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Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: The Fall of G-6

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hundreds of cannons fired simultaneously, shells screaming through the air towards the Sky God.

"Alright, men! Shoot down those cannonballs," Bege ordered nonchalantly, taking a drag from his cigar.

"Watch this! Battle Hound: Fierce Fang!" Hank roared, his hands shifting into their beast form as he gripped a javelin. With a mighty heave, he hurled it, detonating an incoming shell mid-air.

Beside him, Sam snatched two captured cannonballs and threw them forcefully, intercepting and detonating four enemy shells. He shot Hank a toothy grin.

"Yaaaargh! Battle Hound: Furious Fang Barrage!" Hank grabbed more javelins, launching them one after another in a blindingly fast volley.

Sam wasn't about to be outdone and prepared to retaliate.

Suddenly, a flash of steel swept across the sky, slicing through the remaining cannonballs. Hank and Sam turned to glare resentfully at Modi, who was calmly sheathing his sword.

Modi ignored their looks, his blade sliding smoothly back into its scabbard.

"Heh heh heh… Full speed ahead! Charge right in!" Bege commanded with a dark chuckle.

"All batteries, continue firing! Sink them!" came the orders from the fortress walls.

The cannons fired relentlessly, filling the sky with hundreds of shells. The Fire Tank crew continued to intercept them, treating it almost like a game. Not a single projectile managed to hit the deck of the Sky God.

As the massive airship reached the outer sea wall, Modi leaped onto the bow. Sword drawn, he unleashed a powerful slash of blade energy, cleaving the heavy steel sea gate in two.

The Sky God surged forward without slowing.

"They've breached the first ring wall! Inner batteries, prepare to fire!"

"It's useless, useless! Cannonballs of this level won't even scratch the Sky God!" Hank laughed wildly, continuing to blast incoming shells out of the air.

The Sky God swiftly crossed the second ring wall's waters and sailed directly into the main harbor.

"Well now," Bege drawled, "since you decided to greet me with cannon fire… it'd be rude not to return the favor." At his command, all the cannons aboard the Sky God swiveled, aiming directly at the Marine base structures. Dozens of shells, then hundreds, rained down on G-6 in a continuous bombardment.

The Marines on the ground opened fire frantically, creating a desperate screen of bullets that managed to intercept many of the incoming rounds. There were skilled fighters among the defenders, and most of the cannonballs were stopped, though a few landed ashore, injuring a small number of Marines.

"Alright, men! Kill them all!"

The moment the Sky God docked, Hank and Sam leaped ashore impatiently, the rest of the crew roaring excitedly as they surged after them.

"Justice will prevail! Kill!" Vice Admiral Bonanton's gruff voice echoed across the island. The panicked Marines let out a unified battle cry, their sudden surge of morale overriding their fear as they charged forward behind their commander.

"Leave the Vice Admiral to me," Modi stated, already moving. He launched himself from the ship's railing, a blur passing through the chaos to intercept Bonanton directly.

Moria and Riki sighed, annoyed at being a step too slow. They jumped down sequentially, seeking out the Marine Rear Admirals and Commodores to engage.

Bege rubbed his nose, slightly exasperated. There wasn't really an opponent worthy of his attention at G-6. Resigned, he remained on the ship's railing, observing the fierce clash between his crew and the Marines below.

Clang!

Modi and Bonanton attacked simultaneously, both aiming for a swift kill. The two figures blurred, moving faster than the eye could follow, crossing paths in mid-air. The ground beneath where they clashed suddenly fractured – one side a clean, sharp fissure, the other side violently blasted apart, showcasing the two distinct types of destructive power at play.

A unique club style, Modi noted inwardly, his brow furrowing slightly. Bonanton's massive spiked club wasn't just about brute force; his techniques seemed to incorporate elements of swordsmanship. A strange, difficult style to counter.

"Hmph. To dodge my Cleaving Club… not bad, are you?" Bonanton glared at Modi, then roared, "Sword-Club Art: Iron Mountain Crusher!"

An unusual aura flowed around Bonanton as he executed an incredibly fast Soru, vanishing instantly. He reappeared right before Modi, far too quickly for Modi to draw and counter conventionally.

Yet, Modi mirrored him, using Soru to step back just as swiftly, his hand already on his sword's hilt, sheathing it momentarily as a terrifying aura flared around him.

"Iai Slash: Thousand-Faced Wave!"

As the sword left its sheath, it whipped up a chaotic gale, each gust a cutting edge of pure sword energy.

BOOM!

Bonanton's massive club, now wreathed in a fearsome energy akin to sword pressure, smashed directly into the swirling storm of blades. The impact detonated the attack, sending countless wind-blades ripping outwards, shredding the surrounding ground and buildings.

"A decent opponent. Fitting for a Vice Admiral stationed in the New World," Bege commented from the ship, nodding slightly as he watched the intense battle.

"Kekekeke… The boys are doing well," Bege chuckled, cigar clamped between his teeth. Below, aside from Modi's duel, the fighting was mostly over.

Five castle gates opened on Bege's chest, and members of his medical team leaped out, quickly moving to tend to the wounded Fire Tank pirates.

Everyone else gathered to watch Modi's fight, cheering him on.

The duel grew fiercer, more brutal. The ground around the combatants was torn apart by sword energy and blasted by savage impacts. The onlookers were forced to retreat further and further back.

CRASH!

Both fighters were blown backward simultaneously. They landed heavily, covered in wounds, chests heaving as they gasped for breath.

Modi stared intently at Bonanton, his eyes sharp as daggers, brimming with focus.

"Iai Slash—Mountain Sever!"

Modi drew his sword in a sudden, blinding flash. Terrifying sword energy erupted from the sheath, forming a massive, five-meter-tall energy slash that tore through the ground as it rushed towards Bonanton with incredible speed.

Bonanton gripped his iron club, muscles bulging in his arms. With a tremendous roar, he swung the club, smashing it directly into the colossal sword energy attack.

BANG!

The impact was deafening, but the sword energy wasn't destroyed. Instead, Bonanton found himself violently pushed backward, propelled by the sheer force of the slash. He roared again, digging his feet deep into the ground, carving two deep trenches as he slid back. Gritting his teeth, he poured all his strength into one final, desperate swing, shattering the Mountain Sever slash.

But even as it dispersed, a fierce gust of wind rushed towards him. Bonanton's face changed drastically. He tried to raise his club, but his movements abruptly froze. The gust of wind swept past him, and in its wake, Modi appeared directly behind him.

"Secret Art—Wind Shadow Sword!"

Modi slowly, deliberately, slid his sword back into its sheath. The moment it clicked fully home, a thin red line appeared on Bonanton's neck. The line widened, and blood sprayed violently outwards as the Vice Admiral collapsed heavily to the ground.

"Uncle Modi, nice work!" Moria praised, as the rest of the crew erupted into thunderous cheers.

Bege laughed, thoroughly satisfied. He opened his main castle gate, releasing all the crew members who had remained inside.

"Alright, men!" Bege commanded, his voice booming. "Strip this fortress bare! Loot all the guns, ammunition, and anything valuable you can find!"

With a roar, the crew scattered, beginning the thorough plunder of Marine Base G-6.

"G-6 is located in the New World," Bege mused aloud. "They must have some interesting prisoners locked up here. Let's go take a look." He motioned for Modi and the others to follow him deeper into the base.

Any remaining Marines inside who attempted resistance were instantly subdued. They grabbed one Marine and forced him to lead the way.

The base prison was located underground, consisting of two levels, housing pirates separated by the severity of their crimes and bounty levels. The first level held ordinary pirates and common criminals.

"Tie up all these pirates and criminals and take them away," Bege instructed Sam. "Anyone who resists, kill them immediately." These prisoners would serve as free labor back on Skypiea.

As soon as the cell doors were opened, the prisoners surged out, trying to escape. Sam kicked one fleeing man so hard he flew backward, then viciously finished him off. The other Fire Tank pirates followed suit, executing anyone else who dared to run, quickly terrifying the remaining captives into submission.

"All of you, stand still quietly!" Sam snarled, his face ferocious. Freshly splattered with blood from the brief slaughter, radiating a thick, metallic scent, his menacing roar effectively cowed the common pirates.

The second level of the prison was much quieter. It consisted entirely of single-occupant cells, each holding a prisoner with a bounty in the tens of millions, or even exceeding one hundred million Berries.

"There are a total of forty-five infamous pirates locked up on the second level," the trembling Marine guide reported to Bege.

"Only this many?" Bege sounded displeased. "G-6 is pretty pathetic if this is all they've managed to catch."

"N-no, sir! It's Marine regulations!" the Marine hurriedly explained. "Every three to six months, all prisoners are transferred to Enies Lobby for judgment or sent to Impel Down! These forty-five are just the ones captured in the last two months."

He began pointing out specific cells. "This one is 'Reaper' Rafaab, bounty 33 million Berries."

" 'Demon Shark' Gary, a Fish-Man, bounty 58 million Berries."

" 'Tuna Fish-Man' Hill, bounty 85 million Berries."

" 'Slaughter Wolf' Seton, bounty 110 million Berries."

 

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