Meanwhile,
Doflamingo stood in a hidden corner, his sharp eyes fixed on his pirate ship trembling under the bombardment of the navy's artillery.
The deck and stern had been blasted apart by the cannon fire.
Though the two cannonballs hadn't dealt fatal damage—the ship could still sail—this provocation undoubtedly crossed his bottom line.
"Fuffuffuffuffu! Damn you, Marines!" he roared, his fury barely contained.
"So what if you're the marines? Since you're here, let's sink a couple of your warships before we leave!"
Hearing this, Trebol nearly lost his footing in shock and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
"I say, I say, Doffy, now's not the time for recklessness!" His voice was thick with anxiety and concern.
Diamante also frowned, attempting to reason with Doflamingo in a more measured tone.
"The marines has issued a Buster Call, and the chances of them knowing the Whitebeard Pirates are here are slim to none. This means there must be an admiral aboard one of those vice admiral-class warships. If we engage them head-on, escaping safely will be next to impossible."
Faced with his two officers' pleas, Doflamingo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his rage.
He knew that staying calm was paramount right now.
After a long silence, he finally gritted his teeth and spat out a single word.
"Go!"
With the order given, everyone rushed toward the pirate ship.
Bellamy followed closely behind, not uttering a single word the entire time.
He understood all too well that silence was the best course of action in this situation—
otherwise, if he accidentally provoked anyone, the consequences would be unthinkable.
The air was thick with tension and unease, each person moving cautiously, afraid to stir up any unnecessary trouble.
*****
Deep within the original stronghold, Teach stood alone in the empty laboratory.
The surroundings were eerily silent, save for the occasional sound of artillery fire breaking the deathly stillness.
He looked around, seeing only scattered scraps of paper strewn across the floor—nothing of value remained.
Outside, the battle grew fiercer, the cannon fire growing louder.
It was clear the marines intended to sink Jaya Island!
Upon hearing this news, Teach's mood grew even heavier.
Especially when he learned that the marines had issued a Buster Call against the entire island, his anger flared instantly.
"Damn Whitebeard! And those blasted marine bastards!" he snarled through clenched teeth, his eyes burning with hatred and resentment.
His fury erupted like a volcano, making his breathing ragged and his face flush red with rage.
"As long as I'm alive, I swear I won't let you bastards have it easy!" he roared, his voice brimming with unyielding determination and fury.
Faced with the imminent danger, he knew that staying here any longer would only make him an easy target for the marine.
Thus, at the last moment, he too chose to flee from this place filled with resenment.
After all, under such circumstances, staying behind would mean nothing but surrender.
"You damn cowards still screwing me over at the last second!"
Before leaving, he roared at the empty room, then swiftly vanished into the darkness.
.....
On the shore, most of the pirates had completely given up.
They realized in despair that no matter where they fled, they would be mercilessly pursued and attacked.
The cannons seemed to have eyes, relentlessly tracking and bombarding them with pinpoint accuracy.
By now, their ships had been reduced to wreckage, and the entire island was under full-scale bombardment, leaving them with no escape.
"Damn it, let's fight these Marines to the death!" a pirate howled, his eyes burning with defiance and rage.
"No one gets to judge me—I am the King of the Pirates!"
"A bunch of trash screaming about justice, licking the boots of the Celestial Dragons! Open your eyes and see who the real parasites of the sea are!" The Kun Kun Pirate Crew joined in the curses, their words sharp and cutting, exposing the corruption and hypocrisy behind the Marines.
Yet, despite the pirates' soaring morale, their resistance proved utterly futile against the overwhelming firepower of the Marines.
Shells rained down like a storm, and the figures of the pirates were gradually swallowed by smoke and flames.
Meanwhile, Jaya Island was completely obliterated in the fierce battle, erased from the map without a trace.
Once a thriving island, it was now reduced to ruins and wreckage, a casualty of the war.
*****
On the outskirts of Skypiea, at Angel Island.
The sun shone brightly, and a gentle sea breeze brushed against the shore as a massive crowd of people appeared on the beach, marching toward the island.
The sheer size of the group made it impossible for them to go unnoticed.
Clearly, they had no idea about the intense battle raging below the island.
Especially Ace, who was currently engrossed in his newfound toy—a recovered Impact Dial.
"Ron, look at this! This shell is absolutely amazing!" Ace exclaimed excitedly, holding the seemingly ordinary yet incredibly powerful little shell.
"It can absorb my attacks and even reflect them back!"
As he spoke, he pressed the Impact Dial against his chest, ready to test its effects once more.
However, at that very moment, something unexpected happened.
With a loud boom, a tremendous force struck Ace's chest, piercing straight through his body!
But to everyone's astonishment, no blood flowed from the wound.
Instead, a vibrant, blood-red flame erupted—a signature ability of the Phoenix.
As the flames flickered, Ace's body began to rapidly heal, and the severe injury was greatly alleviated, if not completely healed, in a matter of moments.
"Haha, this is absolutely amazing!" Ace was overjoyed, as if he had found some treasure, carefully tucking the miraculous Impact Dial into his chest.
Thrilled and satisfied with this unexpected gain, Ace then turned to Ron.
"Ron, where is that Reject Dial you mentioned—the one ten times more powerful than the Impact Dial? I've been searching everywhere but can't find it," Ace asked anxiously, his eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of urgency.
Ron looked up with a smile as Angel Island gradually came into view on the horizon.
The sea breeze brushed against his cheeks, bringing a touch of coolness.
He glanced at Ace.
"These special shells aren't so easy to find," Ron said slowly, his voice carrying a playful tone.
"The functional dials were long ago scavenged by the natives here. Finding an Impact Dial is already quite lucky."
--------------------------------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator