14 Breaking the Siege (Part II)
A/N: If you want to see more chapters and support my work, go to my Patre@n to see more chapters ahead.
You can see more chapters ahead of everyone on my Patre@n:
WWW.patre@n.com/RK98
------------------------------
The circumstances appeared increasingly dire for the Marine. The disparity in numbers was insurmountable; once the pirate armada converged, they would be ensnared in an inescapable trap.
And even if reinforcements were to arrive, it would be too late to shatter the encirclement without significant sacrifices, likely the newbie recruits.
"Borsalino! Stop lazing around, we must extricate ourselves from this place as quick as possible!"
"Sakazuki! Your bloodlust has been sated, we're pressed for time. Use your magma to open an escape route!"
Brontes surveyed the pair, a sense of helplessness gnawing at his heart.
"You're not in a position to command me!" Sakazuki retorted, his tone laced with displeasure at Brontes's audacious outcry.
Yet, he was acutely aware that their current strategy was untenable. The tide of battle was turning against them. A swift resolution was imperative.
"Prevent them from escaping! These three logia devil fruit users must not leave this battlefield alive! Kill them all!" Shiki's voice reverberated across the battlefield, followed by a boulder, the size of a hillock, plummeting from the heavens.
"Now, let's see how you parry this." Shiki smirked.
"This is bad."
Zed's countenance shifted dramatically at the sight of the colossal rock. If it were to strike the warship, the ship and its occupants would be obliterated instantly.
Even if Brontes and the others survived the onslaught, without a warship under their feet, their combat capabilities, especially as devil fruit users, would be severely compromised.
"Borsalino, intercept that rock!" Zed, setting aside his habitual discord with Borsalino, issued a direct command to obliterate the incoming meteor-like rock.
"Ah, what a headache. Why must it always be me? Those two are also logia fruit users, and they're more powerful than I am." Borsalino grumbled languidly.
While everyone aboard the warship battled with fervor, he alone seemed to be dawdling. It was no wonder Zed found his demeanor vexing.
The plummeting rock not only terrified the marines but also the pirates, due to its sheer size and potential collateral damage.
No one anticipated that Shiki would resort to such a destructive tactic to obliterate a single warship. However, it was likely a contingency plan, should an unforeseen event disrupt his grand scheme.
"Exert your full strength to shatter the blockade! Sakazuki, return to the warship!" Brontes's expression hardened, and he too moved back to the ship in an instant.
"Damn it!"
Sakazuki clenched his fist, and molten lava erupted from his arm.
"You damn pirates! Die!"
With a roar, Sakazuki slammed his fist into the deck beneath him.
"Boom!"
The deck detonated and instantly liquefied, a deluge of magma flooding the ship. Within moments, the pirate ship was consumed by an inferno, the pirates aboard incinerated in the blistering heat.
"Ahh! Ahhh!"
The chilling screams of agony from the pirates echoed hauntingly across the battlefield.
Sakazuki had decimated most of the pirates on the ship, which was now entirely engulfed in flames.
Using Moonwalk, Sakazuki returned to the warship, followed by the other recruits, each returning from their respective pirate ship that they were fighting on.
Most of the recruits bore injuries, some barely able to stand after the grueling battle. Some had tragically fallen, their bodies destined to rest eternally in these waters.
There was no time to dwell on their losses. Their immediate concern was to breach the blockade; otherwise, they would all meet their end here.
The might of the Golden Lion Pirates was simply too formidable for a group of recruits and instructors to contend with.
Had Zed not been leading their mission, the outcome would have been drastically different. Despite having three logia fruit users aboard the warship, facing Shiki, one of the New World's overlords, would have resulted in a swift defeat.
At this juncture, whether it was Brontes, Borsalino, or Sakazuki, they were merely recruits who had recently joined the Marine. They were far from their prime, and facing Shiki in his prime would inevitably lead to one outcome: death!
"We must devise a strategy to break the siege. The situation is very dangerous. Admiral Zed is holding off Shiki, but this standoff cannot persist indefinitely. We must evacuate this area as quick as possible." Yoshida declared gravely.
"Given our encirclement, our only option is to concentrate our efforts on a single point to break free. The closest safe area is Marine Base G-2. Headquarters is aware of our predicament, and G-2 has likely dispatched reinforcements. With Shiki currently engaged by Instructor Zed, we must seize this opportunity to escape before the encirclement is complete."
"Sakazuki and I will spearhead the breakout, while Borsalino provides aerial cover. The rest will employ cannon fire to assault from the flanks."
"As they close in, the cannon fire will undoubtedly slow their advance, buying us some time. The fate of the warship rests in your hands." Brontes began issuing orders.
"Rest assured, we won't let you down." Momonga and the others nodded in affirmation.
"Let's move. Our task is to open a path." Brontes addressed Sakazuki.
Sakazuki shot him a glance and nodded. He was well aware of their precarious situation.
Despite Sakazuki's thirst for battle, he recognized that their current predicament necessitated a change in strategy.
They had to break the encirclement. This terrifying battle had claimed over forty lives, a casualty count that even Sakazuki found staggering.
This was the heaviest loss he had experienced since setting sail. Over the past eight months, they had only lost a handful of recruits, nothing of significant concern. Initially, over 120 recruits had survived the rigorous two-year training camp, but now fewer than 60 remained.
They had suffered such devastating losses against a handful of pirate groups under Shiki's command. If they were to delay until Shiki's all forces arrived, they would undoubtedly meet their end here.
He had been oblivious to the gravity of their losses until now. It shed light on why Brontes had reprimanded him so frequently.
The loss of each recruit was a significant blow to the Marine. Graduates of the Elite Training Camp were guaranteed at least the rank of Captain, with some even being directly promoted to Commodore or Rear Admiral.
The sudden loss of half their number was a crushing blow, one that even Sakazuki, known for his cold-blooded demeanor, could not ignore.
"Don't dwell on it. Let's move. We must continue to fight and never surrender, or we'll all perish here!"
Brontes, observing the dazed Sakazuki, clapped him hard on the back before transforming into a bolt of lightning and charging towards one of the pirate ships.
Sakazuki watched him depart, took a deep breath, donned his Marine cap, and unsheathed a long sword.
Sakazuki was originally skilled in swordsmanship, but he had abandoned his sword to focus on developing his devil fruit abilities.
As one of the future Admirals, his swordsmanship was on par with Momonga and other sword masters. Furthermore, Kuzan and Borsalino often used their fruit abilities to conjure ice and light swords, indicating their proficiency in swordsmanship at some point in their lives.
