One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 556: Taking the First Step!

The foredeck of the lead ship. The sea breeze cut through the air. The key figures gathered around the chart table. Chen Ye stood at the head of the table, his fingers pressing against the edge of the parchment. His gaze swept over the dense array of navigation marks.

"This is the problem we face."

He traced three paths with his fingertip. He pointed towards the Allied forces' formation. Then he traced towards the naval route. Finally, he plunged his finger heavily into the crimson arrow. He looked up at Whitebeard and Shanks.

"The new warships are indeed very fast."

"The flight time has been compressed to the extreme."

"But we are the large fleet."

"And we are quite far apart."

The white-bearded man leaned on his Murakumogiri sword with both hands, standing like an iron tower. Shanks rested one hand on the hilt of his sword. The two stared at the sea chart.

Chen Ye pointed his finger upwards along the scarlet arrow. It stopped at the Elbaf coordinates.

"World governments are different."

"They might have already dispatched their elite troops to Elbaf."

"Moreover, Garin-sama brought only elite troops and a portion of the navy."

We'll most likely run into them on the outskirts of Elbaf!

They'll definitely hold us back no matter what!

That would be very disadvantageous for us!

The area around the chart table was deathly silent. The entire allied force could only lag behind and watch the dust settle. By the time the fleet arrived, the land of giants had already been reduced to scorched earth.

Lockes stood on the other side. He raised his right hand. His rough knuckles slammed heavily onto the solid wood tabletop. A dull thud resounded.

"The analysis is very thorough."

Lox flashed his gleaming white teeth, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"So? How do you plan to gain the upper hand?"

Chen Ye met Lockes' gaze.

"The fleet continues its advance along the established route."

"Marco and Beckmann are leading the team."

"Maintain the integrity of the ship's firepower and manpower."

"As for us."

Chen Ye's gaze swept over the three people in front of him in turn.

"I'll take the three of you away from the main ship first."

"Insert directly into Elbaf at top speed."

"To forcefully stabilize the most dangerous first wave of the situation."

Heavy breathing filled the deck. The vigilant pirates gripped their weapons tightly. A buzz of discussion filled the air. The three top combatants, along with their supreme commander, were planning to detach themselves from the main force before the battle. This was a cardinal sin in warfare.

Marco strode to the table.

"I have no objection to you leaving first."

"The situation in Elbaf cannot afford to wait."

"But how are you going to take them with you?"

Marco stared intently at Chen Ye.

"These are three living, breathing people. Three heavy-duty monsters."

"No matter how fast you are, you can't possibly carry one in each hand and fly over."

Beckman finished the meal while biting into a cigar.

"Marco is right."

"They're not the kind of people you can just stuff into a sack and take away."

"High-altitude wind pressure and drag can severely deplete physical strength."

"You must make sure they land without even breaking a sweat."

"I can just draw my sword and start cutting people."

"The landing condition was damaged. This preemptive action is pointless."

The two asked extremely pointed questions. No one had absolute certainty, and no one dared to let these three powerful figures be airdropped ahead of schedule.

Chen Ye remained silent. Before the overlord of the old era, actions speak louder than words.

"You three, stand next to me."

Chen Ye took half a step back to make room.

Whitebeard strode forward, dragging Murakumogiri along. Shanks loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword and walked to Chenye's left. Rocks snorted coldly, then strolled to the right with his hands in his pockets. The three terrifying warriors stood in a semi-encirclement.

Chen Ye raised his right hand.

A terrifying surge of energy erupted from his palm. Pure golden energy spread out instantly.

Vast divine power was forcibly compressed. Dazzling light distorted the air, transforming into an extremely thin layer of gold. That layer of golden light possessed a liquid metallic texture, almost like life itself, and surged forth from the fingertip.

Golden veils climbed up the white-bearded man's body, sweeping over his broad shoulders, perfectly enveloping his massive frame. A second golden light swept across Shanks' arms and back, forming a flexible shield. Finally, divine power coiled around Rocks' waist and abdomen, enveloping him entirely in a halo of light.

The air on the deck was sucked out. Everyone stared at the scene.

Golden divine power flowed continuously, forming an independent force field. This field, centered on Chen Ye, forcibly corrected the center of gravity and direction of force on the three, pulling them all into the same rhythm.

"This divine power will remain until we land."

Chen Ye lowered his right hand. Golden light danced at his fingertips.

With this divine power, you will be able to fly!

Chen Ye's gaze was cold.

and!

You don't need to expend energy while in the air.

What you need to do is maintain your peak performance.

Once your feet touch the soil of Elbaf.

Tear up all the debris in front of the block.

The deck was completely silent.

The white-bearded man looked down at the golden membranes on his shoulders. He suddenly clenched his right fist.

The bones cracked.

A white, vibrating aura exploded from his fist. Fine cracks appeared in the surrounding space. Whitebeard grinned widely. The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was completely unimpeded. The power flowed smoothly.

"Gurararara. That's interesting."

The white-bearded man laughed loudly, shaking the deck.

Shanks activated his newly grown left arm. He felt the stretch in his shoulder and back muscles. He lifted his right foot and lightly tapped it twice on the deck. His body moved without any hindrance. Golden light clung to his skin and flesh, not interfering with his power at all. He looked at Chen Ye. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Rocks moved roughly, taking large strides toward the bow.

The golden divine power in his waist and abdomen tightened instantly, generating an irresistible pulling force that forcefully pulled Rocks back to his original position.

Locke staggered half a step to regain his balance. He glared at Chen Ye and began to curse.

"You bastard!"

"As expected, this trick was planned long ago!"

Despite the insults, Rocks' eyes burned with wild excitement. They could skip the tedious voyage and parachute directly into the heart of the bloodiest battlefield.

The pirates on the edge of the deck had their pupils shrink wildly. The panic of their commander leaving the ship was replaced by excitement.

Having confirmed that the three were in good condition, Chen Ye turned and distributed command authority.

"Marco."

"exist."

Marco straightened his back.

"You are in charge of the Whitebeard Pirates' wartime command."

"You have complete control over the speed and formation."

"Leave it to me."

"Beckman."

Beckman took off his cigar.

"explain."

"You lead the Red-Haired Pirates."

"Responsible for overall shipboard fire coordination."

"No need to ask for permission if there is any obstruction. Just open fire and wipe them out."

"no problem."

Beckman exhaled a smoke ring. His eyes were cold.

Chen Ye's gaze fell on Sabo, who was in the shadow of the mast.

He slammed the steel pipe he was holding heavily against the deck. Sabo stepped forward.

"Sabo."

"You serve as the mobile combat force and the command center."

"There's a gap between the two pirate crews. You'll lead a group to fill it."

"I want this fleet to crush Elbaf like an iron plate."

"I guarantee the mission will be completed."

Sabo pulled down the brim of his top hat. His tone was resolute.

Without uttering a single wasted word, the three accepted the military order. Chen Ye quickly plugged the fatal flaw, ensuring the allied forces' subsequent advance would not descend into chaos.

Having arranged everything, Chen Ye strode to the very front of the lead ship.

The sea breeze rushed in. Black trench coats billowed wildly. Whitebeard Shanks and Rocks were drawn together by divine power, standing side by side on the edge of the ship's bow.

Chen Ye turned his head. His gaze swept over the tense faces on the deck. He didn't launch into a long speech.

"Gentlemen."

"See you in Elbaf."

A loud bang suddenly erupted from the deck beneath my feet.

A blinding golden divine power exploded from beneath his feet. A terrifying shockwave transformed into a hurricane, slamming heavily onto the alloy deck. The massive warship was forced to sink, its bow tilting violently downwards, creating a white wall of waves tens of meters high.

The mainmast was bent into a full bow by the blast wave. The thick cables were taut and straight. The pirate flag fluttered wildly in the gale, making a tearing sound.

Chenye transformed into a sea of ​​iron and shot out a long spear.

Accompanied by Shanks with his white beard and Rocks, they broke the sound barrier. A ring of white sonic boom cloud exploded on the sea surface. The four figures instantly soared into the sky, transforming into dazzling streaks of light.

That was too fast. There wasn't even time to react.

Whitebeard and Shanks remained standing. They hadn't even had time to say a word. They had been forcibly dragged hundreds of meters away. A violent gust of wind howled in their ears. The sea below was being rapidly pulled backward.

Rocks was in an even worse state. He was about to turn around and explain when, before he could even turn his neck, he was violently ripped away. His features were distorted by the rapid pulling, and the scene before him became a blur of light and shadow.

Two full seconds passed before the three former overlords were jolted awake by the sensation of being pushed back.

"Damn it, Chenye! Couldn't you have given me a heads-up before takeoff?!"

"My cloak is about to be torn to shreds!"

"Damn brat! Trying to throw me out?!"

Several men began to curse loudly. These three top-tier combatants were completely disregarding their dignity at this moment.

Below, on the deck of the lead ship, all the pirates froze.

I looked up at the increasingly distant streak of light in the sky, and heard faint curses drifting in.

A soft chuckle escaped someone's lips.

First came low, muffled laughter. Then it erupted into uproarious laughter. The burly man slapped his thigh and laughed wildly. The cadres couldn't help but laugh too.

Laughter broke the tense atmosphere before the battle. A brief surge of heat rose on the deck. A feeling of exhilaration welled up in everyone's hearts. With four monsters at the forefront, what defense line in the world couldn't be torn apart?

The lighthearted laughter didn't last long.

Marco's smile vanished. He abruptly turned his head, his gaze returning to the horizon where the sea met the sky. Beckman strode to the edge of the observation deck and raised his high-powered binoculars.

Beneath the distant northern sky, where the snow should have been a pure gray-white blanket, a wisp of black smoke suddenly rose against the gray-white background.

The plume of smoke was thick and dense, carrying an aura of death. It was spreading with the cold wind.

Marco's pupils contracted. Beckman's fingers, gripping the binoculars, tightened sharply. His knuckles turned white.

The meaning of the black smoke was crystal clear. Something had indeed happened in Elbaf. The Knights of God had not only landed first, but had already taken action.

10,000 meters above the ground.

Chen Ye's eyes reflected the blinding black smoke. The view from above was far clearer than from the sea. Continuous flames of war burned, creating a sky filled with poisonous clouds.

"It seems the enemy is more impatient than we thought."

The sound pierced through the gale and reached the ears of the three people behind them.

The white-bearded man stopped cursing. His eyes hardened. Shanks' right hand returned to the hilt of his sword. Sword energy emanated from his body. Rocks stared intently in that direction, his fists clenched.

"Hold on tight."

Chen Ye uttered three words.

The golden divine power beneath his feet erupted violently once more. His speed, which had already reached its limit, increased even further in an instant.