One Piece: The True Codex

Although it was merely a cargo ship, in a world plagued by rampant piracy, it wasn't entirely defenseless.

Boom!

The cargo ship Edmond and Vallon were aboard had a few small cannons mounted at the stern. As soon as the Red-Beard Pirates' ship came within range, all the cannons fired simultaneously. In response, orange-red flashes erupted from the pirate ship—they had returned fire.

However, in such treacherous weather, hitting a moving target at sea with cannons was almost entirely up to luck.

The notorious reputation of the Red-Beard Pirates hung heavily over the crew. Though the sailors picked up weapons to resist, their hands trembled with fear. The captain and others desperately tried to dissuade Edmond from engaging, but their incessant pleading only irritated him further.

As the two ships drew dangerously close, the captain, gritting his teeth, prepared to override Edmond's objections and order the crew to jettison the cargo and flee. But before he could act, a volley of grappling hooks flew from the pirate ship, latching onto the cargo ship's railings.

On the other side, pirates from the Red-Beard Pirates braced their feet against their own ship's railing, pulling hard on the ropes to close the gap between the two vessels.

Edmond realized that a melee battle was imminent. He quickly ordered Vallon to guard the bow while he held the stern.

Vallon had just stepped into the side passage when the ship suddenly jolted—the two vessels had collided. The pirates who had thrown the grappling hooks tied the other ends of the ropes to their ship's masts, binding the two ships together and making separation impossible for the time being.

The side-mounted cannons of both ships ceased firing due to overheating and proximity issues, resulting in a brief lull. However, the silence was shattered by the sudden roar of a cannon from the pirate ship.

Unlike lesser pirate gangs that cobbled together ships from stolen merchant vessels, the Red-Beard Pirates' ship was a true warship. Nearly 30 meters long, its upper deck was as wide as a third of the ship's length. The towering fore and aft decks made boarding enemy ships effortless during close encounters.

Moreover, the ship was armed not only with side-mounted cannons but also with smaller, more agile cannons mounted on the deck structures. It was one of these deck cannons that had just fired.

The cannon shot seemed to signal the start of a fierce exchange. Weapons of all kinds—throwing knives, hand axes, bullets—were hurled across the gap between the ships. Edmond and Vallon quickly crouched down, but inexperienced sailors and rookie pirates, unaware of how to take cover, fell like wheat under a scythe. The casualties from this exchange of projectiles far exceeded those caused by the earlier cannon fire.

As the ranged attacks subsided, the pirates began boarding en masse. Edmond charged forward with his blade, cutting down several bold pirates who led the assault. However, the sheer number of pirates overwhelmed the cargo ship's crew, whose overall combat skills were no match for their opponents. More and more pirates swarmed aboard.

After cutting down another pirate, Edmond was about to rally the crew when a massive figure suddenly leapt toward him.

Edmond instinctively leapt backward, creating distance between himself and the attacker. The spot where he had been standing moments ago was obliterated by a giant spiked mace, leaving a gaping hole in the deck.

"Reis, the first mate!" shouted several pirates, their voices filled with excitement as they scattered to avoid the clash.

Edmond raised his blade horizontally, instantly recognizing the man before him as a formidable opponent and a significant figure among the pirates. He knew that if he could defeat this man quickly, it would deal a heavy blow to the pirates' morale.

Meanwhile, Vallon, who had been held up fighting pirates in the side passage, noticed the confrontation and wanted to assist.

But as both Vallon and Edmond focused entirely on the man the pirates called their first mate, the latter suddenly smirked and pointed toward the deck structure of his own ship.

Edmond's mind raced, and he instinctively shifted his body to the side.

At that exact moment, a deafening cannon blast erupted from the pirate ship's deck structure.

Boom!

The cannonball struck directly beneath Edmond's feet. The force of the explosion and the splintering deck threw him off balance, and several sharp wooden shards embedded themselves in his body. Before he could recover, Reis was already swinging his massive spiked mace toward him.

Years of training saved Edmond's life. Despite the ringing in his ears and his disoriented state, he instinctively raised his blade to block the incoming attack.

However, the spiked mace was a heavy weapon, and parrying it with a blade required exceptional skill. In his weakened state, Edmond's grip faltered, and the blade was knocked from his hands by the sheer force of the blow.

Though the mace's momentum had lessened, it still struck Edmond's body, sending him flying across the deck. His combat instincts kicked in, and he rolled repeatedly upon landing, narrowly avoiding Reis's follow-up attack.

Reis laughed heartily and prepared to pursue, but Vallon arrived just in time. Drawing a pistol mid-sprint, he fired a shot at Reis, forcing him to dodge. Seizing the opportunity, Vallon grabbed Edmond and retreated toward the bow.

By the time Reis had dispatched a few crew members blocking his path, Edmond and Vallon had disappeared from sight.

Vallon dragged Edmond to the bow, only to find that the situation there was equally dire.

The pirates had nearly taken full control of the bow. The corpulent Hayreddin was methodically moving among the fallen sailors, finishing off the wounded. The sound of his blade piercing and withdrawing from bodies echoed repeatedly. To Hayreddin, it was a melody, and he smiled with satisfaction.

Without Edmond's skill to bolster them, few of the sailors at the bow were still standing.

Edmond, with his fiery red hair, and Vallon, with his bald head, were both highly conspicuous. Hayreddin's eyes quickly locked onto them as they emerged from the passage. After a moment's pause, he let out a grotesque laugh and charged toward them.

Edmond, pale and bleeding profusely, gritted his teeth. "The ship is lost. I'll hold him off. Vallon, you—"

Before Edmond could finish, Vallon hoisted him up and tossed him straight into a lifeboat hanging off the side of the ship.

Edmond landed heavily in the wooden boat with a groan of pain. Vallon leaned over the railing, wiping the rain from his bald head, and gave Edmond a goofy smile. "You go first. I'll be right behind you!"

Edmond's expression changed, but Vallon didn't give him a chance to protest. With two swift strikes, he cut the ropes securing the lifeboat, sending it plunging into the sea.

When Vallon turned back, Hayreddin was already upon him. However, the corpulent navigator lacked the combat prowess of his cousin Reis and was no match for Vallon. After a brief exchange, Vallon managed to land a strike on Hayreddin's shoulder.

Just as Vallon prepared to press his advantage, he noticed the sky darken above him. Looking up, he saw a massive red mass, larger than a person, hurtling toward him like a cannonball.

The lightning illuminated the mass, revealing a metallic sheen. Vallon quickly retreated, only to see the mass unfold mid-air, revealing Barbarossa within. His wild red hair, bushy beard, and thick chest hair were the source of that strange appearance.

Barbarossa landed with a thud, his laughter echoing like thunder.

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One Piece:The True Codex

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