With Admiral Kizaru defeated, Marco led the Phoenix Pirates in a full-scale assault on the Marines. Without an Admiral-level deterrent, the Marines were unable to withstand the Phoenix Pirates' relentless offense.
In a short span, ten Marine warships were sunk, and over ten thousand Marines were either killed or captured, granting the Phoenix Pirates an overwhelming victory.
When Marco and his crew returned triumphantly to Beehive Island, Brulee was already there with her younger siblings. Seeing the Phoenix Pirates arrive safely with a captured Admiral, she ran toward Marco in desperation.
"Lord Marco, please! You must act quickly to save them! Mama and the others are under fierce siege by the Marines. Hurry and rescue them!"
Marco assessed the urgency and nodded immediately. He gave Jozu orders:
"Jozu, you and Namur stay behind. Guard these Marine prisoners carefully, especially Kizaru. Seastone chains and handcuffs alone aren't enough—use a water prison along with Sea Stone restraints. The more secure, the better. No one is to approach him."
Capturing an Admiral was no small feat. Marco had yet to decide Kizaru's fate, but he would never allow anyone to rescue him; doing so would make capturing him again nearly impossible.
"Understood," Jozu replied solemnly.
Turning back to Brulee, Marco commanded decisively: "Brulee, open the Mirror World! Brothers, follow me—we're going to rescue our allies."
"Yes!" the crew responded in unison.
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On Cake Island, chaos reigned. Smoke rose from multiple battlefields. Marines and the elite cadre of the Big Mom Pirates clashed fiercely, the war escalating to a white-hot intensity. Casualties mounted, and the battlefield was a scene of carnage.
Charlotte Linlin, captain of the Big Mom Pirates, faced an unprecedented predicament. Standing before the iron-fisted Admiral Sakazuki, she felt immense pressure. Her proud, massive frame appeared fragile beneath Sakazuki's magma-infused fists.
"Nether Dog!" Sakazuki roared, unleashing a devastating punch that pierced Charlotte Linlin's abdomen. Magma surged violently through her body, forcing her to spit blood as she collapsed to her knees.
"Mama!" Katakuri and Smoothie cried out from afar, shock and fear etched on their faces.
At the same time, Aramaki sneered at Smoothie, a tree vine reinforced with Armament Haki piercing through her. Her body shriveled slowly under the crushing force.
"Smoothie!" Katakuri's fury ignited. With a roar, he unleashed his Awakening, assimilating the surrounding trees into mochi, attempting to rescue her.
Aramaki's eyes gleamed with surprise. "Impressive! As expected of the second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates," he remarked, noting the partial assimilation of his Haki-infused forest.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Linlin, pierced by Sakazuki's magma, gritted her teeth. One hand clutched Napoleon while the other held Sakazuki, intending a decisive strike.
Sakazuki's eyes glinted with ruthless intent. "Just die obediently! Great Eruption!"
The magma in his fist surged violently through Big Mom, scorching her internal organs to ash. A massive fist burst through her back, crashing into the surrounding forest. The sheer force rivaled, if not surpassed, the blow that had nearly killed Whitebeard during Marineford.
Big Mom collapsed, gasping, her once invincible presence humbled.
Katakuri, witnessing this, felt a jolt of shock. His mother, once unstoppable, had fallen—if only momentarily.
Aramaki, observing Sakazuki's overwhelming power, grinned. "As expected of Brother Sakazuki, I must step up my own efforts."
Yet, as Charlotte Linlin teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, the images of her children sparked a surge of clarity. Gripping Napoleon and Sakazuki's arm with renewed resolve, she vowed not to let him escape.
"Even if I die, I'll drag you to hell with me, Sakazuki!" she roared, her eyes blazing with determination.
Sakazuki's expression shifted sharply as he braced for her attack. Raising his left arm, hardened with Armament Haki, he blocked the incoming strike.
But the force of Big Mom's condensed power was immense. The blade severed Sakazuki's arm in an instant, the shockwave tearing through his body and propelling him over a hundred meters back.
Despite the grievous wound, Sakazuki's anger surged. His resilient body stabilized, enduring the assault, leaving a shocking sword scar upon himself.
"Cough… I miscalculated…" Sakazuki coughed blood, eyes fixed on Big Mom. Even gravely injured, her resilience surpassed his expectations. Her internal organs were nearly destroyed, yet she continued fighting.
"Last struggle before death?" Sakazuki muttered, indifferent yet wary.
Aramaki, witnessing the severed arm, panicked. He swiftly manipulated his forest, lifting the arm and rushing to Sakazuki's side. "Brother Sakazuki! Reattach your arm; I'll help heal you!"
Sakazuki snorted coldly. Grabbing his severed limb, he reattached it with precision and roared, "Life Return!"
Aramaki immediately assisted, inserting his branch-like arm into the joint. "Forest Healing · Life Force!" he shouted.
Tiny green saplings sprouted, infused with Aramaki's vitality. The gruesome wound gradually closed, the miraculous energy restoring the severed limb and stabilizing Sakazuki for the next phase of battle.
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