The airborne battleship under Souta Kiryuu's command caught up to the navy vessel led by Binz, the man known for his verdant plant powers. The clash between his sprawling vines and Souta's eerie shadow-born zombies raged for over an hour before Souta finally subdued the Marine officer.
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Doll and Rear Admiral Peacock, who had been fleeing in different directions, somehow ended up regrouping by sheer misfortune—only to run headfirst into Lafitte and the entire Six Paths of Kiryuu, now encircled by the Seraphim Squadron.
"These things are too strong! Their defense is insane!" Doll's voice trembled with disbelief as her Armament Haki-infused finger strike failed to pierce even one Seraphim's skin. "What kind of monsters are these?!"
"Sister Doll, they're every bit as strong as the Seven Warlords of the Sea!" Peacock said bitterly. Her grandmother had warned her—these Seraphim were modeled directly after Souta Kiryuu himself. Even now, they had the power of Warlords, and with time, they'd only grow stronger. Someday, they might not match the Four Emperors, but they'd come terrifyingly close.
The air filled with shrieking beams of light as the Seraphim unleashed devastating laser attacks from their palms and mouths. The two Marine warships barely withstood the onslaught. Abilities like the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the Press-Press Fruit, and the Gravity Fruit ravaged their hulls until even the bravest soldiers began to lose hope.
"Capture Peacock!" Lafitte ordered sharply. The Six Paths moved in perfect unison, blasting aside anyone in their way.
"Well, well... the granddaughter of Vice Admiral Tsuru, and commander of the G-14 base," Lafitte grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the light. "Not a bad catch." If he didn't have the gift of flight, Souta would never have allowed him to command the Six Paths temporarily. With all six unleashed at once, even monsters like Shiryu, Enel, or Douglas Bullet would be crushed.
Under Lafitte's cold precision, the Seraphim swiftly overwhelmed the Marines, capturing both Doll and Peacock alive.
Far away, another fierce battle blazed across the waves. Trafalgar Law had caught up to Marine Rear Admiral Shuzo's ship. Law hadn't expected the towering Longarm tribesman to fight like a demon. His Armament Haki rivaled that of Vice Admiral Vergo, coating his entire body in iron will. No wonder—Shuzo had been Zephyr's star pupil, mastering Haki and the Six Powers with unnatural control. Even Law had to retreat, relying on hit-and-run tactics to stay alive.
For nearly three hours, they clashed. Pushed to the edge, Law finally unleashed his full power. Within his "Room," he severed Shuzo's Haki-coated defenses with one precise slash of his Ope-Ope no Mi. The Longarm warrior fell defeated. Law, completely drained, was carried back to safety by Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi.
Elsewhere, Capone Bege, Don Achino, Wiper, Bartolomeo, Doc Q, Van Augur, Burgess, and El Drago all sank or captured Marine ships during the pursuit. By the time they regrouped at the G-14 fortress, the remaining Marine vessels limped back to the G-1 base in ruin.
Zephyr—gone. Doll—gone. Peacock—gone. The surviving officers at G-1, including Vice Admirals Onigumo and Momonga, could only stare in horror at the reports. What was meant to be a rescue mission had turned into a slaughter.
If Souta Kiryuu's forces decided to target G-1 next, the Marines' very presence in the New World could crumble. Onigumo immediately reported the dire news to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, begging for reinforcements. But the aging strategist could do little. With Vice Admiral Tsuru and Admiral Kizaru already deployed to counter the Revolutionary Army, there was no one left to send.
The Five Elders denied Sengoku's request coldly. To them, the defense of Holy Marijoa and the annihilation of the Four Emperors at G-18 mattered far more than G-1's survival. Sengoku, face pale, finally gave the grim order—if Souta Kiryuu's forces appeared, G-1 was permitted to retreat. The base could be sacrificed.
Back near G-14, Souta's officers gathered aboard the Ark of Providence, their eyes locked on the live broadcast of the Four Emperors' war at G-18. Excitement rippled through them like wildfire. "Let's go, Captain! We can't miss this!" someone shouted.
Souta's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, silencing them in an instant. "Quiet. Watch carefully." His aura rolled across the deck, suffocating and absolute. He would stay at G-14, keeping the Five Elders complacent while waiting for the Red Count and Douglas Bullet to regroup. If the Seraphim reached G-18 in time, Souta could teleport there at will—just like the Five Elders themselves.
They wanted to pick the carcasses clean after the war. So did he.
In his mind's eye, Souta could almost see the death-star of Whitebeard burning brighter with every minute. He even considered joining forces with Dragon to make a move on Marijoa itself. But Dragon's strategic presence in the Grand Line served as a better deterrent, forcing Imu to stay anchored in the Holy Land.
After all, the so-called "National Treasure," that mysterious ancient weapon rumored to be running out of power, still rested atop the Red Line. Imu would never risk it falling into the hands of the Revolutionaries.
"Keep fighting, you old emperors," Souta muttered, smirking at the broadcast. "Don't you dare fall before I arrive."
He calculated the Seraphim's arrival time at G-18. The Onigashima War in another timeline had lasted only a day and a night; if this one ended that fast, he'd miss his chance.
"Eheheh… time to move," Souta finally said, rising from his throne. "Set course for G-1 Base. Let's give the Red Line a little pressure."
His crew froze in confusion. "Wait—G-1? Not G-18?"
Souta ignored their panic and ordered the fleet to ascend. The great ships began to move, slow but deliberate.
"Imu. Five Elders. I'm coming for you," he whispered with a grin. "Let's see how you handle being caught between me and Dragon."
The New World trembled as Souta Kiryuu's fleet took flight toward the Marine's most sacred stronghold, hovering dangerously close to the Red Line—and the gates of Marijoa itself.
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