"The G-5 base... has been destroyed!"
In the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine Headquarters, Akainu clenched his teeth, eyes blazing with fury, nearly crushing the Den Den Mushi in his grip.
"Damn it! Caesar!"
Gion, who had also heard Smoker's report, paled.
Though the G-5 Marine base wasn't as strong as G-1, it was still an indispensable force in the New World.
This military base was strategically located between Totto Land and the waters of the Blackbeard Pirates, serving as a crucial observation point for monitoring the movements of both factions.
In essence, this base played a pivotal role in the Marines' New World operations.
"Fleet Admiral! Please calm down! The priority now is to evacuate the remaining Marines immediately. Smoker must lead the survivors to safety—he's a pillar of the Marines and cannot fall there!"
Compared to Akainu, Gion remained relatively composed, quickly grasping the urgency of the situation.
Akainu wasn't a fool either.
He immediately grabbed the Den Den Mushi to order Smoker and the others to retreat at once.
However, when Akainu picked up the receiver again, he realized with shock that the call had already been disconnected.
His face darkened—something was terribly wrong.
Gion didn't care about military hierarchy anymore.
She snatched the Den Den Mushi from Akainu's hand and dialed again.
"Purupuru, purupuru."
The Den Den Mushi rang for a long time.
Just as both of them were growing impatient and about to lose their temper, the call got through!
"Hey! Smoker? I order you..." Akainu immediately shouted into the receiver.
"Fleet Admiral Akainu! Vice Admiral Smoker, he... he charged straight at that monster!"
The panicked voice of Tashigi came through the Den Den Mushi.
"What? Is he insane? Call him back immediately! That bastard Caesar is not someone he can handle!"
Akainu was nearly losing his mind.
What were his subordinates thinking?
Couldn't they sense the overwhelming difference in power between them and the enemy?
A monster capable of annihilating an entire island in an instant—anyone with half a brain could tell what level of combat strength that was!
Gion grew frantic, on the verge of tears.
Though Smoker wasn't from her same training batch, they were close in age and shared similar views on justice.
Within Marine Headquarters, there were various factions, often formed based on personalities and interpretations of justice—like Akainu's faction of Absolute Justice, or Aokiji's former faction of Lazy Justice.
"Give me the Den Den Mushi! I'll call Caesar again!" Akainu practically roared.
*****
Meanwhile, at G-5 Base.
Smoker, his eyes blazing with fury, gripped his Sea Stone jitte tightly as his lower body transformed into a pillar of white smoke, launching himself from the deck of the battleship straight towards Caesar on the island.
"Fufufufu... Trying to shake a mighty tree with the strength of an ant, Smoker? You're far too reckless."
Perched atop the mast of the battleship, Doflamingo stood on one leg, letting out a deranged laugh.
"Doflamingo! Don't you dare act so arrogantly! Open fire! Shoot him down!"
Tashigi was already beside herself with worry for Smoker.
Though she didn't know the true identity of the towering demonic figure on the island, that terrifying giant bird earlier was undoubtedly connected to him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The soldiers of G-5 Base raised their rifles and unleashed a barrage of bullets at Doflamingo.
"Fufufufu... How many times must I say it? You're just ants trying to shake a tree. Parasite String!"
Countless strings instantly materialized around Doflamingo, deflecting every incoming bullet before shooting straight down like spears, ensnaring every soldier on the deck—including Tashigi—as if they were mere puppets under his control.
"Watch closely, you foolish, delusional fools."
On the island, Caesar stretched comfortably before pulling out the ringing Den Den Mushi from his coat.
"Hmm? A Logia user? Didn't expect a backwater base like this to have a Marine of that caliber..."
Caesar barely spared a glance at Smoker, who was charging straight at him, as he casually answered the call.
"You bastard! White Launcher! Smoke Fist!"
Smoker's face twisted with rage as his right fist, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, shot forward like a cannonball, aimed straight at Caesar's chest!
Thud!
The blackened fist struck Caesar's chest—yet he didn't even flinch, let alone acknowledge Smoker, as he continued his conversation with Akainu.
"So? Akainu, how's it feel having your calls ignored? Borororo! You'd better apologize right now, or I'll pay a visit to another base. I'm fast, you know. If you don't want every Marine base in the New World reduced to rubble, you'll return the confiscated Germa assets to Totto Land immediately. My patience... is running thin."
*****
"Germa's stuff?" Inside the G-1, Akainu's expression looked as if he'd eaten something vile, twisted in disgust.
When Kizaru brought Judge and his men back from the Grand Line, he had confiscated Judge's war fortress and clone soldier army.
Initially, they thought Caesar only wanted key figures like Judge.
No one expected he'd also demand Germa's scientific technology.
"You want the clone soldier technology? Caesar, just what are you planning?"
Akainu hesitated.
He could imagine the chaos if a lawless pirate like Caesar mastered rapid troop production—the New World's balance would be overturned again.
The Marine's operations in the New World would become even more difficult.
*****
"Raaaaah! White Impact!"
Suddenly, multiple smoke arms erupted from Smoker's body, coated in powerful Armament Haki, raining down like a storm upon Caesar's massive frame.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Yet the furious barrage only earned a lazy yawn from Caesar.
"Is this a massage or something? Put some strength into it—I can take more!"
Panting heavily, Smoker stared at his fists in disbelief, his face twisted in self-doubt.
"What's wrong with me? These fists represent justice! Why... why are they useless? Why am I still so worthless?!"
With a frustrated roar, Smoker raised his jitte and charged recklessly, swinging at Caesar's head.
CRASH!
Caesar casually raised his right hand—his enormous palm descending like a collapsing sky—and slammed it onto Smoker's head.
With a thunderous impact, Smoker was smashed into the ground like a cannonball.
His Sea Stone weapon shattered into fragments, scattering over his battered body.
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