Chapter 160: Departure
Once Axel gave the order to assemble, the Marine base moved like a machine waking from sleep.
Even if this branch was considered second-rate among the Marines, no one dared to take an attack on their own lightly. In a life-or-death battle, carelessness did not mean embarrassment.
It meant death.
By the time Axel reached the harbor, the Marines were already armed and waiting. Rifles were loaded. Sabers hung at their waists. Cannons had been checked. The warships were ready to depart at any moment.
The only flaw was the atmosphere.
Many of the soldiers looked tense.
They had fought before, some more than once, but battle was still battle. And this time, the pressure was different. A patrol warship had just been wiped out. No survivors had been confirmed. No clear information had returned.
Only the image of a ship being cut apart.
"Axel, my boy, what happened?"
Tom had been working near the harbor. Seeing the sudden mobilization, he knew at once that something had gone wrong.
"A patrol warship was attacked," Axel replied.
"Pirates again?" Tom sighed. His reaction was calm, almost unsurprised.
After Roger's death, the Great Pirate Era had flooded the seas with men chasing dreams, treasure, violence, or all three at once. The Marines could no longer suppress everything the way they once had.
Back when Tom lived on Ship Graveyard Island, news of pirates attacking Water 7's merchant ships had reached him more than once. Occasionally, pirates even fought back against the Marines and escaped.
So he was not shocked by this kind of incident.
"What's the situation?" Tom asked.
"We don't know much yet. But the Marine warship was sliced apart."
"Sliced apart?"
Tom's expression changed slightly.
"That enemy won't be weak, then. I've looked over the Marine warships these past few days. They're well built. The timber is good, and the outer plating is reinforced with specially smelted steel. The material and workmanship are both excellent. An ordinary slash wouldn't cut through a ship like that."
"I know," Axel said. "But the enemy is near Pucci Island. Considering the danger to the residents and the importance of Pucci's timber, we can't ignore it."
There was a trace of helplessness in his voice.
That was the Marines' helplessness as well.
Marine warships were different from ordinary vessels. Their wood was dense, their hulls plated, their structure designed to withstand cannon fire and rough seas. Ordinary sword energy would barely scratch them.
Even Axel would need to put in a serious amount of force if he wanted to cut one apart.
But there were many times when the Marines knew something might be a trap and still had to go.
Who said pirates had to run when they saw Marines?
Some pirates were strong enough, brutal enough, or simply reckless enough to intercept Marines near an island instead. Because of that, Marine units had been ambushed at sea more times than anyone cared to count.
"Then take me with you," Tom said. "Yahahaha! I may not be much in a fight, but if it comes to the sea, I should still be useful."
"That would help."
Axel nodded without hesitation.
Not much in a fight?
He did not believe that for a second.
Tom had the strength to lift a ship with one hand. In raw power, he would not lose to most people, not even members of the Giant Race. More importantly, he was a Fish-Man. The sea was his battlefield by birth.
Against enemies on the ocean, Tom could become a nightmare.
"Captain Axel!"
A Marine saw Axel approaching and hurried over to report.
"The base's Marines have finished assembling!"
Because the enemy was different from ordinary pirates, the base had gathered almost all of its remaining combat strength with extreme caution. The three remaining warships were all deployed and held ready. Even Levi and Eulia had left their offices.
The patrol unit that vanished had represented nearly a quarter of the base's operational strength. Losing them was no small matter.
Everyone waited for Axel's order to depart.
The decision itself seemed obvious. Still, for disciplined Marines, formality mattered. Without an order, no one moved.
Then Axel spoke.
"Leave one warship. Dismiss the other two and send most of the Marines back. We only need enough people to sail the ship. Everyone else returns to their duties."
The reporting soldier froze.
A nearby officer in uniform could not hold back.
"Captain Axel, what did you just say?"
His tone was full of disbelief.
"The situation is urgent! And you were the one who gave the assembly order!"
This time, even Levi did not immediately stand on Axel's side.
"Captain Axel," Levi said seriously, "this enemy cannot be underestimated. We should crush them with our strongest force."
"You people go back too," Axel said, looking at the officers.
Before anyone could object, his tone became firm.
"Precisely because the enemy can't be underestimated, what use is bringing more people? Quality matters more than numbers. If the enemy is truly that strong, taking more soldiers won't help."
Even elite Marines from Marineford could become irrelevant before truly powerful pirates.
What could this branch's soldiers do against an enemy who could cut open a warship?
"Then all the more reason to take us," another officer argued. "At the very least, we can help hold the enemy down."
Axel's mouth twitched.
Hold the enemy down?
Compared to ordinary people, these Marines were strong.
But in Axel's eyes, they were still weak.
If the enemy had the power to cut apart a warship, bringing these officers along would likely create more problems than solutions.
Seeing someone else about to speak, Axel cut them off first.
"Enough. I've decided. Make the arrangements quickly. We depart immediately."
The explanation did not convince everyone.
Their comrades' lives were still unknown. Should they not mobilize every force they had to rescue them?
Were they wrong for thinking that?
They could not understand Axel's reasoning.
At that moment, Eulia spoke.
"Then how about this? Captain Axel goes ahead first. We follow closely behind with the rest of the warships. If the enemy is too strong, we can provide support in time. If the enemy is weaker than expected, we can pursue and suppress them."
The officers looked at one another.
"That would let us confirm the enemy's strength first and still adapt to the situation."
"It's a good plan. I agree."
Even Levi, usually steady and cautious, nodded.
"That is the most prudent approach. If we find the stranded Marines, we can also rescue them quickly. The only risk is that Captain Axel may be placed in danger first, but I believe in his strength."
Once Eulia and Levi expressed agreement, nearly all the Marines followed. Some genuinely approved. Others simply went with the majority.
Axel gave Eulia a meaningful glance.
Eulia's expression remained composed.
After a moment, Axel looked away.
"Depart."
He did not insist further.
Since this was the decision everyone had accepted, he had no reason to undermine it. From an objective standpoint, it was indeed a reasonable method.
Unless the enemy was someone as powerful and vicious as Doflamingo, the following warships would not be in too much danger.
Pirates sometimes intercepted Marines, but that did not mean they would chase them endlessly. Most pirates, even when stronger, would not waste time pursuing Marine ships for fun.
It brought little benefit.
Worse, the consequences were serious. A pirate who hunted Marines too aggressively could draw the attention of stronger forces from headquarters.
.....
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