Originally, Admiral Kong didn't need to be personally present; he could have managed things remotely.
Previously, neither the other sea emperors nor the Revolutionary Army had detected any large-scale troop movements—but now, Revolutionary Army's Sabo had intervened.
Fresh news reported that Sabo and the Straw Hats had successfully escaped from Impel Down, and the former Revolutionary officer, the Newkama King, was with them. Even if the World Government had no intelligence on Revolutionary troop movements, precautions were now necessary.
Nearby Marine Headquarters, on a few islands away, Dragon sat on a rock, listening to the corps leaders' reports. He pondered for a long time: "This is too chaotic. We've drawn the World Government's attention. We should have stayed low; the timing isn't right."
"Should we mobilize allied nations?" a Revolutionary asked.
"No need. I'll go myself."
"That's too dangerous. The World Government has prepared traps. If you go, you might fall straight into them."
"It won't be that easy for them to capture me. I might not act, but I can't let Sabo go reckless alone. At the very least, he mustn't be targeted deliberately by Marine Headquarters. If that happens, conflict is unavoidable. I'll have the corps leaders position the fleet as I planned…"
"Understood."
Near Wano, in the New World.
"Hope I can make it in time." The Red-Haired Pirates had only one ship. He had fought Kaido, who occupied his friend's country, but couldn't take Wano. Defense was easier than offense, and the terrain was challenging.
"Red-Haired left?" Kaido listened to his subordinates' report, deep in thought. Major events had occurred today, but he had no interest in witnessing them personally—some bothersome people were tracking their movements.
The main concern: Whitebeard, the monster, likely wouldn't return today. The World Government had mobilized heavily; even Whitebeard would need to exert everything.
Kaido had no desire to return either. He understood Whitebeard—he would rather die in battle than of old age. Without a rear guard, even rescuing Ace, Whitebeard's crew might struggle to return to the New World.
"Let him be," Kaido decided.
"Should we pursue Red-Haired?" KING asked.
"No. Let them cause trouble."
"CP0 wanted us to hold back Red-Haired, even placing weapon orders for that."
"Doesn't matter."
In Totoland Kingdom:
"Has it started?" Big Mom paused eating as she listened to her subordinates, then continued feasting.
"Mom, who will win this war?" Perospero asked. Interest in this conflict was universal.
"Who knows…"
Back at Marine Headquarters.
"What is this? It's huge!"
"The giants? Little Oars… alive descendants of the giants!" Gecko Moria was excited.
"Taller than giants."
"Charge, Oars!"
"Oars, wait." Oars appeared, facing the cannons of the bay—a live target—but the battlefield only grew more chaotic.
"Yasakani no Magatama!" Kizaru fought Marco.
Light beams pierced Marco, but even with Haki, he was unharmed. The Phoenix power allowed instantaneous healing and damage absorption, making him nearly invincible unless restrained.
Kizaru followed with concentrated laser fire, even forming light swords to attack Marco directly.
"Bang!" Marco met every attack, kicking Kizaru's light sword. The collision of light and flame exploded violently, sending nearby pirates and Marines flying.
At this scale, even vice-admirals were ineffective; only admirals could influence the fight.
"This is terrifying. That kick actually hurt, Whitebeard Pirates," Kizaru remarked casually, confident in his admiral-level strength.
The kick strained his wrist slightly. Haki struck his physical body, but the scarred area from Crocodile's past attack remained sensitive. Still, it didn't affect his combat ability.
"Stop lying," Marco said, intensifying his force and temporarily pushing Kizaru back. Dense lasers met him in response, but he was safe—for now. The battlefield erupted with lasers, punches, light, and fire, forming a deadly zone.
Aokiji faced Diamond Jozu. Ice powers struggled against Jozu's defensive diamond body, which, like a warship, was heavy and dangerous. A collision, even with Haki, would inflict some damage.
"Clang!" Ice blades couldn't pierce diamond. Aokiji, serious, unleashed Armament Haki to strike again, but Jozu dodged. A diamond punch followed, shaking the air.
"Diamond Jozu lives up to his name!" Aokiji braced, using Haki and retreating across the ice.
"Unharmed?!" Jozu was shocked; few could endure his raw strength.
Whitebeard Pirates and Marines had clashed for years, but Jozu had rarely faced Aokiji one-on-one. Even Kizaru had engaged several times—Marine admirals were formidable.
Jozu's attack shattered the ice hundreds of meters wide. Aokiji closed in, Haki covering his ice blade, sweeping Jozu away, toppling many along the path.
Most attention, however, remained on Akainu versus Whitebeard, though most of Akainu's strikes were probing. Even aged Whitebeard was terrifying; Akainu alone couldn't dominate.
War tested not only strength but psychological fortitude. Executing Ace early was a strategic move to rattle Whitebeard's crew, creating openings to eliminate the Pirate King's lineage.
Even probe attacks were devastating: lava flew, the air shattered, and destructive shockwaves spread.
"No wonder they're monsters!" Moria and Doflamingo, Shichibukai, were shocked by the power of the two.
Hawkeye had struck once, avoiding further confrontation. He didn't want to risk injury or overexert himself for the Marines; conserving strength was prudent. Every Shichibukai acted similarly; they weren't fully aligned with Marine Headquarters.
If all powers were unleashed, Whitebeard Pirates could have been suppressed, but human hearts are complex; ideal outcomes aren't guaranteed.
"Stinky Leg!"
"Prisoner Arrow!"
Boa Hancock, in a provocative cheongsam, swept her long legs, petrifying pirates into statues, surveying the battlefield only to see chaos.
"Hathaway, are you here?" A man crossed her mind—oddly.
"Attack together. This is the Shichibukai, Pirate Empress. Don't face vice-admirals or Shichibukai alone," a 200 million Beli New World pirate warned the struggling crew.
(End of Chapter)
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