"I'm here to end this war."
The low voice of the Marine captain echoed across the deathly silent sea, causing everyone to widen their eyes in shock.
On the deck of the warship, the Marines of the North Blue stared at their imposing and awe-inspiring commander at the bow. Their eyes lit up with admiration, and many of the young female Marines even had hearts in their eyes.
"Damn it! He pulled it off again!! Why can't I come up with lines like that!?"
Tokikake glanced around at everyone's reactions and grumbled in a low voice, his face flushed with frustration.
Gion's eyes sparkled faintly.
At that moment, a furious roar came from the Jerma fleet:
"Darren, what the hell are you doing!? Are you trying to make a move against me!?"
"Jerma is a recognized member of the World Government and a nation with the right to attend the Reverie... Attacking me is an act of aggression against a fellow member state!"
"And you Marines have no right to interfere in international conflicts!"
Darren narrowed his eyes, the cloak of Justice behind him billowing wildly in the wind as he sneered:
"Vinsmoke Judge… It's true that Jerma is a member nation of the World Government, but so is the Kingdom of Yadis."
"And more importantly, I will not tolerate such a destructive war within my jurisdiction."
Judge burst out laughing in fury:
"So you think a mere Marine captain, with just one ship and a few hundred men, can stop the might of Jerma 66!?"
"Naive little Marine brat—stop talking big!!"
He raised his hand high.
"No one can stop Jerma from conquering the North Blue!"
A hint of madness and brutality flickered in his eyes.
"Open fire!! Sink that warship immediately!"
With Jerma's status as a World Government affiliate, even killing this so-called North Blue commander on the spot wouldn't earn him a single reprimand.
In fact, it would send a message to Marine Headquarters—a warning: even they cannot stand in Jerma's way.
"Tremble beneath Jerma's firepower… and submit!"
The moment his words fell—
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
Deafening cannon fire shattered the silence over the sea.
Everyone from the Kingdom of Yadis looked on in horror as countless flashes of light erupted from Jerma's warships, spewing fire like volcanoes.
As fiery trails soared into the sky, it seemed the heavens themselves turned dark, as if covered by thick storm clouds.
But no—
It wasn't clouds.
It was an overwhelming barrage of cannonballs and bullets, cutting through the air like a swarm of locusts, their high-pitched screeches forming deadly arcs as they rained down over Darren's ship.
A dark and oppressive curtain of death blotted out the sky.
There was nowhere to run.
In that moment, scorching winds roared overhead. Hundreds—no, thousands—of shells rained down like a torrential storm, the gunpowder stench thick enough to choke the sea.
Some of the shells weren't even traditional cannonballs—many looked like rockets or missiles.
This… this was the advanced military technology that gave Jerma 66 the power to dominate the North Blue!
On the warship, Tokikake and Gion's faces turned pale.
"Damn it!! Jerma 66 actually dared attack the Marines!"
"Vinsmoke Judge has gone insane!?"
Tokikake was sweating, panic etched across his face.
Gion swiftly drew her blade, but her expression was grim. A barrage of this scale could level a small mountain in seconds. There was no way they could stop it.
Worse still, they were in the middle of the ocean.
If the ship sank, even if they survived the first wave, they'd be helpless in the water for the next.
But just as panic was settling in, the two suddenly noticed something odd—none of the other Marines seemed scared. In fact, many wore a strange, confident look on their faces.
Could it be…?
Gion and Tokikake both turned to stare at Darren.
And then, the Supreme Commander of the North Blue Marines… moved.
A cold smirk curled across his lips as he gazed up at the raining firestorm, raising one hand slowly.
He gently pressed forward.
It looked almost casual, like he was softly pushing the air.
And then—
Faint purple sparks crackled through the sky.
An invisible force spread out in silence.
Tokikake and Gion froze, their eyes widening as if witnessing something unimaginable.
On the coastline, the soldiers of Yadis—tens of thousands of them, including the king—gaped in absolute disbelief.
The overwhelming rain of cannon fire—
Countless shells and bullets—
Suddenly hit an invisible barrier.
Their descent slowed dramatically—
Then… stopped in midair.
A thick, dense field of projectiles floated silently about five meters above the Marine ship, unmoving.
They were so close, Tokikake and Gion could make out the fine engravings on the shells, even smell the acrid stench of powder.
Silence.
The world fell into an eerie, deathly stillness.
It was so quiet, the air itself seemed to hum.
On Jerma's flagship, Judge stared in horror at the scene, his eyes bloodshot.
Cannonballs that had been roaring toward impact… had frozen midair!?
The whole world seemed to pause.
In the midst of this heart-stopping silence—
Click.
A lighter flared.
At the bow of the ship, the black-haired Marine captain lit a cigar, shielding the flame from the wind with one hand.
A warm red glow flickered.
"I'll give you one last chance, Vinsmoke Judge."
His tone was flat, emotionless.
As he spoke, the floating shells began to rotate.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Adjusting.
The direction of the rocket launchers and missiles shifted as well—
Toward Jerma's fleet.
Judge's face drained of color.
Staring at the dense array of turned projectiles, a bone-chilling fear crawled down his spine.
The North Blue Marine commander took a deep drag of his cigar. The smoke curled into the air, forming the shape of a snowy-white flag.
"Turn back now, and I'll pretend nothing happened."
---
To be continued...