"Hah!!"
These elite warriors—called the Guard—were the main force of the Black Cat Pirates, and also the symbol of what the crew stood for.
One of them, a short-haired red-haired woman named Amelia, rushed into the enemy line as the second spear after Mihawk's group. Even though the enemy had some time to recover, she cut through them with no trouble at all.
A Devil Fruit User—likely a gorilla or something close to a monkey-type Zoan—changed into a strong human-beast form and swung at her.
But the fist hit nothing.
She was no longer there.
Worse, the fist itself was gone. The whole arm was gone.
"…Whether these are real Marine troops or extra Government forces… taking down some Devil Fruit Users here is a big gain."
Silent Step.
Once the title of Kuro's Technique, the Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, this technique had now become the symbol of the entire crew. (Note: They were called Silent Step Pirates before but after Kuro gained the nickname Black Cat, the Pirate group also adapted the same name.)
Without sound, without wind, before anyone noticed, Amelia was behind the Devil Fruit User.
Then the powerful user of a Devil Fruit, who should have been a heavy threat, spat blood from his cut back and dropped onto the deck.
The Marines beside him were cut down as well, sinking into a pool of blood in seconds.
"Amelia, you're too far ahead. You could end up alone."
"I'm working with Mizuki and you, Valeria—both of you can use Silent Step almost as well as the Captain. I won't be alone that easily," Amelia replied, not looking back.
"The worst can always happen. If we fall here, morale will drop."
"I only rushed ahead to take out the ones most likely to cause that 'worst'. Forgive me…"
The Black Cat soldiers were trained in a special way.
Regular soldiers worked five per squad.
The Guard worked three per squad.
The two women working with Amelia covered each other's backs, caught up to her, and formed their three-woman formation again while holding off the Marines.
The Marines had far more numbers.
They held new sabers, new rifles, and even Devil Fruit Users among them.
And yet, in close combat, they were being crushed one-sidedly.
They could not land a single scratch on the three slim-looking women.
If they aimed a rifle, their arm was cut.
If they swung a sword, it failed completely.
If they used a Devil Fruit Power to surprise them, their throat or back was cut open.
"…Incoming," the quiet-spoken black-haired guard, Mizuki, warned.
"Scatter!" Valeria shouted.
At that instant, all three vanished without a sound. The next moment, a pillar of fire rose where they had stood.
The three who dodged it landed far away, swords up, facing what looked like a pillar of fire—but was actually a Marine.
"…I didn't expect to see that face again. I didn't think we'd face each other as enemies," Valeria said, her grip tightening.
Admiral Akainu.
One of the strongest forces the Marines had until just a few days earlier—one they had fought alongside.
And to the Guard, he was once their superior officer.
"…Whatever happened, we are now pirates. We are ready for this."
Valeria stepped forward and bowed.
Among the Guard—made mostly of former rookies—she had been treated like a future officer, like today's Hina. She knew Sakazuki back when he was still a Vice Admiral.
The other two stayed guarded, waiting for a sneak attack. But Akainu did not move.
The Marines around them were frozen by the pressure of Akainu and the Guard.
"But why such sudden action? And why drag the Mopuchi Country royals into this?" she asked.
"…I have nothing to say. As a Marine, I'm here to crush you pirates," Akainu rumbled, his voice deep and final.
The three understood then—this order had come from above, and even the Marines had not expected it.
For two of them, this was their first time speaking to him directly—even as enemies.
But they knew from his reputation: Sakazuki never struggled for words against pirates.
"Die quietly! It'll spare you pain!!"
His right arm swelled with power.
Even the Guard, who survived deadly training from Captain Kuro, Mihawk, Hack, and even Rayleigh, would die instantly if that blow hit.
But—
"Everyone, ready!!" a young girl's voice came from behind them.
The Guard vanished again.
"Target: Admiral Akainu!!"
A pirate ship had approached without anyone noticing. Soldiers stood on it, holding hoses, led by the girl giving orders.
"Begin the water attack!!"
–
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Truly, our Captain thinks of strange things… using seawater itself as a bullet. Aside from the trouble of maintaining the tools, it is indeed useful.
A huge cloud of white steam rose from the Marine ship—so thick it looked like they were putting out a fire.
In truth, the seawater was evaporating at a fierce speed.
Hidden within the steam and the popping sounds of heated metal, the Guard cut down the Marines who tried to run toward Akainu.
During the fight with Germa, our Captain was glad to capture simple things like food stores instead of rare weapons. At the time I thought it was strange, but now he turned everything into a weapon… Well, he is strange after all.
"…The steam makes a good cover. Fine, soak the other Marines too and help Valeria's squad. Even cold water slows the body. Then send the signal to the other ships. While we hold Akainu, the others must strike more ships," Hancock ordered calmly.
One of Hancock's soldiers—one she personally taught—fired a whistling arrow high.
Hearing the sound, the pirate ships following the flagship turned their rudders toward new targets.
The Marines, thinking Akainu's first attack had ended the fight, were slow to react. Then panic spread as they learned Mihawk's team had already destroyed a whole ship's worth of men.
"Admiral, can our ship alone hold Admiral Akainu?" an officer asked.
Her usual helpers—her sisters and Galdino—were on other missions.
Hancock sighed. "If we rush in with too many ships, his magma could sink them all at once. We need victory, but we cannot afford heavy wounds. That is why we even brought out the Seawater tactic, one of the strangest tricks the Captain has planned."