A navy soldier, holding a telescope, gazed in shock at the pirate ship appearing in the distance. "Doma, McGuy, the Decalvan Brothers, the Maelstrom Spider Squard—each of them is a top-tier expert, all renowned captains in the New World."
Meanwhile, aboard the Thousand Sunny...
Monet, wearing glasses and holding a notebook, jotted down notes. She looked up, adjusted her glasses, and asked curiously, "Are they really that powerful?"
Monet, now wearing glasses, seemed less cold, resembling a secretary with a more scholarly demeanor.
Kaguya, reclining on a lounge chair, enjoyed Hancock's delicate hand massage while sipping juice through a straw. Unconcerned, she said, "They're just a bunch of small fry. No need to pay attention to them. From now on, don't bother recording them—it's a waste of time."
"Understood, Master," Monet adjusted her glasses and asked, "But are we sure we won't interfere?"
"What's the point?" Kaguya put the juice down on the table, raised her finger and shook it. "First of all, this isn't a fight between me and them, so why should I interfere? Secondly, even if we did, now isn't the time. We'd just be cannon fodder, attracting fire. And besides, 203, don't you think this immersive blockbuster movie is quite nice?"
Monet didn't fully understand what a "blockbuster movie" was, but she understood Kaguya's meaning—sit back, observe, and wait for the right moment.
Suddenly, Kaguya smiled faintly. "They're here."
Monet followed Kaguya's gaze and saw a massive, muscular man on the White Whale pirate ship. He had sharp eyes, a chiseled face, and two white mustaches that curled upward. His body was covered in gruesome scars that seemed to tell the story of countless battles, but it didn't diminish his heroic aura—Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
Whitebeard grinned and said, "Wait for me, Ace."
Although his words were brief, they caused a shock to spread through Ace's heart, who was locked in Seastone chains on a high platform. Gritting his teeth, Ace shouted, "Old man!"
Whitebeard smiled slightly, planting his great sword in the ground. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, muscles as solid as marble, then swung out fiercely.
Crack!
The sound of breaking glass echoed, and cracks appeared in the air as an invisible ripple spread out, distorting the space around it in a circle, like ripples in water.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly. Though others might not notice the shockwave, it was crystal clear to her. She could even see the surrounding space being torn apart.
No wonder Whitebeard is considered one of the most powerful Devil Fruit users in the world. Just this one punch alone was incredibly impressive.
"Look, the sea!"
Amid the cries of surprise, the sea around Marineford suddenly rose. The waves surged violently, winds howled, and the enormous waves rushed toward Marineford like a tsunami.
Sengoku's face grew grim as he gritted his teeth. "Seaquake... it shook the ocean!"
"Seaquake?"
Kaguya paused, having only heard of "car tremors," "bed tremors," and "horse tremors," but never a "seaquake." She couldn't help but marvel at Whitebeard's age, still pulling off such surprises.
A navy soldier, pointing at the massive waves rushing toward them, stammered, "Tsunami... it's a tsunami! The tsunami's coming!"
As the tsunami seemed poised to engulf Marineford, a figure suddenly sprang out. With arms wide, they swung them powerfully. Two waves of bone-chilling cold surged forward, entering the crashing tsunami.
Crack crack!
A crisp sound suddenly rang out, and the surging waves began to freeze at a visible speed. In no time, the towering waves on both sides, hundreds of meters high, were completely frozen solid.
"Ice Age!"
Not only was the tsunami frozen, but the sea surface in the harbor was also covered with ice, even freezing the navy ships in place, rendering them immobile.
Whitebeard grinned, saying, "Aokiji, this kid..."
At that moment, a melodious voice rang out.
"Hey, hey, seriously, didn't you see someone was trying to sunbathe? You just blocked the sunlight," Kaguya said as she removed her sunglasses and stood up from the lounge chair. She looked displeased and added, "Don't you have any sense of public decorum?"
It was then that both sides realized they had overlooked someone. How could they not notice the person sunbathing so openly on the very beach where the battle was taking place? She was so bold!
"Forget it, I'll take care of it myself," Kaguya said as she casually grasped her sword and walked out nonchalantly.
Just as everyone wondered what she was going to do, Kaguya raised her fair arm. A cold gleam flashed in her autumn-like eyes, and she swung her sword down.
A jet-black sword beam suddenly erupted from the blade. Like a black light column, it tore through the air in an instant, crashing into the frozen ocean waves.
"Excalibur!"
Boom!
A deafening explosion sounded as the black beam pierced through the ice wall. Under the immense force, the ice wall was immediately torn open, a massive hole forming as cracks spread like spider webs. With a thunderous crash, the ice wall collapsed.
The onlookers were left stunned as they gazed at the seemingly carefree blonde girl. They hadn't expected such casual movements to possess such destructive power. Even the Marineford turrets couldn't achieve such a result.
What was even more shocking was that the stormy sky, filled with dark clouds, was cleaved in half by the sword light, revealing a clear blue sky.
After performing such a jaw-dropping feat, Kaguya casually returned to the beach, reclining on her lounge chair as if nothing had happened, completely unfazed.
Sengoku's face darkened. "So she really came here to cause trouble, didn't she?"
"Don't worry too much," Garp grinned and said, "Maybe she's just here to relax."
"Idiot!" Sengoku shouted. "Have you ever seen someone come to Marineford for a vacation?"
"Who says they haven't?" Garp chuckled. "Didn't someone do that before?"
Sengoku's face froze. There was indeed someone who had done such a thing before. That person had even destroyed the outer harbor of Marineford and turned it into a resort, calling it the Marineford Vacation Resort. It nearly gave Sengoku a stroke.
That person, of course, was Kaguya.
After the initial shock, a navy soldier hesitated for a moment and said, "Admiral, although she's quite far from here, she's still a high-profile criminal with a bounty. If we don't pay attention, she could affect the battle later on. Should we send troops to deal with her?"
"No need," Sengoku interrupted, his voice firm. "Since she hasn't made a move yet, we don't need to bother with her. Let her stay where she is. Our enemy right now is Whitebeard."
"But if we let her be..." The navy soldier hesitated.
"Idiot, don't underestimate Whitebeard!" Sengoku shouted. "Even if we have the advantage in numbers, don't be foolish enough to think we'll definitely win. We might end up being the ones who fail."
Sengoku paused, his expression growing grim. "That man has the power to destroy the world."
"And do you think that with your little kids, you can defeat her? She's not much weaker than Whitebeard," Garp grinned, saying, "Do you really want the Navy to face two powerful foes at the same time?"
Not much weaker than Whitebeard?
The navy soldier swallowed hard, a cold sweat forming on his forehead as he realized the grave mistake he had made. The seemingly delicate girl before them possessed the astonishing strength to defeat two admirals at once.
The display of Kaguya's power had stunned both sides, but it was merely a side note. Once the navy determined she wouldn't make a move, they focused all their attention on the battle with the Whitebeard Pirates.
The real battle was the final showdown between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy.
Hawkeye briefly glanced at Kaguya, lounging on the beach as if she were on a casual vacation, a thoughtful look on his face.
Whitebeard stood tall at the bow of the ship, grinning. "It's been decades since we last met, Sengoku."
Sengoku's expression grew serious, and he spoke in a low voice. "Whitebeard, now that you're here, I assume you're ready for what's to come."
"You've taken my son. It's time to let him go," Whitebeard said with a grin. "He was my favorite son."
Ace, bound and imprisoned, his eyes widened at the mention of his name. He raised his head and shouted, "Old man!"
"Impossible," Sengoku waved his hand, rejecting Whitebeard's words. He stared coldly at Whitebeard. "You should know that there's no way you can succeed."
"No way to succeed?" Whitebeard laughed heartily. "How would we know unless we try?"
"Old man, everyone," Ace suddenly sat up and shouted, "It's my fault for ignoring the advice and running out here. Why are you even coming for me? It was my own recklessness that got me into this mess."
"No."
Whitebeard's tone grew serious. "I told you to go, son."
Ace bit his lip and shouted, "Stop lying, don't say foolish things. You clearly stopped me at that time, and I—"
"I said I told you to go," Whitebeard interrupted Ace, not looking back. He asked, "Right, Marco?"
"I heard it too. I'm sorry, Ace," Marco said calmly. "Anyone on this sea should know what happens when you harm our comrades."
"We will never forgive anyone who hurts you."
"Just wait, we're coming to save you."
"Prepare yourself, Marine Headquarters."
With that, a mighty roar erupted from the Whitebeard Pirates, their overwhelming presence felt even from a distance.
"You've brought a troublesome bunch." Aokiji, sitting lazily in a chair, said casually.
Akainu snorted, "They're just a bunch of lawless pirates."
Kizaru scratched his head, saying, "The atmosphere here is really uncomfortable."
Meanwhile, Kaguya, lounging on a beach chair, enjoying the iced watermelon Monet brought her, looked up with a slight smile and said, "As expected of the legendary Whitebeard. With such influence and fame, it's no wonder he can become the most powerful force in the Grand Line. Truly deserving of his reputation."
Hancock, who was massaging Kaguya's shoulders, blushed slightly and said, "But in my eyes, you are the most impressive, Master."
Kaguya pinched Hancock's fair chin and grinned, "You're getting better at sweet-talking."
"So, Master," Monet adjusted her glasses, "Do you think the winner of this battle will be Whitebeard?"
"No," Kaguya shook her head. "Whitebeard will undoubtedly lose."
Monet blinked, her eyes wide with curiosity. "But if Whitebeard is so strong and respected, and his subordinates are willing to die for him, why will he lose?"
"Being too focused on emotions can be both a blessing and a curse," Kaguya said nonchalantly. "Whitebeard's greatest strength is his loyalty and his care for others, but it's also his fatal flaw."
As Kaguya and Monet conversed, the battle between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates officially began. The Whitebeard Pirates rushed off their ships, stepping on the frozen ocean, and with loud battle cries, they surged toward Marineford's harbor.
Meanwhile, Marineford came to life like a beast. Steel walls rose up, and cannons on the buildings aimed at the incoming pirates, who fired back with equal force.
For a moment, gunfire and cannons rang out, flames shot into the sky, and smoke filled the air. The soldiers of the Navy clashed fiercely with the pirates, and the sounds of battle, mixed with screams, echoed all around.
In reality, the battle was much more brutal and bloody than the anime. While the anime only showed limited, toned-down violence, being there in person revealed that everything in the anime was just a fairy tale.
Amidst the flashing blades, blood splattered, flesh flew, and severed limbs soared into the air. Heads were sliced off and spun, landing on the ground, indistinguishable from those of pirates or marines. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
Kaguya, however, seemed unfazed by the scene, watching with interest and occasionally commenting.
"Charge in, hit him hard!"
"Yes, yes, that's it, hit him in the head!"
"Hey, hey, are you playing or what? Hit him hard, don't be scared, aim for his cough!"
"That's right, stab his eyes, kick his groin!"
"Go on, hit him, stop hesitating, kick his butt!"
In the midst of the intense battle, Marco, veins bulging on his forehead, finally turned around and shouted in frustration, "Shut up! Stop talking!"
Kaguya just smiled and calmly pointed behind him.
Marco paused, confused, and asked, "What?"
Suddenly, a hot gust of wind surged from behind him. Marco's heart skipped a beat as he spun around. His pupils contracted as he saw Akainu, the Marine Admiral, who had appeared behind him without his notice. Akainu swung his molten magma fist toward Marco's face.
Just then, Kaguya's words reached Marco's ears.
"What I meant was, you've got someone behind you."
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