"Hansen, let's go. It's our turn to rest—time to eat and drink, but not much time to relax," one navy officer said casually.
"Haha, hurry up then. Let's have a quick drink while we can."
The two navy officers chuckled as they prepared to head back aboard for their break. But just as they stepped away, a strange rustling sound suddenly echoed in the night air.
"What's that sound?" Hansen muttered in confusion. He turned around, narrowing his eyes toward the forest. Under the bright moonlight, he thought he caught a glimpse of something—a shadow moving fast—but he couldn't quite make it out.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to get a better look. When he opened them again, he froze in place, eyes wide and pupils contracting in shock.
A long moment passed before Hansen snapped out of his daze and shouted, "There's… there's something out there!!"
His cry immediately drew the attention of nearby officers and non-commissioned officers.
When they turned and saw the mass surging toward them, their expressions changed drastically.
"Open fire!!" a non-commissioned officer barked.
But it was too late.
A swarm of black ants came pouring out of the forest, moving at terrifying speed. Within moments, they engulfed several officers. Screams didn't even have time to escape their lips before their bodies were stripped to the bone.
In the shadows of the forest, Mio stood calmly, eyes glinting beneath his hood as he watched the chaos unfold.
"Erica," he said softly, "tell the ants to head for the ship. Take out anyone onboard to keep them from escaping."
"Understood, Master," Erica replied, her voice serene as the tentacles on her forehead twitched and pulsed again.
At the same time, from a different spot in the shadows, Doflamingo grinned.
"Our target has appeared," he said slowly. "Time to move."
He had already located the brigadier general aboard the navy warship. With the ants, Mio, and their companions, Doflamingo was confident: if they could eliminate the brigadier general, then the escort mission of Tian Shangjin would crumble.
As he finished speaking, Doflamingo dashed out from the trees, with Seka and Diamante following right behind, all heading straight toward the brigadier general.
"It's our turn too," Mio muttered as he watched Doflamingo move. His voice was calm, almost bored, yet carried a commanding undertone. "Warwick, Erica—don't let anyone escape."
"Warwick knows, Master."
"Erica will."
The two responded in unison, and with a sudden burst of speed, all three figures vanished from the forest.
As they sprinted through the chaos, Mio's eyes locked onto a specific target—a navy major who unleashed a storm kick imbued with a trace of Haki. The power and control intrigued Mio.
"Leave that one to me," he said, his eyes narrowing.
He could sense that the navy's escort team for Tian Shangjin consisted of skilled elites. While he was confident in fighting navy branch colonels or even a brigadier general, he wasn't quite ready to challenge a headquarters-level colonel. The major was just the right opponent.
After all, Mio knew his own limits. Unlike Warwick and Erica, who possessed a range of powers and abilities, Mio's strength was still limited to his swordsmanship and physical capabilities. His sword skills, taught by Erica and refined through self-study, were still in their early stages.
He simply hadn't had enough time to grow yet.
Back on the battlefield, chaos reigned.
"Out of the way!" shouted Aiden Clive, a lieutenant commander from Navy Headquarters. He launched a powerful storm kick, sending a blade of blue air surging through the ant swarm, cutting down dozens of them.
But the number of ants was overwhelming. For every one he struck down, more swarmed in. The sense of desperation grew heavier with each passing second.
Suddenly, a slash of sword energy sliced through the air toward him.
Aiden immediately sensed the danger and instinctively fired off another storm kick. The blue air blade clashed with the slash midair and both attacks dissipated in an explosion of force.
Aiden looked up.
Not far ahead stood a cloaked figure, face hidden beneath the hood. All he could see were the gleam of a katana and a pair of sharp, focused eyes beneath the shadowed hood.
"So it was premeditated…" Aiden muttered. He scanned the battlefield quickly and saw the brigadier general under siege by three unknown attackers. Elsewhere, two more cloaked assailants cut down navy officers with frightening efficiency.
"We're escorting Tian Shangjin to Mary Geoise, property of the Celestial Dragons! Turn back now or face the wrath of the Navy and World Government!" Aiden shouted, trying to appeal to reason—or fear.
But Mio had no intention of retreating.
He had come precisely for Tian Shangjin.
In fact, seeing Aiden use both Storm Kick and Haki only made Mio more eager to fight. It meant there could be manuals, scrolls, or training methods aboard the warship for the Navy's Six Styles—or even more.
"Maybe I can pick up how to train in Haki and the Six Styles once I take the ship…" Mio thought. His interest in this mission had officially gone beyond just stealing cargo.
He had no plans to leave.
"Heavenly Gold, huh? Sounds like a treasure worth taking," Mio replied nonchalantly. He raised his katana and swung. A black wave of sword energy burst forth, slicing through the ground and sending cracks through the earth.
"Not afraid of the admirals chasing you down?" Aiden growled, launching another storm kick at Mio.
"Who knows?" Mio shrugged, and didn't bother answering further.
With a heavy stomp, the ground under Mio's feet cracked as he burst forward, closing the distance in a blink. He slashed down fiercely with both hands.
"Iron Body!" Aiden shouted. He crossed his arms to block as Mio's blade struck with force. Sparks flew as metal met metal—his body hardened through the Navy's technique clashing against Mio's raw power.
"Damn it!"
Aiden cursed, pushing back and leaping several steps away to regain his footing. He quickly took stock of the battlefield again.
The ants had pushed deep into the camp, the brigadier general still surrounded, and the other officers forced to gang up on just two enemies—Warwick and Erica. Even so, it wasn't going well.
It was clear—the navy side was on the verge of collapse.
Without hesitation, Aiden pulled out a Den Den Mushi and began dialing.
He had to report this to headquarters. It was obvious the enemy didn't intend to leave survivors. If he failed to get the word out, the loss of Tian Shangjin might go unnoticed for too long.
The Den Den Mushi clicked as the connection went through.
"This is Navy Headquarters. Vice Admiral Carey Dahler speaking."
"Reporting in, Admiral. I'm—"
Swish.
A slash roared toward Aiden mid-sentence.
His eyes widened in alarm, and he twisted to dodge. The place where he'd just been standing exploded with force as a deep cut carved through the earth.
Before he could even process the close call, another sharp sound sliced through the air.
Pain shot through his arm.
"Argh!"
He hissed, looking down to see his hand—previously holding the Den Den Mushi—had been kicked hard. The pain radiated up his arm as the transponder snail went flying.
His eyes tracked it across the ground—only to see the cloaked man calmly walk up to it, lift his foot, and crack—crush it without hesitation.
"You're not making that call," Mio said coldly.
His voice was quiet, but carried deadly finality.
With eyes like steel, Mio raised his katana once more.