Uchiha's personal opinion

After all, behind the First Army Fleet, there was also the arrival of a large-scale naval reinforcement force from the puppet government!

After some self-reflection, Hanzo the Salamander also discovered his own blind spots.

In the first phase of the naval battle under his command, the First Army Fleet had an overwhelming advantage in both manpower and equipment, so it was not surprising that it achieved a near-zero casualty record.

However, when the fleet faced a truly formidable enemy, Hanzo the Salamander discovered that the "theory of relying solely on naval guns" actually had significant shortcomings.

"As expected, ninjas cannot be complacent..."

Hanzo the Salamander sighed and reflected on his brief moment of complacency.

"I think Commander Hanzo might be able to request tactical guidance from His Majesty..."

Orochimaru noticed Hanzo's hesitation and kindly offered a reminder.

Perhaps because practicing Sage Mode does indeed have a positive effect on improving one's personal temperament, Orochimaru's tone and expression were exceptionally sincere at this moment, making Hanzo of the Salamander somewhat convinced.

"...Alright then."

After much deliberation, Hanzo of the Salamander decided that personal pride was not as important as military achievements, and thus agreed to Orochimaru's suggestion.

……

After a three-hour wait, Hanzo of the Salamander finally received a reply from Tokumitsu Uchiha, though the message was very brief.

"The Second Expeditionary Legion has been fully assembled, Lord Hanzo, please do not be impatient."

"All strategies must be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances."

"Prepare for a long siege of Impel Down."

"Open up new perspectives."

"Tailed Beast Ball".

Although the content was brief, Hanzo the Salamander immediately understood!

Yes!

Why should I be in such a hurry!

As long as the ninjas' advantage in warships can be maintained, then Impel Down will undoubtedly become a bloodsucking point for the World Government!

And it was the kind of rescue that required risking one's life!

Impel Down is not only a place to detain pirate prisoners, but also represents the World Government's 'rule' over the world—meaning that it can effectively punish 'illegal' acts in this world!

However, if the World Government's authoritative institutions are continuously besieged and the reinforcements suffer heavy losses, then they will inevitably doubt the World Government's authority and even have the urge to challenge it!

At this moment, Hanzo of the Salamander finally understood the brilliance of the middle strategy offered by Orochimaru!

Conquering the new world will be a long and arduous process, and it is impossible to have a smooth journey. It was really wrong of me to become impatient and agitated because of a temporary setback!

After self-reflection, Hanzo the Salamander realized that his wavering will must be due to his past brief indulgence in alcohol, sex, and wealth, which caused him to repeatedly oscillate between taking vows and breaking them. Therefore, he decided to abstain from alcohol once again!

So, Hanzo the Salamander immediately unsealed the scroll containing a large quantity of fine wine, threw all the bottles into the sea, and decided to change his ways again and become a steadfast and good demigod!

"What did you smash?!"

Yagura, who was submerged in the sea, surfaced and said with great dissatisfaction.

"What was abandoned were the bad habits of being a ninja."

Hanzo the Salamander said without changing his expression, "By the way, have all the giant sea monsters in the ocean been wiped out?"

"How could it be so fast!"

Yagura said irritably, "We only killed one giant squid. It's just that the other giant sea monsters have already wisely fled."

"Is that so~"

Hanzo the Salamander gazed thoughtfully at the giant squid being dragged out of the sea by Yagura, who had transformed into a giant turtle in his tailed beast form: "I remember that the inner shell of this creature can be made into a valuable medicinal material called cuttlefish shell, and it's also an aphrodisiac..."

Yagura, in his giant turtle form, couldn't help but roll his eyes. He then ignored Hanzo the Salamander, who had suddenly become a bit crazy for some reason. After instructing the other Marine ninjas to lower the hook and pull the sea monster's remains onto the ship for a meal, he dived back into the sea.

Feeling much better, Hanzo the Salamander returned to the command room and stood next to Orochimaru again to continue observing the effects of the bombardment.

After adjustments to firepower deployment, the First Army Corps' heavy artillery achieved significantly improved results.

The barrage of shells far exceeded the defenders' ability to intercept them. Even if one shell was intercepted, the sheer number and density of the incoming shells exceeded the limits of human resistance. Those naval officers and soldiers who were not strong enough but liked to challenge their limits were blasted into a bloody mist by the dense shells!

As the chakra cannonballs continued to bombard the gate, the defenders who had been blocking it finally gave up and let the gate be blasted into pieces by the cannonballs!

"Are we preparing for a landing operation?"

Orochimaru asked from the side.

"……Do not!"

Hanzo the Salamander slowly and decisively shook his head, then picked up the microphone in the command room and ordered, "Maintain concentrated fire and continue bombarding! Keep bombarding until all the buildings on the ground are flattened!"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"His Majesty has replied."

Hanzo the Salamander handed Orochimaru the translated text of Uchiha Tokumitsu's lightning technique, saying, "You were right..."

"The strategy of besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking reinforcements continues to bleed them dry..."

Orochimaru glanced at the brief telegram and understood Uchiha Tokumitsu's meaning.

"It seems His Majesty's strategic ambitions are greater than we imagined..."

"Let Yagura-kun test the Tailed Beast Ball's effect later. If it works, he can be in charge of firepower from now on!"

"Hanzo the Salamander said calmly."

What about Lumbini?

Orochimaru changed the subject, after all, he didn't want to be used like a donkey: "If we're not going to carry out the landing operation, there's no point in keeping so many warships here..."

"I plan to allocate twenty cruisers to provide reinforcements..."

Hanzo the Salamander said, "As for leading the team, I'll leave that to you..."

"can."

Orochimaru readily agreed.

"However, I have a suggestion, and I wonder if Commander Hanzo would be willing to listen?"

"Go ahead."

Hanzo the Salamander nodded.

"The objective for the second phase of the operation can be adjusted to maximize casualties and force the puppet government navy that came to support us into Impel Down!"

Orochimaru said quite seriously.

"what do you mean……"

Hanzo the Salamander first frowned, then relaxed.

"Sending more wounded soldiers into Impel Down is never a bad thing..."

"Then I'll trouble you."

Hanzo the Salamander nodded in agreement: "We can keep in touch via telegram at that time!"

Chapter 506 The Sea of ​​Burning Steel

When Vice Admiral Garp led the Navy fleet to the East Blue to carry out the Buster Call, he wiped out the bandit hideout in Loguetown and several small bandit groups operating under the banner of the "Hidden Mist Pirates" in less than half a day.

But he was having a hard time deciding what to do next.

Admiral Sengoku of the Marine Headquarters had sent him a message via Den Den Mushi: the entire Marine force of the Headquarters had been mobilized to reinforce Impel Down, and Garp's Buster Call fleet was the only force the Marine Headquarters could readily deploy in the first half of the Grand Line. Therefore, he instructed Vice Admiral Garp to act cautiously and, if the situation allowed, avoid battle and preserve the ships—Admiral Sengoku was extremely worried that problems with the reinforcement fleet would lead to a 'pirate riot' spreading from the East Blue to the South Blue, causing the 'Paradise' in their rear to fall into complete chaos!

After all, the world government's shipbuilding center is in the South China Sea!

The Seven Seas of the South China Sea are key to the navy's future warship upgrades and replacements, and must not be affected or disturbed!

However, after receiving this instruction, although he readily agreed during the call, Lieutenant General Garp was still frowning afterwards, not knowing where to start.

Nowadays, all the naval branches in the East Blue have adopted the so-called 'conservative and non-combat strategy' - that is, they stay in their naval branch bases and do not go out of their way, and will not cause any trouble as long as the Kirigakure Pirates do not come to their doorstep!

However, this response undoubtedly represents a significant blow to the Navy's credibility and reputation!

After all, what use is the Navy if it can't even defend against pirates!

Therefore, not only merchants and commoners, but even the kings of the member states had many complaints about the navy of the various branches. They even suppressed their fear and sent envoys to risk arriving in Loguetown to request Vice Admiral Garp to "send troops to help suppress the enemy"!

In the past, the navy that carried out the Buster Call was regarded as a scourge by nobles and even kings who often colluded with outlaws!

"The situation in the East China Sea has deteriorated to the point of no return..."

At the Loguetown Naval Base, Vice Admiral Garp sighed softly.

"We must strike hard and wipe out the most rampant pirate gangs. Only in this way can we deter those pirates!"

A young officer remarked, "General Sengoku is being too conservative. This indecisive action will not only push the situation in the East China Sea to an even more uncontrollable point, but will also deal a heavy blow to the prestige of our righteous navy!"

"That's right!"

"We must take the initiative!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of young officers immediately chimed in.

Although what he said made sense, the Sengoku general's request was not unreasonable, and Vice Admiral Garp felt that the officer who had spoken earlier was actually mocking his hesitation.

If he remembered correctly, this rather radical young officer was probably a close confidant of a certain ambitious young admiral, who also had some 'unrealistic ambitions' for the position of Fleet Admiral.

"With two admirals still stationed at headquarters, neither the pirates from the New World nor Paradise can actually threaten the safety of headquarters or the Holy Land!"

Then, an even more radical naval officer jumped out and shouted, "But! To stand by and watch pirates commit atrocities in order to preserve our strength is undoubtedly a betrayal of the Navy's justice!"

"That's right! This is betrayal!"

"Justice that is not absolute is absolutely unjust!"

The young officers and generals gained even more momentum.

"Lieutenant General Garp doesn't mean we should stand idly by; after all, we're here to carry out the Buster Call..."

Since some officers were poised to walk away at the slightest provocation, the more neutral officers quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "But the Kirigakure Pirates are a force to be reckoned with, and we need to consider this carefully..."

"Under no circumstances can we remain stationary in Loguetown!"