Almost at the same time, at the G-10 branch.
The entire sky was dyed red.
"Blazing titan!!!"
A towering flame giant, dozens of meters tall, rampaged forward.
"Repent in hell, Marines!!!"
Carrying devastating flames, it set the entire fortress ablaze.
Marines screamed in agony as they were engulfed.
"Die, Trafalgar Law!"
A Vice-Admiral from the Marine Headquarters moved like lightning, charging in with a sweeping kick.
"Tempest Kick: Severe!"
Whoosh!
A terrifying slash tore through the air.
But Law, using his highly developed Observation Haki, narrowly dodged it.
"Sorry, but you might have chosen the wrong opponent."
Law smirked playfully.
He was eager to test his recently awakened Op-Op Fruit ability.
"K-Room!"
He gently placed his left hand on his sword, Kikoku, manifesting a visible domain vastly different from his usual room technique.
The field directly enveloped his sword.
Swoosh!
In the next instant, a massive blade extension shot out like lightning.
The G-10 base commander, a Vice-Admiral clad in full Armament Haki, confident in his strength, was completely unable to defend.
The suddenly extended blade pierced cleanly through his skull.
Yet, strangely, not a single drop of blood spilled.
"What's the point of such a painless attack?"
The Vice-Admiral flinched at first but quickly regained his composure and sneered.
Ignoring the blade through his head, he prepared to charge again.
"Is that so?"
Law smirked coldly.
His eyes sharpened as he activated his devil Devil Fruit ability.
"Shock Wille!"
Buzz!
Without warning, the extended blade vibrates violently.
The blade that had pierced through the Vice-Admiral's skull began spinning furiously, unleashing an explosive shockwave.
Boom!
"Aaaahhh!!!"
No surprise, the Marines Vice-Admiral stood no chance against that devastating shockwave.
He let out a scream, and the terrible shock wave that hit his skull caused him to bleed from all seven orifices.
"Plop..."
His eyes rolled back, and he fell there.
He lost his life on the spot.
Crackle!
At this moment, flames spread uncontrollably. The scorching heat was unbearable, making it impossible to approach.
"This guy…"
Law's eyelid twitched as he looked at Gin.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the air and spirited away, returning to the ship.
"Flame Emperor!!!"
Blazing flames distorted the air.
Endless firelight gathered, transforming into a scorching sun that radiated terrifying heat.
It was held high by the fire giant that seemed to come from hell and covered the sky.
Without hesitation, he ruthlessly bombarded this large marine base.
"Boom!"
... ... ...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Damn it, have the Netherworld Pirates gone mad?"
Kong's face was livid, and he slammed the table in anger.
What truly unsettled him was the sheer power the Netherworld Pirates had displayed in this operation.
With just a few crew members, they had easily overrun the marine bases stationed in the second half of the New World, leaving the Marines utterly defenseless.
These weren't just ordinary outposts; they were direct bases of the G-series divisions.
"In one swift move, nearly all of the Branch Bases in the New World, except for G-5 and G-1, have come under attack!"
Vice-Admiral Tsuru, standing beside him, looked uncertain and asked solemnly: "Fleet Admiral Kong, what exactly is going on?"
All along, the marines and the Netherworld Pirates had clashed occasionally but had maintained some level of restraint.
Why had the Netherworld Pirates suddenly launched a large-scale assault on the marine bases?
Did they really intend to declare a full-scale war against the Marines?
"I'm not entirely sure…"
Kong's face was grim as he explained: "All I know is that the higher-ups informed me that the World Government destroyed the Netherworld Pirates' research base and warned us to be on guard for their retaliation."
"If that's the case, then the Netherworld Pirates must have suffered a tremendous loss. Otherwise, they wouldn't be this enraged!"
Vice-Admiral Tsuru furrowed her brows and said bluntly: "The loss of other branches is manageable, but G-1 is the gateway to the Mary Geoise, and G-5 is the Marines' most crucial stronghold in the New World. These two fortresses must not fall!"
"With the growing threat of the four emperors, we had no choice but to station admiral Fujitora at G-5 for the long term…"
Kong massaged his temples and said in a heavy voice: "But to prevent any unforeseen incidents, I have already ordered Sengoku to leave headquarters for G-1 and instructed Kizaru to head to G-5. Hopefully, we're not too late!"
"By the way, what about Garp? Is he still vacationing in the East Blue?"
Suddenly remembering something, Kong asked directly.
"Well, three years ago, his adoptive grandson, Portgas D. Ace, ran off to sea when he wasn't paying attention, which infuriated him…"
Vice-Admiral Tsuru spread her hands helplessly and said: "Now, he frequently returns to the East Blue to keep an eye on his precious grandson. I heard that boy is just as restless; he keeps yelling about wanting to set sail and become a pirate!"
"That guy should've brought his grandson to Marineford ages ago; he would've saved a lot of trouble… But now isn't the time for this nonsense. Get him back here immediately!"
"Understood!"
Meanwhile, atop the Red Line.
"As expected, Black Prison launched a fierce revenge!"
"It seems that he is really angry..."
"However, this also means that they are not fully prepared and are not willing to rush into a full-scale war with the World Government."
"It is worth noting that the power displayed by the Netherworld Pirates is probably not inferior to the Marine Headquarters!"
"The Four Heavenly Kings under Obask Luke alone are probably not inferior to the admirals from the Marine Headquarters..."
"And the Eight Stars should not be underestimated!'
The Five Elders sat in their respective seats.
While they let out a sigh of relief, they were also deeply alarmed by the strength of the Netherworld Pirates.
A sense of unease crept into their hearts.
"As of now, the Netherworld Pirates control their Zombie army, Shadowkhan army, and have been continuously expanding, subjugating, and recruiting tens of thousands of pirates from the New World…"
St. Marcus Mars took a deep breath and said solemnly: "If full-scale war breaks out, Obask Luke could mobilize at least 100,000 elite troops!"
"It could be even more than that; we have truly underestimated that man."
St. Jaygarcia Saturn gripped his cane, his gaze dark and foreboding.