Beep！Beep！Beep！
In the control room, the alarms rang out, signaling that they had lost control of the turrets. During the construction of G-1 Base, both the World Government and the Marines poured in vast amounts of manpower and resources.
As the gateway to protecting Mariejois, G-1 Base’s firepower rivaled that of Marine Headquarters itself, which is why Akainu was able to transform it directly into the new Marine Headquarters.
When the turrets were built, they were designed to withstand extreme heat, extreme cold, and even corrosion from rainwater. The intense heat just now hadn’t damaged their internal circuits.
However, the designers couldn’t have foreseen what the turrets would face today.
Hydrachton is capable of using various types of attacks, and each of its heads can unleash a different type attack. Each head has its own strongest type, and right now, the turret was facing something completely unexpected.
Under Arceus’ modification, most of the powers of Yamata no Orochi that Kurozumi Orochi couldn’t develop were unlocked. This included its poison, which, when combined with the Poison-type plate, created a corrosive poison.
The powerful corrosive properties of this poison made it especially effective against metal. In Pokémon games, Steel-type Pokémon are resistant to Poison-types because the poison has a hard time penetrating their bodies.
In reality, if the poison concentration is high enough and remains within the body for too long, even Steel-type Pokémon could be poisoned.
There’s also an ability known as Corrosion, which makes Pokémon poison even more potent. They can easily corrode the steel bodies of Steel-type Pokémon, causing them to enter the poisoned state.
The poisonous liquid that Hydrachton was spraying had a similar effect. One by one, the threatening heavy turrets were being removed. Hydrachton is violent, but being violent didn’t mean it enjoyed getting hit.
The corroded cannon barrels could no longer bear their own weight. Under the force of gravity, they fell heavily to the ground, crashing beside the Marines below, as if burying the flames of hope that had just ignited in their hearts, leaving them feeling a deep sense of despair.
“Attack!! Drive it away! Don’t let it freely destroy the turrets!!!”
Many Marines appeared on the rooftop and the walkways around the turrets. For now, the coastal defense heavy cannon was one of the few weapons that could deal it damage. If they let Hydrachton destroy all of them, they’d have no way to counterattack.
Light weapons were useless, but heavy weapons were too heavy. The Marines expended great effort hauling their weapons up to the rooftops.
“Lieutenant Commander, you’re in charge of directing the defense here. Protect the turrets, at least this will limit its rampage below.”
“Sir, you’re going to…”
“Someone has to stop this thing.”
Weapons aren’t the only key to victory; individual strength can also decide the outcome of battle. Humans can’t fly, so they rely on external forces, and here, that force was martial arts.
Rokushiki is a mandatory skill for CP9 and CP0, and most high-ranking Marine officers also learn some of its techniques.
On the battlefield, however, in addition to fighting, commanding is a crucial responsibility for officers. After finishing his deployment, the Rear Admiral charged into battle.
“Cover the Rear Admiral!”
Even if they are Marines, they felt afraid, but they still carried out their mission. Guns and rocket launchers drew Hydrachton’s attention, and each burst of flame it spewed caused massive casualties.
Without looking back, the Rear Admiral knew his subordinates were paying a heavy price. Using Geppo, he quickly closed the distance to Hydrachton.
“Die, monster!”
His blade, coated in Haki, slashed toward the center head of Hydrachton with all his might. But before he could land the blow, two other heads suddenly turned to face him.
The central head of Hydrachton was the primary brain, possessing its own consciousness. On either side were two more heads, and behind it, three others. While the other seven heads functioned like limbs without true consciousness, they shared the primary brain’s vision.
Avoiding its senses was nearly impossible. The long, flexible necks of Hydrachton allowed it to swiftly react, and the two dragon heads that turned towards him attacked. One unleashed bolt of lightning, while the other, with sharp gleaming fangs, lunged to bite him.
In that split second, he couldn’t evade the lightning attack, and his body was paralyzed. Just as the sharp teeth were about to sink into him, a piece of rock suddenly flew in. The beast’s instincts sensed danger, and it instinctively abandoned the attack.
…
Boom!
In front of G-1 Base, Kaido smashed his club into the ground, glaring at Garp. The killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger.
“You ba*tard! How dare you split your attention and interfere in that fight!”
“Bwahaha, a promising young man can’t die at the hands of a mere beast. There’s a stage far better suited for him in the future.”
From the start, Garp had intended to deal with Hydrachton, but Kaido never gave him the chance. It was only moments ago, when Garp deliberately allowed himself to be thrown back, that he found an opportunity.
“You won’t get another chance! Now I’m really angry!”
“Perfect! I’m furious too! Go have a chat with your old pals in Impel Down!”
At the same time, two flashes of light streaked through the sky, and two of Hydrachton’s heads were severed!
The severed heads crashed to the ground, and the splattered dragon’s blood reignited the confidence of the soldiers below.
“ROAR!!”
Pain fueled Hydrachton’s rage, but it didn’t lose its rationality. It simply fixed its gaze on the two newcomers. Its instincts warned that these two were far more dangerous.
Marine Headquarters’ Vice Admiral – G-1 Base Commander – Momonga.
Marine Headquarters’ Rear Admiral – Garp’s Lieutenant – Bogard.
As a veteran Vice Admiral of the Marines, Momonga’s strength is not to be underestimated. While Marine Admirals are the top echelon, these Vice Admirals are the true backbone of the Marines.
Although Bogard is a Rear Admiral, his strength goes far beyond that. As Garp’s lieutenant, he had followed Garp for over twenty years, and his strength rivals that of seasoned Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters.
Garp, sensing the battle here, arrived ahead of time, while Bogard had just arrived by ship. Momonga, on the other hand, had been present the entire time, but he had been observing and identifying Hydrachton’s combat style and abilities.
Hydrachton’s earlier attacks had already revealed its strength, and at that moment, Momonga made a preliminary assessment: aside from himself, no one in the entire base is capable of taking it down.
Thus, he had made the hard decision to sacrifice some soldiers to probe the creature’s abilities. As cruel as it seemed, this was war. If he had rushed in blindly and fallen to an unknown power, G-1 Base would have had no one left to stop it. The resulting casualties would have been even more catastrophic.
“Fall back. Go organize the soldiers. We’ll handle things from here.”
“Yes, sir…”
Momonga dismissed the Rear Admiral who had been fighting with all his fight, and after exchanging a glance with Bogard, they took charge of the battle. The beast didn’t seem so fearsome—its defenses weren’t as terrifying as he had thought.
But in the next instant, two brand new heads grew out from the severed necks of the dragon.
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