Chapter 385: A Sense of Reassurance

At this moment, the members of the Straw Hat crew had also gathered on the deck. Luffy stood at the front of the group, his face still wearing that optimistic smile, and he shouted excitedly, "Hahaha, something fun's happening again! Marines, bring it on!" He clenched both fists, eager to act, radiating an aura of fearlessness.

Zoro stood calmly to one side, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, ever watchful of the movements around him. He furrowed his brow slightly and said in a low voice, "Looks like this trouble's no small matter, but we won't be beaten that easily." His tone was firm, giving people a sense of reassurance.

Nami, meanwhile, was tallying up the nautical charts and treasures off to one side, her brows tightly knit, her face full of worry. "These marines are like haunting ghosts, we can't afford to lose any of our treasure," she muttered, rapidly sorting through the items as she spoke.

The marines' warships drew closer and closer, their massive shadows looming over their ship. Smoker stood at the bow of the flagship, his face filled with anger and resolve, and he shouted loudly, "Li An, you won't escape this time! Surrender quietly!" His voice echoed across the sea, brimming with intimidation.

Li An looked at the situation before him, well aware that he had to come up with a countermeasure as quickly as possible. He closed his eyes, activated the system, and rapidly analyzed the marines' formation for weaknesses in his mind. A moment later, he opened his eyes, a flash of light passing through them.

"I have a plan!" Li An said loudly, his voice firm and powerful, drawing everyone's gaze. "Luffy, you take the lead and charge the marine warships, create chaos. Zoro, you cover Luffy from the side. Remember, don't get bogged down in a prolonged fight—our objective is to break out." He directed the operation in an orderly manner.

Luffy jumped up excitedly and shouted back, "Got it! Watch my Gum-Gum Rocket!" Saying so, he clenched his fists, his arms rapidly stretching out, and shot toward the marine warships like a cannonball. His figure looked especially dazzling in the sunlight.

Zoro drew his three swords, his gaze growing even sharper. He followed close behind Luffy, shouting, "Three-Sword Style Secret Technique—Ichi Ban Sen Dai Sen Dai Dai no Sekai!" In an instant, blades flashed, and the marine soldiers charging forward fell one after another.

Li An took advantage of the chaos to quickly survey his surroundings. He spotted a massive reef cluster not far away and got an idea. He turned to look at Guo Yao and said, "Yao, help me create a decoy. We need to make the marines think we're going to break out from the flank." Guo Yao nodded firmly and began to act together with Li An.

0 flowers requested -

Using the props on the ship and the surrounding environment, they created a thick plume of smoke and firelight, as if the flank of the ship were under attack. Seeing this, the marines shifted their attention to the flank and reinforced their defense.

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"Now's the time!" Li An shouted. "Nami, adjust the course—we're breaking out from the rear!" Nami swiftly turned the helm, and the ship sped off toward the rear.

However, just as they were about to break through the encirclement, something unexpected happened. A fast boat shot toward them from behind like an arrow loosed from its string—it was Smoker's personal vessel. Smoker stood on the boat, his face filled with anger and unwillingness, and he shouted loudly, "Li An, don't even think about running!" His body transformed into smoke as he rapidly closed in on Li An's ship.

Li An's expression changed; he knew full well how troublesome Smoker was. "Everyone, get ready for battle—Smoker's caught up to us!" he shouted loudly, while drawing the weapon Six from his waist at the same time.