marine warship's sturdy hull and powerful cannons, launching a long-range assault on the Blackbeard Pirates.
Admittedly, even the Marines had to admit that some Devil Fruit users were too powerful to handle on land. But at sea, Devil Fruit users were at their weakest. If their ship was sunk by the Marines, they would fall into the ocean, and no matter how strong their abilities were, they couldn't be used.
This was why, despite the rampant piracy, the Marines could still capture most pirates. The Impel Down prison, with its vicious ability-user criminals locked up on the fourth and fifth floors, was the best proof.
So, experienced pirates, when encountering the Marines at sea, usually chose to flee as fast as possible. They knew that in a firepower duel, no one could beat a Marine warship. If they didn't want their ship destroyed and themselves captured, the best option was to escape quickly and shake off the pursuit.
Kuina was faithfully executing this tactical concept. Although only the bow's three cannons could fire due to the pursuit, if a cannonball hit and damaged the Blackbeard Pirates' ship, slowing it down, she could then order the warship to close in, turn broadside, and unleash even more cannon fire from the side.
Seeing through Kuina's tactical intent, Teach was furious but had no good solution. His current ship was just a stolen merchant vessel, only turned into a pirate ship by hoisting a Jolly Roger. If hit by cannon fire, its resistance would be pitiful.
"Burgess! You damn helmsman!" Teach cursed. "Find a way to dodge the shells!"
"Captain, I'm trying! The problem is we're sailing against the wind, and our speed is affected! We can't shake them!" Burgess shouted back.
Boom! A cannonball landed right beside Teach's pirate ship, sending a towering wave crashing onto the deck. The cold spray drenched Teach, making him shiver. He looked up at the mast and yelled, "Van Augur! Damn it, counterattack! Take out that female Marine!"
Van Augur didn't reply. He simply raised his rifle and aimed at Kuina on the pursuing warship.
Then, he fired another shot!
Unlike the earlier warning shot, this bullet was aimed directly at Kuina's vital points.
But Van Augur's mistake was not targeting Kuina from the start. Kuina had already realized that the Blackbeard Pirates had a formidable sniper, so how could she not be on guard?
Kuina remained highly vigilant. When Van Augur fired, a sudden sense of danger surged in her heart, and her body instinctively twisted sharply!
Then, she felt a scorching wind brush past her chest.
Behind her, another small hole appeared in the cabin wall. A Marine soldier standing in the same line as Kuina froze for a moment before feeling a sharp pain in his arm. Looking down, he saw a bloody hole that had inexplicably appeared in his shoulder.
The soldier screamed in pain. The ship's doctor rushed over, laid him on the deck, and began emergency treatment.
"Get down! Stay low!" Kuina shouted to the Marine soldiers. "Or those without duties, get back into the cabin! Don't get caught in the crossfire!"
Hearing this, a Marine lieutenant snapped back to reality and said, "Major Kuina, you should come back to the cabin with us! Staying on deck is too dangerous!"
"No!" Kuina shook her head. "There are still soldiers on deck. If I go back to the cabin, the enemy sniper will target them. On the other hand, if I stay here, he'll prioritize me, and I'm better at dodging his attacks than you are."
The lieutenant knew she was right. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and stamped his foot. "Alright, Major, be careful! We'll sink their ship as fast as we can!"
"By the way, have you contacted Captain Smoker?" Kuina asked him.
"Not yet. There might be a storm coming in this area. It could be the weather interfering. I'll try again later," the lieutenant replied. "But Major, maybe we can try contacting other Marine headquarters. This area is under G-4 Branch's jurisdiction..."
"Alright, handle it as you see fit," Kuina nodded.
After some of the soldiers on deck withdrew, Kuina stood at the bow, took a deep breath, and stared at the Blackbeard Pirates' ship ahead.
"What just happened?" Kuina's eyes flickered as she thought to herself. "When that bullet came at me, I felt something different. What was it?"
Van Augur's bullets traveled faster than sound, which was the origin of his epithet "Supersonic." At such a distance over the sea, a bullet the size of a fingertip was invisible to the naked eye, let alone dodgeable.
Kuina hadn't been able to dodge Van Augur's first shot, but she had dodged the second. That wasn't a coincidence. The sudden warning in her heart had alerted her, and with that warning came a strange sensation spreading through her body.
This feeling was unusual. Though it flashed by in an instant, Kuina's intuition told her it was the key to dodging the bullet.
Gripping her Wado Ichimonji with both hands, the sword seemed to give her endless strength. With a determined expression, she looked at the Blackbeard Pirates' ship ahead, almost hoping they would snipe at her again so she could rediscover that feeling...