motes of light kept gathering from that one leg, traveling up the limbs, torso, neck… finally settling on an exaggeratedly large pair of toad-like sunglasses.Polusalino grinned and turned back to Dar...Darren had no mind to pay attention to Kaji and Gion's little schemes.

He stood at the bow of the warship, squinting as he scanned the rows of warships in the harbor, ready for battle. He could see every detail of the North Sea Navy soldiers on deck.

Although Darren spoke with confidence, he knew better than anyone the strength of Bundy Waldo.

He must remain sufficiently cautious and careful, otherwise, the slightest mishap could cost him his life in this operation.

"Darren, all the warships for the mission are now fully prepared."

The squirrel's steady voice rang out behind him, his face, topped with a military cap, etched with an unprecedented seriousness.

Darren nodded and smiled slightly:

"Good job, you worked hard."

The flying squirrel looked at Darren's broad back, hesitating for a moment before finally unable to help but speak:

Although time was tight, we still made it in the end. All ten mid-sized warships deployed this time have undergone upgrades from Germa 66. The hulls of the ships now utilize a large amount of lightweight metallic materials.

But Darren... I'll never understand why you spent so much to modify the warship.

"To revamp a warship would cost as much as building a brand new one of the same size."

The cost of building a warship is incredibly high.

Although the ships used by the North Sea Fleet belong to the medium-sized category, they are far less powerful than the large and extra-large warships used by the main naval force of the East China Sea, and they cannot be compared to warships of the Demonic Slayer level. However, each ship costs over 50 million berries.

Ideally, with the same budget, having more warships is always better as it allows for the formation of a fleet combat group, achieving overwhelming firepower.

Darren smiled.

"A fleet's strength doesn't lie in numbers, you'll understand why I did this later."

He hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"How is Doflamingo doing"

The flying squirrel mused,

Intelligence from the Don Quixote Family... The time and place of the transaction have not changed. At least for now, there hasn't been any major movement from the Ward Pirates, and the deal will proceed as normal.

Darren clenched his fists and asked again:

"What is the armament situation on warships"

The flying squirrel replied in a low voice:

Each warship is equipped with 10 heavy cannons and additionally features small ballistic missiles provided by Germa, mounted on the hull... As for the personnel's equipment, in addition to standard-issue swords and spears, the elite of the North Sea Fleet are also equipped with electric guns, portable cannons, flamethrowers, and other Germa technologies.

Darren smiled contentedly.

"Okay, then let's get going."

"Hey! Darren, are we going to make it It's... this distance away from the target island..."

At this time, Qi Chang ran over with wheezing breaths, clutching a crumpled nautical chart in his hand, waving his arms frantically.

"——Far more than three hours."

Then, the Gion woman spoke in a low voice.

Facing their worried eyes, Darren smiled and raised his hand, making a gesture.

Accompanied by his movements, bursts of short and tense military bugles sounded on the battleship's crow's nest, quickly spreading outwards.

This military gesture...

The flying squirrel, Kake, and Gion all froze simultaneously.

They turned their heads and saw that on the warships, the sails were being rapidly pulled in by naval soldiers.

"Are you ready Hold on tight."

Darren exhaled a plume of thick smoke, and said softly.

As soon as the words left his mouth,

Before anyone could react, with a brilliant blue arc dancing between the Naval Colonel's five fingers, an invisible and eerie force field suddenly emanated from his body.

BOOM!!

A dull roar emanated from the warship's hull beneath their feet, causing Jia Dao and the others to shudder violently. They almost lost their balance, feeling a powerful centrifugal force suddenly enveloping them within the warship.

"Could it be..."

He stared wide-eyed, his face contorted in disbelief.

The flying squirrel also seemed to have realized something, its expression stunned.

We will catch up.

The naval captain raised his head, and a near-violent aura erupted from his body, swirling his wide, snowy cape wildly in the wind.

He turned back and smiled at the crowd.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you…"

A peerless sharpness and a fierce ambition blazed in his profound eyes.

I have never said that the North Sea Fleet's dominance is limited only to the sea.

As soon as his voice faded, he clenched his fist tightly.

Boom—!!

Another wave of mighty humming reverberated from the warship's hull, and the ground beneath my feet trembled violently. The sea surface suddenly churned into a massive whirlpool.

In the midst of stares from Jiaji, Jiyuan, the Flying Squirrel and countless North Sea Navy soldiers, everything around began to steadily descend toward below.

No, it wasn't the surrounding environment that sank.

But their battleship... it flew!

Boom!!

Towers of surging water and waves crashed upon the naval port.

A North Sea fleet of ten warships rose from the churning white waves, soaring into the sky at an astonishing speed, engulfed by a raging magnetic field.

"AAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Screams of surprise rang out on the battleship's deck.

Because the warship accelerated relentlessly, the gale tore at his face, contorting it into an unrecognizable mask. He maintained a grotesquely wide-eyed stare, his mind a blank slate.

Up, up and away!!

Darren's North Sea fleet is unlike any conventional navy ever established!

Gion's hands gripped the railing tightly, her face, which had paled slightly from shock, gradually flushed with excitement as she looked at the imposing sea of clouds rushing towards her.

A navy fleet that can fly... The strategic significance of this in warfare is simply immeasurable!!

Unmatched mobility, stealth that renders it undetectable, the ability to completely break free from the shackles of the sea and launch attacks from the skies...

She could already imagine the expression of astonishment on the faces of the Warring States generals when they saw the Beihai fleet setting sail.

The flying squirrel on the side even gave a helpless smile.

He finally understood.

This is Darren's goal!

His Devil Fruit ability!!

Through the power of the Magma Fruit, warships with metal-reinforced dragon bones can float like cannonballs in a magnetic field, even flying high in the air!

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

As the sailors watched the clouds swiftly retreat behind them, a curious and excited air hanging heavy in the atmosphere, Darren finally spoke.

His voice instantly captured everyone's attention.

Their Northern Sea Fleet Commander stood tall at the bow of their ship, like a spear piercing the wind.

His lips curled into a defiant and cold smile.

"The purpose of this line, there is only one."

"—To conquer the legendary pirate… Bonney Waldo!!"

The sky was suddenly silent.

Therefore—

"Kill!!!"

Like thunderous roars, the shouts seemed to shake mountains and fill seas, echoing into the heavens.

On the naval base.

Thousands of sailors stationed at Branch 321 stood with eyes wide with awe and fervor, watching the fleet of warships ascend into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. Facing the torrential downpour of seawater, they raised their hands in unison to salute.

Each and every one of them knew deeply, no matter the outcome of today's battle, that the sharp teeth of the North Sea Fleet would chill the world to its core.

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I ask for everything, and I am grateful beyond measure.ack on, but the numbers on the list were clearly unchanged!Especially the long string of "0"s after each number left him speechless.A high-voltage electric shock gun, priced at 500,000 Beli.A portable...