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Chapter 26: The General's Rule: A Ship Must Be Seaworthy!
🕑 Added 2025-08-20 19:06:27 +0000 UTC"Set sail—!"
With Roger's commanding shout, the massive anchor was hoisted up, and the brand-new sails unfurled with a satisfying "whoosh" in the sea breeze.
The Oro Jackson—this golden vessel born from dreams and masterful craftsmanship—silently glided out of the dock under the watchful eyes of all Water 7.
She moved with such grace, her hull cutting through the water so smoothly you could barely hear the splash of displaced waves. Only the gentle, melodic sound of flowing water could be heard, as if the sea itself was tenderly kissing her sides.
The General's Rule: A Ship Must Be Seaworthy!
"This ship... she's actually dancing with the sea..." Blumarine caressed the ship's rail, feeling that subtle yet vibrant rhythm, his eyes filled with wonder.
"Tom—!" Roger stood at the bow, turning back to wave vigorously at that massive figure on the shore. "Thank you! This is the greatest ship in the world!"
Tom stood on the dock, his towering frame like a small mountain. He didn't wave back, just flashed that wide grin—his trademark hearty smile—and with all the strength in his lungs, let out the loudest farewell of all.
"Go on! Turn this world upside down! DON!"
His voice boomed like cannon fire, echoing long over the harbor.
The Oro Jackson picked up speed, and Water 7's magnificent silhouette gradually became just a dot on the horizon. The crew gathered in small groups along the railings, their faces glowing with barely contained excitement.
"This feels completely different!" Nozdon ran around the spacious deck, shouting with joy. "So much room!"
"Now this is what a pirate ship should be like." Isaac Jr. leaned against the mainmast, hand resting on his sword hilt, his sharp gaze scanning the distant horizon. Even this man of few words had a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Kyle walked over to the special main cannon that was integrated with the figurehead, gently running his hand along the cold metal. He could feel it—every inch of this ship's planking was filled with power and soul.
"Something on your mind, Kyle?" Rayleigh approached with a drink in hand.
"I'm wondering what her first 'laugh' will sound like," Kyle smiled.
Rayleigh chuckled too, raising his glass toward the horizon. "I think we'll find out soon enough."
As if to prove Rayleigh's words, Millet suddenly rang the alarm bell from the crow's nest, its sound urgent and loud.
"Enemy attack—! Dead ahead, massive naval fleet spotted!"
The relaxed atmosphere on deck instantly froze. Everyone rushed to the bow, where they could see a line of tiny black dots appearing on the distant horizon.
As the distance closed, those menacing cannon muzzles, fluttering seagull flags, and that formation as imposing as a sea wall brought a suffocating sense of dread.
At least twenty warships arranged in a massive crescent formation, completely blocking their path forward.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Bankuro sucked in a sharp breath. "Did they move the entire naval branch over here?"
"No," Colonel Mugren bit down on his cigar, his expression more serious than ever. "This isn't branch-level firepower. Look at the flagship's design... that's the latest battleship model only Marine Headquarters would have."
Just then, Kyle's pupils contracted slightly. He sent out subtle electromagnetic waves for long-range detection, and several figures on the enemy flagship's deck appeared in his mind: a man laughing while picking his nose; a man with round glasses and a stern, naturally intimidating face; a tall woman with a calm demeanor; and a burly figure with purple hair...
"This is trouble," Kyle said quietly.
"How so?" Roger turned back to look at him, showing no fear whatsoever—instead, his face was filled with eager excitement.
"Garp's there," Kyle paused, then continued, "and... Sengoku, Tsuru, and Zephyr too."
The most renowned monsters of the Navy's new generation had come out in force! All to hunt down their freshly launched pirate ship.
But what followed on deck was a burst of the most magnificent laughter imaginable.
"Gu ha ha ha ha!" Roger planted one foot on the ship's rail, drew his blade, and pointed it toward the naval fleet ahead. His eyes burned with flames hotter than the sun itself. "Incredible! This is the perfect welcome ceremony for the Oro Jackson! Men!"
"YEAH!"
Infected by Roger's spirit, the crew's fighting spirit ignited instantly.
"Finally get to face some real opponents!" Isaac Jr.'s body trembled slightly with excitement.
"Let's show them what we're made of!" Nozdon joined in the shouting.
"Men!" Roger raised his sword high. "Kyle! Let our new partner give them her first big laugh!"
"My thoughts exactly!" Kyle grinned and placed both hands on the main cannon.
Compressed shock waves poured entirely into the barrel, and the twin maiden figurehead at the bow seemed to come alive, a flash of light gleaming in her golden pupils.
"BOOM—!"
No cannonball—just a blast of pure white shock waves compressed to the absolute limit, fired at supersonic speed! The air was torn apart inch by inch, forming massive ring-shaped sonic boom clouds!
Garp in the distance seemed to have anticipated this. With a great laugh, he stepped forward and met the shock wave head-on with his armament haki-covered fist!
"Fist Bone: Impact!"
Two devastating forces collided above the sea surface, the explosive impact instantly creating a massive circular crater in the ocean, sending towering waves crashing toward the surrounding warships.
"All ships, open fire!" Sengoku calmly gave the order.
In an instant, over a hundred cannons roared simultaneously. Dense cannonballs like a destructive steel storm blotted out the sky as they rained down on the Oro Jackson.
"Mirage Refraction!"
Kyle brought his hands together, and the light around the Oro Jackson's hull distorted, instantly creating three identical phantoms on the sea surface.
Most of the cannonballs hit empty water, sending up towering columns, but a few found their mark and locked onto the real ship.
"I've got this!" Gaban roared, his massive twin axes spinning into a whirlwind that deflected all the incoming cannonballs.
"Break through their formation!" Rayleigh's eyes sharpened. "Isaac Jr., take the left flank!"
"Yes, sir!"
Both men leaped from the ship's rail simultaneously, using the spray from exploding cannonballs as stepping stones to charge the two nearest warships. Rayleigh's sword flashed like lightning—wherever he passed, marines fell. Isaac Jr. was more direct, his blade swift and ruthless, specifically targeting enemy ships' rudders and masts to instantly disable their combat capability.
"What an energetic bunch of bastards!" On the flagship, Zephyr watched the chaotic battle unfold, flexing his jet-black arm. "Sengoku, I'll take on that Rayleigh fellow."
"Be careful—his sword is fast," Sengoku warned.
"Oh my, how troublesome." Tsuru watched the Oro Jackson weaving nimbly through the cannon fire and spoke slowly. "We can't let them get any closer."
With her words, several warships subtly shifted formation, creating an even more impenetrable network of firepower.
"They're trying to surround us!" Spencer shouted.
"Then we'll punch through before they can close the trap!" Roger laughed heartily, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki without reservation.
The invisible pressure swept across the sea, instantly knocking out weaker marines who foamed at the mouth and collapsed. The Oro Jackson seized the moment to accelerate, ramming hard into the naval formation.
"Tidal Wave Motion!" Kyle aimed his palms at the sea surface, and two massive waves rose up to crash into the warships on either side, clearing a path for the Oro Jackson.
The battle entered close-quarters combat. Millet's hammer created craters in the deck with every swing; Nozdon charged like a human beast, unstoppable in his assault.
However, the Navy's forces were simply too numerous.
Rayleigh was locked in combat with Zephyr, their battle's aftershocks alone making a warship rock precariously. Roger once again faced his lifelong rival and dear friend, Garp.
"Roger—!" Garp's heavy punch sent Roger flying from one ship to another.
"Still not enough, Garp!" Roger laughed even harder and charged back with his blade.
Kyle: These two are totally into each other—no wait, that way lies madness!
Kyle wielded his naginata, constantly weaving through the crowds, but he realized that no matter how hard they fought, they couldn't truly break through this defensive line constructed by the Navy's future top fighters.
Sengoku's command was flawless, Tsuru's tactics were cunning and ruthless—the Navy was like a giant net that kept tightening around them.
If this continued, everyone would be worn down and killed here.
"Roger! We need to retreat!" Kyle shouted to Roger in the distance.
Roger parried Garp with one slash, assessed the battlefield, and understood they couldn't keep fighting. He flashed a grin: "Men! We've had our fun! Time to go!"
"Want to leave? Ask my fist first!" Garp pursued him like a shadow.
"Kyle!" Roger roared.
Kyle took a deep breath, planted his feet firmly on the deck, and raised his naginata high overhead. Endless ripples spread out with him as the center, the sea surface began boiling violently, and the winds above turned wild.
"What is that?" Sengoku's pupils contracted as an ominous premonition washed over him.
"Vortex: Blue Dragon Tornado!"
Kyle brought the naginata down hard, driving it deep into the deck! A hurricane wrapped in sound waves and water surged around the Oro Jackson as its center! Seawater was drawn up into the sky, the air shrieked piercingly, and in mere seconds, a massive water tornado connecting heaven and sea took shape, sweeping the entire Oro Jackson into its embrace!
"You've got to be kidding me!" a marine soldier screamed in terror.
Under everyone's disbelieving gaze, the enormous water tornado slowly lifted the Oro Jackson into the air, completely clear of the sea surface!
Holy crap!
"Think you can run?!" Garp roared and prepared to leap up in pursuit.
"Don't go, Garp!" Zephyr grabbed him. "You'll be torn apart!"
The water tornado carried the Oro Jackson in a completely unreasonable manner over the Navy's encirclement, speeding toward the distance at high velocity.
On deck, the crew clung desperately to anything they could grab, feeling the entire ship tilting and rising within the storm.
"Whoa—! Amazing! We're flying!" Nozdon pressed his face against the deck and shouted excitedly.
When the water tornado dissipated and the Oro Jackson settled smoothly back onto the sea surface, dozens of miles away, the naval fleet had already been left far behind.
The deck was a mess, every crew member was injured, but they were all laughing their hearts out.
"Gu ha ha ha! Exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!" Roger wiped the seawater from his face, laughing until tears streamed down his cheeks.
In this grand, almost absurdly over-the-top "welcome ceremony," they had tested their new ship's performance and witnessed the Navy's true strength.
Kyle sheathed his naginata and collapsed onto the deck, breathing heavily.
Rayleigh walked over and handed him a water bottle, patting his shoulder—the approval in his eyes said everything.
Roger approached Kyle, planted one foot on the railing, and gazed toward where the fleet had disappeared, full of high spirits.
"Did you see that, World Government! This is our ship, our crew!"
The sea breeze ruffled the brim of Roger's straw hat and filled the Oro Jackson's sails, carrying these impossibly free pirates toward the more distant—and more dangerous—depths of the Grand Line.
