Sanders streaked through the air at incredible speed, blasting the air beneath his feet with each step to propel himself faster and faster. Thanks to the seal of Silence Binding on Jack, Sanders could clearly sense his location, and it didn't take long before he locked onto Jack's position.
By the time Sanders arrived, the battle—or rather, the massacre—was nearly over. Jack wasn't even fighting anymore; he was venting his fury by stringing up several nobles and unleashing his wrath upon them.
"You look like you're having a great time. Got all that rage out yet?" Sanders said calmly as he descended from the sky.
Seeing Sanders, Jack's brow furrowed slightly.
He found me… No vivre card, yet he could still locate me in this vast sea? Looks like that seal does more than just suppress my power—it lets him track me too.
"What do you want? You think I'm gonna run or something?" Jack said with disdain.
"I'm just here to check on the treasure that rightfully belongs to the Kingdom of Joromia. And to let you know… the Navy's on its way," Sanders said flatly.
As soon as his words fell, three enormous warships appeared on the horizon.
"Captain! Trouble! The Navy's here! Judging by the size of those ships… there's probably a Vice Admiral aboard!" a lookout from the Mammoth Fleet reported urgently.
Jack, however, didn't show a trace of panic. Instead, he smirked with schadenfreude and said, "So you're here for the treasure the nobles tried to smuggle out. But now that the Navy's here, taking it back won't be that easy for you!"
Sanders didn't even blink. "Doesn't matter. The Kingdom of Joromia is already on the verge of collapse. If the Navy tries to stop me, I'll just blow them away."
"Got it," Jack sneered. "Then let's blow them away. All hands, full speed ahead—sink the Navy!"
"Yes, Captain!"
At Jack's command, the ships of the Mammoth Fleet surged forward and unleashed a barrage of cannon fire toward the Navy.
Sanders blinked in surprise. This guy really is a war maniac. No hesitation, just straight into a fight. Looks like there's no avoiding this clash after all.
"But… this opponent isn't someone to underestimate." Sanders turned to gaze at the incoming warships and sighed. "If I had a choice, I'd rather not go head-to-head with that Red Dog."
"Red Dog?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki of Marine Headquarters," Sanders answered.
"Great Eruption!"
As if on cue, a thunderous roar erupted from one of the Marine ships. A massive lava fist flew through the air, obliterating all incoming cannonballs. The searing lava exploded mid-air like a volcanic eruption, hurling molten rocks toward the Mammoth Fleet.
"What a pain…" Sanders muttered. He stood up and looked toward the incoming volcanic bombs. The treasure from Joromia was still on these ships—he couldn't let them be destroyed. Jack certainly wouldn't lift a finger to protect them; he was probably hoping the ships would sink just to see Sanders suffer.
Which meant Sanders had to act.
"Silent Demon Eyes: Gravity Mute."
Sanders's eyes glowed with a dark, eerie light.
To activate the Silence power, Sanders usually had to make physical contact. It wasn't that he couldn't project the power over a distance—it just became much weaker. So, he created a solution: Silent Demon Eyes.
By channeling his power into his gaze, he could transmit the Silence effect to any point his eyes could reach. It wasn't as potent as direct contact, but far more effective than casting blindly through the air.
As Sanders's gaze swept over the volcanic bombs, their gravitational pull suddenly vanished.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Without gravity to hold them down, the lava bombs flew upward, arching away from the ships and detonating harmlessly in the distance—spectacular, but ineffective.
"Quite the fireworks show," Sanders chuckled, watching the explosions light up the sky.
"You…" Sakazuki's eyes narrowed. "You're Rosinante the Silent Blade?"
"Such an honor," Sanders smiled, "Vice Admiral Sakazuki recognizing a nobody like me."
"Anyone who defeated Borsalino isn't a nobody," Sakazuki said coldly. "Congratulations. The bounty on your head is about to rise to 300 million berries. Though… I doubt the wanted poster will even matter. Because today, you're coming with me to Impel Down."
While he didn't fully approve of Borsalino's laziness, Sakazuki had always acknowledged his strength. After learning that Sanders had defeated Borsalino, Sakazuki had taken note of this dangerous new figure.
"Impel Down, huh? Not exactly my kind of vacation spot," Sanders smirked.
"Perfect," Sakazuki sneered. "Then I'll just execute you right here. Hellhound Fang!"
A massive dog's head made of molten lava surged forward from his arm, snapping toward Sanders with terrifying force. Their ships had drawn close during the conversation, and the attack reached Sanders in the blink of an eye.
"Your opponent's not just me, y'know!" Sanders laughed.
"Silence Technique: Heat Mute!"
Sanders raised his hand, wrapped in Armament Haki and Devil Fruit energy, and grabbed the incoming lava beast. The moment his fingers touched the molten attack, its heat rapidly diminished. It couldn't burn through Sanders's Haki-enhanced arm, and with a single squeeze, Sanders crushed the lava hound into fragments.
"You talk too much. That's why I always say you Navy types are like old ladies," came a new, maniacal voice.
Jack—completely ignoring tactics or support—had leapt straight onto the Marine ship and charged Sakazuki head-on. His bizarre scythe whistled through the air toward the Vice Admiral.
"Dark Hound!" Sakazuki met him with a Haki-coated fist of molten lava.
Their clash sent Jack flying across the deck, smashing through the bulkhead and leaving a gaping hole in the warship.
"Damn… that actually hurt," Jack muttered as he slowly stood up. "No wonder you're one of the Navy's monster Vice Admirals. A Logia user with the Magma-Magma Fruit, huh?"
Strangely enough, his body showed no visible injuries.
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes. That was a direct hit… but he looks completely unharmed.
Jack also furrowed his brow and glanced at the spot where Sakazuki's fist had struck. That punch broke through my Armament Haki… the magma burned my chest almost completely, nearly punched straight through me. Definitely one of the three monstrous Vice Admirals.
But now… I look totally fine.
"The Silence Binding, huh? I like it. Makes it easier to go wild without worrying about the pain!" Jack burst into mad laughter and charged again, aiming straight for Sakazuki.