But no matter what, Mihawk did not want to choose Davy Jones as an enemy at this moment — and anyway there was no deep hatred between them.
So Mihawk adopted the modest, gentlemanly posture and raised a hand toward Doflamingo, saying, "Davy Jones isn't that easy to cut… Since you're interested in him, please — go ahead."
"Heh heh heh heh. Why would I put myself at odds with both Davy Jones and Crocodile at the same time? Besides, that old man standing beside them must have a serious background, right?"
Doflamingo had been able to maintain a revered position in the underworld of the New World for so many years because he had a knack for reading people and judging the moment — he had neither offended Kaido nor Charlotte Linlin.
He was one of the few Warlords who held territory in the New World; his neighbors were, after all, Emperors.
"Mihawk, if it weren't for orders from the World Government, I wouldn't even want to get involved in this war against the Whitebeard Pirates."
"It seems we agree." Mihawk turned his head slightly.
Doflamingo suddenly laughed.
"This war is dull if we just watch. Why not make a bet — who will be the final winner? 'Whitebeard'? The Navy Headquarters? Or this suddenly barging-in third party — Davy Jones?"
"A boring game."
"'Hawk-Eye,' come have some fun. Didn't we come to Marineford to find some fun? You're not seriously hoping to do work for the Navy Headquarters, are you?"
Mihawk, however, walked off. He still had other pirates to hunt down to round out his tally.
He had already made his choice in his heart.
No matter what state the Navy Headquarters is in now, it will ultimately win after the battle — this wager is meaningless.
Unless an accident happens.
So far, the escaped prisoners from Impel Down and Davy Jones' pirate crew are unexpected factors in this war, but not enough to change the final outcome.
Boom—
Mihawk heard a tremendous sound and then saw the execution platform smashed by the "Great Buddha" Sengoku with a single palm; Ace's fate was unknown.
He turned to look at Whitebeard. The old man wielding a long-bladed polearm was still locked in a life-or-death struggle, surrounded by a ring of Whitebeard crew captains and sailors.
"Akainu" Sakazuki led many Marine admirals in a ferocious assault, determined to seize the life of this "World's Strongest Man" while Whitebeard was weakened.
They had each survived countless life-and-death battles, so Davy Jones' Conqueror's Haki did not stun them.
After a brief moment of shock, they threw themselves into the slaughter without hesitation.
Defending, attacking, a bloody tug-of-war began; no one was so dazed by Davy Jones' Conqueror's Haki that they remained still for long.
Look — Whitebeard was already surrounded; the situation had completely tilted toward the Navy Headquarters. I could not see any possibility of a reversal.
As long as Whitebeard and Ace died, everything would be settled.
This wasn't a situation that simply adding Davy Jones, Rayleigh, and Crocodile could turn around.
From a distance Luo saw Doflamingo; a cutting, bone-deep hatred gnawed at him.
But he knew in his gut that he was still far from being able to take revenge with his own hand.
Maybe if he rushed in, he would end up as Doflamingo's puppet and die to everyone's mockery.
He had endured so many years already — could he not endure a little longer?
One day, backed by Captain Davy Jones' power, I will swallow up the evil Donquixote family whole!
He turned and saw Davy Jones standing at the bow, saying to his men, "Go."
That command from Davy Jones was a signal — like opening the iron-barred gate and releasing a pack of beasts inside.
Across Marineford Plaza, a great number of Marines and pirates fell back trembling under Davy Jones' aura.
Before the remaining Marine elites could react, they saw the pirate crew surge toward them like a blade cutting through vegetables, clearing a bloody path.
For a moment cries of terror filled the air.
Even if they survived the fierce slaughter by Crocodile, Kuro, Alvida, Law, Hatchan and others, they would be wholly captured by Perona's Negative Hollows sweeping the battlefield afterward.
Davy Jones' pirate crew were unstoppable, a sharp blade punching straight into the Navy formation's midsection.
"How terrifying a pirate crew—"
As the Marines retreated in fear, a voice rang out high and clear; hearing it, everyone rejoiced.
"Admiral 'Kizaru'!"
Borsalino adjusted his dark sunglasses. His frame was already quite tall, but beside the other 'Pacifists' he looked more like an ordinary man.
"How terrifying," Borsalino stared at the pirates, especially Crocodile. "I wonder if the Pacifists' lasers can shoot through you?"
Beep beep beep beep—
At once a dozen beams flashed from the open mouths of the Pacifists, like the fire of powerful cannons, firing at the crowd.
But members of Davy Jones' crew all moved with remarkable quickness.
They all dodged the beams; some even counterattacked!
Crocodile's sandstorm roared, felling two Pacifists that resembled the "Tyrant" Kuma's bear-like appearance.
Law was even more direct — within his "surgery" range, one Pacifist was severed, exposing internal mechanical gears that still squeaked.
Ten blades of energy shot into the sky; another Pacifist emitted sparks and then erupted, swallowed by flames.
Kuro landed from the air, standing steadily on a block of ice.
A nearby Pacifist tried to attack Kuro but suddenly slipped while moving; its enormous torso pitched forward and collided with Arlitta's swung spiked club, and the armored color shattered its skull completely!
Both the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates watched the scene in astonishment.
"These guys — are they really that strong?"
Buggy, after his body had split, dodged the laser and chased after the group, staring at the four before him with wide, stunned eyes.
Buggy had thought that once he'd obtained the "Mark of Contract" his strength would match Crocodile, Arlitta and Law, but now he was proven terribly mistaken — the gap between them had even widened.
There's no need to say more about Crocodile.
Kuro, Alvida and Law now clearly had both Armament and Observation Haki enhanced by the Mark of Contract, while Buggy had only mastered Observation Haki.
He had wasted too much time; he should have learned Haki long ago, or signed a contract with Captain Davy Jones earlier — at least one of those, and today he wouldn't have to cower behind them.
But Buggy had no time for envy; his main goal was to rescue Ace, and the stronger everyone was, the better his chances.
He knew they were cooperating for Captain Davy Jones' orders, not for him or Ace, but in this moment he could not hide his feelings.
Beep—
Before Buggy could be moved, a chilling compression of laser light formed nearby, subtly different from the Pacifists' beams.
This time, the real thing had arrived.
"Hey, hey — Rayleigh's rookie from the Roger Pirates, have you ever been kicked at light speed?" a voice called.
Buggy whirled and saw Borsalino already lifting his leg; the glare of light swelled.
Bam!
But when Borsalino's leg struck Buggy's face, a long sword blocked it.
"Kizaru, must you always brag in front of my juniors?" Rayleigh had stepped in, holding his sword with a smile.
"If your kick were really 'light-speed,' then all of us here would be dead today. Your fruit shouldn't be called the 'Glint-Glint Fruit' — it should be called the 'Light-Speed Fruit.'"
"Silvers Rayleigh?"
Borsalino tilted his head and pouted, looking at the old man.
"Again you. If not for you earlier, that warlord the Fleet Admiral mentioned — the Dragon's son, 'Straw Hat' Luffy — would already have died by my hand. Those Supernovas wouldn't have escaped either…"
"Haha, don't pin your casual laziness on me. I'm just an old useless man," Rayleigh said, then turned to Buggy. "Aren't you trying to rescue Ace? Go on, then."
"Rayleigh…!"
"Go on, Buggy. You're right; we mustn't bind ourselves with shackles of 'fate' or 'prophecy.' If we had, our voyages back then would have meant nothing."
Buggy nodded hard, kept his body in pieces, and shot off like a cannon.
"This is troublesome," Borsalino watched Buggy's retreating form and then looked down at Rayleigh. "Rayleigh, could you not get in the way, or hurry up and die?"
"Hahaha, sorry to disappoint you," Rayleigh laughed.
A chill swept near; Rayleigh's smile hadn't faded before he moved with deadly quickness and seized an ice spike aimed at his waist.
Turning, he found Aokiji Kuzan; the lenses of Kuzan's glasses reflected light as he said, "Two admirals paying their attention to an old man like me — I'm honored."
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