Saphir held her spear as she looked at Gage and the assembled Marines and Cipher Pol agents before her.
"Surrender now!" Gage shouted. His voice was firm and commanding. "You Love Pirates are criminals of the highest order," he added.
"Criminals?" Saphir responded. Her eyes narrowed. "We are," she admitted. She knew in the eyes of the World Government who makes these rules, they are. "We came there to save our sister from you," she added.
Gage gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on his sword. He swung it once, letting the steel hum in the open air. "She was a criminal," he said. He pointed his blade toward her. "And not only that, you helped another one escape right in front of me," he added.
"Bonney?" Saphir questioned.
A Cipher Pol agent scoffed, his arms crossed. "Yes. A wanted criminal under the World Government," he said.
"What did she do?" Saphir asked. "Why were you after here?" she questioned.
Gage let out a short laugh. "You don't know?" he asked. "She was a criminal," he said. "Pirate who kills people like you," he added.
"She is not," Saphir fired back.
Gage gritted his teeth. "Why don't you tell me how the Gorilla started listening to you?" he asked. He wondered how that was possible.
"You don't know?" Saphir responded as she tilted her head slightly.
Gage's jaw tightened. "Enough," he said. He lifted his sword. "Charge and capture them," he added.
At that moment, two Marines rushed forward. The first Marine leapt and swung his blade downward with intent to cut her cleanly.
Saphir sidestepped smoothly, the sword slashing through empty space, missing her by inches.
The second Marine followed, aiming for a horizontal strike. Saphir dodged again, twisting her body.
Saphir then thrusted her forward. The tip pierced deep into the first Marine's chest. His eyes bulged, blood gushing from the wound as his body jerked backward, collapsing onto the ground.
Saphir then withdrew her spear as she spun in place. Her blade arced, slashing through the second Marine, cutting deep. Blood splattered as he fell to the ground. He hit the ground and there was a large pool on the ground.
Saphir lifted her hand, water droplets swirling in her palm. The liquid twisted. "Shoryo no Mizu," she said as she hurled the water forward. The droplets shot through the air, each carrying the velocity of a bullet and hit several Marines. The force of impact sent the Marines staggering, their bodies jerking backward as the water tore through them. Blood splattered, some falling instantly, others gasping as pain overtook them.
A Cipher Pol agent watched. "What a monster," he remarked.
Gage lunged forward. He raised his sword high. His blade sliced downward, aiming straight for Saphir's head.
Saphir saw this. She reacted instantly and lifted her spear. The weapons clashed, sparks igniting between them as they pushed against each other.
Gage twisted his grip, shifting his stance, and swung again, aiming for a clean cut across her shoulder.
Saphir ducked low, avoiding the strike by mere inches. Then she thrust her spear forward, the tip gliding dangerously close to his ribs.
Gage jerked backward. His eyes widened as the spear nicked his side, leaving a small but visible wound. His blood trickled down, staining his uniform.
"Bleu Tempest Thrust," Saphir said as she drove her spear forward. The sharp blade pierced Gage's chest, the force sending a violent tremor through his body. His eyes went wide. Blood spurted from his mouth as he dropped his sword. His body was launched backward, crashing into the ground.
A Marine shouted in panic, rushing toward Gage. "Gage," he said.
Before the Marine could reach him, a massive shadow loomed behind me.
RAU 3 descended, its dual energy swords were pulsing with unstable material. The mech swung both blades, tearing through multiple Marines in one devastating motion. The Marine soldiers were flung into the air, their bodies twisting before crashing back down, their weapons scattering across the battlefield. There was blood on the ground.
A Marine stumbled back, horrified. "What is that?!" he asked.
Another Cipher Pol agent pointed. "Focus," he shouted.
A Neo-Marine opened fire. The bullet travelled through the air. It hit the Marine. The Marine went down.
At that exact moment, the Cipher Pol agent countered, and shot the Neo-Marine in return.
Gunfire erupted as they started to shoot.
Then RAU 3's torso plates shifted, revealing a hidden energy compartment. A low hum filled the battlefield. A beam of concentrated energy blasted outward from RAU 3's chest, colliding with a group of Marines, the sheer force triggering a massive explosion.
Marines went flying, their bodies scattered like broken dolls, crashing into the ground.
"Another one of those robots," Saphir said. She thought back to the ones she fought at Nanatsu Islands.
RAU 3's dual energy swords flared, The unstable material hummed. The mech adjusted its stance and looked at Saphir as she charged forward.
She closed the distance with blazing speed. She let go off her spear.
"RAU 3," RAU 3 said as he swung, both swords slashing outward.
Saphir dodged by twisting her body between the whipping blades, the air hissing as the swords sliced past her, missing by mere inches.
She was right beneath him now.
"Thousand Brick Fist," she said as she launched her attack. Her fist striking directly into RAU 3's core, the impact reverberating through its metal plating. The mech shuddered violently, a spiderweb of fractures spreading across its chest upon impact. Sparks erupted from its body.
RAU 3 staggered, its frame jerking backward. Then a chain reaction of small sparks and explosions tore through its systems, and in an instant, RAU 3 exploded, the force of the blast ripping through the area, sending shrapnel flying in all directions.
Smoke billowed into the air, lingering remnants of the wreckage falling into the debris-strewn earth.
"Surrender now or I will shoot you," a Marine said as he pointed his rifle at her.
Saphir turned to see him. At that moment, Zala in her beast form came and head butted the Marine. He went flying and crashed onto the ground.
Saphir smiled. "Thanks Zala," Saphir said.
"No thanks needed, let's go help the others," she said. Saphir nodded.