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It was the fifth day of the Marine fleet's expedition.
In the high-altitude Sea, near the waters of Totto Land, the fleet advanced steadily.
Dozens of massive, state-of-the-art Marine battleships stretched across the calm sea, forming a fierce Z-shaped formation—like a giant beast preparing to strike. A deadly aura hung over the fleet as it pressed closer toward Totto Land.
"Wow~~~"
"Woohoo~~~"
Suddenly, without any warning—
The sea began to roar, and fierce winds howled.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky, and the air grew heavy with the coming storm.
An intense, violent tempest surged straight toward the fleet.
Towering waves, like mountains, rose high enough to block out the horizon, threatening to swallow the battleships whole.
The sudden change sent panic through the Marines. Their faces turned pale as cold sweat dripped down their brows.
"Ice Age!"
At that moment, a tall, lean figure shot into the sky, exuding a bone-chilling cold.
Before the massive waves could crush the fleet, they froze into towering icebergs at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Great Eruption!"
In the next instant, another large, intimidating figure launched forward.
A colossal magma fist burst from his arm, burning the air bright red and causing the temperature to spike sharply.
The magma fist smashed directly into the frozen waves, shattering the massive icebergs into pieces.
Chunks of ice, both big and small, crashed into the sea, floating aimlessly across the now steaming waters.
Hissing sounds filled the air as the intense heat from the magma evaporated large portions of the ice instantly, draping the battlefield in thick mist.
Many Marines aboard the battleships looked on in shock, their faces drained of color, drenched in cold sweat.
"Boom—"
Gales howled fiercely across the sea.
Heavy rain poured down in sheets, and thunder rumbled through the storm clouds, while flashes of lightning cracked the sky open.
"Crack, crack..."
Using Moonwalk, Aokiji and Akainu quickly returned to their respective ships.
Their faces were grim, and their eyes sharp with alertness.
The earlier storm and towering waves had struck without warning, and this kind of weather was clearly unnatural.
"Tick-tick-tick—"
"Enemy ships spotted!"
"Gulp! It's the Big Mom Pirates!"
"All forces, be on full alert! Enter first-level combat readiness!"
"There are too many of them—hundreds of pirate ships, large and small!"
"No doubt about it! The lead ship is Big Mom's flagship, the Queen Mama Chanter!"
"Hiss... So this is the power of a Yonko!"
Far off in the distance, small black dots appeared one after another across the sea, growing larger at a speed visible to the naked eye.
They were fully armed pirate warships, their decks lined with Marines cannons. The flags of the Big Mom Pirates fluttered fiercely in the stormy winds, sending a chilling message across the waves.
On the Marine side, the sharp blare of battle sirens rang out across the fleet.
Though there was a brief moment of chaos, the elite, well-trained Marines quickly regained their composure under the commands of their officers and generals. They reorganized in neat, disciplined formations.
At the black artillery forts, gunners rushed into position.
Countless logistics personnel moved swiftly, hauling cannons, loading ammunition, and preparing all battle equipment.
On their respective warships, Marine leaders like Sengoku the Buddha, Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and even several Vice Admirals of the giant race stared solemnly at the approaching pirate fleet.
Their faces were grim, knowing full well the scale of the battle they were about to face.
"Ah la la~, they're here already, huh?"
On one of the warships, Aokiji's usual lazy demeanor was gone, replaced by a sharp seriousness.
Clenching his fists tightly, Sakazuki (Akainu) said coldly, "Of course they'd come. They won't just sit and watch while we try to burn down the stronghold they built with so much effort."
"Well~, the Big Mom Pirates are truly fearsome opponents," said the tall and lanky Kizaru (Borsalino), his hands still lazily tucked into his pockets as he calmly surveyed the incoming enemy ships.
Around them, their adjutants were all holding small Den Den Mushi, keeping constant communication open for coordinated command and deployment.
"The entire army, stay on high alert! Don't let your guard down! Maintain first-level combat readiness and prepare for battle!"
Sengoku's firm, commanding voice came through the Den Den Mushi, resonating across all the ships.
On Sengoku's flagship, he turned toward the lookout post above and shouted, "Get me full details on the enemy! Count the number of ships immediately!"
Even though the sheer number of enemy vessels was overwhelming, Sengoku remained calm.
Not only did the Marines hold the advantage with their superior officers and high-end combat power, but their warships were also the most advanced in the world.
Compared to them, many of the pirate ships had much smaller displacements and far inferior firepower.
They were no match for the might of the Marine fleet.
In terms of displacement and performance, fewer than a dozen of the pirate ships could truly compare to the Marine battleships.
"Understood, Fleet Admiral Sengoku..."
Up in the crow's nest, a Marine lookout wiped cold sweat from his brow.
Peering through a monocular, he gave a quick and tense report:
"There are a total of 135 enemy ships of various sizes.
A large number of Charlotte Family officers are onboard the Big Mom Pirates' fleet.
Charlotte Wilhelm, one of the Four Sweet Commanders, is positioned on a front-line pirate ship!"
...
"In addition, Perospero, Katakuri, and Cracker, the other three Sweet Commanders, are each leading their own fleets. They're positioned around Big Mom's flagship, the Queen Mama Chanter, forming a V-shaped battle formation, with ships spread across the left and right wings."
However—
What even the Marines couldn't detect was the danger lurking above.
High in the gloomy sky, a massive vulture flapped its wings silently.
It was completely transparent, blending perfectly with the stormy clouds, unseen to the naked eye.
"It's really something..."
Katakuri, who should have been leading his own star fleet, appeared atop one of the ships.
He looked down at the sea below, noting the iron chains that faintly connected the Marine warships across the rough, rolling waves.
"They even linked all the battleships together with iron cables to prevent Wilhelm from using his powers..." Katakuri muttered.
"No, that's not all," Smoothie said in a deep, serious voice. "They only deployed around 10,000 troops visibly onboard. It's clearly a trap meant to deceive us."
"About a dozen nautical miles away," she continued, "there are more than ten large troop carriers hidden beneath the sea using coating technology. They're protected by an entire submarine fleet. Even the Sea Kings don't dare approach. Any that do are instantly hunted down by submarine-launched harpoons!"
"If it were three months ago, it might have been nearly impossible to coordinate such a massive fleet transfer in secret," Wilhelm said calmly, showing no sign of panic.
"But now..." His eyes were cold and sharp. "Even though it's still difficult, I no longer need to use Observation Haki. Otherwise, we'd alert them too soon."
"Then... let's begin."
The transparent vulture flapped its wings and slowly descended, landing atop the sail of a battleship commanded by a Titan Vice Admiral.
"A Titan Vice Admiral, huh?" Wilhelm sneered as he watched the giant Marine barking orders in a voice like thunder. "I'm sure Mom will be pleased..."
Between Wilhelm's palms, a tiny door suddenly materialized, revealing a strange green void inside.
"Air Door!"
The next moment, he activated his Transparent Fruit ability, known as the "Ten Rings."
Instantly, the entire warship began to vanish, fading into complete invisibility.
A flash of dazzling sword light cut through the stormy air as Wilhelm unsheathed his blade and stabbed it into the disappearing warship.
"Extreme Transfer!" Wilhelm's eyes gleamed coldly.
A faint blue light flickered—
"Whoosh—"
In an instant, without warning, across the surface of the sea—
Thirty Marine battleships suddenly vanished into thin air...