Although the members of the Dawn Faction usually interacted in a relaxed and casual manner, it was undeniable that Ash stood at the top as their leader.
Kirk, who handled the kitchen duties aboard the main Dawn ship, often gave directions to the three ships' main forces without hesitation. Most of them were strong enough to handle themselves, and all of them had been enjoying his meals for a long time, so they rarely questioned his authority.
However, the situation was different with the new recruits.
He did not know them well, nor did he fully understand their combat ability. These recruits came from the Sky Island Three Villages, and if any of them were injured under his watch, Kirk would not be able to accept responsibility for it.
More importantly, Kirk was only the head chef of the Dawn ship, not Ash, the leader of the Dawn Faction. He had no authority to directly command them.
When Ash noticed Kirk's concerned gaze, he immediately understood what was on his mind and said with a light smile, "Then let them use this chance to gain some experience."
Kirk followed up, "Stick to the pirate ships on the left and right sides. Stay away from the four central ships, especially the Moby Dick."
The moment the order was given, the new recruits erupted in excitement.
Sixty seven figures shot out from the Dawn ship and charged toward the enemy ships on both flanks.
The sudden mass deployment immediately drew attention from Whitebeard's main forces aboard the Moby Dick.
Marco, who had been engaged in aerial combat with Sali, momentarily widened his eyes in shock. That brief distraction was all Sali needed to land a strike, causing part of Marco's body to scatter under the impact.
Blue flames surged instantly as Marco reformed a short distance away. Even so, his eyes remained fixed on the Dawn recruits flying toward the flanking ships like scattered sparks in the sky.
Marco had every reason to be stunned.
Throughout the long history of Devil Fruits in the pirate world, flying abilities were extremely rare.
If those people were Devil Fruit users, then what were the colorful constructs on their hands meant for?
And if they were not, then what kind of organization could afford to field so many fighters capable of flight?
It was unheard of.
While Marco was still processing what he saw, another battlefield had already erupted.
Thatch, the captain of Whitebeard's Fourth Division, had joined forces with Flower Sword Vista to corner Wyper in mid combat.
From a distance, Tsuki locked onto his target. His right arm turned dark with Armament Haki as he pulled it back, gathering power before descending like a meteor.
"So you are Thatch, huh? Why are you even called Thatch?" he shouted as he closed in.
Meanwhile, on the bow of the Dawn ship, Kirk folded his arms again after watching the recruits disperse. He was about to comment when Tsuki's roar echoed across the battlefield, causing him to rub his ear in irritation.
"You young people really do not know when to stop provoking people," Kirk muttered toward Ash.
Ash glanced sideways and replied, "Who are you calling young? Tsuki and I are the same age. We will both be eighteen in a few months."
That reminder made Kirk and the others briefly pause. Despite his towering height, Ash was still not yet an adult.
Ash then turned his attention back to Kirk.
"That Thatch guy, the Fourth Division captain of Whitebeard's crew, is also a cook," Ash said with a faint grin.
The atmosphere on the deck shifted instantly.
Kirk's expression hardened. "A cook? That kind of person is not fit to be called a chef."
There was a clear edge in his voice. On Gourmet Island, he had once lost someone important because of a pirate cook, and that memory still lingered.
"Tsuki, crush him," Kirk said coldly as he issued the order through spatially amplified voice projection.
On the battlefield, Tsuki, the recruit from the Dawn side, suddenly heard Kirk's voice echo in his ears. He briefly staggered, then quickly regained focus.
"Understood. I will take him down properly," he responded, locking in his resolve.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, chaos continued to unfold.
Diamond Jozu, captain of Whitebeard's Third Division, relied on his overwhelming durability to hold back three members of the Daly combat group.
He had just been forced back by the fastest of them, leaving only the eldest, Jason, standing before him.
Jason remained still with his arms folded, watching calmly.
"You think you can stop me alone? I will finish this quickly," Jozu said, confidence in his voice.
Jason tilted his head slightly. "Stop you? I have heard about your ability. You can turn your body into diamond and reinforce it with Armament Haki. That does make you difficult to cut down."
Jozu raised his chin slightly in response.
"Then how does your defense compare to Kaido?" Jason asked casually.
That name alone shifted the atmosphere.
Jozu did not answer.
Jason exhaled slowly. A trace of irritation surfaced in his expression. During his intense training period, he had once been pushed to his limits by Kaido, and even now he had not fully accepted the outcome of those exchanges.
He did not consider superficial damage or brief openings as a true breakthrough against that level of defense.
Then Jason spoke again.
"Did you know Ash told me something interesting? The melting point of diamond is around 3550 to 4000 degrees."
His eyes sharpened as flames began to rise around his arm.
"The output of my current flame is capped at 3000 degrees. That is not enough. I need a test subject."
Without hesitation, Jason thrust his palm forward.
Flames engulfed Jozu's body instantly.
Jozu did not wait. He leapt forward through the fire, transforming his arm into diamond as he prepared to strike Jason directly.
But at that exact moment, a large wave of seawater crashed down onto him.
His movement froze mid air.
His diamond form collapsed instantly, and his massive body nearly lost balance as he stumbled.
Jason clicked his tongue lightly. "It has been a while since I used that trick."
He raised his hand again, forming a controlled ring of fire around Jozu without touching him.
"Let us do this properly. First I dry you out, then you turn back into diamond so I can continue. That is the arrangement."
His tone turned colder.
"If you try to rush me again, I will not dry you next time. I will reduce you to ash immediately, then move on to test someone else on Whitebeard's ship."
Jozu's earlier confidence was gone.
What remained was pure shock.
He finally understood that the man standing before him was not someone he could simply overpower.