On another battlefield, the commanding officers were Gar and Izou.
Although Izou held the position of Sixteenth Division Commander and ranked near the bottom among Whitebeard's division leaders, nobody underestimated his strength. In truth, he was one of the stronger captains in the crew.
He was the Whitebeard Pirates' premier marksman.
Even Gar did not dare lower his guard against him. Hidden shots were notoriously difficult to defend against, especially when every bullet carried powerful Haki.
However, Gar showed no concern.
A gunman would naturally be dealt with by another gunman.
Meanwhile, Gar himself continued his rampage across the battlefield.
His explosive speed and monstrous strength were simply beyond what ordinary Whitebeard Pirates could handle. Within a short period of time, numerous pirates fell beneath his butcher's blade.
Seeing the slaughter unfold, Izou immediately raised his pistols and fired.
A Haki-infused bullet shot toward Gar.
Yet before it could reach its target, a flash of silver light cut across the battlefield.
The incoming projectile was intercepted midair.
The terrifying force behind the attack shattered Izou's Haki-coated bullet and split it cleanly in two.
Izou's expression changed.
He immediately raised his pistol again. But just as he prepared to fire, his movements abruptly froze.
A fatal sense of danger surged through his body.
His Observation Haki screamed a warning.
Without hesitation, Izou flipped backward through the air.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two bullets passed through the space where his head had been a fraction of a second earlier.
The projectiles tore through his clothing and sliced open his skin, leaving two bloody marks across his body.
Only after landing did Izou fully realize what had happened.
A cold sweat formed on his forehead.
His gaze shifted toward the distant forest.
There, atop a towering tree, stood a figure draped in a black cloak over a white shirt.
A sniper rifle was aimed directly at him.
"Death Gun Van Augur..."
Izou's expression grew grave.
Among marksmen, Van Augur possessed a terrifying reputation.
Especially within the world of professional gunmen.
If someone were to compile a list of the world's greatest sharpshooters, Van Augur would undoubtedly stand among the strongest candidates.
Countless people had died beneath his bullets.
Just moments ago, Izou had genuinely felt death approaching. Had his reaction been even slightly slower, Van Augur's bullet would have struck him directly.
What disturbed him even more was that he had failed to detect Van Augur's presence beforehand.
The man had concealed his aura perfectly.
If not for his highly developed Observation Haki, combined with the instincts of a former swordsman and his battle-honed reflexes, he might already be dead.
Even if given another opportunity, Izou doubted he could reproduce that dodge.
That shot had been lethal.
"Those bullets..."
Izou frowned.
He had clearly seen Van Augur's projectile pierce through his own bullet, destroy the Haki coating protecting it, and continue flying forward without losing momentum.
The power was abnormal.
Yet he could not determine the reason.
Like many of the Nightfall Pirates' secrets, Van Augur's Devil Fruit ability remained unknown to the outside world.
Few people would ever imagine that a dedicated marksman had eaten a Devil Fruit.
"Did he dodge it?"
Hidden beneath his cloak, Van Augur looked mildly surprised.
At the same time, excitement stirred within him. A marksman's excitement. He knew Izou's intelligence well.
The Whitebeard commander possessed advanced Armament Haki, known as Ryuo. His bullets carried immense destructive power.
More importantly, Izou had once been a samurai of Wano Country. His swordsmanship had been exceptional.
Later, realizing that the blade did not suit him as well as firearms, he devoted himself to becoming a gunman.
Even so, he successfully fused swordsmanship and marksmanship into a unique combat style.
His bullets carried both shooting power and cutting force.
It was a technique unique to Izou.
No one else in the Grand Line fought quite like him. As a fellow marksman, Van Augur was naturally curious. He wanted to see whether Izou's bullets could stand against his own.
In terms of pure marksmanship, however, Izou could not compare to Van Augur.
Van Augur had spent years immersing himself completely in the art of firearms.
At their level, much depended on Haki.
Any fighter who possessed powerful Observation and Armament Haki could become a competent gunman. But true masters went far beyond that.
They refined countless details.
And those details made them terrifying.
After spotting Van Augur, Izou immediately understood something.
He could no longer support Gar's battlefield.
No matter what he tried, Van Augur would stop him.
Gar alone was already difficult enough. Adding Van Augur made the situation nearly hopeless.
The slaughter continued.
Whitebeard Pirates kept falling.
Meanwhile, the Nightfall Pirates displayed strength that exceeded all expectations.
The forces allocated to this battlefield were insufficient to stop them.
The moment Izou saw Gar again, he had already begun considering abandoning the island.
After Van Augur revealed himself, that decision became even clearer.
Izou was a rational commander.
He knew continuing the battle would only produce catastrophic casualties.
Losses needed to be cut immediately.
"Retreat!"
His shout echoed across the battlefield.
Without hesitation, Izou pulled a red flare from his clothing and fired it into the sky.
A crimson signal exploded overhead.
Different colors represented different battlefield instructions.
The meaning of red was understood instantly.
Every Whitebeard Pirate fighting on the island saw it.
Although many were unwilling to withdraw, fear of Gar's unstoppable advance pushed them into action.
No one could stop him.
The retreat began.
Izou wanted to leave.
Neither Van Augur nor Gar could easily stop him.
Unless someone like Nielson intervened with a specialized ability, escaping was still possible.
However, that did not mean the Whitebeard Pirates would be allowed to leave unscathed.
Van Augur calmly raised his sniper rifle. He entered assassination mode. His target was no longer Izou.
Instead, he focused on Whitebeard's officers and elite fighters.
His eyes swept across the battlefield like a predator selecting prey.
Bang.
A pirate fell.
Bang.
Another body collapsed.
Every shot was fatal.
A bullet through the heart.
A bullet through the head.
No wasted motion.
No wasted ammunition.
Thanks to the power of the Pierce-Pierce Fruit, many bullets continued through multiple bodies after killing their original target.
His efficiency was horrifying.
Yet nobody dared challenge him.
Approaching Van Augur only accelerated death.
The strongest fighter present, Izou, was already occupied containing Gar and buying time for the retreat.
In the end, despite suffering casualties, Izou successfully led the Whitebeard Pirates away.
His retreat order had come very early.
Most of the losses occurred during the withdrawal itself.
With powerful fighters covering the rear and Izou personally restraining Gar, the overall casualties were not overwhelming.
However, many of the dead were elite combatants.
That loss hurt far more.
Because Van Augur never targeted weak opponents.
Every bullet was precious.
Every shot needed maximum value.
His targets were always the strongest individuals he could kill with a single attack.
The Pierce-Pierce Fruit had elevated him enormously.
As his mastery deepened, the penetrating power of his bullets became stronger and stronger.
His shots traveled faster.
Hit harder.
And became increasingly difficult to defend against.
Even Izou was unwilling to take one head-on.
As for everyone else?
They were prey.
The Whitebeard Pirates fled in miserable condition. Even after boarding their ships, they remained under threat.
Van Augur's long-range attacks continued relentlessly.
One by one, comrades collapsed. And there was nothing they could do.
Not even Izou.
He had no doubt that Van Augur's bullets could punch straight through his body.
Their Armament Haki existed on the same advanced level.
Both possessed Ryuo.
The difference lay elsewhere.
Van Augur was born to wield firearms.
He had already become one of the world's greatest marksmen.
Most of his training focused on refining Haki, developing his Devil Fruit, and strengthening his physical abilities.
He had perfectly integrated the Pierce-Pierce Fruit into his combat style.
The twin flintlock pistols hanging from his waist were not merely firearms.
They were also close-range weapons.
No one within the Nightfall Pirates allowed themselves to stagnate. Especially the veteran cadres who had followed Teach for years.
Their era had only just begun.
The Nightfall Pirates were still rising.
How could they allow themselves to stop growing?
"Don't worry."
Van Augur smiled as he lowered his rifle.
"The war has only begun. There'll be plenty of opportunities."
He glanced toward Gar.
The man clearly looked unsatisfied.
After all, Gar had spent the Golden Sea War fighting monsters like Admiral Kuzan and numerous top-tier government powerhouses.
This battlefield barely warmed him up.
"Then I'll wait."
Gar grinned.
His gaze followed the distant silhouette of the retreating Whitebeard fleet.
This battle fully showcased the terror of Death Gun Van Augur.
Every gunshot was accompanied by death.
To many observers, it felt as though the Grim Reaper himself was beating a drum.
Each beat claimed at least one life.
The title Death Gun spread rapidly.
It embedded itself deeply into people's memories.
Especially during large-scale warfare, the threat Van Augur represented was almost immeasurable.
If left unchecked, the consequences could be devastating.
His bullets possessed enough power to threaten even top-tier fighters.
Of course, powerhouses at that level still had ways to respond.
Even so, the danger was undeniable.
News of his performance attracted the attention of famous marksmen throughout the world.
On an island in the New World, the Red-Haired Pirates watched the battle unfold.
Though they had assisted the Whitebeard Pirates before, they had no intention of intervening in the war between the two crews.
"Well?"
Lucky Roux took another bite of roasted meat and glanced at Yasopp.
"What do you think?"
As the Red-Haired Pirates' sniper, Yasopp's attention had been fixed on Van Augur from the beginning.
Years before Yasopp rose to fame, Van Augur had already established his reputation.
Though Van Augur appeared only occasionally on screen, his presence could be felt constantly.
Gunshots echoed.
Bodies fell.
Each victim bore clean penetrating wounds.
As a fellow marksman, Yasopp could almost visualize Van Augur's movements simply by listening.
While firing, Van Augur never remained stationary.
He moved continuously.
Fast.
Efficient.
Precise.
He maintained optimal distance from his targets at all times.
Yet unlike traditional snipers, he no longer feared close combat.
In fact, he seemed to welcome it.
Within the footage, Van Augur often appeared as nothing more than a fleeting black shadow.
He resembled a hunter stalking prey.
Not a stationary shooter waiting for opportunities.
"It's terrifying."
Yasopp's expression remained serious.
"His marksmanship is incredible, but that's not all. His fighting style has changed."
He paused.
"Also, the speed and power of those bullets are abnormal."
That was the part he could not understand.
If possible, he would have loved to test them personally.
"If it's abnormal," Benn Beckman said calmly, "then either the weapon has been modified or it's related to a Devil Fruit."
"I know that pistol."
Yasopp shook his head.
"The Colt is famous. It hasn't been modified."
"Then it's a Devil Fruit."
Beckman's conclusion was immediate.
Once all other possibilities were eliminated, the answer became obvious.
Yasopp nodded.
"It must be an enormous boost to his marksmanship."
For the first time, he felt a little envious.
If there truly existed a Devil Fruit capable of dramatically enhancing a marksman's abilities, he would not mind eating it at all.
Unlike swordsmen, gunmen had never possessed a clearly defined pinnacle.
Anyone with strong Haki could become a capable shooter.
There were simply too many of them in the New World.
That made true specialists even rarer.
Although the core officers of the Red-Haired Pirates remained Devil Fruit-free, some ordinary crew members had consumed them.
Their numbers remained low largely because the crew lacked the extensive acquisition networks possessed by powers such as the Nightfall Pirates.
Elsewhere, Whitebeard Division Commander Kingdew had already begun withdrawing his forces.
Mog Ratoon's strength had stunned him.
Initially, Kingdew assumed the giant's size would make him slow.
Reality proved otherwise.
Mog Ratoon possessed terrifying explosive power and incredible combat reflexes.
His agility completely contradicted his enormous frame.
A brief clash had been enough to force Kingdew into retreat.
Although Namur had previously shared intelligence about Mog Ratoon, the giant's actual strength far exceeded expectations.
The harbor defenses collapsed almost immediately.
The wide-ranging Elbaf Spear attacks tore massive holes through Whitebeard's defensive lines.
On another island, legendary beasts rampaged across the battlefield.
Mobius transformed into his Eight-Headed Serpent form and became nearly unstoppable.
Hundreds of meters tall, possessing eight heads and eight tails, he flooded the battlefield with poisonous mist.
Combined with his eerie mental abilities, the Whitebeard Pirates could barely approach him.
The moment Mobius unleashed his full power, large numbers of Whitebeard Pirates died.
Beside him stood another colossal serpent. Smaller than the Yamata no Orochi, yet still monstrous.
Its body carried demonic patterns, while three blood-red eyes glowed ominously.
This was Voss.
His transformed state was known as the Three-Eyed Demon Serpent.
For the first time, the world witnessed their true powers. Thatch, commander of the Fourth Division, could only stare grimly.
"So that Devil Fruit ended up in Teach's hands..."
He sighed heavily.
He recognized both Mobius and the fruit he possessed.
The Mythical Zoan, Yamata no Orochi Fruit. An ability once associated with Wano Country.
"Retreat!"
Thatch made his decision immediately.
Mobius alone was already difficult to handle.
Continuing the battle would only increase casualties.
The destruction caused by Mobius and Voss was simply overwhelming.
Even many Nightfall Pirates were shocked.
After all, both abilities had remained hidden for years.
Or perhaps no previous opponent had ever been strong enough to force them to reveal everything.
Shiryu's opponent was Blenheim, commander of the Ninth Division.
Shiryu's reputation in the New World was immense. During the Golden Sea War, he had personally killed a Marine Admiral candidate.
That achievement shocked the world far more than simply holding an admiral in place.
Stalemating and killing were entirely different things.
Blenheim understood he stood little chance against Shiryu. Adding several powerful Nightfall officers only made matters worse.
He immediately ordered a retreat and abandoned the island.
The same situation unfolded on Wallace's battlefield.
Facing him was Fossa, commander of the Fifteenth Division.
Alongside Wallace stood Clemons and the rapidly maturing Daz Bonezy.
The affiliated crews fought one another while the commanders handled the major battles.
Although some of Whitebeard's subordinate crews were extremely powerful, the Nightfall Pirates still possessed a slight numerical advantage.
Fossa ultimately chose withdrawal.
The final battlefield contained the highest concentration of elite combatants.
Mostima faced Second Division Commander Hie. Lafitte served as his deputy and occupied Marco, the First Division Commander and Phoenix Fruit user.
Other notable Nightfall fighters, including Enel, were also present.
At first, the battlefield appeared relatively balanced. But once reports from the other fronts arrived, Hie and the others realized they could not continue.
Jozu was already in grave danger.
Furthermore, the Nightfall Pirates had committed an astonishing amount of force to the war.
More than half of their top combatants had been deployed.
Over a dozen executives participated directly.
Elite subordinate crews joined alongside them.
The sheer scale of the invasion finally made Whitebeard's commanders realize the truth.
They had underestimated the Nightfall Pirates' preparations.
They had underestimated the importance Teach placed on this war.
So they retreated.
Decisively.
War was cruel. And the Whitebeard Pirates suffered heavily.
Among all battlefields, the greatest losses occurred on Jozu's front. The force under his command had been nearly annihilated.
Less than ten percent survived.
Jozu himself had been completely suppressed by Sladar.
Had Marco not arrived quickly with reinforcements, the entire force might have been wiped out.
This first clash demonstrated both the terrifying strength of the Nightfall Pirates and the scale of their ambition.
They truly intended to crush the Whitebeard Pirates.
They truly intended to use them as a stepping stone.
The ruthless slaughter left no room for doubt.
Unlike the previous war, where traces of old camaraderie still lingered, this conflict was different.
These were now two genuinely hostile pirate crews.
Although Whitebeard himself remained monstrously powerful, many observers began realizing something important.
The overall strength of a pirate crew mattered just as much.
Perhaps even more.
The Nightfall Pirates never publicly declared their intentions.
Yet many people had already reached the same conclusion. And because the Nightfall Pirates offered no denial, the world interpreted their silence as confirmation.
The reaction was explosive.
Countless people became excited.
While the Four Emperors already existed, many still believed that Kaido and Big Mom's crews could not truly compare to the Whitebeard Pirates or the Flying Pirates.
Those two legendary crews remained towering mountains left behind by the previous era.
Especially in the eyes of pirates.
Now, however, the Nightfall Pirates were openly challenging one of those mountains.
That alone thrilled countless people.
Young pirates.
Ambitious newcomers.
Citizens around the world.
Whether or not Teach genuinely intended it, the public had already reached its verdict.
In their eyes, the Nightfall Pirates were attempting to overthrow a legend and usher in a new era.