Standing atop the ridge overlooking the dense tide of Marines below, Teach's presence loomed like a dark god over the battlefield. Twenty-three Marine Colonels stood at the forefront, their ranks disciplined but their eyes wary.
Teach stepped forward, spread his arms wide, and let out a booming laugh that rolled like thunder across the island.
"Foolish Marines! You're already surrounded by me! Why don't you just surrender now?"
His voice echoed across the island and sea alike, amplified by his will. For a moment, the Marines froze, then, as one, they bristled with outrage.
"Don't joke around!"
"How arrogant!"
"We're the Marines!"
"What nonsense are you spouting, pirate!?"
Anger ignited their fear, and the once-tense air turned into a blaze of battle spirit.
Wallace chuckled softly beside Teach. "Captain, looks like you've made them angry. Their morale's surging."
Van Augur smiled faintly. "A classic Teach move. Bold, loud, and effective. But he's not wrong, their fate was sealed the moment we arrived."
"They're just prey struggling before death," Gar said coldly, his claws glinting.
Nelson grinned behind his mask, twin blades gleaming in his hands. "This island will be their burial ground."
Teach's smile turned razor-sharp. "Old rules," he said. "Take out the strong ones first."
And with that, he leaned forward and charged.
The Nightfall Pirates surged behind him like a black tide crashing down the slope.
"Kill! Eliminate the Nightfall Pirates! For justice!" roared Rear Admiral Ger, the joint fleet's commander. His long sword flashed as he led the countercharge.
Steel clashed against steel. Gunfire thundered. Blood and grit filled the air.
Kaguya moved first, a streak of white and crimson slicing into the Marine ranks. "Anyone who obstructs Lord Teach… dies!"
The ten-year-old's sword cut through men like paper, his movements too fast, too fluid, too brutal for his small frame. Each swing left a body in his wake, his white shirt rapidly soaked red.
The Marines faltered before him. "That… that kid.... he's just a child!"
"Monster! He's a monster!"
From the live broadcast snails hidden on the hills, the entire East Blue watched in stunned silence as the boy carved through trained Marines like a reaper born of blood and steel.
"Unbelievable… he's ten?" someone murmured in a distant tavern.
By the time the cameras caught up, Kaguya had already left dozens dead behind him, his eyes empty of all but killing intent.
Meanwhile, Wallace became a walking fortress. His skin gleamed silver as it hardened into steel, and he plowed through the Marines like a war machine. Bullets pinged harmlessly off his body; swords shattered against his arms.
A Marine Colonel charged, sword flashing. The blade struck Wallace's shoulder with a metallic clang!
Then rebounded, sending the officer flying several meters.
Another Colonel followed, fists encased in hardened steel using the Marine Six Powers' "Iron Body" technique. He swung with full force—
Clang!
Wallace didn't even flinch. His grin widened. "Try harder."
He drove a molten punch into the Colonel's chest, his arm glowing red-hot. The air sizzled.
"Melting Steel Fist!"
The Colonel barely had time to scream before his body flew like a cannonball, smoke trailing from the impact.
The other two Colonels tried to flank him—but Wallace blurred forward using "Soru."
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more punches, two more craters. Three Colonels down.
Silence rippled across the Marines. Then, shouts erupted as more soldiers surged forward to overwhelm him. Wallace laughed, swinging molten fists through the tide.
"Come on! Let's see if you can melt faster than I can punch!"
His laughter echoed across the field, wild and metallic.
Pito was a shadow among shadows. She moved through the ranks like a panther, her Zoan claws slicing throats before anyone even realized she was there.
"Little girl, surrender!" one Marine Colonel barked, stepping forward with sword in hand. His words trembled despite himself.
Pito's reply was silence and then movement.
She vanished.
Blood sprayed across his face as ten Marines behind him fell, their throats slashed open. The Colonel spun just in time to see her claws descending... too late.
Shhhk!
A red arc sliced across his chest, his body collapsing into the mud.
The second Colonel shouted, using "Soru" to leap into the air. "Rankyaku: Ten Blades!"
Ten razor-sharp air blades cut through the battlefield. Pito twisted midair, every strike missing by inches then appeared before him, eyes cold.
Her claw swept across his throat. Silence followed.
Two Colonels, dead in seconds.
Van Augur fought his own deadly duel.
A Marine Colonel flashed in front of him using "Soru," jabbing his fingers forward like bullets. "Shigan!"
Augur twisted just out of reach, a calm smile tugging at his lips. He drew both pistols, silver gleaming under the sun.
"Too slow."
Bang!
One shot grazed the Colonel's arm. The second came from behind Augur's back without even turning, he fired it at another opponent charging in from the rear.
Both Colonels tried to dodge with "Soru."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
But they couldn't. His Observation Haki had already read their moves.
Bullets struck precisely, wrist, thigh, shoulder, chest. Both Colonels staggered, crippled.
"Checkmate," Augur whispered. Two more shots ended their lives cleanly.
He holstered his pistols and turned away as they fell. "Justice delayed is still death."
Nelson faced two Colonels of his own.
"You cowardly pirate!" one shouted, charging with a longsword.
Nelson tilted his head slightly. "So loud. You should save your breath for dying."
The Colonel lunged, his blade pierced straight through his own comrade's chest.
"What—!?"
Nelson stood several meters behind them now, his mask glinting faintly. "What a shame. Killing your own ally? Let me help the Marines clean house."
Before the first Colonel could react, Nelson's sword flashed. Both Marines collapsed.
Around them, Marines began to hesitate. His teleportation had turned their courage into fear.
Across the island, the battle raged on.
Every officer of the Nightfall Pirates fought like a living calamity, cutting through Marine ranks as if the sea itself had turned against them.
Even with ten thousand Marines, it wasn't enough.
From the live feeds broadcasting across the world, the image of the Nightfall Pirates spread like wildfire: a small band of monsters standing against an army and winning.
And at the center of it all, Marshall D. Teach, laughing under the blood-red sky.
His voice boomed across the chaos:
"Let the world watch, Marines! This is the price of crossing the Nightfall Pirates!"