A Glorious Death in Battle

The Flying Pirates have made their move!

The reporter from World Economic News, Reporter Bird, started paying attention early on, and the live video broadcast had already begun.

The whole world is watching the Flying Pirates' immense power.

Using islands as warships is something only Golden Lion Shiki could do. With the power of Shiki's Float-Float Fruit, island after island flew rapidly toward the Red Line with immense momentum.

The Pirate Alliance of 500,000 men is gathered on these dozens of islands. The view from above is spectacular, and some people can even spot the traces of famous pirates from the New World in the footage.

Each island is adorned with a giant golden lion's head, resembling the prow of a pirate ship, and also representing the Flying Pirates.

These islands, which served as the pirate ships of the Flying Pirates, had long been transformed into aerial fortresses by the Flying Pirates, containing a large amount of powerful weapons and ammunition, and possessing immense destructive power.

The island's flight speed was extremely fast, even the Reporter Bird couldn't keep up, let alone maintain their balance to broadcast the live footage. Morgans had anticipated this and arranged for several Reporter Bird to accompany them along the way.

However, the Flying Pirates did not follow his plan. They continued to ascend and soon flew above the clouds, disappearing from sight at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

Morgans had no choice, since the Reporter Bird couldn't fly to an altitude of 10,000 meters. Most of his Reporter Bird were focused on the Red Line, the Holy Land battlefield, the Marine Headquarters where war might break out, and other key naval locations.

Although they lost track of the Flying Pirates, they were not disappointed; instead, they were even more excited, because once the war began, it would never stop.

While many people fear war and the greater chaos it will bring, a majority of people actually look forward to its outbreak.

Pirates from the New World, various factions, kingdoms of the four seas, and most residents of the four seas—the four seas are no longer related to the World Government, and the kingdoms are safe internally. These residents are quite relaxed, treating the war as a spectacle, as if no matter what happens, it won't affect them.

This has always been the case. With the advent of the video era, after so many years of development, it has become widespread. Videos have long been a part of their lives, a habit, and some even feel uncomfortable if they don't watch videos for a day.

The scene shifts to the Marine Headquarters, where a large number of elite naval personnel are gathered in the plaza. Marshal Sengoku doesn't say much.

"Let's go!" The resounding voice demonstrated Sengoku's unwavering will and instilled confidence in all the naval personnel.

"For justice!"

The earth-shattering roar seemed to make the entire Marine Headquarters tremble.

The navy's powerful presence is awe-inspiring, and the anticipation for the upcoming clash grows ever stronger.

The massive navy swiftly boarded warship after warship. It was a pity that they didn't see Admiral Garp the Hero of the Marine Headquarters, but some people had already guessed that they had set off ahead of time.

Some battlefield layouts cannot be easily exposed; even the World Economic News cannot find them.

However, it's conceivable that Holy Land Mary Geoise had already become Heavenly Net to deal with the Flying Pirates, and the war had been brewing for over a year, giving them ample time to prepare.

Time ticked by, the live stream switching back and forth, which became somewhat tedious. It didn't reveal anything about the World Government's or the Navy's actions, and as a neutral party, even if the World Economic News could find out, it couldn't do so.

But for a world-class war, patience is essential.

In the Holy Land Mary Geoise, the Navy and Army were widely dispersed, with Marine Admiral standing in pre-arranged positions, along with Garp, Zephyr, and other top-tier World Government members.

Alastair, Gaia, the two CP0 vice-commanders, the mysterious CP0 commander, and the Gorosei.

Each of the Gorosei exuded the aura of a powerful being, silently gazing at the sky.

In addition, there are numerous masked agents.

Deep within Pangu City, a figure clad in black robes wiped the longsword in his hand.

After an unknown amount of time, the sky suddenly turned gloomy, with dark clouds gathering, lightning Thunderclap and thunder rumbling.

Such sky conditions are rare, even uncommon, at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

Upon seeing this, everyone on the Holy Land became solemn, especially the powerful ones, who felt it even more clearly as the overwhelming power was constantly approaching.

"They're here!" Garp, whose temples were already gray, looked into the distance and said earnestly.

The signs have appeared; viewers around the world have noticed that the Flying Pirates have arrived, and a clash between the two sides is imminent.

I couldn't help but hold my breath, my eyes glued to the video screen, not wanting to miss a single exciting moment.

A huge shadow appeared from the clouds.

"Do it!"

Upon seeing this, a command was given, and one powerful figure after another made their move, intending to seize the initiative in this war.

"Meteor Volcano!"

Sakazuki's face was resolute, his body half-elemental. He raised his arms and continuously shot his enormous Magma Fist into the sky with astonishing explosive force. Like a meteor shower, the Magma Fist covered a distance of thousands of meters, falling from the sky and rushing into the depths of the distant clouds.

Beneath the Sakazuki Meteor Volcano, the entire sea of clouds was almost dyed red.

"Airflow!"

Faced with Sakazuki's attack, "Uranus" Rhine reacted instantly, manipulating the terrifying air currents to transform into a giant dragon, acting as a barrier to block the meteor-like Magma Fist.

At the same time, powerful air currents whipped up hurricanes, altering the trajectory of the Meteor Volcano, causing it to continuously fall from a height of tens of thousands of meters.

Sakazuki's terrifying attack was thus blocked.

Due to the movement of air currents, the thick clouds dispersed, revealing the massive fleet of the Flying Pirates, with dozens of islands approaching.

But it wasn't over yet. Borsalino, suspended in mid-air, was radiating golden light, his terrifying power coalescing as he unleashed countless powerful light projectiles.

The sheer number of them launched an indiscriminate attack on the area where the Flying Pirates was located, leaving no blind spots.

The light projectiles were extremely fast, and even the strongest individuals couldn't dodge them. They continuously slammed into the islands, blasting many pirates into the air and causing casualties to the Flying Pirates in the first instance.

"A comet shower!"

Alastair was the same, his body shimmering with purple light, condensing into purple comets that continuously rushed towards the distant Flying Pirates.

The World Government's attack caught the Flying Pirates completely off guard.

With a wave of his hand, Shiki conjured enormous lions from the air, blocking Alastair's comet shower. Even so, Shiki's attack was largely destroyed, but he had no intention of restoring it.

"Hehehehe! That was a pretty good greeting." Shiki's figure appeared, laughing as he looked at the familiar figures on the Red Line. He was wearing a yellow kimono, and his golden, lion-like hair was flying wildly.

Shiki didn't care about his own losses; they were just a drop in the ocean. But he also knew that if he didn't do something, the morale of the Flying Pirates' alliance would definitely drop a bit.

"Then come and receive my return gift!" Shiki laughed, raising his right arm high and waving it downwards.

The sky darkened!

The World Government and the Navy all looked up, their eyes wide, as if they were witnessing something terrifying.

"Oh my God!"

"Using islands as weapons, how can we fight?"

The same is true around the world, where people are in shock.

Higher in the sky, a dozen islands continued to fall, heading towards the Red Line, as if covering the entire Mary Geoise.

This is the terrifying aspect of the Float-Float Fruit: it makes anything it touches float, even islands.

Although the World Government the Navy acted first, Shiki's move directly put them in a desperate situation, at least in the eyes of many.

The World Government and the navy's top combatants all wore solemn expressions; if these islands were to fall, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Under Shiki's control, they couldn't avoid it. The only thing they could do was minimize casualties, and the way to minimize casualties was to destroy these islands.

As islands break apart and their size decreases, the destructive power they cause also diminishes.

Otherwise, if the massive island were to collapse upon them, their only fate would be death.

"Attack together!" A somewhat aged but powerful voice shouted, instantly drawing everyone's attention. It was one of the Gorosei.

He was wearing a white Daoist robe, had a bald head, wore glasses, and was the only one of the Gorosei who was not wearing a suit and had a beard.

Shiki's move was actually within the expectations of the World Government and the Navy, since it's one of Shiki's signature moves, though it does consume a lot of island resources.

Their deployment was primarily for reducing casualties under the Uranus's attacks and for dealing with islands like Shiki.

It can cover all the islands, ensuring that no position is left undefended.

"I never thought that after all these years, I would still have a chance to make a move, old friend." The bald Gorosei smiled slightly, showing no nervousness in the face of this situation. He held a katana in his arms, making it clear at a glance that he was a swordsman, and a powerful one at that.

He slowly drew his knife, its sharp blade crackling with crimson lightning.

Upon witnessing this strange phenomenon, many swordsmen's eyes narrowed. They recognized the sword as the demon sword, Kitetsu. The Sandai Kitetsu did not possess such power; the Nidai Kitetsu was in the hands of the Flying Pirates and was obtained during the swordsmanship tournament.

The only possibility is the Shodai Kitetsu, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swordsmith.

I never expected that the Shodai Kitetsu would be in the hands of the Gorosei.

"One Sword Style ·Iai!"

A terrifying sword light flashed out in an instant, and before the eyes of countless people, all the islands in the sky were cleaved in two with a single stroke.

A truly skilled swordsman could see that this was merely a single strike, yet it cleaved all the islands in two. How was that possible?

This Gorosei is one of the world's top swordsmen, with terrifying strength. With just one strike, he amazed the entire world.

In the Genryuusai Shigekuni of the New World closed his eyes, recalling the stab wound in his mind.

This strike made even him feel somewhat ashamed of his own skill.

His accumulated knowledge and experience were already quite extensive, but the accumulated knowledge and experience of this Gorosei was even more terrifying.

This wasn't the end. The Gorosei unleashed several more slashes, easily slicing islands apart as if they were made of plastic.

The island's smaller size made it easier to deal with, and one after another, top experts made their moves.

"Iron Fist - Meteor Shower!" Garp leaped into the air, unleashing a rapid and continuous barrage of his iron fists with unstoppable momentum. Hundreds of afterimages appeared around him from the powerful impact of his fists.

A massive island was shattered into hundreds and thousands of pieces by Garp in a very short time.

"Canine Red Lotus!"

Sakazuki also made his move, unleashing a powerful, volcanic eruption as a giant lava dog viciously tore at the landing island.

"The Yasakani no Magatama!"

Countless terrifying light projectiles shot into the sky.

Former Admiral Zephyr also charged forward, his arms wrapped in Haki, and he threw his fists as if an ant trying to shake a tree.

"Super Repulsive Force!"

The repulsive force is concentrated, compressed to its limit, and then explodes in an instant.

A terrifying repulsive force, a visible protective shield, spread towards the sky. The immense power caused Frieda's body to involuntarily sink slightly.

"Comet Collision!"

Alastair transformed into a comet, its terrifying impact piercing through the entire island from the center, shattering it into pieces under its immense force.

Earth Gaia and Kuzan don't have any powerful techniques; although their abilities are strong, they're not really suitable for this situation.

Even so, they displayed terrifying strength, shattering one giant rock after another.

The remaining Gorosei also made their move, displaying terrifying strength through their abilities or powerful physical skills, shattering the island they had landed on.

The remaining CP0 members and powerful naval forces used their unique abilities to destroy the islands that had shrunk in size.

With the intervention of powerful figures, the island continued to shrink, making it possible for some mid-level naval units to withstand the attack.

In this way, the island that Shiki had thrown down was dealt with by the Navy and the World Government. The dazzling methods made people marvel at the power of the World Government and the Navy.

Even so, the World Government and the Navy suffered considerable losses. The flying debris was extremely deadly, not to mention that even these powerful individuals could not completely cover the situation. Many Navy and Army soldiers were killed by the falling rocks.

Including those who were seriously injured, they lost nearly 50,000 combat troops at once.

The entire Holy Land, along with countless boulders and falling rocks, has been completely reduced to ruins.

What impressed many more people was the terrifying combat power of the Gorosei.

The Gorosei are the rulers of the World Government, standing at the pinnacle of power in the world. Although they are very mysterious, they now have one well-known identity: the Celestial Dragons.

As Celestial Dragons, the Gorosei are completely different from the Celestial Dragons in the minds of people around the world; it's like heaven and earth.

The thought involuntarily arose in my mind: This is a true Celestial Dragons.

That's true. If the Celestial Dragons were all useless, how could they control this world?

The Celestial Dragons' downfall was a gradual process, eroded by time, rather than an instantaneous event.

Those corrupt Celestial Dragons only represent a portion, or rather a large part, of the Celestial Dragons race.

The Gorosei are the best among the Celestial Dragons, each possessing remarkable wisdom and formidable strength.

They each control one of the five key departments of the World Government: military, political, judicial, intelligence, and finance.

The military department is controlled by the bald Gorosei. The Shichibukai plan was established with his tacit approval. At the same time, he is the strongest among the Gorosei, possessing the world's top combat power, no weaker than the Sea Emperor, as can be seen from his terrifying swordsmanship.

Shiki's expression was solemn. The Gorosei had displayed terrifying combat power, along with the two CP0 vice-commanders, the CP0 chief who had mysteriously clashed with him several times, two other powerful CP0 members, and that Army Admiral Vulture. The World Government had already displayed the combat power of eleven Admiral.

Such combat power is truly terrifying, and that doesn't even include the six the Navy sent over.

In terms of the number of top-tier combatants, the World Government and the Navy combined are several times larger than the Flying Pirates. The difference in the number of top-tier combatants often determines the outcome of a war by just one person.

Furthermore, that bald Gorosei, like Garp, is no weaker than him in combat strength; he might just be a little lacking in stamina.

It can be said that the Flying Pirates were actually at a significant disadvantage in terms of combat strength.

Fortunately, he was prepared. Rhine and Chronos stood behind him, and on the island below, there was also "The Hunter" Alex.

Among the allied forces, a tall figure appeared, wearing a horned hat and rugged armor in the style of Viking Pirates.

As soon as he appeared, the pirates on both sides made way.

"Bondy a!"

Many sailors recognized him.

The captain of the World Pirates, known as the "World Destroyer," is a man who, along with Roger and Whitebeard, instilled fear in the World Government and the Navy.

He is now 65 years old, but because he was frozen for ten years, he looks about 50 years old, and his physical functions remain at the level they were before he was frozen.

He is Devil Fruit User and harbors a huge ambition to overthrow the World Government.

Years ago, after Dark Emperor Teach invaded Impel Down, Bondy an Impel Down with a group of pirates. The Navy tried to capture him, but Bondy a disappeared without a trace.

Later, due to various events, the Navy gave up the search for Bondy a, but unexpectedly, Bondy a has now appeared in the pirate alliance Golden Lion Shiki.

As for why this happened, they could guess: it was to retaliate against the World Government and the Navy.

The current Bondy a exudes a terrifying aura, far surpassing his former self when he left Impel Down. Over the years, Bondy a's strength has long since returned to its peak.

The appearance of Bondy a boosted the morale of the Flying Pirates alliance, after all, he was a pirate with a notorious reputation in the previous era.

Shiki had made ample preparations for this battle, naturally increasing the number of his top-tier combatants.

But was it just Bondy a?

Of course not. Suddenly, a figure appeared at the edge of the ruins, tall and straight, with long, blood-red hair and a blood-red robe, holding a Bat Umbrella in his hand.

His appearance went unnoticed until quite some time later.

"Red, the Crimson Earl!"

A marine's terrified scream immediately drew everyone's attention to the unexpected visitor.

"Redfield, what are you doing here?" Garp said to Redfield in a deep voice.

Redfield's combat strength is far beyond that of ordinary top-tier experts, and his deterrent power is much greater than that of Bondy a.

His appearance puts a lot of pressure on the World Government and the Navy, which is not a good thing.

Especially now, Redfield has regained his youth and gained the powerful abilities of the Mythical Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire form, making his overall strength even surpass his peak.

"Hehe, I owe Shiki a favor, and I've come to repay it today." Faced with Garp's questioning, Redfield smiled slightly, raised the umbrella sword in his hand, and pointed it at Garp.

"Garp, your opponent is me. You will remain here until the war ends."

Clearly, his mission was to hold off Garp, a top-tier fighter.

He also had a fight with Garp. After all, Garp had taken advantage of the situation to defeat him and imprison him in Impel Down. If he wanted to cause trouble, he would naturally go after Garp.

Redfield has his own pride, so he naturally chooses opponents who are on the same level as him.

In addition, for his own safety, he chose an opponent he was familiar with. He was not very familiar with the other Gorosei and the CP0 Chief, and he was afraid that something unexpected might happen.

Soon, another tall and strong figure appeared: "Werewolf" Mutu. Like Redfield and Bondy a, he had been released from Impel Down by the Night Pirates and had also formed an alliance with the Flying Pirates.

Mutu, who is over 140 years old, still looks like a man in his prime. He is a living fossil who disappeared after escaping from Impel Down, but now he has reappeared.

As a top-tier fighter, Mutu's strength should not be underestimated. Back in Impel Down, Teach sensed that even in his weakened state, Mutu possessed the strength of Admiral.

He has now fully recovered and may not be as strong as Garp or Redfield, but he is still one of the world's top fighters.

"It's just a transaction. Besides, I want to see the power of my precious kids." Mutu laughed. Behind him, there were thousands of figures draped in black cloaks, their bodies completely covered. Each of them exuded an unstable, restless aura, making the other pirates afraid to approach.

Although it's unclear what deal Shiki made with Mutu, the fact remains that the Flying Pirates have gained strength by managing to bring out this "old Mutu."

Soon, more pirates appeared, causing gasps of surprise; some people recognized them.

But most people didn't recognize him. Morgans' voice rang out, introducing the newcomer's identity and some of his deeds to the world's audience.

Most of these people are quite old. They were all Great Pirate stirred up trouble in the previous era, and then disappeared on the sea for various reasons. Although they may not be as powerful as the former ones, each of them is quite strong.

"A bunch of old geezers, since you've retired, why don't you just live out your retirement peacefully? Why do you have to jump out and court death?" Sakazuki's body was already half-elemental, and he gritted his teeth, speaking without any politeness, his heart filled with pent-up anger.

These old pirates, who had disappeared on the high seas, surprisingly chose to come out at this time to help the Flying Pirates, creating obstacles for them.

Besides, where does Golden Lion Shiki get such influence that so many former Great Pirate would help him?

"Haha! Enjoying your old age? Don't joke around! We don't want to die in obscurity!"

An old pirate laughed and made an inspiring declaration: for pirates who yearn for freedom, dying on the battlefield or at sea is their final destiny.

It would be good to survive this battle, but even if I die, I will have no regrets.

His words reflected the shared will of these veteran pirates, and were the main reason they decided to help Shiki. They were determined to fight to the death and wanted to engage in one last battle.

"Gurarararar!" Whitebeard, the Whitebeard Pirates, laughed loudly, poured himself a bowl of sake, raised the bowl to the old pirates in the image, and then drank the sake in a big gulp.

Seeing their Pops like this, the other crew members also drank wine to send off these old pirates.

Some of these pirates were once enemies of the Whitebeard Pirates, but now, all that is in the past, and all that remains in their hearts is respect and emotion.

Who would want to die in obscurity? Even Roger created a grand stage for himself, living on in everyone's hearts.

Around the world, many pirates pay tribute to them.

"This is the sea!" Rayleigh exclaimed in a small tavern on the Sabaody Archipelago, picking up his glass and downing it in one gulp.

"Is this what it means to be Great Pirate, choosing his own way to die, to die a glorious death? Just like that man." Ace muttered to himself earnestly, but his trembling hands revealed his inner turmoil, even a surge of excitement.

"Skull! I'm going to be a pirate and become the Pirate King!" Young Luffy has already set his sights on becoming the Pirate King, having inherited Shanks' Straw Hat.

He watched the video and shouted, "I can feel it, it feels really cool!"