The masked man from CP0 didn't panic even after realizing his escape route had been cut off.
Instead, he barked coldly, "Arima, do you realize you've violated the gods' taboo? You'll be purged soon enough!"
"Gods? You mean the Celestial Dragons' so-called gods?"
"Of course! The Celestial Dragons are the gods of this world. No matter where you flee, they'll find you."
Arima looked at the man, one thoroughly brainwashed by the Celestial Dragons, with calm indifference.
"That doesn't bother me. Tell me, how did the World Government know I went to the Isle of White Earth?"
"…"
The man fell silent. Arima didn't seem in a hurry. He planned to capture him first and interrogate him later.
The masked agent clearly wasn't planning to surrender. He lunged forward, thrusting a Shigan at Arima.
But Arima had already foreseen the attack with his Observation Haki. He merely tilted his head slightly, evading it with ease.
Still, the power behind that Shigan was astonishing. The shockwave punched a hole straight through a distant tower several kilometers behind Arima.
'Impressive Taijutsu,' Arima thought to himself, silently acknowledging the man's mastery of Rokushiki.
That single motion seemed to be a signal.
The subordinates behind the masked man surged forward at once, swarming Arima, while the man himself took the chance to retreat toward Arata and Yuna's position.
But Arima wasn't about to be fooled by such a petty trick. He instantly activated his Kamui, slipping through space to appear right in front of the fleeing man.
It was the ocular technique Arima had awakened along with his Mangekyo Sharingan, a power that could freeze the very space-time around its target.
In an instant, the masked agent's body was locked in place by it.
Arima effortlessly pulled him into the Kamui dimension. From the start of the fight to the moment of capture, the entire process took less than ten breaths.
Watching this, Aokiji's heart grew heavy. He hadn't expected Arima to have become this powerful. Ten years ago, he had never seen him use anything like this.
'Did he fake his death back then just to escape? …No, that wouldn't make sense. He had no reason to do that. Then why…?'
Unable to make sense of Arima's motives from back then, Aokiji's mind filled with doubts.
After securing the man, Arima easily rounded up the remaining CP0 agents. His movements were smooth and effortless, like a giant casually lifting a strand of grass.
Tsunade, seeing her opponents taken care of, immediately turned to assist on other battlefronts.
With that, the tide of battle shifted sharply in Konoha's favor. Within half an hour, all the lesser soldiers and officers were wiped out, leaving only two of the Sweet Commanders.
"Kushina! Hurry it up, we're moving out soon!"
Hands on her hips, Tsunade shouted toward Kushina, who was still locked in an intense duel with Katakuri.
"Alright, alright, I got it!"
Kushina sighed, reluctantly deciding to end the fight. She'd been enjoying herself, and it felt a shame to stop now.
She looked at Katakuri with a trace of regret.
"I was planning to let you off, but you shouldn't have targeted Yuna and the others.
That's something we of Konoha can't overlook. You're a worthy opponent, so I'll give you an honorable end."
Katakuri already knew what she was about to do. The future he foresaw told him there was no way out of this.
"Sealing Technique: Chibaku Tensei!"
In a flash, Kushina pressed her palms together. Chakra flared as countless black sealing chains erupted, wrapping the entire space around Katakuri.
"Seal!"
With a low shout, the chains tightened, the runes spreading and closing the space completely.
Inside the dark void, Katakuri's limbs went numb, his strength rapidly draining away. Cold sweat drenched his body.
'So this was a trap from the start… what a powerful attack. Too bad… I won't get to avenge that man after all…'
His vision faded to black, and he fell into complete darkness.
Kushina released the Water Prison and landed beside Tsunade, holding a black sphere in her hands.
"How's that, Tsunade-nee? Not bad, right?"
"It's certainly powerful," Tsunade admitted, "but it takes too long to prepare. After this, no one's going to fall for it again."
Kushina laughed. "We'll see about that! Besides, my Arima's already developed a few new sealing variants. I've still got some tricks left for next time!"
"Alright, alright, you win! You're the best, okay? …Hey, Kushina, want to take a little trip to Totto Land?"
"Totto Land? What for?"
"Obviously to give that old hag a taste of her own medicine! If we hadn't shown up this time, you guys would've been in big trouble. No way Konoha's letting that slide."
"Hehe, true enough! Oh, and you should've seen Yuna and the others earlier, they were amazing!
Why not bring them along? Arata and Yuna haven't seen an island made of cake before!"
"Hmm, fine. Once Grandma's battle is over, we'll head out."
Tsunade and Kushina headed to the final battlefield, where Mito had already taken the upper hand.
Cracker, seeing his family defeated one after another and even Katakuri captured, flew into a rage. Slamming both hands onto the ground, he roared.
Instantly, an enormous army of biscuit warriors rose up and charged at Mito under his command.
But no matter how many she shattered, they regenerated almost instantly.
"Sigh, I was hoping to stretch my muscles a bit, but this is getting boring."
Deciding to end it quickly, Mito gathered her chakra. It wouldn't be right to keep the kids waiting any longer.
"Sealing Technique: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Five crimson chains burst from Mito's back, infused with Conqueror's Haki, their power radiating through the air.
They whipped around Cracker from all directions, constricting rapidly until he was bound completely, unable to move.
"Grandma! Our sealing arts are incredible! When will I ever reach your level?!"
Kushina clung to Mito's arm, chattering excitedly, her face full of admiration.
Mito tapped her forehead lightly. "You silly girl. You've mixed too many powers together. You can't master them all at once."
"Then what should I do?"
"No shortcuts. Practice honestly."
"But why can big brother master so many jutsu so easily?"
For a moment, Mito was speechless. Then she sighed.
"That boy's always been an enigma. He learned all sorts of things as a child, yet somehow grasped them all perfectly. Ask him yourself next time."
While the two chatted, Arima had already finished rounding up the remaining prisoners. The Big Mom Pirates were completely annihilated, none escaped.
Turning to Aokiji, Arima said calmly, "If the World Government wants these people back, they can trade Devil Fruits for them. …And thank you for looking after Robin. She's doing very well now."
He then turned to his crew. "We're setting sail."
From the deck, Robin noticed her captain exchanging words with Aokiji. The admiral gave her a small nod and a faint smile.
"Thank you," Robin whispered softly, her emotions swirling in a bittersweet mix.
The others soon boarded as well, raising the massive sails. The ship glided away from the harbor, leaving the stunned Marines behind.
The battle had been almost surreal, an even struggle at first, yet the moment Arima and Tsunade arrived, it was over within half an hour.
Konoha had utterly crushed the Big Mom Pirates.
News of their victory spread like wildfire, sending waves of shock rippling across the seas.