"Wicka, is that still the same big rabbit from before?"
"I... I honestly don't know..."
"Hey! What in the world is that thing?!"
"Could that really be the little rabbit we saw earlier?"
On the second-level battlefield of the elevated terrain, numerous Tontatta warriors and Marine soldiers stood in stunned amazement as they witnessed Carrot's dramatically transformed appearance.
However, most of them had no understanding of the forces behind this incredible metamorphosis.
Even Vergo—who possessed considerable knowledge about the Mink Tribe—found himself deeply confused by what he was witnessing.
After all, the sun remained high in the sky at this very moment, so how could the legendary Sulong transformation possibly manifest during broad daylight hours?
He shook his head slightly, deciding not to waste mental energy on phenomena he couldn't comprehend, because Carrot—trailing a dazzling stream of electrical energy—was already roaring toward his position with obvious lethal intent.
A brilliant white shadow streaked through the air. Following her transformation, Carrot's velocity had increased exponentially beyond her previous capabilities, forcing Vergo to abandon any trace of casual confidence.
Sensing the approaching explosive assault, he coated his entire body with dense Armament Haki while the bamboo weapon in his hand began spinning rapidly in preparation for a devastating counterstrike.
Detecting Carrot's rapidly approaching form, Vergo suddenly pivoted and leaped upward. This unexpected movement startled him into immediately halting his swing mid-motion and continuing to rotate his bamboo staff defensively.
But in that instant, surrounded by dazzling lightning and tremendous wind pressure, Carrot pounced with predatory grace.
Facing her swift electrified claws, Vergo utilized accumulated centrifugal force to swing his Armament Haki-wrapped bamboo weapon with absolutely everything he possessed.
A violent shockwave spread outward in all directions, accompanied by sharp metallic sounds, as Vergo found himself stumbling backward involuntarily.
In contrast, when both attacks collided with tremendous force, Carrot was also sent flying backward through the air.
However, Carrot's transformed body had become far more agile than before. She twisted and changed direction twice while airborne, cleverly dissipating the recoil energy before launching forward again at absolutely astonishing speed.
Simultaneously, a shocking amount of electrical power began gathering in her outstretched palm, crackling with barely contained destructive potential.
When Vergo managed to steady his position, he saw a brilliant flash before his eyes as Carrot's figure appeared directly in front of him like living lightning, accompanied by her clear battle cry.
Caught completely off-guard, Vergo instinctively activated his strongest Armament Haki and struck out with maximum force using the bamboo staff in his hands.
However, the black bamboo weapon that had previously been coated with his defensive Haki seemed pathetically fragile when confronted by Carrot's violent electrical assault. The staff was ruthlessly severed in half, while her lightning continued rushing forward with completely unstoppable momentum.
"How is this even possible...?!" Vergo began to exclaim in genuine shock, but before he could complete his sentence, the extremely sharp lightning emanating from Carrot's claws made contact with his chest.
His normally impenetrable Armament Haki defense proved utterly useless against the fierce electrical attack, shattering completely within the span of a single moment.
Under the watchful gazes of those still paying attention to their individual duel, Carrot spun gracefully and delivered a devastating kick with both legs.
Vergo's entire body suddenly flew backward like a kite with severed strings, crashing heavily to the ground with a sickening thud that echoed across the battlefield.
His heart had been struck directly by Carrot's lightning and was completely destroyed. Vergo's chest and mouth became covered with stark red blood as his life force rapidly drained away, leaving him far beyond any possibility of medical intervention.
He lay motionless on the cracked earth, his eyes behind their dark sunglasses gazing weakly toward the high ground where the palace stood. His lips moved as he muttered something in an increasingly faint voice, but his words became weaker and weaker until finally he lost all ability to speak and lay quietly on the battlefield.
"Vice Admiral Vergo!"
This shocking scene caused countless Marines present to cry out in disbelief and dismay. They had never imagined that their commanding officer—who had seemed so powerful and invincible in their eyes—would fall here during what should have been a routine operation.
Smoker struggled to force Brook back with desperate defensive moves, quickly retreated dozens of meters, and approached Vergo's motionless form while looking down at his fallen superior with deeply conflicted emotions.
Just as the Marines found themselves immersed in grief and confusion, a distinctly sharp voice suddenly resounded throughout the entire battlefield area.
"Vergo! How dare you kill Vergo?! I will never forgive this!" Pica's unmistakable high-pitched voice carried from the damaged rock giant in the distance, making it obvious that he had been secretly monitoring the battle's progress from his position.
The next moment, Cavendish's voice rang out in response with obvious mockery, "If you want revenge, come out of that stone formation if you've got the courage! Otherwise I'll just chop you into tiny pieces!"
"Wait a minute..." As soon as these words left his mouth, Cavendish experienced a sudden flash of inspiration. Looking at the enormous rock construct, he fell into thoughtful contemplation about new tactical possibilities.
Just when most people on the second-level battlefield remained confused about the broader implications, Skull delivered a powerful punch that sent Senor Pink crashing to the ground, finally ending their prolonged duel.
"Huff... was that actually my Armament Haki?" Skull said with genuine surprise, recalling the faint but distinct aura that had emerged from within his body and gathered around his fist during the final exchange.
Then he looked down at Senor Pink, who was clearly unable to continue fighting, and gently touched the cracked skull mask covering his face, feeling a pang of regret about the damage to his favorite accessory.
After that, he glanced toward Vergo's lifeless form on the ground, then at Carrot standing nearby in her magnificent Sulong transformation, and burst into triumphant laughter. "Oh hahaha! This is basically a confession, isn't it? That Vergo really was a Marine spy planted by Doflamingo all along!"
Hearing Skull's loud declaration, the assembled Marines were stunned into complete silence as the implications began sinking in.
"How... how could that possibly be true? Vice Admiral Vergo was..." Some of the younger Marines responded with complete disbelief, while others who possessed more analytical thinking began processing this revelation with growing understanding.
Witnessing these reactions, Smoker's eyes flashed with sudden comprehension, and he felt as though dark clouds had finally parted to reveal clear sunlight. Many situations that had previously confused him were suddenly becoming perfectly clear.
However, he chose not to jump to immediate conclusions. Instead, he raised his head and addressed his subordinates with authoritative calm. "We cannot determine the complete truth based solely on their claims, but that stone man's emotional reaction certainly didn't sound fabricated. We'll report this matter for thorough investigation when we return to headquarters. For now, don't act impulsively—we're withdrawing immediately!"
In the absence of higher-ranking officers, Smoker's commands as the most senior Marine present naturally carried absolute authority among the assembled forces.
"Carrot, come back here right now," Carina called out urgently, seeing the Marines beginning their orderly tactical retreat. She was obviously concerned about her friend's condition following the intense transformation.
"Oh, okay!" Carrot replied breathlessly, leaping back toward her crewmates with fluid grace.
After taking a quick glance around and confirming that no immediate enemies remained in their vicinity, she canceled her Sulong transformation and returned to her normal appearance.
"Are you alright?" Carina and Kotatsu stepped forward quickly to catch Carrot as she became unsteady on her feet, her energy clearly depleted from the demanding battle.
Deuce also approached their position and provided his medical assessment. "Apart from the injuries she sustained earlier in the fight, she should be perfectly fine."
As the crew's doctor, Deuce was naturally well aware of the side effects—including significant fatigue—that typically accompanied the Sulong transformation process.
Carrot had been able to achieve her transformation successfully during broad daylight thanks to an experimental medicine that Deuce and Chopper had jointly developed through careful research and testing.
At this crucial point, the battlefield on the second level of the high ground had reached a decisive turning point with the complete defeat of Doflamingo's officers and royal guards. The Marines had temporarily withdrawn and established a tense standoff with the combined forces of the Black Star Pirates and Tontatta warriors.
Meanwhile, on the fourth level of the elevated terrain, what had once been a magnificent sunflower field now lay in complete ruins, with destroyed earth and scattered flower petals covering the battle-scarred landscape.
"It looks like you're going to be lying unconscious on the ground long before any reinforcements manage to arrive," Jerry observed calmly, gently swinging his fishing rod—which remained surrounded by crackling Haki-infused electrical energy—as he addressed the wounded Doflamingo.
Unexpectedly, Doflamingo seemed completely indifferent to the pain radiating throughout his battered body. He suddenly threw both arms wide, stood defiantly on the cracked and transformed ground while maintaining his fruit's awakened state, and laughed with manic intensity. "Fufufufu! The winner of this battle has yet to be determined!"
Having delivered this defiant declaration, and without waiting for any response from Jerry, Doflamingo suddenly swung both arms forward with tremendous force and obvious desperation.
"Ever White: Thousand Arrows Feather Strike!"
As he waved his hands with frantic energy, thousands of razor-sharp string constructs suddenly erupted from the white-transformed ground beneath their feet.
The pointed tips of these countless threads had all been enhanced with his Armament Haki, creating a formation that resembled the spread wings of an enormous flamingo. They surrounded Jerry from every conceivable direction, attempting to create an inescapable situation where he would be pierced by thousands of deadly projectiles simultaneously.
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