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3 CHAPTERS TODAY :)
Thank you all for the Top 3!
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New World!
BOOM!
An observation ship exploded instantly.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
A figure composed entirely of mochi slowly reformed into a humanoid shape.
"To extend their eyes and ears even to this sea area..." Charlotte Katakuri, second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates, user of the Special Paramecia Mochi-Mochi Fruit, stared with incredibly grim eyes.
"What a scary look, Katakuri."
FWOOSH!
A special, blue flame ignited as a carefree chuckle sounded.
"Marco." Katakuri's expression darkened.
"Big Brother..." A weak voice called out. The user of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit, Charlotte Brûlée, lay heavily wounded on the ground.
"You bastard... Do you know the consequences of harming my family?" Katakuri's eyes were utterly cold.
"Don't be so childish, Katakuri." Marco's own gaze turned cold.
"THIS IS WAR! Did you really think the news of Big Mom and Kaido's alliance could be hidden from Sky Sovereign?" Blue flames burned in Marco's eyes.
"Hmph. Sky Sovereign... His ambition is too great," Katakuri replied coldly, not surprised.
Though the alliance between Big Mom and Kaido had not yet been publicly announced, their opponent was the World's Strongest Devil Fruit User!
That man possessed too many unbelievable powers and abilities.
Katakuri wasn't surprised at all that he could uncover this intelligence. Besides, Big Mom and Kaido had no intention of hiding it.
Both the Beasts Pirates' stronghold of Onigashima and their own base of Whole Cake Island were openly preparing for war.
The reason Big Mom had so quickly allied with Kaido was because she felt the immense threat from Sky Sovereign.
After the Summit War's live broadcast, the world finally understood just how overwhelmingly powerful Sky Sovereign was.
His Conqueror's Haki is on par with Red-Haired Shanks.
His Devil Fruit abilities were the Strongest in history.
A single Devil Fruit ability had killed Marine HQ Admiral Aokiji, even blasting a hole in the sea that couldn't be filled for a long time.
That ability—the Super Electromagnetic Cannon—had now replaced the Magma-Magma Fruit as the pinnacle of offensive power.
Against a combination of that level of Haki and Devil Fruit ability, even a monster like Big Mom stood no chance.
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Of course, the intel Katakuri and the others had was only from the content broadcast before the signal was cut during the Summit War.
Rowen's subsequent surge in power, his Haki reaching a new level—both the Navy and the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet had kept that under wraps.
The Navy, fearing widespread global panic. And Rowen, happy to have it so, making it easier for his own strategic deployments.
But even the publicly known information was enough to put these rulers of the seas on high alert.
Red-Hair level Conqueror's Haki, plus the world's strongest Devil Fruit abilities... That combat power alone was absurdly exaggerated.
And the real reason Big Mom had personally gone to Onigashima to discuss an alliance with Kaido was:
SKY SOVEREIGN WASN'T THE ONLY THREAT!
The combat power of the Straw Hat Pirates, broadcast during the Summit War, had also shocked the world.
Straw Hat Luffy, a rookie pirate at sea for less than a year, actually possessed combat strength capable of clashing with Akainu.
Even if it was under a special state and didn't last long—in that state, Straw Hat was an Admiral-level combatant. And Straw Hat's mastery of Haōshoku Coating was real, even without that special state, Katakuri himself was no match.
As for the combined power of his "Boundman" form and Haoshoku Coating—that was enough to fight Akainu.
And neither the Big Mom Pirates nor the Beasts Pirates, aside from their two Emperors, had anyone who could match Straw Hat Luffy.
In a one-on-one situation, whether it was their Big Mom Pirates or the Beasts Pirates, they would most likely be defeated one by one...
What was more terrifying was Pirate Hunter, another powerhouse with Conqueror's Haki.
And others—Black Leg, Desert Princess—were also formidable fighters not to be ignored.
Furthermore, the bloodline of the Pirate King, Portgas D. Ace, had also joined Sky Sovereign's arsenal.
No one knew what kind of potential that bloodline held.
All of Sky Sovereign's top combatants were young. Besides Fire Fist Ace, the rest had only been at sea for a year.
If they were given more time to reach their peak... There would be no fight at all!
Time—was clearly on Sky Sovereign's side, not theirs.
Under these circumstances, an alliance was the best choice!
But just as they were preparing to gather their strength for the war against Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet, they were shocked to find that the Grand Fleet had moved so fast!
HE HAD LAUNCHED A PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ON THEM!
As for the Beasts Pirates, though there was no news yet—Katakuri suspected they were also under attack.
'What a smart man!' Katakuri's eyes shook. Even he was shaken to his core.
This was a declaration of war against TWO Emperor crews at once!
A war between three of the Four Emperors would drag the entire New World into the fire.
No faction would be spared in this war. The New World no longer had any safe places.
And with three of the Four Emperors starting an all-out war, would the Navy just watch?? And what about the final Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks? Would he intervene??
With so many forces clashing in the New World, even Sky Sovereign couldn't guarantee victory!
This man was too crazy.
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"Marco, mission accomplished," 'Flower Sword' Vista reported, coming to Marco's side.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Explosions echoed continuously. The base, which had piled up numerous ships laden with cannons and ammunition, had now become a sea of fire.
War, especially an all-out war between Emperors—ammunition was an extremely critical resource.
Even Emperor crew commanders, even Marine HQ Vice Admirals, could be worn down and killed under a dense barrage of cannon fire. And even an Emperor, to deal with these cannonballs, would need to expend stamina.
War wasn't just a clash between powerhouses; it was also a massive consumption of resources!
And now, one of their Big Mom Pirates' important resource storage depots—was destroyed!
The loss was immense.
"MARCOOOOOO!" Katakuri's eyes turned red. He roared, charging towards Marco.
"Hmph!" Marco snorted coldly, spreading his wings to meet him.
Even though Katakuri had Conqueror's Haki, he hadn't yet mastered Haōshoku Coating. Marco wasn't afraid of him.
His Phoenix Fruit, while lacking in overwhelming offensive power, its special properties allowed him to even briefly contend with an Admiral-level powerhouse.
Just like when he took Kizaru's attack during the Summit War.
Marco was best at delaying tactics, not assassination missions. This was why he had come here. Even if the Big Mom Pirates dispatched multiple commanders, Marco could still lead his troops in a successful retreat.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A Haki-infused Mochi Fist and the flames of the phoenix continuously clashed in mid-air, creating energy fluctuations.
But Katakuri, without Haōshoku Coating, could do nothing against Marco. He could only watch helplessly as Marco led his troops in a gradual retreat.
"BASTARD!" Katakuri's expression was incredibly grim.
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The news shook the world to its very core and spread like wildfire.
Jack the Drought, one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, had been defeated at Dressrosa by Straw Hat Luffy.
In response, The Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates formed a pirate alliance.
A SUPER-ALLIANCE BETWEEN TWO EMPEROR CREWS.
And at almost the same time—
The Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet declared war on BOTH the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates!
Under Sky Sovereign's thunderous, preemptive assault, numerous famous commanders from both crews were severely wounded, and vast amounts of their war supplies were destroyed!
Three of the Four Emperors had begun an all-out war...
The New World immediately descended into utter chaos.
Many pirates even fled the New World, staying far away from this terrifying battlefield.
A war between three Emperor crews, the New World no longer had any safe places. The entire New World, except for the territory of the Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks, would be completely engulfed in the flames of war.
And facing this unprecedentedly large-scale, terrifying war, the movements of the last remaining Emperor not involved in the war, Red-Hair, were also being closely watched by the world.
At the same time, the Navy, after learning of this explosive news, also immediately convened an all-out meeting.
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New Marineford Headquarters!
During the Summit War, because of Rowen, Marineford had suffered destruction far more terrifying than in the original story. Even its foundation was shattered by Rowen's Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability—with time, it would gradually sink into the sea.
This new location was the choice of the new Fleet Admiral, Akainu!
The former G-1 Branch in the New World!
This move clearly demonstrated Akainu's resolve to face the Emperors head-on and bring a final end to the Great Age of Pirates.
"FLEET ADMIRAL! THE THREE ADMIRALS ARE ALL HERE," a reporting soldier saluted.
The man sitting in the Fleet Admiral's chair was no longer Sengoku, but the cigar-smoking Akainu.
"Mm." Akainu's eyes were incredibly cold.
He stood up and headed towards the conference room.
On Akainu's Fleet Admiral's desk, one photo was particularly conspicuous.
"Admiral Aokiji... this time, we should be able to avenge you," the Marine soldier sighed, looking at the photo.
No one had expected that the ruthless leader of the Marine's hawk faction, Akainu, would actually shed tears after Aokiji's death, even keeping Aokiji's photo on his desk and vowing to avenge him.
This single act of unexpected sentiment had erased the long-standing divisions between the 'Hawk' and 'Dove' factions—united against a common enemy.
Facing a completely chaotic sea, there were no more 'Hawks' or 'Doves'.
They were all Marines.
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"FLEET ADMIRAL."
As Akainu entered the meeting room, Fujitora, Ryokugyu, and Kizaru all rose.
Their faces were solemn.
"Sky Sovereign has launched a war against Kaido and Big Mom. THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NAVY! Three Emperors tearing each other apart will result in devastating losses!! If we can take this opportunity to eliminate all three Emperors... Then the last remaining Red-Hair will be of no concern! WE WILL END THE GREAT AGE OF PIRATES!" Akainu's voice was iron-blooded and impassioned.
"THE TIME TO CARRY OUT JUSTICE—IS NOW!" Akainu concluded.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The numerous Marine HQ Elites present were filled with fervent passion.
The Navy was about to intervene in this war between three Emperors.
Of course, the best time for them to intervene was when the three Emperors were fighting it out, mutually wounded.
Then, they could strike at once, annihilating all three Emperors in one fell swoop!
Soon, the staff officers' orders were issued.
The Navy began its preparations.
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New World.
"Trying to be the fisherman who reaps the rewards, are we? Navy," Rowen smiled.
In Rowen's hand, a special Transponder Snail was broadcasting all the contents of the Navy's top-level meeting.
The Listening Transponder Snail—Enhanced Version.
"The real show... is about to begin."
Rowen's eyes flashed.
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