When the retreat order came through, it didn't just startle the Arlong Pirates — even the Beast Pirates were thrown into momentary confusion.
The Red-Haired Pirates' officers, though, let out a collective sigh of relief. They were barely hanging on; any longer and they would've been surrounded and slaughtered.
Shanks's eyes lit up with a dangerous thought. He wanted to drag the Beast Pirates and the Arlong crew into a prolonged fight — long enough for Whitebeard's fleet and the Marines to arrive and crush both unstable forces. But seeing his own crew straining to stay alive, he buried that reckless idea and focused on survival.
Rain of Death, Shiryuu, however, reacted differently. His eyes glowed an even deeper crimson, and his killing intent sharpened like a blade. He intended to gut Lucky Roux before retreating — that fat bastard was the Red-Haired Pirates' fourth strongest, on par with Beckman and Yasopp, known as the three pillars under Shanks himself.
With Shiryuu's bloodlust unleashed, Roux's body was carved open with fresh wounds, each swing nearly cleaving him in two.
Elsewhere, Enel went into a full rampage. He transformed into a towering thunder god, lightning bursting and roaring so fiercely that Beckman and Yasopp had no choice but to stay on the move, dodging bolt after bolt.
King the Conflagration and Jack the Drought seized the chaos, circling for an opening to strike. Ironically, the Arlong crew's call for retreat only made Shiryuu and Enel more ferocious. Barrett, too, roared into his ultimate form, throwing his most devastating techniques — he had no intention of leaving quietly.
From the airship fleet above, the den-den mushi broadcast another message, this time directed at the Beast Pirates, telling them to pull back while they still could.
"Worororo! Even if Whitebeard and the Marines show up, I don't give a damn!" roared Kaido, ignoring the warning entirely. He swung his club down again with thunderous force, hammering Shanks into the dirt. Barrett leaving? Fine. That just meant more time to beat the smug little redhead into pulp himself.
"Barrett-senpai, you—" Shanks started, but Barrett's explosive punch forced him back before he could finish. This war wasn't ending any time soon.
So be it. Let it all descend into chaos — pirates, Marines, emperors, all tearing each other apart. Shanks didn't believe for a second that Whitebeard and the Navy would actually cooperate. When the real melee began, everyone would fight everyone, and that kind of madness… had its own appeal.
"Muru-muru, so what's the plan? Keep fighting or bail now?" Catarina Devon's twisted grin contorted her ugly face. Having powerful allies had its perks — danger hadn't even arrived yet, and already they had a warning and time to decide.
"Hic… those three maniacs haven't left," slurred Huge Barrel Choate, face flushed from too much rum, but there was a glint of clarity in his bleary eyes. If real danger came, he'd vanish without hesitation.
"Then push harder — one more round! Don't hold back, meow!" snarled the Corrupt King from the ground, face twisting in irritation. Teaming up with the Five Flyers of the Skies and still failing to crush Shanks's officers was a disgrace.
"Hey, fight like your lives depend on it, or we're gone!" he shouted at Fuzz-Five and his crew, cursing as he charged the Red-Haired officers again.
The carnage continued — the last insane clash before Whitebeard and the Marines arrived.
Meanwhile, on Hive Island, the Arlong crew had already wrapped up their looting and conscription. Some newly affiliated pirate crews stayed behind to manage the island, while the main fleet set course for the G-14 Marine Fortress.
For days, pirate fleets from the New World's middle waters and Hive Island had attacked G-14, but to no avail. Instead, the pirates had suffered staggering losses. The fortress's outer seas were now littered with shipwrecks, gunpowder smoke staining the horizon.
The fortress was a monstrous bulwark, reinforced with the artillery and manpower of several nearby bases. Its cannons hadn't stopped for days, ammunition seemingly endless. Its commanding officers were sharp, resolute, and battle-hardened.
Vice Admiral Doll hadn't had a decent rest in days. Her face was pale and drawn, and when she heard about the Arlong crew's invasion of Hive Island, her unease deepened.
They could fend off elite pirate fleets — but the Arlong crew was something else entirely. They couldn't hope to stop that kind of monster force. G-14 and Hive Island were less than a day's voyage apart, and with the airship fleet's speed, that distance might as well be nothing. If the Arlongs came, they'd be wiped out.
"Doll-senpai, Instructor Zephyr's fleet is already en route from G-1," said Rear Admiral Peacock, trying to sound confident despite her worry. "Once they arrive, we'll strike from both sides and crush these pirates for good — then we can evacuate safely."
Neither of them had expected the New World to spiral this fast. The combined G-18 fortress had been nearly obliterated during the war between the two Emperors, and now G-14 was next in line.
With Arlong attacking Hive Island, G-1 had already started reactivating G-4 and preparing to recall G-14's forces. If the Arlongs set their eyes on this fortress, they'd all be doomed.
"We can only hope Souta Kiryuu doesn't move against us too soon," Doll muttered, brow furrowed. Something in her gut told her the calm wouldn't last. Merging the New World bases had strengthened their defenses — but also made them an irresistible target.
Far out at sea, a Marine fleet was cutting through the waves at full speed. The chaos wrought by Souta Kiryuu had already shattered the Seven Warlords system; even Whitebeard Jr. had failed to claim a seat. For Black Arm Zephyr, that final straw hadn't yet broken. He still hadn't fully made peace with leaving the Marines to form his own new order.
Each new disaster caused by Kiryuu — slaying Celestial Dragons, invading Mary Geoise — had oddly eased Zephyr's bitterness, bleeding out the darkness inside him. For now, he chose to stay, patching what was left of the decaying institution he'd once served.
"Sensei, if the Arlong crew really targets G-14, we won't be able to stop them," said a sharp-eyed female officer, anxiety threading her voice. This mission unsettled even her.
Her name was Ain, wielder of the Retro-Retro Fruit. Anything she touched reverted twelve years into the past — even newly solidified volcanic rock could melt back into magma. As one of Zephyr's brightest scientists, she'd used her power to rewrite pacifist protocols, turning them into loyal soldiers for the NEO Marines.
"I just want to wipe every damn pirate off the map," growled a long-armed man beside her, hefting his weapon — a bizarre alpaca-cannon powered by a Zoan Devil Fruit. His name was Shuzo, a Marine Headquarters commodore with strength rivaling a vice admiral. He'd mastered both Rokushiki and Haki, his Armament Haki especially formidable — one of Zephyr's most promising disciples.
The sea ahead boiled with stormlight. War was coming again.