Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
Suddenly, the roar of artillery fire erupted within the chaotic island ring.
The piercing screech of tearing air echoed from the sky, accompanied by a dense, linear barrage of cannonballs that blanketed the area like a curtain of black rain!
The sudden commotion drew the attention of everyone in the venue, prompting them to turn their heads.
Several warships slowly sailed in from the entrance beneath the crater wall, launching an indiscriminate bombardment across the entire venue.
"Keep firing! Don't let a single pirate in sight escape!"
"Execute justice!!"
"Deploy the Pacifistas!!"
On the warships, the officers shouted commands while the soldiers on deck hurriedly transported cannonballs.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Accompanied by a rapid electronic chiming, Pacifistas marched out one by one, coming to a halt on both sides of the bow decks.
Raising their palms and opening their mouths, golden light bloomed as they charged up energy, before firing beams of lasers into the sky!
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
The moment the Marines made their entrance, they unleashed their full firepower without holding back.
In an instant, lasers and cannonballs flew everywhere. The entire island was filled with explosive flashes and the pungent stench of gunpowder!
"Run!"
"What's going on?! Why are the Marines here?!"
"Are they trying to wipe us all out at once by taking advantage of the festival's massive pirate gathering?!"
"There are Vice Admirals on those warships! Hurry, let's go!!"
Countless pirates scurried around in a panic amidst the artillery fire. Pirate ships attempted to flee, only to find the sole exit completely blocked by the warships!
"It's no use! The exit is blocked!!"
"Fight back! Let's give these self-righteous idiots a taste of their own medicine!"
"Damn Marines! We should have evacuated earlier. It's all your fault for insisting on staying to watch the fights, you bastard!"
"You stayed too, you jerk!"
"Hurry! Let's escape through the karst cave!!"
In less than a minute, the entire island ring devolved into a hornet's nest of chaos, with countless pirates running around like headless chickens.
Some pirates banded together to fight back, attempting to tear a hole in the blockade to break out.
Others sailed into the karst cave beneath the mountain wall, trying to escape through the assessment channel they had used to enter.
"Miss Perona! Sham, Buchi, take everyone back to the ship first! I'll go notify the others!" Sanji shouted, breaking away from the battle in the chaos and hurriedly turning to rush toward the other battlefields.
"Miss Nami! Miss Robin, Gin! Head back to the ship and get ready to leave!"
"Wait a minute, Sanji! Where's Allen?" Nami asked, hastily leaping out of combat and looking back.
"He's already taken care of the enemies on his end! You guys go start the ship, I'll go find him!"
"Got it! Let's go, Robin, Gin!"
"Yeah."
...
Soon, Nami and her group led all their subordinates back to the port, and the Freewill slowly set sail.
A short while later, Allen and Sanji also returned to the ship.
"Ten warships, and a few familiar faces. They're Vice Admirals from Headquarters..." Allen's pupils swirled as he activated his eagle-like vision to gaze into the distance. He quickly recognized Vice Admirals Yamakaji, Doberman, and the others standing on the bows of the warships.
Nami lowered her binoculars, glanced back at the chaotic sea behind them, and asked Allen, "Should we tell the Marines to make way for us, Allen? I saw Doflamingo and the Kuja's ships heading that way."
Allen pondered for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, let's head over there too. Stay on high alert."
"Got it." Nami nodded and jumped up the stairs into the navigation room.
Meanwhile, at the island ring entrance blockaded by the warships.
"Vice Admiral! The Donquixote Family, the Kuja Pirates, and the Demon Lion crew are all heading this way!" a Marine field officer reported with a salute as he approached the bow.
Yamakaji, biting a cigar with a gentle smile on his face, gazed at the three ships approaching one after another across the distant sea.
"The Warlords of the Sea are our allies. Open up a path for them."
"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied loudly.
Soon, the fleet's formation parted to the sides, creating a channel.
The Donquixote Family's flamingo ship slowly sailed away under the watchful eyes of numerous Marines on both sides.
Shortly after, two giant sea snakes pulled the Kuja Pirates' ship through, departing amidst a chorus of cheers from the Marines.
Just then.
"That's enough. Blockade the sea. Fire immediately on any pirate ship that tries to force its way through," Onigumo ordered with an icy tone.
Hearing this, the subordinate relaying the orders froze for a moment before hastily asking, "Wait a minute, Vice Admiral. Didn't we say we were letting the Warlords leave? The Demon Lion crew's ship hasn't...!"
"I said blockade the sea! Execute the order immediately!" Onigumo interrupted, barking harshly at the soldier.
"This... Yes, sir! Understood!" The soldier quickly agreed, then hurriedly retreated to notify the other ships.
The formation of the ten warships shifted once more, quickly sealing off the sea again.
Above the bows, all five Vice Admirals stepped forward.
"The Warlords are allies, of course."
"Even if they are the scum of the sea, the Marines won't easily make a move against them."
"Unless..."
"They are no longer Warlords!"
The expressions of Yamakaji, Onigumo, Doberman, and Strawberry suddenly turned solemn as they stared intently at the approaching Freewill.
The change in the Marine warships' formation was naturally spotted from afar by Nami, who hurriedly burst out the door and shouted to the deck below, "Stop the ship! Allen, something's wrong! It doesn't look like the Marines are going to let us pass!"
"What?!"
"What's going on?! This is a Warlord's ship!"
"Did they not see our flag?!"
Hearing this, the crew on deck fell into a panic.
Allen raised a hand to signal them to quiet down, then looked up at Nami on the ship's superstructure and asked, "Did Doffy and Hancock make it out?"
"Yeah, their ships were just let through," Nami replied, her expression suddenly turning grave. "Allen, I suspect they're targeting us specifically."
Robin frowned slightly upon hearing this, turning to look at Allen with worried eyes. "Could it be because of..."
"The reason doesn't matter." Allen waved his hand, interrupting Robin. He patted her shoulder, turned, and walked toward the stairs leading to the bow, chuckling lightly. "Everyone, get ready to go to war with the Marines."
At Allen's words, Gin turned without hesitation and ordered, "Second Division! Bring out all weapons and ammunition! Gunners, take your positions!"
"Yes, sir!!"
In the blink of an eye, all the crew members on the ship sprang into action.
Allen led Sanji up to the bow, facing the warships across the sea a hundred meters away.
On a ship in the middle of the fleet, a hunched figure slowly stepped onto the bow.
"Well, well, the Great Staff Officer of the Marines has come out in person. Surely this grand spectacle today isn't just for me, is it?" Allen stood with his hands in his pockets, staring playfully at Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had just revealed herself.
"Don't do anything rash, brat. There might still be a turning point for today's events. After all, we haven't fired a single shot or cannon at you yet, have we?" Vice Admiral Tsuru kept a placid expression, her arms crossed over her chest as she spoke in a flat tone. "There's a call you should take. If we can come to an agreement, today's incident will just be a misunderstanding, even though I'd very much like to round you all up right here."
Just as she finished speaking, sure enough, Sham's voice rang out from the ship's superstructure behind Allen.
"Boss! The Transponder Snail is ringing! It's the one for contacting the World Government!"
Shouting, Sham leaped down from the upper deck with the Transponder Snail in hand, bounding up to the bow in a few steps to hand it to Allen.
Clack.
Allen picked up the receiver. The Transponder Snail opened its eyes, staring at him coldly as it spoke.
"Francis Allen. Nico Robin is on your ship, correct?"
"I don't know what your relationship is, nor what has happened between you two, and I have no intention of holding you accountable for the past."
"In short, hand her over, and you can continue being a Warlord of the Sea. I can even grant you three more opportunities to trade with Vegapunk."
"Otherwise..."
As it spoke, the Transponder Snail mimicked Saturn's expression, its eyes turning icy.
"Right now, standing before you are five Vice Admirals from Headquarters, ten warships, ten Rear Admirals, an elite force of two hundred Captains and Commanders, and ten thousand elite soldiers."
"This is an official Buster Call operation. Furthermore, there are a full twenty Pacifistas."
"Whether you continue to cooperate with the World Government and enjoy the privileges of a Warlord, or sink to the bottom of the sea along with your subordinates... you should know which to choose."
As the murderous words faded, the Transponder Snail stared coldly into Allen's eyes.
After a moment of silence.
Allen smiled faintly and spoke into the receiver.
"I only took this call because I wanted to say one last thing to you."
"Listen well. You stinking rats who only dare to hide in dark gutters, go eat shit!"
"You bas—!!"
Clack!
Just as the Transponder Snail erupted in fury, Allen hung up directly. He picked it up, casually tossed it into the sea, and raised his fist with a loud shout, "Sink them to the bottom of the sea! Fire!"
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
At his command, the naval guns on the Freewill fired in unison, roaring like a ferocious beast.
Pitch-black cannonballs whistled through the air in an arc, crashing violently into the warship formation!
"Evasive maneuvers!"
"Return fire!"
"He has been stripped of his Warlord title! All forces, hear my command: move out and capture Allen and the Demon Lion Pirates!"
"Make sure to capture Nico Robin alive! Kill everyone else on sight!!"
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
In an instant, the entire sea at the island ring entrance became turbulent.
Countless cannonballs and rockets flew wildly through the sky, detonating in the air and on the sea, kicking up waves of shockwaves!
"Open up the distance! The warships are closing in!"
Boom!!
"The stern took a hit and is leaking! Fifth Division, hurry and patch it up!"
"Division Commanders, guard against cannonballs from all directions! Watch out for the laser attacks!!"
There was order within the chaos on the Freewill, with shouts rising and falling.
Allen stood on the bow, watching the warships steadily closing the distance.
The cannonballs were fine; aside from Sanji and the others, the division commanders on the ship also had the ability to intercept them.
Although he really wanted to give his subordinates a chance to train, the Pacifistas on the other side were a massive problem. Once they got close, he wouldn't be able to block a concentrated volley of lasers either.
Allen looked back at the superstructure. "Buy me some time, Nami. Wait for me to charge up an ultimate move to give them a taste."
"Got it." Nami glanced at him, nodded, and summoned the human form of her Clima-Tact.
"Come out, Little Qing!"
"Ohohoho! Long time no see, Nami! It feels like I slept for a really long time again. What game are we playing this time?!"
As soon as the Teru Teru Bozu appeared, it circled Nami in sheer delight.
Nami pointed at the warships across the way. "We need to stall those ships for a while. Expand your Weather Domain, Little Qing."
"I know, I know! But those look like enemies. Is stalling them really enough?" Little Qing said while activating its ability, a ring of blue fluorescence glowing on its surface.
The fluorescence spread rapidly, transforming into a translucent halo in the blink of an eye. It covered the entire surrounding sea, enveloping the ten warships opposite them as well.
"All done, Nami! How do you want to play next? Hail? Blizzard? Hurricane? Or should we use lightning to burn their ships down?"
The Teru Teru Bozu seemed incredibly excited, chattering non-stop as it circled Nami.
Hearing its words, Allen, who was in the middle of releasing his darkness powers, suddenly stopped and looked at Nami with a bewildered expression.
Why did it sound like he didn't even need to make a move, and that Nami could handle the entire enemy fleet all by herself?
"Let's just deal with our current situation first. Little Qing, hit them with a starboard crosswind."
"Roger!"
The Teru Teru Bozu flew up into the air in response. As its ability activated, the sea suddenly grew turbulent, and a super-strong hurricane materialized out of thin air, slamming into the sides of the warships!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Whoa!"
"It hurts!"
"Hard to starboard! We're being hit by a crosswind!!"
The sudden, violent shaking sent the Marines on the warships tumbling. Even the cannonballs that had already been fired were blown off course in mid-air by the intense gale.
"The most terrifying thing when sailing at sea isn't cannonballs, but the wind. As long as a ship is on the sea, it can never escape the control of the wind."
The corners of Nami's mouth curled up smugly as she continued to direct the Teru Teru Bozu to manipulate the wind direction. After a few maneuvers, the warships' bombardment came to a complete halt.
The Marine soldiers couldn't even stand steady now, let alone lock onto their targets and fire.
Following that, Nami directed the Teru Teru Bozu to unleash a heavy blizzard of goose-feather snow.
Coupled with the chaotic gales over the sea, the raging blizzard blanketed the opposing warships, completely obscuring their line of sight.
"Alright!"
"Beautifully done!"
"If we bypass them now, we can escape, right?!"
The crew members cheered in jubilation, but Nami didn't let her guard down in the slightest, warning them vigilantly, "Don't celebrate too early, you idiots. Those are top-tier warships. They face all sorts of extreme weather on the Grand Line year-round, and their navigation systems are highly advanced. A mere blizzard won't be enough to repel them."
Sure enough, shortly after Nami spoke, several dark silhouettes appeared within the blizzard, and the outlines of the warships gradually became clear.
"But it doesn't matter anyway. My job was just to stall them for a bit." Nami recalled the Teru Teru Bozu, twirled the Clima-Tact in her hand a few times before putting it away, and winked at Allen standing on the bow. "I'll leave the rest to you, Captain."
"Don't worry, I've already prepared an even bigger gift for them."
Allen chuckled softly. Behind him, endless black mist surged into the sky like a tornado, merging into a boundless, massive sphere of darkness!
In mid-air, the giant circular sphere formed by the power of darkness grew increasingly massive until it blotted out the sun, casting a colossal shadow over hundreds of meters of the sea!
When the warships sailed out of the blizzard, what greeted their eyes was a gargantuan black sphere that obscured the entire sky!
"A... a black... sun...!"
"We're doomed...!"
All the Marines widened their eyes, their legs trembling as they stared blankly at the sky in disbelief, their faces so contorted with terror that they could barely speak.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's face was grave and gloomy. Seeing this scene, she instantly knew what was about to happen.
She also understood why, right after a war had ended and the Marines desperately needed time to recover, the higher-ups of the World Government suddenly ordered them to encircle and suppress Allen.
The true target of this operation wasn't Allen at all, but rather to suppress the internal factions within the Marines!
"Those bastards from the Five Elders! Scatter, quickly!!"
"What terrifying power..."
At the very rear of the fleet, a warship slowly sailed out of the blizzard. Onigumo watched expressionlessly as the fleet ahead was overwhelmed by the power, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Next time you want to catch us, don't forget to send an Admiral..."
The corners of Allen's mouth curled into a cold sneer. He swung his hand forward fiercely, and with a violent roar, the massive black sphere in the sky plummeted down!
"Dark Star!!"
Boom!!!
The dark planet crashed down! Endless black mist erupted, instantly covering the entire sea and swallowing all the warships whole!