The Will of the Night

The next morning, as the sun was just beginning to rise, like a bugle call, the Night Pirates set off in full force.

Seven armies pressed towards the Whitebeard Pirates' territory.

There was no strategy involved; it was simply an overwhelming display of absolute power and comprehensive strength.

Many of the Whitebeard Pirates' members are still asleep.

The Fish-Man army had already begun its attack. The Whitebeard Pirates dispatched lookouts and scouts near the Night Pirates' territory, and every single one of the suddenly appearing Fish-Man was dragged into the water and killed.

This meant that the Whitebeard Pirates Night Pirates didn't even notice when they got close enough to Whitebeard Pirates.

The first to discover it was Morgans, the ever-present Reporter Bird, who had been closely following the war Night Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates.

However, in order not to affect the war, Morgans did not broadcast the battle live, but waited for the two sides to officially engage in combat.

"The real clash is about to begin! Heh heh!" Morgans' eyes gleamed as he listened to the intelligence he had received. He waved his hand and said, "Get the army of Reporter Bird ready to observe everything that's happening in this war."

He then turned around and shouted to the members of the World Economic News behind him, "Hurry up and finish the column prepared for this war. The war is about to begin. Let more people know as soon as possible and get them involved."

"Yes, President!" the members behind him shouted excitedly. They were about to get busy again. Several of them were constantly pressing keys on the keypad to connect to the Den Den Mushi), in front of a huge electronic screen.

"We'll be changing shifts soon!"

On an island guarded by the Whitebeard Pirates, a member of the Whitebeard Pirates dozed off from a high observation platform. Feeling drowsy, he picked up his binoculars and checked the sea every now and then.

In his dazed state, he saw rows of pirate ships, and his consciousness suddenly returned to normal.

The ship's hull is predominantly black and purple, with a menacing dragon head on the bow, a pirate flag flying high, three skulls, a cross-shaped bone structure at the back, and an eerie dark vortex.

This is undoubtedly the flag of the Night Pirates, and the members of the Whitebeard Pirates who fought against the Night Pirates are very familiar with it.

But when did the Night Pirates arrive? At this rate, they could storm the island in just a few minutes.

"Darkness! The Night Pirates attacking!" The lookout frantically turned around and shouted, flipping a switch. A loud alarm blared, echoing throughout the entire island.

Many members of the Whitebeard Pirates were awakened from their sleep, grabbed their weapons, and rushed to the shore, ready to engage in battle.

The same scene unfolded on the various islands where the Whitebeard Pirates were defending against the Night Pirates. Some were faster, some were slower, but in any case, their reactions were slower, and the Night Pirates had already gained the upper hand.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

The air was filled with the roar of cannons, powerful artillery fire, terrifying impacts, and shells raining down from the sky.

With a "whoosh," it fell, followed by a burst of flames and a terrifying explosion that instantly engulfed the approaching Whitebeard Pirates members.

Screams echoed continuously. Before the Whitebeard Pirates were fully prepared, the Night Pirates had already gained the upper hand and launched an attack. Precise cannons were aimed at the shore of the Night Pirates' island and at the Whitebeard Pirates members, causing the Whitebeard Pirates to suffer heavy casualties from the very beginning.

"Fight back! Sink the Night Pirates' ship!" Jozu leaped high into the air, punching and shattering a cannonball fired by the Night Pirates.

The Whitebeard Pirates were also highly skilled; they reacted quickly, loaded their cannons, aimed at the Night Pirates' ship, and began their counterattack.

"All of you, charge! I'll deal with Jozu, the leader." Slada's gaze was fixed on Jozu was fending off the Night Pirates' cannons on the shore, hundreds of meters away.

The cannon fire landed on the shore where the Whitebeard Pirates were gathered; if a single shot wasn't blocked, it could cause massive casualties.

In such a firepower contest, the Whitebeard Pirates were undoubtedly no match for the Night Pirates, suffering heavy casualties, with many members affected, killed, or injured.

Jozu couldn't bear to watch any longer. He knew he had to make a decision; if things continued this way, their sacrifices would increase, and they would be consumed by the artillery fire.

They couldn't possibly defend the shore against the Night Pirates. In terms of firepower, the Night Pirates were renowned throughout the New World, far surpassing the Whitebeard Pirates.

Since we can't stop them, let the Night Pirates come over, vacate the shore of this island, and turn it into a battlefield for both sides.

This would also prevent the Whitebeard Pirates from being at a disadvantage against the firepower of the Night Pirates.

Moreover, from afar, he also saw the tall figure on the Night Pirates' warship. They could be considered old rivals, having faced off in the last war.

Jozu knew that their defenses were useless against Slada and would be easily destroyed.

"Retreat! Everyone retreat! Let the Night Pirates over; we'll fight them head-on on the island."

Following Jozu's command, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates gradually retreated, abandoning the defensive line they had set up on the shore.

"They've retreated? Then kill them, crush them." The Whitebeard Pirates have already retreated, and the Night Pirates' warships have docked.

As he spoke, Slada leaped high from the warship, creating a large crater in the ground, but carrying the massive anchor, he strode forward.

His gaze was fixed on the Whitebeard Pirates led by Jozu in the distance, with his main focus on Jozu himself.

The members of the Night Pirates following behind Slada exuded an aura of both excitement and menace. Their powerful presence, though unseen, was clearly palpable, exerting immense pressure on those around them.

Besides Slada and Jozu, both sides also have other powerful figures who are quite famous in the New World.

Captain of an affiliated pirate crew, and a crew member in the Whitebeard Pirates who is close to a division commander.

Besides the existing strong members, the Night Pirates also have new members who have joined and been trained over the years.

The Night Pirates also have affiliated pirate crews, though fewer in number compared to the Whitebeard Pirates.

However, there are also 29 affiliated pirate crews, each of which has a considerable reputation in the New World. The captains are quite strong, and their bounties are generally over 300 million. Even if they don't have a bounty, they have earned the recognition of the Night Pirates' officers in terms of strength.

This vast sea area is home to many pirate crews. If they don't leave, facing the Night Pirates, their only options are death or submission.

The choice is either to join the Night Pirates or to retain the original pirate crew structure and become a subsidiary crew of the Night Pirates.

They are also an important part of the Night Pirates' overall combat strength, but unlike the Whitebeard Pirates' affiliated pirate crews, they are not as free. Affiliated crews must be aware of their affiliation and, while accepting the protection of the Night Pirates, they also need to assume certain obligations.

In this war, for example, they had no right to refuse the call of the Night Pirates to fight the Whitebeard Pirates.

If they refuse, they will only face certain death; we must eliminate them before the war even begins.

Just as virtually no one dares to refuse Big Mom's tea party, refusing would be a slap in Big Mom's face and would invite retaliation from the Big Mom Pirates.

The battle between the two pirate crews was deliberately taken away from the island's towns, since towns are important assets of an island and need to be rebuilt if they are destroyed.

Of course, this is war, and some towns are bound to be destroyed.

With the arrival of war, some of the island's residents had already evacuated to other islands in the rear, while most remained in the town, their doors and windows tightly shut, leaving the streets and alleys deserted.

They had already stored enough food to last for a while, waiting for the war to end.

"Jozu, prepare for a crushing defeat!" Slada said bluntly, gripping the anchor tightly with both hands, gathering terrifying power on the anchor.

"Elbaf Spear - Overlord!"

"Boom!" Slada stomped his foot forward with force, causing the earth to crack, and at the same time, he vigorously swung the anchor towards the Whitebeard Pirates in front of him.

This attack caused Jozu's expression to change. He felt a terrifying power, and he was familiar with this move. It was a combat technique of the Giant race, best suited for people who were tall and strong.

In an instant, Jozu realized what was happening and his entire body transformed into hard, sparkling diamonds.

"Shining Charge!"

With a terrifying burst of energy, Jozu rushed forward in an instant, trying to block Slada's attack.

Slada also unleashed a terrifying, wide-range shockwave in an instant, possessing extremely strong penetrating power.

Slada had already entered his human hand form before unleashing this attack, so he was giving it his all.

Morale is extremely important in war. The Whitebeard Pirates were already in a weakened state due to the sudden attack by the Night Pirates and the sacrifice of many of their comrades.

Slada intended to use this tactic to once again demoralize the Whitebeard Pirates and expand his own advantage.

A resounding victory is the result of combining various advantages.

The earth trembled, and the air rippled with invisible waves from the terrifying impact.

Jozu withstood the impact and continued charging towards Slada, but his speed in the air gradually decreased until he finally came to a stop.

Without a doubt, Jozu did not block Slada's attack; the enormous impact range was beyond what Jozu alone could withstand.

The impact passed through Jozu and slammed directly into the Whitebeard Pirates members behind Jozu. Due to the terrifying impact, the earth churned, and a large number of Whitebeard Pirates members were directly engulfed by the impact, their figures being blasted away along with the force of the shockwave.

Behind Jozu, a passage several hundred meters long and eight meters wide was cleared.

As for Jozu, he lost momentum under this attack and was passively blasted away by the impact.

This move inflicted heavy casualties on the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Kill!" Slada shouted, seizing the opportunity to charge forward into the Whitebeard Pirates' camp and slaughter them. In just a few seconds, dozens of people had already died at his hands.

They were completely powerless against Slada.

The battle began, and people kept falling, some from the Night Pirates, and some from the Whitebeard Pirates.

Jozu also rushed into the battlefield, standing in front of Slada, and the two engaged in a fierce battle.

Despite the immense power and penetrating force of Slada's attack, it only managed to inflict minor damage Jozu's indestructible body.

In the clash of powers, if the two were evenly matched last time, now Slada is suppressing Jozu.

Jozu could hardly believe that his prized power had been defeated by Slada.

More importantly, the two were evenly matched after three years of fierce fighting, with Jozu's strength improving more slowly than Slada's.

Slada was born with a powerful physique, especially in terms of strength, which was in no way inferior to Jozu. After three years of growth and training in Elbaf, Slada's strength increased even more.

Moreover, Slada possesses the powerful abilities of the Ancient Species Emperor Crocodile Fruit. As time goes by and his Devil Fruit is further developed, the amplification of Slada abilities will become even more terrifying.

In addition, Slada's intense training regimen, including repeatedly pushing his own limits, further amplified his progress.

By leveraging the power of data, many people can understand their limits and then use that as a benchmark to surpass those limits time and time again.

This is a common method used within the Night Pirates. Even Teach uses this method and can clearly see his own progress. The further he progresses and the stronger he becomes, the more difficult it is to improve.

Being able to surpass this standard allows you to see your own progress, which in turn motivates you to become stronger.

This method is excellent, especially since it can lead to intense battles lasting for days and nights. Most of the time, it involves fighting with Seastone, which, in addition to physical strength, also tests one's willpower.

"You are no longer my match, Jozu." Slada laughed, swinging the anchor in his hand with terrifying force, suppressing Jozu.

Jozu raised his diamond-shaped arm to block, but even so, his arm trembled and he took a slight half-step back.

Golden pupils, exuding an aura of oppression, covered in scales, with a tail wagging behind it.

The gap was already apparent; everyone could see that Jozu was being suppressed by Slada. Despite his attempts to retaliate, he was constantly being pushed back by Slada's fierce offensive.

It was still a frenzied fighting style, with constant attacks on each other. Jozu's indestructible body, Slada's powerful physique, and the regenerative abilities of the Ancient Species combined to create a formidable force.

It felt like stepping back into that great battle three years ago, the same fighting style, but the process had changed.

"I've been working my hardest to get stronger! How could you possibly keep up with me if you're slacking off? The Whitebeard Pirates are nothing! Without Whitebeard, you're nothing!" Slada roared excitedly, seemingly venting his frustration, his golden vertical pupils flashing with burning light.

Perhaps it's because Teach was once a member of the Night Pirates and aimed to defeat and surpass Whitebeard.

The Night Pirates have always considered the Whitebeard Pirates as their primary adversary and the target they wish to defeat.

This is why the members of the Night Pirates have complex feelings, even hostility, towards the Whitebeard Pirates.

It was this hostility that propelled them forward; even Teach remained relentless, let alone them.

With a deeper understanding of the Whitebeard Pirates, the familial bonds within the Whitebeard Pirates may be incredibly touching for some.

But for most pirates, and especially for the members of the Night Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates' ability to maintain their position was laughable and extremely fragile.

The Whitebeard Pirates are only the Whitebeard Pirates as long as Whitebeard is around. If anything happens to Whitebeard, the entire pirate crew will easily collapse due to internal and external problems.

Whitebeard is the bond that connects all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates. Even though the members have deep feelings for each other, they will eventually fall apart and form different groups due to various relationships.

People like Teach could already see this scene, but Whitebeard's invincible power and reputation made most people forget all of this.

A single war is far from enough for them; they need a complete and overwhelming victory to crush the Whitebeard Pirates overwhelm them with true power.

If Teach still had some affection for the Whitebeard Pirates after the last war, he might have given them a chance to redeem their members.

Now, all camaraderie has vanished, and they are truly enemies. This is evident from Teach's lack of restraint in deciding whether or not to hold back his subordinates; the Night Pirates have truly revealed their fangs.

In this war, the Night Pirates dispatched all of their top-tier officers, in addition to those guarding other islands.

In addition, Teach's increased strength also brought him confidence. From being far behind Whitebeard to being able to cope with him, the tempering of his Armament Haki has begun to show results. Although the effect is not significant, Teach can already feel the improvement in his physique.

For Armament Haki, the improvement in physical strength is not significant, or even ineffective, because Teach can use Haki to defend himself, and the process of training Haki will also improve his physique.

More importantly, it strengthens the body's internal resistance. After all, the human body is very vulnerable, even to monsters like Big Mom and Kaido.

Whitebeard's most terrifying ability was his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the strongest attack power, but this ability could be easily absorbed by the Dark-Dark Fruit.

With the combined power of Rediat and Ares, Teach can confidently say that he is no longer afraid of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Through this battle, the Night Pirates will completely turn the Whitebeard Pirates into a stepping stone; this is their will.