Chapter 57: The Cadres' Triumph
The giant fireball engulfed Speed, the scorching air wave it generated making resistance impossible.
She changed bullets?
Are you sure she swapped in bullets and not artillery shells?
What in the world is this terrifying explosive power?!
BOOM!
Cough... cough...
Speed's equine back was charred black, and she was sent flying by the concussive blast, only managing to stop after slamming hard into a mangrove trunk.
"It's so hot... Damn it... Ugh!"
Speed struggled, trying to push herself up, a complaint already on her lips. But in the next moment, the cold, hard barrel of a rifle was shoved directly into her mouth.
"It's the same bullet," Skylark stated calmly, her small body emanating a terrifying aura of deterrence as she held the gun steady with both hands. "If you move, it will explode in your mouth."
Blood mixed with sweat dripped down Speed's forehead. She froze completely, not daring to make a sound.
"..."
On another battlefield not far away.
"Right-Angle Pheasant Slash!"
Shiiing!
A sharp, angular slash of blue energy shot towards the half-sheep Sheepshead.
"Ugh!"
A pained wail followed as Sheepshead was sent crashing through a wooden house, flying out the other side. By now, his body was covered in multiple sword wounds, and he could no longer even maintain his half-beast form.
"An... an old man..." he gasped, barely conscious. "So... so strong..."
Sheepshead twitched a few times, trying to crawl, before finally collapsing into complete unconsciousness.
T-Bone sheathed his sword, "Bamboo," walked over to Sheepshead's prone form, and swiftly secured the pirate's wrists with Seastone handcuffs.
"I didn't expect the youth of today to be so... unimpressive," T-Bone remarked with a hint of disdain.
Downhill from a cluster of houses.
Zap... Zap...
Ginrummy lay on the ground, her body convulsing uncontrollably as arcs of electricity crackled over her. Above her head, a small, man-made thundercloud gradually dissipated.
Nami patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... So, these are the pirates from a Yonko crew? They look fierce, but I didn't expect them to be so weak in a fight? If I'd known, I wouldn't have run around so much... Is she going to be okay? I didn't electrocute her too badly, did I?"
As the individual battles concluded one by one, the four officers under Ian's command gathered their respective captives, securing them with Seastone cuffs.
In the central battle circle, the clash between Ian and Jack raged on.
T-Bone looked at Peacock, a trace of anxiety in his expression. "Has it been about half an hour already? I don't know how long this battle will last... Lieutenant Peacock, haven't you reported the situation to Headquarters yet? The opponent is from a Yonko crew. According to regulations..."
He didn't finish the sentence. Since following Ian, he had broken regulations more than once. He was now acutely aware that he had little room to talk about following rules.
Peacock wore an awkward expression. "I reminded our Major General as soon as we got the news! Starting a conflict with a Yonko, especially targeting a core cadre like this... the procedure is to first report to Headquarters and obtain permission before acting. That's the rule set by Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself. But Little Ian said..."
Everyone looked at Peacock, eager to hear Ian's response.
Peacock imitated Ian's defiant tone and expression: "'Screw the rules!'"
T-Bone: "..."
Skylark: "..."
Nami: "That is so Major General Ian!"
After a moment of silence, T-Bone seized on a crucial point. "So... Major General Ian didn't actually tell us not to notify Headquarters? What should we do now? Should we report this?"
His words put Peacock in a difficult position. He was right. Major General Ian had only retorted angrily at the time. He hadn't explicitly forbidden them from reporting. Now that the battle had dragged on for so long without a clear end, reporting to Headquarters now might actually save Ian a lot of trouble with the higher-ups later.
"Colonel T-Bone has a point, eh..." Peacock sighed. "It's really tough being Little Ian's adjutant. He won't hold a grudge against me for this, will he? How about... we take a vote? All in favor of reporting, raise your hands!"
Peacock looked at them expectantly.
T-Bone raised his hand first.
After a moment's hesitation, Skylark slowly raised hers as well.
Nami, however, stood firm, showing no intention of supporting the report.
Peacock shrugged helplessly. "Doesn't that make it two against two? Major General Ian really should have more officers under him; it's hard to get a tie-breaker this way... Forget it. Let's just report it to Headquarters."
After much deliberation, Peacock finally chose the course of action she believed would be more beneficial for Ian in the long run.
Ian, locked in his fierce battle within the central circle, could hear his subordinates' conversation with perfect clarity thanks to his enhanced senses. He did not choose to stop them from making their report.
He had his reasons for not notifying Headquarters immediately. His main concern was that Sabaody was too close to Marineford. If someone like Garp or Aokiji got wind that one of the Beast Pirates' Three Disasters was here, the reinforcements might arrive too quickly. A pirate with a billion-berry bounty represented a massive potential haul of enhancement points and was also the most convenient "sparring partner" he could ask for. How could he let others steal the initiative?
The reason he wasn't stopping them now was simple... it was no longer necessary.
Jack's recovery ability was truly terrifying. But Ian could sense it clearly—as long as he kept up the pressure, denying Jack any time to catch his breath, the tide of the battle was firmly in his grasp.