Raki, Robin, Vivi, Alvida, and Ben pressed forward. Alvida swung Seraphina in a brutal arc, her mace colliding with a Cipher Pol Agent's face. The sheer force sent the agent reeling backward, blood spurting from his lips before his body crashed against the shattered ground.
Vivi moved in tandem, her sword flashing as she sliced through a Marine's defense, her blade carving a downward slash across his chest. The Marine gasped, stumbling backward.
"There are so many of them," Vivi said.
Alvida, unfazed, swung her mace once more, smashing the head of another enemy, sending his body crumpling. "Then we keep beating them down," she said.
All of a sudden, through the haze of gunfire and clashing steel, another ship appeared on the horizon. Its hull was plated with thick steel. It had three massive sails, billowing like specters above the deck. Its figurehead was a white cheetah with piercing emerald eyes. Along either side of the hull, rows of cannons lined the vessel. They saw the jolly roger on a pole. It had a skull with slanted eye-sockets and a spiky crown. The cross-bones were similar to the inverted Marine symbol and a sword with a Yoru-like hilt. The placement of the skull on top of the inverted "wings" gives the skull the appearance of an elongated tusks.
"That flag," Vivi remarked. She remembered seeing it at Nanatsu island. She gripped her sword.
Robin observed the ship. "Ben, this ship," Robin remarked. Her fingers brushed against her chin, recalling vague whispers of rumors she had heard before. "I've heard of this before," she added.
Ben looked at the ship. "Neo-Marines," he said. He thought who it could be.
The ship docked and stopped next to them. LeMay stepped on the drawbridge. "You," Vivi said.
"You," LeMay shouted. He smiled. "It is my lucky day, I thought of getting him only but now I will get my revenge as well," he added. He laughed. He thought this was perfect. "Capture them all," he added. The men poured down wearing the same uniform. It consists of a grey stahlhelm-like helmet and a dark grey sleeveless shirt, with a belt where a sheath is hooked and the jolly roger imprinted behind. The trousers are light grey and tucked inside the dark boots.
"More," Alvida sighed.
Ben flew up and hovered midair, his wings unfurling as dark energy swirled around his body, forming into small, volatile projectiles that pulsed with raw power. His eyes glowed red, locked onto the advancing Neo-Marine soldiers."Demon Barrage," he said as he launched the projectiles, sending them whizzing through the air. Each one collided with the ground, with the enemies and detonating on impact, sending shockwaves. The Neo-Marines were blasted backward as flames and smoke rose from the violent explosions.
A Marine watched from a distance. "There's another ship there," he said.
Another officer pointed toward the vessel. "*It has a pirate flag," he added.
"More trouble," A Cipher Pol agent said. Before he could react, Pau Ra Pa locked onto him.
The cannon whined, energy building within the core before a beam shot forward with devastating speed. The agent barely had time to move before the blast struck him directly, sending him flying, his body crashing against shattered debris.
"Keep going," LeMay shouted.
Alvida tightened her grip around Seraphina, her mace's surface gleamed. "Kanabo Whirlwind," Alvida said as she spun rapidly, her weapon extending outward, creating a violent vortex of strikes. The impact ripped through multiple Neo-Marines, blood spilling from their mouths as they were launched backward, bodies collapsing upon impact.
"Seis Fleur," Robin said as she sprouted six arms on several Neo-Marine bodies."Clutch," she added as two arms grabbed his legs and made them fall backward. Another two pairs of arms held his back and the last pair grabbed his upper body. The pairs of hands on the upper body and legs pulled, cracking their backs.
"Mystic Fireball," Vivi said as she scraped the ground with her sword. She launched explosive fireballs at the Neo-Marines. The fireballs hit and exploded. The Neo-Marines were sent backwards from the explosion.
Raki landed on the deck of the Neo-Marines' vessel, her wings extending as she looked around.
A Neo-Marine staggered back, his face twisting in shock. "A monster!" he shouted.
Another snapped his rifle into position, taking aim and fired.
The shot rang out, but Raki was faster. She dodged effortlessly. Her eyes glowed.
She locked gazes with the Neo-Marines. "Petrifying Gaze," she said. The moment their eyes met, stone overtook their bodies, creeping up their legs, their arms, until they were completely frozen, turned into lifeless statues.
A Neo-Marine gasped, watching his comrades stiffen in place. "They turned to stone?!" he shouted.
"What is that?" another soldier said as he stepped back, terror flickering across his face.
LeMay's expression tightened, his jaw clenching. "A monster," he replied. He thought this was going to be a quick and easy mission to get him. He clenched his fist and looked at Raki.
All of sudden another boat appeared. It wasn't a Neo-Marine vessel, nor was it part of the World Government's fleet. A small boat pulled alongside the Neo-Marines, docking on the island's shore.
A loud, grating voice echoed from within the craft. "We are here to take this island," he said.
Mikazuki leapt onto the shore, his long tongue flicking out as he gripped his sword. Behind him, several scruffy-looking pirates followed, their weapons drawn.
"Who is this now?" Vivi asked out loud. She slashed another Neo-Marine down. She wondered why everyone was here today. She thought they were all evil.
"Who am I?" Mikazuki laughed. He stretched his arms wide. "We are the Helmet Pirates," he added. His crew sneered, their weapons glinting as they stepped forward. "We heard this thing can give us world domination, so we're taking it," he said.
Ben exhaled, unimpressed. He recognized these fools. The Helmet Pirates, a band of weaklings who had been beaten down at Water 7 by the shipwrights.
"Ben, we can hold them off," Robin said.
"Leave it to us Captain," Raki added.
Ben nodded. "Okay," he replied. He turned toward Alvida and Vivi. "Let's keep moving," he added.
"Shimagame is suffering. We need to help her," Vivi said as she clenched her fists. She could hear her voice filled with pain.
Without hesitation, they moved ahead, leaving the Helmet Pirates and Neo-Marines behind.