The sudden, blaring arrival of the Marine fleet completely shattered the lively, chaotic atmosphere that had previously enveloped the Island.
Countless pirates panicked, drawing their weapons and questioning those around them, highly suspecting that a traitor had deliberately lured the Marines here to spring a trap. Other fierce, hot-blooded pirate captains simply laughed, leading their crew members onto their ships, entirely ready to fight the Marines for three hundred bloody rounds.
Byrnndi World, who was already running on fumes from his grueling battle of attrition with the Vanguards, grew increasingly anxious.
He still hadn't rescued Nightin from York when the Marines arrived to crash the party. However, his stamina was already completely spent at this moment; otherwise, he would have definitely used his Moa Moa no Mi to sink all these Marine warships in a heartbeat!
Edward Newgate frowned slightly upon hearing the Marine's amplified, threatening words echoing across the harbor.
He didn't hold back in the slightest. Immediately deciding to launch a preemptive strike, Whitebeard clenched his massive left fist, a glowing white halo of pure kinetic energy forming around it, and violently swung his arm into the empty air.
"Sky Split!"
With a deafening, echoing DOOM sound.
Transparent, spiderweb-like cracks began to violently spread through the very fabric of the air itself. The next second, the entire sea was fundamentally shaken. The massive tectonic shockwave traveled through the water and the air, and the Marine warships located in the western blockade instantly exploded into splinters, killing countless Marine personnel in a single, apocalyptic strike.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma!" Charlotte Linlin laughed, leaning on her homie.
She had actually been perfectly ready to make a devastating move of her own, but Whitebeard was simply one step faster than her. Seeing the entire blockade fleet west of the island instantly annihilated by Whitebeard's casual blow, she placed the Napoleon hat she had drawn as a sword back onto her head.
"Let's go, Katakuri. It's time for us to head back to Totto Land."
Calling out to her son, Charlotte Linlin grabbed him and jumped onto the thunder cloud, Zeus. The towering mother and son rapidly flew north, heading directly toward the opposite side of the island.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Marine fleet blocking their path in that direction would likely be completely destroyed by her wrath.
Sitting cross-legged on the back of the massive thunder cloud, Katakuri faced the rapidly receding ruins of the open-air arena. This brutal battle experience had brought him significant martial gains, and a hint of lingering attachment and competitive reluctance flashed in his eyes.
'Just wait! Crimson Empire!' Katakuri vowed silently, his fists clenching beneath his scarf. 'The next time we meet on the battlefield, I will be stronger than you!!'
Having made such a proud, silent vow, Katakuri flew away into the stormy horizon.
BOOM!
A massive burst of apocalyptic thunder and heavenly flame erupted—as expected, the fleet stationed north of the island was completely, effortlessly swept away by Big Mom.
However, this terrifying display of Emperor-level power was actually entirely within the Marines' tactical expectations.
Therefore, the Marine tacticians, who already possessed deep intelligence about the island's interior layout and the monsters currently residing there, had deliberately deployed their absolute thinnest surrounding fleets in the west and north.
Once Whitebeard aboard the Moby Dick and Charlotte Linlin aboard the Queen Mama Chanter confidently left through the intentional gaps in the encirclement, the second layer of the massive fleet waiting patiently in the distance immediately closed the net again like a steel trap.
They repeated the exact same rhetoric over the loudspeakers as before, ruthlessly demanding that the remaining pirates on the island surrender unconditionally, or they would launch a devastating Buster Call and flatten the entire island to bedrock.
The hot-blooded pirates naturally refused and, as expected, began firing their cannons and fighting the Marines.
Zephyr, acting as the overall commanding Admiral of this massive operation, began calmly directing the Marine fleets in battle against the pirate armada, flawlessly assisted by Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Returning to the island.
The chaotic fighting that had erupted was currently limited entirely to the sea and the outer perimeter of the beaches, without yet affecting the island's deep interior.
However, York no longer had the peace of mind to continue enjoying himself.
After letting out one last sharp, breathless gasp, Nightin's arched back crashed heavily onto the tatami mat. Overwhelmed by the Emperor's stamina and abilities, she temporarily lost all consciousness, passing out from sheer, blissful exhaustion.
York clicked his tongue. He tidied his pristine suit, buttoned his collar, and walked out of the hotel room.
"Although I fully anticipated this specific scenario playing out with Buena Festa, suddenly attacking in the dead of night and actively interrupting my pleasure is truly, incredibly annoying."
He wore a dark, gloomy expression as he hurried toward the west side of the island.
The Whitebeard Pirates had already broken the blockade and left, so when York finally arrived at the western shores, the Marines had already landed and were engaged in fierce, close-quarters combat with the remnants of the World Pirates and his own Vanguards.
Unfortunately for the pirates, the tactical advantages and disadvantages between the two sides were particularly clear.
Byrnndi World, King, and Douglas Bullet—who were all utterly exhausted and battered from their brutal internal fighting all night—could only barely hold their ground against the fresh Marine assault troops.
The main force holding the line on the battlefield actually consisted of Emporio Ivankov, Ginny, Bartholomew Kuma, Olga, and several core subordinates of Byrnndi World who had rushed over to provide support.
Under the Marines' highly disciplined, wolf-pack attack formations, the exhausted pirates could only manage to defend themselves adequately, entirely lacking enough raw power for a decisive counterattack.
Ginny masterfully used the power of the Bari Bari no Mi (Barrier-Barrier Fruit) to project indestructible, transparent walls, protecting the vast majority of the pirates who had lost their fighting ability. Meanwhile, Olga and her massive lizard partner, Elizabeth, actively dragged the severely injured into the protected barrier area on the battlefield.
Kuma, acting as the primary frontline fighter, used the absolute repulsion of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi (Paw-Paw Fruit) to send heavily armed Marine members flying into the sky, one after another.
"If you were to travel... where would you like to go?" Kuma asked softly.
Although he spoke gentle, polite words, his actions seemed utterly ruthless on the battlefield, completely neutralizing one person with a single, instantaneous palm strike. In reality, absolutely none of the Marine members he sent flying died; they were merely encased in paw-shaped bubbles and safely transported miles away from the bloody battlefield.
In stark contrast, Ivankov's side presented an entirely different, deeply psychological scene of warfare.
Having obtained and eaten the Horu Horu no Mi (Horm-Horm Fruit) just two days ago, his practical application of the bizarre ability was already quite terrifyingly skillful.
On the battlefield, he continuously injected hormones to physically transform charging Marine soldiers into women, instantly breaking down their disciplined psychological defenses and inducing a deep sense of shame and confusion, thereby easily achieving the goal of defeating the enemy without lethal force.
Of course, Ivankov's own Death Wink martial arts and Haki were also highly destructive. He showed zero fear toward the veteran Marine experts who could use Armament Haki combined with Rokushiki martial arts to defend against his hormone injections. Instead, he simply switched tactics, using stronger physical martial arts and his own Haki to violently knock them to the ground.
Besides these few Crimson Empire vanguards, several of World's subordinates—Guyram of the Cube-Cube Fruit, the Fishman-Giant Sebastian, and World's sickly older brother, Byrnndi Byojack—also performed admirably. At the very least, they successfully blocked the Marines' relentless offensive when cooperating with Ivankov and Kuma.
After York arrived at the edge of the ruins, his glowing eyes took in the entire battlefield situation with a single, calculating glance.
He immediately noticed that although the overall Marine commander here on the ground was an unfamiliar, sword-wielding Rear Admiral, the highest combat power on the front line actually belonged to a young Marine recruit wearing a red shirt and a low-pulled baseball cap.
He was actively able to fight the empowered Ivankov to a brutal standstill!
It must be known that the current Ivankov had been meticulously, violently trained by York, Kaido, and Dragon themselves. His martial arts and Haki were absolutely superior among his age group in the New World. Furthermore, he had now gained the miraculous recovery and enhancement powers of the Horu Horu no Mi.
Yet this unknown recruit, despite his low rank and apparent lack of external Haki usage, managed to fight Ivankov on equal footing purely by relying on his monstrous, terrifying physical fitness and ruthless, heavy swordsmanship.
York narrowed his eyes dangerously, staring intently at the recruit's stern, unyielding face.
This face was incredibly familiar to him.
Although the transition from 2D animation to a 3D reality made him look much younger and far more green, York still instantly recognized the true owner of this fiercely absolute face.
The future Marine Admiral and Fleet Admiral—Sakazuki!!
Slowly drawing his massive, three-meter-long miaodao from his back, York had absolutely zero interest in wasting diplomatic words with the Marines here. Perhaps there were pitiful, innocent people among them, or perhaps truly righteous ones who believed in their cause. But since both sides currently belonged to opposing, factions on the battlefield, subjective concepts of good and evil entirely ceased to matter.
Fierce, blindingly bright white flames violently erupted from the long, curved blade.
After the apocalyptic battle at Beehive Island, this specific sword had been meticulously re-proportioned by Dr. Asie and re-forged by York using the finest materials. Now, after being heavily imbued with Advanced Armament Haki, the steel could fully, flawlessly withstand his normal-state Mythical Zoan flame ability without melting into slag.
That is, these erupting white flames were the true Sun Fire, easily reaching localized temperatures of up to 6000°C!!
"Castle Enflamed!!"
A soft, chilling utterance escaped York's lips. Accompanying his devastating, horizontal sword swing, a massive, apocalyptic wave of blazing white flames instantly consumed countless Marine personnel and siege weapons like a literal tsunami of fire.
This devastating strike included the vanguard of the second fleet that had surrounded the island from the sea; the reinforced warships were instantly vaporized into ash and boiling steam before the unstoppable flame tsunami.
Only a few dozen elite Marine members, including Sakazuki, who were currently fighting the pirates in the dead center of the island, were spared from direct incineration. But they were now completely surrounded, trapped in the center by a towering, inescapable cage of blazing white flames that melted the very bedrock beneath their boots.
Sakazuki seemed to sense an overwhelming, demonic presence. He stopped his blade, looking up toward the origin source of the surging, god-like flames. His eyes locked onto the tall man holding the glowing sword.
The young Marine's pupils instantly contracted to pinpricks.
"The Flame Emperor... Atlas D. York!!"
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