Fifty warships cut through the waves, riding the wind.
And countless eyes across the New World turned to watch.
As expected, it wasn't long before Kizaru's call came through.
Wilder answered, and Kizaru's exasperated voice drifted from the receiver. "Wilder-kun, what are you planning to do? This situation is putting this old man in a very difficult position. Akainu just called to question me, you know."
"Ah, not to worry. Everything is proceeding according to plan."
"Don't you try to pull one over on me, old boy. Shouldn't you explain the matter of the fifty warships? And... proceeding according to plan doesn't involve being this ostentatious, does it, Wilder-kun?"
"Rest assured, the plan is still under control. The fifty warships are just a diversion to attract Big Mom's attention. The real cleanup crews have already landed."
Wilder's voice was perfectly calm, but his words made Kizaru's expression shift.
He's already set everything up, all without a sound?
A flicker of unease went through Kizaru's heart.
"Well then... I'll leave it at that," Wilder said, hanging up.
Kizaru held the Den Den Mushi, his eyes gazing out at the vast sea in contemplation.
He relayed the contents of the call, and the message soon reached Akainu at Marine Headquarters.
"Keep a close watch on the movements of Wilder's fleet," Akainu ordered after a moment of silence, his expression unreadable.
"Also, assemble everyone for a meeting."
"Yes, sir!"
Wilder's actions could not be hidden from the Four Emperors, and the one most sensitive to them, Big Mom, was certainly aware.
On Whole Cake Island, Totto Land, a fleet of ten ships, led by one of the Ministers, set sail from the docks, heading for the waters where Wilder's fleet had appeared. Their master, Big Mom, did not emerge.
However, just as the fleet departed, the Den Den Mushi in Big Mom's chambers began to ring.
"Aaargh!" The moment she answered, a blood-curdling scream came through.
Then, silence.
Big Mom's face instantly darkened. Her massive hand clenched into a fist, and a terrifying aura exploded from her.
Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on the Den Den Mushi.
After about ten seconds, a panicked, urgent voice cried out, "Mama! Mama! North-25 surveillance point is under a surprise attack! Help... Aaargh!"
The voice was cut off again, followed by the sounds of clashing swords and gunfire.
But this was only the beginning. One after another, calls began to pour in, each one an urgent report that made the shadow on Big Mom's face grow darker and deeper.
"North-47 surveillance point has been destroyed! Awaiting your orders, Mama!"
"Aaargh!"
"East-13 surveillance point is under attack..."
"North-20 surveillance point is under attack..."
"South-20 surveillance point is under attack..."
"West-08 surveillance point is under attack by Morass forces..."
"South-21 is under attack by Morass..."
"West-05... Morass..."
Report after report, scream after scream, echoed from the Den Den Mushi. A dark shadow hung over Big Mom's face. The ground trembled as she rose and strode out of the castle.
"Withdraw," she commanded, her cold voice echoing throughout the castle and reaching all of her surveillance points in the waters around Morass and the Marine fortress.
But no one noticed that at that very moment, Wilder's grand fleet had vanished without a sound from the turbulent sea, having slipped into the Calm Belt.
The surveillance teams, having received their orders, began to retreat. Everything was proceeding smoothly, just as planned. Big Mom's network of spies and forces was being driven out of the region.
Kizaru and the top brass at Marine Headquarters, including Akainu, who were monitoring the situation in real-time, let out a collective sigh of relief. The meeting room at Marine HQ was filled with Staff Officer Tsuru and numerous Vice Admirals.
But just then, the door was thrown open, and a messenger rushed in. "Lord Sakazuki! We've just received a report! Wilder's grand fleet has suddenly appeared directly in front of Big Mom's retreating forces, blocking their escape route! They've opened fire and have already sunk five enemy ships!"
"What!?"
Everyone shot to their feet, staring at the messenger in utter disbelief.
"How is that possible!?"
"How did he do it?"
Their shock was understandable. It was impossible to comprehend how Wilder's fleet could have suddenly appeared in front of the retreating forces.
The distance between the two points was significant, and Big Mom's forces were scattered throughout the area. While they would likely retreat in a single general direction, the sea lane was vast. The entire reason the plan was to drive them out rather than annihilate them was because a complete wipeout was considered impossible.
But now?
"He... how could he..." one of the Vice Admirals stammered, his face a mask of confusion and shock.
"Actually, it is possible," Staff Officer Tsuru said, breaking her silence. Her words surprised everyone, and they all turned to look at her.
Tsuru's eyes were filled with wisdom. She steepled her fingers under her chin. "Based on the sea routes, the retreating forces would likely choose one of two paths. One is already blockaded by Kizaru, leaving only one escape route. However, even a single sea lane is incredibly wide. To intercept most, let alone all, of the retreating forces would be next to impossible. But... if one had precise information, predictive capabilities, and enough forces to cover multiple ambush points, it's not entirely out of the question."
The others considered her words and realized she was right. But someone raised an objection. "Even so, how did he get into that position?"
Tsuru glanced at him coolly. "Have you all forgotten about the Calm Belt? What if... those fifty ships have the ability to traverse it?"
"But they couldn't have been that fast! Otherwise, we would have done it ourselves long ago!" another officer argued, and the others nodded in agreement.
And it was true. The Marines had considered such a strategy before, but it was deemed impractical. It was impossible to intercept everyone, and annihilating a small portion of the enemy forces wasn't worth the massive expenditure of resources and manpower. Furthermore, traversing the Calm Belt required the leadership of at least a Vice Admiral; otherwise, it was a suicide mission. How could they possibly deploy enough Vice Admirals to cover multiple ambush points?
And then there was the most incomprehensible problem: speed. The Marine warships could also cross the Calm Belt, but not at a speed that would allow them to suddenly appear in an ambush position.
They didn't doubt that Morass could cross the Calm Belt; several powers were capable of such a feat.
The key was the speed at which they could do it.
In that regard, the Marines were confident. And the facts supported them: their warships were the fastest in the Calm Belt.
Could it be that Morass's ships were even faster than theirs?
Faced with this question, even Tsuru had no answer. But she had a feeling... that Morass's warships might just possess that kind of speed.
For some reason, the thought made her sigh. A hint of uncertainty clouded her eyes.
The Marines... the World Government... she had seen it for a long time. They were gradually decaying.
One could see it in the complete lack of technological advancement in their warships. The ships were the same now as they were when she had first joined the Marines decades ago.
But Morass...
The name had appeared in her thoughts more than once. The Marines' intelligence-gathering capabilities were not to be underestimated. Through various incomplete reports, she had gleaned some information about the nation's situation.
Especially the changes over the past year.
They could only be described as earth-shattering.
"Wilder... what kind of man is he?" Tsuru murmured to herself. She had a premonition that in the future, the names Morass and Wilder would become major players on the world stage. For better or for worse, she even had a faint feeling that perhaps even the Four Emperors...
She shook her head, dismissing the ridiculous thought.
BOOM!
On the open sea, the roar of cannon fire shook the heavens. The countless eyes watching the scene were filled with an unshakeable shock.
Fifty warships were arranged in an orderly formation, completely blockading the massive sea lane. Strange, large-barreled cannons protruded from the bows of the ships, with three such cannons on each vessel.
They fired in unison, the sound a terrifying roar that tore through the air.
WHOOSH! The shriek of the shells ripped through the sky. The projectiles, like giant, sharp raindrops, left long white trails as they streaked toward the enemy ships.
BOOM!
A brilliant light filled the sky. A massive fireball erupted, and the targeted ship was instantly blown into four pieces, like an exploding watermelon.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The barrage was relentless. A storm of sharp-nosed shells, each with a long white tail and a piercing scream, flew across a thousand meters in the blink of an eye, as fast as lightning, slamming into the pirate ships before they could even react.
BOOM!
Flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed outwards. Black and red mushroom clouds bloomed on the surface of the sea. Screams filled the air as men, engulfed in flames, were forced to leap into the water. With a sizzle, plumes of white steam rose into the air.
However, few of those who fell into the water ever resurfaced. The subsequent shells tore the ships to splinters, their masts burning like torches. The sea itself was thrown into a frenzy, with massive waves tossing up corpses and the charred, still-living bodies of pirates.
There were eighteen ships in Big Mom's fleet, a consolidation of the forces from the various surveillance points. If each point had sent its own ships, the number would have been in the hundreds.
They were completely powerless. The fifty warships of Morass formed an impenetrable wall, and the cannon fire was an insurmountable threat.
"Damn it! What kind of cannons are those!?"
"We can't break through!"
The pirates stared at the distant warships in despair, their faces filled with terror.
But the cannonballs were indifferent to their feelings, raining down upon them like a merciless storm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The roar of the cannons was unending.
Countless screams were swallowed by the flames as the shells found their marks.
The bombardment lasted for about an hour. Finally, the dust settled. All that remained on the surface of the sea were wisps of fire and smoke. The last burning plank was extinguished by a wave, and then it, too, disappeared.
The sea was littered with charred debris.
"Set course for home," Wilder said, his voice devoid of emotion as he stood on the bow of his black and red flagship, his eyes gazing at the wreckage-strewn water.
"Yes, sir!"
No one had expected that Wilder's ultimate goal was to completely annihilate this force.
And Tsuru's analysis had been correct. The fleet had come directly through the Calm Belt, and their incredible speed was thanks to their new, second-generation ship propulsion systems.
They were far faster than the Marine warships.
With the end of the one-sided battle, the seas erupted.
"How is this possible..." Countless observers were in a state of shock.
According to the reports, Morass had completely eradicated Big Mom's forces from the region, including two pirate captains with bounties of over 300 million Berries.
The world was in an uproar.
Morass's reputation soared to unprecedented heights. For the first time, the world had seen its true strength.
What was even more terrifying, on closer inspection, was the realization that this operation was only a fraction of what Morass was capable of.
First, the fifty warships had appeared openly, and then, the forces that had simultaneously attacked Big Mom's surveillance points had emerged from nowhere.
All of this led to one question: just how powerful had Morass become?
Some speculated that Wilder's true purpose was not just to eliminate Big Mom's surveillance network, but to make a grand declaration of his power.
More directly, it was a message to Big Mom and any other power with eyes on his territory: Morass is no longer afraid of the Big Mom Pirates. If you want to provoke us, you're welcome to try.
This theory was widely accepted. But the most shocking and incomprehensible part of the whole affair was how Wilder had managed to secretly deploy his troops to the various surveillance points while under Big Mom's watch.
In the aftermath, Marine Headquarters convened a meeting of all its top officers. The specific details of the meeting were unknown, but those inside the Marines knew that the words "Morass," "threat," and "vigilance" were repeated many times.
Wilder was unaware of this. His fleet soon returned to Morass. The citizens, who had already heard the news, were in a state of joyous celebration. They lined the docks, cheering for the triumphant return of their army.
Even the common people understood the significance of this operation and what its unexpected success meant.
It meant that Morass was finally free from Big Mom's surveillance. Trade would no longer be a problem. It meant that their nation was incredibly powerful. A sense of security bloomed in the heart of every citizen.