Two hours later...
Waters near Gilong Island, North Blue
"Meteor Fist Barrage!!"
Countless cannonballs formed a terrifying net of fire in the sky, hurtling toward the Oro Jackson, Roger Pirates' flagship, at breakneck speed.
*BOOM!*
Pillars of seawater erupted around the pirate ship.
"ROGER!! DON'T YOU DARE RUN!! THIS TIME, I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN FOR SURE!!"
Standing at the prow of the patchwork dog-head warship, Garp rolled up his sleeves, his face etched with fury as he hurled cannonballs like a human catapult.
"Golololol! Garp! Are those patches from your grandma's sewing kit?"
From the Oro Jackson, a mocking laugh cut through the chaos - it was Gol D. Roger.
The word "patches" stabbed Garp's pride like a dagger.
"YOU BASTARD!! If not for you, my ship wouldn't look like this!!"
"STOP RUNNING, YOU COWARD!!"
"METEOR FIST—STARFALL!!"
Enraged, Garp launched another cannonball with enough force to crack the sky.
Roger, laughing heartily, drew his famed sword, Ace, and sliced the cannonball clean in half.
"Then stop chasing me! Maybe your ship wouldn't get wrecked then!"
"GODDAMMIT!! Bogard, bring every last cannonball up here, I'M SINKING THIS SHIP TODAY!!"
Garp was fuming with rage.
Hearing the order, the marine soldiers on deck got even busier, moving cannonballs nonstop. Now they had to move faster.
Row after row of black cannonballs were loaded onto the transport belt and delivered in front of Garp, who hurled them even faster.
A full-blown chase between a pirate ship and a marine warship was underway.
Meanwhile...
"Hurricane Tornado!!"
Not to be outdone, Dragon conjured whirlwinds from his palms, hurling them toward the Oro Jackson.
Had Hammer been present, he'd have yelled: "Holy shit! Steven Fox's Cyclone Punch!"
But sadly, Hammer wants around.
"Tch, kid, this battlefield's too early for you."
A brawny man wielding dual axes suddenly appeared. With one cross slash, he shattered Hammer's tornado cleanly.
It was Scopper Gabban, third-in-command of the Roger Pirates.
"Gabban!!" Dragon's eyes flashed coldly as he summoned another cyclone.
"Hammer, we're about to leave the North Sea and enter the Grand Line."
"Mm... Let's get out fast. I've got a really bad feeling..."
Unusually, Hammer wasn't down in the forge room. He stood on the deck, staring into the distance.
Suddenly, a dark cloud mass loomed on the horizon. The oppressive rumble of thunder filled the sky.
"What is it, Hammer?"
"Do you sense something wrong?"
Hammer didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the storm.
"Turn the ship. Avoid that thundercloud."
"Huh?"
Lance was surprised by Hammer's order. This entire voyage, Hammer had never acted like this before - cautious, serious, even willing to change course.
Just as Lance prepared to relay the command, Hammer's eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Too late. ALL HANDS, BATTLE STATIONS!!"
In the next second, Hammer launched himself into the air, landing atop the mast.
What he saw chilled his blood.
Under the thundercloud, countless cannonballs rained down onto the sea, kicking up waves.
A pirate ship was speeding straight toward them.
And in pursuit behind them?
A patchwork dog-head warship.
"Goddamnit, that's the Roger Pirates..."
"We were heading in the opposite direction! Why'd we run into them!?"
A thousand curses flooded Hammer's mind.
Too late to do anything now.
....
"Old man, that's a marine warship ahead!"
"It looks like Hammer's!"
Garp spotted the ship in the distance, too. He gritted his teeth.
"Bogard! Full speed! Toss all the useless junk overboard! We must stop that bastard Roger!"
"Yes, sir!"
Bogard knew things were urgent and quickly ordered the sailors to jettison supplies.
Cannons, crates, and everything unnecessary went into the sea.
The warship's engines roared to full throttle.
The marine battleship, already a beast, now charged forward like a tidal monster, speed surging dramatically.
"Damn! Garp's lost his mind!"
"Roger, there's a marine ship up ahead. What now?"
Rayleigh glanced at Roger helplessly.
Garp clearly planned to ram them head-on to force a stop.
"Tch! Damn Garp! Using tactics now?"
*Bonk*
Before Roger could complain, Rayleigh had had enough and punched him.
"Idiot! Garp's going to RAM us!"
"Huh? Seriously?"
"Forget it! You're hopeless!"
"Gabban! Full speed ahead! Breakthrough!"
Gabban at the helm nodded and raised the sails to accelerate.
"Tch! Don't let them escape!"
Garp clenched his jaw, watching the Oro Jackson pick up speed, too.
....
"Damn it! Everyone! Move all the weapons to the bow! Hurry!"
Hammer saw both ships accelerating and knew things were bad. He shouted orders at the marines.
They didn't know what he was planning, but Hammer was their commanding officer.
They chose to trust him.
Soon, heavy machine guns were mounted.
Rocket launchers, submachine guns, all at the ready.
The 100-man unit was now fully armed.
"Men! That's the Roger Pirates ahead. SCARED?!"
"NO SIR!"
"Good! Vice Admiral Garp is chasing them down. Since we're in front, there's no reason to back off!"
"When paths collide, the brave win! Prepare for battle!"
Hammer had made up his mind, he'd block Roger head-on.
...
Storm clouds blanketed the sea. Three ships of different sizes sped toward one another at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Because of Hammer's warship, Garp stopped firing cannonballs.
The Oro Jackson entered firing range, and Hammer made a swift decision.
"Fire! Don't hold back a single bullet, fire at will!"
"Captain Lance! Where the hell is my Italian Cannon!? Fire it!!"
Lance didn't know what an "Italian Cannon" was, but he clearly heard the command to open fire.
*BOOM!*
*Ratatatatata!*
*Whoosh!*
*Bang!
*Dakka dakka dakka!*
Cannons, machine guns, rocket launchers, and SMGs all fired at once.
A hail of lead and fire filled the sea.
The crew of the Roger Pirates was stunned. How could a small marine ship unleash such overwhelming firepower?
Even Garp, Bogard, and Dragon were also shaken by the firepower Hammer commanded.