This momentum…
The full-scale war is finally beginning!
"Fire!"
At Smoker's command as the artillery commander, the broadside cannons of the Sunsetter Fleet's twenty-plus ships roared in unison.
In terms of firepower, they naturally couldn't compare to the Charlotte Family.
But this volley still sent nearly a hundred cannonballs tearing through the sky, exploding into a sea of flames before the Charlotte fleet.
However…
The enemy formation remained completely unshaken.
Katakuri aboard the Queen Mama Chanter seemed to have foreseen the trajectories in advance, having the fleet disperse into an assault formation that avoided all the incoming fire.
"With firepower at this level, there's no need to even dispatch officers to intercept."
Smoker flicked his cigarette ash and snorted coldly. "Future-sight Observation Haki is truly terrifying."
"So we'll proceed with the original plan."
Kuina, holding a hair tie in her teeth, finished securing her ponytail behind her back. As she tied up her hair, the corner of her mouth curled slightly:
"Fighting the Charlotte Family in a naval battle? There's absolutely no need for that."
Recognizing one's shortcomings early is never something to be ashamed of.
Whether in personal duels or Emperor Crew-level wars, playing to one's strengths is unavoidable. When outmatched in firepower, naval experience, ship numbers… only a fool would stubbornly take such a disadvantage head-on.
"Nojiko!"
Kuina called sharply without turning her head, "It's your turn!"
"No problem!"
A slender figure with azure-blue long hair responded cheerfully before leaping from the rear deck, diving headfirst toward the sea below.
…
Almost simultaneously, aboard the Queen Mama Chanter.
"That girl…"
Katakuri's eyes flashed red before his expression abruptly changed. He grabbed the Den Den Mushi and barked orders:
"All vanguard ships, reduce speed immediately! Do not hesitate—execute the command now!"
This order seemed rather peculiar issued during the fleet's full-speed charge.
But given Katakuri's authority within the family, the charging fleet quickly complied despite their confusion, slowing down as commanded.
The next instant.
Nojiko's body was about to hit the sea when, at the last moment, she smiled and thrust both hands forward:
"Ice Age!!!"
In that instant, bone-chilling cold swept across the ocean's surface. Pure white ice spread from Nojiko like a raging tide toward the Charlotte fleet.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The turbulent waves froze solid in an instant, transforming into an unbroken glacier.
Over sixty Tart warships of the Charlotte Family were forcibly frozen into the ice, with even the Queen Mama Chanter becoming snow-crusted and immobilized.
As expected.
An ability that can freely alter terrain even at sea… Katakuri's gaze sharpened as he studied Nojiko from afar.
To accomplish this so effortlessly—truly fitting as that man's sister.
"That was close!"
On one of the Tart ships, a combatant with the rank of "Bishop" leaned over the bow, checking the frozen surface below with palpable relief.
That woman who could control ice and snow was truly rotten to the core. Freezing the sea was one thing, but the advancing glacier was even lined with sharp spikes at its edges.
Thankfully, Katakuri-sama had warned them in time, allowing them to slow down promptly.
Otherwise, they might have capsized, ship and all, or worse—plunged straight into the seawater and gotten frozen solid.
"All hands, disembark! Prepare for land combat!"
The Bishop combatant wiped cold sweat from his brow before bellowing at the crew.
Meanwhile, he narrowed his eyes, scanning the battlefield to choose his opponent.
Within the BIGMOM Pirates, combatants like him—those without blood ties to the Charlotte family—were rigidly stratified in rank.
The so-called "Bishops" were relatively high-ranking, with limited numbers, mostly pirates boasting bounties around 100 million Berries.
Above them were the "Knights," even rarer and treated as full-fledged executives, on par with the Charlotte children.
For this operation, there was only one "Knight" deployed, and that was...
The Bishop's gaze instinctively shifted to the right, where a mustachioed man in a pink suit, encased in an eggshell, gracefully leaped down from another Tart ship, wielding a wooden cane.
Baron Tamago!
Bounty: 429 million Berries!
"Such an unpleasant ability~"
Baron Tamago adjusted his glasses, complaining in a gentlemanly tone, yet his eyes locked onto the distant azure figure.
"However, precisely because of that, it warrants proper attention. Very well, leave this to me—"
Before he could even finish the word "me," a streak of silver lightning suddenly erupted from a crevice in the glacier, charging toward him at a terrifying speed before slamming heavily into his side.
The Baron let out a pained scream as he was sent flying, crashing into the distant Queen Mama Chanter.
"...Baron-sama?"
The Bishop combatant gaped in shock.
He quickly turned his head, finally getting a clear look...
That silver lightning streaking across the ice was, unmistakably, a massive wolf with a flowing mane, nearly four meters long!
"Nice one, Agin!"
Nojiko clapped cheerfully, straightening up and planting her hands on her hips with a grin.
"So fast! The battlefield was just set up, and you took the first strike—were you that pent up? Hey! Everyone, we can't fall too far behind!"
She raised her head, shouting toward the Sunset.
"Coming!"
"Don't worry!"
"We've been itching for this too!!"
A chorus of responses boomed from the deck as several figures leaped over the railing.
Zoro remained composed, drawing two swords simultaneously and dashing forward in a ninja-like stance, letting the blades carve trails into the ice.
Sanji, a cigarette clenched between his teeth, kicked off with legs ablaze, racing ahead with equal fervor.
Tashigi unsheathed her famous sword Shigure, casting one last glance at Kuina, who had also drawn Wado Ichimonji, before charging forward.
From the ships flanking them, belonging to the Combat Corps, figures began leaping down one after another, storming straight toward the enemy formation.
In an instant.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of streaking trails bloomed across the glacier, surging toward the Charlotte fleet like a meteor shower.
"Hey, why is everyone so fast? Wait for me!"
Chopper panicked, frantically rummaging through his medical bag before pulling out a Rumble Ball.
Just as he was about to toss it into his mouth, a pale, delicate hand suddenly sprouted from above his head, snatching the Rumble Ball away.
"Huh?" Chopper blinked in confusion. "Robin, why would you—"
"Don't be foolish."
Robin shook her head as she stepped forward, taking the Rumble Ball from her third hand. She crouched down and pinched Chopper's cheek, her expression torn between amusement and exasperation.
"You've been so busy treating the people in our territory lately that you haven't had any time to train your Haki, have you? The front lines are too dangerous for you. Leave the fighting to me."
What on earth was going through this little one's mind?
Probably suffering from the same shortage of crewmates as Sanji.
Otherwise, as a precious ship doctor, why would he charge into the front lines instead of staying in the rear, ready for emergencies?
...
"Achoo!"
Law, who had been sprinting forward, suddenly felt his nose itch and let out a loud sneeze, nearly stumbling and falling flat on his face.
"Cap—no, Captain!"
Bepo, who was right beside him, quickly steadied him. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
"If there was a problem, I'd be able to diagnose it myself."
Law shook his head and glanced at the icy ground beneath his feet. "I've been away from the North Blue for a while now. Maybe I've just grown unaccustomed to snowy environments."
"Hey, you little Curtain Closer brat!"
A boisterous laugh suddenly rang out from the side. "What's with the sudden stop in the middle of a charge? There's no time for rookies like you to chat on the battlefield!"
Whoosh!
A slender, snake-like blade sliced through the air toward him.
Law barely managed to dodge by halting mid-step. Looking up, he saw his attacker—a man with an absurdly long neck, clearly a member of the rare Snake-Neck Tribe.
"I'll help you, Captain!" Bepo's eager voice immediately came from behind.
"No need for teamwork against someone at this level. Handle the others—this one's mine."
Law's voice was icy as he slowly drew his Demon Blade, Ghost Cry, from its sheath.
He shot a sidelong glance at Bepo.
"Charlotte Mascarpone, the 34th son. Quite young. Bounty: 69 million Berries." Bepo crouched on the ground, flipping through a thick stack of bounty posters, his tone solemn.
"So this is your idea of helping? Since when did you become an intelligence officer?!" Law snarled, his teeth bared in frustration.
"How disrespectful! Raaah! A rookie who hasn't even mastered Haki dares to look down on me like this?!"
Mascarpone, furious at being ignored, lunged forward, his blade darting like a viper's strike.
Law gave him a cold look as Ghost Cry flashed from its sheath—
"ROOM·Takt!"
A pale blue spherical space instantly expanded. Mascarpone's body offered no resistance—it was sliced into several pieces in an instant.
"You may have grown up in the New World," Law said, resting his Demon Blade on his shoulder. "But your Haki doesn't seem all that impressive."
Even if these Charlotte Family children had mastered Haki, unless they reached a certain level, they stood no chance against his abilities!
Anyone with a bounty around 100 million Berries, if caught unprepared within his ROOM, would be instantly defeated!
"Bepo."
Law narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
"Don't say it, but your intel can actually be quite useful. Point out all the officers with bounties under 100 million Berries in our direction. These people are all mine."
He had his own ambitions, but wasn't the type who particularly liked showing off. He valued pragmatism more.
His current thinking was also very clear.
To maximize his role, he shouldn't deliberately seek out officers with bounties far higher than his own just to boost his reputation and status within the crew.
Whether he could win or not was another matter.
No matter the outcome, it would waste too much time, causing the battle to become deadlocked and squandering his ability to unexpectedly one-shot Pirates worth 100 million Berries.
(End of chapter)