One Piece: Wielder of the Void

5. Pirates

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Hearing the noise, Daiki immediately turned his head.

When he saw Anos's face, he respectfully said, "Your Highness, why are you here?"

"Something big has happened. How could I not arrive?" Anos replied, slightly exasperated.

Daiki took a deep breath, chuckled softly, and then became serious. "The other side has eight ships and around a thousand men. It's quite a challenge for us."

"Perfect," Anos said nonchalantly. "Keep as many alive as you can, we're short on construction workers."

Daiki and the others were left speechless. What could be going through His Highness's mind?

As the enemy fleet neared, many of the five hundred men in the army began to panic. Most had never seen battle before.

The lead ship bore a skull and crossbones flag, its ominous symbol growing clearer by the minute.

Before the army could react, enemy cannon fire was already raining down.

"How's your training with the techniques I taught you?" Anos asked Daiki.

"I've nearly mastered it, but didn't you say not to use it in front of others?" Daiki responded, puzzled.

"Doesn't matter when it's on your doorstep. Capture them alive if you can, we'll need them for rebuilding the kingdom," Anos said with a grin.

While Anos and Daiki stayed calm, the soldiers behind them were far from composed. Only a select few, personally trained by Anos over the years, stood firm, exuding confidence.

The pirate cannons continued to roar, but their accuracy was inaccurate. Despite the bombardment, not a single soldier on their side was hurt. Those who had been fearful began to feel emboldened.

"I'll observe from here. You go and capture them. If they resist, feel free to kill them, but try to keep the pirate ships intact. Our kingdom isn't wealthy, and those ships are valuable. Keep them alive if possible, they'll make fine workers for us," Anos ordered Daiki with a sly smile.

Daiki smiled in return and replied confidently, "Understood."

He turned to his troops and shouted, "We've trained long enough! Now it's time to show them what we've got! Follow me!"

With that, Daiki charged forward, followed closely by several dozen men, all showing no signs of fear.

As they reached the shoreline, they leapt into the air, running toward the pirate ships as if walking in the air.

The sight left not only the pirates but even the soldiers behind Daiki dumbfounded.

These men were the best of the best, handpicked by Anos himself, and had undergone rigorous training.

For the rest of the soldiers, it was like watching a dream. And the pirates? When they saw men flying through the air, fear gripped their hearts.

"Fire the cannons! Don't let them near the ship!" a pirate commander shouted in desperation.

But it was already too late. Numbers wouldn't help them now.

Despite the many pirates and the barrage of cannon fire, none of Daiki's men were touched. They landed on the pirate ships effortlessly, cutting through the crew as if they were in an uninhabited land. No one could stand against them.

Even the pirate captain, who had initially appeared somewhat imposing, fell just as easily.

But just as the battle seemed over, one pirate leapt a hundred meters into the air, moving faster than even a Marine using Soru.