novelonline Chapter 2608: An Era of Dramatic Change is About to Begin!
Chapter 2608: An Era of Dramatic Change is About to Begin!
Chapter 2608: An Era of Dramatic Change is About to Begin!
"You two bastards, you dare to fight during duty!"
"Your skin's itchy again, isn't it!"
Just as Hijikata and Okita were about to draw their swords.
A thunderous roar erupted from the direction of the garrison gate.
Everyone was startled, and even Yamazaki almost dropped his racket.
Kondo Isao, the leader of the Shinsengumi, charged over like an angry gorilla.
He was also dressed in a black uniform, but his epaulets and decorations were more ornate, highlighting his status as a team leader.
In the blink of an eye.
Kondo Isao had already rushed up to Hijikata and Okita.
Without saying a word, he swung his fist, as big as a vinegar jar, and smashed it down on the heads of the two men.
[Thump! Thump!]
One blow to each person, without mercy.
"Ugh!"
"My head hurts so much!"
Hijikata and Okita both clutched their heads and cried out in pain.
The momentum they had just displayed was instantly shattered.
"Kondo-sama!" Hijikata called out helplessly.
"Team leader, it hurts a lot," Okita complained expressionlessly.
"If you know pain, then behave yourself, honestly!"
Kondo Isao, still furious, stood with his hands on his hips, his large, round eyes sweeping over all the silent team members present.
Look at the state you're in!
"You all know what happened."
"A fleet has arrived from the sky, claiming to take over this planet!"
"The whole world is in a state of panic, but it is precisely at times like these that we, the Shinsengumi, must stand up!"
Kondo Isao took a deep breath, glanced at the gradually darkening sky outside the window, and his expression was terrifyingly solemn.
Suddenly, the clouds became thick and low-hanging, as if foreshadowing some great change that was about to happen.
"Commander Matsudaira's orders!"
Kondo Isao's voice suddenly became loud and resounded throughout the entire garrison.
"All squads, immediately recall all members who are on patrol, on leave, slacking off, taking a dump, or chasing girls!"
"Everyone assemble in half an hour and head to General's City to carry out the defense mission!"
The command was concise and decisive.
"Yes!!!"
The team members, who were initially somewhat confused and flustered, instantly understood the clear instructions.
As if by conditioned reflex, they immediately straightened their backs and responded in unison with strong voices.
The sharp glint of the Shinsengumi elite reappeared in their eyes.
The captains of each squad immediately sprang into action, taking out their phones to notify their respective team members.
Apart from Hijikata Toshiro and Okita Sougo.
And the First Division members who were already present and were now automatically lined up outside.
Hijikata rubbed his still aching head and walked over to Kondo Isao, lowering his voice.
The impetuousness he had shown when arguing with Okita was gone from his face.
All that remained was the composure and seriousness befitting a deputy commander.
"Boss Kondo, does Commander Matsudaira have any concrete information about that 'Kizaru'?"
Hijikata paused, then asked with a serious expression, "Is it true or false?"
These were also some of the team leaders who hadn't yet dispersed.
This is what people like Okita Sougo and Yamazaki Satoshi most want to know.
Kondo Isao remained silent for a few seconds.
This bureau chief is usually very easygoing and even a bit rough around the edges.
At this moment, an extremely complex and strange expression appeared on his face.
It contains an almost absurd and unbelievable quality.
But more often than not, they face enormous changes that far exceed the scope of their understanding.
The pressure that we have to accept and understand.
He glanced at Hijikata, then at Okita, who was also staring at him, and slowly began to speak.
The voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for those around to hear clearly.
"Commander Matsudaira just sent a message from the Shogun's Castle."
Kondo Isao's Adam's apple bobbed: "It sounds unbelievable, but what he means is true."
"Because he had seen 'Kro' in person, although he looked the same, he was not 'Baiji', but 'CP9'."
"The specific reasons for the difference were not explained in detail; perhaps it's a difference between comics and reality."
"But one thing is certain: that Admiral Kizaru is indeed a user of the Glint-Glint Fruit."
"That is to say."
Kondo Isao looked up and gazed at the azure sky outside.
The destroyer that the flying squirrel was riding on had already come into the view of many people.
However, it did not land at Edo Air Station, where the central tower was located, as was customary.
Instead, they went directly to the location of General's City.
"The people we're going to deal with next aren't cosplay pranksters at all."
"It is a naval fleet under the actual World Government."
"From a planet that is similar to the one described in the One Piece manga."
"Besides that, they are hostile to the Galactic Empire."
After speaking, Kondo Isao turned his gaze away and looked at his most trusted right-hand man.
A smile, a mixture of pride and helplessness, appeared on his face.
But his gaze remained firm: "Be prepared, Fourteen, Sougo."
"Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not."
"This era is about to witness dramatic changes that are completely beyond our imagination."
The words fell.
All that could be heard was the sound of footsteps as the team members gradually arrived and assembled outside the door.
Hijikata Toshiro and Okita Sougo looked at each other.
Okita's face, usually cold and indifferent, showed a rare look of bewilderment.
Tu Fang then lit a new cigarette and put it in his mouth.
He took a deep breath, then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, remaining silent.
Neither of them spoke again.
But a certain consensus has already been reached silently.
Whether it's a comic book character or a monster from some other universe.
The Shinsengumi would stand with Kondo, the leader, to uphold their duties and protect Edo Castle.
After half an hour.
The hundred or so members of the Shinsengumi boarded armed police cars and headed to General's City.
In the blink of an eye.
The police cars came to a stop one by one in front of the park's open space at Dashoumen.
Before the dust that had been stirred up could completely settle...
The Shinsengumi members, all dressed in black uniforms, quickly got off the vehicle.
Led by Kondo Isao, Hijikata Toshiro, and Okita Sougo, they marched in formation toward the city gate.
however.
The sight before them made even these seasoned veterans feel a chill run down their spines.
The atmosphere at the scene was so somber it was almost stagnant.
The once spacious park, the bridge leading to the Great Gate, and even the city walls and rooftops further back.
It was now filled with various armed personnel.
A group of samurai, dressed in traditional kimonos, with swords at their waists and cold, hard expressions.
There were also ninja figures dressed in jet-black night clothes, their faces covered by masks, revealing only their sharp eyes.
It silently occupies the rooftops, eaves, and even the shadows of trees.
There are even quite a few Onmyoji dressed in black or white hunting robes.
They stood silently in a specific position, as if setting up some kind of barrier.
Including their Shinsengumi.
The shogunate really mobilized all the available forces in Edo.
These are forces that are either independent of each other or secretly vying for power.
At this moment, however, they are clearly distinct yet mutually supportive, surrounding and protecting the General's City at the center.
Together they formed a defensive barrier that combined steel, flesh and blood, and spiritual energy.
The air was filled with the coldness of metal, the dryness of dust, and a sense of oppression before a storm.
And on the bridge in front of the gate.
A handsome middle-aged man wearing a police chief's uniform, sunglasses, one hand in his pocket, and a cigarette in his mouth.
He was gazing up at the foreign warship in the sky, letting the cold wind blow his coat.
He was Kondo Isao's direct superior.
'God of Destruction' Katakuri Tora Matsudaira.
(End of this chapter)