"Dead?"
Kizaru stood to the side, his eyes wide with shock as he watched Lancelot effortlessly kill Jozu before him with absolute dominance.
This scene left him feeling somewhat dazed, as if the entire world had come to a standstill at that moment.
In fact, as early as when Lancelot injured Jozu, Kizaru had already realized that in terms of pure offensive power of techniques, Lancelot was undoubtedly superior to all three Admirals.
At the very least, given their strength, they had no absolute confidence in breaking through Jozu's impenetrable defense.
This conviction became even more deeply ingrained after he had previously attacked Jozu with full force yet failed to breach his defense.
However, despite having anticipated this mentally, witnessing Jozu die so easily at Lancelot's hands still left Kizaru momentarily unable to believe the reality.
Or rather, he simply couldn't accept such an outcome.
After all, who was he?
Kizaru!
The highest combat power of the Marines, a Navy Admiral.
How could he willingly be overshadowed by a rising star?
At this moment, he felt the same complex emotions as an elder in a sect being surpassed by a junior.
Meanwhile, Lancelot remained exceptionally calm.
He nodded expressionlessly, confirming, "He's indeed dead."
Before his words faded, his gaze, sharp as a falcon's, fell upon Vista, the Flower Sword, not far away.
A faint, sinister smile curled at the corner of Lancelot's lips, as if he were eagerly anticipating the upcoming battle.
He murmured softly, "Now, only this half-crippled Dual-Wielding Great Swordsman remains!"
"Huh?"
Just as Lancelot was about to eliminate Vista, he sensed an intense feeling of danger, as if two sharp gazes had simultaneously locked onto him.
This left Lancelot bewildered.
"???" A look of astonishment crossed his face.
Shanks locking onto him from a distance made sense; the guy's Observation Haki was on par with his own.
But was there another person who could pose a threat?
As Lancelot puzzled over this, his pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints. His Observation Haki had keenly detected an attack trajectory rapidly approaching him.
Without time to think, Lancelot tilted his head to the side.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air as a bullet, moving at astonishing speed, grazed past his cheek before slamming violently into the wall behind him.
The bullet's power was staggering—it pierced straight through the hard wall of the military harbor and continued flying, eventually striking a building behind it.
"Oh! How terrifying!"
Witnessing this, Kizaru's expression shifted slightly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene, as if he'd seen something shocking.
Lancelot raised an eyebrow, quickly running through a list of possible candidates in his mind, only to dismiss them one by one.
Finally, he reached a conclusion. He thought to himself, with such long-range shooting and immense power, within the entire Red-Haired Pirates, it could only be him!
A meaningful smile curled at the corner of his lips!
This person was none other than the father of the protagonist crew's Usopp—Yasopp!
Yasopp was a powerful sharpshooter whose skills had reached the pinnacle.
He could hit an ant's antenna from a hundred feet away without harming the rest of its body—such precision was astonishing.
Not only that, but Yasopp also possessed an incredible hit rate.
He once claimed he'd never missed a single opportunity, whether in battle or daily training.
Every shot he fired seemed precisely calculated, hitting its mark with deadly accuracy.
Because of his marksmanship, Yasopp earned the title "Chaser," a moniker that struck fear into the hearts of his enemies.
His presence was like a hidden blade in the shadows, ready to deliver a fatal blow to his foes.
Yasopp's reputation was so great that when Shanks was searching for potential crew members, he didn't hesitate to recruit him.
Yasopp became the sniper of the Red-Haired Pirates, responsible for delivering decisive blows to enemies at critical moments.
From this perspective, Yasopp could be considered a formidable character.
His shooting skills were unparalleled, even surpassing those of Benn Beckman, who was also renowned for his gunmanship.
After all, being able to hit a target from such a great distance was no ordinary feat.
Of course, this didn't mean Benn Beckman was weaker than Yasopp.
It must be understood that the Red-Haired Pirates were modeled after the Roger Pirates.
And as Shanks' capable right-hand man, Benn Beckman naturally corresponded to the Pirate King Roger's trusted lieutenant, the Dark King Rayleigh.
Therefore, even if his strength didn't reach Emperor Level, it was close to it.
In summary, Benn Beckman's strength was above Yasopp's.
Although both were famous for their gunmanship, there were still differences in their specific combat styles and abilities.
For example, Yasopp's advantages mainly lay in the range and precision of his shots. After all, he was a professional sniper, and his abilities in this area were outstanding and unmatched.
However, Benn Beckman was more like a pure gunslinger.
For a gunslinger, factors such as drawing speed, bullet velocity, bullet power, and shooting accuracy were all crucial.
Thus, alongside his masterful gun skills, Armament Haki was one of his great strengths.
It was even possible that his Armament Haki was stronger than that of the Three Admirals!
This was why, in the original story, this guy was able to intimidate Kizaru.
The difference between these two was akin to that between a sniper and a Western cowboy.
"How interesting!" Lancelot's attention was captured.
Compared to a half-crippled Vista, Yasopp was more capable of piquing his interest.
Kizaru fanned the flames from the side, saying, "I say, Lancelot, it seems like the sniper from the Red-Haired Pirates is quite interested in you! You'd better be careful, don't end up capsizing in a ditch. After all, he has the strength to claim the title of the world's number one sniper!"
"The world's greatest sniper?"
Lancelot's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing this.
He knew all too well that anyone associated with the title "world's greatest" was a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of their field.
Moreover, these words came from Kizaru's mouth, making their credibility high.
Yet, the more this was the case, the more Lancelot's interest in Yasopp grew.
At that moment, the Marines' encirclement operation continued against the Whitebeard Pirates, but surprisingly, key figures like Lancelot, Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, and even Gin weren't taking part.
In stark contrast, their gazes burned like flames, fixed intently upon the vast sea.
These high-ranking Marines understood all too well that the true formidable foes they were about to face lay ahead.
Meanwhile, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates had witnessed Jozu's death, a tragic sight that plunged their hearts into an abyss of despair, instantly crushing their morale to its lowest point.
After all, Whitebeard had already left them, Marco had met his end, and Vista, the Great Swordsman of the dual-blade style, had lost an arm.
Now, even Jozu had fallen victim to misfortune.
This relentless series of blows left them feeling an unprecedented sense of hopelessness.
Under such circumstances, the combat strength of the Whitebeard Pirates could hardly be fully utilized.
Whether it was the ordinary foot soldiers or the division commanders and captains, they all proved vulnerable under the fierce assaults of the Marine Vice Admirals, steadily retreating step by step.
Thus, casualties among the Whitebeard Pirates soared rapidly.
Just as Whitebeard's forces faced their most critical moment, the Red-Haired Pirates finally arrived.
A group of people charged into the battlefield.
"Hahaha!"
Shanks first let out several hearty laughs, then swept his gaze around the surroundings.
Simultaneously, Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, sweeping outward in all directions as if declaring his arrival.