"Hawk-Eye, it's free time now!"
Mihawk, who'd been holding back long enough, leapt off the deck.
He charged straight toward the battlefield where the Charlotte Family and the Marines were clashing.
There were six Marine swordsmen over there.
Worthy prey for the hunt.
Right now, things weren't looking too good for the Charlotte Family.
Even though Katakuri— a genius with Observation Haki and the power to glimpse the future—was firmly suppressing the veteran Vice Admiral Momonga, he couldn't spare the focus to help his other family members.
Daifuku and Oven, one wielding the powers of the Heat-Heat Fruit, the other controlling a steam-powered genie, were fighting in sync as only twin brothers could. Their battle against Doberman and Dalmatian was locked in a fierce stalemate.
Amande and Effilée struggled desperately under the combined assault of Onigumo and Strawberry, teetering on the edge of disaster.
Meanwhile, back on Island, Perospero and Cracker had retreated, protecting the weaker Charlottes like they were playing a twisted game of tower defense.
Cracker, careful not to expose the weakness of his Devil Fruit, kept churning out waves of biscuit soldiers, reinforced by Perospero's candy creations. Together, they resisted the terrifying pressure from Gion and Tokikake force.
Gion and Tokikake—both candidates for future Admiral positions—already possessed strength far beyond the average Vice Admiral.
Not far away, Charlotte Montd'Or, future Minister of Books in Totto Land, had already met his end.
His severed head, with wide, stupidly blank eyes, lay still and empty.
Without a second thought, Mihawk unleashed a flying slash straight at Gion.
A real man always goes after the strongest swordsman in the room!
Such blatant arrogance—could Tokikake, the eternal simp, tolerate that?
Attacking his goddess right in front of him? That was worse than slapping his face!
Was Mihawk even acknowledging him as a man?
"How dare you try to hurt Gion! Unforgivable!"
Tokikake's face darkened. Planting his feet hard, he launched a Rankyaku slash wave straight at Mihawk's attack!
Boom!
The smoke cleared.
Mihawk, Gion, and Tokikake stood in a tense triangle, all poised to strike.
The Marine Hunter, Dracule Mihawk, had officially entered the battle.
Perospero, seeing this, licked his lips and twirled his tongue with glee.
"Looks like we're safe, Perorin!"
Tokikake, puffed up with pride, turned to Gion.
See that, Gion? Aren't you feeling that overwhelming sense of safety now?
Perfect timing for his fiftieth romantic confession right here on the battlefield.
"Tokikake! Take down the Charlottes!"
Gion's icy glare never left Mihawk as she slowly coated her golden Konpira blade in Haki.
"A traitorous Marine hunter... Today, you die here!"
Her peach blossom beauty and explosive curves clashed with her lethal coldness, creating a dangerous allure.
"Eh? Oh! Right!"
Snapping out of his daydream at the sound of Gion's voice, Tokikake obediently abandoned his earlier plan and resumed blasting away at the crystalline defenses the Charlottes had erected.
"You? You're not worthy."
With Yoru transformed into a Black Blade, Mihawk vanished in an instant, closing the distance in a blink and slashing down.
If they wanted his head, they needed at least that man's strength!
...
And that man… was near the shores of Island.
Watching the world's strongest man, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, get beaten down.
Most of Whitebeard's fleet had already retreated by now.
Only the Moby Dick remained, carrying a few anxious division commanders who could do nothing but watch the tide of battle shift against them.
Whitebeard, straining to withstand Sengoku's relentless shockwaves, felt a creeping anxiety gnawing at him.
But Sengoku wasn't in any rush.
Sure, Whitebeard's stamina had recovered a bit, but injuries like his didn't heal so easily.
The situation was perfect now.
Sengoku intended to wear Whitebeard down until he dropped dead right here.
"Whitebeard, surrender!"
"Kurararara! Sengoku! I'm Whitebeard, damn it! Pirates don't surrender!!!"
With another mighty swing, Whitebeard shattered the incoming golden palm, though he was left slightly winded.
Even as unease gnawed at him, a sliver of relief lingered—his sons had managed to escape. But… the few sons still here with him… they might not make it out alive.
"Fufufufufu… Newgate-san, looks like this little family portrait will make a fine memorial photo for you."
An irritating voice cut through the battlefield.
Both sides looked up.
There, hovering in the sky with snow-white wings, was Donquixote Doflamingo, lazily flipping through a stack of photographs.
Whitebeard's face, already sour, turned downright stormy. He barked, "You foul-mouthed brat!"
"Oh? Did I say something wrong? Do you really think you can escape from Admiral Sengoku, the embodiment of Great Justice?"
Doflamingo's tone dripped with mocking reverence as he recited the words.
Whitebeard had no retort. Right now, he honestly couldn't see a path to survival.
Listening to Doflamingo's sarcasm, even Sengoku's face darkened.
A lunatic like this, who played both sides, always put everyone on edge.
"Doflamingo, this isn't your fight."
"Of course not. I'm just here to check on my little business partners."
Watching the sudden pause in battle, Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with wicked amusement.
"Besides… shouldn't the Marines be protecting a Celestial Dragon like me? That's your sacred duty, fufufufufufu~"
Whitebeard remained expressionless. Celestial Dragons? He'd butchered plenty back at God Valley.
But his remaining commanders couldn't hide their shock.
Sengoku's face grew even grimmer, blue veins bulging along his golden Buddha arms.
This was the Marine's fatal weakness when it came to Doflamingo.
They couldn't lay a hand on a Celestial Dragon—not without consequences.
"Carry on! I'm looking forward to the headlines: 'Admiral Sengoku captures the world's strongest man!' Good luck!"
With an exaggerated cheer and a mocking thumbs-up, Doflamingo flapped off toward the battlefield where Garp and Charlotte Linlin were locked in combat.
He was here to help Sengoku—by distracting him.
Sure, Whitebeard was probably doomed against Sengoku, but Doflamingo couldn't let him die at the hands of the Marines just yet. The old man still had value.
Watching Doflamingo leave, Sengoku felt a ripple of unease tighten in his chest.
But he shoved it down, unleashing his pent-up fury on Whitebeard once more.
First, he'd capture this prize.
Even if he got just one Whitebeard, it would be a massive victory.
...
Elsewhere on the battlefield—
Riding on Zeus, with Sword in hand, the unified form of Charlotte Linlin pressed Garp hard, pinning him down—at least for the moment.
She'd even burned away a year of her own lifespan to power up.
Looking down at the so-called Marine Hero, Linlin's monstrous grin stretched wide.
"Mamamamamama! Prometheus!"
Today, this man—so close to Roger—was going to die!
"Mama, I got it!"
Prometheus responded eagerly, detaching from the Emperor's Sword and soaring upward.
Above them, a massive, wickedly grinning fireball formed, like a second sun looming over the battlefield.
"Kyakyakyakya!!!"
In the next instant, Prometheus unleashed all the explosive energy he had just absorbed, turning into a blazing column of fire that engulfed Garp completely.
With nowhere to run, Garp stood his ground.
If he couldn't dodge it—he wouldn't.
His entire body turned pitch-black with Armament Haki as he gripped his massive sword lighter in his left hand, while his right fist crackled with such force it warped the very air—a punch strong enough to shatter mountains.
His fist tore through the flames—immune to physical attacks though they were—and slammed straight into Charlotte Linlin's kneecap!
Thud!
Boom!
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg