"All Seraphim, hear my command!"
Kong's enraged roar echoed across the battlefield through the loudspeakers:
"Prioritise the suppression of the traitorous Warlords! The rest of you, do not panic! I shall personally lead the Holy Knights from the Holy Land to reinforce you immediately! Borsalino, you are to lead the entire army in an all-out assault at once! Prevent Curtain Call from making landfall!"
At all costs, they had to buy two hours! Even if the entire Marine force was wiped out, they had to ensure that the Holy Land of Mary Geoise was not invaded! The Red Line was, put simply, a ten-thousand-metre-high cliff; with such a natural fortress to rely on, it was possible to prevent warships from ascending!
Almost simultaneously, aboard the Curtain Call.
"A-la, how fascinating," Aokiji remarked with a light chuckle. "I thought our only inside agents were Jinbe and the Empress. To think Moria and Hawk-Eye would join in as well."
Moria's defection wasn't surprising. During the last visit to Wano, the man had proactively reached out to them—he was nothing more than a fence-sitter following the wind. Hawk-Eye, however, was quite unexpected. Could his captain have some private history with the Master Swordsman?
"Ignore it. Continue executing the original plan," Shane glanced over and gave a calm instruction.
"Understood." Aokiji immediately issued the order: "The forty vessels on the far right, continue the charge with me! The rest of you, standby!"
"Yes! Mr. Kuzan!"
Shane stood at the bow, watching the fleet split into several streams to carry out their respective tasks. Everything was proceeding methodically. Kuzan would lead roughly a quarter of the force and several powerful executives to pin down the Marines here. Marco, upon reaching the Red Line, would use his flight ability to head toward Paradise to rendezvous with the Revolutionary Army led by Dragon.
As for the main force under Shane's personal command, they ignored all other enemies and struck straight for Mary Geoise! As for how they would get up...
That was simple.
Shane grinned and looked up at the Red Line. He casually raised his right arm, and his fist, wreathed in black-red lightning, suddenly punched down toward the sea!
THOOM!
The punch was plain and unadorned. But with this simple straight punch, the sea for dozens of kilometres around suddenly collapsed downwards. After being compressed to the extreme—
BOOM!
Under the shocked gaze of countless onlookers, the collapsed sea erupted upwards. Hundreds of Finalizer warships were actually hoisted by the violent currents...
Rising from the ground, soaring into the clouds!
"This... how is this possible?" "Curtain Call's fleet... is flying into the sky!" "Not good! Mary Geoise is in danger!"
The Marine soldiers stared in daze. Shane wasn't a Devil Fruit user, yet he sent a hundred warships ten thousand metres into the air with a single punch? How on earth did he do that!
"Fire... fire! Quick, fire!" Kong roared into the transponder snail. "Adjust the angle of all coastal guns! All Seraphim, intercept them in the air! Not a single warship is to set foot on the Red Line!"
However, it was too late. Driven by the monstrous currents kicked up by Shane's punch, the hundreds of warships moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, they were like a sky full of stars, majestically passing over the heads of the Marines and over the ten-thousand-metre cliffs of the Red Line!
The shells fired hastily by the Marines mostly whistled past the fleet; only a few stray shots hit the hulls, but they couldn't stop them.
"Damn it!" Kizaru's expression soured. He raised his right hand, his palm glowing with brilliant golden light. "Yasakani no Magatama!"
Countless light bullets shot from his hand toward the fleet, but in the next second, they were all intercepted by a barrage of ice arrows shot from the flank.
"Now, now, don't look down on people, Borsalino." Aokiji's voice drifted over. "With me here, how could I let you interfere with my captain?"
Before the voice faded, Aokiji turned into a blue blur, instantly appearing before Kizaru. His right arm was fully elementalised into a giant ice crystal, carrying a bone-chilling frost as it slammed toward Kizaru's face!
"Ice Spike!"
Kizaru met it with a kick. The Light-Speed Kick collided with the Ice Punch, creating a shockwave that sent dozens of surrounding Marines flying.
"Kuzan-yo!" Kizaru called out softly. "Can you truly go all out against the Marines for the sake of Curtain Call?"
"A-la, shouldn't I be asking you that?" Aokiji narrowed his eyes. "You had the chance to leave the darkness for the light. Why insist on staying on a sinking ship until the bitter end?"
"...Not everyone can be as unburdened as you, Kuzan." Kizaru's gaze was complex. "If I had made up my mind to leave with you at the start, maybe... but later... I ran out of roads to turn back on long ago!"
"Is that so... then there's nothing more to be said." Aokiji closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were expressionless. "Ice Age!"
In an instant, a terrifying chill erupted from Aokiji, and the temperature within hundreds of metres plummeted to freezing point! Kizaru's pupils shrank and he hurriedly elementalised to dodge, but half his body was still frozen. He quickly used a photon burst to shatter the ice, his face growing grimmer.
"As expected, you're stronger than when you were in the Marines..." Kizaru wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "But it's been over a decade since we last sparred. I haven't been stagnant either!"
The two clashed again, the sound of violent explosions deafening.
"What are you standing around for!" Doberman shouted as he saw the two locked in a stalemate. "We can't deal with the fleet above for now! Take this chance to press forward and annihilate the remaining pirates!"
"Understood!" "Charge!"
The Marine Vice Admirals led by Doberman and Strawberry drew their weapons and charged. But they hadn't gone far before a group of equally tall figures intercepted them. It was a group of defected Marine Generals led by Momonga.
Since the truth of the North Blue massacre was revealed, a total of sixteen Vice Admirals had left Marine Headquarters to join either Curtain Call or the Neo Marines. Now, clad in their cloaks and lined up, they were not inferior to the Marine Headquarters in numbers, strength, or momentum.
"How ironic, Strawberry, Doberman," Momonga said, blocking his former colleagues. "Comrades who once fought side-by-side must now face each other with blades."
"Enough talk!" Doberman said grimly. "Since you chose betrayal, stop pretending to be sentimental! Today, we shall represent Justice and purge you traitors!"
"Turning facts on their head even now." Momonga frowned and shook his head with a sigh. "Truly beyond saving. But very well. Everyone, it seems we no longer need to consider our old bonds. Go all out!"
"Suits me!" Doberman roared.
CLANG!
Both sides drew their swords simultaneously. Dozens of Vice-Admiral-level fighters clashed, sparks flying between the shadows of their blades! This heralded the moment the war entered a state of total white-heat!
Marines vs. Defectors, Kizaru vs. Aokiji, Warlords vs. Seraphim, Finalizer Executives vs. Pacifistas... the sound of slaughter, explosions, clashing steel, and screams rose in a chaotic symphony!
And high above this chaotic battlefield...
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Inside the city, all was still harmonious and serene.
"What a wonderful taste, Brother Beers." On a luxurious, expansive terrace, a young girl in an elegant gown gracefully lifted a porcelain cup. After a small sip, she smiled at the blonde youth opposite her. "Young, beautiful slaves who can make a good cup of coffee are rare. Where did you get this one, Brother?"
"A member of the royalty from a small country in the East Blue, I think. I forget the specific name," the blonde youth, Saint Beers, said as he leisurely savoured his coffee. "Why, Aurelia? Do you want one? It's simple. Next time I take you to the East Blue, I'll just ask that royal family for a couple more."
"You do joke, Brother," Saint Aurelia pouted. "Isn't it said that in the lower world, there's a madman named Shane who specifically targets us World Nobles? The elders won't even let us leave the Holy Land, so how could we go to the East Blue?"
"Rest assured, it will be soon," Saint Beers said, elegantly crossing his legs. "Word has already come down from the family. After today, Curtain Call will be completely erased from the sea. Our confinement will be lifted, and we can go wherever we want, just like before."
"We can leave the Holy Land after today?" Aurelia's eyes widened in delight. She put down her coffee cup, about to ask for details, when a shadow suddenly blanketed the entire terrace.
"Eh?" She looked up instinctively in confusion, and her pupils instantly shrank. Saint Beers frowned and looked up as well, his face turning pale in a split second... Wait, was that... surely he wasn't seeing things?
"PROTECT ME!" Saint Beers screamed toward the outside of the terrace. "Guards! Protect me!"
However, it was too late. A group of guards in white uniforms, hearing the commotion, rushed out of the building only to see—
BOOM!!!
A massive warship fell from the sky, crushing the entire terrace. The two World Nobles were instantly ground into meat paste!
What... what was happening? The guards stood rooted to the spot, the scene before them far exceeding their imagination, leaving their minds blank. In that moment of daze—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
More and more warships fell from the sky like a torrential rain, crashing into Mary Geoise one after another! As these warships landed, a layer of black-red energy eerily appeared beneath them. This energy acted like a cushion, absorbing the impact and allowing the ships to land safely.
But the Celestial Dragons they landed on enjoyed no such luxury. Their fate was no different from the Beers siblings; they were killed instantly. Within dozens of seconds, hundreds of Celestial Dragons had met their end!
Only then did the guards snap out of it, letting out pale-faced screams.
"Disaster!" "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" "Enemies have breached Mary Geoise!"
Ear-splitting warnings and the cries for help from Celestial Dragons blended together as fires broke out across the city. The entire Holy Land instantly fell into unprecedented chaos!
"Help me!" "Someone save me!"
The normally elegant and composed World Nobles were now running around like headless chickens. Some ran screaming back to their homes; others collapsed on the ground in shock. Still others screamed the names of their guards hysterically, only to witness figures radiating murderous intent charging off the ships and surrounding them before a response could come...
In a northern corner, such a scene was unfolding.
"Wait... wait!" Four richly dressed Celestial Dragons were slumped on the ground, their faces covered in snot and tears as they kowtowed desperately to the Curtain Call members before them. "We can give you money! Lots and lots of money!"
"Me too! My home has countless treasures! As many Berries as you want! If you want beauties, I have twenty-six wives, I can give them all to you!"
"Uuu... spare us, we don't want to die..."
Slash!
The pleas didn't last long before a sharp blade swept through the air.
"Phew~" Shiliew of the Rain, cigar in mouth, casually flicked the blood from his blade. Watching three heads as fat as pigs roll away, he grinned and exhaled a large cloud of smoke with relish.
How satisfying. Since joining the Finalizers, he had followed his agreement with Lord Shane and hadn't killed indiscriminately for nearly six months. He had even restrained his urge to slaughter enemies on the battlefield multiple times.
And today, not only could he fulfil his old wish of personally decapitating Celestial Dragons, but he also didn't have to hold back. He could vent completely in this noble and prosperous city of Mary Geoise! This was more refreshing than smoking the finest tobacco!
Because Lord Shane's orders were simple—only two. First: rescue as many slaves as possible and minimize innocent casualties. Second: make these high-and-mighty Celestial Dragons feel the pain they have inflicted upon the world for eight hundred years!
Eight hundred years. Eight hundred years of acting as they pleased, eight hundred years of bullying and extortion, eight hundred years of bloody debts. Kneeling and begging for mercy expected to bring forgiveness? Pah, dream on! Blood debts are only paid in blood!
Now, it was time for Curtain Call, on behalf of the whole world, to return the favour to these swine!
"Truly revolting," Law remarked from the side, using the tip of his sword to tilt up the last tear-streaked face, his expression cold. "Now that doomsday has arrived, you know how to beg. Those slaves you tortured to death, those innocent people whose nations you destroyed... did they ever have a chance to beg for mercy?"
"Please..." the Celestial Dragon at swordpoint pleaded, his thick lips trembling. "Please, I am from a side branch of the Donquixote family. I'm not like them! I'm not that cruel! I rarely kill slaves, and I rarely go to the lower world to buy them. In several decades, only a hundred or so 'vermin' have died at my hands..."
You can actually say such a thing? The surrounding combat legion members all looked on in shock. So, a butcher who killed over a hundred people was, in the eyes of these Celestial Dragons, a representative of kindness and mercy?
Disgust flashed in Shiliew's eyes. He was about to swing his blade to send this Celestial Dragon to join his three companions in the afterlife, but Law reached out to stop him.
"Hm?" Shiliew turned in surprise.
"These beasts... not a single one is innocent. They all deserve to die," Law said frostily, staring at the Celestial Dragon. "But thanks to those words of yours, I've changed my mind. Don't worry, I won't let you die so quickly... ROOM!"