Sora landed steadily on the shattered ice, and in an instant, countless eyes locked onto him.
The battlefield had become a chain of constant reversals. First, Arest replaced Army General White Ghost. Then, almost immediately after, eight CP0 agents descended onto the battlefield alongside the sudden appearance of Dark Emperor Teach.
Under Teach's overwhelming power, CP0 suffered devastating losses in only a short span of time.
Then came another shocking turn.
Former Fleet Admiral Kong personally entered the war and struck Teach down the moment he appeared. Slow-motion replays clearly showed Teach's seemingly indestructible defense being shattered head-on.
The Dark Emperor was blasted into the sea.
As a Devil Fruit user, falling into the ocean was practically a death sentence, yet very few people truly believed Teach would die so easily. If the Dark Emperor fell like that, it would simply be absurd.
Kong stood tall on the battlefield, broad-shouldered and imposing, with tan skin and a powerful physique that seemed carved from steel. His white hair and beard formed the shape of the kanji for "mountain," giving him an even heavier sense of authority.
Compared to Sengoku, who had only served as Fleet Admiral for several years, this former Fleet Admiral and current Commander-in-Chief carried far greater prestige in the eyes of the older generation.
The entire world erupted.
No one had expected the World Government to deploy one of its true pillars.
The Navy had reached its absolute peak during Kong's era.
Many older pirates, retired powerhouses, and veterans watching the live broadcast felt as though they had returned to those terrifying years when the seas trembled beneath the name "Steel Bone."
That title had been earned with his own fists.
The terrifying aura rolling off Kong instantly boosted the morale of the Allied Forces, while the pirates felt suffocating pressure descend upon them.
Kong's strength was clearly beyond the level of ordinary top-tier monsters.
Teach being blown away by a single punch erased much of the excitement caused by CP0's earlier losses.
At the same time, countless people stared at the sea where Teach had fallen, waiting to see whether the Dark Emperor would rise again.
Then the frozen ocean cracked apart.
A black sphere slowly emerged from beneath the water, rising through the broken ice before hovering in the air. The dark sphere unfolded like flower petals, transforming into dark jade and revealing Teach standing calmly within.
Before hitting the water, the dark jade had already wrapped around him completely, isolating him from the sea itself.
Teach looked somewhat disheveled. The chest of his shirt had been torn open by the impact, exposing bruised skin beneath.
But that was all.
The injuries were not serious.
With his monstrous vitality, even broken bones were merely an annoyance. The fractures in his forearms were already healing rapidly.
For true monsters in this world, recovery speed was equally monstrous. As long as their bodies received enough nutrients, even severe injuries could heal in astonishing time.
Teach himself possessed one of the strongest physiques on the sea.
Even so, a dull ache still lingered within his body.
Kong's Armament Haki had broken through his defenses and directly struck his internal organs.
And that silver-furred arm...
Teach had clearly seen it during the exchange.
At the moment of impact, Kong had partially transformed.
The explosive increase in physical strength startled even Teach.
In pure power, Kong was undoubtedly among the strongest people alive.
Possibly the strongest.
The Commander-in-Chief's Mythical Zoan was also revealed indirectly through that strike.
Unlike most Mythical Zoans, Kong's fruit possessed no flashy elemental abilities or supernatural phenomena.
Its only gift was absolute power.
It granted overwhelming offense, overwhelming defense, and a body approaching indestructibility.
"What a terrifying punch, Kong."
Teach floated in the air and laughed lightly despite the pain still lingering through his arms.
"You're not bad yourself, kid."
Kong's deep voice echoed across the battlefield.
In terms of age, Kong was nearly four times older than Teach. When Kong ruled the seas, Teach had not even entered the stage of history yet.
Whether in experience or combat mastery, Kong stood far above him.
Calling Teach a "kid" was natural from his perspective.
But to everyone else, the word sounded unbearably harsh.
Teach was now one of the strongest pirates in the world, the leader of the Nightfall Pirates, and a Sea Emperor-level existence recognized across the seas.
To address him so casually felt almost insulting.
Many members of the Nightfall Pirates glared furiously at Kong.
Teach was their king.
How dare anyone belittle him?
Even members of the other Emperor crews frowned upon hearing it.
To them, Kong's words sounded like mockery directed not only at Teach, but toward all pirates of the new era.
He was merely an old relic born decades earlier.
The smile on Teach's face slowly disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
He had his own pride.
Although Kong was stronger, the difference between them was not insurmountable. Kong could not kill him, nor could he truly suppress him.
The atmosphere between the two instantly became heavy.
Even the air seemed to freeze.
"I hope you can still speak so confidently in the future," Teach said coldly. "Next time, there won't be a Garp around to save you."
Kong's face darkened instantly.
That sentence directly referred to one of the greatest humiliations of his life.
Years ago, Kong had suffered a disastrous defeat against Redfield. Garp had arrived at the crucial moment, saving him before ultimately defeating the heavily exhausted "Red the Aloof"
Very few people knew about that battle.
The World Government had deliberately buried the truth.
Yet now, Teach exposed it openly before the entire world.
"What does he mean?"
Countless people watching the broadcast immediately became curious.
The pirate world's forums exploded with discussion.
Someone asked.
Someone answered.
And soon, the once-concealed incident spread rapidly across the seas.
Many people were more than happy to damage the Navy's prestige.
"Kong," Teach continued with a faint smile, "although I really do want to fight you... it's unfortunate."
"You're not my opponent."
The crowd became even more confused.
Then suddenly, Kong's expression changed.
He looked toward the sky.
The heavens darkened instantly.
Clouds churned violently like a giant vortex swallowing the world.
"Jiehahaha!"
A domineering laugh echoed across the battlefield before its owner even appeared.
Everyone recognized that laugh immediately.
A figure descended from the sky wearing an orange-yellow kimono, his enormous golden mane flowing behind him like a lion's tail.
Conqueror's Haki erupted across the battlefield like a tidal wave.
The entire war paused.
"Golden Lion Shiki!"
An Allied Forces powerhouse stared upward in horror.
"Wasn't he fighting Whitebeard in the New World?!"
The pressure Shiki brought was terrifying.
Unlike Kong, who had remained mostly inactive for years, Shiki had continued rampaging across the seas throughout the current era.
One of the Three Legendary Pirates.
The captain of the Flying Pirates.
The uncrowned king of the New World.
His sudden appearance shocked both Marine Headquarters and the Holy Land.
Only days ago, the Flying Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates had still been engaged in an all-out war.
How had Shiki suddenly appeared here?
The answer became obvious almost immediately.
The previous war had been staged.
A deliberate performance meant to deceive the World Government.
And if Shiki had appeared here...
Then where was Whitebeard?
Many people realized the answer instantly.
Whitebeard lacked Shiki's mobility.
If he moved, then there was only one destination possible.
The New World front lines.
"Whitebeard is targeting the New World battlefield!"
"The Marines are in danger!"
News exploded across the world.
People rapidly shifted their attention between the Golden Sea and the New World warfront.
At the New World battlefield, Garp, Kaido, Big Mom, and the others all paused simultaneously.
They felt it.
A familiar aura.
"This... how is this possible?"
Garp's expression darkened instantly.
Meanwhile, Kaido and Big Mom burst into excited laughter.
The distant sea slowly parted.
The coated Moby Dick emerged from beneath the ocean surface.
At the bow stood a towering man holding a naginata.
White crescent mustache.
Piercing eyes.
Overwhelming pressure.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard laughed thunderously.
"Garp! Zephyr! Still alive, I see!"
The pressure radiating from Edward Newgate caused many Marines to tremble uncontrollably.
This was the Strongest Man in the World.
"Newgate... why are you here?" Garp asked grimly.
"Gurararara! The sea is vast, Garp. Is there anywhere Whitebeard cannot go?"
Whitebeard grinned as the Moby Dick continued forward.
The Marines' expressions became increasingly ugly.
They were already struggling to hold the line.
Now Whitebeard himself had arrived.
Who could stop him?
Then another report arrived immediately afterward.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Dark Emperor Teach has appeared in the Golden Sea! Former Fleet Admiral Kong entered the war, and Golden Lion Shiki has also joined the battlefield!"
Garp, Tsuru, and the others fell completely silent.
The situation had spiraled beyond all expectations.
Whitebeard and Shiki making simultaneous moves proved one thing beyond doubt:
The pirate alliance had planned everything from the very beginning.
"Retreat!"
Tsuru made the decision immediately.
This battle could no longer continue.
If they stayed, the losses would become catastrophic.
The Navy's elites instantly began covering the retreat of ordinary soldiers.
"Kill them all!"
"Don't let the Marines escape!"
The pirate forces roared forward like a tidal wave.
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku slammed his fists onto the table in fury.
He finally realized the truth.
The World Government had completely underestimated the pirates.
They had always assumed pirates would never cooperate.
But before the fortune of the Golden Sea, even monsters like Whitebeard and Shiki had temporarily joined hands.
"Highest alert at Marine Headquarters!"
Sengoku donned his justice coat.
"I'm heading to the New World personally!"
Golden light erupted around his body as he smashed through the wall and soared toward the New World using Geppo.
The situation had already exceeded the Navy's limits.
Meanwhile, back at the Golden Sea battlefield, Shiki finally descended fully from the sky.
"Jiehahaha!"
"Kong!"
"Your opponent is me!"
Shiki laughed wildly as he charged downward.
At the same moment, Teach's gaze slowly shifted toward the remaining four CP0 agents.
Their expressions stiffened immediately.
They had believed Kong's arrival would free them from Teach.
Instead, Shiki's appearance had dragged Kong away.
Which meant...
They still had to face the Dark Emperor.
Teach disappeared instantly.
His target was the crippled CP0 agent who had lost a leg.
The Gentleman and the red-masked CP0 immediately intercepted him using Geppo.
They had no choice.
Teach clearly intended to kill every single one of them.
The battle erupted once more.
Teach's devil claws tore through the air with horrifying destructive power while floating dark jade continuously shifted shape around him to block incoming attacks.
Elsewhere, Kong and Shiki clashed directly.
Sword and fist collided with earth-shaking force.
Entire glaciers shattered apart beneath the shockwaves.
Under the power of the Float-Float Fruit, gigantic lion-shaped masses of ice and stone descended continuously toward Kong.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, Gaia finally moved.
The situation had already spiraled beyond control.
If he continued hiding, the remaining CP0 agents would die.
But before he could act, a man in a dark green coat blocked his path.
Storms swirled violently around him.
"Sorry," Dragon said calmly.
"This path is closed, Gaia."
Gaia narrowed his eyes coldly.
"So it's you, Dragon."
"Has the Revolutionary Army started working with pirates now?"
Dragon gave a faint laugh.
"I simply don't want the World Government benefiting from this war."
"And besides... we still have unfinished business."
Gaia's killing intent surged instantly.
"So be it."
"Then I'll destroy the Revolutionary Army completely."
The moment those words fell, Dragon moved.
Hurricanes exploded across the battlefield.
Tornadoes tore through the sea while countless soldiers from both sides were blown into the air.
At the same time, the ocean beneath Gaia erupted upward.
Mud, stone, and shattered earth rose from beneath the sea itself, rapidly forming a massive island.
Within moments, a colossal stone giant hundreds of meters tall stood upon the battlefield, gripping two gigantic axes.
The giant swung downward toward Dragon's tornado with overwhelming force.
Another world-class battle had begun.
The world watching the broadcast was completely numb by now.
One hidden monster after another continued appearing.
The scale of the war kept escalating beyond imagination.
And when the forums finally identified Dragon through replay footage, the world exploded once more.
The World Government's most dangerous criminal had personally entered the battlefield.
Even the Holy Land fell into chaos.
The Revolutionary Army had become the final variable that shattered all remaining hopes of victory.
Valuable treasures smashed across the floor as rage erupted within the halls of the Celestial Dragons.