One piece: Black Cat

"Hahahaha! In the end, the crew on this ship hasn't changed much!"

Yeah, I wonder why that is.

"Captain, I understand the plan, but is it really okay to maintain our current formation?"

The staff is pretty much identical. Strange how that worked out.

...

Hey, seriously, why haven't things changed?

"No matter what the Navy throws at us, speed is everything. There may be times when we need to use the steering aggressively. Allocate personnel to the helm. Robin, provide assistance."

"Roger that."

"Understood."

Well, at worst I was planning to leave the steering to Robin and kick away anyone who boarded our ship, or grab Robin and make a run for it, create some chaos and then escape. This coordination is a huge help.

"I don't need to worry about defense, right?"

"Yeah. I'll handle the artillery shells. Daz, leave the deck personnel to Amis and the others. Command them well."

"Horo horo horo! I've turned into a ghost for now, leave it to me. I'll give those guys the scare of their lives."

"Alright, let's test this strategy. Amis, are you ready?"

"Yes! I will defend my position to the death!"

The salty sea breeze whipped across the deck as our crew took their positions. Thanks to this coordinated effort, our tactical options had expanded significantly. The enemy's numerical advantage was overwhelming, true, but their side was riddled with uncertainties.

(If they act as predictably as I expect, there's a way out. There is a way... I think.)

•~•

The temporary evacuation boat, towed by Vice Admiral Momonga, gradually disappeared into the distance. I had been wary that artillery shells might be fired at the retreating vessel, but with a Headquarters Vice Admiral aboard, they probably couldn't risk firing carelessly.

(Perhaps the reason they chose to attack us here—slightly farther from the base where we'd have nowhere to escape, was to avoid drawing attention from the victims' families...)

Maybe it was actually fortunate for them when we sent back some of their marines. They probably thought it would provide some kind of justification for their actions.

Even though the preparations for this ceremony were proceeding as scheduled, they had made it so grandiose. Part of it was likely done to avoid civilian scrutiny, but still, their methods were sloppy and reckless. It felt like a spontaneous decision rather than a calculated plan.

(I guess it's safe to say that Sengoku isn't here after all...)

It was possible that something more sophisticated could have unfolded with Sengoku's presence, but even so, the setup and location were rather amateur. Since no coordinated attack had been launched, Sakazuki wasn't present either, and it was almost certain that Kuzan was back at Marineford.

(...This is bad. There's no one here who can rein in this situation.)

After all, the most dangerous person here was—

"All right! We'll attack you with our full force! Don't regret this, 'Nukiashi'!"

That idiot.

Daz exhaled deeply as he watched the enemy ships maneuver into position, their white sails billowing against the azure sky.

"...It's exactly what the Captain predicted."

"They want Robin in their possession. I can understand why they'd want to surround us, but—"

"—they should have thought this through more carefully."

•~•

"Vice admiral Momonga has reported successful retreat to the safety zone."

"Excellent! Issue orders to the fleet! We will now capture the Nukiashi crew! Everyone, prepare the seastone handcuffs!"

We've already won.

The West Blue branch commander was already fantasizing about what would happen after they captured Nico Robin, the taste of victory sweet on his tongue.

(We can leave the aftermath to that nosy colonel from Headquarters. All the officers remaining at this branch will be interrogated anyway, even those who had nothing to do with this mess.)

He had heard that the girl possessed the ability to make parts of her body bloom like flower petals anywhere she desired, but she was just a child, after all. Someone with such an ability who wasn't even experienced in combat wouldn't pose a real threat.

(The marines who turned pirate were just new recruits who had only received basic technical training. Small fry whose only redeeming quality was their appearance.)

If that was the case, this wouldn't be much of a challenge.

"Even though she may be only fourteen, you're still facing pirates! Show no mercy! Cut down everyone except Nico Robin!"

Now that he had the noble cause of defeating pirates on his side, he was in the right. If he eliminated all the remaining witnesses, especially those who looked like they might talk, it would at least buy him time to escape and rendezvous with Joker's operatives.

That's what the man convinced himself.

"First, fire a warning volley! Don't give them time to turn around!"

"B-Branch Commander, sir!"

"What?! Begin firing immediately!"

"T-that's the thing—"

"The Nukiashi crew isn't turning around! They're raising their sails and charging straight at us!"

The commander's face went pale. "..."

"Are you completely insane?!"

•~•

"Raise the sails! Course two o'clock! Don't let this wind escape us!"

The remaining crew, former marines who had trained extensively in seamanship on the island, hoisted the canvas to catch the favorable wind, while those with free hands grabbed oars to accelerate our vessel through the choppy waters.

"Certainly, an encirclement is tactically sound. However, it results in the enemy's forces being dispersed, stretching their fleet thin. We'll break through those gaps and escape this area!"

Moreover, as the enemy fleet began moving into siege formation, their coordination was painfully unpolished. It was obvious they weren't accustomed to this type of maneuver, they had probably never practiced fleet-based encirclement tactics before.

This amateur execution created exploitable gaps between several of their ships.

"If we turn around and head for open sea, we'll shorten the distance between us and them. Even if we manage a temporary escape, they might resort to artillery bombardment rather than risk losing us entirely."

The enemy, clearly caught off-guard by our aggressive approach, began firing their cannons in a panic. However, it was obviously just intimidation fire, not a single shot came close to a direct hit.

You're firing from too far away, you idiots! Even for intimidation purposes, there's no point in shooting unless you actually intend to connect with your target.

This display only confirmed that they desperately wanted to keep Robin alive at all costs.

"Fortunately, the wind is on our side! The lightweight construction and shallow draft of our ship give us a crucial advantage. We'll navigate through the treacherous shallows that larger vessels can't handle! This will be the ultimate test of our seamanship!"

The wind had been growing strangely powerful for the past several minutes, filling our sails with almost supernatural force. This was better than I could have hoped, we were moving much faster than anticipated.

...Though if we kept heeling over like this, we might actually capsize!

Dear God and Buddha, please help us! I'm technically a pirate now, but did I really do something so terrible in my past life to deserve this?

"Obviously it's dangerous to get too close, but they might see it as an opportunity to capture Robin! If that happens, the chances of them using artillery will drop even further!"

If only the bombardment would stop completely, I could join the deck-clearing efforts myself.

After all, Robin was their primary target this time.

"Don't push too far forward this time, Daz. If they manage to capture Robin, he'll likely be equipped with ability-suppressing gear. Lead Amis and the others effectively and handle the situation. If they underestimate you because of your steel body, they'll regret it!"

It was wise to consider not only seastone restraints but also that strange capture net they might deploy.

If push came to shove, I might need to unlock my true speed and use the technique I was still perfecting.

"I just need to disable the enemy ships, right?"

"Exactly, cripple the nearby vessels first. At the same time, don't forget to use Mini Horo to destroy their steering wheels and oars."

"Horohorohoro! Leave it to me, I'll dent every last one of them!"

Good. Since we had fought Gecko Moria's zombie soldiers before, everyone's morale seemed surprisingly stable.

"Captain! Here! I finished it!"

Robin emerged from the cabin, carrying my specially crafted equipment. The afternoon sun glinted off the polished leather as she approached.

This gear had been painstakingly created by Robin and our more dexterous crew members through trial and error, based on my specifications. They had dismantled the substantial cache of weapons and gunpowder we'd acquired from both the smuggling ship and the hidden warehouse, fashioning uniformly sized wakizashi-length components.

"That's a huge help, Robin."

The sturdy black leather gloves felt perfect in my hands. Originally looted from the smuggling vessel, at first glance they appeared to be an unusual weapon with razor-sharp blades attached to each finger, aptly called "Cat's Paw."

Even though this was my first time wielding and equipping them, they felt completely natural. The weight distribution was flawless. I was grateful for all those hours of training I'd put in to minimize unnecessary bulk.

"Well, it looks like the enemy has noticed our approach and is beginning to adjust course."

Initially, they had probably been navigating based on the assumption that we would turn tail and flee at maximum distance. They must have panicked when we approached at a speed they hadn't anticipated, the scent of their fear was almost palpable on the ocean breeze.

Because of this course correction, they seemed to be having trouble adjusting their cannon trajectory, and the firing ceased, if only temporarily.

"Alright, let's move."

Ahh... I guess I really am that Kuro, after all.

With a completely practiced gesture—one that felt disturbingly familiar—I adjusted my glasses and surveyed the fleet, which now presented even more tactical openings.

I thought so.

It appeared that some ships possessed strong individual leadership, but the person issuing commands from the top clearly wasn't accustomed to naval warfare. The coordination was amateurish, their formations loose and exploitable.

As a fleet, they were second-rate at best.

Yeah, no problem. I can handle this.

"Gentlemen, prepare for battle!"

A battle cry erupted behind me, voices mixing with the crash of waves against our hull.

———

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[10 Advanced Chs][7 Chapters/week]