The war dragged on for nearly another month.
Dark clouds pressed low over the battlefield, heavy enough to suffocate even distant observers. The air itself seemed to groan under the weight of what was coming. After half a year of relentless conflict, this world-shaking war had reached its final, critical stage.
The Allied Forces grew more ferocious with each passing day, but that ferocity came at an unbearable cost.
Even Kong, known as "Steel Bone," the Supreme Commander of the entire force, felt his heart bleed at the mounting losses. In all his years as Fleet Admiral and beyond, he had never seen casualties on this scale. Yet there was no retreat. This was the World Government's will.
Worse still, their finances had collapsed.
The crisis spread like rot through the ranks. The Marines and Army had gone unpaid for two months.
For any military, that was a disaster waiting to happen.
Discontent simmered. On the Red Line, the Army showed signs of unrest. Even within the Marines, morale teetered on the brink. Only Sengoku's public guarantee kept the structure from cracking completely.
Even soldiers needed to live.
The war had devoured everything. What once seemed like an overwhelming advantage had become a desperate gamble.
The battlefield now lay just off the waters of Jaya Island.
From a distance, the island was visible. There was nowhere left to retreat.
For the pirates, this was the final line. For the Allied Forces, it was the final push.
Victory seemed within reach. Yet one variable remained.
White Ghost.
He had only one substitute ghost left.
If Redyat killed him, the balance would shatter instantly.
With Jaya Island as a fortress, the pirates might still hold out for far longer than the World Government could afford.
Both sides understood this.
So, by silent agreement, they paused.
One day.
A single day of stillness before the storm.
The pirates stood ready, forming a hardened defensive line of ships, cannons, and bodies.
Redyat stepped forward, smiling faintly.
"Be careful," he said, his tone light but his meaning heavy. "When the balance breaks."
Those who understood exchanged glances.
A top-tier fighter would fall.
That much was certain.
And if Redyat was warning them, then something unexpected might follow.
Some began to suspect what that meant.
The World Government still had hidden cards.
Redyat clenched his fists, excitement flickering in his eyes.
White Ghost was at his limit.
Without substitute ghosts, he was nothing.
More than half a month ago, his reserves had already been exhausted. What remained had been forced into existence at the cost of his lifespan.
Redyat could feel it clearly.
Death clung to the old man like a shadow.
His strength was fading.
His body was failing.
He had, at most, a few months left to live.
And now, even that was slipping away.
For Redyat, this battle carried meaning beyond the war itself.
If he succeeded, this would be the first Admiral-level powerhouse to fall by his hand.
He had missed his chance with the "Vulture."
This time, he would not fail.
Across the battlefield, White Ghost stood in silence.
His expression was calm.
But inside, there was bitterness.
He knew.
He would not survive this battle.
Three days.
That was all the life he had left.
Two substitute ghosts remained.
No more could be made.
Time had run out.
His strength was declining with every passing moment, while Redyat only grew stronger.
The gap widened.
Still, he showed none of it.
He had already accepted his fate.
Reinforcements had been arranged. His death would not disrupt the war.
That was enough.
"Let us begin," White Ghost said, his voice hoarse but steady. "This war has gone on long enough."
"Heh… this is our era."
Redyat's quiet laughter carried across the line.
Confidence radiated from him, steady and unshaken.
It spread.
The tension among the pirates eased, just slightly.
Their commander had not lost composure.
That alone mattered.
The final battle began.
On the frozen battlefield created by Kuzan, large enough to hold over two hundred thousand fighters, both sides collided in an instant.
General met general.
Soldier met soldier.
Steel clashed. Blood spilled.
Bodies fell.
And no one cared.
There were too many.
Far too many.
A single moment of distraction meant death.
Even after a day of rest, exhaustion lingered deep in their bones. Still, they fought.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Across the seas, the war in the New World raged on.
Kaido fought like a beast unleashed, driving the Marines into deeper pressure. Even with Tsuru's support, the strain only grew.
Big Mom, unusually serious, had abandoned her usual whims. Even pregnancy did nothing to slow her. Her body endured the battlefield without faltering, a testament to her monstrous vitality.
Elsewhere, Edward Newgate and Shiki continued their clash on a shattered island.
Four days.
The land itself had broken beneath them, much of it sinking into the sea.
And still, the battle continued.
But beneath the spectacle, both men had already begun holding back.
Teach's message had reached them.
Soon, they would act.
High above the battlefield, at fifteen thousand meters, Teach hovered in silence.
His Observation Haki stretched outward, brushing against presences hidden from all others.
Three of them.
Powerful.
Dangerous.
One stood near ten thousand meters in the sky.
Two more lingered behind the Allied Forces, among the concealed CP0 agents.
Teach's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So they came."
His voice carried quiet amusement.
"And brought more than expected."
The World Government had gone all in.
Every contingency. Every hidden blade. They were determined to secure victory.
Fortunately, so was he.
Everything still moved within his calculations.
Teach suppressed his presence completely.
At this level, even the slightest probing could be detected.
He would not risk exposure.
Instead, he observed.
Waited.
Calculated.
The auras told him enough.
One stood above the rest. Old. Around eighty. Yet still burning with terrifying vitality.
A body like a war machine. A will like iron.
There was only one man it could be.
Kong.
Even now, his power had not faded completely.
A Mythical Zoan. A perfected body. Mastery over Life Return.
Age had slowed him, but not broken him.
Teach smirked faintly.
"He's not mine."
Someone else would handle that monster.
The remaining two…
Vice Directors of CP0.
That was the only possibility.
Teach had never met them, but their strength was undeniable.
Stephanie's intelligence had been shallow. It could never capture the true extent of such individuals.
Only now, seeing them with his own senses, could Teach begin to grasp the World Government's true depth.
And he liked what he saw.
This was a stage worthy of him.
Below, the masked CP0 agents waited in silence.
They had been there for a long time.
Patient.
Unmoving.
They were not watching the battlefield.
They were waiting for orders.
From the Five Elders.
The moment the command came, they would strike.
Even so, the arrival of Kong and one of the Vice Directors surprised them.
Gaia. And rumors of the other.
Arest. Hidden somewhere in the sky. The Comet Fruit user. Arrogant. Noble-born. A rival to Gaia.
The two represented opposing factions.
Only one would rise to become the next Director.
The loser would be cast aside.
That alone ensured they could never cooperate.
Despite that, confidence filled the ranks.
With this level of power assembled, the outcome seemed inevitable.
Once they moved…
This war would end. Or so they believed.