Meanwhile…
On the G2 Branch warship.
The entire deck was swarming with Marines: riflemen stood in formation, gun crew at the rail readied their cannons, and a tense, lethal atmosphere crackled through the air.
"Cannon loaded!"
"Rifled-barrel and priming check complete!"
"Port rudder fifteen degrees, steer that course, full speed ahead!"
Orders and acknowledgments echoed across the deck.
Rear Admiral Buma stood at the bow, cigar clenched in her teeth, arms folded, eyes narrowed as she stared at the tiny black dot of a pirate ship on the horizon.
"Finally found you, Hawkeye Pirates…"
Since leaving G2's harbor at dawn two days ago, she had pored over intelligence, chased leads, and now, at this moment, she'd finally cornered her prey.
The Hawkeye Pirates were led by Missaya, a powerful pirate captain with a 93-million-Bounty and nearly a thousand loyal crew—hardly an easy target.
Even she couldn't guarantee a clean sweep. She'd prepared for a brutal, all-out battle.
"Rear Admiral Buma!"
From the crow's nest, a lookout burst out:
"They've turned toward us! They're not fleeing—they're ready to fight us head-on!"
"Hmm?"
Buma's eyebrow shot up as she let out a cold chuckle.
"So confident, huh? Fine—saves me the chase."
This suited her perfectly.
The Hawkeye Pirates' ship had been modified for speed—fast enough to outpace standard Marine vessels. That's why they'd dodged previous blockades.
If they kept running, she'd have to chase them for hours.
But now…
Since they were prepared to fight, she could unleash her superior firepower, gain the first strike, and roll the Marines in while the pirates scrambled.
Her G2 Branch warship was built to HQ spec—guns, range, firepower—all well beyond anything a pirate crew could match.
"How long until we're in cannon range?"
She asked, composed.
"Reporting, Rear Admiral! They're closing in hard. In under fifteen minutes, we'll be able to fire!"
"Good."
Buma inclined her head. Her gaze flicked to where Nao and Shuma stood, poised for battle.
These two…
She clenched her cigar tighter.
Over these last two days and nights, she had silently watched the two HQ recruits. She had to admit—her earlier harsh judgment was being challenged.
That runt Shuma—his emotions flashed on his face, raw and simple. Hard to despise someone so straightforward.
And Nao, that black-haired youth who'd met her coldly at the harbor…
A true training fanatic. He'd spent all his time in the training room—besides meals and showers, she'd barely seen him elsewhere.
Still, even in the sparse interactions with her crew, he came across as polite, respectful—a bright, warm boy.
Not a trace of the cutthroat elite recruits with Draw two years ago. Their temperaments were worlds apart.
So maybe… it really was her prejudice?
Buma narrowed her gaze and fell silent.
As she watched, she realized Nao seemed to draw attention wherever he went. Even her female Marines, mysteriously, were gravitating toward him—training room glances, furtive stares in the mess hall. It baffled her.
She herself, with three-quarters giant blood, had a very different aesthetic standard. To her, he was hardly handsome… just slightly pleasant-looking.
Yet in two days, every single Marine had turned.
"Weird…"
No point overthinking it now.
She looked up to snuff her cigar—just as she heard an almost inaudible whoosh.
It came from above. Her gaze snapped skyward. Before she could react, a scream echoed from the crow's nest—
A Marine fell, crashing onto the deck.
"Gallows!"
Nearby Marines rushed forward—only to find the corpse slumped, its head obliterated in a splatter of gore. It looked as if something had punched right through.
The shock hit like a punch. Many Marines looked away, unable to bear the sight.
Buma, deadpan, took a half-step back and used Moonwalk to leap up to the crow's nest.
She scanned the mast top, finger poised—and pulled out the arrow.
It had impaled halfway through the mast—pristine white shaft almost translucent in sunlight, with fletching like a soaring white hawk.
"Really…"
She stepped back onto the deck, arrow in hand, glowering at the pirate ship miles away.
"Missaya fired that arrow."
"What?!"
Gasps and frozen expressions spread—
Several kilometers apart… Cannon range not yet reached. And yet… a primitive arrow, fired across that distance, had split this rocket-fast.
Buma stared at the arrow's tip—it still faintly shimmered with Haki.
"Speed…power beyond belief. Silence, stealth…unpredictable."
Her expression hardened.
"This is trouble. Missaya's archery isn't just rumors—it's terrifying."
What if…
Had that first shot been a warning?
Or had her abilities improved again?
No one knew.
One thing was clear—her range parity rendered Marine cannons useless before physical contact. They'd be slaughtered before they could blast.
Worst of all—gun crews could be systematically wiped out.
Another silent whoosh came.
"Damn it!"
Buma snarled. She drew her great axe, pivoted on her heel, and lunged to the ship's front—fast for a giant.
But someone was faster.
A blade flashed before her journey even completed—slicing the arrow clean in two with a metallic clang.
The shattered arrow fell.
The young gunner at the mast froze—naïve, awe-struck at the boy who'd just appeared.
"Phew…just in time."
Nao retracted his sword, jaw tingling from the force. Seeing the gunner safe, he exhaled, then looked toward the pirate ship, his gaze intense.
Missaya's archery stunned him too.
Miles away—and still deadly accurate. Okay, East Blue bandits riding horses with bows… he'd dismissed it.
But this? It was borderline Grand Line superhuman.
"Oi, kid."
Buma's voice came from behind. He turned to find the tall female Rear Admiral scanning him—uncertain, surprised.
"Not bad…"
—her first words he'd heard from her in days.
The threat was more important than politeness though.
He glanced back to the pirate ship.
Missaya could not only shoot that far—she could shoot that precisely.
The first arrow blew off the lookout head before he could even react.
The second arrow nearly hit that young gunner—the kind of attack they'd call "marksman sniper fire." Insane precision.
Even with the Black Hawk Fruit and eagle vision… that kind of ability shouldn't exist.