Abis cried out in terror, her eyes filled with despair.
"Nielsen, the Admiral, has mobilized his entire fleet! Fifty warships and a battleship! This force is terrifying! No pirate could ever hope to withstand such power!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, the fleet began its barrage. Every cannon focused on a single target, unleashing their fury together. The destruction was unimaginable.
Massive cannons locked onto the island and began their bombardment. In an instant, hundreds of cannonballs cut through the sky and pounded into the island, shaking it like an earthquake. The entire island seemed to groan under the relentless assault. Massive boulders, mountain peaks, forests, birds, beasts—everything on the island quivered and crumbled under the violent bombardment.
It was as if the entire island was about to sink beneath the sea. Fortunately, there were no civilians on the island, or the casualties would have been unimaginable.
The Merry Go, bobbing like a small leaf in the water, swayed dangerously but remained miraculously untouched. The cannons' target was the island, and so the ship, by sheer luck, survived without a scratch.
"They're incredibly powerful! So this is the might of Admiral Nielsen, ruler of the seas!" Zoro muttered with a serious expression.
"It feels like we don't stand a chance against this kind of firepower."
"We must have really pissed off that Admiral," Sanji said, inhaling deeply from his cigarette. "After all, he's the highest authority in the East Blue. I'm not surprised by his power."
"It's not just that we angered him; we've ruined his plan for immortality. No man would let that go, especially not someone like Admiral Nielsen," Nami added, her face grim as she surveyed the sea. She was desperately searching for a current they could escape with. As a navigator, she was the one best equipped to use the ocean to their advantage.
"Stop talking and think of a way out of here!" Usopp was already pale with fear, his entire body trembling. The power of the fleet was overwhelming, enough to kill gods and demons alike. Even Zoro, usually so reckless, looked grim. How could Usopp not be terrified?
"It's no use. Give up," Abis said, her voice hollow. "Nielsen is determined. He always gets what he wants. No one can stop him. He's the strongest man in the East Blue."
At that moment, Moonlight stepped forward.
"Luffy, I'll leave this to you," he said calmly.
"What are you planning, Moonlight?" Nami asked, a sense of dread creeping into her voice.
"Yeah, Moonlight, this is fifty warships! You can't take them on alone! This isn't like Loguetown!" Usopp shouted in panic. He could sense what Moonlight was planning, but it seemed impossible.
"Moonlight!" Zoro gripped his sword tightly and stepped forward.
Sanji, usually so relaxed, even tossed away his cigarette, his face deadly serious. He didn't need to say a word—the message was clear: if there was a fight, they would stand by Moonlight's side.
Even Luffy was silent, his usual carefree attitude replaced by an intense, focused stare. It was a look his crew had never seen before.
"There's no need. You protect Dragon Grandpa. As for this kind of firepower, while I might not be able to win, I can at least hold them off. You all need to move quickly. Once you escape, I'll catch up," Moonlight said with a calm smile. His body began to glow with the aura of Armament Haki. He raised his sword.
"Triple Cut!"
Whoosh!
A crescent-shaped sword slash tore down the mountainside, and Moonlight charged forward, riding the wave of his attack.
"Moonlight!" the crew shouted in unison, their hearts racing. He was really going to take on fifty warships by himself!
"Everyone, we need to move fast!" Luffy shouted, his face grim as he looked at the others.
"Right!"
None of the crew had ever seen Luffy look so serious before. Without another word, they began to move, following Moonlight's lead as he drew the Navy's firepower away. With Dragon Grandpa in tow, they raced down the mountainside as quickly as possible.
Moonlight wouldn't be able to hold them off forever. Every second counted.
"Damn, I didn't expect that fat pig to have this much power!"
On the sidelines, Erik watched in awe. Seeing Nielsen command the fleet, orchestrating the concentrated cannon fire, he finally understood why no pirate, not even the legends of the Grand Line, could stand against the Navy.
Now he understood why even the Four Emperors couldn't challenge the Navy head-on. It was the overwhelming might of their firepower. He had always wondered why, but now it was clear: No matter how strong you were, how could anyone stand against the Navy's endless barrage?
"Good. Those pirates must come out now. If they don't, they'll sink with the island," the Navy captain said, admiration in his voice as he looked at Nielsen.
"Yes. They will have no choice but to surrender or perish," Nielsen said with a confident smirk.
Almost as if responding to his words, a crescent-shaped sword slash suddenly descended from the mountain, cutting through everything in its path—water, stone, trees—it made no difference.
"The pirates have appeared!" The Navy captain's eyes lit up as he barked out an order. "Fire the cannons!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannonballs flew through the air, crashing into Moonlight's sword slash. Though his attack was powerful, the Navy's barrage overwhelmed it. The waves of cannonballs ripped through his sword energy, dispersing it before it could reach them.
"It's the Straw Hat Pirates' vice-captain, the swordsman Moonlight! He's the one who destroyed our twenty ships before. But this time, Admiral Nielsen is here. No matter how strong his sword skills, he'll be buried under our cannon fire," the captain sneered.
As the captain prepared to give the order for another volley, Moonlight raised his sword once more.
"Sky-Cleaving Slash!"
A massive crescent of energy, fifty meters wide and a hundred meters long, shot from Moonlight's blade, tearing through the ocean itself, creating a tidal wave as it hurtled toward the Navy ships.
"It's useless! No matter how skilled you are, you can't stop a hundred cannons!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Navy unleashed another barrage, their cannon fire ripping through the air. Moonlight's powerful slash was once again obliterated by the sheer force of the Navy's attack.