The battle at Base 3 had escalated into complete chaos, with Charlotte Katakuri, Lemor, Iris, and Charlotte Oven unleashing their full strength without restraint.
Their opponents were four Vice Admirals, two of whom had only just arrived as reinforcements. However, by the time they entered the battlefield, one Vice Admiral had already been decisively killed by Katakuri.
Even while fighting two against one, Katakuri maintained absolute dominance. His overwhelming strength, combined with his advanced Observation Haki that allowed him to glimpse the future, rendered both Vice Admirals nearly helpless. They were battered again and again, barely managing to stay alive.
Meanwhile, the Hurricane Homie rampaged wildly across the battlefield, while the Mochi Homie transformed into a massive monster that devoured soldiers one after another. Both Homies possessed traits similar to Logia-type abilities, making them immune to ordinary physical attacks, and each individually wielded power comparable to a standard Vice Admiral.
On another front, Oven and Lemor were engaged with the remaining two Vice Admirals. Their clash was intense, yet the advantage was obvious to anyone watching. These pirates, hardened by the brutal environment of the New World, wielded terrifying Devil Fruit abilities.
The Heat-Heat Fruit radiated scorching destruction, while the Tyrannosaurus Fruit brought overwhelming physical dominance. Together, they posed an immense threat that the two Vice Admirals struggled to contain.
As for Iris, the fleet captain of the Sky Pirates, the spider tattoo across her chest only added to her dangerous allure. Her title, "Black Widow," was well deserved.
By now, Base 3 had become a web-covered deathtrap. Countless strands of spider silk stretched across the battlefield, binding soldiers in place like helpless prey. No matter how desperately they struggled, escape was nearly impossible. The more they resisted, the deeper they became entangled.
Worse still, the webs carried potent venom. Any contact allowed toxins to seep into the body, poisoning victims one after another. Death was only a matter of time for those ensnared.
Iris focused on suppressing stronger opponents, ensuring none could interfere with Katakuri and the others. At the same time, she carefully observed her temporary allies.
Oven's strength ranked among the top within the Big Mom Pirates, while Lemor had already earned recognition as a Calamity within the Beast Pirates. Even if they were slightly weaker than her, the gap was minimal, and both still had tremendous room to grow.
Yet compared to them, Katakuri was on an entirely different level.
The Mochi-Mochi Fruit, which might appear unremarkable in lesser hands, had been pushed to its absolute limit under his control. His future-sight Observation Haki was already well known across the New World, a terrifying ability born from the extreme refinement of that discipline.
Every movement made by the two Vice Admirals fell within his predictions. Their resistance had become meaningless. From the beginning of the battle until now, Katakuri had not suffered a single injury.
Victory was already within reach, and everything was proceeding smoothly.
Iris exhaled quietly, the tension in her chest easing slightly. However, she knew this was only the beginning. The true war was still ahead, and when the World Government fully mobilized, the scale would be far more terrifying.
If the Golden Sea had been located in the New World, the World Government might have acted more cautiously. But here, in the Grand Line, they still held confidence and authority.
That was why this surprise attack had been necessary.
The goal was simple. Reduce the enemy's forces as much as possible before the real war began.
The plan had a high chance of success, but failure remained a possibility. No one dared lower their guard. If intelligence leaked or if this turned out to be a trap, many of them could be abandoned here without hesitation. After all, among pirates, sacrificing temporary allies was nothing unusual.
For now, however, everything was going according to plan.
At Base 4, Vice Admiral Juan was being relentlessly besieged by King, Laffitte, and Shiryu. Already heavily injured, his situation grew increasingly dire.
His stamina drained rapidly, and with each passing moment, his chances of survival shrank.
At last, reinforcements from Base 2 arrived.
A Marine warship approached, and before it even fully closed the distance, a Vice Admiral leapt into the air using Geppo, racing toward the battlefield.
"Reinforcements, hm? Two Vice Admirals. Let's deal with them first," Laffitte said with a faint smile, spreading his bat-like wings as he shot toward them.
Shiryu immediately withdrew from his assault on Juan and shifted his focus to the newcomers. Even weakened, Juan remained difficult to finish, and his corrosive ability continued to restrict their movements.
After such prolonged fighting, their stamina had begun to dip, though not to a critical degree. As Zoan users, their recovery remained exceptional.
The arriving Vice Admirals took in the devastated base and countless casualties. Rage ignited within them instantly.
They joined the battle without hesitation, buying Juan a brief moment to recover.
High above the sea, a massive vulture cut through the sky at incredible speed.
A World Government Admiral level, "Vulture" had already been dispatched and was now racing toward the Golden Sea at full power. Even he had not expected to be forced into action this early.
Back at Base 3, Katakuri stepped forward, gripping his trident.
"Mole Thrust."
With a single decisive strike, he drove the weapon forward, piercing through Vice Admiral Davey, who had been restrained by mochi.
Though mochi seemed soft, its binding force made escape nearly impossible. That brief moment of immobilization was more than enough.
"Not good!"
The remaining Vice Admiral rushed forward, attempting to intercept the attack. If he could block it, Davey might still break free.
But Katakuri had already seen it.
A faint red glimmer flashed in his eyes.
Before the man could reach him, four towering mochi pillars erupted from the ground, forming a cage that trapped him in place.
Katakuri's awakened Devil Fruit had already transformed the battlefield into his domain.
There was no escape.
The trident pierced through Davey's throat in a single, clean motion.
Blood splattered.
The second Vice Admiral, Dickoff, trembled as he watched. Anger, fear, and helplessness mixed within him, but above all, there was despair.
Katakuri had never truly regarded them as equals.
"Next is you," Katakuri said calmly.
Davey's body slumped lifelessly.
Dickoff barely broke free from the mochi prison, only to be trapped again as more pillars surged upward, locking him in place.
There was no path out.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
His aura surged violently as he activated Life Return, burning through his stamina and lifespan to push himself to his peak and beyond.
Katakuri watched with mild interest.
"Life Return… interesting."
There was even a trace of respect in his gaze. Few Marines had the resolve to gamble their lives like this.
"I'll give you the chance."
The Homies returned. One perched upon his trident, enhancing its destructive power, while the other wrapped around his neck like a scarf, concealing his torn mouth.
Dickoff charged forward, unleashing a barrage of Finger Pistols that filled the air like a storm.
Yet Katakuri moved effortlessly through them, weaving between each strike with minimal motion.
Not a single attack connected.
Every move had already been predicted.
With a casual swing, Katakuri struck Dickoff in the abdomen, sending him crashing into a mochi pillar.
Dickoff grabbed the trident desperately, his hands trembling under the overwhelming force. Blood poured from his split palms.
Katakuri's gaze shifted slightly to the side.
Dickoff followed instinctively.
That moment sealed his fate.
A black spider leg, sharp as a spear, pierced clean through his chest.
Iris stood behind him, her spider limbs extending from her back.
She had not intended to waste such an opportunity.
Katakuri showed no reaction. The result was all that mattered.
Time was limited.
He turned his attention toward the remaining battlefield. With him now free, the fate of the last two Vice Admirals was already decided.
At Marine Headquarters, the atmosphere had grown suffocating.
Vivre Cards burned to ashes one after another.
Combined with reports from the World Government, a grim conclusion became unavoidable.
All five war bases, except Base 0, had effectively fallen.
Despair echoed through the Den Den Mushi transmissions as soldiers reported their final moments.
The room was silent.
Powerless.
Vice Admirals, once pillars of the Marines, had been cut down one after another in such a short time.
The realization was unbearable.
If this news spread, the reputation of Marine Vice Admirals would collapse, their deterrence reduced to nothing.
Even Sengoku began to reconsider future promotions. Raising weaker candidates too quickly had led to this disastrous outcome.
Names etched themselves into their minds.
Katakuri. Iris. Lemor. Oven.
They would not forget them.
Then the Den Den Mushi rang again.
This time, from Base 1.
Everyone's heart sank.
"It's bad! Base 1 is under attack! Gar of the Nightfall Pirates is here, along with the Mist Killer Rubert, and a hidden assassin! Vice Admiral Yorris is critically injured and won't last long! Requesting—"
The transmission cut off abruptly.
A sickening sound of a body being pierced echoed through the line.
Then a new voice spoke.
"Heh heh… Hello. Is this Marine Headquarters?"
Silence filled the room.
Sengoku clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked.
Tsuru spoke calmly. "Nelson. What do you want?"
Nelson chuckled.
"We've accomplished something remarkable today. Four Vice Admirals are already dead. Weak… pathetically weak. The fifth won't last long either. He's Gar's prey now."
His tone was light, almost playful, which only made it more infuriating.
"Don't be arrogant!" Sengoku roared, golden light flaring from his body.
"Ah, are you angry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku? What an honor," Nelson replied calmly, completely unfazed.
Then his tone shifted.
"There are still nearly twenty thousand soldiers on this island. What should we do with them? Kill them all? Or… kill them all?"
The room trembled with rage.
"What do you want?" Sengoku demanded.
Nelson laughed softly.
"Relax. Just a joke. Killing that many people is troublesome, and we still need to conserve our strength to escape. Your reinforcements should be arriving soon, right?"
He paused briefly.
"This was a pleasant conversation. Next time, let's share a drink."
The line went dead.
Sengoku stood there, fury boiling within him, yet with nowhere to release it.
At the very least, the massacre had stopped.
Back at Base 4, Laffitte had just finished off another Vice Admiral when a terrifying aura descended from the sky.
King's expression changed instantly.
"That's enough. We're leaving."
Without hesitation, the three of them spread their wings and retreated at full speed.
Moments later, the World Government Vulture arrived.
He stared at the devastated battlefield, fury surging within him, but the enemies had already escaped beyond his reach.
Looking down at the two surviving Vice Admirals, he felt a trace of relief.
Had he arrived even slightly later, they would have died as well.
At the same time, all pirate forces received the same message.
"Hurry. Reinforcements are here. A World Government Admiral."
Without hesitation, every group disengaged and withdrew.
Their objectives had already been achieved.
There was no need to linger.
Marco broke away from his battle as well, leaving behind a battered warship and a helpless opponent.
Kronos exhaled deeply before turning away.
The mission was complete.