From the perspective of Whitey Bay and her allies, all they could see was a sword slash tens of meters long hurtling toward them. As for Enel's attack, they hadn't yet noticed any change in their surroundings.
"A swordsman of this caliber... The Donquixote Pirates are full of surprises," Whitey Bay remarked calmly, her face betraying no hint of panic. After all, the Whitebeard Pirates had their own world-renowned swordsman in "Flower Sword" Vista. Having witnessed his power, they were not easily rattled.
"Allow me!" Okessy leaped forward at that moment, eager to make an impression in front of the Whitebeard commanders.
Seeing Okessy seize the opportunity, Gray cursed himself for being a step too slow.
Whitey Bay glanced at Okessy, then shot a questioning look at Squard. He gave her a reassuring nod in return.
"Then go ahead," Whitey Bay said, her voice cool. In an instant, Okessy transformed into a massive black wolf dozens of meters tall, its sharp eyes fixed on the incoming sword attack.
"AWOOO!" Okessy let out a deafening howl, drawing everyone's attention.
"What a massive wolf!"
"So that's the 'Mad Wolf' Okessy, with a bounty of 200 million Berries?"
"His presence is incredible!"
The pirates on the ships murmured in awe at the sight of Okessy's transformation.
"Caesarean Claw!"
Okessy's claws glinted menacingly as he leaped into the air, meeting the sword slash head-on.
Before the eyes of the stunned onlookers, the massive slash was intercepted and shattered, like a solar eclipse blotting out the sun.
What incredible power!
Despite blocking the attack, a cold sweat broke out on Okessy's back. He hadn't expected the swordsman from the Donquixote Pirates to be so strong. It seemed they had underestimated their opponents. A persistent sense of crisis began to creep into his mind.
Okessy reverted to his human form and landed gracefully on the deck, his face an unreadable mask.
"Well done, Okessy," Squard praised.
"Anyone from the Whitebeard Pirates could have done the same. My strength is nothing to be proud of," Okessy replied modestly. Inwardly, however, he was already planning his exit strategy. He had no intention of sinking with the Whitebeard Pirates. They had a Yonko for a father; what did he have? If things went south, he would be the one to suffer.
Gray gave Okessy a long, searching look, but seeing nothing on his face, he let it go.
Just as the crew was celebrating, the dozens of ships on the sea began to rock violently.
"Captain, the sea is churning! If this continues, we'll all be thrown overboard!" a pirate reported urgently.
"It must be the work of that long-eared fellow," Whitey Bay said, steadying herself as the ship swayed. "But isn't he a Cloud-Cloud Fruit user? How can he affect the sea?"
The others on the ship just looked at each other blankly. You're asking us? Who are we supposed to ask?
"Never mind that! Shoot him down, now!" Squard ordered through gritted teeth, struggling to keep his balance.
"Fine, do as Squard says!" Whitey Bay agreed with a nod. The ships were their lifeline; being thrown into the water would be disastrous.
"I'll handle this," Gray said, stepping up, not wanting to miss another chance to show off.
"We're counting on you," Whitey Bay and the others said.
"Don't worry, just watch me," Gray replied with an air of confidence.
Seeing his self-assured demeanor, the others felt a sense of relief and eagerly awaited his performance.
With a powerful kick, Gray launched himself into the sky toward Enel.
"Enel, you've got another fearless one coming your way," Diamante called out.
"He's courting death!" Enel stopped what he was doing and flew directly at Gray.
"Good! I was hoping you'd come!" Gray shouted arrogantly.
"Cloud Stream Whip!"
Before he even got close, Enel unleashed his attack, a long, white whip of cloud lashing out toward Gray.
"Eagle Strike!"
Gray flapped his wings, creating a powerful gust of wind to meet the Cloud Stream Whip.
Enel wasn't surprised that his attack was blocked; after all, the New World was full of strong opponents.
Without a moment's hesitation, he pressed his advantage, relentlessly whipping at Gray with ferocious intensity.
Hiss! "This guy's strong. I can't just let him hit me like this," Gray thought, his face darkening as the whip left burning welts on his body.
He immediately used his Devil Fruit ability to swiftly dodge Enel's onslaught. For the moment, neither could gain the upper hand.
Down on the sea, with Enel's interference gone, Whitey Bay's ships finally stabilized. They were all looking up at the battle in the sky, completely oblivious to the cold air creeping up on them.
It was Monet. The open sea was not an ideal battlefield, but with her help, the fight could truly begin.
"World of Snow."
Monet's voice was devoid of emotion. Suddenly, a heavy snow began to fall from the sky, blanketing the sea and the ships.
"What's going on? Why is it snowing?"
The sudden change in weather sent a wave of shock through the pirates on Whitey Bay's fleet.
"It's a Devil Fruit user from the Donquixote Pirates," Doma said, his expression turning serious as he reached out to catch a snowflake.
"Everyone, look! The sea! The sea is freezing over!"
Hearing the shout, Whitey Bay and the others rushed to look. Sure enough, the surface of the ocean was being rapidly encased in ice.
"How is that possible? Isn't that Marine Admiral Aokiji's power?" someone cried out in disbelief.
"The Donquixote Pirates are certainly full of hidden talents," Whitey Bay said, her tone growing cautious.
"What do we do, Big Sis?" Squard asked.
Whitey Bay shot him an exasperated look. What do you mean, 'what do we do'? The Whitebeard Pirates did not run. If word of them retreating got out, they would tarnish their father's name.
"Our opponents have prepared a battlefield for us. It would be rude not to accept," Whitey Bay declared, her voice booming with authority. "Men, to battle!"
"FIGHT!"
With a single command, thousands of pirates swarmed from the dozens of ships, pouring onto the newly formed ice field.
"Well done, Monet. Your power has grown stronger," Doflamingo praised from the bow of the Ark.
"It's nothing, Young Master," Monet replied, her adoration for him clear to all. "For you, I must become even stronger."
Doflamingo watched the pirates on the ice, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Monet, Robin, Ibes, Law, Baby 5, Buffalo... everyone. Let the battle begin!"
At Doflamingo's command, everyone on the Ark Maxim, except for Shyarly and himself, leaped gracefully from the ship and began their hunt.
"Kill!" Law was the first to charge, his longsword in hand.
Buffalo transformed into his plane form, carrying Baby 5 into the air to begin their aerial assault. With allies on the field, Baby 5 couldn't use her more destructive attacks.
Ibes and Robin worked as a pair, moving with elegant grace as they mercilessly cut down the enemy pirates.
BANG!
BOOM!
The sounds of battle and cannon fire filled the air. Doflamingo watched it all from above, a king observing his domain.
"Doffy... do you think I'm useless?" Shyarly asked, coming to his side, her eyes filled with shame.
Doflamingo gently caressed her pale cheek. "Don't be silly. You're not a fighter. I'll help you become stronger in the future," he reassured her.
Hearing his comforting words, Shyarly's eyes lit up with excitement. "You promise? I want to be strong, too!"
Doflamingo nodded, then turned his attention back to the battle. Beauty was nice, but his subordinates were fighting for their lives.
On the other side, seeing the Donquixote Pirates make their move, Whitey Bay and her commanders prepared to join the fray.
"Big Sis, you should stay on the ship for now. We'll go first," Squard said to her.
"What nonsense is that! You think I'm weaker than you?" Whitey Bay retorted indignantly.
"No, no, that's not it!" Squard quickly backpedaled, trying to redirect her anger. "Their captain hasn't made a move either, so it's best if you stay here to command. Right, Doma? Makugai?"
"Yeah, it's good to have someone in command!" Doma and the others chimed in with forced smiles.
Whitey Bay considered it for a moment and then agreed.
"Just be careful, and come back alive," she called out to her brothers as they rushed off.
"Hahaha, just wait, Big Sis! We are the Whitebeard Pirates! We can't bring shame to Pops's name!"
Amidst the swirling snow, the two sides clashed with ferocious joy.
And upon the pure, white snow, vibrant flowers of blood began to bloom, a beautiful and deadly sight.
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