Jin-An led his team towards the harbor, sunlight spilling across the deck, the warship's flag snapping in the sea breeze.
The marines' every step was steady and powerful, as if they were confident about the mission ahead. How could they lack confidence when following Admiral Jin-An?
However, just as they were about to board the warship, the Den Den Mushi in Jin-An's arms suddenly rang.
"Buru buru... Buru buru..."
The Den Den Mushi's call broke the silence.
Jin-An frowned slightly, took out the Den Den Mushi, and saw it was a call from Sengoku.
His heart sank; his intuition told him this call was not simple.
He answered the call, his voice calm: "This is Jin-An."
Sengoku's voice on the other end was low and heavy: "The plan may have to change. We just received an emergency message from Mary Geoise—Blackbeard has stormed the Holy Land."
Hearing this news, Jin-An's eyebrows instantly shot up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Blackbeard dared to attack the Holy Land?
This was undoubtedly an unprecedented act of madness.
He didn't interrupt Sengoku, patiently waiting for further orders.
Sengoku's voice carried a hint of helplessness and anxiety: "The World Government needs you to provide support."
Jin-An smiled slightly, as expected.
He had anticipated being sent to deal with this situation, after all, he was one of the few high-end combat forces currently available to the Navy.
Without the slightest hesitation, he responded calmly: "Understood."
Sengoku on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, as if considering something.
After a moment, he said in a low voice: "Be careful."
Sengoku's voice carried a hint of almost imperceptible fatigue. Jin-An could tell that the Navy Headquarters was in a very difficult situation.
Almost all of the high-level combat forces had been transferred to the front lines, leaving Sengoku and Tsuru to barely maintain the headquarters' operations.
Even so, Sengoku was unable to leave here to support Mary Geoise.
"Don't worry." The corners of Jin-An's mouth turned up, his smile carrying a calmness born of composure.
After hanging up the phone, he turned around and waved to the team behind him, his eyes filled with a firm light.
"Let's go, our destination is Mary Geoise."
The team immediately followed, the warship's gangplank making a low sound, accompanied by the sound of waves lapping against the hull. The ship quickly left the harbor, heading towards that sacred and dangerous land.
The sea breeze swept through Jin-An's hair. He narrowed his eyes slightly, quickly calculating the upcoming battle in his mind.
Blackbeard's sudden attack was obviously premeditated and would definitely not be a simple raid.
Jin-An knew very well that a pirate like Blackbeard would never take meaningless actions. Attacking the Holy Land was more like a gamble with his life.
And this trip, perhaps, he would face not only Blackbeard, but also the layers of power and conspiracy swirling within the Holy Land.
The marines were each performing their duties, and the low voices of the soldiers occasionally drifted from inside the ship.
Jin-An stood at the bow, gazing at the sparkling sea. The wind blew across his face, bringing a hint of coolness.
Despite the daunting task ahead, his heart was as calm as the ocean, unruffled.
The expressions of the team members behind him varied, some showing nervousness, while others showed fearless determination.
Kuzan and Shanks, who had just arrived at the Navy Headquarters, stood on the deck, exchanging a glance, the atmosphere heavy but tacit.
Although they both knew the mission was dangerous, Jin-An's calmness gave them a sense of stability, and they were also fearless people who could easily handle a small Holy Land.
"This time, I'm afraid there will be a lot of fighting," Kuzan said in a low voice, standing to the side.
Shanks nodded, his eyes thoughtful: "Blackbeard is coming on strong. To be able to storm the Holy Land, he must have more than one trump card. What we will face, I'm afraid, is not just Blackbeard alone."
Jin-An seemed to hear their whispers, but remained unmoved.
He looked up slightly, gazing at the horizon ahead.
There, Mary Geoise was faintly visible, like a mysterious and aloof fortress, waiting for his arrival.
"This time will be interesting," he muttered to himself, the smile on his lips gradually deepening.
......
Above Mary Geoise.
The blood-colored sky reflected Blackbeard's wild laughter, his figure like a giant beast, rampaging肆无忌惮 across this sacred land.
Flames and explosions rose and fell, the air filled with smoke and the stench of death.
With every step forward of the Blackbeard Pirates, there were screams and the sounds of Navy soldiers falling. The faces of the soldiers revealed pain and confusion.
The figure of former Navy Fleet Admiral Kong finally stood in front of Blackbeard, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, his aura undiminished.
Behind him were those Navy soldiers who could barely hold on, their weary breaths intertwined with desperate eyes.
"Blackbeard, do you really think you can run rampant here?" Kong's voice was like a resounding bell, with an air of composure, his gaze stern.
Blackbeard laughed wildly, his voice shaking the surroundings: "Kong! I never thought I'd see you old geezer again! Too bad, besides you, there isn't a decent enemy here!"
He looked around unscrupulously, his face full of arrogance.
However, what puzzled everyone was that the other defending forces of Mary Geoise, the Five Elders, the God's Knights, and those mysterious legions that should have been protecting the Holy Land, had never appeared.
The Navy soldiers were already exhausted, but found that they had no support at all.
"Why... why isn't anyone coming?" A young Navy lieutenant gasped, his face full of confusion and despair.
His comrade beside him forcefully raised his blade, gritting his teeth to deal with the Blackbeard Pirates' attack, equally puzzled.
On the chaotic battlefield, the marines continued to fall, but still held their ground. Although battered and bruised, they still resisted tenaciously.
Kong clenched one fist, his Haki slowly spreading out. Facing Blackbeard, he was like an unshakable mountain, calm and composed.
Seeing this, Blackbeard revealed a hideous smile: "Kong, you can't stop me! You also know that you Navy guys are just abandoned pawns! The Five Elders don't even want to dirty their hands, and leave everything to you useless杂兵 grunts!"
Kong's expression did not fluctuate in the slightest. He knew Blackbeard's intention to provoke, but he also understood in his heart that the Navy's current situation was indeed difficult.
On the battlefield, there was no trace of the Five Elders and the God's Knights, and all the pressure was concentrated on the Navy, but the support they should have received never came.
As time passed, the Navy soldiers' physical strength gradually ran out. Facing the powerful Blackbeard Pirates, many people had already shown despair.
Everyone vaguely felt in their hearts that this war was destined to be an abandoned battle from the very beginning.
"Hold on a little longer... we can't fall!" A Navy officer shouted loudly, trying to boost morale, but his voice was also full of fatigue and powerlessness.
At the same time, Blackbeard approached Kong step by step, as if a huge black shadow was covering the front.
His aura grew stronger and stronger, Haki turned into a black whirlwind around his body, and the ground trembled.
Every step he took seemed to herald the end of this land.
"Kong, give up! You Navy guys are just playthings of the World Government, even they are too lazy to save you!" Blackbeard's laughter echoed like a demon, and the hidden fear in the hearts of the surrounding Navy soldiers continued to spread.
Kong glanced at Blackbeard and snorted coldly: "With just you, you're not qualified enough for me to give up."
His voice was calm and firm. Although his body was no longer young, his eyes were still full of fearless fighting spirit.
On the distant battlefield, the marines, one by one, supported their precarious bodies. Although they did not understand why there was no support from any friendly forces, they knew that they could not retreat.
Even if they were abandoned, even if there was no support, they were still the Navy.
However, the doubts in their hearts still troubled every Navy soldier—why were they sent here, but they did not see any of Mary Geoise's defending forces?
The Five Elders, the God's Knights, and even those top combat forces of the World Government had never shown their faces.
Everything seemed to be carefully arranged, and they were just cannon fodder pushed to the front lines.
Blackbeard's eyes were like knives, and he suddenly threw a punch towards Kong, accompanied by the powerful power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, the entire earth was shaking.
He roared hideously: "Today, I will destroy this Holy Land!"
With a roar, a huge shockwave swept towards Kong and the Navy soldiers behind him!
...
...
