The towering wall at Marineford's harbor had been built in preparation for Whitebeard's assault. The structure was cast from solid steel and reinforced with Seastone during its construction, making it incredibly sturdy—even more so than the Gate of Justice.
Such a fortified wall was nearly impervious to even the most advanced warships and artillery. What's more, the area was lined with turrets. If enemies attacked, the turrets would immediately launch a counterattack. Under such concentrated firepower, even the Whitebeard Pirates would find it hard to advance.
In fact, during their earlier assault, the Whitebeard Pirates had already suffered setbacks. Unable to break through Marineford's defenses immediately, many had fallen under the tower's relentless cannon fire.
Kaguya's seemingly casual action had, unintentionally or not, provided significant help to the Whitebeard Pirates. Whether it was coincidence or intentional remained unclear.
Sengoku's face was grim as he said in a low voice, "Artoria, are your actions meant to declare war on the navy?"
"I think you misunderstand something," Kaguya said as she gracefully approached. "I'm already listed in your bounty logs as a wanted criminal, aren't I? That means we're enemies by default. So what's the point in asking whether I intend to oppose you?"
Sengoku's expression darkened further.
Kaguya added coldly, "To think that the Fleet Admiral would ask such a retarded question... Did you not get enough sleep last night?"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead as anger flickered in his eyes. He said sternly, "Issue the order. Command all units to tighten defenses and block the pirates at the breach."
"Yes, sir!"
A navy soldier saluted and hurried off to deliver the command.
With the breach in Marineford's wall exposed, the Whitebeard Pirates swarmed in like a tidal wave. It was a rare opportunity. If they could break through, they would invade Marineford's inner defenses, and the navy's geographical advantage would be lost.
But just as they charged in, a storm of magma fists rained down like meteors. Explosions roared as blazing flames erupted, sending thick smoke skyward. In moments, the breach was transformed into a sea of fire.
"Did I say you could come in? You insects sure don't know your place," a towering figure emerged from the smoke.
"It's Admiral Akainu!"
Meanwhile, on the shoreline of the harbor—
"Master, are you really not going to intervene?" Monet asked hesitantly. "The navy's strength is far greater than we anticipated. All the Vice Admirals have shown up... Even Whitebeard might struggle against such a lineup."
"This is their battle. There's no need for me to interfere too much. All we need to do is fan the flames—to make the fire burn even hotter," Kaguya said with interest. "The fiercer it is, the more exciting this grand performance becomes, don't you think?"
"Then Master means..."
"What we need to do now is simply watch. This play has only just begun," Kaguya said as she turned and cast a cold glance toward a nearby thicket. "Right, Doflamingo?"
Doflamingo.
Monet's eyes narrowed, and she quickly turned to look in the same direction. Until now, she hadn't noticed that someone had been lurking nearby.
Doflamingo stepped out of the shadows with his characteristic swagger, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips. "Your instincts are as sharp as ever."
Kaguya stared coldly at him and said, "Are your wounds healed from the beating? Out for a stroll now?"
"How could I miss such a grand event?" Doflamingo said with a grin, arms crossed. "This is the moment that will determine the fate of this era."
"Since you're so free, why not do something useful?" Kaguya turned to him and said, "You see Akainu over there? He's your opponent. Take him down."
"Hey, hey, don't joke around like that," Doflamingo spread his hands and grinned. "I've got no intention of going up against an admiral."
Kaguya's cold eyes locked onto him. Calmly, she said, "Do you think I'm joking?"
Doflamingo's smile froze. His face darkened. "If I recall correctly, you don't have the authority to order me around."
"You're right—I don't," Kaguya said. "You're under no obligation to listen to me. But..."
She continued, "There's someone else. Someone I believe would make you very willing to act."
Doflamingo's voice turned grim. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing in particular," Kaguya replied. "It's up to you whether you act or not. But let me offer you some advice: if you showed up for this important battle, don't you think that person might as well?"
Doflamingo's face turned even darker. "Are you threatening me?"
"You're not even worth threatening," Kaguya said dismissively. "If you don't want to do it, that's fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Doflamingo's expression shifted back and forth. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth as if coming to a decision. "Fine. But you better not be playing games. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
A trace of green energy flickered across his face. With a snap of his fingers, a nearly invisible thread shot forward, and using its force, Doflamingo launched himself like an arrow toward the battlefield.
"Did Master expect even this?" Monet approached and asked curiously.
"No," Kaguya replied. "I don't have the time to guess what a small fry is thinking."
Monet paused. "Then why?"
Kaguya's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Don't you think... he's quite the useful piece of cheap labor?"
The battlefield was changing rapidly. While the Whitebeard Pirates were outnumbered, each member was a battle-hardened veteran. The navy's supposed force of 100,000 was mostly cannon fodder. Only a few thousand could truly influence the battle.
Akainu's power was undeniable, but even he felt the pressure when facing three division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates simultaneously—especially as Luffy and his crew rapidly approached Ace.
At that moment, Doflamingo appeared.
"Perfect timing. Help me hold them off while I deal with those others—" Akainu's words cut off in a mix of shock and rage. "Doflamingo! What are you doing?!"
Doflamingo lunged forward, fingers outstretched. Sharp threads shot from his fingertips, slicing through the air straight toward Akainu.
"Five-Color Strings!"
"Hellhound!"
Boom!
Sparks flew and shockwaves erupted.
Akainu, who had been blasted backward, steadied himself mid-air, his voice filled with fury. "Doflamingo, are you insane?!"
But Doflamingo ignored him. Stepping on his thread lines, he shot forward like an arrow, spinning mid-air for a powerful kick.
"Foot Whip Line!"
A flicker of rage crossed Akainu's face. "You don't know your place." His muscular arm surged with molten lava and, through the thick smoke, he launched a furious strike.
Thud!
Doflamingo was sent flying. His eyes narrowed—his attack had been blocked with ease by Akainu's arm.
"Doflamingo, do you even realize what you're doing?" Akainu clenched his fist, face dark with fury. "Do you want to make an enemy of the navy?"
"Don't misunderstand. I have no such intention," Doflamingo said, licking his lips with a crimson tongue, a sinister smile on his face. "But this is an order from a certain someone, so I'm afraid I have no choice."
"A certain someone?" Akainu's eyes narrowed. For someone to make the proud and unruly Doflamingo abandon his position as a Warlord and submit—this person had to be extraordinary.
Who could it possibly be?
Before he could ponder further, Doflamingo's next wave of attacks was already upon him.
"This is getting interesting. Truly exhilarating! A new era is about to begin. Come on, Akainu! Let's see what you've got!"
With Akainu held up by Doflamingo, the pressure on the Whitebeard Pirates eased considerably. The steel-reinforced wall had collapsed, and many pirates surged through the breach, flooding inward.
Whitebeard glanced at Little Oars Jr., who lay at the edge of Marineford, then turned his eyes to the beach where Kaguya lounged, a grin tugging at his lips.
That little girl is really something. She reminds me quite a bit of that brat I once knew.
"Ace, wait for me. I'm coming to save you!"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out. On the high platform, Sengoku and Ace were both stunned. Garp's eyes went wide.
A figure was sprinting toward the platform at full speed.
Garp rubbed his eyes and shouted in shock, "Luffy?! What is he doing here?!"
"Garp!" Sengoku roared in anger. "Don't play dumb! Another one of your family! Are you seriously going to let this brat rescue a criminal?!"
Even Kaguya, still lying on the beach, looked a little surprised. Luffy's strength had skyrocketed since mastering Fourth Gear, but compared to Fujitora and Momousagi, he still lagged far behind. Even with the Revolutionary Army's Ivankov and the rest of the Straw Hats, breaking through their defense should've been extremely difficult.
Kaguya turned her gaze toward the Marineford entrance, where the Straw Hats were locked in a fierce stalemate with Fujitora. A smirk crept onto her lips.
That guy's really cunning. From the look of it, he's holding back on purpose. Otherwise, how could the Straw Hat crew possibly fend off two people with admiral-level strength?
"They're pirates—there's no room for sympathy. Choosing the path of piracy means accepting the punishment that comes with it," Garp said, staring at Luffy as he ran toward the platform. "If there's anyone to blame, it's only the choice he made back then."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed. "Then you mean—"
"Enough," Garp snapped, an unusual display of anger. He sat cross-legged. "I just want to sit here for a while. If anyone dares to interfere—"
His expression hardened. "—I'll deal with them myself."
Even Sengoku was caught off guard by his words, and so was Ace. Garp had made his stance clear: he stood on the side of the navy.
"To say something so contrary to his heart, caught between duty and family, making such a painful decision..." Kaguya twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "It's absolutely irresistible."
Monet blinked. "Master, are you saying... he's really going to kill his so-called grandson himself?"
"What else could it be?" Kaguya replied. "A man who's given his entire life to the navy can't just change sides so easily. No matter how hard the choice, this is the only decision he can make."
"But... does he really not want to save his grandson?" Monet asked, puzzled.
"Of course he does," Kaguya said. "But he won't lift a hand himself. He'll put on a show of righteous loyalty and leave Ace's rescue up to the enemy—hoping someone strong enough appears to defeat him. That way, he can uphold his justice and still see Ace live."
"Really...?" Monet asked in amazement.
"Exactly. Such a dishonest old man," Kaguya scoffed. "But it's nothing more than wishful thinking—a deluded fantasy doomed to fail."
Hancock, who was juicing fruit nearby, curiously asked, "Doomed to fail?"
"Yes," Kaguya said. "He miscalculated the situation and overestimated Whitebeard's strength. If it were the Whitebeard of twenty years ago, perhaps he could've saved Ace. But now, he's past his prime and no match for today's navy—especially..."
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. They would never break through the navy's defenses. The marines were far stronger than anyone imagined.
And then—
"Bad news! The Third Division has fallen!"
"Seventh Division is overwhelmed—requesting reinforcements!"
"Eleventh Division commander is dead!"
"Sixteenth Division is trapped—surrounded by the navy!"
One disastrous report after another.
The Whitebeard Pirates were crumbling. Marco's eyes widened in disbelief, and he clenched his fists.
How could this be?
Are you kidding me? How is the navy this strong?!
It was far beyond his expectations. He always believed the upper ranks of the navy were powerful, but the lower ranks were weak and easy to crush. But reality said otherwise.
Those seemingly unimpressive marines possessed astonishing strength—on par with the Whitebeard Pirates. Some unfamiliar marine officers could even match the division commanders.
How could this be?
Only one person knew the truth—Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral. The reason the navy had such overwhelming strength...
Was thanks to a single person.
That person was Kaguya.
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