The next day, Sake Town remained as busy as ever, and the Marines had temporarily paused their pursuit.
They had received reliable information confirming that Moris was no longer on the island. Furthermore, captured criminals had divulged a rough estimate of his escape route.
Just as the Marines were making final preparations to set sail, Vice Admiral Doberman suddenly received an urgent call from Warlord Crocodile, reporting that he had encountered Moris at sea and that the two were engaged in a fierce battle.
Without much hesitation, Doberman immediately gathered his forces and set sail toward the location Rosen had provided.
"Moris's fleet has turned toward Jaya Island. If he tries to escape, his only viable route is through the Garan sea lane. There's a deserted island there—it's his only way forward. I won't be able to hold him off for long. I need reinforcements to cut him off so we can trap him from both sides."
As Rosen spoke into the Den Den Mushi, he signaled his crew to fire the ship's cannons. Explosions roared in the background, making the situation sound even more dire.
Through the receiver, Moris's enraged voice could be heard shouting, "Crocodile! Stay out of this! Is being the Marines' lapdog worth all this effort?"
"Don't let them escape!" Rosen continued, as the sound of cannon fire intensified.
"Understood. I'm on my way. Please hold him there as long as possible," Doberman responded.
With the situation appearing urgent, he had no choice but to depart immediately.
As he set sail, he contacted Vice Admiral Onigumo.
"Vice Admiral Onigumo, Crocodile has located Moris and is currently engaging him. I'm heading to assist. You should depart immediately for Oran Island. If you travel at full speed, you can cut off Moris' retreat. There's no time to waste."
"A Warlord? Why is Crocodile suddenly so eager to help?" Onigumo's voice carried a note of suspicion.
Up until now, Crocodile had been notoriously uncooperative, often neglecting his so-called duties as a Warlord. This sudden change in behavior was highly unusual.
"From what I can tell, he likely ran into Moris while at sea. Besides, Crocodile is no fool—he wouldn't make a reckless move. I'm heading out now," Doberman replied, showing little doubt about the situation.
After all, it had never even crossed his mind that Crocodile could be plotting to assassinate a Marine vice admiral.
"Understood. I'm moving out."
Despite some lingering suspicion, Onigumo was confident in his own strength. He believed he could handle anything that came his way.
Meanwhile, on Oran Island, two ships were docked side by side.
Of course, there was no battle occurring at some distant sea location. Instead, Rosen and Moris were lying in wait for Onigumo's arrival.
"That should take care of things," Rosen remarked as he hung up the Den Den Mushi.
"I'll have my crew move the ships to the other side of the island. I'll strike when the time is right. You lure him onto the island. I don't want to risk being officially labeled as an enemy of the Marines if any of his men manage to escape."
"Of course," Moris replied, now convinced that this was no deception.
It was shaping up to be a highly lucrative operation. If they succeeded in taking down a vice admiral, he could recover seven or eight Hundred million Beli in losses, rescue his captured crew, and still pocket Crocodile's payout.
One thing was certain—he would rather avoid antagonizing Crocodile in the future. Despite his own severe losses, Crocodile was willing to go so far as to eliminate a vice admiral for revenge.
Rosen signaled Robin to move the Dawn to the far side of the island before finding a high vantage point to lie in wait.
He needed to stay far enough away to avoid being detected by Onigumo's Haki.
"The show is about to begin," he muttered, mentally preparing himself.
Killing a Marine vice admiral was an extremely risky endeavor. Even with their overwhelming advantage, failure could mean catastrophic consequences.
Time passed slowly.
Doberman was still at least an hour away from the designated battle zone. However, Onigumo would arrive much sooner.
After about thirty minutes, Rosen took out his Den Den Mushi and made another call.
"Damn it! Moris is too strong—he's already escaped! I'm continuing the pursuit, but you need to cut him off immediately. If he makes it out of these waters, catching him will be nearly impossible!"
"He should be arriving soon. Vice Admiral Onigumo will likely set up an ambush near the island. Make sure Moris stays on course—don't pressure him too much. Once Onigumo blocks his path, we can close in from behind. That way, he'll have no way out," Doberman instructed.
If this was real, then Doberman's assessment was spot-on. He had a keen understanding of how fugitives behaved.
"Understood."
Another thirty minutes passed.
At last, Onigumo's fleet appeared near Oran Island. His main warship was accompanied by two smaller Marine vessels.
"He's finally here," Rosen smirked.
No one harmed his people and got away with it.
"Vice Admiral, the intelligence was accurate. We have a visual on Moris's ship, and they're closing in on Oran Island."
Standing at the bow, Onigumo sneered.
"So, he's backed into a corner and plans to make a last stand? Good. Order the fleet to close in and fire at will once we're in range."
"Understood!"
"Boss, they're here. No additional Marine reinforcements, and Doberman isn't with them. We may not have many men, but in close combat, I can hold their Marines at bay," said Bet, one of Moris's top fighters.
Most of the crew didn't know the full extent of the plan.
But as long as their captain was leading them into battle against a Marine vice admiral, their morale remained high.
"Hah! Then let's do it! Fire all cannons and slowly move toward Oran Island. But first, let me send them a little greeting," Moris grinned, holding a specially crafted cannonball in his hand.
He weighed it in his palm before hurling it with immense force—well beyond standard cannon range.
"Incoming fire?! Impossible! We're still out of range! Are their cannons more advanced than ours?" A Marine gunner was shocked by the incoming projectile.
"Is he a Devil Fruit user?" Onigumo narrowed his eyes and swung his sword, sending a slash of energy to intercept the cannonball.
However, the projectile didn't explode upon impact.
Instead, it split apart, scattering dozens of smaller explosive fragments across the deck.
At first, Onigumo wasn't concerned. But a moment later, he sensed imminent danger.
"Dodge!" he commanded.
The fragments landed, then erupted in a series of rapid explosions.
Even with Onigumo's warning, many Marines were caught in the blast, sending them flying overboard.
His expression darkened.
That attack had caught him off guard. He realized his slash hadn't triggered the explosion—this was a special type of delayed-detonation bomb.
"Vice Admiral, we're in range!"
"Fire!"
A fierce exchange of cannon fire erupted across the sea.
Water columns shot into the sky as shells exploded upon impact.
But naval battles were unpredictable. The shifting waves made it difficult to land precise hits, and even a minor swell could throw off aim.
Still, the sheer volume of firepower meant that ships on both sides would inevitably suffer damage.
As the barrage continued, the distance between the two sides steadily closed.
"Vice Admiral, Moris' ship is steering toward the island!"
Onigumo smirked.
"So, he really is making his last stand. Fine. Close in and keep up the pressure!"
(End of Chapter)
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