Chapter 564: Surprise Attack
Just how fierce was the Marines' artillery fire? This scene made it perfectly clear. With a single volley, countless fireballs and plumes of smoke erupted from the cluster of reefs at New Edd War. Amid the massive explosions, it felt as if the very atmosphere trembled. A Marine journalist aboard a warship, holding a Video Den Den Mushi, broadcast this image across the entire world. People watching the battle through their screens were all stunned by the sight. When they snapped back to reality, cheers erupted everywhere!
This was the first time the Marines had displayed their overwhelming power to the world, and those who already sided with the World Government and the Marines were naturally thrilled.
"That's it! Blast them hard!" A bloated noble, watching the battle scene, excitedly swung his fist, covered in jeweled rings.
But at the same time, civilians who had received favors from the Whitebeard Pirates covered their mouths in horror, deeply worried for the Whitebeard Pirates. As for the pirates also watching, their feelings were far more bitter. There was no denying it—they were intimidated by the Marines' strength...
"Hmph! The firepower of over a hundred warships!" Somewhere in the New World, Supernova Captain Kid was also watching, unable to resist sneering. "Ten times the scale of a Buster Call. The Marines really went all out this time..."
The underlings of the Hawkins Pirates were also staring wide-eyed at the broadcast, while their captain, Hawkins, remained expressionless, performing a divination. As he calculated, he muttered, "Whitebeard Pirates' evasion probability: 52%... It seems the Marines won't have an easy time of it."
The number of reefs at New Edd War was enormous. This Marine volley was just a random bombardment. At least for now, they still hadn't figured out which island the Whitebeard Pirates were hiding on, so they had to resort to this crude method. After the first volley, Marine soldiers hurriedly reloaded their cannons, while Sengoku raised his binoculars to scan the surrounding sea.
Although the Whitebeard Pirates' allied crews had appeared to attack the Marines, Sengoku noticed that their movements weren't a chaotic swarm. They seemed well-planned and methodical. With so many crews acting in unison, Sengoku didn't believe there was no one directing them. To achieve this level of coordination, the only possible commander was that old man, Whitebeard. In Sengoku's assessment, these pirates must have established contact with the main Whitebeard Pirates on the island; otherwise, they couldn't have pulled this off.
So, what would that old man Whitebeard do?
"Still not planning to show up?" Sengoku found no trace of any ships on the sea, feeling a bit puzzled as he muttered to himself. Then he ordered, "Prepare the second volley!"
With Sengoku's command, the cannons on the Marine warships began adjusting their angles for a second barrage.
But just then, a sudden change occurred!
Just as the Marines were about to fire, the sea in the middle of the fleet formation suddenly bulged upward in a large area. Several warships in that spot were lifted by the swelling water! Amid the violent rocking, Marine soldiers tumbled around, and some even fell into the sea. As they were bewildered, trying to figure out what was happening, the raised water surface burst open with a splash, and a massive head broke through!
It was a head with curved horns and wild, brown hair—a giant!
"WAAAAAH!!!!"
As soon as it emerged, the giant let out a roar that seemed to come from the wilderness itself. The roar was so intense that Marine soldiers nearby, staring in shock, had their eardrums ruptured by the immense sound waves. They clutched their heads and rolled on the ground.
"O... Oars!?" Gecko Moria, aboard a warship, stood up in surprise when he saw the giant appear, looking in that direction. Then he said, "No... that's not Oars!"
This giant wasn't the demon Oars, famous for the legend of moving countries, but he was Oars' descendant. Little Oars Jr.! Another demon with a body as massive as his ancestor's! When he emerged from the sea, a thick membrane on Little Oars Jr.'s body suddenly burst. Though it lasted only a brief moment, Sengoku and the others caught sight of it.
"Is that... a resin coating!?" Vice Admiral Garp said in surprise. "Using that method... Did this guy walk here from the seabed?"
Little Oars Jr.'s body was enormous, even several times larger than the giant Vice Admirals serving in the Marines. However, such height was still insignificant compared to the bottomless sea. In other waters, Little Oars Jr. couldn't have managed this. But the New Edd War waters were different. The seabed here was covered in coral reefs, with the New Edd War reef cluster as the highest point, sloping like a ramp extending over a vast area. So what Garp said—that Little Oars Jr. walked from the seabed—was actually possible.
The Marine warships had been arranged in a staggered formation on the sea, but Little Oars Jr.'s sudden emergence from the middle of the formation immediately disrupted their battle order. The water where Little Oars Jr. stood seemed not too deep. When he stood up, more than half of his body was above the surface. Even so, Marine soldiers on the warships had to crane their necks high to see his head. For a moment, the Marines were stunned, unsure how to react.
The first thing Little Oars Jr. did after emerging was put a conical hat on his head. Then he looked down at the nearest ship on his right. The next second, he reached out both hands, gripping the bow with one and the stern with the other. With a sudden burst of strength, he pulled the warship out of the sea as if yanking a radish. Then, raising his hands above his head, he lifted the ship. Marine soldiers on board screamed and fell into the water like dumplings being dropped. Little Oars Jr. ignored them and hurled the warship forward with both hands!
Whoosh! The thrown warship whistled through the air, crashing into another warship on the sea!
"Jump overboard!!!" The Rear Admiral commander on that ship, seeing the massive shadow hurtling from the sky, let out a desperate shout. But it was too late. Aside from a few quick-witted soldiers near the railing who could leap out in the nick of time, the others had barely started moving when the falling warship collided with theirs!
Crack, crack, crack! A sound like popping beans echoed. Under immense pressure, both warships shattered. Countless Marine soldiers were crushed into meat patties. With a thunderous boom, the falling warship smashed the one on the sea straight into the water, sending a massive wave shooting into the sky. Marine soldiers on nearby warships stared blankly at the scene, unable to snap out of it for a long time. As the waves gradually subsided, countless pieces of wreckage floated up from the seabed, accompanied by a crimson stain dyeing the water red. The soldiers couldn't help but gulp involuntarily.
So... so terrifying!
People watching through the broadcast were equally stunned. This demon giant, who had suddenly emerged from the sea, had completely captured everyone's attention. But it wasn't over yet. Little Oars Jr.'s rampage began. This time, he grabbed two warships, one in each hand, and used them as hammers, smashing them alternately into nearby ships! The massive, standard-issue Marine warships were like toys in his hands, swung around effortlessly...
"Quick! Retreat!" The commanders on warships within Little Oars Jr.'s attack range shouted in panic, ordering their soldiers to turn the helm. But unfortunately, they had dropped anchor earlier to maintain formation for bombarding the New Edd War reefs, leaving their ships stationary. Suddenly trying to move wasn't easy. This delay allowed Little Oars Jr. to destroy over twenty warships in succession!
Warships farther out on the periphery quickly turned their hulls, aiming their cannons at Little Oars Jr.'s position, ready to fire. If the Marines concentrated their fire, Little Oars Jr. would be in trouble. His massive body was a sitting duck—no aiming needed; just firing in his direction had a high chance of hitting him.
But just as the Marine warships prepared to open fire, the sea surface bulged again, one after another!
Splash! Splash! Splash!
One ship, two... ten... over a hundred! Countless vessels with resin coatings burst up from beneath the sea, appearing in the gaps of the Marine formation! Marine soldiers stared in shock at these uneven-looking pirate ships emerging one after another. Then, to their horror, they saw that as these ships surfaced, pirates on both sides holding torches had already lit the fuses of their cannons!
Boom, boom, boom! Amid the smoke, the pirate ships fired at close range on the unsuspecting Marine warships. Some well-positioned ships could even target two warships at once! Though their cannons were inferior to the Marines', such close-range volleys were still formidable. In an instant, the Marine fleet suffered heavy losses.
More and more pirate ships emerged from the seabed. The remaining allied crews of the Whitebeard Pirates, whom Sengoku had been searching for, made their entrance in this way.
"It seems they came from Fish-Man Island. Only there could they get resin coatings..." Sengoku raised his binoculars, watching without much alarm. Hadn't he ordered the fleet to bombard the New Edd War reefs precisely to force these pirates out? Though their attack method was somewhat unexpected, now that they had appeared, things were easier to handle!
If the pirates were launching a surprise attack with cunning tactics, then the Marines were countering with straightforward strategy.
"Order the Seven Warlords and Vice Admirals to engage!" Sengoku commanded. "If my estimate is correct, the main force of the Whitebeard Pirates will soon join the battle to break out..."