Next Bonus, 100!!
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On the shore, the coastal defense cannons, positioned in fortified bunkers, opened fire.
A ship that had been racing ahead was hit, its mast snapping in two.
The roar of the cannons echoed across the bay.
Such heavy defenses... Vergo thought, a chill running down his spine.
But there was no time for second thoughts. The battle had been joined. Half his fleet was already at the bottom of the sea.
If he retreated now, it would all be for nothing.
He couldn't run. He had to win.
Without another moment's hesitation, Vergo used Moonwalk to fly toward the shore, kicking out a series of Tempest Kicks that shattered a dozen cannonballs, providing cover for his fleet.
The first ship ran aground on the beach.
"CHARGE! KILL THEM ALL!"
"KILL!"
Nami and the others were already at the front lines, surrounded by well-trained air-marines and security forces.
They didn't charge. They took cover behind sandbags and in bunkers, letting the enemy come to them.
"FIRE!"
The crack of the 98k rifles was like a string of firecrackers. A wall of bullets tore through the charging CIU members.
One after another, they fell, blossoms of blood blooming on their chests.
The fire was so dense, you didn't even have to aim.
The security forces and air-marines, who had been nervous about their first "large-scale" battle, now felt a surge of confidence.
Three heavy machine guns, positioned in three separate bunkers along with the coastal defense cannons, laid down a withering crossfire.
The beach was filled with the screams of the dying.
Kuro, Gin, and Jango watched, a cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads.
Under the heavy fire, the landing force was being slaughtered.
It was a one-sided massacre.
Not all soldiers have Haki. And even those who do can't necessarily withstand a hail of bullets.
Were Vergo's soldiers weak?
No.
But against modern weapons and modern tactics, they were as fragile as straw, cut down in droves.
They had never encountered weapons like this, had never fought a battle like this. Their reckless charge had led to their annihilation.
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of men lay dead or dying on the beach.
The soldiers on the following ships, seeing the carnage, froze, not daring to advance.
In modern warfare, an amphibious assault, even with air superiority, is a meat grinder.
But this was the world of One Piece.
Vergo quickly formulated a new plan. "I'll lead the charge!" he commanded. "All officers of the rank of Lieutenant Commander and above, with me! We'll break their lines!"
The officers were the equivalent of human tanks. They were the key to breaking the stalemate.
"KILL!" Vergo roared, leaping into the air and charging toward the defensive line.
Two dozen figures broke off from the main force and followed him.
They were incredibly fast. The ordinary soldiers couldn't even get a bead on them.
Nami, who had trained at the Marine base, was a decent shot. She used her Observation Haki to lock onto a Lieutenant Commander's head and fired. The man's head exploded.
"Fall back to the second line!" she commanded.
The soldiers in the trenches retreated. Only Nami, Kuro, and a few other skilled fighters remained to hold off the enemy officers.
A blade of wind shot toward Nami. Vergo had gathered intelligence on the Conomi Islands before the attack. He knew that this woman held a position of high authority.
Cut off the head of the snake, and the body will fall.
If he could take her down, their morale would crumble.
Nami drew a long, slender blade and a smirk played on her lips. "It seems I've been underestimated."
She was itching for a fight. After obtaining her Werewolf fruit, she had undergone intensive training on the Empress. Her strength had grown by leaps and bounds.
She needed a worthy opponent.
The sword in her hand was one of the two legendary blades once used by Golden Lion Shiki as his prosthetic legs: Oto. The other, Kogarashi, was now in Nami's possession.
Vergo, his face expressionless, smashed a sandbag with a single kick. His leg, hardened with Armament Haki, swept out, the wind hissing around it.
Nami parried with her sword. The glint of the famous blade made Vergo frown, and he adjusted his angle.
Nami leaped back, dodging the kick. The moment she landed, she pushed off the ground and closed the distance.
The tip of Oto shot forward, like a striking viper.
"Demon Bamboo!" Vergo produced his weapon, a jet-black bamboo staff. He spun it in his hand and brought it crashing down.
Danger!
Nami spun away. Her Werewolf fruit gave her heightened senses, superior agility, speed, and stamina.
The spot where she had been standing exploded, a massive crater left in its place. She had dodged the attack by a hair's breadth.
So strong...
Through the dust, Nami wiped the sweat from her brow and took a deep breath. As expected of a former Marine Vice Admiral and base commander. Vergo's strength was at the elite level, even among Vice Admirals.
She was a blur of motion, once again on the attack.
He parried easily.
She unleashed a flurry of thrusts, and he dodged every one.
Seeing an opening, Vergo sidestepped and threw a punch that slammed into Nami's stomach, a shockwave erupting from the point of impact.
Nami was sent flying, crashing through a coconut tree.
"For the East Blue, you're strong," Vergo said, walking toward her, spinning his bamboo staff. "But you're up against me. Surrender now, and I might let you live."
Nami pushed herself up and spat out a mouthful of blood. "I've heard that line too many times to count," she said, her voice cold. "This time... I'm fighting to the end!"
Her body began to change. She grew taller, her fingers elongating into sharp claws, a cold, hard light glinting in her eyes.
"A Devil Fruit?" Vergo said, his brow furrowed.
Nami vanished, leaving an afterimage in her place. She was so fast that Vergo didn't even have time to react before she sent him flying.
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