Bacchus, who had been sent flying, fell heavily to the ground, feeling dizzy and seeing stars.
After a while, he shakily got up from the ground, forcefully shaking his still-groggy head, trying to clear his mind.
Then, he raised his head, with difficulty redirecting his gaze back to the battlefield.
When he saw the situation on the battlefield, he was completely stunned.
The Marine soldiers, who had been charging fiercely, intending to rush into the hotel, were now falling one after another into pools of blood, like harvested wheat.
After every gunshot, a Marine soldier would fall, some even dying without a chance to scream.
Bacchus hadn't expected Alvin's sniping skills to be so astonishingly precise!
He could accurately hit targets from an extreme distance, and every shot was a fatal blow, giving the enemy no chance to breathe or retaliate.
At this point, the charging Marine soldiers also finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
They discovered with terror that the sniper located on the hotel's rooftop was simply an unbeatable demon!
No matter how they charged or dodged, they couldn't escape Alvin's bullets, which were as precise as the Grim Reaper's scythe.
This deep sense of powerlessness and fear instantly flooded their hearts, completely disorganizing these usually well-trained Marine soldiers.
The expressions on their faces transformed from initial anger and determination to despair and terror.
Their pale faces were filled with dread and collapse at the thought of death.
"De...demon..."
"This isn't something we can handle, run!"
"Wuwuwu..."
"Help!"
"Don't kill me!"
Various pleas and cries for help rose and fell, the entire scene chaotic.
However, Alvin remained completely unaffected by these sounds, calmly pulling the trigger, mercilessly reaping the lives of his enemies.
"Retreat!"
"Everyone, retreat!" The urgent Colonel Bacchus roared hoarsely on the battlefield.
Hearing this voice, even the Marine soldiers who were unwilling to give up had their belief shattered by Alvin's sniper rifle at this moment!
"Run!"
...
In an instant, over a hundred Marine soldiers turned into a complete rout!
Just at this critical moment, a bullet, like a bolt of lightning, sped through the air, rapidly spinning as if carrying endless killing intent from the abyss of hell, whistling directly towards Bacchus!
"Armament!" Accompanied by Bacchus's furious roar, a visible black glow swiftly covered his body.
With a crisp "ding" sound, the seemingly unstoppable sniper rifle bullet bounced off as if it had hit an indestructible steel plate, unable to advance even an inch.
Bacchus now knew that Alvin simply didn't possess Armament Haki; if that bullet had been imbued with Armament Haki, he would have definitely been injured.
Since he didn't have Armament Haki, Bacchus had nothing to worry about!
Meanwhile, Alvin, on the hotel rooftop, was closely observing everything happening below through the scope of his sniper rifle.
When he saw his bullet blocked, a slight frown appeared on his somewhat youthful face.
He secretly thought to himself, "I didn't expect this Marine Colonel from West Blue to possess Armament Haki, and to be able to use it so skillfully to defend against attacks."
"It seems it won't be so easy to get rid of this troublesome fellow today..."
Thinking this, Alvin decisively abandoned his plan to continue shooting.
He swiftly put his sniper rifle into his system space, then slowly stood up. His indifferent eyes, devoid of any emotion, glanced at Bacchus in the distance below.
However, it was this unintentional glance that immediately made Colonel Bacchus in the distance aware of Alvin's location.
He suddenly looked up, his gaze like two sharp sword beams, shooting directly towards the hotel's top floor.
In that instant, their gazes met, like two invisible currents colliding in the air, sparking tiny flashes.
"Alvin!" Bacchus stared intently at Alvin, squeezing out those two angry words through gritted teeth.
Before he finished speaking, he charged towards the hotel like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, with lightning speed! His figure was as fast as an arrow leaving a bowstring, closing the distance between him and Alvin in the blink of an eye.
But how could Alvin wait for him?
"Marine, we'll meet again soon," Alvin murmured, looking at the charging Bacchus. Then he directly jumped off the hotel and quickly left Garbage Mountain from the rooftops of other civilian houses!
When Bacchus arrived at the seaside, there was no trace of Alvin.
"Ah!!! Damn it!!!" Bacchus's eyes widened, his face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead, as he roared furiously at the sky, his voice seemingly trying to pierce the clouds.
The rage in his heart surged out like a volcanic eruption.
This time was originally an excellent opportunity to connect with Admiral Aokiji and thus rise rapidly through the ranks.
However, things went against his wishes, and it ultimately ended in failure.
What was worse, this mission was personally called in by Admiral Aokiji, and such an important and rare opportunity had slipped through his grasp.
Moreover, due to his poor decision-making, he not only failed to complete the mission but also caused heavy losses to his side.
Now, let alone connecting with Admiral Aokiji, he himself would probably not escape severe punishment. Thinking of this, Bacchus couldn't help but feel immense regret, his heart filled with remorse.
He angrily pounded his head, constantly replaying the entire operation in his mind.
If he had been decisive from the start, directly using warships to heavily bombard that damned hotel, then Alvin would definitely not have escaped.
Under the powerful artillery attack of the warships, even if Alvin miraculously survived, he would surely be severely injured.
But it was because he had considered giving civilians time to evacuate safely that he had delayed giving the order to bombard.
And the result?
It was this so-called act of kindness that allowed the enemy to escape, bringing such severe consequences upon himself.
At this moment, Bacchus was filled with resentment, secretly vowing: Next time, no matter the situation, he would never show the slightest bit of mercy!
Those pirates were all scum of the sea, degenerates of humanity; as long as they could be completely eliminated, even sacrificing the lives of some innocent civilians was acceptable!
At this moment, Colonel Bacchus's deep-seated understanding of justice began to slowly twist and change...
~~~~~~~~~~
Alvin, after leaving Garbage Mountain, was now wandering in the waters outside the Dareleka Islands. He hadn't gone too far because he truly didn't know how to navigate!
It was already evening, and it was easier to get lost at sea at night.
...
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