"Fuffuffuffufu! I'll be waiting to see!"
Doflamingo grinned, pointing down. "Look! The war has begun!"
Indeed, the Dunlite Kingdom's Second Army camp was boiling with activity. Countless soldiers swarmed toward the new border of the Barrid Kingdom like a tide of marching ants, a dark mass covering the landscape.
"Let's go see for ourselves," Aeridar said, flying forward. Doflamingo followed, stepping on the barely-visible strings, as if walking in mid-air.
The Second Army camp was the center of the battlefield, about fifteen miles from the new border. Less than five miles behind the border was the Barrid Kingdom's new fortress, Fort Respler, which was a city converted into a military stronghold.
The new fort's location was precarious. One side was connected to the towering Kawa Mountains, which stretched for over a hundred miles to the sea. The other side was connected to the swift-flowing Marry River. Without a bridge, the only way across was by air.
Trying to bypass the river would mean going through the Barrid Kingdom's other defenses, which covered a wide area of plains, forests, and mountainous regions, all heavily guarded by numerous troops.
Fort Respler was a key choke point in the Barrid Kingdom's transportation network. From a military perspective, if the fortress fell, they could not only march straight to the capital but also easily break through the entire line of defense.
Fort Respler.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
The earth shook violently, and a vast rocky area formed. Then, a massive stone giant emerged. The towering creature was so tall that even the thirty-meter-high fortress walls only reached its knees.
"Fuffuffuffufu! Pica's angry!" Doflamingo cackled.
A stone giant of this size meant Pica was using his full power. Pica wasn't the only one; the executives of the Chris Pirates and the Donquixote Family were also giving it their all.
This was the decisive battle that would determine the victor. Winning would grant them the spoils of victory, while losing would mean tasting the bitter flavor of defeat, perhaps even death.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
Deafening roars echoed across the battlefield. The ground trembled as countless hooves pounded the earth. Dozens of huge, bizarre beasts charged ahead of the Dunlite Kingdom's army. They were all enormous and ferocious, some resembling tigers, others lions, pythons, or lizards. Some ran on the ground, while others flew through the air.
These monstrous beasts charged into the enemy ranks, instantly shattering their formation and causing chaos. In a moment, hundreds of soldiers were dead or injured.
Behind the giant beasts, an army of nearly 300,000 soldiers formed battle formations. There were lightly armored infantry, heavily armored infantry, horsemen with armored steeds, and riflemen with muskets and crossbows. At the very back, artillery units slowly advanced with their cannons.
As the giant beasts led the charge, the war began. On the vast plain in front of Fort Respler, hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in a bloody, brutal battle.
Boom, boom, boom, boom…
Artillery from both sides rained shells down upon the battlefield, blasting huge, flesh-filled craters in the ground.
Swoosh!
A massive slash tore through the air, splitting the ground and instantly killing countless soldiers.
Rumble!
A terrifying surge of energy erupted, creating a shockwave that threw a large number of soldiers backward.
"Huh? Wait a minute. The number of remaining Garfield Pirates executives seems off!" Doflamingo suddenly froze, his eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield below. Something didn't seem right; the enemy's numbers weren't adding up.
"You're right," Aeridar said, pointing to a spot below. "Look at that man."
"Hmm?" Doflamingo followed Aeridar's gaze to a tall warrior in black ancient armor with a scarlet cape.
The imposing warrior wielded a three-meter-long black battle-axe, dominating the battlefield. He single-handedly sliced through an army of tens of thousands, striking fear into the hearts of their soldiers. The strong man known as the Dunlite Kingdom's "number one warrior" was even cut in half with a single attack.
"That guy…" Doflamingo's eyes widened. "Isn't he supposed to be stationed on the Fernal Archipelago?"
A moment later, veins popped on Doflamingo's forehead. He moved his fingers back and forth, a cold sneer on his face. "Fuffuffuffufu… They've even sent the Ferocious General, the First Island Ruler and Chief of the Guard! Fuffuffuffufu… They hid this from us. Interesting. This is getting more and more interesting!"
"A bounty of 489 million Berries, Ferocious General, Herman Ernest. Hmph… As the First Island Ruler of the Garfield Pirates and Caesar's Chief of the Guard, it seems Caesar is here as well…" Aeridar narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold.
Herman Ernest was Caesar's bodyguard. He usually stayed on the central island of the Fernal Archipelago, but he would follow Caesar whenever something big happened. It was rare to see him traveling alone.
"Fuffuffuffufu! To think we had the same idea! Fuffuffuffufu!" Doflamingo laughed, holding his forehead, his cackling as frigid as a winter wind. He then clicked his tongue. "If you hadn't come today, who knows how this battle would have turned out."
Indeed, if Aeridar hadn't brought reinforcements, Doflamingo wouldn't have been able to guarantee a win against Caesar and the entire Garfield Pirates. A mutual defeat was all but certain.
"Get lost, you damn beast!"
Mordo delivered a whip-kick that slammed into a ten-meter-tall white giant ape. With a loud thud, the immense force of the kick sent the ape flying backward, its waist caved in.
"Blood Ink Jeric V. Mordo, huh? The Fourth Island Ruler of the Garfield Pirates." Strolling across the battlefield, Betilla flicked her waist-length green hair, raising her head arrogantly and looking down on her opponent with contempt. "I heard your blood is dark green. How interesting. I'd love to see it."
Clang!
A silver sword flashed, carrying an overwhelming pressure.
"What?!" Mordo was shocked and quickly dodged to the side.
Slash!
The ground split, a hundred-meter-long thin sword mark appearing on the ground. All the soldiers along the way were cut in two, their blood staining the earth.
"Rain Scorpion Betilla… Is this crazy woman their reinforcement?!" Mordo's face turned ugly as he looked at the thin, bloody sword mark.
She just drew her sword and killed people without a word. It was rumored that this woman's strength was on par with a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates.
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