"What's going on here?!"
A furious roar came from the direction of the prison's main building.
A tall man wearing an Alabasta officer's uniform rushed out, hurriedly fastening the belt of the sword hanging at his waist.
"Commander Hashim! Someone is breaking prisoners out! They've already entered the dungeon!"
"What?!"
"They dare storm a prison? The audacity!"
Soldiers poured in from every direction.
Spearmen and shield-bearers formed the front lines, while musketeers and archers took elevated positions behind them.
All exits and pathways were sealed in moments.
Sammy and his five companions were surrounded in the center of the courtyard.
Yet none of them showed the slightest fear.
Aldo even grinned, cracking his neck loudly.
"Who are you people?!"
"How dare you trespass into the prison of Rapeseed Port!"
Warden Hashim pointed his heavy sword straight at Sammy.
"We're here to take someone back!"
Aldo shouted back without hesitation, resting his spiked club on his shoulder.
"Move aside if you know what's good for you!"
"Don't force us to fight!"
"They're accomplices of the pirate arrested yesterday!"
One soldier recognized Leon, who was still wearing his prison uniform.
"Rescue someone?"
"Everyone locked in this prison is a dangerous criminal!"
"You've already committed a grave crime by storming this place!"
"Submit quietly!"
"If you want to take someone from this prison, you'll have to get through us first!"
"Capture them!"
At the command, the soldiers surged forward.
Hashim himself led the charge.
His massive body burst forward with astonishing speed.
His two-handed greatsword howled through the air, descending toward Sammy with the force to split stone.
"Boss, leave this one to me!"
Aldo roared.
His spiked club swung like a black whirlwind, smashing directly toward the incoming blade.
"Heavy Club — Citybreaker!"
CLANG—!!!
The deafening crash of metal against metal shook the courtyard.
Sparks erupted wildly where the spiked club collided with the sword's edge.
Hashim staggered slightly, surprise flashing through his eyes.
His full-power strike had actually been stopped.
Aldo grinned viciously and twisted his club forward with brute force.
"Get back!"
The surge of strength forced Hashim to stumble half a step backward, leaving a small open space between them.
This guy's strength…
No wonder they dare challenge Alabasta's prison guards.
Hashim glanced briefly at Sammy behind Aldo.
And the strongest one is probably that man…
This is going to be trouble.
"Don't let them form up!"
"Break their formation!"
A squad leader shouted.
More soldiers rushed forward.
"Hmph. Trash shouldn't get in the way."
Marcus drew Ran Sakura, his Fine Grade sword, the blade flashing with cold light.
"Ran Sakura — Scattered Blossoms!"
The blade moved so fast it left only afterimages.
A sharp series of cracks followed.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The spearheads of five or six soldiers were sliced clean off—along with part of the wooden shafts.
The soldiers stared blankly at the suddenly shortened weapons in their hands.
"His sword!"
"Watch out for his blade!"
"Every flower blooms for a reason…"
Kahelo's voice came lightly.
"…even blood flowers."
His body slipped into the soldiers attempting to flank them on the right.
Facing several spears thrusting simultaneously, he stepped forward instead.
His body slid through the narrow gaps between spear shafts with perfect precision.
A faint smile curved his lips as his twin blades crossed.
"Gentleman's Elegy — Crimson Waltz!"
Before the words finished—
He spun.
The twin swords became a shining silver wheel.
SHHK! SHHK!
The dull sounds of blades cutting flesh echoed.
Two spear soldiers froze in place.
They looked down in disbelief.
Their heavy scale armor had been cut open.
Two deep crossing wounds sprayed blood violently from their chests.
Before their screams could escape—
Kahelo had already slipped between them.
His blades reversed in a graceful arc.
A flash of steel cut across a shield soldier's throat, spraying a cloud of red mist.
Isaac, fighting barehanded, guarded Sammy and Leon's flank.
When a sword thrust toward him, he didn't even dodge.
His fist shot forward.
"Rockbreaker — Collapse!"
BOOM!
The iron-rimmed wooden shield shattered into pieces under the impact.
The soldier behind it flew backward without a sound.
Isaac didn't stop moving.
He grabbed the blade of a sword striking from the side, twisted hard, tore it from the attacker's grip—
Then slashed back, cutting the ambusher down instantly.
Battle erupted across the courtyard.
Clashing steel.
Shouts.
Cries of pain.
Though Sammy's team was small, they steadily pushed forward through the thickening wall of soldiers.
"Don't be afraid!"
"There are only a few of them!"
"Archers! Musketeers! Aim!"
Hashim blocked another crushing swing from Aldo and shouted loudly.
He expected a rain of arrows and bullets to fall from above.
Instead—
Only a few scattered gunshots sounded.
Then came short screams and the dull thud of bodies hitting the ground.
"What's going on?! Fire!"
Pfft.
A faint suppressed shot nearly drowned in the chaos.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hashim saw an archer on the third floor balcony.
The man's head snapped backward—
And his body collapsed over the railing.
"What?!"
Pfft! Pfft!
Two more nearly simultaneous shots.
On the roof to the left, two musketeers loading their weapons jerked violently.
Blood burst from their chests as they screamed and fell.
A sniper!
They have a sniper!
From a distant rooftop vantage point, Feiqi's rifle smoked faintly.
The chaos of battle and dim lighting concealed his precise long-range assassinations perfectly.
"Don't look away!"
"Your opponent is me!"
Aldo's club crashed down again.
"Stop them! Charge!"
Another squad leader led a group rushing forward.
"Leon. Stay behind me."
Sammy inhaled slowly.
A layer of pale violet poison began gathering across the skin of his bare arms.
Then he swung both arms forward.
"Poison Cascade — Thousand Needle Rain!"
Instantly—
A massive fan-shaped spray of purple venom burst forward.
It covered nearly twenty meters ahead.
"What is that?!"
"Get out of the way!"
The shouts instantly turned into horrific screams.
Soldiers struck directly by the venom felt intense stinging pain across exposed skin and thin clothing—
As if thousands of needles pierced them simultaneously.
Moments later the pain turned into burning agony.
Weapons fell from their hands.
They collapsed to the ground screaming.
The front line instantly lost its ability to fight.
A gap opened.
"Now!"
"Break through the front gate!"
Aldo swung his club in a powerful horizontal strike, forcing Hashim back.
"Haha! I'm done playing with you, big guy!"
"Damn you!!"
"You think you're leaving?!"
"Stop them! Don't let them escape!"
Hashim roared, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he tried to pursue.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Several precise sniper shots forced the soldiers back again.
The six figures vanished into the darkness of Rapeseed Port.
Almost at the same moment they landed outside—
On a high point atop an abandoned warehouse, Feiqi slung his rifle over his shoulder and sprinted toward the harbor at full speed.
Hashim watched the escaping shadows, his expression furious.
"Damn it!"
"Send word to the nearby Marines immediately!"
"Rapeseed Port has been attacked by evil pirates!"
"I must report this incident to His Majesty the King at once!"
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