"Too much anger can burn you from the inside, Admiral Akainu. Why don't you cool down a little?"
From within the bay, Jinbei spoke calmly, his deep voice echoing across the waves.
"Uoh-ho-ho-ho!"
"Well done, Jinbei!"
"That's a massive help!"
"Hahaha! Look at that—Akainu's nothing but a soaked mutt now!"
"No, no—more like a drowned dog!"
"Enjoy the cold bath, Admiral!"
The men of the Whitebeard Pirates burst out laughing, their voices full of mockery and triumph.
"Jinbei…"
Admiral Akainu's face twisted with rage as he glared through the rising steam.
"So, you've completely turned your back on us, have you? You're abandoning your title as one of the Seven Warlords… just to become our enemy?"
Jinbei's expression didn't waver. His voice was firm, unshakable.
"From the moment you Marines launched this meaningless war," he said, "I'd already made my decision."
"Damn you, Jinbei! How dare you betray us?!"
"Traitor!"
"Shichibukai should balance the Shichibukai! Where are the others?! Someone—get out here and deal with him!"
The Marines shouted in outrage and desperation—but there was no response.
Even if the Seven Warlords had been inclined to obey Marine orders, none were available now. Each one was already entangled in their own battle.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel clashed against steel. Sparks rained through the air.
On one side of the battlefield, Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, crossed blades with Seraph Shawk, the artificial warrior created in his image.
Since Mihawk had long since severed his ties with the World Government, he now faced his so-called "son" out of sheer curiosity—and perhaps a hint of pride.
With nothing else to occupy him, Mihawk decided to test the Seraph's limits.
He wanted to see just how far this creation, forged from his own bloodline factor, could go with a blade.
Meanwhile, across the bay—
The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, faced her own mirrored opponent: Seraph Snake.
The Empress' eyes burned coldly. Her beauty was legendary, and she could not tolerate anyone—human or otherwise—bearing her likeness.
Yet, strangely… she did not attack.
The two identical women stood locked in a tense stalemate, staring each other down in silence.
"Pirate Empress Boa Hancock," came a voice from behind her. "What are you planning? If you want to fight, then fight—I'm not afraid of you!"
The speaker was Jewelry Bonney, accompanied by the massive, towering figure of her father—the Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma.
Bonney's eyes were sharp, her hostility plain. The memory of her time on Amazon Lily still haunted her.
She could still see Urrutia, the woman who had protected her like a mother, turning to stone right before her eyes.
Even now, Bonney couldn't shake that memory—the helplessness, the shock.
And because of that, she had hated Boa Hancock from the very beginning.
"Dad, be careful!" Bonney shouted. "Don't let that woman charm you! She'll turn you to stone in an instant!"
"I won't," Kuma replied softly, his voice mechanical yet gentle.
Boa Hancock's gaze flicked toward Bonney. "You're the daughter of Bartholomew Kuma?" she asked evenly.
"None of your business!" Bonney snapped back without hesitation.
If this had been any other day, Hancock would have exploded with fury. No one spoke to the Empress of Amazon Lily in such a tone and walked away unpunished.
But today—
To everyone's surprise—
Boa Hancock didn't get angry.
Her expression softened, if only slightly. "Fairy Tail," she murmured, "is indeed a remarkable guild. If it were under your leadership, I… and even the Kuja tribe… would not mind joining."
"Huh?"
Bonney froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Wait—what did you just say?!"
"Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, what kind of game are you playing?" Bonney demanded. "The Guildmaster himself invited you a year ago, and you turned him down flat!"
Bonney puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
Hancock met her gaze coolly. "I am the ruler of a nation," she said. "Every decision I make carries the weight of my people's future. Such choices cannot be made lightly."
"So what—you've been thinking about it for an entire year?" Bonney exclaimed. "That's a little slow, don't you think?"
Hancock's tone remained calm, almost regal.
"If you wish to discuss my joining," she said, "you'll have to speak with your Guildmaster directly. My word alone isn't enough."