Near the coastal waters of the G14 Naval Fortress, the roar of cannon fire shook the sea as the clash of war filled the air. Countless pirate crews from the mid-region of the New World and Hive Island pressed their relentless assault against the stubborn fortress that refused to fall.
Under the deafening mix of manic laughter and curses, cracks began to form along the fortress walls. Every marine stationed within felt a shadow of despair settle in their hearts—they might not hold out much longer.
The pirates charged like lunatics, their lives worth less than the waves beneath them. Under their captains' ruthless orders, they threw themselves into suicidal assaults. Even with casualty ratios of five to one, the pirates' overwhelming numbers slowly bled the marines dry. And still, more ships poured in, clogging the waters like a tide of madness.
Each pirate hoped to 'drive the navy out of the New World' and earn their share of glory. Though the navy's losses seemed smaller, their manpower dwindled with every passing hour, while the pirates seemed endless. To these bloodthirsty marauders, the fortress had become a stage to build their fame—a place to carve their names in the New World.
"Vice Admiral Dorr, we can't hold much longer! Has Instructor Zephyr arrived yet?"
A major general, covered in blood and exhaustion, burst into the command room, voice shaking with despair. The enemy's assault was insane—utterly without restraint. Ever since Souta Kiryuu's declaration had shaken the seas, every pirate crew in the New World had lost their minds.
"Just hold a little longer. I promise—I'll get you all home."
Vice Admiral Dorr's voice was hoarse, her face pale with fatigue. For days, she hadn't rested; her nerves were strung like a bowstring, keeping the entire fortress from collapsing under chaos. As commander, it was her duty to protect her soldiers and get them back to headquarters alive.
"Vice Admiral…" The major general hesitated, seeing the exhaustion etched deep in her features. For days, she'd coordinated every battle, plugged every gap, and supported every faltering line. She had given as much as those bleeding on the front.
Before he could say more, the den-den mushi on her desk crackled to life.
"Dorr! We're approaching from the southeast! Gather your forces and prepare to break through. We'll carve a path for you!"
The booming voice of Black Arm Zephyr came through, carrying the weight of a storm. Relief washed over Dorr and the officer beside her—the reinforcements had arrived.
"Understood! Thank you, Instructor!" she said, voice trembling. With headquarters' support on the way, their deaths no longer felt inevitable.
Her command spread instantly through the fortress via the den-den mushi network: all units were to regroup and break through from the southeast to join Zephyr's fleet, then retreat together to the G1 Grand Branch.
At the fortress port, explosions thundered as Major General Prince Grus shouted, "Peacock! Take your troops to the southeast port! I'll hold them here!"
Ignoring the toll on his stamina, Grus unleashed his Clay-Clay Fruit, summoning an army of clay soldiers to block the pirates' advance. They moved like an unending tide, reminiscent of Cracker's biscuit legion.
This SWORD squad vice-captain carried the same potential as a Sweet Commander himself. His superior, Captain Drake, would one day infiltrate Kaido's Beast Pirates, climbing to the rank of Flying Six—though his end would come at the hands of CP0's Gurnica, his throat crushed in a brutal defeat.
"Please come back alive, Vice-Captain!" Peacock shouted, leading her troops toward the port. She trusted Grus completely; if anyone could survive this, it was him.
At that same moment, on the southeastern horizon, a naval fleet tore through the chaos like a divine spear.
Brigadier General Shuzo, wielding his alpaca cannon enhanced with a Devil Fruit, blasted through pirate ships one after another with precise, brutal efficiency. Beside him, Binz unleashed his Flourish Fruit, summoning a forest of thick green vines that lashed across the sea, shredding vessels to pieces.
And at their head—Zephyr himself. The Black Arm. Moving with the speed of Soru, his massive Seastone prosthetic arm—the Crusher—tore through ships with single, monstrous punches. Even pirates with bounties exceeding five hundred million fell in a single strike.
Though aged, this former admiral, now in his semi-corrupted state, had long abandoned his vow of 'no killing.' In his wrath, he was fiercer than ever, slaughtering pirates with merciless precision. The power that once rivaled Whitebeard's still burned bright.
Even Kaido's calamities or Big Mom's commanders would think twice before crossing him.
Master of Rokushiki, Haki, and armed with advanced Seastone technology, Zephyr's only weakness was age. Everything else about him screamed overwhelming force.
"Damn it all—it's that old monster Zephyr!" shouted one pirate captain, eyes wide with panic.
"Don't engage him head-on! Signal the others! We'll surround him from all sides!" another roared, desperation breaking through his bravado.
But it was too late. Zephyr's fleet smashed through the enemy line, leaving a gaping corridor through the pirate blockade. From above, the southeastern waters looked like a bloody scar carved open by a giant blade.
Seeing the opening, Vice Admiral Dorr immediately ordered her ships to sail out, joining Zephyr's fleet in a combined breakout. Inside the fortress, Grus's clay army crumbled under the relentless assault, but he managed to withdraw in time to regroup at the port.
"The navy's escaping!"
"Their reinforcements are here! The southeast line's been broken!"
Signal flares shot into the sky, and the den-den mushi buzzed wildly across every pirate ship encircling the fortress. Panic rippled through the ranks—some captains called for retreat, while others screamed for Zephyr's head.
But the navy's combined fleet—over thirty warships strong—was already pushing through, breaking the siege in a storm of cannon fire and vengeance.
The pirates refused to let them go quietly. Even if they couldn't annihilate the fleet, they would chase them to the ends of the sea, determined to drive the navy out of the New World once and for all, toppling this proud fortress as a declaration of pirate supremacy.