The New World, another vast stretch of sea.
More than three hundred Marine warships, flying seagull flags, plowed through the waves at full speed in battle formation, heading for Beehive Island.
On the flagship, Fleet Admiral Kong stood at the bow, with Admiral "Zhu Yan" and "Qiong Qi" flanking him.
Behind them, a group of Headquarters Vice Admirals wore grave expressions.
But in the grim atmosphere, an out-of-place voice broke the silence.
"Report!!"
A communications officer, his face deathly pale, came tumbling out of the cabin.
"Fleet Admiral Kong! The Headquarters has sent a top-priority emergency alert. The Rocks Pirates' fleet..."
"has appeared above the Red Line and is closing in on Mary Geoise!!"
Silence.
It was as if time had stopped.
Kong's expression froze.
The Rocks Pirates... hadn't waited for them at Beehive Island?
They had already attacked the Holy Land of Mary Geoise?!
"What?!"
Kong spun around and snatched up the Den Den Mushi, practically roaring into it:
"Say that again!"
The terrified voice of the Headquarters communications officer came from the other end:
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral! Five minutes ago, an unidentified flying object was spotted above the Red Line!"
"After confirmation, it was the Rocks Pirates' fleet! Thirty ships! They... they're flying toward Mary Geoise!!"
"How is that possible?! How did they—"
Kong's words cut off.
Because he had suddenly thought of two people.
Golden Lion Shiki—the Float-Float Fruit user who could make objects levitate and fly.
Luo Tian—the Space-Space Fruit user who could manipulate force and space.
With those two working together, they really could make an entire fleet fly.
"Damn it... We've been tricked..."
Rocks had never intended to hold Beehive Island.
He had planned this from the very beginning.
He had used Beehive Island as bait to draw in the Marines' main force, then