If close combat wasn't working, ranged attacks would have to do. A blue arc of compressed air shot from Hammer's leg, flying straight toward the spiked shield ahead.
A harsh metallic screech rang out.
Hammer's Rankyaku sliced the spiked shield cleanly in two.
Batu, however, wasn't fazed.
"Shield Shield: Reflection Shield!"
A circular shield of shimmering energy instantly materialized before him.
The slash struck the shield, only to be absorbed and immediately bounced back with identical force.
Hammer was shocked, but his movements didn't falter. Another Rankyaku shot out.
The two energy slashes collided in midair and vanished.
"Keh keh keh! Didn't expect a marine brat like you to know Rokushiki,"
"Killing you oughta bump my bounty nicely!"
Batu grinned cruelly and beckoned with a finger.
Countless pirates rushed forward, surrounding Hammer.
"Hmph. As if mere a bunch of mere low-level pirates could take down a marine."
Hammer was clearly annoyed that his attacks had been blocked. A powerful aura began to radiate from his body.
Batu's heart skipped a beat, but then he remembered: 'This is our ship. Our turf. What am I afraid of?!'
"Shield Shield: Thousand-Shield Formation!"
"Grab your shields and kill that brat!"
Dozens of shields suddenly appeared. Batu's small-fry pirates each grabbed one and charged toward Hammer with ferocious energy.
Gunfire and war cries erupted across the deck.
Hammer quickly activated Tekkai, hardening himself just in time for the gunfire.
The bullets bounced harmlessly off his reinforced skin. He didn't take a scratch.
Still, he didn't dare lower his guard, because the pirates were now right in his face.
A flashing broadsword swung toward him.
Hammer's counterattack was swift. A single Shingan took down the pirate in front of him.
The next second, he darted forward like a swift leopard.
Hammer went all out. "Rankyaku and Shingan flew non-stop.
The pirate formation was thrown into chaos.
"You idiots! Use your damn shields! Push forward and corner him"
Batu really lived up to being a 100 million bounty pirate from the Grand Line. His commanding ability wasn't half bad.
Sure enough, after hearing his shout, the previously disorganized small fries began to lift their shields in formation.
Thanks to the Shield Shield Fruit, Hammer's attack rhythm dropped sharply.
He could've taken out pirates with a single Shingan, but now, with those shields in the way, all he managed was punching shallow dents.
Hammer also noticed these pirates were skilled at using shields, they defended themselves with surprising precision.
If that's the case, Hammer locked his sights on Batu. 'If I take him down, the rest will fall apart.'
'But would it really be that easy?'
Batu met Hammer's gaze with a twisted grin that made him look truly menacing.
"Marine brat, think you can take me out? Let's see if youre truly capable!"
"Sawtooth Chain Shield!"
Batu activated his fruit, and a circular, jagged shield appeared in his hand. The next moment, he hurled it straight at Hammer.
The saw-like shield spun as it flew through the air, screeching as it aimed for Hammer's face.
Hammer had no choice, he raised his arms and braced for impact.
The ear-piercing sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air.
The sheer force of the impact sent Hammer skidding backward, his boots carving deep grooves into the deck.
That blow left him a little dazed.
'Seriously? Even a newly 100 million bounty pirate has this kind of strength now?!'
Anger erupted in Hammer's chest.
"Damn it, there's no way I'm losing to some small-time 100 million pirate!!"
Hammer was furious now.
He raised his right hand, and a faint white glow began to shine.
As the light appeared, a pair of gauntlets materialized out of thin air.
"If you're using a shield, then it's only fair I bring out weapons too!"
These Power Gauntlets were the same type he'd once given to Sakazuki, they greatly amplified punching power and could unleash shockwave punches.
"Iron Fist: Windbreaker!"
Slipping on the gauntlets, Hammer threw a devastating punch.
A blast of air surged forward, sending a pirate flying.
The shield had protected the pirate from direct damage, but it couldn't stop the sheer force of the shockwave. Both man and shield were blown away together.
Batu was visibly stunned by the sight
While Batu was still stunned, Hammer had already moved.
"Windbreaker! Gatling Barrage!!"
Hammer rooted himself in a horse stance. In the next second, his fists blurred into afterimages as a flurry of violent punches created fierce shockwaves in all directions.
In an instant, the grunts' formation collapsed. A few unlucky ones were even blasted clean off the deck and into the sea by the force of the punches.
Seeing this, Batu cursed under his breath. He swung up his Sawtooth Chain Shield and hurled it again at Hammer in an attempt to stop his rampage.
"Hmph! In your dreams!"
"Windbreaker! Dragon Eye!"
Facing the incoming sawtooth shield, Hammer didn't retreat, he charged forward instead. Clasping both fists together, he raised them and slammed down hard.
A terrifying gust of air instantly condensed into a concentrated shockwave, blasting straight toward the shield.
With a thunderous impact, the sawtooth shield was sent flying by the blast. The saw teeth scattered in every direction.
That was the cry of an unlucky pirate who got hit by a flying tooth.
"I'm not done yet, bastard!"
Hammer didn't let up. His ring glowed again, this time summoning an iron staff!
Gripping the staff with both hands, Hammer glared fiercely at Batu and shouted:
"Extend! Power Pole!"
As Hammer roared, the staff suddenly came alive, rapidly extending forward at an unbelievable speed.
"Shield Shield: Reflection Shield!"
Batu panicked and quickly used the same reflection shield technique that had deflected the Rankyaku earlier.
The iron staff slammed straight into the shield without slowing down.
A tremendous crashing sound echoed out. The rebound shield glowed brightly as it absorbed the force, but when it tried to reflect the energy back, it found the staff's momentum hadn't diminished at all.
The two forces collided head-on, and the staff began emitting a sharp, grating screech.
"You bastard! Break!!"
Hammer didn't care about the staff's condition. He poured in more strength, determined to smash through Batu's rebound shield.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Under the immense strain of opposing forces, the iron staff snapped cleanly in half.