"Kill!"
"Let them see how powerful we are!"
Above their heads, Vane and Ochoku began clashing directly. Below, after the pirate alliance led by Ochoku had paid the price of over a thousand dead or wounded who had lost their combat capability, they finally charged into a distance of three hundred meters.
When they arrived, their total number was just over 7,000. Leaving a quarter behind to guard the ships, they brought more than 5,000 men to launch the attack.
After being swept by machine guns twice and bombarded by artillery, there were still nearly 3,000 to 4,000 men stubbornly pressing forward.
The third round of Vulcan machine gun fire had already begun, but the distance between both sides was now extremely close. As long as they endured this wave, they would officially engage in close combat.
Even if they lost some more men this time, their attacking force would still be three times the enemy's.
Moreover, the enemy had no city walls—the advantage still lay with them.
"After this round, the Vulcan machine gun teams are to cease fire and prepare for close combat!"
"Rifle squads, fire in controlled shots. Be careful not to hit your comrades in the back."
After Vane left, Moria temporarily took over command.
The Vulcan machine guns were too violent and difficult to control; in close combat, they might not distinguish between friend and foe.
"Artillery units, continue bombarding their fleet."
"The rest… onto the ice!"
Fujitora drew his cane sword. His target was already clear—the Tree-Tree Fruit user.
He thought to himself, "Perhaps I can do a little more."
All Devil Fruit users capable of fighting stood ready.
On the Zoan side: Tant the Lion-Man; the Boa sisters with their python and cobra forms; and within their Snake Pillar squad, the Frilled Lizard Model user. The Bear Guard transformed into a mastiff, still holding a long spear in hand. Burgess was the most eye-catching, and also the largest—a savage Ankylosaurus from ancient times.
The Giraffe Model user from the Longneck Tribe remained in Midnight Town assisting Tesoro and did not join the battle.
On the Paramecia side: the Love-Love Fruit Empress; the Shadow-Shadow Fruit Moria; the Press-Press Fruit Fujitora; the Karma-Karma Fruit Dice; the Dice-Dice Fruit Bonez.
The Snow-Snow Fruit Monet; the Vision-Vision Fruit Baccarat.
The Flour-Flour Fruit user Arlang; and the Kilo-Kilo Fruit user Abby.
The Rust-Rust Fruit user Ronui.
These were the ones heading directly onto the ice. There were also a few special ability users remaining in the rear to provide support.
For example, though young, Perona and Sugar possessed extremely useful abilities.
Meowth operated the machinery, while Kaku, who was eager to fight, was being held back.
Vane was firmly opposed to children going into battle. Sugar and Perona were exceptions because their abilities were special, and they would not easily descend onto the ice—they served as long-range support.
Kaku's Devil Fruit ability required him to fight head-on… and these were pirates of the New World. Though there were some mixed in quality, the vast majority were fierce and brutal.
Kaku was someone Vane valued highly. They would not easily allow him to join such a battle this early.
"Damn it… I want to slaughter the enemy too!"
Kaku lingered behind the docks, trying to join the fight. Those stationed behind had received orders not to let him in. They wouldn't even give him a rifle to participate in controlled fire.
"Monet and Sugar are both in there."
"Kaku, go back and guard Midnight Town. It needs people too."
How could that be the same? This battle might not even allow the enemy to set foot on the island, let alone reach Midnight Town.
Seeing that they absolutely refused to let him pass, Kaku feigned resignation and headed toward Midnight Town. Once out of their sight, he activated his ability.
With a bang, he transformed into a robust man in his thirties or forties.
He even picked up a wooden stick from the ground. Extending his ability onto it, the stick transformed into a blade.
A major difference between Mythical Zoans and ordinary Zoans lies in this: ordinary Zoans enhance only themselves.
But Mythical Zoans with special abilities can use their mythical beast "energy" to directly affect things beyond themselves. The Phoenix's flames of immortality can heal others. The Azure Dragon Fruit and the Okuchi-no-Makami Fruit wield energy of immense destructive power.
The Nine-Tailed Fox's transformation ability similarly extends outward. Kaku could turn a wooden stick into a blade. As long as he maintained his ability, that blade was truly a blade—one that could cut people.
Having changed his appearance, Kaku quickly blended into the front ranks at the docks and charged out.
After transforming with his Mythical Zoan ability, even if Vane tried to identify him without activating mind-reading, it would be difficult to tell that this was Kaku.
"For Rocket Team! Kill!"
Mixed into the ranks, Kaku looked just like an ordinary Rocket Team grunt as he charged toward the Hachinosu Island pirate coalition under the leadership of the three Pillars and multiple cadres.
"Your firearms only make me itch all over!"
On one of the Tree-Tree Fruit user's arms, keratin rapidly proliferated until it formed a gigantic wooden arm. Wrapped in Armament Haki, it slammed down toward the very front of the Rocket Team pirates.
"Then let me accompany you and grant you some enjoyment."
A twisted purple energy surged up and struck the massive palm. Under the coating of Armament Haki, the giant hand did not collapse.
However, the Tree-Tree Fruit user did not feel well. He sensed a strange force rampaging inside his body, his organs burning as if on fire.
Moreover, his arm became incomparably heavy, and the attack trajectory shifted, smashing directly into the ice.
Fujitora pressed the advantage, gripping his gravity blade in reverse and slashing.
An even more terrifying impact erupted.
The wooden man hurriedly coated his entire body with Armament Haki. Almost the next second, an impact capable of crushing a small mountain bore down upon him.
"Haah—!"
The wooden man's massive body could not help but be blasted backward a certain distance. The poor souls following behind him suffered for it—several were crushed half to death.
"The Tree-Tree Fruit plus Haki defense… as expected, not someone who can be taken down with a single strike."
Because the Tree-Tree Fruit user had promptly defended with Armament Haki, he merely had blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and did not immediately lose combat capability.
"Get lost, you useless trash!"
Enraged and humiliated, the wooden man kicked away the pirates at his feet, then glared at Fujitora.
"Do you know who I am? I'm the wooden man with a bounty of 500 million Belly!"
Only 500 million Belly and already this arrogant. It seemed many more people would boast like this in front of him in the future.
"Then please, you and your pirate companions… go to your deaths."
Gravity Field!
A small-scale gravity field appeared. The Rocket Team grunts proactively distanced themselves from Fujitora—everyone knew how formidable this blind swordsman was.
The pirates, however, were unaware. In an instant, over a hundred pirates were crushed to the ground, unable to move. Even the wooden man felt his body become many times heavier than usual.
"How is this possible? Even I can't move."
This was a pirate whose bounty barely exceeded 100 million. Yet even with his physical prowess, he found it difficult to escape the control of gravity—he could hardly even crawl to his feet.