"Fire!!!"
At the commander's order, the World Government fleet erupted.
A synchronized mechanical sound echoed across the sea as the warships' gun ports slowly opened, their dark muzzles aimed at the solitary vessel sailing in the distance.
The sea breeze carried the scent of gunpowder, stirring the soldiers' blood.
"Finally, we can fire! I've been wanting to test the power of these new cannons for a while now!"
One soldier rubbed his hands together, excitedly adjusting the aiming device.
"Haha, daring to block us with a broken ship? They're courting death!"
Another soldier laughed as he loaded ammunition, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement.
The commander stood on the flagship's high platform, his gaze stern as he watched the approaching ship.
He raised his hand and waved, his voice cold and hard:
"Fire a volley!"
Boom—!
The cannons roared, and hundreds of shells streaked through the air with searing flames, like a meteor shower descending upon the target.
The sea seemed to tremble, and countless seagulls scattered, flapping their wings amidst the deafening noise.
Yet, the ship continued sailing unhurriedly, as if it didn't care about the barrage.
Boom!
The first round of shells exploded around the ship, sending up waves tens of meters high, but the target remained unscathed.
The soldiers in the fleet stopped what they were doing, staring at the unbelievable scene in the distance.
"What's going on? Did we miss?"
One soldier said blankly.
"Impossible! We're using lock-on targeting!"
Another soldier said, his face full of confusion.
The commander frowned and said coldly:
"Keep firing, don't stop!"
The second round of fire rained down again, once again creating towering waves around the target, but still failing to hit the ship.
Even more strangely, the ship's speed didn't decrease at all; instead, it became faster.
At this moment, Loki, standing on the distant deck, raised his head and coldly swept his gaze across the dense fleet.
A cold smile crept onto the corner of his lips as he said softly:
"What a bunch of guys eager to die."
Then, he said to his comrades beside him:
"Let them have their fun for a while. We'll strike when they've exhausted themselves."
The air on the deck suddenly tightened as those standing beside Jin An gripped their weapons, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.
The distant cannon fire continued, but for those on this ship, it was just the overture to the war.
The roar of cannons echoed through the sea and sky, and thick smoke spread across the sea, enveloping the battlefield's sky.
"Rumble..."
The World Government fleet's artillery fire rained down like a storm, shells tearing through the air with a destructive howl.
However, when these shells were still several meters away from Jin An's ship, they suddenly exploded in mid-air as if torn apart by an invisible force, the fire and metal fragments churning in the air, forming layers of dazzling smoke screens.
Jin An stood at the bow of the ship, his figure as steady as a mountain.
Faint spatial ripples flickered around him, the mark left by the Door-Door Fruit's power.
His gaze was cold, piercing through the smoke to look directly at the World Government fleet in the distance.
Behind him, the crew members looked solemn, but their eyes showed trust and determination.
They knew that as long as Jin An was there, any incoming threat would be resolved.
"This is endless."
Jin An muttered to himself, his tone revealing a bit of coldness.
Then, he raised his hand and waved it slightly.
The ripples spread out again, as if an invisible barrier extended around the ship, blocking all attempts to approach.
"Keep moving forward!"
His voice was not loud, but it conveyed an unquestionable authority.
The ship sailed through the waves, passing through the area covered by artillery fire, each advance seemingly declaring their determination to the enemy.
In the smoke, Whitebeard's rough laughter faintly came:
"Gurararara! A bunch of fools, thinking these shells can stop us?"
"Don't underestimate them."
Jin An slightly turned his head, looking at the enemy fleet vaguely visible behind the smoke.
He knew that this was just a probing offensive; the real challenge was yet to come.
However, they were fully prepared for this war.
The smoke was the overture to the battlefield, and the rhythm of the conflict had just begun.
The ship continued forward, accompanied by the sound of waves and the hull cutting through the water, a firm declaration of the victory to come.
Jin An's gaze was gradually drawn to the distance illuminated by the flames of war, where the enemy's main force was, the core of this great battle.
A faint fighting spirit ignited in his eyes, and a smile crept onto the corner of his mouth.
He would not leave any room for these enemies who had never stopped opposing him.
This sea would witness their destruction.
In the distance, in the vast starry sky, the World Government fleet was like a huge net, warships densely covering the field of vision, flashing lights like cold stars in the darkness.
It was a suffocating iron torrent, as if it would crush everything in the next moment.
However, Jin An, standing in the warship's command cabin, only narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze as calm as a deep, bottomless ancient well, without any ripples.
He slowly reached out and tightened the edge of his gloves, his knuckles slightly white, as if silently declaring his calmness and determination.
His companions, on the other hand, seemed more excited than him.
Some cracked their knuckles, making crisp sounds, a warm-up before the battle;
Some leaned back in their seats, crossed their legs, with an undisguised smile on their lips, their eyes revealing a eager light.
Others simply fiddled with the weapons in their hands, making rustling sounds, as if teasing the enemies in front of them.
The atmosphere in the entire cabin was like a fully drawn bow, every string tightly stretched, yet full of potential tension.
"This kind of scene is tailor-made for us."
One companion grinned, his voice with a hint of levity.
His hand rested on the console, his fingertips tapping the buttons, the rhythm clear, as if playing a battle tune about to sound.
"That's right."
Another companion took over, licking his slightly chapped lips, his eyes emitting a fiery light,
"If we can take them down, our names will spread throughout the world! Then, who would dare to underestimate us again?"
Jin An remained silent, he just quietly looked into the distance.
Suddenly, he gently raised his hand and pointed to the very center of the fleet, where the flagship was like a sleeping beast, breathing out a cold light.
His movement was not big, but it made the entire cabin quiet down instantly.
"Begin the operation."
His calm voice rang out in the silence, like a sharp blade cutting through the darkness.
At this moment, all eyes were focused on him, no one questioned, no one retreated.
The real battle had just begun.
