The Coup de Vent.
The name alone made it obvious whose handiwork this was.
Compared to the Coup de Vent that Franky built for the Thousand Sunny in the original story, the version currently mounted on Sean's flagship had received technical support from Retes' team, combined with some of Sean's own ingenious ideas. As a result, both its power and range were far superior to the canon version.
The amount of cola it consumed spoke for itself: a single attack required a staggering thirty-two barrels!
In the original story, the Coup de Vent's cola consumption was measured in bottles; even with the two shots used to stabilize the ship, it only required five bottles in total. The difference in scale was night and day; these were two entirely different classes of weaponry.
The hyper-compressed air manifested as a brilliant azure hue, giving the attack the appearance of a high-energy weapon. This azure beam of light shot skyward at a velocity many times faster than a conventional shell, screaming directly toward Kaido, who was currently engulfed in sparks and smoke from several previous hits.
Usopp had timed the shot perfectly.
Under these conditions, not only was Kaido's vision obstructed, but the violent explosions and kinetic impact had caused a momentary flicker of chaos in his Observation Haki. Consequently, he didn't even notice the attack hurtling toward him.
'Boom!'
The azure beam struck home. After delivering a devastating blow, the force of the impact continued to push Kaido further upward.
The sight almost reminded Sean of the rockets from his previous life. A massive body was hurtling into the sky, propelled by a geyser of azure energy erupting from its base. It looked exactly like a rocket launch.
'''
At the same time, in the New World, within Totto Land.
Unlike Kaido's needs, Big Mom required territory that expanded toward the direction of Totto Land. Unlike Kaido, who focused on seizing large islands—which often led to fragmented and complex borders—Big Mom had a different strategy.
Although she only occupied five large islands, they were aligned in a linear fashion. She had completely seized the small and medium-sized islands between those large anchors, creating a seamless chain of territory. Currently, she had even begun capturing the small and medium islands surrounding Kaido's holdings.
In effect, she had driven several "nails" into Kaido's territory, creating multiple protruding beachheads. Because of this, Big Mom had been in a fantastic mood lately.
However, that good mood was shattered in an instant by a series of thunderous booms and violent tremors.
The New World Marine Second Fleet!
While its scale was similar to the Third Fleet—less than half the size of the First Fleet—it was still a force that far surpassed almost any other pirate fleet in the New World.
Every single shot from their heavy-caliber naval guns blasted craters dozens, if not hundreds, of meters wide. Under the concentrated barrage of the entire fleet, Whole Cake Island was reduced to a landscape of debris before Big Mom could even react.
While the island hadn't been completely leveled, the losses were catastrophic. Even so, the Second Fleet did not cease its assault. From a distance of five kilometers, the main batteries of the warships continued to roar.
On the deck of the flagship battleship, Lucci, Fujitora, and Ryokugyu stood side-by-side. All three Admirals remained vigilant, fully prepared for combat despite the success of the bombardment.
They knew very well that while this shelling could deal devastating blows to ordinary pirates on Whole Cake Island, it posed little threat to the few Ministers remaining or to Big Mom herself. At best, it might cause her minor injuries.
Therefore, it was only a matter of time before a furious Big Mom made her move.
The three of them were not Sean; none of them possessed the strength to take on an Emperor of the Sea in a one-on-one fight. The pressure Big Mom exerted on them was immense. However, while they couldn't defeat her individually, if the three of them fought together, they could certainly stall her—and might even hold a slight advantage.
'''
On a certain medium-sized island.
Katakuri was leading several of his siblings in a standoff against Jack and a few members of the Tobi Roppo.
In truth, Katakuri didn't mind the stalemate; in fact, he hoped it would last forever. The group he led represented less than twenty percent of the Big Mom Pirates' officer corps, whereas Jack and his entourage accounted for half of the Beast Pirates' current officers.
Using twenty percent of his strength to pin down fifty percent of the enemy's—was that a good trade?
It was more than good; it was a steal.
The only remaining high-level assets for the Beast Pirates were King and three other members of the Tobi Roppo. On his side, Katakuri still had nearly thirty officers. The gap in power was widening. If he could use another dozen officers to stall King, the remaining group could frantically plunder all the other islands without any interference.
It was a trade well worth making.
The two sides remained locked in a stalemate: one side wanting to prolong the standoff, and the other hesitant to act due to a lack of high-end combat power.
It was at that moment that the Den Den Mushi of both Katakuri and Jack rang almost simultaneously.
Katakuri's call was from Daifuku, who was stationed on Whole Cake Island, while Jack's call came from Queen on Onigashima.
Despite the different callers, the message was the same:
Their home bases had been raided by the New World Marines!
The expressions of both Katakuri and Jack shifted instantly. With a silent, mutual understanding, they both ordered their respective pirates to retreat.
Shortly thereafter, across the islands of the former Whitebeard Pirates' territory, pirates hoisted their sails and raced toward Whole Cake Island or Onigashima at full speed.
Outside the borders of the former Whitebeard territory, the New World Marine Third Fleet was already poised for action, waiting for the signal.
"Admiral Akainu!"
"News from headquarters. Rear Admiral Princess Violet has confirmed that over ninety percent of the forces from both the Big Mom Pirates and the Beast Pirates have departed."
Akainu's eyes lit up. He had led the Third Fleet in waiting here for so long specifically for this moment.
"Signal the fleet. Move out!"
"Yes, Admiral Akainu!"
Moments later, the Third Fleet accelerated, charging directly into the heart of the former Whitebeard Pirates' territory.
'''
In the New World.
Within the territory of the Red-Haired Pirates.
On a certain island...
Pirates lay scattered across the ground in every direction, sprawled out in a drunken heap. The area was littered with empty sake jars and the remains of a feast. Even the massive bonfire that had once roared in the center had long since died out. It was obvious that a grand party had taken place here, and every single pirate had drunk themselves into a complete stupor.
Just then, a man hurried onto the scene, a look of anxiety etched onto his face. Upon reaching Shanks, he didn't hesitate to deliver a sharp slap across the man's face.
Had anyone else witnessed this, their jaws would have hit the floor. Shanks was one of the current Three Emperors; who would be bold enough to simply slap him? Did they not know the meaning of the word "death"?
Contrary to that logic, however, despite the stinging blow, Shanks simply opened his eyes and looked up, showing no sign of rage.
"Beckman, I told you not to wake me up this way..." Shanks muttered with a helpless sigh.
It was clear that this was a frequent occurrence; whenever this man got drunk, Beckman often resorted to this method to rouse him.
"You're still in the mood for a nap?" Beckman snapped. "We just got word. While Big Mom and Kaido's forces were preoccupied fighting over territory and left their home bases vulnerable, Sean launched a direct strike."
"Sean, accompanied by Hawkeye and Gion, attacked Wano Country, while Lucci, Fujitora, and Ryokugyu struck Whole Cake Island."
"Following that, the two factions fighting over the islands in Whitebeard's former territory immediately ceased hostilities and retreated—likely to defend their own homes. But shortly after they left, another fleet led by Akainu entered the contested zone and began sweeping through the islands one by one!"
"My guess is that Sean intends to seize those islands completely to use them as a foundation for establishing more Marine bases! If he actually succeeds, we're in serious trouble!"
As Beckman spoke, the sleepiness vanished from Red-Haired's eyes, replaced by a grim expression. He knew all too well the consequences if Sean seized Whitebeard's former territories and expanded the Marines' jurisdiction within the New World.
There was no more time for hesitation.
"Wake everyone up!" Red-Haired commanded. "We've got work to do!"