MARINES - A ONE PIECE story (ENGLISH) - Part I

CHAPTER CXI - The voice

Jun struggled to her feet, clearing the thick cloud of smoke that surrounded her. All the dust she had breathed in was making her cough and she was now panting like an exhausted animal. Between hacks, she was looking for her comrades in the chaos, but her watery eyes prevented her from seeing clearly. She was hearing Haru calling her name out, as if the young woman was speaking from far away, but

startled when she felt her hand on her arm. When she tried to talk, Jun realized her eardrums had been blown by the explosion that had just occurred.

- What happened ? Where is Jorge ? she shouted, her ears saturated with tinnitus.

- Tina's ship shot us with cannonballs. She was on... Ouch !

Before she could finish her sentence, Haru was blown away like a rag doll and disappeared into the dark brush. Jun tried to shout her name and realized that her hearing was gradually coming back. As the smoke cleared, a figure appeared in the moonlight.

- Well... I didn't go easy on her...

And as she discerned the blue hair, the plump lips and the yellow cape, Jun immediately recognized the Warlord's atypical look. Formerly wanted for 79 million bellies, the Fighting Club captain was still the greatest martial artist in the New World. She looked at the little cook in front of her with her dark eyes and her bright blue lips twisted into a contemptuous pout.

- What are you doing on the ground ? I almost stepped on you...

Tina looked out to sea and saw that her ship had almost landed.

- Well. My dumb pirates will be here very soon. I advise you to give up, it would be faster. From what I've heard, I'm not the only one who's been sent by the Government.

Jun, whose body was shaking from head to toe, glanced at the ship below. How could the Warlord be right in front of her ? Had she teleported ?

- All I had to do was to step on one of the balls our cannons sent your way and let myself be carried here, like a tightrope walker. Child's play ! the Warlord replied to the question she could guess in Jun's wary eyes.

And as the young woman was about to get up, Tina grabbed her arm and hove her.

- Let go of me, you bitch ! Jun shouted, hitting her with her sharpest knife.

But as soon as the blade crashed against the former pirate's shoulder, a vibrating sound resounded, as if Jun had struck metal. Then she saw that Tina's black skin was now covered with a thin dark film, as if it had been lacquered with a black, shiny paint.

- Hit, Tina sighed, raising an eyebrow. But far from sunk.

And just as she was about to strike the young woman with her raised fist, a scream echoed through the jungle.

- Jun, get down ! Iron jab !

The blow, fast and powerful as a cannonball, hit the Warlord so hard that she dropped her prey. Tina had used both hands to protect herself from Jorge's attack, whose bestial form seemed to intrigue her.

- Well... Here is what I call a surprise.

But before she could even counterattack, a light flashed through the dark forest : the shockwave flew to the Warlord and hit her in the face, plunging her into a cloud of smoke.

- Jun, Jorge ! cried Haru as she joined her two comrades. My Tempest Kick probably didn't do her any harm, we have to get out of here as fast as we can.

And as she pulled her two trembling comrades to escape into the forest, the Warlord emerged once again from the smoke, unharmed.

- How resourceful... But are your little techniques enough ?