Dark clouds gathered over the sea, and a gale whipped up towering waves, as if foreshadowing the fierce battle to come.
The two massive fleets were gradually closing in, the air thick with tension.
The combined fleet of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates formed an orderly formation, their sails snapping sharply in the wind.
The opposing Golden Lion Pirates fleet also stood ready for battle, the distance between the two sides continuously shrinking.
The sea suddenly fell eerily quiet. Even the seagulls stopped crying, leaving only the sound of waves slapping against hulls. This strange stillness made every crewman unconsciously hold their breath and tighten their grip on their weapons. All eyes were fixed on the opposing fleet's every move, waiting for the moment the battle would commence.
And it was at this moment that the Beasts Pirates' Fish-Man unit had already slipped silently into the sea. After recruiting them, Kaido had made it clear: in future naval battles for the Beasts Pirates, the Fish-Man unit's role was to sabotage enemy pirate ships from below the waves.
When the two fleets entered firing range, the commanders on both sides gave the order to fire almost simultaneously.
"Fire!" The furious roar echoed across the decks.
Deafening cannon blasts instantly shattered the sea's silence. Over a dozen large warships fired at once, hundreds of cannons spewing tongues of flame. Cannonballs tore through the sky with sharp whistles, weaving a deadly net over the water.
BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted one after another, sending massive columns of water shooting into the air from the sea's surface. Some shells scored direct hits on enemy ships, sending splinters flying and flames soaring skyward; others plunged into the sea, churning up waves several meters high. Gunsmoke quickly shrouded the entire battlefield.
"What's this? Your Big Mom Pirates' cannonballs are quite interesting," Queen remarked, watching as the cannonballs fired from the Big Mom Pirates' ships seemed to automatically seek out enemies in mid-air.
"Pero pero~, of course. These cannonballs have been given souls by Mama using her Devil Fruit power. We just need to fire them, and the souled cannonballs will automatically strike the enemy," Perospero said, unable to hide his pride.
"Mmmhahaha! In that case, keep firing! Blast every last one of those enemy ships into the deep for me!" Queen ordered directly upon hearing this.
BOOM! BOOM!
Another volley of cannon fire was unleashed, and the sounds of bombardment filled the battlefield once more.
While the two fleets exchanged fierce cannon fire on the surface, the Beasts Pirates' Fish-Man unit was swimming swiftly and silently through the deep sea, closing in on the enemy warships. Cold seawater streamed past their sides. The Fish-Men skillfully used the currents to accelerate, their sharp fins glinting coldly in the darkness.
However, to their surprise, they hadn't gotten far before running headlong into an enemy Fish-Man unit that had also been lying in wait.
The two Fish-Man forces met unexpectedly in the gloomy depths, both sides clearly taken aback.
A brief silence ensued, filled only by the faint sound of flowing water.
The standoff lasted mere seconds. With a sharp whistle, both sides immediately launched into a fierce melee. Though they were both of the Fish-Man race, they now served different masters, and no one held back. Sharp tridents clashed underwater, sharp teeth tore into opponents' flesh, and blood soon stained the surrounding waters red.
Yet, not long after the fight began, the Beasts Pirates' Fish-Men made a terrifying discovery: the enemy Fish-Man leader's strength far exceeded expectations. That burly Fish-Man warrior, wielding a massive trident, could stir up powerful currents with every swing, easily repelling the Fish-Man fighters around him. Their own warriors were like children before him, utterly outmatched; several were wounded in the blink of an eye.
"Quick! Report to Lord Queen!" the Fish-Man unit captain shouted anxiously to a subordinate beside him, his voice trembling slightly in the water. "The enemy Fish-Man leader is too strong! We can't hold him off!"
Watching that enemy leader cutting through their ranks as if they weren't even there, he couldn't help but think of their own Fish-Man leader, Sebastian.
The situation grew increasingly dire. Gritting his teeth, the Fish-Man captain ordered a retreat, but it was already too late.
The enemy Fish-Man leader suddenly accelerated, shooting like lightning into the Beasts Pirates' formation. The muscles on his arms bulged, and each sweeping strike generated powerful currents that easily swept aside the surrounding Fish-Man fighters.
The Beasts Pirates' Fish-Men tried to mount a counterattack, but their blows couldn't even touch him. Instead, they ended up injuring several of their own comrades in the confusion.
"Lord Queen! The Fish-Man unit just reported there are Fish-Men in the water trying to attack our ships!" At that very moment, a pirate hurried over to Queen, panting. Beads of sweat covered his forehead; he had obviously been running flat out.
"Order our Fish-Man unit to counterattack immediately," Queen said without hesitation, setting down his cigar, his brow furrowed.
"We can't, Lord Queen! The Fish-Man unit has already been routed! There's a very powerful Fish-Man among the enemy. Our unit was easily defeated!" the pirate hastily added, his voice tinged with clear fear.
Hearing this, Queen instantly remembered the Golden Lion Pirates' Thirteenth Division Commander, the Fish-Man Houston.
"Have all our Fish-Men return to the ships immediately," Kuzan, who had hardly spoken until now, suddenly interjected. He stood by the ship's rail, his gaze profound as he looked out to sea, as if he could see right through the water to the battle below.
"Ah, Lord Kuzan, if we have the Fish-Man unit withdraw right now..." the pirate hesitated, wringing his hands uneasily.
"Hmm?" Kuzan didn't speak. He simply stared at the pirate, his icy gaze seeming to drop the temperature around them by a few degrees.
"Y-yes, sir! I'll go notify them right away!" The pirate didn't dare refuse any longer and turned to run.
Seeing Kuzan order the Beasts Pirates' Fish-Men to return, Perospero immediately understood he was planning something. Though he didn't know the specifics, his intuition told him this move was anything but simple.
He licked his candy cane, a flicker of wariness in his eyes.
"Mmmhahaha, Kuzan! Going to make your move?" Queen said to Kuzan with a grin, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Our Fish-Men in the water are completely outmatched. If we suffer too many losses, the Captain might put us through that training again," Kuzan stated plainly to Queen, his tone calm yet brooking no argument.
Hearing Kuzan's words, Queen seemed to recall the terror of being trained by Kaido and couldn't help but shudder. Scenes from that hellish training flashed through his mind, prompting an immediate decision. "Get the Fish-Man unit back now!"
Queen knew full well that Kaido planned to have Sebastian lead the current Fish-Men back to Fish-Man Island soon to recruit more for the Beasts Pirates. If the Fish-Man unit suffered heavy losses, both he and Kuzan would be in for a world of pain.
Soon, upon receiving the message, the Beasts Pirates' Fish-Man unit retreated to their ships without a second thought. They dragged their wounded comrades, swimming towards the vessels at top speed.
Seeing this, the Golden Lion Pirates' Fish-Man unit excitedly swam towards the Beasts Pirates' ships, thinking victory was within their grasp. They failed to notice that the sea surface temperature was dropping rapidly, and a thin layer of frost had begun to spread across the water around the ship's hull.