The surrounding soldiers instantly panicked. Some raised their guns but dared not fire for fear of hitting the target; others tried to rush forward, but the pirate executive moved as fast as a black lightning bolt, his explosive power astonishing, instantly knocking aside two unprepared soldiers on the outer edge!
The tip of the wooden splinter flashed coldly in the sunlight, aimed directly at Vice Admiral Tsuru's heart!
In a flash of lightning and flint, Seraphilia moved.
Without even thinking.
Her combat instincts, honed through countless life-or-death situations since her transmigration, her almost bestial intuition regarding danger, and—a deeper conviction that would absolutely not allow anything precious to be taken from her sight again—caused her body to react before her consciousness did in that instant.
She abandoned the crate she was inspecting, spun around on the spot, her movement fluid like a dance, swinging both hands rapidly!
"Cloud Style: Stagnate!"
There was no grand explosion of Cloud Mist. Milky-white mist spread out from her center like ripples from a stone dropped into water, precisely and swiftly advancing along the ground in the path of the charging pirate executive!
The mist was extremely thin, clinging to the ground, but it carried a sticky, "damp-cold" characteristic. It wasn't a hard block, but it instantly altered the micro-environment of that patch of ground—the air humidity surged, and the friction increased sharply, as if the solid ground had instantly turned into a swamp!
When the pirate executive stepped into this "Cloud Domain," his speed visibly slowed. His feet felt as if they were glued by countless invisible adhesive strips, and his momentum was brutally interrupted!
He roared and tried to pull his legs free, but his movements became comical and clumsy.
But that wasn't enough! Seraphilia's ice-blue eyes narrowed, and she changed her hand gestures again, her fingers flying.
"Cloud Barrier: Condense!"
More mist burst from her fingertips, no longer targeting the ground, but coiling like nimble snakes directly around the pirate executive's arm holding the wooden splinter and his upper body! The mist spun rapidly and condensed, forming countless fine yet tough "cloud threads" at the microscopic level, tangling, pulling, and interfering with his muscle exertion and sense of balance. Amidst his furious roar, the wooden splinter painfully pierced forward, but it had lost its aim and force, becoming shaky and deviating from its lethal trajectory!
All of this happened in just two short seconds! Seraphilia did not attempt a direct attack or capture, but used the most exquisite control to create an invaluable time difference and interference field for her colleagues!
Almost as soon as the mist took effect, two nearby elite soldiers who had reacted rushed forward, one on the left and one on the right, cleanly subduing the pirate executive again, snatching the wooden splinter, pinning him to the ground with a knee firmly against his back.
The parade ground fell silent again, leaving only the pirate's unwilling roars and the heavy gasps of the soldiers.
AI Model: mistral-large
Seraphilia panted slightly, dispersing the Cloud Mist, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
This continuous fine control took a significant toll on her mental energy.
Only then did she realize what she had done—acting without orders, taking initiative in front of a Vice Admiral at Marineford.
She instinctively looked up towards Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Tsuru stood still, not moving a muscle, not even furrowing her brow, as if the brief attack had been nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Her gaze fell on Seraphilia, calm and penetrating, as if seeing through her uniform and into her very soul.
That gaze was too deep, too still, as if it could see through her efforts, her disguises, and the deep-seated desire for power and protection within her. Seraphilia felt a slight shiver, not from fear, but from the sensation of being completely'seen'.
The Branch Leader's face turned pale, his lips trembling, about to reprimand Seraphilia for her 'initiative' and 'rashness', but Tsuru raised a hand slightly.
That hand, marked by time yet steady as a mountain, silenced the Branch Leader with a simple gesture.
Tsuru walked slowly, her military boots making steady sounds on the sandy ground, step by step towards Seraphilia.
Her gaze scanned Seraphilia's shoulder, noting the private first class insignia, then returned to her bright ice-blue eyes, intense from nervousness and exertion.
'private first class Seraphilia?', Tsuru's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.
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