"I must say, Saint Marcus Mars, you look well... No, no, I shouldn't call you Saint Marcus Mars anymore. After all, the Celestial Dragons will meet their true demise today."
The colossal giant, towering over ten meters tall, tilted its head to gaze at the Itsumade in the sky.
That beautiful face revealed an extreme... craving.
A hunger for food.
"Honestly, I've never seen a creature with a bird's head, wings, and talons, yet a serpent's body... But I imagine you'd taste delicious if cooked, wouldn't you?"
"Charlotte Linlin... As Carmel's adopted child, how dare you oppose us?" Mars, transformed into the Itsumade, looked down at her.
"Remember, Carmel has... deep ties with us."
"Oh, you mean Sister Carmel..." Charlotte Linlin shrugged. "Too bad. I already have my children and rule... no, two countries. More importantly, I have an ally whose soul resonates with mine. So, I won't be shaken by anything related to Sister Carmel anymore."
When she mentioned Sister Carmel, her expression remained calm, with a hint of disdain lurking beneath the surface.
After all... She was a woman who ruled two nations.
Her innate talent, intelligence, and political acumen had been unleashed after Michael cured her Hunger Pangs.
Analyzing Sister Carmel's past actions from a third-party perspective now revealed countless flaws.
If she could still be swayed by that name, she wouldn't be Charlotte Linlin.
"Enough, Linlin. Have you forgotten Michael's initial instructions? Quick and decisive... Why are you chatting with this old geezer?" Kaido, the King of the Beasts, stood beside her, his kanabo slung over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Mars.
"If you're having trouble, I'll handle him myself."
"Mamamamama! My foolish little brother! When did you start listening to Michael?" Charlotte Linlin's face carried a hint of mockery. "Anyone would think you've turned into some kind of saint."
"I have no interest in being a saint... I'm just trying to move a little closer to the possibilities Michael described," Kaido said, shaking his head. "And even if I never cross paths with Michael again, as long as it's a fight against the World Government, this old man will always lend a hand, no matter the circumstances!"
...
"Young members of the Angel Alliance... halt here!" Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, tall and stern, blocked the center of the battlefield.
"Though you've gathered the strength of the entire world... Lady Imu and her loyal servants will show you the true meaning of powerlessness... and the folly of seeking your own destruction!"
"Huh? Did someone say something?" A bolt of lightning crashed from the sky as the long-eared man picked at his ear. "Tch, this battlefield is so boring... Even after their enhancements, your Celestial Dragons are still pretty weak."
Though Enel had descended from the heavens, he had already reaped many Celestial Dragon lives.
"Don't mock them too much," Hawkeye said, having just slashed a Celestial Dragon away with his Black Blade Yoru.
He turned to continue, "As the Five Elders, they're in a rather helpless position. As the Angel Alliance's Admiral, who respects the old and cherishes the young... I think we should send him down to reunite with the other Celestial Dragons."
"Are you two ever going to stop? Why waste so much breath on these fools?!" Hancock clenched her fist and charged straight at Ju Peter.
"It's better to just get this over with! I can't stand looking at this ugly freak any longer!"
Enel and Hawkeye exchanged glances, then sighed in unison.
And then... The Angel Alliance's three newly appointed Admirals charged toward Ju Peter, who had been enhanced by Lady Imu.
"Ah... still clinging to your delusions."
As the words faded, a colossal sandworm erupted from the ground.
Its massive, all-devouring maw lunged at the three young Admirals.
...
Saint Topman Warcury suppressed his rising anger and turned to face the three men before him.
These three men... he knew them intimately.
After all, they were his own creations, nurtured and elevated by his hand.
Years ago, within the Marine ranks, Warcury had dispatched agents to sow discord among the factions, all to ensure that the trio's influence grew unchecked, with no one capable of stopping them.
Once they seized power, their conflicting personalities and the rivalries among their subordinates would keep them in constant check, allowing the World Government to manipulate the Marines at will.
But then... Michael appeared.
For some inexplicable reason, he had united these three... ending their animosity.
"Borsalino, Sakazuki... and Kuzan. You three were once the World Government's finest warriors."
"You're absolutely right. We are exceptional," Kizaru nodded. "Your judgment is impeccable."
"I won't bother with sarcasm at a time like this," Aokiji muttered, pursing his lips. "But... Sakazuki, don't you have anything to say to your 'esteemed superiors'?"
"Superiors?" Akainu grinned, letting out a booming laugh that sent molten magma splattering.
"Don't be ridiculous, Kuzan... I've never considered the World Government or the Five Elders my superiors. Even Sengoku's orders were merely temporary. The only one in this world who truly understands my ambition, who knows what I seek... is Michael!"
"In other words, there's no point in talking."
Warcury wasted no time on further words.
In an instant, he transformed into the Houki, a boar-like beast as massive as a mountain, and charged toward the veteran Three Admirals.
"Ah, what a magnificent boar..."
"But can magma-roasted boar really taste good?"
"Meteor... Volcano!"
On battlefields across the globe, the Allied Forces of Celestial Dragons and Angels clashed in close combat.
Even with the guaranteed strength of Vice Admirals and Dual-Colored Haki... Most Celestial Dragons possessed only raw power.
Against the Angel Alliance's soldiers and mid-level officers, they proved formidable.
After all, their strength was undeniable, and their unique immortality could only be overcome by the most elite fighters.
But that was all.
After all these years, Michael's accumulated resources were beyond the capabilities of ordinary opponents.
In addition to special forces from Amazon Lily, Fish-Man Island, Elbaf, Wano Country, and the Mink Tribe, there were even more extraordinary reinforcements.
For example, Vegapunk commanded the front lines, overseeing the deployment of mass destruction weapons.
His Seraphim served as his personal guard, repelling wave after wave of Celestial Dragons attempting to breach the encirclement.
For instance, the high-tech clones from the Germa Kingdom, though ignorant of Dual-Colored Haki, became a major force on the apocalyptic battlefield after donning the mass-produced Raid Suits developed by Germa 66 under Sora's leadership.
These organized armies, led by the Angel Alliance's elite warriors, assaulted the Celestial Dragons' formations.
Meanwhile, the Sea Kings lurking along the coast had long been watching with predatory eyes.
Under Princess Shirahoshi's command, they guarded every possible escape route, forming the final safety net.
Princess Shirahoshi herself was perched atop the largest Sea King, surveying the entire battlefield from her elevated vantage point.
Clasping her hands before her chest, she prayed.
Prayed that this war would bring a swift end to all suffering.
"Archangel of the Apocalypse, Michael... Grant us... that beautiful future."
...
SWORD's forces base.
"Ha! You're all truly stubborn!" Sandersonia's speed Fruit allowed her to dart through the crowd, her daggers leaving deep, bone-grazing wounds on the Celestial Dragons.
"Sandersonia! Get out of the way!" Before the words could register, Sandersonia used her momentum to leap high into the air.
In the next instant, Marigold's massive hammer crashed down from above, obliterating everything in its path.
"Whoa." Sandersonia landed atop Marigold's hammer.
The earth cracked.
"Hey! Marigold! Aren't you being a little reckless?!" Hina turned her head with a sigh as dozens of black iron-barred spears shot forward.
"At least... be careful not to hit our own people!"
"Spare me the details, Hina. This isn't the time for such niceties," Smoker retorted, exhaling a thick cloud of scalding smoke that engulfed a Celestial Dragon, eliciting a scream as if being flayed alive.
"Anyone still in the inner circle of the main battlefield... who can't avoid friendly fire... will be the laughingstock of the century."
"You make it sound so easy... I wonder who almost got paralyzed by my high-voltage rain just now!" Stella, revered as the big sister by the entire SWORD special forces, now wore a battle-crazed expression.
"AHAHAHA! Die, you bastards!"
"What's gotten into her?" Shu and T-Bone fought back-to-back, managing to gossip between attacks.
"Did something trigger her?"
"You're asking me?!" Crocodile swung her desert blade, glancing at them between strikes. "I think you're asking for a fist to the face!"
While the SWORD special forces fought and gossiped, a massive meteorite had gathered in the sky... Then it crashed down with a roar into the center of the battlefield.
"You guys... could you at least give Michael a break?"
"You're the one who needs to worry Fujitora! I told you not to drop meteorites, not to drop meteorites!" Nico Robin, overseeing the battle, roared.
"You've already turned that idiot Smoker into secondhand smoke!"