Boom!
The deafening roar was like a volcanic eruption, shaking the battlefield so violently that ears rang with pain. The terrifying shockwaves surged outward, sending nearby Marines and pirates flying through the air like broken leaves. Several dim white beams of compressed air tore through the wave-like aftermath and shot straight toward Sengoku.
"How can this be?!" Sengoku roared in disbelief.
The white beams completely swallowed his golden figure.
Boom!
A sound like the earth cracking and the sky collapsing echoed across the battlefield. A small mushroom cloud rose into the air as ice fragments scattered in all directions. When the dust settled, a massive crater appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Marshal Sengoku!" several Marines cried out in panic.
"Kizaru," Kaito said calmly as he turned his gaze away, "I do not think you should be called a Marine Admiral anymore. You should be called the rescue unit."
"Haha, do not say it like that," Kizaru replied with a strained smile, cold sweat forming on his forehead. "No matter what, I am still a Marine Admiral and a subordinate of Marshal Sengoku. If my superior is in danger, I will rescue him."
Inside, Kizaru was tense. If Kaito lost his temper now, he would strike without hesitation.
Beside him, both Sengoku and Akainu were drenched in cold sweat, fear lingering deep in their hearts.
"Kaito," Sengoku said coldly after steadying himself, "is this truly your full strength? This old man does not believe it. That technique you use to enhance your power cannot last forever."
Kaito ignored Sengoku's words. Instead, he looked at the group around Kizaru and laughed softly.
"Tsk. Kong, Sengoku, Kizaru, Akainu. Four men. Two Marshals and two Admirals. And yet I chased and beat all of you. The face of the Marines has been completely lost because of the four of you."
The four were figures of immense status. Their expressions darkened at his ridicule, but none of them could refute it. They clenched their fists and stared at Kaito in silence.
Not only did Sengoku and the others look grim, the morale of the Marines plummeted to rock bottom. Kong and Sengoku were the commanders of this war, and every Marine instinctively looked to them for direction.
Now, one Marshal had been severely injured by Kaito, the other had barely been rescued by Kizaru. The two Admirals, Kizaru and Akainu, had both been completely suppressed.
When commanders fall, the soldiers beneath them lose all confidence.
"Then," Kaito said indifferently with a faint smile, "this battle can end."
He lifted his leg.
Four terrifying beams of compressed air appeared instantly, blasting straight toward Sengoku and the others.
His icy voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Four kicks!"
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
"Magma Fist!"
"Great Buddha Impact!"
"Bone Fist Burst!"
Sengoku, Kong, Kizaru, and Akainu unleashed their strongest attacks at the same time, desperately resisting the incoming air beams.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four thunderous explosions erupted almost simultaneously. The violent aftermath expanded outward like a world-ending storm, sweeping across the battlefield in all directions.
Puff!
Blood sprayed through the air as Sengoku and Kong were sent flying backward.
Kizaru and Akainu relied on their Logia abilities to reconstruct their bodies. Though they were not visibly injured, their faces were pale. The exhaustion weighing down on them was overwhelming.
"Marshal Sengoku! Commander Kong!"
A massive arm of ice surged forward, catching both Sengoku and Kong before they hit the ground.
Aokiji leaped forward and gently lowered them onto the ice.
Sengoku's face was deathly pale, while Kong had already lost consciousness.
"Aokiji," Sengoku gasped as he forced himself upright, "take Commander Kong and retreat. Do not hesitate."
"Understood," Aokiji replied, frowning. "But our warships are frozen solid…"
"Go," Sengoku said firmly. "As long as the Marines' top combat power survives, the Marines will not fall."
"…Got it," Aokiji nodded reluctantly.
Then, despite his injuries, Sengoku roared with all his strength.
"All Marines! Retreat! Everyone retreat immediately! Do not continue fighting!"
"What?!"
Sengoku's command caused shock to spread through every Marine still engaged in battle.
"I repeat! Retreat at once! Run!"
With Sengoku's second roar, every Marine heard the order clearly.
Marine morale collapsed completely.
"Hold them down! Do not let them escape!" Bullet shouted furiously.
A ghostly aura erupted as he dragged a Marine officer toward him.
Nearby stood a woman with a charming face, a beauty mark near her mouth, and spider-patterned tattoos on her legs.
Marine Vice Admiral Momousagi.
The other cadres moved as well. This was a rare opportunity, and they had no intention of letting it slip away.
Unfortunately for them, most Marine Vice Admirals were evenly matched with Kaito's cadres. Those Marines who wanted to retreat simply could not break free.
Kizaru appeared in front of Sengoku and Kong in a flash of golden light, lifting them as he vanished from the battlefield.
Kaito did not pursue him.
At this point, the Marines were already defeated. Capturing their high-level combatants mattered far more than chasing fleeing stragglers.
As for the ordinary Marines, he had no interest.
In a blur, Kaito appeared before Bullet and Momousagi. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into Momousagi's abdomen.
Momousagi was a woman, and her physique was naturally weaker than that of men. Even as a Vice Admiral, her strength lay primarily in swordsmanship. Her body was stronger than that of ordinary Vice Admirals, but far inferior to monsters like Sengoku and Kong.
Kaito's punch made her vomit blood instantly. Before she could react, she was already critically injured.
Thick vine-like branches wrapped tightly around her body.
"This… these vines," Momousagi said weakly, her face changing drastically. "They are the same ones that restrained Akainu…"
"Watch her," Kaito said calmly.
Turning his attention to the Marines attempting to retreat, Kaito frowned.
Power surged through his body as he slammed his palm against the ground.
"Wood Style. Deep Forest Emergence."
Boom! Boom!
The frozen battlefield trembled violently. Thick roots and massive branches burst out from beneath the ice, writhing upward like living serpents.
In an instant, the battlefield turned into a forest of chaos. Branches lashed out in every direction, ensnaring Marines who had failed to escape.
"What is this?!"
"What is happening?!"
The Marines screamed in panic as fear spread uncontrollably.
Even some of Kaito's allies were momentarily stunned. However, once they realized the branches were only targeting Marines, their tension quickly vanished.
Some Marines raised their rifles and fired instinctively.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets left shallow scars on the branches, but moments later, the vines wrapped around their bodies. A powerful draining force surged through them, rapidly sapping their stamina.
Within seconds, they collapsed, completely losing the ability to fight.
This scene repeated itself across every corner of the battlefield, including Marines and Vice Admirals who had been too slow to retreat.
Three hours later, the battlefield was finally silent.
A subordinate approached with a smile and reported, "Captain, we have captured nearly ten Marine Vice Admirals. The number of ordinary Marines exceeds forty thousand. The rest are still being counted."
"The only regret is that the Admirals escaped again. However, every member of the Blackbeard Pirates has been captured."
"It does not matter," Kaito said calmly, shaking his head. "We have won this war. The New World already belongs to us. Those who escaped will have their chance to be dealt with later."
"Have Redfield, Kaido, and Bullet each take men and escort the prisoners back to our territory."
"You and I will take the rest and seize the Marines' entire base here. From now on, this place answers to us."
"Understood!"
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