One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 216: Protecting the Young Lady

The battle raged on.

Amidst the chaos, a petite figure moved swiftly through the battlefield, each strike claiming a life.

Only a faint sword mark remained as evidence of her deadly precision.

"Quick! Protect Miss Esdeath!"

The pirates saw Esdeath charging into the fray again and rushed forward, swords and knives raised.

"Miss! You must retreat! It's too dangerous here!"

Just as Esdeath was about to strike, someone grabbed her arm, attempting to pull her back.

"Bastard! How can I retreat at a time like this?! I am Rockefeller Esdeath! My surname does not allow me to retreat! My pride forbids me from being a deserter on the battlefield!"

Esdeath shook off the hand restraining her and rushed forward, wielding Holy Sanction, the rapier her father had gifted her on her fifth birthday.

Watching Esdeath easily break free, the swordsmen around her sighed.

Then, they shouted in unison:

"Everyone, protect Miss Esdeath!"

"Protect the young lady!"

"Protect the young lady!"

Amidst the sounds of battle cries and slaughter, a different chant echoed through the battlefield.

While everyone else roared about killing, there was one group calling out: "Protect the young lady!"

Which noble family's eldest daughter had entered the battlefield?

Hearing the unusual cries, both allies and enemies turned to look in that direction.

Even Barrett, in the midst of combat, couldn't help but glance over.

What he saw shocked him.

Why is Esdeath here?!

Bastard! Who let her onto the battlefield?!

As Barrett saw Esdeath charging deeper into enemy ranks, his anxiety grew.

His grip tightened, and his punches became more ferocious.

The old general he was fighting struggled even more under the onslaught.

Meanwhile, under the protection of numerous swordsmen, Esdeath moved like a force of nature.

No enemy soldier could withstand her onslaught.

"Ice Spikes!"

Seeing a group of enemies rushing toward her, Esdeath quickly formed several ice spikes in her hands and launched them forward, impaling the approaching soldiers.

"Hahaha! Rockefeller warriors! Follow me—kill them all!"

Esdeath's excited battle cry rang out as she charged forward even faster.

Seeing this, the swordsmen protecting her all smiled bitterly.

But their expressions quickly hardened as they raised their weapons once more.

"Kill! Protect the young lady!"

A group of swordsmen, who had once been simple pirates, now resembled knights as they charged into battle.

After two intense waves of fighting, the entire warship was cleared of enemy soldiers.

But Esdeath wasn't satisfied.

Her eyes locked onto the next battlefield.

"Warriors! The battle isn't over! Follow me—charge!"

Esdeath raised her rapier, pointed toward another enemy ship, and roared.

Then, without hesitation, she leaped overboard.

"No!"

The swordsmen tried to stop her, but it was too late.

They rushed to the edge of the ship, ready to jump in after her.

They hadn't forgotten that Esdeath was a Devil Fruit user.

But in their panic, they overlooked something—

Esdeath's Devil Fruit ability.

As they leaned over the railing, expecting to see Esdeath sinking, they instead saw her standing firmly on a frozen pathway of ice.

The sea beneath her feet had frozen solid with every step she took, creating an ice bridge toward the next ship.

"Uh... What?!"

The swordsmen, who had been about to dive in, suddenly stopped, staring in disbelief.

One of them cautiously stepped onto the ice.

It was solid.

"Quick! Follow the young lady!"

Realizing the path was safe, he shouted to the others.

Without hesitation, the other swordsmen leaped down, their voices echoing:

"Protect the young lady!"

A wave of swordsmen rushed across the frozen pathway, following Esdeath onto the next ship.

There, the battle was just as fierce.

But with Esdeath and her swordsmen reinforcements, the enemy quickly fell.

"Let's move! Support the others!"

Esdeath had fought two waves of battle in a row. Sweat covered her forehead, but she refused to slow down.

"Miss!"

This time, the swordsmen were prepared.

They grabbed her arm, stopping her before she could charge again.

"What are you doing?! Can't you see the Rockefeller Pirates are still fighting?!"

Esdeath glared at the swordsman holding her back, anger flashing in her eyes.

The swordsman sighed, smiling bitterly.

"Miss! It's too dangerous! If anything happens to you, your father will never forgive us. Let us fight! You should stay here and watch!"

The other swordsmen quickly moved to block her path, determined to keep her safe.

"Bastards! How could I, the eldest daughter of the Rockefeller family, just stand and watch while our soldiers fight? Let me go! I am needed here! Every second wasted is another life lost!"

Esdeath's determined words left everyone speechless.

For a moment, a heavy silence settled over them.

And in that silence, something changed.

Many of them gained a newfound respect for the young lady.

Looking into her fierce, unwavering eyes, the swordsman holding her back hesitated.

Then, slowly—he let go.

Seeing this, Esdeath smiled.

"Warriors! Follow me—charge!"

Standing at the bow of the ship, rapier raised high, Esdeath pointed toward the enemy.

"Yes!"

Everyone raised their weapons and roared in unison.

The pirate ship slowly closed in on its next target.

But this time, Esdeath had her sights set elsewhere.

Instead of another battlefield, she was heading toward the most luxurious ship in the distance—

The noble vessel that had been observing the battle from afar.

"What is she doing?!"

The watching soldiers turned their eyes to the girl standing at the bow, weapon raised.

Then, to their shock, they realized—

She was heading straight for the noble's warship!

"No! Protect the nobles!"

The generals roared in panic, ordering their ships to block her path.

Sailors frantically maneuvered their warships to intercept Esdeath's attack.

But the speed of a pirate ship—especially one designed for quick maneuvers—was far superior to their sluggish warships.

Meanwhile, on another ship, Barrett had finished his battle.

Casually shaking off the blood from his hands, he didn't even glance at the old general's corpse at his feet.

With a single leap, he landed on another enemy warship, continuing his massacre.

With the general dead, no one on the enemy fleet could stand against him.

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