The life-and-death battle between the two Sea Emperors began that afternoon and ended at dawn the next day.
No more, no less—exactly fifteen hours.
But even earlier than that.
The tide of battle on the Icy Marsh Battlefield had already become clear.
...
Thud!
In the northwest corner, two female Swordsmen clashed and separated, each plummeting downward.
Kuina landed on one knee, Wado Ichimonji deeply embedded in the ice, sliding over ten meters before barely stabilizing herself.
The wind blew through her hair as she wiped the blood from her lips and expressionlessly looked up at her opponent.
Smoothie was also kneeling on the ice.
However, compared to Kuina, Smoothie's condition was far worse at this point.
Drenched in blood, covered in wounds, she barely kept herself upright with her sword, her breathing ragged and uneven.
When she raised her head to meet Kuina's gaze, it took several labored breaths before she could speak.
"Hey, you bastard..."
Smoothie gritted her teeth, glaring at Kuina, whose body crackled with black-and-red lightning. "So you've Awakened Conqueror's Haki—big deal! What's with this constant display, huh?"
Awakened Conqueror's Haki...
Fine, it was impressive, and she couldn't deny the envy Kuina had mentioned earlier. But... so what?
Before mastering the advanced technique of infusion, it was only good for clearing out small fry.
And was Smoothie small fry?
Of course not!
Perhaps Awakening Conqueror's Haki had broadened this female Master Swordsman's potential for growth, but that was a matter for the distant future.
For today's battle, it changed nothing!
Why keep flaunting it like some kind of trophy?
"This..."
Kuina lowered her head, looking at the Conqueror's Haki swirling around her. "I can't help it. I can't control it yet."
Not everyone could be like Lord Xiano, who could wield Conqueror's Haki with perfect mastery the moment he Awakened it.
"But it seems that's not a bad thing, is it?"
Kuina's voice turned icy. "At the very least, it's made your mind even more unstable. You were never my match to begin with—with this added, your defeat will only come faster."
Ten moves.
At most, within ten moves, she was confident she could completely crush her opponent!
"Don't screw with me!"
Smoothie roared in fury. "Unstable? Stop presuming to know my state of mind! You think this means you've already won? Not even close! I'm the daughter Mom values most!"
And the woman who had almost become this brat's sister-in-law!
Her sword suddenly rose high, releasing a blinding blue light.
Hum!
"Squeeze Transformation·Obelisk God Soldier!"
In an instant, she pushed the power of the Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit to its limit. Her muscles bulged and swelled, her body forcibly expanding to over fifteen meters tall!
In this state, her strength and stamina surpassed the limits of her race, reaching levels only a giant could achieve!
"Useless!"
Kuina sneered, her fighting spirit burning even fiercer. Gripping Wado Ichimonji tightly with her right hand, she lightly brushed the blade with her left and shouted:
"Wind Style·Six Paths Whirlwind Slash!"
She had long mastered the secrets of Wind Control Swordsmanship, combining it with what she had learned and realized at Isshin Dojo to develop and refine numerous new techniques.
This move…
Was perfect for dealing with such a massive enemy!
Whoosh!
Her figure suddenly transformed into a streak of cyan light, as if merging with the wind itself, darting and flashing rapidly around Smoothie's enormous body.
The blade sliced through the air with sharp whistles, each slash leaving a bloody mark on Smoothie—whether on her arm, abdomen, or… the back of her neck.
"Annoying fly!"
Smoothie roared, swinging her Giant Sword in an attempt to catch Kuina's figure.
But her opponent was simply too fast, her presence blending seamlessly with the sea breeze, making it difficult to lock onto her with Observation Haki.
At her peak, she might have been able to keep up through sheer combat instinct, but in her current state, it was impossible.
Nearly all her attacks missed, and the few that landed were deflected by Kuina's blade.
"You seem out of breath. Does growing bigger drain your stamina faster?"
Kuina's voice suddenly echoed by Smoothie's ear. The latter's pupils shrank as she spun around—only to find no trace of Kuina.
Instead, she was stunned to see a massive blue-green tornado roaring toward her across the icy expanse!
What is this?!
The tornado moved with terrifying speed.
Unable to dodge, she was swept into it, her massive body flung high into the air like a ragdoll, mercilessly tossed and torn.
She struggled desperately to break free, but the Sword Aura and unleashed Haki within the gale were like countless blades, slicing wound after wound into her body.
"It's over. The final strike!"
Kuina's icy voice followed:
"Gale… Extinction Slash!"
Darkness filled Smoothie's vision as a figure appeared before her—the tornado vanishing instantly.
In its place came countless razor-sharp sword lights, slashing at her from all directions at once!
Splat—
Blood gushed like a fountain as deep, bone-exposing wounds instantly covered Smoothie's massive body.
She could no longer hold on. Her enormous frame collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending shards of ice flying into the air.
"Is it still not dawn yet?"
After a futile attempt to rise, Smoothie stared blankly at the sky, forcing a bitter smile.
"Just a few hours of fighting, and yet… I must be the first Sweet Commander to fall. How pathetic…"
"Losing to me isn't shameful."
Kuina walked over, flicking the blood from her blade with a casual motion. "But you're wrong about the rest."
Huh?
"What do you mean?"
Smoothie frowned at her.
"You're the second strongest among the Sweet Commanders, after all."
Kuina glanced at her. "Even if I gave it my all, defeating you wasn't easy. But in the other battles between top officers, the power gaps are far greater than ours."
You mean…
Following Kuina's gaze, Smoothie's eyes widened in shock.
On the glacier nearby, a mountain of biscuit crumbs had piled up, and atop that mountain lay a man with a purple topknot, covered in blood, motionless.
"Unlike you, as the vice-captain, I have to keep an eye on the battlefield from time to time," Kuina said calmly. "Twenty minutes ago, your brother Cracker here was already defeated by an enraged father. The reasons and motivations for both sides in this war are completely on different levels..."
"The strength that comes from fighting to save one's daughter—how could a Sweet Commander who's always been a coward possibly compare?"
"It's Cracker, you idiot!" Smoothie angrily corrected, but quickly slumped in defeat.
"True... That guy hasn't fought in his real body for ages. If the disguise of his Biscuit Soldiers is torn apart, he easily becomes the weakest link among us..."
"..."
Kuina raised an eyebrow, glancing at her in mild surprise. "Why the sudden resignation?"
"You've already won, haven't you?"
Smoothie struggled to turn onto her back, lying flat on the ice as she let out a bitter sigh.
"I never had much faith in Mama's side to begin with. Cracker lost so quickly, and it seems like Katakuri and Perospero are both tied up by your people, unable to break free..."
"Now that I've lost too, two of the Sweet Commanders are already down. Is there even any suspense left in this war?"
BOOM!
As if answering her, a deafening crash suddenly echoed from above.
Smoothie strained to turn her head and saw a towering figure plummet like a meteor onto the ice not far away.
When the dust settled, she recognized the man—beaten black and blue, unconscious—whose face she now saw clearly.
It was none other than the last of the Sweet Commanders, the one she hadn't mentioned yet—
"Snack?!"
Smoothie's jaw dropped. Who the hell took him down?
——————
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the large conference room at the top of the fortress, multiple high-ranking officers had gathered, including Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
A few staff officers hurriedly worked in front of the whiteboard, compiling the latest reports from the frontlines and distributing them to the assembled officers. Occasionally, they projected captured photos onto the board for review.
As per protocol, whenever a war—or even a minor skirmish—broke out among the Four Emperors, the Marines would dispatch surveillance ships to observe and analyze the battle.
This time, having received advance notice of the conflict, they were naturally no exception.
"Any progress from Green Bull yet?" Sengoku, dark circles under his eyes after staying up all night, poured himself a bitter cup of coffee and asked in a low voice. "It's almost dawn—what's the latest on the battlefield?"
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! The surveillance ship stationed near the Curtain Closer's base last sent an update an hour ago," a bespectacled staff officer immediately stood to respond.
"Aramaki appears to still be locked in fierce combat with 'Star Fall' and has been completely stalled at the outskirts of the Galaxy Sea, unable to advance at all."
Still evenly matched, huh?
Sengoku massaged his temples in frustration.
That Issho... truly a tough opponent.
But then again, he couldn't blame Aramaki for the failed infiltration operation.
After all, no one at headquarters had anticipated that the Curtain Closer, while launching an expedition against Totto Land, would still have the capacity to leave their second strongest combatant behind at home.
"Red Hair was also intercepted by Kaido," Tsuru said calmly, tossing the documents in her hand back onto the table. "This means the full-scale war erupting in Totto Land will inevitably be fought to the death, with no chance of stopping due to outside interference."
The Charlotte Pirate Crew and the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates.
No matter who wins or loses between these two,
the outcome will undoubtedly cause a massive upheaval in the New World's balance of power!
"Not necessarily," a newly promoted vice admiral with a face full of scars said coldly.
"Since all the pirates are fighting each other, too preoccupied to care about anything else, I don't understand—why doesn't headquarters seize this golden opportunity to move in and reap the spoils?"
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