Battle Situation

On an island in the New World.

"What a beautiful pose!"

Morgans watched the last image transmitted by the Den Den Mushi, his eyes shining, his drool soaking the table.

"President! Shouldn't we be worried about the reporters who are going to Egghead?"

The newspaper staff members who were slightly calmer nearby couldn't help but shudder when they saw the overwhelming chill.

"The Den Den Mushi has already given us the answer. Under such earth-shattering power, the odds are probably against us."

"However, let's still send someone over there to contact 'The Joker' Buggy, an underling of Las Noches. His intelligence network is excellent!"

Morgans wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and, after some thought, answered his subordinate's question.

He still doesn't know what's going on over there, and he already has the intelligence to film, so there's no need to send his men on any more risks.

"Learn!"

The subordinates nodded in agreement.

"Also, find the families of those people. Since they sacrificed themselves for journalism, we should naturally treat their families well!"

"Everyone, let's dedicate ourselves to journalism!"

Morgans raised his hands and shouted.

"Yes!"

One call and a hundred responses.

The former site of Egghead.

The entire world seemed to be covered in ice and snow, and Nolan's hand remained slightly raised.

"Bang!"

A crisp sound rang out, and the Ryokugyu, which had been standing in front of her with its body swollen, gently shattered.

Even at the moment of his death, his face still showed shock and anger.

The surrounding warships and the airships in the sky not far away all turned into ice and shattered at this moment.

"It's alright, it's within a controllable range."

The frost on Nolan's body gradually dissipated, and she weakly plunged the knife into the ice, a trickle of blood seeping from her fingertips.

This was the first time she had used the power of Bankai in battle, and she herself was almost injured by the powerful cold energy.

"Marine Admiral, nothing special."

Nolan sheathed the Soaring White Snow and hung it at his waist, then gently brushed past the ice sculpture that was only half-formed.

The Wano Country.

On the summit of Onigashima, the battle between the Las Noches executives and the Straw Hat Pirates was nearing its end.

"You pigeon keeper, get out of my way! You're no match for me now!"

In his Bounce-Man form Luffy was panting heavily, bouncing around on the ground, his body covered in numerous wounds.

He fought Lucci for hundreds of rounds, and the two were basically evenly matched, making it difficult to determine who was superior.

However, Lucci eventually lost out, simply because he had been too exhausted from his previous battle with Will.

"Don't you understand the difference in strength? You can't even gain the upper hand against me, the Captain of the Sixth Division, who isn't at his peak."

"So, how do you expect to defeat the strongest man in the world today?!"

Lucci was half-crouched. Maintaining the Devil Fruit Awakening already put a great strain on his body, and coupled with his prolonged high-intensity combat, his stamina was starting to give out.

"I don't care!"

Luffy didn't think too much about it; he only knew what he needed to do right now.

"Lucci, step back. Keeping your Devil Fruit Awakening for too long isn't a good thing for you."

As Jinbe and Yamato were sent flying backward, Cifer walked step by step to Lucci's side, patted him on the shoulder, and gestured for him to step back.

"Do you want to do it yourself?"

Lucci didn't argue, and immediately deactivated his Devil Fruit power, returning to human form.

"Stop it, everyone!"

With Cifer's words, the almost one-sided situation on the scene finally came to a halt.

"Look at your comrades, can they withstand another battle?"

As Cifer spoke, Luffy unconsciously turned around and saw Zoro and Sanji, both covered in wounds.

Even Nami, who almost never engages in direct combat, was covered in blood, and Franky had already lost consciousness...

Was this battle really necessary?

"Luffy! Cheer up! No matter what, we'll always be behind you!"

Zoro noticed his momentary hesitation and shouted.

He didn't think the battle was meaningful; he only knew the captain's will: he absolutely could not afford to lose his way.

"Cifer, I want to challenge you, and that's just me."

In the blink of an eye, Luffy gave his answer, the same as before, yet different.

"A captain's battle? Sure."

Cifer waved his hand, and the cadres of Las Noches began to retreat, making room for the two of them.

"Luffy..."

Nami and the others were worried and wanted to go forward, but Zoro stopped them.

This is the captain's decision, and it's the best solution at the moment.

If they continue fighting like this, they will be completely wiped out and will have no chance of helping Luffy.

"I know it might be inappropriate to say this now, but Luffy might have some difficulty Luffy Cifer right now."

"The reason why Cifer is one of the Western Emperors is simply because the highest title for pirates at sea is now the Western Emperor."

Jinbe, clutching his stomach, limped out from behind and solemnly expressed his opinion.

"Trust Luffy, he's the man who will become the Pirate King."

Zoro had already sheathed his three swords, while Sanji lit a cigarette; they, as always, trusted their captain.

"Luffy, this is a matter for Wano Country, how can we leave it to you alone..."

Kin'emon couldn't help but burst into tears, vaguely realizing that everyone's 20 years of waiting seemed to be in vain.

"It's too noisy, shut up."

He struggled to his feet, wanting to join the battle, but before he could finish speaking, Cifer's Cero Oscuras had already struck his chest.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, then collapsed to the ground with his eyes rolled back, his life hanging in the balance.

"Kin'emon!"

The rest of the Scabbard Nine were filled with rage, and their hands trembled as they gripped their weapons.

"What are you doing? He's my friend!"

Luffy unconsciously released his Conqueror's Haki and glared angrily at Cifer.

"But he's not my friend. If little ants keep making noise in your ear, it'll be very annoying."

Cifer looked down at Luffy, who was almost half his Luffy, his dark green pupils appearing particularly cold and ruthless in the night.

"Also, since it's agreed to be a one-on-one duel, I won't hold back if anyone tries to interfere in the battle."

His gaze shifted to the Scabbard Nine, a warning to them.

"You all, whatever you do, don't make a move!"

Luffy turned around, glanced at the people behind him, and then spoke.

"Gomu Gomu - King Kong Gun!"

He didn't wait any longer. His fist contracted rapidly, and with a light tap of his feet on the ground, he instantly appeared in front of Cifer.

"Bang!"

The swift strike shattered the ground, but there was no sign of Cifer inside.

"Too slow."

When the voice came, Luffy looked up and found that his opponent had somehow gotten up and was standing on a tall stone pillar.

"Bang!"

He quickly pulled his legs up and then suddenly sprang out.

"Gomu Gomu, Rubber Crows Cannon!"

Like fists hitting a spring, they kept expanding and contracting as they pounded out, leaving afterimages of countless fists being thrown out simultaneously.

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō: Thunder Roar Cannon".

With a light leap, Cifer escaped Luffy's attack range, then reached out and threw his hand down, unleashing a giant bolt of lightning from his palm.

The latter had no time to dodge and was struck by the lightning, crashing to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.