The Decline

"Baboon! This is so interesting!" Doflamingo laughed wildly, unable to suppress his laughter, his fingers bending up and down in various gestures that ordinary people could not make.

Such a change was something even he couldn't have predicted, something he never even considered.

But he was happy! He was excited! The World Government's fate was sealed, Doflamingo had already foreseen the outcome of this war.

The rapid shifts in the situation, with both sides secretly harboring such formidable forces, create a sense of mystery and excitement.

Working backwards, the causes and consequences of this war, and the calculations behind it, unfold layer by layer like a nesting doll.

Although there are things we don't know, we can look them up, guess, and imagine. Some people have already started brainstorming and preparing to write about this war.

It's absolutely irresistible!

Those with strong abilities have a flow of ideas and even plan to publish a monumental work, which will definitely be a bestseller once it is released to the market.

At this point, with no further forces emerging, many people can analyze that the World Government has fallen into a state of decline.

The Golden Sea Battle appears to be at a stalemate, and for the World Government, the current situation, lacking an advantage, is tantamount to defeat.

Moreover, the advantage currently lies with the pirates.

Teach faced four CP0 members alone, yet he dominated them, demonstrating terrifying power.

Although they were somewhat embarrassed by the attack from the air, and the Dark Jade, which was supposed to be an absolute defense, was shattered.

But this doesn't mean Teach isn't strong; it's just that the attack from the air has exceeded the limit of Teach's defense.

The destructive power brought by Armament Haki is far greater than that of pure physical strength. This is why the New World is a world of the strong and a world of Haki. Without Armament Haki, it is difficult to stand out in the New World.

The power of Armament Haki can be divided into two aspects: quality and technique. Covering, entangling, flowing, or internal destruction are all techniques of using Haki, and these are used to classify the levels.

Mastering skills requires talent. With good talent, quick comprehension, and a bit of luck, one can master them in a short time. A true prodigy can surpass the efforts of others over decades in just a few years.

Teach Haki Teach to its peak in just a few years, truly mastering the technique of penetrating Haki into others to achieve internal destruction.

In this situation, the difference between Teach and Kong's Haki lies in quality. The quality of Haki is difficult to improve, and in a sense, it is related to a person's talent. Some people are born with a higher quality Haki than others.

After decades of accumulation and honing, the quality of Kong's Haki has undergone a qualitative change, making it much stronger than Teach's. Precisely because of this, the Haki flowing in Teach's body is like a thin membrane that can be easily pierced when faced with Kong's Haki, and his defenses are easily breached.

Although the Dark Jade's defense is strong, its internal destruction techniques can completely break through the surface by focusing its power on a single point.

This is the main reason why the Sky Strike broke the Dark Jade. Otherwise, without using the technique of internal destruction, it is questionable whether the Sky Strike alone, with its power and Haki, could break the Dark Jade.

The Dark Jade is called "absolute defense" by Teach, and that's no exaggeration. Its hardness and fluidity combine to create a perfect balance of strength and flexibility.

To break through the Dark Jade's defenses, mastering the technique of internal destruction is the most basic element. Of course, internal destruction is a very profound technique that is difficult to learn. Generally speaking, the Ryou is the pinnacle for many people, allowing Haki to flow and bringing stronger defensive and destructive power.

Conqueror's Haki entangling is another matter, because Teach hasn't tried it yet.

The internal destruction of Haki is the ultimate form of attack, and has absolutely nothing to do with defense. Those who master the technique of internal destruction are not necessarily stronger than those who do not master the technique in terms of Haki defense.

Teach held the initiative and had an absolute advantage in their battle; they were unable to break through Teach's Dark Jade defense.

After all, how could one shake the Dark Jade if one hadn't even mastered the techniques of internal destruction? This kind of thing requires comprehension; it can't be learned just by practicing. Some people can't master it in their entire lives.

Aside from the Gentleman and the Red Mask, who are stronger than most CP0 members, the other two CP0 members have been severely injured by Teach's attacks.

They are the ones we need to worry about the most. How long can they hold out against Teach? Two days? Three days? It wouldn't be surprising if the battle ended in the next moment.

The entire glacial battlefield was divided into multiple battlefields, and those with weaker strength could not even get close.

For Teach and his group, the outcome is now decided, and the scales have tipped in their favor. Apart from battles between the strong, the remaining battles are meaningless and only add unnecessary casualties, so it's better to preserve them.

Therefore, most pirates stopped fighting the allied forces and gradually retreated to the rear, switching from mutual offense to defense, using their powerful firepower to resist and kill the allied forces that were attacking them.

While fighting, Teach was also secretly observing Alastair, who was fighting Rediat. The two had been fighting for almost seven days and were both nearing their limits, their stamina completely depleted.

Teach wanted to keep him, but he didn't know if he could. If he did, he would have to kill him instantly and not give him any other chances.

Otherwise, given his strength and abilities, he could easily escape.

Alastair, also a world-class powerhouse, consistently held the upper hand in his battle against Rediat. His Comet Fruit ability was incredibly powerful, arguably a perfect power.

If Rediat hadn't had such a significant advantage in the darkness, making up for the gap between the two sides, Rediat might have already lost.

Up to this point in the battle, Rediat has the amplification of Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, while Alastair relies solely on his physical strength.

Even disregarding Devil Fruit abilities, Rediat is significantly weaker than Alastair.

After all, Alastair also possessed the qualities of a monster, and had even survived the World Government's most brutal training base.

The World Government trains a large number of agents every year and has long since developed its own training system.

The training is divided into several levels of severity and several stages. If you cannot adapt to a certain level of training, the training level will be downgraded.

Only those who can fully adapt to the most brutal training at each stage can prove their potential to become world-class powerhouses, gain the true attention of the World Government, catch the eye of the Gorosei, be granted the ultimate Devil Fruit, and become the seed of the CP0 Chief Executive.

Both Alastair and Gaia followed this path, becoming monstrous powerhouses at a young age.

However, after becoming the deputy chief of staff, he no longer needed to complete secret missions as often, and with less combat, his ability to improve naturally slowed down.

Therefore, Alastair has not yet truly reached his peak; in terms of age, Alastair is only approaching forty.

Alastair is currently in a weakened state; killing him would be a devastating loss for the World Government.

Teach was already tempted and was thinking about whether he could do it. It seemed very simple in thought, but very difficult in practice.

Ultimately, Teach abandoned the plan; the success rate was only 10%.

It's pointless to gamble on the odds, especially with other powerful figures around. Killing a top-tier expert isn't easy; even a sneak attack would be difficult.

Even though Redfield was severely injured, he could fight Garp at his peak for three days and three nights. Even if Alastair was in a bad state, he wouldn't die so easily.

Moreover, the Comet Fruit might still have some hidden techniques that it hasn't used yet.

Focus your attention on the four CP0 members. Even if you can't kill Alastair, taking care of a few CP0 members would be good, at least it would be a blow to the World Government's power.

The New World Navy retreated to the G2 Branch. In order to cover the retreat of many naval forces, the navy suffered considerable losses of its core combat strength, and thousands of elite marines were also killed.

Because the war was still ongoing, Whitebeard dared not release the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit casually, as this could easily affect his temporary allies and offend most of the New World, even though they were enemies to begin with.

But at least for now they are on the same page. Also, there are quite a few members of the Whitebeard Pirates and their affiliated pirate crews present.

A golden light flashed, accompanied by a terrifying impact, colliding with the white vibrational force.

The earth trembled violently; the earth, the sea, and the sky all shook.

"Great Buddha Impact!" Sengoku roared, transforming himself into a giant golden Buddha. He raised his palms and pushed forward with tremendous force, unleashing terrifying power in an instant.

Despite not having fought for two years, Sengoku remained as sharp as ever, maintaining his formidable fighting strength, and now he was facing off against the World's Strongest warrior, Whitebeard.

The Great Buddha Impact collided, causing shockwaves to spread outwards in layers like ripples.

The earthquake ripped apart the ground, sending debris flying everywhere, and the war in the New World completely transformed into a battle between the strongest.

In a disadvantageous position, the Navy was chased all the way to the G2 Branch by a large group of pirates.

If Sengoku hadn't appeared at the crucial moment, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that covered an area of several kilometers, halting the pursuing pirate army and giving the navy time to regroup, the losses would likely have been even greater.

Sengoku single-handedly confronted Whitebeard, who was at his peak. Even Garp struggled to gain the upper hand against such a Whitebeard and was even suppressed.

However, the Sengoku was able to maintain a stalemate for a short period of time by virtue of its own abilities, strong defenses, and vitality.

This is the power of Sengoku. Even Kaido and Charlotte Linlin dare not confront Whitebeard, but Sengoku did.

The golden light shone brightly, colliding with the white vibrational force, and the entire world seemed to transform into two colors.

"Gurararara! Sengoku, not bad." Whitebeard greeted him warmly, his fist enveloped in white light as he slammed directly towards Sengoku.

Even a giant's imposing stature appears minuscule in the face of the Warring Sengoku period.

Two serious monsters—this is just the beginning for them, but it's already quite eye-catching, at least the special effects are top-notch, showcasing an epic and grand scene.

"You too, Newgate." Sengoku's entire body turned golden, and his voice, like a lion's roar, echoed through the air.

Sengoku responded with a palm strike in return for Whitebeard's fist.

"I really didn't expect that you would team up with other pirates." This was what puzzled Sengoku. Teaming up wasn't surprising, after all, the Golden Sea Battle was a confrontation between the World Government and numerous pirates.

There are many instances in the New World where pirates form alliances to fight and retreat together when they encounter powerful enemies.

Especially in this era of imperial dominance, it is common for weak pirates to form alliances in order to protect themselves and survive.

However, Whitebeard actually colluded with Golden Lion to deceive the Navy and the World Government.

Such cooperation is somewhat excessive. Considering the situation between Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, it is very likely that they had already formed a cooperative relationship before this war, joining forces to resist the World Government, rather than simply sending their subordinates.

"Since you've been hiding so much power, we naturally need to plan this carefully." The Whitebeard laughed, his cloak billowing high behind him. One punch followed by another, and fine cracks appeared in the air, shattering like glass. Under this terrifying punch, space itself cracked.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Sengoku understood Whitebeard's meaning: Whitebeard and his crew had known about the World Government's plan for a long time and had exposed themselves early on.

If the World Government's plan succeeds, in addition to gaining access to the Golden Sea, it will also severely damage many pirates in the New World, causing them to lose core combat power.

This is precisely why so many emperors united to secretly plot and thwart the World Government's plans.

Now, Sengoku fully understood. Their initial plan had been exposed, so how could they possibly win? In war, besides strength, intelligence superiority is paramount.

If they lose their intelligence advantage, they lose the initiative; how can they possibly win then?

A bitter smile crept onto the lips of the Sengoku; it turned out they had been defeated from the very beginning.

But how could this have happened? How could the intelligence have been leaked? This was something Sengoku couldn't understand. There weren't many people at the meeting, so there was no possibility that the plan had been leaked.

He was the only one in the Navy who knew about it, so it was impossible for it to be leaked. The only loophole was the World Government. There was a problem within the World Government, with a spy from the pirate side, which led to the leak of the plan and was also the reason for the defeat in this war.

This shocked Sengoku. Anyone who knew about this plan must be a high-ranking official in the World Government, and there must be spies from other forces among them, not necessarily pirates.

This is undoubtedly a huge cancer that needs to be eradicated quickly, otherwise, who knows how much damage it will cause, as can be seen from this war.

Shocked and frustrated, the Sengoku was extremely frustrated, having paid such a heavy price to fight a war that was destined to fail.

That spy must be found, the culprit behind all this must be found. This is the World Government's responsibility, but the Navy's losses are too great; it will take at least five or six years to recover.

The loss of those core combat forces will require even more time to rebuild.

It is conceivable that a purge will inevitably take place within the World Government as well.