Golden flames spread across the entire sea, dyeing the night sky a brilliant gold.
The sight drew the attention of many people. Residents on several neighboring islands noticed something unusual about the battlefield and stepped up to their windows to peer toward the distant sky.
Even the Marines stationed on Coco Island noticed the strange color in the distance. The night watchmen reported what they had seen up the chain of command, eventually alerting Marine Admiral Aokiji and Marine Admiral Kizaru, who had been resting.
Upon hearing the report, Kuzan hurried out of the cabin and gazed toward the open sea, but all he could see at the point where sea met sky was a smear of gold. He leaped onto the lookout platform and raised his binoculars, finally getting a clearer view.
"A fire?"
"A massive fire!"
"Where is that?"
After watching for a while, Kuzan lowered the binoculars and asked the lookout beside him.
"Reporting, there are quite a few islands in that direction. Baking Island, Wheat Island, Cream Island, and Cake Island are all over there."
Hearing his subordinates' report, Kuzan could not help frowning. The islands the lookout had mentioned were all under the control of the Big Mom Pirates.
The Marines had not taken any action tonight. Under normal circumstances, such a massive fire should not have broken out on those islands.
Could the Big Mom Pirates have done this themselves? What were they planning?
Kuzan silently speculated. The unexplained fire within Whole Cake Island filled him with a faint sense of unease.
For a commander, unexpected developments on the battlefield were the most troublesome thing.
The unknown on a battlefield often meant immense risk.
"How frightening—"
Just as Kuzan was considering whether to send someone over to investigate, a drawn-out sigh suddenly sounded from