"Hahaha, the captain is as impatient as ever."
"Brothers, let's charge together! First come, first served for the Celestial Dragons!"
"Charge, charge, charge! The Celestial Dragons are mine!"
Shiki's performance directly ignited all the madmen under his command.
They leaped from the pirate ships that had descended to an appropriate height onto the navy warships, initiating close-quarters combat.
In an instant, the five warships on the sea became the main battleground for the fierce fight.
Cannonballs lost their original deterrence at this moment; the only thing to trust was the weapon in hand.
Bloodshed and slaughter became the background color of the warships.
In no time, the decks were flowing with rivers of blood.
Among them, several Vice Admiral-level combatants under Shiki's command stood out remarkably.
"Yahaha! Kill, kill, kill! Is this all the navy's capable of?"
"You can't satisfy me at all! All trash, trash! Hahaha!"
Wild Wolf Billy brandished his dual blades, weaving in and out among the navy soldiers, each swing claiming a marine's life.
In just a short while, dozens of navy corpses already lay at his feet.
He was the captain of the second division under Shiki, with a bounty of 440 million Berries, extremely bloodthirsty.
Among Shiki's pirates, he ranked in the top three.
Clang~
"Hmph, navy, don't get too arrogant."
Faced with Wild Wolf Billy's indiscriminate slaughter, a navy swordsman clad in a Rear Admiral's coat stepped forward, blocking his path.
"Oh? A navy Rear Admiral? Bring it on then! You'll be the fifth Rear Admiral to die by my hand! Yehahaha!"
"Arrogant and rude, take this!"
The two quickly engaged in combat. Although Wild Wolf Billy held the upper hand, he was temporarily restrained.
At the same time, on another warship, Blood Butcher Merlin, also a captain of the second division under Shiki, was similarly held back.
"Navy Rear Admiral, nothing special. Watch this!"
"Blood Slaughter Slash!"
A blood-red sword aura appeared, forcing the navy Rear Admiral back.
A glance revealed the Rear Admiral was already covered in wounds, showcasing Merlin's formidable strength.
Merlin, the second strongest under Shiki, with a bounty of 520 million Berries.
Merlin pressed his advantage, swiftly swinging his long blade and continuously closing in, causing more wounds to appear on the navy Rear Admiral.
"Don't get too cocky, pirate! Take this!"
At that moment, another navy Rear Admiral appeared nearby. The two Rear Admirals joined forces, finally managing to fight Merlin to a standstill.
This small battlefield was once again restrained, falling into a stalemate.
Combat at the commander level often determines the outcome of the battle.
The above were two small battlefields that formed shortly after the battle began, both at the Rear Admiral level.
Naturally, there was also a small battlefield at the Vice Admiral level, located on a warship to the right.
As one of the five Vice Admirals present, Vice Admiral Merck looked at his slightly chipped fast blade, one of the fifty masterwork swords, with a heavy heart.
"Hahaha, navy! See this old man's power now?"
"Surrender quietly. Considering your Vice Admiral rank, I'll leave your body intact. Otherwise, I'll chop you into mincemeat."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Facing Vice Admiral Merck, a mantis-wielding figure brandished his bladed claws while speaking arrogantly.
One of the fifty skilled swords in Merck's possession had been notched during their previous clash.
Shiki's strongest subordinate, First Division Commander Bloodthirsty Mantis Meng Dan, bounty 710 million Berries.
A Vice Admiral level powerhouse who counted as a significant figure even within the Rocks Pirates, deeply trusted by Shiki.
For this mission, all three of Shiki's division commanders had gathered, essentially committing most of his forces.
"Don't get cocky, pirate! Scum like you dare covet what belongs to the Celestial Dragons?"
"You're utterly delusional. I should be saying those words to you - surrender now if you know what's good for you, and I'll spare your lives."
"Otherwise, when reinforcements from Fiore Kingdom or even Headquarters arrive, you'll be dead without doubt!"
Vice Admiral Merck retorted sharply. Their strengths were nearly matched, neither able to gain decisive advantage in a short time.
Though in a prolonged battle, Merck would struggle to prevail.
His opponent Meng Dan was a Zoan Type user of the Bug-Bug Fruit, Mantis Form - specialized in extended combat.
"Yahahaha! Since that's how it is, let's settle this with our blades."
"Naval Vice Admiral, don't start crying later."
"Mantis Flash!"
"Arrogant fool! Let me show you what justice truly means!"
"Demon Slash!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
They clashed again, sword energy scattering everywhere, engulfing the entire warship in their conflict.
Surrounding marines and pirates alike gave them wide berth, avoiding accidental involvement that could cost them their lives in moments.
Though only ten minutes into the battle, the Golden Lion Pirates had demonstrated remarkable ferocity.
Setting aside combat below officer rank which couldn't influence the overall situation...
They had successfully pinned down two Rear Admirals, one Vice Admiral, and even Sengoku - a Vice Admiral with Admiral-level strength.
Truly impressive achievements!
But this was far from sufficient.
The navy still had three fully combat-ready Vice Admirals and eight Rear Admirals.
Looking down from above, Brian observed the battle's progress.
His gaze settled on the Celestial Dragon protected by two Vice Admirals, firming his resolve.
"Griffin Girl, lead the Beast Girl corps to attack with me. We'll crush the remaining marine forces below as quickly as possible."
"This mission has two objectives: the Celestial Tribute, and the Celestial Dragon protected in the center."
"Yes, Master!"
"Sisters, follow my lead!"
"Right!"
Whoosh~
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~
Seven figures leaped swiftly from the airborne pirate ship, splitting into two groups to assault the marines on two warships.
Whoosh~
On the left rear warship, streams of green light streaked across - terrifying blade-like air slashes.
These air blades reaped marine lives in spiral patterns like cutting vegetables.
Thud~
Crack~
The sounds of slicing filled the air as marines fell without even seeing their attackers, bodies carved into pieces scattering across the deck.
"Hiding like cowards! Face me properly if you dare!"
A Rear Admiral on the ship clenched his fists, watching the scene with agitated fury.
Despite his strength as a Rear Admiral, he couldn't even clearly see the owner of those green energy blades.
His voice had attracted the attention of the energy blades, which abruptly changed direction and swiftly sliced toward him.
"Hmph, coming right at me."
"Tempest Kick: Serial Slice!"
An equal number of blue energy blades shot out from the Rear Admiral's feet, continuously clashing with the green ones.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The collisions created massive clouds of dust, obscuring the Rear Admiral's vision.
Swoosh~
Splat~
Amid the smoke, a chilling green light flashed past at incredible speed, sending a spray of blood flying.
The Rear Admiral clutched his neck in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.
With his Observation Haki still inadequate, facing an opponent whose speed surpassed his own, he was instantly obliterated!
Thud~
A green figure appeared before him, looking down at the dying Rear Admiral with an expression of boredom.
The first Rear Admiral on this battlefield had fallen!