Bang, bang, bang, bang…
Bang, bang, bang, bang…
A rapid burst of gunfire exploded like crackling beans in Cross's ears, followed by a chaotic mix of terrified screams, anguished wails, and furious roars.
"Run for your life!"
"Help me! Please!"
"Damn it! Kill those bastards!"
"Screw the damn Marines, go to hell!"
"..."
The entire port had descended into chaos. Bullets flew in every direction, while panicked civilians scrambled desperately for cover.
Even Captain Moore had drawn the Jitte strapped to his back and was now fiercely clashing with a burly giant of a man, his face twisted with rage.
The man was nearly four meters tall, with dark, rugged skin and a savage face. He brandished a long-handled double-bladed battle axe, each swing packed with brutal force, stirring fierce gusts of wind. Every time the axe collided with Moore's Jitte, a thunderous clang echoed out, so loud it caused the ears of nearby onlookers to ring.
"Dickens! In the name of the Marines, you are under arrest!"
"Anyone who stands in the way of my profits dies, even if it's an Admiral!"
"Hmph, arrogant scum! Shigan: Pierce!!"
With a sudden roar, Captain Moore's expression hardened as he unleashed a high-speed thrust with his Jitte using the Shigan technique.
The burly man, Dickens, was caught off guard and twisted his body to dodge.
He just barely avoided the blow, and the next moment, the Jitte whistled past him like a missile.
Though the tip of the Jitte wasn't even sharpened, it still slammed into the warehouse wall behind him with a deafening boom, punching a perfectly round hole clean through to the other side.
Cross stood dumbfounded at the scene, completely lost as to what was going on.
Just moments ago, he had been preparing to board a merchant ship to inspect for contraband, firearms, hallucinogens, and the like, when shouts erupted nearby.
Then came the gunfire.
Before he knew it, a firefight had broken out between the Marines and a group of unknown assailants, plunging the entire port into pandemonium.
Was this really how his first routine inspection was supposed to go?! This intense?!
Cross tried to recall the chain of events. From what he remembered, Captain Moore had attempted to board a merchant vessel for inspection, but the ship's sailors refused to let him on. Tensions flared, and before long, it erupted into a full-scale shootout.
Ten minutes earlier.
"Marine inspection, your cooperation is appreciated!"
Captain Moore's commanding voice rang out across the port. With a wave of his hand, his subordinates swiftly fanned out in formation.
Two hundred Marines moved under the direction of their respective officers, boarding the docked ships to begin inspections.
Originally, Cross had been assigned to Captain Moore's vessel and was technically one of his direct subordinates. But now, he had been temporarily reassigned under Lieutenant Marco and was currently aboard a merchant ship inspecting the cargo hold.
Some captains were visibly reluctant to let the Marines aboard, but when they saw the flintlocks and cutlasses in the sailors' hands, they had no choice but to lower their heads and comply.
At worst, smuggling meant fines and confiscation. But resisting the Navy? That could get you killed. And even if you survived, you'd be thrown in prison, or worse, become a wanted man. It just wasn't worth the risk.
"Step aside. We're boarding for inspection!"
"Get lost! This is a ship of the Jimmy Trading Company! You Marines have no authority here!"
"Last warning, move or face the consequences."
"I dare you to pull the trigger, you bastard!"
"..."
While Captain Moore stood on the dock, his sharp gaze scanning the area, a commotion broke out near a large caravel anchored nearby.
A group of sailors was blocking over a dozen Marines from boarding, and tensions had clearly escalated, both sides had weapons drawn in a volatile standoff.
"The Jimmy Trading Company..."
"Geppo!!!"
Captain Moore's eyes narrowed as he bent his knees and launched himself into the air, his feet stomping out visible shockwaves with each step. He moved through the sky like climbing invisible stairs, quickly descending onto the pier in front of the caravel.
"There it is agai, —that technique to walk on air!"
"Captain Moore is amazing!"
"Every time I see him do that, I can't believe my eyes!"
"..."
The town's residents, who had gathered to watch, erupted into chatter. Quite a few young women squealed in excitement.
"He knows Geppo! Captain Moore clearly isn't your average branch officer," Cross muttered from another merchant ship, visibly surprised as he watched Moore move through the air.
Normally, branch divisions in the Four Blues were considered three full levels below Marine Headquarters in terms of strength. While exceptions existed, like Smoker, they were rare. Not every branch officer was in that league.
But apparently, Arendt Moore was one of those rare exceptions, a true powerhouse among the Marine branches.
Boom—!
Captain Moore landed with a heavy thud on the wooden pier, his sharp eyes locking onto the sailors ahead.
"Naval inspection. Don't throw your lives away," he said coldly.
"Hmph, 'throw our lives away,' you say?"
A towering figure emerged from the deck of the caravel, a brutish giant nearly four meters tall, with a terrifying glare. His massive upper body was bare, only a pair of beige trousers covering him. The sunlight glinted off his oiled muscles, his entire frame radiating an oppressive aura.
"I know you," Moore said evenly. "You're the bounty hunter known as 'Mad Axe' Dickens. What, you planning to challenge the Marines?"
The brute named Dickens gave a slow, menacing grin. He casually stepped down from the ship, his battle axe slung over his shoulder. His voice was a gravelly rumble: "Get off this ship, or I'll cut you in two."
Moore didn't flinch. His gaze remained cold as he slowly raised a hand, and then slashed it down.
"Board the ship. If anyone resists, shoot to kill!"
"Yes, sir!"
The dozen Marines on the dock shouted in unison, raising their flintlocks and pushing forward, trying to force their way past the sailors.
"Brothers! Kill them all!"
Dickens' expression twisted into a snarl. With a bellow, he swung his massive battle axe down at a nearby Marine.
"Move!"
Captain Moore lunged forward, yanking the frightened Marine out of harm's way.
CRASH—!
In the next instant, the massive axe cleaved through the wooden pier with a deafening roar, splintering the boards and exposing the seawater below. The sheer force of the blow sent ripples spreading across the surface of the harbor.
"You bastard! You're dead!"
Captain Moore roared in fury, drawing his Jitte from his back and swinging it with full force at the giant.
"Hahaha, good! Bring it on!"
Dickens laughed wildly, his battle axe, despite its massive size, swinging like a feather in his grip. The weapons clashed in midair.
CLANG—!!
The metallic shriek of the impact echoed across twenty meters, causing nearby sailors and Marines to clutch their ears and stumble. Some even blacked out momentarily from the shock.
The next second, a visible shockwave burst from the point of impact, sweeping across the dock like a pressure blast.
Everyone, Marines and sailors alike, was blown off their feet and sent tumbling into the waters of the harbor below.
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