The clash between Redyat, the "Shadow Dragon," and Army Admiral Vulture turned the Ice battlefield into the absolute focal point of the Golden Sea War, drawing the eyes of the entire world.
Viewers flooded into the live broadcast channel dedicated to the Ice front, but ordinary Den Den Mushi quickly proved inadequate for capturing such a high-level battle. Standard video Den Den Mushi could handle general combat, yet they struggled to track movements at this level, especially when footage needed to remain clear even under slow-motion playback.
To solve this, Morgans unveiled what he proudly called the "Rolls-Royce of video Den Den Mushi," a rare model known as the "Hawk-Eye." The name was not meant as a jab at Dracule Mihawk, though many still chuckled at the coincidence.
As the name implied, these Den Den Mushi possessed extraordinary visual acuity, far surpassing ordinary variants in both tracking speed and recording clarity. Each one was valued at fifty million Berries, and even that figure failed to reflect their true worth. With only five in existence worldwide, they were rarities that could not be freely purchased.
Morgans had managed to secure three of them for this war, and even then, only through a temporary lease. If any were damaged, the penalty would be severe enough to make even him wince.
The origin of these enhanced Den Den Mushi was equally fascinating. The individual responsible for their cultivation had eaten the Den Den Mushi Fruit, a Devil Fruit once dismissed as useless. Under his hands, however, it became the cornerstone of a technological leap, drastically accelerating the development of video transmission. Without his involvement, such progress would have taken decades longer.
Thanks to these "Hawk-Eye" units, the battle between Redyat and Vulture was recorded in full. The World Economic News Agency carefully segmented the footage, slowed key moments, and rebroadcast them to ensure the audience could follow every exchange.
On screen, Redyat's human-beast form appeared both imposing and fearsome. Dark, layered dragon scales covered his body, and a suffocating aura of dragon's might radiated outward. There was an instinctive suppression at play, something primal that subtly hindered Vulture's performance.
As the battle dragged on, that slight disadvantage gradually snowballed into a decisive one.
Vulture's injuries mounted, and more than once he was struck from the sky, crashing down under Redyat's relentless assault. When night fell, the battlefield became even more hostile for him. Redyat moved through shadows as if they were extensions of his body, launching attacks from impossible angles and leaving Vulture with almost no opportunity to counterattack.
Countless allied soldiers fell during this period. Some were cut down directly, while others were silently assassinated from the darkness. Even those who survived could not shake the constant fear of unseen attacks.
While Vulture remained tense, constantly watching for Redyat's next move, Redyat himself was steadily expanding his side's advantage. He struck not only at Vulture but across the battlefield. Even Kuzan was ambushed twice, and under the combined pressure of King and Gar, he suffered significant injuries.
This only fueled Vulture's fury further.
The battle between the two lasted nearly two full days. By the second day, the tide had completely shifted.
Vulture's breathing grew ragged, his body battered and his stamina nearly depleted. His recovery had slowed to a crawl, a stark contrast to the beginning of the fight.
Redyat, on the other hand, appeared only slightly disheveled. His long purple hair flowed freely, with silver rings securing the strands near his ears. His features bore a resemblance to Redfield, though he lacked the braided style of the older legend.
More importantly, he remained completely uninjured.
His dragon scales, reinforced by obsidian-like armor, along with his powerful regenerative ability, created a gap that was impossible to ignore.
Across the battlefield, the difference was equally stark. The ground was littered with the bodies of allied soldiers, and their morale had long since crumbled. The pirates pressed forward relentlessly, tightening their grip with each passing moment.
Vulture understood that continuing this fight would only lead to greater losses. No matter how unwilling he felt, he could no longer avoid making a decision.
The responsibility for this battlefield rested on his shoulders, and he had already lost.
"Retreat!"
His voice rang across the battlefield, carrying both authority and finality.
For a brief moment, the allied forces hesitated, stunned by the command. Then, almost instinctively, they began to withdraw in an orderly manner. Discipline played its part, but more than that, most of them had already lost the will to fight. They had seen enough to understand that victory was no longer possible.
The pirates, however, showed no intention of letting them leave unscathed.
"Kill them!"
"Don't let them escape!"
With bloodstained weapons in hand and killing intent burning in their eyes, the pirates surged forward. Their morale soared in stark contrast to the retreating forces, each step driven by the promise of victory.
Redyat pressed Vulture relentlessly, refusing to give him even a moment's reprieve. If Vulture withdrew, Redyat would be free to slaughter the remaining forces without restraint.
Kuzan remained on the battlefield as well. Without the ability to fly, he would be in grave danger if directly targeted by Redyat. Still, he chose not to retreat. Covering the rear was his duty, and abandoning it would mean certain disaster for those fleeing.
The fear of the night weighed heavily on the allied forces. Too many of their strongest fighters had already fallen to Redyat's shadow attacks, and the thought of facing that terror again left them deeply shaken.
Vulture's decision to retreat was also influenced by the approaching night. He was no longer confident he could survive another round under those conditions.
Kuzan's stamina was nearly exhausted, and King and Judge were not in much better shape. Even so, Kuzan broke free from their encirclement and moved to assist the retreat.
He crouched down, pressing both hands against the ice beneath him.
"Iceberg!"
The Ice River trembled violently. Cracks spread across the battlefield, revealing the dark seawater below. Before anyone could react, the center of the battlefield surged upward as a massive iceberg rose from the depths.
Hundreds of meters tall, it split the battlefield in two like a natural barrier, cutting off the pursuing pirates and buying the allied forces precious time.
However, the cost was immense.
Kuzan's strength was nearly drained by this single move. His body wavered as dizziness set in, and he had to force himself to remain standing even as nearby officers rushed to support him.
Despite his condition, he refused to withdraw. The iceberg could delay the enemy, but it could not stop the strongest fighters.
Redyat, of course, was among those who could not be stopped.
"Do you really think you can stop me?"
His voice carried a faint mockery as he continued his assault on Vulture. Shadows coiled around his arms like living serpents, striking with lethal precision. Vulture could not evade them all, and each hit further deepened his injuries.
The allied forces continued their retreat, boarding warships while others stayed behind to cover them. These sacrifices were necessary, yet no less bitter for those forced to make them.
Cracks widened across the ice, breaking the battlefield into drifting floes that made pursuit more difficult. Warships began to move away, firing shells in an attempt to slow the pirates' advance.
Then Redyat made his move.
"Do you really think you can escape?"
With a single blow, he sent Vulture crashing back. Sensing danger, Vulture tried to intercept him, only to be blocked by King, who descended in his flaming Pteranodon form.
"My apologies," King said with a grin, "this path is closed."
In that moment of delay, Redyat transformed.
A colossal shadow dragon emerged, far larger and more terrifying than before. The pressure of his presence alone made countless allied soldiers pale, their instincts screaming in fear.
"Dragon Breath!"
The attack gathered for several seconds before erupting into a devastating beam of black light, tearing through the sky toward the retreating fleet.
Despair spread instantly.
Exhausted soldiers dropped their weapons, some closing their eyes as they accepted their fate. They had nothing left to give, no strength to resist.
The Dragon Breath swept across the sea, obliterating warships with ease. Steel hulls dissolved under its power, and countless lives were erased in moments.
Kuzan could only watch, powerless to intervene.
Vulture roared in fury as he broke through King's blockade, but it was already too late.
Redyat turned his massive head, his voice cold and mocking.
"You should understand the gap between us by now. Wouldn't it be wiser to run, Admiral?"
With a casual flick of his tail, he sent Vulture flying once more. The difference in their size and power made the exchange almost absurd.
Though Kuzan and Vulture did everything they could, only a fraction of the fleet managed to escape.
Even then, the cost was staggering.
Thousands of allied soldiers perished in this battle, and those who survived on the sea were hunted down without mercy.
The Ice River battlefield fell silent at last, the outcome undeniable.
Victory belonged to Jaya Island.
Cheers erupted among the pirates as they celebrated their triumph.
Beside Redyat, King watched the fleeing fleet with narrowed eyes.
"Are we not going to pursue?"
Redyat returned to his human-beast form, his expression calm.
"We will," he said, his voice steady, "but not yet. First, we recover."
He glanced toward the captured supplies, a faint smile forming.
"They've left everything behind. Food, provisions, all of it. While we recover, they starve."
King frowned slightly, understanding the logic but still sensing something deeper.
Redyat's gaze sharpened.
"Their rear has already been breached. They won't have the time to prepare anything."
King's eyes widened as realization dawned.
"Alex…"
Redyat simply smiled.
"The balance has already broken. The advantage is ours. If they have no hidden cards left, this war is already decided."
His words carried a quiet certainty, though beneath them lay a deeper intent.
For Redyat, victory alone was not enough.
What he truly sought was to force the World Government's hidden strength into the open.
Until CP0 made its move, this war was not yet truly over.