The successive fall of the islands defended by Zephyr and Akainu had massively bolstered the pirates' momentum. The other three large-scale Marine bases in the New World were now in equally precarious positions.
Aokiji faced an assault from the Beasts Pirates. Although his Ice-Ice Fruit granted him immense destructive power at sea, and he did indeed eliminate a significant number of pirates, he was no match for Kaido when the Yonko himself made a move. Aokiji was ultimately defeated, losing the base island.
The base guarded by Kizaru came under attack by a massive pirate coalition. The leaders were not the Yonko crews, but rather a collection of first-rate, large-scale pirate crews. Their numbers were enormous, and their captains were all formidable fighters with bounties in the seven to eight hundred million range. Under their combined siege, they managed to hold Kizaru at bay. In the end, due to a lack of manpower and a desire to preserve his forces, Kizaru was forced to make a strategic retreat.
Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates had squared off against Garp. Garp and Whitebeard engaged in a fierce battle that sank an entire outpost island. Again, due to the Marines' mid-to-high-level forces being outmatched by the Whitebeard Pirates, Garp was ultimately forced to withdraw, surrendering the base.
Within a matter of days, all five major Marine bases in the New World, each defended by an Admiral-level powerhouse, had fallen under the leadership of the Yonko crews.
The Marines' losses were catastrophic. Their forces retreated to the Mid-Chain Supply Island further back, but the pirates had no intention of letting them go. Riding the wave of their victory, they pursued them, preparing to drive the Marines out of the New World for good.
Pirate crews from other battlefields began to converge on the Mid-Chain Supply Island. Every notorious pirate crew in the New World answered the call, and even smaller, unknown crews swarmed to the location.
Of the top-tier pirate crews, only the Red-Haired Pirates were absent. Shanks hadn't even participated in the sieges on the major Marine bases; what he was doing was anyone's guess.
The seas around the Mid-Chain Supply Island were a chaotic spectacle of hundreds of vessels. Pirate ships of every shape and size sailed through the waves, a truly spectacular sight. The Sky God, leading its own fleet, also headed over to join the fray.
In truth, with the fall of the five major Marine bases, along with dozens of outposts and smaller bases, the Marines' power in the New World had already been shattered. Whether they fought at the Mid-Chain Supply Island or not, the Marines had already lost their foothold.
At this moment, hundreds of Marine warships, large and small, were docked around the Mid-Chain Supply Island. The coastlines were teeming with soldiers.
In addition to the five Admiral-level combatants who had retreated from the five major bases, Fleet Admiral "Sengoku the Buddha" had personally come to provide support. Not only that, but the former Fleet Admiral, "Steel Bone" Kong, recognizing the grave consequences of this great war, had also arrived on the island with elite troops. They intended to withstand the joint siege of the New World pirates.
In the temporary command room on the Mid-Chain Supply Island, every Marine of Vice Admiral rank and above was present, seated on either side of the room. At the head sat Kong, who had taken over command, temporarily superseding Sengoku.
More than half of the officers present were wrapped in bandages, all veterans of the battles for the five major bases. The Admiral-level leaders of those battles were also heavily injured. The most severe were Akainu and Aokiji, followed by Zephyr, while Kizaru had sustained the lightest injuries. Since Kizaru had not been facing an Admiral-level opponent and possessed incredible speed, his light injuries were to be expected.
"The four Yonko crews of the New World are leading the charge, with over twenty large pirate crews and dozens of medium and small crews already approaching the Second Round Archipelago. They are not far from the Mid-Chain Island," Sengoku reported, his expression extremely grave. "We need to intercept them immediately. We absolutely cannot let the battle take place on the Mid-Chain Island itself."
Everyone present knew that a battle of this magnitude could sink three islands the size of Mid-Chain.
"Then we'll make our stand at the Second Round Archipelago and engage them in a defensive battle in the nearby waters. We must stop this horde of pirates there," Kong stated, his face impassive, his tone heavy with resolve.
"Aokiji, this time, we'll need you to go all out," Kong said, looking down at the Admiral.
"No problem. I will do everything in my power to hold them at the Second Round Archipelago," Aokiji nodded with a serious expression. His Ice-Ice Fruit could trap the pirate ships at sea, creating a battlefield on the ocean itself.
"I don't think the Second Round Archipelago is the best battlefield," Vice Admiral Tsuru interjected.
Kong and the others turned to look at her. Tsuru explained, "Those pirate crews will certainly try to circle around us from other directions. Once they get behind us, we'll be caught between two fronts. That would be extremely disadvantageous. I suggest we make our stand at the First Round Archipelago and confine the battlefield to the sea in front of it. That way, we'll have a chance to draw the pirate crews attacking from other directions toward the main battlefield at the First Round Archipelago. And even if they do get behind us, we'll have the Mid-Chain Island at our backs. We can rely on its defensive forces to intercept that contingent of pirates for us."
Kong stared at the map for a moment before nodding. "That's a point I overlooked. Very well, we'll revise the plan. We'll make our stand at the First Round Archipelago, with the sea before it as our battlefield."
Kong and the others quickly finalized their troop deployment.
Kong stood up, his expression incredibly solemn. In the command room, the Admirals and Vice Admirals all rose to their feet, their faces equally serious.
"Everyone," Kong began, his gaze sweeping across the room, "the scale of this war is unprecedented. It is a tremendous test for all of us. If we lose, we will lose all control over the New World, and it will completely devolve into a pirate's paradise. Countless civilians in the New World will become playthings for pirates."
"Not only that, if we lose, we Marines will completely lose the trust of the world's people. We will no longer have any authority over pirates, and this so-called 'Great Pirate Era' will descend into even greater chaos. I will not allow that to happen." A resolute belief burned in Kong's eyes as he looked at each person.
"Therefore, for the sake of the innocent civilians of the New World, for the honor of the Marines, and for the very name of Justice, we must win this battle."
"The Five Elders have already made their position clear," he added, his voice carrying the weight of the World Government and the will of the Marines. "No matter the cost, this battle must be won."
A steadfast conviction flashed in the eyes of the Admirals and Vice Admirals. They stood ramrod straight and saluted Kong.
"Justice will prevail!"
That single phrase represented the unyielding will of the Marine high command.
The Admirals and Vice Admirals filed out of the command room, leading their subordinate officers to board the warships. The grand army set off toward the First Round Archipelago.
Only Kong, Sengoku, and Tsuru remained in the command center.
"This battle is perilous. What move is the World Government truly making?" Tsuru asked Kong. When assessing the strength of both sides, Tsuru had already concluded that the Marines' chances of victory were not high; a crushing defeat was highly likely. Kong's arrival certainly carried the World Government's will, and she believed they must have a deeper plan in motion.
"CP0, CP1, and CP2—the three major intelligence organizations—have been dispatched simultaneously," Kong revealed. "They are infiltrating the home bases of the Beasts Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, and the Fire Tank Pirates, respectively. They are preparing to carry out large-scale sabotage to force the three Yonko crews to withdraw. Once those three crews leave the battlefield, we'll have a fighting chance."
A look of relief appeared on Tsuru's face. "With the three organizations of the Cipher Pol most renowned for their combat strength acting together, they should be able to force at least two of the Yonko crews to retreat."
"With the fall of our five major bases, the destruction of dozens of smaller islands, and the deaths of tens of thousands of our men, we have already lost the New World," Kong said, a ruthless expression crossing his face. "So in this battle, we must make the pirates of the New World feel excruciating pain."
"If we want to return to the New World," Sengoku added in a low, determined voice, "we must first drastically reduce the pirates' strength, especially those Yonko-class crews. That is why this battle must be won."