Facing the elite hundred-strong division of Whitebeard's Fifth Division and over five hundred pirates under McGuy's command, Hina and Ain showed no sign of fear.
The Fifth Division Captain, "Flower Blade" Vista, and "Thunder Lord" McGuy had already been intercepted by Vice Admiral Wright and Smoker respectively. Following the pre-arranged battle plan, Hina and Ain led the Marines into action.
At the beginning of the boarding battle, to conserve the use of Lightforged Crystals, Wright did not order the Dawn to activate its shield to repel the pirates from boarding the ship.
This gave Hina's abilities a moment to shine.
With a lady's cigarette between her lips, Hina stood at the forefront of five combined combat formations led by officer-ranked Marines, while Ain, dual swords in hand, stood vigilantly at her side.
"Iron Cage: Modified!"
Standing in the middle of the deck, Hina gave a cold shout, spreading her arms as iron bars resembling fences extended outward from her hands.
Unlike her usual "Iron Cage" technique, Hina this time directed the iron bars toward the ship's sides, targeting the pirates attempting to board. As a result—
"Ahhh!"
Splash!
Crash—!
The elite pirates managed to react in time, using their skills to dodge or vault over the bars. However, some overly eager or weaker individuals were struck by the iron bars and unceremoniously plunged into the sea.
"Miss Hina, well done!"
Having received proper discipline under Issho's training, the former ruffians of the Marines had now graduated into elite soldiers. Though they refrained from cheering excessively, their admiration for Hina was evident.
Eyes shining with resolve, they were brimming with fighting spirit.
"Prepare to engage the enemy!"
Hina's commanding shout raised the morale of the Marines to its peak. Under the officers' orders, the soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, steeling themselves for a battle unlike any they had faced before—
A battle where the Marines were outnumbered by pirates!
Indeed, in most cases, when the Navy engaged pirates in boarding or land battles, the Navy had overwhelming numerical superiority.
In the New World, the number of pirates was limited, and those who survived were seasoned veterans honed by countless battles.
The Navy, on the other hand, relied on superior weaponry, regimented training, and strict discipline. Even elite Marines typically required a significant numerical advantage to launch an attack on pirates.
With powerful officers leading them, the odds improved somewhat, but it was rare to see a battle like today's—
Where Wright led 500 Marines against Whitebeard's Fifth Division, bolstered by an entire pirate crew under McGuy!
And that didn't even account for the second pirate crew expected to join the fray!
So, what gave Wright such confidence?
The answer lay in his "Combined Combat Formations," the powerful group buffs provided by his legion-level Holy Light auras and blessings, and the Dawn—a ship that combined Germa's advanced technology with Wright's mastery of Holy Light!
"Brace for impact!"
Ain, her dual blades dancing in the air, repelled pirates who approached Hina and the officer-led formations. She reminded the officers to watch for the main pirate force's assault.
Bang bang bang—!
Some pirates, unable to board in time, resorted to firing from a distance. However, after a few shots, they had no choice but to abandon the tactic—
Not only was their aim hindered by the rolling waves and the ship's barriers, but the iron bars disrupting their formation also made it impossible to take clean shots!
"Defend!"
The officer-ranked Marines, serving as the direct commanders of the formations, ordered the five units to face the enemy—three targeting McGuyi's crew and two focusing on Whitebeard's Fifth Division.
"Iron Spear Formation!"
Hina swung her arms, launching a wave of black iron rods like spears into the oncoming pirates, taking down over a dozen. Some were even skewered like kabobs!
The unpredictable onslaught of iron bars, rods, and cages shattered the pirates' attack rhythm.
"Swish, swish, swish—"
Meanwhile, Ain danced among the pirates like a swift swallow, targeting their elite fighters with her short swords.
Even when her blades couldn't land a decisive blow—
"Rewind!"
She retracted her swords as a pink flame ignited in her hands. Smiling faintly, she unleashed waves of energy.
Anything touched by Ain—be it weapons, bodies, or even bullets—reverted ten years in time!
"Too bad I can only rewind ten years for now... With deeper development, I could rewind fifteen or even twenty years, unlocking my ability's full potential."
Watching the pirates she touched lose a decade of age, many transforming from rugged warriors into younger, less experienced versions of themselves, Ain felt a mix of frustration and amusement. Some pirates even seemed pleased with their younger forms, much to her annoyance.
Weapons, however, were a different story—except for a few famous blades, most pirate weapons were disposable tools replaced frequently due to wear and tear.
Under Ain's ability, many blades turned into unusable hunks of metal, clattering uselessly to the deck.
As for bullets? A ten-year-old bullet was often unusable, disintegrating into raw materials upon contact with her flames.
This led to a spectacle where Ain casually caught bullets midair, reducing them to powder.
"Miss Ain is incredible! I'd love to be made younger by her!"
Initially starstruck, the Marines soon snapped back to reality as they faced the pirates' assault.
These were elite fighters who had dominated the New World for over a decade under Whitebeard's banner!
"Charge—!"
Amid the deafening clash of swords and cries of battle, the Marines gradually realized—
"These elite pirates aren't as tough as I thought!"
"They're not much stronger than the enemies we've faced before!"
"I thought Whitebeard's crew would be ten times more powerful... But they barely match five times our strength!"
"No... It's us who've grown stronger!"
"It's Vice Admiral Wright's power!"
Only when they clashed did the Marines truly understand the weight of Wright's earlier promise to bring them back safely.
Without Wright's blessings and strategies, the pirates' initial wave would've left countless Marines injured or worse!
"Not to mention... The Combined Combat Formations were invented by Vice Admiral Wright!"
Confidence surged among the Marines—so long as their commanding officer stood with them, anything seemed possible!
"Damn it!"
The pirates fought fiercely, their years of experience in life-or-death battles evident in their ferocity, killing intent, and skills.
Even so, the sheer difference in their abilities began to show.
One pirate, grinning after slashing a Marine, paused in confusion as golden light enveloped his wounded opponent.
In the blink of an eye, the bleeding stopped, and the injury healed completely!
"What's going on?!"
The shocked pirate hesitated, only for the now-healed Marine to charge forward, shouting:
"I'm under Vice Admiral Wright's protection!"
Against all odds, the outnumbered Marines gained the upper hand, turning the tide against the pirates!
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