Ren stepped directly onto the island, his figure disappearing quickly, while the ground he had just stepped on exploded, the blast unable to catch up to his movements.
"Didn't the slash trigger it? Then how about this move." Ren quickly used the Atomic Slash on the ground, the net-like strikes splitting the earth, yet the bomb still did not go off.
"Kaido, this is your part." Ren dashed further into the island, his Observation Haki sensing five powerful presences.
"I want a war, not this kind of warm-up." Kaido, in his Azure Dragon form, didn't hesitate to bombard the ground with his heat breath.
"Sir Garling, Ren has left, it's fine now." A member of the God's Knights said from the shore, not far away.
"Not yet. He hasn't gone far enough. I won't be at ease until he faces those five." Garling, once bitten by a snake, feared even ropes for ten years.
"Then let's wait a little longer. The CP encirclement is almost here anyway." The knight sighed. Their captain's fear was intense—what had he even seen?
The CP ship appeared from behind, led by the Navy Admiral. Their ships formed a blockade, surrounding the ship Kaido had lifted, trying to force them ashore.
"The land will be blown up, the sea is poisonous, enemies behind us… this is tricky." Queen groaned.
At this point, he no longer feared the World Government. Stepping here meant either fight to survive or die without trying. Even a fool could choose.
"Lord Kaido, what should we do?"
"I want to see what these people are really capable of." Kaido, still in his Azure Dragon form, began attacking the CP with his heat breath.
"That CP group is doomed." A knight on the shore rubbed his forehead. This was thanks to their captain Garling—otherwise, so many strong CP members wouldn't have fallen.
They ignored Garling and charged directly toward Kaido. The CP's elite numbers were reduced, but that didn't mean the God's Knights was weak.
"Gahaha, now this feels right." Kaido was thrilled to see his attacks blocked and the knights arriving on the shore.
King against king, several powerful knights clashed with the few remaining CP elites against Kaido, while the rest cleaned the battlefield.
Ren's crew seemed numerous, but compared to these elites, they were far weaker. The poisonous sea and bombs that revealed identities on shore made them even more vulnerable.
The number of Ren's pirates quickly dwindled. They had been his slaves and were not formally trained, leaving them weak and almost like moving targets on this battlefield.
The powerful knights and CP even left scars on Kaido. For a moment, Ren's crew were at a disadvantage in battle.
The fishmen fought desperately, killing enemies without thinking of returning alive.
Since they had gone out to sea with Ren, survival was not their goal.
In this mindset, they would kill whoever they could, and this reckless approach was truly giving the CP headaches.
Hancock was even more dazzling, leading the charge.
Most of the CP could not escape her petrification, turning the battlefield into a striking display of beauty.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions continued to ring from the shore.
Pirates forced onto land were instantly blown apart, and the battle slowly began tipping in favor of the World Government.
At that moment, another ship appeared in the distance.
Only ten people stood on it, but their presence made both the CP and the knights pause.
It was Whitebeard's ship.
"Whitebeard… has he become Ren's ally?" the CP asked calmly.
They were not surprised; after all, Ren had been the first to reach out to him.
"Whitebeard!" Kaido, despite taking hits, became even more excited.
This was the kind of battle he craved.
Following Ren had not disappointed him.
"Gururur… sons, return home," Whitebeard bellowed as he entered the battlefield.
He raised the Murakumogiri, sending a shockwave sweeping across the battlefield.
A toxic tidal wave surged forward.
The Mink Tribe lifted people in one hand, leaping onto their ship.
Devil Fruit users used their powers to block the seawater, but some who were hit by the poisonous water fell unconscious, their life slipping away quickly.
Several knights and CP members were also affected, but having antidotes kept them relatively safe.
Kaido roared in anger and attacked Whitebeard.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
What had been a two-sided battle turned into a chaotic three-way fight.
At that moment, from within the island, a massive slash shot straight at Whitebeard.
"Father…"
Whitebeard and his nine sons combined to block it, barely holding it off.
But their ship had been split open by the strike.
The God's Knights gasped in shock.
Ren could deliver such a powerful slash from so far away?
And Whitebeard… wasn't he supposed to be their ally?
Whitebeard's face darkened as he realized the gap in power between him and Ren.
Even if he gave his all to protect his sons, in front of Ren, he could not ensure their safety.
"Sons… you go," Whitebeard said, planting the Murakumogiri firmly.
"No, Father… we fight with you," they shouted back.
"Why help that bastard Ren after he attacked us?"
Whitebeard unusually stayed silent. At this moment, he felt just how weak he really was, unable to even protect his own family.
Meanwhile, the battle on the front lines continued fiercely. They didn't have time to worry about someone else's family affairs.
At that moment, Whitebeard's Den Den Mushi rang.
He finally answered. The sound of clashing blades came through, followed by Ren's cold voice: "Whitebeard, I already gave you a chance. Don't make me disappointed again, or your sons may not survive today."
Whitebeard was about to respond when the Den Den Mushi transmitted intense battle noises, and then the call ended abruptly.
"Father. Let's go." Marco immediately signaled to turn the ship around.
They moved swiftly. Even a ship this large was soon under control and changing course.
"Sons, you should go back first." Whitebeard's hair instantly turned from golden to pure white in an instant.
At that moment, Marco finally understood. They were Whitebeard's burden, their presence restricting him against Ren.
Otherwise, even if their father fought to the death, he would never agree to Ren's demands.
At this moment, he was no longer the legendary pirate; he was just a man trying to protect his family.
In the end, no one left. This only strengthened Whitebeard's resolve to protect them.
"Father, be careful." Marco immediately transformed into his Phoenix form, burning away the poisonous miasma ahead. His Phoenix was not just for healing.
Whitebeard, a pirate with years of experience navigating the seas, had his own ways of dealing with poison.
Once everyone was ready, they joined the battlefield. Now they understood why Ren had attacked them so suddenly—none of the enemies were harmed, but his own people had suffered from the poison.
Anyone would be furious.
As Whitebeard entered the battlefield, the situation began to shift. Though he was not using his full strength, anyone trying to face him would need several strong allies to even stand a chance.
At this moment, Saint Garling joined the battle. He had just confirmed that Ren had met with the Five Elders.
The enemy wouldn't have time to deal with this place next, so he needed to reclaim his presence in this battle against Ren.
But he was stopped by Whitebeard. Ren had long known that Whitebeard wouldn't use his full power, yet he still threatened him.
The purpose was simple: to force Whitebeard to divert some of the World Government's elite forces.
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