Gazing at the countless cannonballs flying from the shore, Bass's subordinates were utterly panicked. They couldn't help but freeze in place, their eyes fixed on the sky. In their lives, they had never witnessed such a massive bombardment.
"There are only a few dozen of them, is this necessary?"
The subordinates' mouths twitched in unison, and their feet instinctively wanted to retreat. However, upon seeing the silhouettes blocking their path, they gritted their teeth, suppressed their fear, and looked up at the sky with determined eyes. They believed in Bada, they believed in Kong Tai. Not because of the thousands of corpses on Bass Island this morning, nor the dilapidated pirate ship they encountered, nor Kong Tai's slash that split the sea, but because of their leader. Their leader stood beside Kong Tai at this moment, completely calm, his feet unmoving.
Sensing the halt of everyone's steps, Kong Tai also stopped. He looked up at the countless black cannonballs in the sky, a smile playing on his lips. "As expected of the Navy. No matter who they face, they start with a round of artillery bombardment before saying anything else." As long as they were at sea, ordinary pirate crews would find it difficult to escape the Navy's long-range artillery fire and comprehensive coverage. Only a swordsman's slash could easily cut through these cannonballs, thus avoiding damage to the ship's hull. At sea, a damaged ship would essentially signal the end of their voyage. Ordinary fists and kicks were useless against cannonballs! Because these things exploded. Don't look at Monkey D. Luffy and his crew seeming so relaxed; that's because Luffy is made of rubber and doesn't fear cannonballs, and there's also Zoro. Therefore, at sea, any pirate crew fears Navy warships. The difference in firepower between the two is worlds apart. Of course, those with strong power who can fly are an exception. Just like facing Kong Tai. Even ten times, dozens of times more cannonballs would be useless.
Looking at the sky, Kong Tai slowly drew his Zankon and casually slashed it rapidly in front of him. "One Sword Style, Chidori." A massive silver-gray slash shot rapidly towards the sky. As it ascended, the slash suddenly split into countless smaller slashes, forming a sky-obscuring giant net in the air. The slashes cut through the cannonballs, sounding like a thousand birds chirping in unison, deafeningly loud. Then, the barrage of cannonballs suddenly stopped in mid-air, split in two, and exploded. It was like countless fireworks exploding simultaneously. The shockwaves generated by the explosions caused the surrounding sea to churn, but the area where Kong Tai and his group were remained calm, feeling none of the impact of the explosions.
*Ding—!*
Kong Tai looked at the sky, sheathed his sword, and nodded with satisfaction. This slash was something he had specifically trained to shatter large objects after his battle with Shiki. "Instantaneous · Thousand Cuts!" Although it was cool and powerful, it was very taxing on stamina!
"Wow!"
The subordinates cried out in unison, their faces flashing with excitement as they watched the sky filled with fireworks. This was the kind of scene they could only experience by following Kong Tai!
*Click—!*
Huoniao, with a flushed face, crouched down and captured the image of Kong Tai facing the barrage of cannonballs and unleashing his slash. "Truly elegant!" he murmured. He deserved the title "Elegant Swordsman" bestowed by the President. Every movement, every stillness, every blade and sword radiated the ultimate art of elegance. This could be called an artistic slash, something he would never forget. Compared to the simple and brutal styles of other swordsmen, Kong Tai's slashes indeed possessed an artistic beauty. Because his strength was sufficient, every slash he made was unhurried and composed. Of course, looking cool was a given. If it were an ugly person, let alone their slashes, even if they performed elaborate moves like dancing, they wouldn't exude elegance.
"Is it over?"
A tall figure wearing a justice cape and glasses walked up to Melasen, looking at the smoke-shrouded sea in the distance and muttering.
"How could it be!"
Melasen didn't turn his head. "You should be aware of Silver Hair's ability. For a great swordsman, this bombardment probably wouldn't even count as a warm-up."
"Hmm, indeed."
Dai Wei, the Navy officer, adjusted his glasses, staring intently ahead with a grave expression. Dai Wei, Melasen's second-in-command, was a Colonel from Marine Headquarters and the commander of the previous bombardment. In Marine Headquarters, any officer of Admiral rank or above basically had their own fleet and could set out independently to capture pirates. Therefore, whether they were Rear Admirals or Vice Admirals, their adjutants' highest rank would be Colonel. Even Admirals were no exception.
"They're coming out."
Melasen's eyes narrowed as he looked at the dense fog in the distance. A gap suddenly appeared in the fog, facing them. Kong Tai and the people behind him walked out of it slowly, completely unharmed.
"You've got to be kidding!"
"Such a dense bombardment, and they're completely unharmed."
The Marines cried out in unison, their faces filled with shock. This bombardment was much stronger than the ones from their battleships! This was a prepared positional battle, and even in the New World, few pirate crews could easily evade it. Moreover, this was the first half of the Grand Line, the Paradise.
"The cannonballs are completely useless?"
Kolus watched Kong Tai, his eyes narrowing. As Kong Tai and his group approached, an overwhelming aura swept towards them.
*Bang—!*
*Bang—!*
*Bang bang bang!!*
Marine soldiers, one after another, rolled their eyes and slowly fainted to the ground.
"Conqueror's Haki, is it this powerful?"
Kolus and Melasen's expressions turned grim. Such a scale of Conqueror's Haki was possessed only by the world's top pirates. Ordinary Conqueror's Haki would absolutely not knock out these elite Marines.
*Ssss—!*
Kong Tai's feet stepped onto the sandy beach, sinking slightly under his weight. Then, Kuina, Ah Hua, and the other three, followed by Indigo, all came ashore. After Bada and his subordinates landed, Kong Tai deactivated his spatial domain and turned to face Melasen.
"Hey! Navy, do you know what you are protecting?"
"What?"
Melasen looked at Kong Tai, his face filled with confusion.
"Well!"
Just as Kong Tai was about to speak, with a "whoosh," a slender and tall figure suddenly appeared beside him. The tall figure raised its leg and rapidly kicked towards Kong Tai's head.
"Rankyaku!"
A white, crescent-shaped wind blade shot rapidly towards Kong Tai's head.
"My, are you in such a hurry to die?"
Kong Tai looked at the suddenly appearing Kolus, tilted his head, and easily dodged the wind blade. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He took a step forward, instantly disappearing from his spot and reappearing before Kolus.
"If you want to die so badly, I'll grant you your wish!"
As he spoke, he raised his right foot, Armament Haki instantly wrapping around it. He ferociously swung his leg and kicked Kolus in the waist.
*Bang—!*
The gust of wind generated by the collision made his hair ripple. Looking at Kolus again, he was completely unharmed. His kick to Kolus's waist felt like hitting a wall forged from steel.