Mihawk and the others had not managed to completely wipe out the Marines and World Government forces. After all, before setting out, none of them had expected that one of the Gorosei, Saint Saturn, would be aboard the World Government ship traveling alongside the Marines.
This had caused the New Marines to misjudge their opponents' strength, preventing them from leaving every last World Government agent behind in the New World.
However, although Mihawk and the others had failed to keep all the World Government forces in these waters, Tsugikuni Yoriichi's strategic objective had still been perfectly fulfilled.
The New Marines needed a battle like this to declare to the World Government and Marineford who truly ruled these waters.
Moreover, Tsugikuni Yoriichi himself had not made a move. Mihawk and the others had led the attack, which had also demonstrated the terrifying strength the New Marines now possessed.
Even a fleet personally led by a Marine Admiral and one of the Gorosei had suffered grievous losses and slunk out of the New World. From now on, those people would definitely not dare set foot in the New World so easily again.
For the New Marines, this was also an important step toward expanding their influence.
Somewhere in the New World.
A warship covered in iron patches rocked amid the towering waves. Its hull was badly damaged, as though it might fall apart at any moment.
Yet on the deck of this battered warship stood Marines bustling about.
This was a defeated force—Borsalino's group, who had been ambushed by Mihawk and the others and were hastily retreating toward the first half of the Grand Line.
When they had set sail, their fleet had consisted of more than a dozen hundred-meter warships and several thousand crewmen.
But in that naval battle, more than