Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Very strong!

At least in the first half of the Grand Line, the combat power displayed by this swordsman was definitely not weak. Even with his own burdens, he did not reveal any fatal flaws under Mr. 1's fierce attacks.

"Even with Mr. 1's combat strength and the advantage he has over the swordsman, he still couldn't take that guy down quickly."

"That guy is physically strong, has an exceptionally solid foundation in swordsmanship, and seems to have a wealth of combat experience..."

"That swordsman is no ordinary person. When did such a swordsman come to the Kingdom of Alabasta? We didn't find out any information about him."

"What should we do? Should we lend Mr. 1 a hand?"

……

Listening to the chatter of his subordinates, Crocodile's calm gaze revealed utter contempt.

These subordinates are utterly useless. If it weren't for the fact that you can't catch any big fish in this small pond of the first half of the Grand Line, Crocodile would never have bothered to take these guys as his subordinates.

'No, my subordinates are giving them far too much credit; they're merely temporary pawns.'

Crocodile made his own assessment in his mind.

After all, Crocodile had reached the latter half of the Grand Line, challenged Whitebeard, the "strongest man in the world," and witnessed firsthand that the man, who was close to a god, was a pirate capable of evaporating the sea.

This level of combat didn't even pique Crocodile's interest in the slightest.

However, Crocodile was bound by the plan and could not reveal himself, otherwise that little swordsman Crocodile could easily drain him dry.

Crocodile then took the cigar from his mouth and spoke in a completely emotionless voice.

"Although we've blocked the transmission of information about Princess Vivi's attack to the palace, her failure to return as planned will soon arouse suspicion within the palace. We can't afford to delay any longer..."

After a pause, Crocodile commanded, "All of you attack together and finish this quickly."

Upon hearing Crocodile's command, the figures in black almost all wore cruel and excited smiles.

After all, if Crocodile's plan to seize power succeeds, they, as Crocodile's subordinates, will have everything they've ever dreamed of.

However, as these dark figures headed towards Mr. 1, they didn't notice that Crocodile's eyes held a playful expression as he muttered something under his breath.

"A bunch of idiots! Do these clueless fools really think that by revealing their true colors to Princess Vivi, I'll let them live until dawn tomorrow?"

Crocodile immediately put the cigar back in his mouth, shook his coat, and began preparing for his upcoming performance.

Rescue Princess Vivi, the sole heir to the Kingdom of Alabasta, gain prestige, and become a hero of the nation!

[Chapter 309 I... Annihilate All Enemies]

Meanwhile, the six officers who belonged to the Baroque Secret Service, along with Mr. 1, rushed all the way and soon approached the edge of the battlefield where Arn and Mr. 1 were fiercely fighting.

"Mr.1 is really strong. No wonder he's ranked number one."

"Should we go up and help?"

"No need for that much trouble. Mr. 1 is a 'Quick Cut Fruit' user, and his body has the same hardness as steel. We can just blast that swordsman to death from a distance."

"Are you an idiot? What if Princess Vivi gets hurt?"

"This is really troublesome. Is that guy keeping up with Princess Vivi just to make us hesitate to act against her?"

……

While the six Baroque Works executives were discussing the plan, Arn's Observation Haki had already sensed the six men of different sizes with malicious eyes.

How to do?

With one arm wrapped around Princess Vivi inside his cloak and the other holding the Zanpakuto, Yann continuously fended off Mr. 1's relentless attacks, muttering to himself.

If it weren't for this little blue-haired girl hanging around him, Arn was confident that his pure swordsmanship would be enough to defeat Mr. 1.

However, now there are a few more guys eyeing us covetously from behind, which is a bit troublesome.

The next moment, the speed of the Zanpakuto in Arn's hand suddenly increased by three points. At the same time, Armament Haki wrapped around it and it stabbed straight towards Mr. 1's chest.

"Ding!"

Mr. 1, whose body had transformed into blades, was initially somewhat dismissive, but his expression changed drastically as the tip of the Zanpakuto struck his chest.

"puff!"

The Zanpakuto pierced through Mr. 1's blade-like chest until it was stopped by Mr. 1's ribs.

This unexpected injury caused Mr. 1's relentless attack to falter. Yann leaped backward and flipped onto a rooftop, distancing himself from Mr. 1 and the Baroque Works executives.

Mr. 1 clutched his chest, where the bone was visible, and his expression was rather grim.

"Are you alright?" The other Baroque Works executives rushed to Mr. 1's side and asked.

"I was a little careless, but it's nothing."

Immediately, Mr. 1 gestured to his colleagues with his eyes, and the other Baroque Works executives spread out to surround Arn in a semi-encircling manner.

"Tsk..."

As Yann looked at the path to the palace blocked by the Baroque Works executives, he couldn't help but let out a somewhat helpless sound.

Princess Vivi, who had endured a great deal of turbulence in the darkness while hiding in Arn's cloak, felt her heart pound with anxiety upon hearing Arn's seemingly helpless voice, and quietly poked her head out of the cloak once more.

The next moment, Princess Vivi saw seven Baroque Works executives in front of her, each with a different appearance but all looking fierce and menacing.

"What, what should we do, Lord Yasuo?"

What else can we do?

Arn's tone was filled with helplessness. "Princess Vivi, reinforcements have not arrived for a long time. They should have intercepted the intelligence about the attack, and I alone..."

Before Yaen could finish speaking, Princess Vivi's face turned pale, and she subconsciously said...

"How about... how about you put me down, Lord Yaso, and go to the palace alone to ask for help? And... you must remember to bring someone back to save me then."

"No need for that..."

Yaen shook his head, his hand hidden in his cloak grabbing Princess Vivi and lifting her onto the roof, saying, "What I mean is, it's not good to have you hanging on me, but I'm fine on my own."

"what?!"

Princess Vivi was taken aback at first, then realized that she was indeed a burden. Her instinctive pride made her both angry and helpless.

Ian didn't notice Princess Vivi's reaction. Instead, he took a step forward, shielding her behind him, and spoke while slightly pointing his Zanpakuto at the ground.

"Princess Vivi, stay on the roof and don't move around, and don't go near the ground. I... will soon be able to wipe out all the enemies!"

Just then, a sliver of moonlight shone through a gap in the dark clouds in the sky, allowing a ray of moonlight to fall on Yann's back.

'So...so reliable...'

For a moment, Princess Vivi felt a strong sense of reliability from Yann, which made her subconsciously trust him.

The next instant, as Yaon slightly shifted the Soul-Slaying Blade in his hand, his figure vanished from the rooftop.

"So fast!"

"What about people?"

"How is this possible?!"

……

Not only Princess Vivi, but also the Baroque Works executives below, who had been eyeing Arn with predatory intent, completely disappeared from their sight in that instant.

However, these Baroque Works executives are either pirates or bounty hunters who have spent many years in the first half of the Grand Line, and they have rich experience in dealing with various abilities and enemies.

Almost instinctively, the Baroque Works officers huddled together with their nearest comrades, back to back, to prevent any unexpected attacks or ambushes.

however……

"puff!"

Just as one of the Baroque Works executives leaned back to back, the Zanpakuto pierced through their chests simultaneously.

"Huh, so cooperative? You're really sensible!" As Yann's somewhat surprised voice rang out, his figure disappeared again, leaving only a large hole in the chest of the pair of Baroque Works executives.

It wasn't until blood gushed from the chests of the two Baroque Works cadres, their eyes wide and lifeless, that they gradually came to their senses.

What just happened...?

'So, he was already dead!'

As the two Baroque Works executives collapsed to the ground, the rest of the Baroque Works executives were instantly plunged into shock and fear.

Is it pure speed?

How could that swordsman be so fast?

However, before the other Baroque Works executives could even think of how to respond, the Zanpakuto flashed through the night once more, piercing through the chests of another pair of Baroque Works executives who were back to back.

"Tsk, are they still reluctant to part ways after all this?"

Arn's slightly hoarse and low voice echoed in the darkness, his tone seemingly full of confusion.

The next moment, almost instinctively, the last two Baroque Works executives, who were back to back, sprang apart as if they had been electrocuted.

However, just as their steps faltered in mid-air, a dark shadow swept past them like the wind.

"Pfft..."

As the last two Baroque Works executives touched the ground, their necks severed, they collapsed to the ground.

The next instant, in Mr.1's wide-eyed gaze, Yaen's voice rang out behind him.

"Of course, even if we separate, the outcome won't change much."

[Chapter 310 The Way of the Wind Sword]

'This speed... is reasonable for a swordsman, right?'

Yaen's eyes, hidden beneath the mask, remained completely still. As he thrust his Zanpakuto at Mr. 1, he secretly thought to himself, in order to maintain the image of a normal swordsman in front of Princess Vivi.

'If we use Gion as the benchmark, this speed is only slightly faster; it shouldn't be considered at the level of a great swordsman who could become famous throughout the land.'

After all, Yann initially referred to Princess Vivi as a swordsman.

In fact, during his encounters with these Baroque Works executives who were only able to loaf around in the first half of the Grand Line, Yann had no way of judging whether his speed had exceeded the limit.

This is similar to the feeling of passing by a stationary object at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour or 200 kilometers per hour; it's as if the other object is in a relatively still state.

The difference between 100 kilometers and 200 kilometers is already as much as double!

And that's exactly what Arn felt just now.