"Zing!" A straight sword wave shot across the surface of the sea for a hundred meters. Amande expressionlessly sheathed her famous blade, Shirauo, and the icy aura around her vanished with it.
In mid-air, ten cannonballs, lined up but at varying distances, were instantly sliced in half and exploded separately.
"Whoa! Lady Amande!"
Cheers erupted from the ship as the grunts waved their arms in excitement.
This single sword strike made the people on the shore's faces grow solemn. Kuchiel, in particular, had unconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his expression grim.
By now, the ship had closed to within three hundred meters of the island. After being caught off guard by the first wave of cannonballs, the people on board had reacted, showcasing the terrifying power of the Enraged Army. The cannonballs were now being shot down one by one before they could even reach their target, or simply detonated in mid-air.
"Swish!" With a vicious smile, Cracker was the first to leap from the ship. The others followed, their faces alight with excited, cold sneers.
The scene was like a dense shower of meteorites, crashing down towards the land.
Thump, thump, thump!
A cloud of dust billowed up. The ship had already docked, and the rhythmic sound of countless footsteps rang out as the Chess Soldiers swarmed off the ship in an orderly fashion, forming a line.
The dust settled, revealing the main figures of the Enraged Army, and the towering Biscuit General.
A terrifying, oppressive aura rushed towards the group beyond the trench, causing beads of nervous sweat to trickle down the faces of some members.
Looking at the menacing group before him, Wilder's face was calm. He slowly lowered his body, his right hand reaching out to touch the ground.
"Hm?" Cracker's eyes narrowed. He had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.
"Boom!" The next second, the ground beneath their feet suddenly collapsed. Cracker's face changed dramatically, his eyes wide with fury. In a quick glance, he saw the viscous swamp revealed beneath them.
"Galette!"
"Boom!" Another cloud of dust rose, and the figures of the Enraged Army vanished within it.
On Wilder's side, everyone held their breath, staring nervously at the dust cloud, trying to see through it to what was happening inside.
But the next moment, a slight change flickered across Wilder's calm face. He spoke coolly, "As expected of a Sweet Commander, and as expected of the Enraged Army."
Hearing his words, everyone looked shocked.
"Boom!"
The next moment, a large hole was blasted in the dust cloud, and the tall Biscuit General walked out coldly. On the swamp beneath his feet, a layer of pale purple, water-like blobs was spread out.
"Zing!" Cracker's face was dark. He mercilessly drew the longsword from his back and, without warning, slashed out. A wide sword wave tore through the swamp, sending it surging towards Wilder's men like a massive wave.
At that moment, the dust behind him finally settled, revealing the others. They all had similar water-like blobs supporting their feet, preventing them from sinking into the swamp.
Their faces were like frost, their fierce gazes almost enough to make the grunts faint.
The group advanced, their heavy footsteps weighing on everyone's hearts.
As the swamp wave surged towards them, Wilder watched calmly, not moving a muscle. Beside him, the old general with a steady face, Kuchiel, took a step forward. He swung the massive greatsword in his hands back, then swung it out in a semi-circle.
"Gale Hurricane!"
"Boom!" As he slashed, a fierce wind erupted. The momentum of the approaching swamp wave paused for an instant. Then, as the wind swept out, its terrifying power was finally revealed. The wave was forcibly pushed back, eventually calming down and settling back into a still patch of swamp.
"Hah…" Kuchiel's breathing was a little ragged. It was clear that such a violent move was taxing on his aged body, but his expression showed no sign of weakness. His face was as steady and resolute as ever.
Cracker glanced at Kuchiel with some surprise, but didn't pay him too much mind. He turned his head, a sinister smile directed at Wilder, his eyes holding an undisguised killing intent.
Behind him, Amande, Galette, Opera, Mont-d'Or, Bobbin, and the other main members walked up to his side, stopping to face Wilder's group. For a moment, neither side spoke.
The battle began without warning, a flash of action.
"Boom!" Cracker stomped his feet on the ground and, holding his longsword, charged towards Wilder. Halfway there, he had already raised his sword, his eyes cold, a chilling, murderous smile on his lips.
"Die!"
"Clang!" In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Wilder. His longsword swung down. With a resounding clang, Wilder was pushed back two steps, blocking the blow with both hands.
Fast. Strong.
Wilder's expression didn't change as he analyzed the force and speed of the attack in his mind.
At the same time, the others also moved, each one instinctively spreading out. Amande was the first to confront Kuchiel, apparently intrigued by his earlier attack. The two faced each other. Amande slowly drew her slender sword. From beginning to end, her gaze on Kuchiel was as still and silent as death, devoid of any life, her expression consistently cold.
Kuchiel's aged face turned to his opponent. His brow was furrowed, whether from age or something else. His eyes were sharp and unwavering. He slowly raised his massive greatsword, holding it with both hands, his eyes fixed on his opponent.
"Zing!"
The two moved at the same time, their bodies vanishing from their original positions. The next moment, their swords clashed, sending sparks and shockwaves flying. One's fighting style was swift and direct, while the other's seemed defensive on the surface but was actually aggressive and proactive, every slash hiding a sharp, killing intent.
On another side of the battlefield, Claire had also taken the initiative to engage Charlotte Galette. From the very beginning of the fight, Galette's face had become ugly and extremely cautious.
Claire was too fast. With Moon Walk, Galette couldn't even get a lock on her. And her opponent seemed to know her ability, giving her no chance to use it to restrain her.
Instead, Claire, who had seized the high ground and the initiative, launched attacks that Galette found extremely difficult to handle.
"That terrifying slashing wave from her leg… is that the Marines' Six Powers technique, Tempest Kick?" Galette thought, gritting her teeth as she ducked behind a rock, narrowly dodging another slash from the sky, her face grim.
"Dammit! Here it comes again!" Before she could even catch her breath, Galette's expression changed. She quickly rolled away from the giant rock.
The next moment, as soon as she moved, a flash of light sliced the rock cleanly in two. Claire hovered in the sky, her expression icy, her red lips curved in a slightly playful smirk. The blatant disdain in her sidelong glance made Galette grit her teeth.
"You bitch!" she snarled, staring at Claire in the sky. Two pulsating, pale purple "blobs of water" appeared in her hands.
With a flick of her wrist, the blobs shot upwards, straight at Claire.
"Tempest Kick: Flower Scion!" Claire's mock-disdainful expression vanished, replaced by her usual cool demeanor. Countless sharp blades of air shot out from the tip of her foot.
"Swish, swish, swish, swish!" The attacks, like cannonballs and sharp arrows, rained down from the sky. Galette's eyes widened in panic. Without a second thought, she quickly dodged out of the area.
A dense flurry of purple roses fell to the ground, beautiful yet dangerous. Each one that bloomed on the ground pierced it like a sharp javelin, kicking up dust and leaving behind countless finger-sized holes, bottomless and dark.
As the attack ended, Claire's figure flickered and vanished from her spot. The next moment, Galette, who had just escaped the attack zone, felt her pupils constrict. Her face changed, and her body reflexively tried to dodge, but it was too late. Claire had silently appeared in front of her. Bending down, one of her straight, fair legs was already pressed against her stomach.
Killing intent flashed across Claire's cool face. "Engraved Seal: Flower!"
"Gah!" Galette spat out a mouthful of blood, her eyes bulging, her pupils trembling, almost losing focus. Her body was sent flying backwards like a cannonball.
On her stomach, her clothes had been blasted open. A mark like an explosive slash ran across her abdomen. The wound looked like a blooming rose, blood gushing out crazily—vivid and tragically beautiful.
"Dammit! How dare you hurt Galette! Die!" An enraged voice roared from the side, followed by a wave of scorching heat. Claire's expression changed. Without time to turn, she leaped away from her spot.
"!" The moment she moved, scorching cream poured onto the ground where she had just been. A stout figure, burning with rage, stomped towards her with heavy steps.
"Opera…" Claire's beautiful eyes narrowed, looking at the newcomer.
At the same time, fierce battles had erupted all over the battlefield. Both sides were fighting with the intent to kill.
But the situation was extremely unfavorable for Wilder's side.
Claire was an exception. The other battles truly demonstrated the terrifying power of the Big Mom Pirates. Most of Wilder's subordinates were already at a disadvantage. Some officers and even Senior Executives were already heavily injured, being suppressed by the enemy, spitting up blood, and holding on by sheer willpower alone.
Yves and Bica were holding their own against Mont-d'Or, but they couldn't deal any significant damage. The fight wouldn't be decided anytime soon.
Kuchiel was at a disadvantage but could still hold on.
Bobbin the Disposer was surrounded by several officers, his hypnosis ability rendered ineffective for the time being.
But the bigger problem was that the enemy was overwhelming the other officers and even Senior Executives.
There were simply too many strong opponents on the other side. One-on-one was difficult enough. One-on-two, the Senior Executives had no chance to fight back, let alone the regular officers.
The situation was grim. If this continued, defeat was inevitable.
So now, the only one who could turn the tide of the battle was Wilder. Only when the strongest on both sides had decided their duel could this battle be settled once and for all.
Many were desperately holding on, occasionally casting hopeful glances in Wilder's direction.
"Clang!" Wilder blocked another of Cracker's fierce slashes with his hands and was pushed back two steps. He calmly analyzed the force and speed of the blow, his expression unchanged, as if completely unmoved by the dire situation around him.
"Gehahahaha! Is that all you've got? You're going to die like this, you know…!" Cracker's voice came from inside the Biscuit General. His expression was also displayed on it—a rampant, vicious smile. His attacks were fierce, violent, and rapid, giving Wilder no quarter, relentlessly hacking down at him.
"If this is all you can do, then you really don't deserve your courage! How dare you challenge the Big Mom Pirates? Have you figured out how you want to die?! Huh?! Gehahahaha!"
His attacks were like a violent storm, each slash a blur, the sound of clashing metal incessant. As he forced Wilder back, Cracker let out a stream of arrogant taunts, extremely aggressive.
With that, he raised his longsword high again and brought it down heavily on Wilder.
"Clang!" But this time, the blow felt like it had struck steel. The sensation was different from before, and the unstoppable momentum of his attack came to a halt.
"Hmm~?" Cracker looked down, his smile fading slightly.
"What's this?" he asked, his voice low and heavy, a look of interest in his eyes.
A gauntlet-like piece of armor had appeared on Wilder's arm, blocking the longsword.
"Ah… probably a turtle shell, just like yours," Wilder said calmly. As he spoke, with a series of cracking sounds, more armor emerged from his body.
"You know?" A strange smile appeared on Cracker's face. "Interesting." He glanced at the armor appearing on Wilder's body, then raised his longsword again and brought it down.
"Clang!"
Just then, Wilder's armor had finished covering his entire body. A longsword, condensed and compressed from swamp, clashed with Cracker's longsword.
Sparks flew! A long metallic screech rang out!
For the first time, the two of them had truly clashed.
"Boom!"
A shockwave radiated out from where their weapons met. Wilder's face remained calm. This time, his body was as steady as a mountain, not retreating a single step. His longsword met his opponent's, and their eyes locked—one calm and unwavering, the other slightly surprised.
"Gehahahaha! Now this is a little more interesting!" Cracker's eyes widened with excitement. It wasn't because he thought Wilder could be his opponent, but because killing an opponent who could put up a little resistance was more satisfying.
"You'd better… block this properly! Gehahahaha!" Cracker let out a crazed, excited laugh and quickly swung his longsword down.
This time, both the speed and power were several times greater than his previous attacks.
Wilder's expression didn't change. He remained calm, his body leaning forward in a charge. He held his sword with both hands, brought it down low, and then slashed upwards diagonally.
"Clang!"
"Boom!" The two swords clashed again. A shockwave thundered out. The terrifying force created a gust of wind around them. Wilder's body was much smaller than the Biscuit General. His black cloak billowed behind him. His eyes, which had been as calm as water, now narrowed slightly, an icy killing intent leaking from them.