One-Sword Style: – Lion's Song!
In the flash of an eye, a sharp, brilliant arc of sword light slashed through the air. Accompanied by a sudden spray of fresh blood and a muffled groan filled with agony, the duel exclusive to swordsmen finally came to a close.
"What a... beautiful... Iai slash..."
Lieutenant Commander Ike used his long sword to prop up his body. Blood gradually dyed his pristine white Marine uniform crimson. Looking weak and exhausted, he gazed at the three-sword style swordsman ahead of him, who was just as battered and bruised. A faint smile played on Ike's lips, and a hint of admiration actually slipped into his eyes.
"It is my loss..." As soon as the words left his mouth, a mouthful of blood surged from the Marine lieutenant commander's lips. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Lieutenant Commander!"
"Instructor Ike!"
The surrounding Marines erupted into an uproar. They truly had not expected that Instructor Ike, who was peerlessly powerful in their hearts, would actually fall to a pirate hunter's blade.
(He really was a opponent worthy of respect.)
Zoro silently sheared Wado Ichimonji back into its scabbard. Though the green-haired swordsman had claimed victory, his current condition was close to his absolute limit. If he weren't wary of the predatory Marines eyeing him from all sides, he probably would have passed out long ago.
(As a Marine instructor, aside from his swordsmanship, his marksmanship was equally formidable. Yet just now, he chose to fight me using only his sword...) Looking at Lieutenant Commander Ike being carried away by the Marines, Zoro's gaze grew complicated.
This Marine lieutenant commander could be considered the most troublesome opponent Zoro had encountered since entering the Grand Line. Whether it was speed, strength, or combat experience, this recruit instructor possessed absolutely no shortcomings. Zoro's victory this time was purely a stroke of luck.
"Hey, hey, hey... Mr. Bushido, is what that glasses guy on your ship said actually reliable?"
Mr. 5 and Mr. 4, looking equally disheveled and battered, hurriedly ran to the green-haired swordsman's side and whispered in his ear, "This isn't what we agreed on! He didn't abandon us, did he?"
With great effort, Zoro scanned their surroundings, shocked to find that they were already tightly surrounded by an absolute sea of Marine soldiers. If it hadn't been for his formal duel with Ike just now, these Marines would have likely swarmed forward long ago to capture all of them lawbreakers.
(How did we draw in so many Marines? Heh, looks like our role as bait was pretty successful.)
Facing so many predatory Marine soldiers, Zoro did not show a single shred of cowardice. He let out a light chuckle, which inadvertently pulled at his wounds, causing him to knit his brows slightly.
"Don't worry. Though Sherlock always likes to keep important information bottled up in his stomach..."
The green-haired swordsman yanked off his bandana and re-wrapped it tightly around his arm, speaking softly, "Since it's his plan, we just need to follow it honestly."
"After all, he is the strategist of our ship!"
Mr. 5 and Mr. 4 exchanged a look. From those words, they could feel Zoro's profound, absolute trust in the Sorcerer, and their hearts settled down quite a bit.
"Avenge Lieutenant Commander Ike!"
Right then, some random Marine suddenly roared at the top of his lungs. This shout was like a spark, instantly igniting the simmering fury in the hearts of all the Marines present!
Waving their weapons, they charged toward the trio who no longer had the strength to resist. Judging by the fact that they weren't opening fire, this pack of Marines intended to take them alive.
BANG!
The distant boom of a cannon suddenly echoed. The Marines turned toward the sound, only to see a cannonball abruptly burst mid-air, deploying a massive net that trapped Zoro and the other two together inside.
(Finally, they're here...)
What nobody noticed was that after these three guys were caught by this prison-bomb, instead of showing the slightest bit of panic, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.
What was going on?
Watching this suddenly arrived squad of troops, all the Marine soldiers looked at one another in bewilderment. Judging by the insignias on their uniforms, they were shockingly Headquarters Marines under the command of Rear Admiral Fred, the Black Crow!
"It's the Scavenger Squad!"
"What are Rear Admiral Fred's people doing here right now? Are they here for reinforcement?"
"Heh, they sure timed this perfectly. The battle is already over."
The G-8 Marine soldiers whispered among themselves, finding this incredibly bizarre. A few of the cleverer Marine soldiers, upon recalling the rumors surrounding Rear Admiral Black Crow, saw their expressions turn utterly ugly.
Gossip within the Marines heavily rumored that the only reason Fred managed to become a Rear Admiral was because a huge portion of his merits were snatched from others!
And the next words from the Scavenger Squad's leader, Lieutenant Commander Jason, seemed to further confirm the suspicions in the hearts of these Marines.
"We will be taking these three pirates with us." Lieutenant Commander Jason signaled a few soldiers to escort Zoro and his group away. Then, he swept a glance over the clamoring Marines around him and said indifferently, "This is Rear Admiral Fred's order."
"How can a person be so utterly shameless!" a Marine soldier cursed under his breath, yet he was entirely powerless to stop it.
Every single Marine was infuriated by the Scavenger Squad's shameless behavior. However, pressed by the absolute suppression of military rank, no matter how unwilling they were, these soldiers who had just endured a massive battle could only swallow their anger and watch these guys carry away the captives that originally belonged to them.
The night was deep, and a slightly cool evening breeze brushed past, but it could do nothing to soothe the agitated hearts of this group of Marines.
When people are consumed by rage, it is very difficult to make calm judgments, and Rear Admiral Black Crow's atrocious reputation served as an excellent smokescreen.
Because of this, these furious Marines did not harbor the slightest suspicion regarding the Scavenger Squad's true motive for escorting Zoro's trio away, nor did they find it strange that these three pirates would surrender so meekly.
Furthermore, they wouldn't notice—why was there a pitch-black, bizarre smudge of graffiti on the backs of all these Marines' uniforms?
Black leather boots stepped onto the stone floor, producing a series of crisp, rhythmic thuds that echoed through the dim space, giving off the impression that the area was incredibly vast.
"According to the map, this should be the vault of this fortress."
Sherlock looked at the massive safe door on the wall ahead, lightly pushing up his glasses. "But then again, is it really necessary to make a safe this exaggerated?"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Several blinding searchlights suddenly flared to life, illuminating the originally dim environment until it was bright as day. This violent, sudden shift between light and dark caused Sherlock to subconsciously narrow his eyes, but aside from that, his face betrayed no further reaction.
Squad after squad of Marines poured in like a school of fish, forming a three-sided encirclement that tightly hemmed the Sorcerer in. Their swift movements looked as though they had rehearsed this thousands of times.
Raising their rifles, cycling the bolts, aiming—their faces were a uniform mask of cold severity. Just by looking at the sharp momentum and synchronized movements of these Marines, it was clear they were absolutely not on the same level as those raw recruits back on the bridge.
"Hmph, Vice Admiral Jonathan guessed correctly after all. What a bunch of greedy pirates, to actually have the mind to steal back the gold they plundered."
A Marine officer stepped forward. Scanning the Sorcerer up and down, he knit his brows slightly and asked, "Why is it only you? Where are your companions?"
"Well, they should be preparing to set sail right about now," Sherlock answered in a perfectly serious manner. "I have already obtained everything I came for, and even managed to get some unexpected windfalls. So, to express my gratitude, I have specially prepared a small gift."
"Consider it a matter of courtesy."
Hearing this rather absurd answer, the Marines present all felt an urge to burst out laughing. Yet, when they noticed Sherlock's lenses glinting with a white light and the mysterious, incredibly eerie smile playing beneath them, that urge instantly dissolved into boundless unease and a chilling dread.
That sensation was exactly like having a cold king cobra wrapped tightly around one's neck, its lethal fangs gently pressing against your throat, softly scraping against it.
"Quick! Fire!"
The Marine officer, his face turning faintly pale, barked the order without a moment's hesitation. In an instant, hundreds of tongues of fire spat out. The discharged lead bullets tore the air to shreds, roaring as they shot toward a certain perfectly calm man wearing glasses.
(How utterly foolish...) Sherlock lightly pushed up his glasses.
Mirror Reflection: Refraction.
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