Chapter 293: The Frozen Hachinosu!
On Hachinosu, half of which had been transformed into a world of ice and snow, the freezing air still roamed the atmosphere.
Gion stood in the center of the frozen battlefield, coldly ordering the troops to regroup, to completely annihilate any pirates still putting up a stubborn resistance, and to disarm and capture the rest.
After a brief headcount and lockdown, the Marine soldiers began to evacuate in an orderly manner, escorting a ship full of prisoners back to the warship, preparing to return to Headquarters to report.
Luffy and Ace stood shoulder to shoulder on the deck, their gazes involuntarily drifting toward the bow.
There, Kuzan was lying lazily on a sun lounger, his hands pillowed behind his head, seemingly completely unfazed by the island-shaking strike he had just unleashed.
The two brothers looked back at the massive iceberg covering half the island in the distance. The rumor circulating within the Marines surfaced in their minds—
"Roy is even stronger than the Admirals."
The hot blood surging in their chests transformed into a single, shared thought—We must get stronger!
Not long after the warship sailed away, on the other side of the sea, three uniquely designed pirate ships covered in candy and frosting patterns slowly approached.
The Waters Outside Hachinosu · Big Mom Pirates
Charlotte Perospero stood at the bow, his long tongue licking his candy cane. A corner of the intelligence report unrolled in his hand was flipped up by the sea breeze, making a rustling sound.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... This Ochoku, he's not simple~"
His tone carried a hint of amusement. "He was part of the original crew on the same ship as Mama back in the day. He's got a solid foundation."
Standing to the side, Charlotte Daifuku crossed his arms. Steam slowly rose from his body as he spoke in a deep voice:
"Is that why Mama sent us here... to test the possibility of an alliance?"
Perospero narrowed his eyes, a sinister smile appearing on his lips: "Exactly. With the current situation, he indeed has a chance to compete for a 'Yonko' position."
"If he can ally with Totto Land, then this sea..."
He licked his lips. "...is really going to explode with excitement!"
However, their conversation was quickly interrupted by a flurry of panicked shouts—
"Lord Perospero! Lord Daifuku!!"
Several lookouts practically tumbled down from the mast. Their faces were pale, their voices full of terror:
"Hachinosu... has turned into an iceberg!!!"
"What?!"
The two abruptly turned their heads, following their subordinates' trembling fingers—
What entered their vision was a sight that made their hearts suddenly run cold:
In the distance, the originally towering skull fortress was completely destroyed on one side, and half of the island was swallowed by a layer of crystal-clear ice.
As the sunlight spilled down, the ice surface reflected a blinding, cold light. The white frost even spread out into the nearby waters, freezing the very ocean waves into semi-transparent ice sculptures.
"Th-This is..."
Perospero's candy cane let out a crisp crack in his palm, thick syrup slowly dripping through his fingers.
The steam on Daifuku's body churned wildly, his voice carrying sheer disbelief: "Freezing half an island?!!"
"On this scale... unless it's..."
The two spat out the name almost simultaneously—
"Admiral Aokiji?!!"
Perospero's face darkened: "The Marines have already made their move... and an Admiral came in person?"
He abruptly turned around, ordering in a deep voice: "Quick! Contact Mama!"
"Tell her—Hachinosu has already been conquered by the Marines!"
Daifuku's steam-shrouded figure heaved violently, gravity settling between his brows: "If even Ochoku has been taken down..."
"Then whether there was an alliance or not, there is no place for us to intervene here."
Perospero gritted his teeth and growled, "Retreat! This level of combat power is not something we can handle!"
...
Marineford · Fleet Admiral's Office
The previously oppressive atmosphere was broken by Roy's sudden remark.
"Right, the Shichibukai I brought back... according to intel, he seems to be Cutie-do's good brother."
Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru froze simultaneously, all shooting him confused glances: "Cutie-do? Who is that?"
Roy paused for half a second, then coughed lightly, explaining with a smile: "A nickname I gave Kaido... haha, my bad, I'm just used to calling him that."
"PFFT!!!"
Garp spat out his tea on the spot, rice cracker crumbs flying everywhere. He laughed so hard tears almost came to his eyes: "BWAHAHAHA! The dignified Pirate Emperor, called 'Cutie-do'!"
"If you let this slip out, brat, wouldn't that guy fly straight to Marineford to fight you to the death?!!"
Just as his voice fell, while he was still doubled over laughing, he suddenly noticed Roy rubbing his chin with his head lowered, frowning slightly as if seriously pondering something.
"...Seems like that might actually work?" Roy muttered softly.
Garp's smile stiffened, and he immediately straightened up: "Hey, hey, hey, you're not serious, are you?!"
Zephyr instantly realized something was wrong and interrupted Roy's "dangerous train of thought" in a deep voice: "That Shichibukai you mentioned just now, what exactly is going on with him?"
Roy snapped back to reality, his expression returning to calm: "According to my investigation, Hanafuda has been using his title as a Shichibukai to frantically collect Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits on the outside."
"But these fruits have never circulated in the black market. They were all secretly sent by him to the Beast Pirates."
He paused, his eyes deepening slightly: "Furthermore, Hanafuda and Kaido are best friends."
Roy looked up, his gaze sweeping over the four of them: "If I publicly execute him, will that stupid dragon be able to resist showing up in person?"
The office instantly went quiet, as if even the air had solidified.
Garp's laughter came to an abrupt halt, staring dead at Roy: "You brat... are you serious?!"
Zephyr tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, his brow furrowed deeply: "Publicly executing a Shichibukai? Will the World Government agree to that?"
Sengoku pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a sharp glint: "Roy, this is no joking matter."
Tsuru folded her hands together, her tone calm but revealing a profound meaning: "Are you trying to... use this opportunity to actively attack the Beast Pirates?"
Garp suddenly slammed his fist onto the table with a BANG, making the teacups rattle. Battle intent flashed in his eyes: "BWAHAHA! Interesting! If we can lure that bastard Kaido out, this old man will be the first to beat him up!"
"Stop adding to the chaos, you old fool!" Zephyr shot him an exasperated glare, but he didn't completely shoot down the idea. Instead, he looked at Roy, his voice deep and steady: "However... this is indeed an opportunity."
He said slowly: "If we can take this chance to heavily cripple the Beast Pirates, or even take down Kaido directly—"
"The structure of the New World will be completely rewritten!"
...
Whole Cake Island, Center Palace of Totto Land.
Under the towering dome, candlelight flickered. The sweet aroma should have been mouth-watering, but at this moment, the air inside the grand hall was as oppressive as an ice cellar.
"Mamamama—!!!"
Charlotte Linlin's mad laughter echoed through the spacious hall, like massive waves crashing against reefs, carrying a crazed reverberation.
However, within those blade-like eyes, there was a chilling glint that made one's heart palpitate.
"The Marines... are truly getting more and more arrogant!"
She grabbed a towering cake tower beside her and clenched her hand violently—
"SQUELCH!!"
Cream and sugar crumbs splashed out like a rainstorm, dripping onto the luxurious long table and thick carpet, leaving a shocking mark.
Katakuri stood quietly below the throne, his gaze calm and cold, his voice deep and steady: "Mama, according to the intel sent back by Perospero..."
"Hachinosu has already been completely conquered by the Marines. Ochoku's fate is unknown!"
He paused, a heavy look between his brows: "Furthermore, the one who took action... is very likely the Marine Admiral, Aokiji."
Big Mom's laughter came to an abrupt halt, a long-absent look of solemnity and wariness flashing in her eyes.
"Kuzan... that freezing brat?!"
She abruptly stood up, her voice like thunder: "Notify all my children!"
"Totto Land is entering maximum alert!!"
"The Marines... are about to make a massive move!!!"
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