A gentle breeze swept across the devastated land, and the brilliant sun shone down upon the city. Zephyr stood in silence, looking down at the fallen Katakuri. After a long moment, he slowly walked up to him.
"I... I... won..."
Katakuri struggled to lift his head, forcing his eyes open to look at Zephyr.
"Even in defeat, you still face forward..."
Zephyr gazed at Katakuri, a deep look in his eyes. He nodded and said earnestly, "Katakuri, yes. You won."
It had been quite some time, and Enel still hadn't returned. This meant he was either unconscious from his wounds or incapacitated. As for death, that was unlikely. After all, Katakuri's final blow had only just shattered Enel's armor; it shouldn't have been enough to kill him outright.
Moreover, the fact that Katakuri could launch a desperate counterattack in such a battered state, and exert enough control to fall forward rather than hitting the ground on his back… that kind of iron will made him a winner beyond reproach.
"Heh... hehehe..."
Katakuri pulled at the corner of his mouth with a weak chuckle. He lowered his head, his voice tinged with lingering reluctance. "I don't know if I killed him... but at least... I took one of them down... Finish it, Zephyr."
"Honestly, that last move... I really almost died. That guy, Enel... he's a terrifying man."
With that, Katakuri braced his arms and struggled to roll over, lying flat on his back, staring up at the sky.
Zephyr pursed his lips as he watched him. Without a word, he took off his coat and draped it over Katakuri's upper body, covering his face.
Elsewhere on the battlefield.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Backan, shirtless and wielding a massive wheel-axe, had his entire body hardened with Armament Haki. He looked like an iron man, locked in a brutal, head-on collision with Oven.
His Haki-hardened wheel-axe clashed wildly with Oven's high-temperature naginata. Every impact erupted in a deafening metallic shriek, sending shockwaves of turbulent air rippling outward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The two continued their fierce battle. The ground beneath them collapsed, buildings were smashed through, and many ordinary pirates caught in the crossfire were obliterated. Even Homies were cut down by Backan; even the King-grade ones were powerless to resist. Oven, in turn, shattered animated bio-weapons, even melting some of the metal ones with the heat from his Netsu Netsu no Mi.
Before long, the blade of Oven's naginata was notched like a saw from the constant impacts, finally snapping in two.
Backan's wheel-axe didn't fare much better. The metal was glowing red-hot, and even his Haki-hardened palms could barely hold onto it.
"Hahaha! No weapon now? Go to hell!"
Backan roared in excitement. Despite the searing pain from the molten axe, he swung it down with a vicious, overhead strike.
"You bastard! I can butcher you just fine without a weapon!"
Oven bellowed, tossing aside the broken shaft of his naginata. He raised his glowing, superheated fist and slammed it directly into the descending axe blade.
CLANG!
With a thunderous crash, a powerful gale dispersed, and the ground beneath their feet cracked wide open.
Sizzle… sizzle…
The terrifying heat began to superheat the metal wheel-axe. It turned a brilliant crimson, emitting wisps of steam and scorching Backan's palms.
"Too hot…!"
Backan cried out in pain, forced to release his grip. The red-hot axe tumbled to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Got you!"
Seeing Backan's guard down, Oven grinned. He slammed his searing-hot left hand toward Backan's chest.
Like a branding iron, Oven's hand pressed deep into Backan's chest. The distinct shape of his palm was seared into the flesh, accompanied by a faint sizzle and the unmistakable scent of charred meat.
"AAHH—!"
Backan screamed in agony, but in a final act of desperation, he punched back with his free hand, connecting squarely with Oven's smiling face.
THUMP.
Oven's face contorted. He didn't even have time to scream before he was sent flying horizontally. He smashed through a wall dozens of meters away and crashed into the ruins of a shopping center, sending a surge of chaotic air and debris billowing out through the jagged hole.
Backan fell to one knee, sweating profusely, grimacing in pain. "H-hot... that burns like hell…"
The strength of the Big Mom Pirates was immense. Every officer was a force to be reckoned with; monsters were everywhere. Even the commander-level officers of the Chris Pirates had to risk their lives to fight these people; without paying a heavy price, there was no hope of winning.
Elsewhere, Charlotte Compote, who bore the strongest resemblance to Big Mom, was locked in a heated battle with Smythe Betilla, and it seemed unlikely either would break the deadlock soon.
Meanwhile, Jinbe, Pekoms, Diesel, and others were matched against Enrod, Shuzo, Binz, and their cohorts. It seemed every officer or ally of the Chris Pirates had found their match, engaging in a fierce struggle where neither side could gain the upper hand.
As for the naval battle, the intensity was just as high. Each sunken ship claimed hundreds, if not thousands, of lives, even the Big Mom Pirates' tart-ships were packed with dozens, if not hundreds, of crew members.
In the zone where the Fire Tank Pirates were attacking, hundreds of former gangsters-turned-pirates unleashed a barrage of fire from volley-fire flintlocks, submachine guns, and rocket launchers, pouring heavy firepower into the Kingdom's army ahead.
Dozens of Chess Soldiers swarmed around them, fending off the attacks of the Stone Knights. Among the living army, the Stone Knights were the most numerous type, mounted or infantry, and they were the easiest to form into tight, charging ranks.
"Move out! Crush these bastards!"
Capone Bege, wielding his Gatling gun, roared as he pulled the trigger, pouring lead into the front lines.
His once-immaculate suit was now torn in several places, caked in dust, and a bloodstain marked his right cheek from a grazing bullet.
"Godfather, the situation doesn't look good!"
Suddenly, Vito ran over, looking tense. He leaned in close to Bege's ear and shouted, "When I took the wounded brothers back to the shore, I found the port in ruins, with countless dead! It looks like they've been hit hard!"
"Nani…?"
Bege was startled. He immediately crouched behind a collapsed wall. "Do you know what happened?"
"I asked around. The Golden Ring Aeridar and Big Mom entered the Mirror World to fight. Then, the Thunder God Enel raided the port and destroyed every giant full-length mirror placed there. Godfather, our escape route is cut off!"
Vito reported the news with a pained expression, his long, coiled tongue flicking in panic.
"Damn it! No wonder the Chris Pirates suddenly ramped up their offensive. They're trying to wipe us out entirely!" Bege's face turned ghastly. He wanted nothing more than to flee, but the mirrors were gone, and his ships had been requisitioned for the naval grand fleet battle. He had no idea how to escape.
Suddenly, a figure charged into the battlefield at breakneck speed, barreling straight toward the Fire Tank Pirates' formation.
Just as the members of the Fire Tank Pirates prepared to concentrate their fire and take down this suicidal fool, a flash of cold, sharp steel cut through the air. With a soft shing, the attacker sliced through the guns held by over a dozen men and left deep, bone-grinding wounds across their bodies.
It began to rain blood.
The figure plunged into the ranks of the Fire Tank Pirates, beginning a slaughter that whipped up a storm of gore.
The sheer ease with which the stranger cut them down caught the attention of Bege and Vito.
"Asshole!"
Bege cursed, raising his Gatling gun to intervene, for in less than a minute, nearly a hundred men had been killed or wounded.
Suddenly, a gust of wind and sand blew in from afar…
"Bones, you're too slow!"
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]