One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

Many pirates began to fight desperately, which played right into Sakazuki's hands. The Marine recruits at the base had learned various naval battle techniques, but learning and mastering were two different concepts. Only through repeated practice of combat skills in the base and extensive real combat could they gain proficiency.

Most critically, Sakazuki wanted them to understand the importance of teamwork in real actions. A well-coordinated team of elite soldiers was undoubtedly the grim reaper on the battlefield, a nightmare for the enemy.

However, for the Marines, the situation had become increasingly tricky. The pirates' suicidal tactics made the Marines feel somewhat constrained, and for a time, the tide of battle began to turn against them. Fortunately, with Sakazuki and his officers stepping in to handle crises across the battlefield, the Marines gradually regained their footing against the pirates' frenzied offensive.

A Marine staggered back several steps, dodging the pirate's overhead slash. With his naval sword raised high, he thrust forward, driving the blade into the pirate's abdomen. The pirate, undeterred by the sword impaling him, closed the distance, raising his weapon to deliver another strike. The Marine, unable to withdraw his deeply embedded sword from the pirate's abdomen, found himself in a dangerous predicament. Lindemann, observing the scene, did not draw his blade to assist but instead delivered a powerful kick to the Marine's back.

The force of the kick caused the Marine to stumble forward uncontrollably, lowering his body and driving the sword entirely into the pirate's body until the hilt. The two collided violently, causing the pirate's downward slash to miss entirely at such close range. The lack of room for maneuvering neutralized the pirate's attack, while the sword still embedded in the pirate's abdomen became the final blow. The Marine instinctively twisted the blade, the edge turning with his wrist to carve a large wound across the pirate's stomach.

It was only then that Lindemann spoke slowly: "I don't care how many times you've practiced stepping and thrusting or lunging and piercing in training. Only when you're fighting for your life will you truly learn to judge spatial distance. Life and death are separated by mere millimeters."

The Marine, who had narrowly escaped death, nodded, pulled his sword free, and turned to engage another enemy. Many Marines, having dealt with their own foes, began to assist their comrades in dispatching the remaining pirates. Teams of two or three easily disarmed the pirates' weapons and quickly eliminated them.

Sakazuki turned his gaze to another part of the battlefield, where dozens of Marines had encircled the pirate captain at the center. The captain, armed with a rapier, lashed out furiously. Had it not been for the timely intervention of several officers, the area around him would have been littered with Marine casualties. When one Marine on the perimeter raised his rifle recklessly, Sakazuki stopped him with a gesture and reprimanded, "Why are you idiots forming such a tight circle? If the pirate dodges the bullet, who do you think it'll hit?"

Vice Admiral Sakazuki had long wanted to critique the Marines' coordination in combat. In the original events at Enies Lobby, during the Buster Call, two hundred Marine officers and captains attacked the Straw Hat crew. Despite their numerical advantage, they adopted a piecemeal strategy, engaging in isolated skirmishes and failing to exploit their overwhelming numbers. This resulted in what should have been a group assault devolving into a series of one-on-one duels.

While this could partly be attributed to the Straw Hat crew's superior combat abilities, it should never have been so easy for them to dominate as if they were playing a hack-and-slash game. The Marines' reliance on high-level combatants often led to an overemphasis on one-on-one battles, neglecting the potential of coordinated efforts among mid- and low-level forces. By adhering to outdated rules of engagement, opportunities to subdue pirates through teamwork were frequently missed.

Sakazuki paced outside the battle circle, instructing his troops. "Don't form such a tight blockade. Expand the battle ring and move with him as he moves. Learn to hunt your target. Yes, like that—disrupt his rhythm."

Several Marines broke off from the circle, attacking the pirate captain from different angles. The bounty hunter with a 20 million Berries bounty deflected an incoming sword slash with a twist of his wrist, attempting to deliver a fatal strike to the Marine in front of him.

However, multiple blades from the circle quickly followed, collectively blocking the pirate's upward slash. Simultaneously, swords from other directions forced the skilled swordsman captain to shift to defense. At that moment, the Marine who had been knocked back was caught and returned to the fray by an officer outside the battle ring.

"That's it! Don't panic! Learn to trust your comrades. Focus entirely on attacking; defending you is your teammate's job. Keep attacking in waves. Don't give him a chance to breathe!" Sakazuki shouted.

In less than two breaths, the encirclement unleashed another multi-angled assault. Even with his formidable physique, the pirate swordsman felt suffocated by the relentless pressure, unable to catch his breath. Wounds began to accumulate across his body, blood flowing from his arms and abdomen.

"This frequency and intensity are too much—I must break it! Otherwise, I'll die here!" the pirate thought desperately. But before he could act, another strike came.

Having defended for too long, his resistance faltered. An officer on the perimeter crouched low with one hand pressed to the ground, the other holding a curved blade in reverse grip. Using the crowd as cover, the officer launched a surprise attack, surging forward with "Soru."

The 20-million-Berry pirate captain, relying on his instinct honed through countless life-and-death battles, narrowly avoided what could have been a fatal blow. Yet, he only escaped with his life. The sword narrowly missed his face, leaving a bloody gash and slicing off half his ear. The blade, unstoppable, slashed downward—

"Ahhhhh!" A scream tore from the pirate captain's throat.

His right hand, still clutching his rapier, was severed, blood spraying as it flew into the air. A sergeant burst through the battle circle, swinging his sword fiercely at the pirate's exposed neck.

With an expression of shock and disbelief, the pirate captain's head was severed diagonally, flying forward and landing with a heavy thud before rolling twice. Sakazuki, still pacing outside the battle circle, stepped on the head to stop its motion.

The entire pirate ship fell eerily silent, the fighting momentarily paused. Both Marines and pirates stared in stunned disbelief.

They actually... did it! Ordinary Marines, using relentless, disciplined tactics and coordinated efforts with officers, had successfully killed a pirate captain with a bounty of 20 million Berries!

This outcome shattered conventional understanding. A pirate of this caliber, usually requiring the intervention of a senior officer, had fallen to a common sergeant!

The Vice Admiral bent down, picked up the severed head, and examined the pirate's expression with satisfaction. He nodded and tossed the still-dripping head to the sergeant in the battle ring. Looking at the stunned battlefield, he spoke in a calm but commanding voice that resonated amidst the silence:

"See? Even a 20-million-Berry head can be taken by an ordinary Marine with a single slash."

"Roarrrrr!!!"

The battlefield instantly erupted!

The Marines roared loudly, brandishing their blades. It was as if a beast locked inside their bodies had been unleashed, surging with terrifying momentum!

Sakazuki, towering over the battlefield, adjusted his hat brim with one hand, casting his gaze downward.

This was exactly what he wanted! Though it was still just a prototype, a force of well-coordinated, individually strong soldiers was taking shape. This was the essence of teamwork!