Fallen Marine (7/10)

"In the New World, it's all about fighting those pirates with bounties of over a hundred million berries, but steeply coming to the four seas is a bit uncomfortable." Walking in the middle of the battlefield, Gion said somewhat helplessly.

"Not everyone in the boot camp has the fighting prowess of you and me, and the thirty to forty million berries bounty on pirates is a perfect test of their ability to stand alone." Longinus smiled.

"The pirates in the Four Seas are not growing in strength, but they are the source of sinful origins, so why doesn't this headquarters send its war effort to cleanse the Four Seas thoroughly?" Gion was puzzled and asked, "It's already finished with only the Headquarters Commodore level's battle strength."

"I'm not sure about that, but in my personal opinion, perhaps it's still a matter of safety. After all, the four seas are different from the Grand Line. If a change occurs, it would be difficult for this headquarters to arrive in a short time, and if the pirates with bad intentions take advantage of it, it could damage the core strength of this headquarters." Longinus explained as he cleared the pirates in front of him.

The zombie face that was trying to put on a cold and indifferent face, pretending that he didn't care about it at all. Captain Cady, who was secretly eavesdropping and at the same time despising in his heart, said, "It's just two captains of the headquarters, isn't it? Opening and shutting your mouth with big words like offering a bounty of over a hundred million dollars for sea pirates, or cleansing the four seas, do you consider yourself a Commodore of the Headquarters Division?"

"Hahaha! The marine has indeed broken out, and indeed there is very little in this direction!"

"It appears that the Marine forces were not strong enough to arrange an ambush on all fronts, which allowed us to create the holes in the encirclement."

With a few ecstatic sounds, Barrels came running out of the forest with a few cadres.

"Yahhh!" The pirate at the front screamed and stepped on the brakes to a halt, "Yes, yes, yes, it's that Marine Captain!"

However, as soon as he braked, the pirates behind him had rushed up. And a dozen or so pirates cascaded to put down a piece and jumped right into the street.

"Cough cough!" Captain Cady, who had been preparing to drown himself, almost choked himself. Are these guys pirates?

These pirates quickly got up from the ground and didn't have time to worry about embarrassment or not.

"No choice but to fight them! If you catch that older one and use him as a hostage, you might have a chance!" Barrels bellowed.

"Captain's right, fight them!"

"There are only three of them, don't be afraid!"

However, amid this fervent roar, Barrels was the one who sneaked back to the end, fleeing backward in exile while the other pirates rushed upwards.

The pirates who maintained their charging stance were abruptly silenced, stopping halfway as if time stood still.

"How unfortunate, you seem to have abandoned!"

"Aaaahhhhh!" The grieving and indignant pirate screamed like a curly-haired baboon.

...

"That feeling, there's no mistaking it, it's a real deadly smell, has the Marine Corps grown so strong now that any two people out there can make me feel that pressure."

Barrels ran through the dark and weak forest, walking in a particular direction by memory, "There is a dark river in the forest that leads directly under the sea, and while it is perilous, we can only try."

"Stop, there's no road ahead!" Just as Barrels was strolling along, a cold voice came from up ahead.

Barrels looked up to see if the Branch Captain who created it didn't seem to be able to keep up, "Do we have to do this much? Marine!"

Although his heart had hit rock bottom, Barrels still hadn't given up the hope of escape and was looking around for an opportunity.

However, Gion wasn't going to waste any more time with him and responded with a direct sword blow.

Sheesh!

Barrels ducked out of the way in disarray, his chest clothes slashed, even as blood splattered into the air.

"Huh? You were able to dodge my cutting blow?" Gion was surprised. Although it was only a casual strike, it should not be something that a pirate of Barrels' level could dodge.

Seemingly to test his opponent's limits, Gion didn't exert her full strength but instead suppressed her energy to strike a few more cutting blows.

Barrels had a few more wounds on his body instantly but still managed to dodge the critical damage again narrowly.

"It's Kenbunshoku Haki, and while it's certainly shallow, it is indeed Kenbunshoku, no mistake," Longinus said with certainty.

Barrels also covered his wounds and winced in pain. Sure he knew from Kenbunshoku that he wouldn't be a match for these two, and yet the gap was too big!

According to his experience, this swordswoman was the best kind of swordswoman even if she was in the headquarters' younger generation.

"Kenbunshoku?" Longinus, as an expert in Kenbunshoku, Gion would naturally not second guess his words, "They say that you are a defecting marine captain. But now it seems that perhaps you did not defect as a branch captain, but chose to defect as a captain of this headquarters."

"That would make it even more impossible for you to escape!"

As he watched a crescent-shaped cutting strike break through the air, Barrels could not help but compress his pupils intensely.

There's no escape!

While Kenbunshoku Haki can capture the trajectory of a cutting blow, the body is intact and unable to keep up with the speed of the mind's reactions.

"Am I going to die?" Barrels thought mournfully in his heart, horrified as he thought, another Captain of this headquarters surged in front of him in an instant, reaching out with his dark, inky right hand to grasp the cutting blow in one hand.

"Hiss!" Barrels, who saw this scene, stared at him, "How strong is this guy's Busoshoku Haki? How could that chopping blow have been grasped like that! Looks like he's even stronger than that swordswoman!"

"No. Why would that man save me? Hardly..."

Gion also cast her curious eyes on Longinus but did not ask any questions, knowing that Longinus must have his reasons for doing so.

"Diez Barrels!" Longinus whispered, "You're an undercover agent sent to this headquarters, right? In other words, you should identify as one of your own."

Gion's beautiful eyes widened, and her small mouth dropped open. This Barrels, who didn't look like a good person by any means, could be one of us?

Barrels was startled, then nodded and curtsied with a face of ecstasy, "Yes, yes, yes! I'm undercover, I'm undercover, and I'll go wherever the Captain wants me to go!"

"A quite brilliant acting, no wonder the Headquarters sent you towards undercover work," Longinus cocked his head slightly, "But, Captain Barrels, no matter how much a man painted, his heart never lies."

"According to the information, you should be an alcoholic father who beats and scolds his child at every turn, but I see in your heart a distinct sense of guilt and reluctance. Do you want him to cut you off, or even make him hate pirates from the depths of his heart so that he will follow the path you have planned for him?"

"Hahaha!" Barrels laughed dryly twice, "It's quite embarrassing that the Captain-sama thinks of me in such a huge way."

"The more you panic, the more you cover-up, the easier it is to bear, and I see in the depths of your heart that it was Admiral Sengoku who gave you this assignment?" Longinus stalked on.

It was now more challenging for Barrels to conceal his emotions, and he broke down and shouted, "Who the hell are you? Why would you know what's on my mind?"

"As you can see, Longinus, an insignificant marine captain."