A sound of rewinding emanated from the phonograph, and Olga's voice rang out again. She had set a replay function on the phonograph, intending to boast once more about her brilliant achievements.
Crack.
Lucky Roux stepped on the phonograph left by Olga, smashing it, and pulled out a fresh piece of roasted meat from behind him.
"Boss, what do we do now? Seems like we've been played."
"Head to Marinfanto and stop them before those guys create something even more terrifying."
"Are we just leaving this place then?"
"We're leaving it. Her trail isn't easy to follow; trying to find her is a waste of time. If we end up finding nothing again, it'll be a big problem."
Whitebeard, at least, would consider his subordinates and Ace, not causing destruction without care. But Kaidou was different.
If Kaidou were to freely rampage at Marinfanto, the consequences would be devastating.
The hundred thousand Navy personnel drawn from all over the world would suffer excessive losses, severely impacting naval order in other regions.
Though not shaking the roots, it would cause a temporary loss of control.
The current world's rules are set by the World Government, and the Navy is the largest order. Without the protector of this order, The Sea would become even more chaotic, which is not the situation Red Hair wants to see.
He came here, deceived by illusions, mistakenly believing that Kaidou was personally leading the team.
And he trusted Olga's words not due to trust but because he understood Kaidou's character.
If Kaidou were truly leading, he wouldn't deceive him to leave but instead would come up first with a club for a fight.
The Red Fos adjusted its course, heading towards Marinfanto.
"Speaking of which, boss, did you really lose to that woman twice?"
On Shanks's ship, things were harmonious. The crew usually didn't give Shanks much face, and they were very interested in Red Hair's embarrassing past.
"Lost... Those days really bring back memories..."
"So that woman... really defeated you directly?"
"A long time ago, that was a long time ago! Now I definitely won't lose again!"
Shanks's voice was somewhat playful, which was his usual style. Before a big battle, this style could help the crew relax a bit, although he couldn't guarantee that his face would be useful at such times, or if it might trigger another fight.
...
Marinfanto, before the arrival of new forces, grew more chaotic. The appearance of escapees made the already chaotic battlefield even more turbulent.
"Revolutionary Army cadre, escapees, former Seven Warlords of the Sea... transvestites? What kind of combination is this!"
Seeing the odd combination emerging from the warship falling from the sky, soldiers at the battery didn't know how to evaluate it, and Garp's face at the execution platform was extremely grim.
Both of his grandchildren were present on this battlefield, and their identities were precisely those kinds of pirates Garp most wanted to avoid.
Sengoku's expression under the giant Buddha showed no change, not paying much attention. Compared to Kaidou earlier, these people were nothing; even together they didn't cause as much destruction as those with Kaidou.
The Navy's feelings were complex, as were those of the escapees. On the way from Impel Down to Navy Headquarters, they hadn't gained intelligence from Marinfanto.
They thought it was a battle between Whitebeard and Navy Headquarters, but the situation on the ground was far more complex than they imagined.
"Hundred Beasts Kaidou... is that lunatic here too... Straw Hat boy, this battlefield seems even more complicated."
Ivankov, lurking on level 5.5 of Impel Down, chose to break out due to Luffy's identity, the knowledge of which was all thanks to Heracross by his side.
In order for Ivankov to understand, Heracross drew a simple doodle, although abstract, accurately conveying the idea.
"Kaidou? Why is he here? But who is Whitebeard? Wasn't it said he's the old guy? I didn't see him."
Luffy did not care about the chaos here; he just wanted to rescue Ace. No matter how strong the enemies here, his goal would not change. It's just that he's heard Kaidou's name too many times now, leading to questions.
"Heh, wherever there's war, Kaidou is there. His appearance here is normal; as for Whitebeard... isn't he right over there?"
The golden hook pointing forward, Crocodile left his training field after enlightenment. Among the escapees, he was the first to notice Whitebeard's peculiarity.
Whitebeard in his youth, Crocodile remembers clearly.
This old man becoming young again was not good news for him, especially seeing Whitebeard simultaneously fighting Kizaru and Akainu without falling behind, clouding Crocodile's mind even more.
Whoosh!
A sound of air splitting rang out, and half of Crocodile's head suddenly vanished as Doflamingo silently appeared here.
"Long time no see, you crocodile bastard. I heard you were captured and imprisoned. I was sad for quite a while, you know. After all, it was my intel that I gave that woman."
"Desert Vajra Treasure Blade!"
Crocodile's arm transformed into yellow sand and stabbed at Doflamingo; this statement struck him hard.
"You bastard, my plan for over a decade was utterly ruined because of a sentence from you!"
"Fuhuhu, you can't put it that way. Even without me, you might not have succeeded anyway.
Now I've got an opportunity for you. How about teaming up with me? The Sea is about to undergo an unprecedented massive change. Seize the opportunity, and you'll succeed!"
White threads formed into a shield in Doflamingo's hands, blocking Crocodile's resentful strike, then continued to offer the invitation to ally.
"You see the gap in power. You lack the ability to defeat those monsters, so relying on these monsters is the best choice."
"But now... I just want your head!"
The sandified Crocodile appeared behind Doflamingo, smashing a golden hook towards his head.
He wanted to settle old scores with Whitebeard, but no one could approach that area now. Magma, lasers, and vibrations affected the surroundings. As the battle intensified, they could no longer control the aftermath of the fight, occasionally hitting Marines or pirates.
Injury or even death, regardless of being a pirate or a Marine, all tried to stay away from that area.
Unable to intervene there, the appearance of Doflamingo perfectly absorbed all Crocodile's resentment.
"Straw Hat boy, this battlefield is unusually dangerous; right now you likely... Straw Hat boy?!"
After Crocodile ran off to fight Doflamingo, Ivankov wanted to discuss the battlefield's situation with Luffy, letting him understand the danger here.
Being Dragon's son, that was the reason Ivankov chose to assist him.
But before words were out, Luffy had already disappeared.
"Ace! I'm here to save you!!"
"Such impulsiveness doesn't resemble Dragon... Beetle boy, you really have it tough."
"Heracross...."
"No other way, everyone! Let's charge together! Haha!"
Amidst strange laughter, Ivankov led his people off the warship, likewise rushing towards the execution platform...