The sea boomed with cannon fire. The Solar Reaver cut across the waves, fighting its own death duel with the Crimson Reaver Pirates. The enemy flagship, a monster of a ship with crimson sails, loomed in the horizon. Dagon "Red Wave" Karros, an 80 million berries pirate, was at the helm, watching the battle with a self-satisfied smile.
His vessels numbered five in total, filled with battle-hardened pirates. They outnumbered Solian's crewmen, but it did not matter to him. In this fight, numbers would have nothing to say—power and tactics would.
The Battle Begins
A round of cannonballs tore across the waves, one crashing into the water close by the Solar Reaver, causing a spray of shock waves to roll out along the deck. Jorin grit his teeth, cranking the wheel around to shift them out of harm's path of the second round.
"They're trying to hem us in!" he screamed.
Solian's eyes froze with ice. Not on your life.
"Kael! Jorin! Take positions on the deck! Drayce, Vance, and everyone else—boarding positions!"
Kael grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, some real action!"
Jorin kept his eyes on the enemy, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Let's not be daft. We need to destroy their ships first."
Boarding the Ships of the Crimson Reavers
As the flagship of the enemy ships approached, grappling hooks were fired out, snagging onto the Solar Reaver's rails. The Crimson Reaver Pirates shouted, swinging across on ropes, blades glinting in sunlight.
They were not alone, however, in boarding.
Drayce Ornn struck first. His Void-Step allowed him to seemingly blink across the battlefield, reappearing instantly on the enemy's deck. His two blades glinted as he cut through the first wave of pirates with blinding speed.
One of the Crimson Reaver commanders was a giant of a man with two massive war axes that charged at him, his strikes shattering the wooden deck beneath his feet.
Drayce dodged effortlessly, his body phasing like a shadow as the axes swung through nothing but air.
"Tch… annoying fruit," the axe-wielding commander growled.
Drayce smirked. "You'll find it deadly soon enough."
With a blur of movement, he reappeared behind the commander, slashing his swords upward. Blood sprayed into the air as the commander collapsed, defeated within seconds.
Vance vs. The Sniper
Meanwhile, Vance Renlow had boarded another enemy ship, his Recoil Fruit allowing him to deflect the kinetic energy of any attack. He stepped firmly into the middle of a cluster of riflemen, their guns already leveled at him.
"Fire!" one of them shouted.
Vance smiled, stamping his foot onto the deck. The instant the bullets flew, he waved his hand—
BANG!
The bullets froze in mid-air—then shot straight back to their firers.
Half of the riflemen died, screaming as their own bullets shredded into them. The rest of the foes lurched back in horror.
Vance hadn't had time to get set yet before he exploited the recoil from his last step and launched himself full-steam into the others, his fist plunging into one of their chests with a devastative shockwave punch. The pirate blazed through a wall, floored.
"That's two vessels taken out so far," Vance groaned, cracking his neck. "Not too shabby."
Kael vs. The Twin Swordsman
On the Solar Reaver, Kael Toren held his ground as one of the Crimson Reaver's top commanders touched down on deck. He was a lean, tall man with twin sabers that glowed with an otherworldly metal.
Kael knew it at once. "Seastone?"
The man smiled. "You learn quickly."
Kael clicked his tongue. Seastone was toxic to Devil Fruit consumers, but he wasn't going to give this guy the opportunity to strike him in the first place.
The commander burst forward, the sabers rushing at light speeds. Kael rotated his frame, just missing, but a saber grazed his arm.
The moment that it did, his power left him.
He clenched his teeth. A graze had the potential to suppress his Rust Fruit powers.
"Damn," Kael muttered. "Guess I'll have to end this quick."
He shifted his stance, channeling his kinetic energy into his palm.
The enemy swordsman smirked. "You can't—"
BOOM!
Kael slammed his palm into the deck, releasing an intense shockwave. The force launched the enemy straight into the air, spinning uncontrollably.
Kael didn't waste time. He jumped after him, his leg cocked back.
"Rust Breaker!"
His kick landed directly on the man's ribs, breaking them instantly. The commander spat blood as his body hit the deck, unconscious.
Kael came down smoothly, ruffling his hair. "You shouldn't have used Seastone against me."
Solian vs. The Sharkman
The largest of the enemy ships was still untouched, and standing at the front was one of Dagon's top fighters—a massive Fishman, towering over the others with razor-sharp teeth and webbed claws.
Solian landed on the enemy ship, his Solar Rift powers flaring.
The Fishman let out a deep, guttural laugh. "So you're the one giving us trouble?"
Solian narrowed his eyes. "You with Dagon?"
"Captain's right behind me," sneered the Fishman, cracking his knuckles. "But if you want him, you're going to have to go through me."
The fight was about to begin.