One piece :Nox ( Before Dawn)

Sal and Rayleigh observed the Navy ships just a few miles away. They hadn't expected to be intercepted on their way to Marineford. Perhaps those ships were monitoring the movements of Whitebeard's pirates. After all, only a few hours remained until the execution.

"Go around them and try not to engage in combat. This is not the time to draw attention," said Sal.

"Boom... boom..." the thunderous sounds resonated.

Before Sal and his Rayleigh could change course, the Navy ships had already opened fire. The nine cannons on the huge ships fired simultaneously, and the shells flew toward the small boat like meteors, aiming to sink the suspicious vessel in one blow.

Sal didn't know how to express his indignation. Although today was a day of war, he couldn't just sink passing ships indiscriminately. Were there any laws?

As the shells came dangerously close, a powerful aura of Haki emanated from Sap, suddenly exploding and spreading like a sound wave, destroying all the shells within its radius.

Rayleigh had already unsheathed his sword and swung it toward the ship. The blue blade pierced the water forcefully and split the ship in half. The steel deck tore apart effortlessly, and the ship, valued at 200 million Berries, was sent into eternity.

Witnessing the destruction of the ship, the marines quickly abandoned it in a lifeboat. The man who destroyed the ship with a single strike seemed like a demon to them.

Sal and Rayleigh did not intend to wipe everyone out and continued toward their goal...

Meanwhile, a large vice-admiral level ship was heading toward the sacred land of Mary Geoise, located a few miles away. On deck stood a beautiful woman with jet-black Japanese hair, wearing a short peach dress, a cloak of justice, and a spider tattoo on her left leg.

The woman had a delicate face, charming eyes like autumn water, and a mole at the corner of her mouth, which made her look mature and attractive.

Suddenly, a marine approached her with a report:

"Vice-Admiral Gion, we've lost contact with the ship that just signaled us. Shouldn't we send someone to check it out?"

Upon hearing the news, Gion's willow-like brows furrowed. Even though her mission was to temporarily garrison at the sacred land of Mary Geoise to protect it from attacker's during the war, this order came from the Five Elders.

From the start, she wanted to participate in the battle at Marineford, and being reassigned infuriated her. Naturally, she didn't mind arriving at Mary Geoise a bit later and immediately waved her hand:

"Let's go see what's going on there. A large ship costs 200 million Berries, not to mention our valuable marines onboard."

Several nautical miles were quickly covered. Gion saw the wreckage of the sunken ship and a few floating Navy lifeboats. Anger flared up instantly within her:

"You attacked marines right before my eyes and think you can escape? Guys, quickly gather the rest of the marines. We need to catch this criminal."

Gion smiled excitedly, commanding the ship to move at full speed. Instead of sitting in Mary Geoise, it's better to chase the enemy. She had heard that the enemy sunk the ship with a single sword strike from a nautical mile away. Such power was clearly on the level of a great swordsman.

Gion, who was also a great swordsman, eagerly anticipated meeting other great swordsmen.

As a top fighter, approaching the strength of an admiral, Gion's ship was far more advanced than regular naval vessels, and soon a small sailboat became visible on the horizon.

Two men, completely unsuspecting, were caught by the swiftly advancing ship.

When the two laid-back men noticed the enemy, the distance between them was only about a kilometer, and at that range, it was impossible to shake off the pursuer.

A vice-admiral level ship could be recognized at a glance, but in Sal's eyes, aside from the old man's ship dog, all other vice-admirals were not taken seriously.

Sal slapped Rayleigh on the shoulder and gestured with his hand:

"Rayleigh, it's your turn. I'm tired of steering this ship for so long."

Rayleigh didn't stoop to provocations. He put on a mask and lay down, looking as though he was about to do everything himself.

Sal, having no choice, also donned a mask, drew his sword, and stood at the bow of the ship. He didn't want the Navy to know they were heading to the battlefield; otherwise, the World Government might send reinforcements.

After all, the reputation of Dark king Rayleigh was not much less than that of the Four Emperors. Both were legendary pirates, and their destructive power was beyond doubt.

"Long Sword 'Shattered Sea'!" declared Sal.

Armament Haki, compressed to the limit, unleashed a powerful black sword that surged towards the ship with unstoppable force.

A figure sprang from the ship, launching an attack to counter Sal's strike. The heroic figure returned to the bow and watched the two targets with admiration.

Sal let out a silent cry.

Sal quickly recognized the heroine and nudged Rayleigh, who was still asleep:

"Hey, Rayleigh, wake up, there's some problematic lady here."

"Oh, you said 'problem'? Well, let's see who it is." Rayleigh stood up again and looked at the woman attentively, then remarked with surprise:

"Oh, it's definitely a problematic lady. Isn't she the little girl who used to hang around with the old woman Tsuru? I haven't kept up with the new generation of the Navy for a long time. She's very strong, right?"

Sal glanced at the approaching ships. He could feel the opponent's fighting spirit even from that distance. And Rayleigh, you're not much younger than Tsuru. How dare you call others old?

"She's very dangerous. Let's just say she's no weaker than Marco."

"She is indeed a strong woman. If I, an old man, faced such a terrifying opponent, I would be exhausted."

The real name of the woman general is Gion, also known as Taotu, and she is about 40 years old. Although she is currently still a vice admiral, in two years, together with Kake, she will be called a Deputy Admiral. Her strength is definitely above that of a vice admiral.

When facing an opponent like this, if you don't give it your all, you can fail. Sal immediately used a magical necklace for enhancement:

[Level: 59 (91/76000) +5]

[Strength: Senior (Vice Admiral) Temporarily]

[Constitution: Advanced (Vice Admiral) Temporarily]

[Agility: Advanced (Vice Admiral) Temporarily]

The level increased by only 5 levels thanks to the magical enhancement. It seems the necklace will soon become useless.

"Rayleigh, I will handle this woman; you find an opportunity to sink the enemy ship. After that, you deal with her," Sal devised the plan.

"Alright, alright, don't worry," Rayleigh casually scratched his ear and promised. Working together to defeat an opponent was not Rayleigh's aim as an arrogant man, and in general, it was embarrassing to besiege the young people he knew.

It's just worth saying that Gion is very strong. Unless it's a fight to the death, even if they besiege her, they won't be able to defeat her anytime soon.

Sal quickly rushed towards Gion using "Moon Step," his long sword turning completely black.

"Zzzzzz..." the screech of metal echoed.

Sal gripped his sword with both hands to block the enemy's sword, which suddenly struck. Both attacked the vital points of their opponent, using different cunning techniques. Two blackened weapons clashed constantly, sparking as they met.

Gion's fighting style resembled a dance, creating a sense of beauty. But that's only from an outside perspective. For Sal, fighting against her was an immense pressure.

The long sword aimed for Gion's neck, but she easily dodged by turning sideways, the blade gliding past her full figure. The opponent's sword unexpectedly lashed towards the lower body, forcing Sal to defend hastily.

"Zzzzzz... click..." a strange sound made Sal's heart clench. He realized something was wrong. This slender long sword could be considered almost a good sword, but he was accustomed to using it to boost his strength. Intense battles at the limits of his capabilities ultimately led to the sword's destruction.

This time, he faced a level 21 great sword, the Great Sword "Kinpira" of the same level. The opponent's Armament Haki was even better than his. All these factors combined ultimately resulted in the weapon breaking.

Weapons in the world of One Piece are roughly divided into four levels: the lowest level is ordinary weapons, followed by good swords (50th level), great swords (21st level), and finally the supreme great swords (12th level).

For more advanced chapters follow me on patreon.

20+ chapters

patron.com/Manofathousandskills