BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...
Off the coast of Loguetown, six massive Marine battleships lined up in a fearsome formation—two over a hundred meters long and four slightly smaller, around eighty meters. Their heavy-caliber cannons roared continuously, bombarding the pirate ships docked in the harbor. Smoke filled the air. The stench of gunpowder was overwhelming.
Under the relentless shelling from the Marine battleships, many of the smaller pirate ships couldn't withstand the onslaught. One or two direct hits were enough to send them sinking into the sea.
Though some pirates had stayed behind to man the cannons and return fire, they were too few in number and caught off guard by the surprise attack. Many didn't even realize what was happening before they were blown apart. The Marines clearly weren't just anyone—they were elites, and they had the pirates completely outgunned. In just this brief window, seven or eight pirate ships, large and small, were sent to the ocean floor.
The six Marine ships quickly advanced into the harbor, where the remaining pirate crews were either wiped out by cannon fire or fled in panic. More than a dozen pirate ships now lay in ruins beneath the waves, their shattered hulls floating in bloody debris-strewn water. The entire harbor had become a scene of carnage, strewn with wreckage and corpses, crimson spreading across the tide.
Some pirate ships did manage to escape, veering away from the main harbor and fleeing toward the eastern and western beaches.
"All units, land and eliminate every pirate in Loguetown."
Standing on the bow of one of the massive warships, a stern-faced middle-aged Marine officer spoke righteously into a Den Den Mushi.
He had a sharply chiseled, diamond-shaped face with cropped brown hair. His black suit was accented with silver stripes, and over it he wore the iconic white Marine coat of justice. A cross-shaped longsword hung at his waist. Even the Marines standing nearby eyed him with awe and tension—clearly, this was a man of strict discipline.
On another warship of similar size, another high-ranking Marine stood at the bow. In stark contrast, this one looked almost too relaxed, casually slouched with a Den Den Mushi in hand. His voice was sleepy, barely animated.
"Troops, land at Loguetown and coordinate with Rear Admiral Farlier's forces to secure the area."
He looked to be in his early thirties, clean-cut and innocent-looking, with delicate features and fair skin. Dressed in a pure white suit—from jacket to his pointed leather shoes—he also wore a white justice coat draped over his shoulders.
"Rear Admiral Evans," said a young officer beside him, also wearing a justice coat and gripping the hilt of his blade, "based on intel, the pirate Aeridar—the one who killed Captain Mori—should also be on this island, judging from his movements."
"We also spotted the Chris Pirates' ship fleeing toward the eastern beach. There were less than a hundred people aboard—definitely not the full crew. That suggests Aeridar and the main targets are still on the island."
The middle-aged officer was Rear Admiral Farlier of Marine Headquarters. The young one was Rear Admiral Evans—also of Headquarters.
They were two of the four Rear Admirals assigned to the East Blue sector of Operation Weedkiller, Marine HQ's sweeping campaign to purge the region.
Originally, the plan was to gather at the East Blue 17th Branch Fortress and then divide the area into zones for the operation. But after the Sasardo Kingdom, a World Government member nation, was overthrown by the Revolutionary Army—and the entire 17th Branch Fortress destroyed by the "World's Most Dangerous Criminal," Monkey D. Dragon—the task force was left in disarray, unsure where to regroup.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku ultimately issued new orders: the purge fleet was to resupply at the nearest available branch, then split into two groups—one to carry out sweeps of the East Blue, the other to secure Loguetown, a critical chokepoint at the gateway to the Grand Line.
As for Aeridar's discovery? That was pure coincidence. The CP agency had originally dispatched agents to track Dragon. While investigating, they stumbled upon the Frost Dance Tavern, where both Dragon and Aeridar had been seen.
To the World Government, anyone connected to Dragon is automatically high priority.
Since Aeridar was also a pirate, his intel was passed to the Marines. Sengoku gave a clear directive: occupy Loguetown and capture or eliminate Aeridar and the entire Chris Pirates crew.
"Well then, time to hit the shore. But man, that guy must be something else!" Evans clicked his tongue. "Mori may've been a bit hot-headed, but he wasn't weak. Getting taken out by a rookie fresh out to sea? That's a damn disgrace."
At that moment, the six Marine ships made landfall. A flood of Marines stormed ashore, hauling land-based artillery, mortars, and rocket launchers.
Elsewhere on Loguetown's main street, Aeridar and his crew were on the move. Most of the crew had regrouped, and they were rushing toward the harbor.
A man sprinted up to them, shouting with urgency.
"Waru? What happened at the harbor?" asked Gorbo, stepping forward. Waru was one of the members of his Third Division.
"Huff... huff... Captain! Commander!" Waru panted heavily. "Two second-class Marine warships and four third-class ones—they're already in the harbor! They've landed! I saw at least a dozen pirate ships sunk. Ours and a few others are heading east to the beach!"
Aeridar and the others were stunned. They didn't expect the Marines to move so fast—barely ten minutes had passed, and the harbor was already locked down.
"Captain, I'll head to the eastern beach with Gorbo and Dimitri. We'll set up a defensive perimeter—we have to protect the ship," said Arlan with a steely expression.
"I'm giving you a hundred men. The ship's in your hands," Aeridar nodded. "We'll go to the central square. I'm guessing most of the pirate crews will rally there."
With that, Aeridar's crew split into two units—one heading for the central square, the other toward the eastern beach.
Meanwhile, a few minor pirate crews at the harbor tried to counterattack, hoping to drive the Marines back into the sea. Instead, they were utterly crushed—mowed down in a hail of bullets. Dozens of bodies were left behind, and the rest fled in a panic deeper into the town.
Using makeshift barricades and mounted weapons, the Marines quickly built a hedgehog-like temporary fortress at the harbor.
"Rear Admiral Farlier, the pirates are holed up inside Loguetown. Our ship guns can't fire in there without risking civilian casualties," Evans said, scratching his head, a hint of frustration on his otherwise carefree face.
"No matter. The local garrison has already contacted us. They'll assist with the assault," Farlier replied coolly, glancing at the flamboyantly dressed Evans without emotion.
"Heh~ In that case, let's move quickly. Hit them before they fully regroup. But keep your eyes on the Chris Pirates—Aeridar is no joke," Evans said, his face momentarily turning serious.
"You're right. Target: every pirate in Loguetown. All units—attack! Justice will prevail! Slay them all!"
With a shout, Farlier unsheathed his cross-blade and pointed it forward.
"Justice will prevail!"
In a flash, the thousands of Marines stationed at the harbor surged forward, guns raised and swords drawn—like tigers unleashed down a mountain.
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