One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 11
Early Morning.
The outskirts of Loguetown’s waters.
A thick fog enveloped the area, shrouding the sea in a misty veil.
As the sun rose, a patrol ship cut through the fog, steadily navigating the waters.
On the deck, Marines in white uniforms were working in an orderly manner, while lookouts on the masts used binoculars to scan the surroundings.
…
Curls woke up on time.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he headed to the mess hall on deck for breakfast.
Along the way, many recruits greeted him, and Curls responded with a cold “Mm-hmm.”
The recruits were not surprised by his curt responses, as Curls had always displayed a cool demeanor.
Today’s breakfast was a simple sandwich.
The sandwich consisted of two triangular slices of bread with ham, vegetables, cheese, and lettuce inside. The taste was decent.
After breakfast.
Curls walked to the deck, gazing at the sea ahead.
The sea sparkled under the sunlight, and small fish occasionally leaped out of the water, creating a beautiful scene.
Today marked the fifth day since Curls and the others boarded the patrol ship. Unfortunately, they had not encountered any pirates or engaged in any battles.
This was quite normal.
Although the Marines often sent patrol ships to hunt pirates, the vast ocean meant that pirates were spread out, making it unlikely to encounter them immediately after setting sail.
During this time, Kahn kept the recruits busy with various duties, such as observing the sea, taking turns on night watch, and inspecting the ship…
Without encountering pirates, sea patrols were quite leisurely.
Compared to the intense training of the previous two months, the current situation was much more relaxed.
Recruits and seasoned Marines became more acquainted through conversations over the past few days.
Curls held a compass, using the wind direction to determine the patrol ship’s position.
Ever since he realized he had crossed into the world of pirates, Curls had been eager to learn about the sea. Aside from daily physical training, he sought to acquire nautical knowledge.
Being in a world where islands were surrounded by oceans, navigation skills were essential for future journeys.
At the age of ten, Curls frequently visited Old Man Pulo, inquiring about sailing.
Old Man Pulo was a reticent man, but he had been a navigator for a pirate crew and had traveled the first half of the Grand Line, possessing extensive nautical knowledge.
Initially, Old Man Pulo ignored Curls, but eventually, moved by Curls’ persistence and willingness to chop wood for free, he agreed to teach him navigation.
Now, Curls could competently serve as a navigator on a ship.
Three minutes later.
He used the wind direction and the patrol ship’s speed to conclude that they had reached the entrance to the Grand Line!
This area was frequently visited by pirates attempting to enter the Grand Line via Reverse Mountain.
It wouldn’t be long before Curls and the patrol ship encountered a pirate crew.
Since it wasn’t his turn to be on watch, Curls returned to the dormitory to meditate.
…
However, reality often deviates from expectations.
It wasn’t until the ninth day that the patrol ship finally encountered a pirate vessel.
On deck, Kahn used binoculars to observe the pirate ship and confirm its identity.
“The Giant Fist Pirates with a bounty of ten million?”
The East Blue of today was different from the East Blue three years later when Luffy set sail; pirates with bounties over ten million were more common, and the average bounty hadn’t dropped to three million yet.
Lowering the binoculars, Kahn frowned slightly. This pirate crew’s strength was a bit much for the recruits.
He had intended to find pirate crews with bounties of four or five million to train the recruits.
But since they encountered them…
They couldn’t let them escape.
Despite the crew’s higher bounty, the presence of Curls, a Devil Fruit user, meant they could handle it.
Kahn gestured to Mod beside him. “Alert all soldiers to prepare for battle. Gunners, start shelling the pirate ship.”
“Yes, Major!”
Mod relayed the orders promptly.
Boom!
A shell whistled through the air, landing near the Giant Fist Pirates’ ship and creating a splash.
The pirates on board were thrown into chaos.
“Where’s that attack coming from?”
“Who the hell dares attack the Giant Fist Pirates?”
“The Marines?! It’s the Marines!”
More shells followed.
The pirate ship’s helmsman frantically steered to avoid the bombardment, narrowly escaping the blasts.
But the evasive maneuvers caused the ship to rock violently.
A young pirate rushed into the cabin, reporting to a massive figure sitting there.
“Captain, we have a problem! A Marine patrol ship is attacking us!”
A pair of beast-like eyes opened.
“Just the Marines? What’s there to be scared of? Huh?”
The young pirate shivered, quickly explaining, “Captain, it’s a patrol ship! It has at least a hundred Marines on board, while we only have sixty men. We should retreat!”
The shadowy figure slowly stood up, revealing a nearly five-meter-tall, burly frame.
“Are you teaching me how to do my job?”
The captain of the Giant Fist Pirates grabbed the young pirate by the neck, lifting him like a ragdoll.
The young pirate struggled for breath, unable to pry the captain’s fingers off his neck, his legs kicking helplessly, his face turning purple!
“N-No, Captain! Please…”
The young pirate’s pleas were weak and fragmented.
Just before he suffocated, Jolong tossed him aside and ordered the crew.
“It’s just a patrol ship. What are we afraid of? Get closer. I’m going to sink that ship.”
As Jolong stepped out of the cabin, his brutish face and fierce eyes struck fear into those around him.
…
On the patrol ship.
The Marine recruits gathered on deck, eager and nervous about their first real battle with pirates.
Most recruits were still anxious, haunted by memories of being kidnapped by the William Pirates.
In this tense atmosphere.
Mod noticed unusual activity from the Giant Fist Pirates and reported to his superior.
“Major Kahn, the Giant Fist Pirates aren’t fleeing. They’re coming towards us. It looks like they want to board and fight.”
“Is that so?”
Kahn used the binoculars to confirm their intentions and then issued orders.
“In that case, let’s hit them with another round of artillery to weaken their numbers before we engage in close combat.”
In Marine and pirate battles, the first rule is:
Use your advantages.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannon fire continued.
The pirate ship took several hits, breaking the mainmast. Escape was no longer an option.
Moments later, the distance between the pirate ship and the patrol ship closed significantly.
“Fire!”
On the patrol ship.
Kahn ordered the prepared recruits to open fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted.
Unfortunately, although the recruits had trained well on the shooting range, they struggled to hit their targets in real combat.
On the other side, the Giant Fist Pirates returned fire, the sound of gunshots echoing across the sea.
Bang!
Curls pulled the trigger, scoring a headshot on a pirate. He calmed his mind, taking aim at another target.
This wasn’t his first kill; that honor went to the pirate Yadon.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amid the gunfire, the pirate ship and the patrol ship collided with a thunderous crash.
The close-quarters battle was about to begin!
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