"Vista, there's a Marine warship ahead! But…"
Whitey Bay hesitated as she lowered her telescope. "It's a peculiar one…"
"Peculiar? What do you mean?"
Vista followed the direction of her gaze and squinted. A faint golden glow was visible in the distance.
"That warship… it's gold—or rather, it's enveloped in a golden light!"
Whitey Bay lowered the telescope. "It must be Vice Admiral Wright's flagship. This effect… it's incredibly flashy."
"I've heard rumors that Vice Admiral Wright's battle effects are just as dazzling, radiating golden brilliance," said McGuy the Thunder Lord, electricity crackling faintly along the edge of his blade.
"..."
Vista's hand twitched as he stroked his mustache, recalling his own less impressive "petal effect." A stray pull yanked out a whisker.
Whitey Bay rolled her eyes at the two swordsmen, who seemed oddly disheartened before the battle even began.
"Men…"
"Vice Admiral Wright! The patrol ship has confirmed that Whitebeard's Fifth Division has slowed their pirate ship ahead!"
"They'll be within engagement range in about fifteen minutes!"
"Looks like they've spotted us," Wright replied with a nod, glancing at the imposing Dawn behind him. "It's hard not to notice something this conspicuous."
He shot a sharp look at Smoker, who was smirking in amusement, and stepped toward the bow. "Alright, battle stations!"
With a single step, Wright's voice boomed, "Triple Aura!"
In an instant, the ship's 509 combat personnel felt a pulse of golden light beneath their feet as three brilliant golden auras unfurled simultaneously:
The shield-shaped Guardian Aura enhanced their defenses.
The hexagonal Vigor Aura bolstered their mental fortitude.
The circular Mercy Aura provided continuous healing.
The triple auras shimmered rhythmically, bathing every crew member in their strengthening glow.
"Blessing of the King!"
Golden light flickered at their feet, and everyone felt a surge of power course through them—strengthening their physical abilities in all aspects.
"This…"
Smoker clenched his fist, exhaling a puff of smoke. "With Wright's abilities, this unit's combat power has practically doubled!"
Feeling the miraculous effects of the auras and blessings, the crew's admiration for Wright deepened even further.
Meanwhile, Vista's pirate ship came into clear view. It wasn't very large—after all, each division of Whitebeard's crew only had around a hundred members.
Trailing behind were two larger ships, with Whitey Bay's icebreaker standing out prominently.
"They're here!"
A faint smile appeared on Wright's lips. "Looks like they're not planning to commit all their forces to this skirmish."
The massive icebreaker slowed to a stop, while the other two ships headed straight for the Dawn.
"Vice Admiral Wright!"
Vista's booming voice rang out. "Thanks to you, we can't find any rookies to recruit lately!"
"Which means I'm doing an excellent job!" Wright retorted, his Justice coat billowing dramatically in the sea breeze. With a confident grin, he added, "Looks like I'll need to request a medal of honor from Fleet Admiral Sengoku! After all, a commendation from Whitebeard's Fifth Division Commander is far more credible than my own reports!"
"Haha! If you beat us, the medals will be well-earned!"
As the enemy ships entered firing range, Wright shouted, "In that case, I won't hold back! Fire!"
One of the greatest advantages of Marine warships over pirate vessels was their overwhelming firepower.
Even if their accuracy left much to be desired in naval battles, sheer volume and rapid firing compensated for it. Most pirate ships would crumble under such bombardment unless they had a highly skilled helmsman.
And the Dawn? Its main cannon was far from ordinary.
As Wright gave the order, the Lightforged Crystal beneath the main cannon began to glow, shrouding the entire weapon in a golden mist.
"Boom!"
The cannon flashed with golden light, and the shell it fired moved so quickly it seemed to disappear in an instant. While Wright longed for a true Holy Light energy cannon like Vindicator's design, the Germa scientists had successfully adapted his "Wings of Holy Light" and the principles of "light-speed" into the ship's weaponry.
Unlike the slow-moving cannonballs of ordinary ships, the Dawn's projectiles flew at an astonishing speed!
Before Vista could react, the cannonball was already upon them.
"!!"
"Wha—"
"Boom!"
The cannonball struck the deck of Vista's ship, triggering an explosion. Fortunately, the shell was of standard specifications, and the ship could withstand a couple of hits.
"What kind of cannon is that?!"
Vista and McGuy slashed through the incoming projectiles with their swords, shouting orders as their crew scrambled to extinguish fires, repair the deck, and prepare their own cannons.
"Boom! Boom!"
As the pirate ships returned fire, Wright and Smoker stood unfazed, watching a shimmering barrier of pale golden light rise in front of the Dawn. Every cannonball that might have hit the ship was deflected harmlessly into the sea.
"This warship isn't just flashy," Wright smirked.
Vista swung his twin blades to deflect a rapid onslaught of projectiles. "Prepare for boarding combat!" he roared. "McGuy! Signal Whitey Bay to advance and be ready to provide support!"
As the ships drew closer, Vista and McGuy flanked the Dawn, while Whitey Bay's icebreaker hovered just within range to strike.
"Lower the protective barrier and let them come aboard!" Wright ordered.
The Dawn shimmered with a translucent, golden layer covering its hull, deck, and masts—a simplified version of the Holy Light Wall designed to significantly enhance the ship's durability.
"Attack!"
With a thunderous war cry, Vista and McGuy led their crew onto the Dawn. Thanks to the barrier's reinforcement, its expansive deck served as the perfect battleground for a clash of this scale.
"Formation squads, shield wall!"
A lieutenant barked orders, and the disciplined Marines formed battle lines to engage the invading pirates. Bolstered by Wright's auras and blessings, every Marine felt like they could take on two of their former selves.
With Hina and Ain, the two elegant and formidable officers, providing critical support, the morale of the Marines soared even higher.
"For justice!"
"Since Whitey Bay is holding back, I'll take on McGuy," Smoker said, drawing deeply on his cigar. Although he knew McGuy outclassed him in a prolonged fight, he was confident he could hold his own for a while.
"Fine. If you're in trouble, fall back to my position. But I doubt it'll come to that," Wright replied.
Drawing his sword, Ashes, Wright strode toward Vista, who was waiting with both blades drawn. "On the Dawn, this is our home turf!"
"Hmph! After sparring with you so many times, I've picked up a trick or two about fighting swordsmen!"
Smoker's legs transformed into smoke as he launched himself toward McGuy, his massive jutte clad in Armament Haki crashing down with force.
Meanwhile, Wright and Vista squared off.
"Come, Vista! Show me what the world's greatest swordsmen, aside from Mihawk, are capable of!"
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