"With a power so free, the sea is where you belong. Become a pirate who longs for freedom, become my son."
Even though Hammer knew what kind of man Whitebeard was, that line still made him instinctively take two steps back.
He stared at Whitebeard carefully, then clasped his hands and declared seriously:
"Don't even think about it!"
'This old man's was insane.'
'Not just the Marines, even the top pirates are all insane!'
Now that he thought about it.
'Shiki had a ship's rudder on his head.
Whitebeard adopts sons.
Roger was a certified lunatic.
Big Mom threw tantrums over sweets.
Kaido cried like a drunken toddler.
Tch. Compared to them, the Marine higher-ups seem downright reasonable.'
'Yup, don't become a pirate. Might save your sanity.'
"What's freer than being a pirate? What could stop a man from chasing the open sea?!"
Whitebeard's booming laugh practically made Hammer's ears ring.
"Oh, give it a rest already."
"Do they pay me a salary? Provide me with a workshop? Cover my materials? Fund tech development?"
"Be a pirate? I'm the future logistics chief! Why would I be a pirate?"
"Ptooey! Eat my hammer!"
Saakazuki and Borsalino twitched at his 'righteous' outburst.
In the next second, Hammer launched his attack.
"Air Shape, Sky-Shatter Hammer!"
A monstrous hammer of condensed air instantly took form in his hands. He now looked like a character straight out of a fantasy novel, complete with a totally borrowed move set.
"Wild Whirlwind! Great Sumeru Smash! All Powers As One! HAMMER!"
Truth be told, he didn't know any proper hammer techniques; his strategy was simple: go all in and shout out random names.
As a blacksmith, he understood better than anyone, brute strength beats fancy tricks.
Seeing Hammer rush in first, Whitebeard snorted coldly. Murakumogiri became an impenetrable fortress in his hands.
No matter which angle Hammer struck from, Whitebeard deflected it with ease.
Sakazuki and Borsalino couldn't just stand by; they joined the fray with axe and sword.
The clash against Whitebeard resumed.
Meanwhile, the Warhammer ship entered the battlefield.
"All hands, suppressive fire! AIM PROPERLY, NO FRIENDLY FIRE!"
At Lance's command, a storm of bullets and shells engulfed the Moby Dick, catching the Whitebeard Pirates off guard.
Whitey Bay gritted her teeth.
They'd been dominating the fight until this wall of lead shifted the tide.
"Damn Marines! Since when did they pack this much heat?!"
"Oi, Jozu! Do something!"
A mountain of a man stepped forward, his body glittering like a diamond.
"I can only block one direction! We need a better plan or we'll suffer huge losses!"
Though bullets and shells couldn't harm Jozu, he was just one man. He couldn't shield every angle.
"HAHAHA! Move aside, Jozu! MY TURN!"
"Oden Nitoryu: Phantom Soul Slash!"
A blinding red slash tore through the air, shattering and devouring the entire barrage from the Warhammer.
"Ohhh! Oden, nice one!"
A tall man appeared, slanted phoenix eyes, thick brows, long wild black hair tied into a huge rounded topknot, sharp widow's peak, and sideburns. Wearing an orange kimono with his legs mostly exposed.
"Hahaha! Sorry to keep you waiting! Had to get the kids settled."
"Oh? Marines, huh? Interesting!"
"Come! Let's have a battle!"
With Oden's arrival, the Whitebeard Pirates' morale soared once more.
"Tch. That outfit... a Wano samurai, huh..."
"Fire another volley! Then prep for boarding!"
Lance, an excellent commander, instantly adjusted tactics. With a strong enemy joining the fight, long-range attacks were no longer effective.
"Coming! Shield Shield: Spiked Shield!"
Shirley activated her ability, countless spiked shields appeared on deck.
The Marines each grabbed a shield and readied their black blades.
As the Warhammer closed in on the Moby Dick, boarding ramps were thrown, the close-quarters fight began!
Lance and Shirley blitzed forward using Soru.
"Onigumo! Doberman! We're here!"
Lance smashed a pirate unconscious with his hammer-sword, then darted toward Vista, who was about to strike Doberman.
Bista raised his twin swords to defend, but it wasn't a sword clash. It was a massive Hammer.
One crushing blow from Lance sent shockwaves through Bista's blades, his hands went numb, his face went blank.
"What kind of sword is this?! What the hell?!"
It wasn't just Vista. Across the battlefield, Marine weapons caused mass confusion.
The hammer-sword had a unique trait:
A sword's form with a heavy blunt damage.
The deceptive shape lured enemies into guarding wrong, and the crushing force did the rest.
Meanwhile, Shirley crackled with lightning as she rushed the Ice Witch.
She struck Whitey Bay, knocking her back from her duel with Doberman.
The white-haired girl's sudden arrival caught everyone's attention.
"Oi, Nekomamushi! Inuarashi! One of your people's here!"
Whitey Bay shouted toward the ship's lower decks instead of retaliating.
Shirley paused for a moment, puzzled.
Then, two small heads poked out: one golden-furred cat, one yellow-furred dog.
"Huh? She's from our tribe… But why is she with the Marines?"
"No idea. She looks way older than us, though."
These two little ones were none other than young Nekomamushi and Inuarashi.
Shirley's heart warmed at the sight of her kin, but reality struck a second later.
This was the Whitebeard Pirates' ship. If they were here, they were pirates too.
"Hmph! Kin or not, you're enemies now!"
Her expression hardened. Electricity surged.
Rokushiki: Soru Variant Lightning Flash.
White light streaked toward Whitey Bay at blinding speed.
"Too fast!" Whitey Bay panicked, raising her blade in defense.
Their clash sent arcs of lightning snapping like serpents. In an instant, Whitey Bay's body went numb, nearly collapsing.
"Damn! That speed is insane!"
Shirley had pushed past the limits of Soru.
With electricity enhancing her reflexes, her movement had entered a whole new realm.
"Hey, Big Sis Whitey Bay, need help?"
A young man surrounded by blue flames appeared beside her, smiling brightly.
"Damn it, Marco! She's yours, I'm fried! I need a break!"
Shirley stiffened at the sight of the blue flames, then her face turned serious.
'Unnatural fire… A Devil Fruit user?'
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu