Cover Little Oars Jr.!

Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Dracule Mihawk, standing on the Encircling Wall, had already drawn the Black Blade 'Night' from his back, aiming it at the imposing figure aboard the Moby Dick. "Let me test the true distance between myself and the man before me..."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and then he swung his knife without any fancy moves!

A dark green slash, comparable in size to the Moby Dick, was unleashed instantly, hurtling straight toward Whitebeard. Along its path, the ice on the ground cracked open, creating a deep, long trench that continued to spread!

Just as the slashing airflow was about to approach the Moby Dick 'Whitebeard Pirates third division commander Diamond Jozu, jumped off the deck and blocked the Moby Dick's front front with his semi-diamond-like body. The slashing airflow was immediately blocked by Jozu and could not advance any further, so it could only splash and surge out to both sides!

"That's Dracule Mihawk, the swordsman standing at the pinnacle of the world... If this matter weren't so important, I'd love to know just how big the gap is between me and him!"

Cabaji was amazed. He could unleash a huge slashing aura with a casual wave of his hand, something Kabaji could never have imagined or done. But the more Kabaji did this, the more restless his dormant swordsman heart became!

"Yo-yo~~" Kizaru had appeared in the sky without anyone noticing, crossed his arms in front of him, and yellow light gathered on his arms, which suddenly transformed into countless dense points of light. "Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"

His attack wasn't just aimed at the Moby Dick; a small number of points of light also seemed to be intentionally splashing towards the Big Top.

"Wind Barrier!" Cabaji raised and swung the Sakura Blizzard in his hand, creating an invisible, semi-circular airflow barrier in front of him with a trajectory that was difficult to detect with the naked eye, blocking many points of light from the turbulent wind!

"I'll take the rest... Energy Storage. Crusader!"

Mohji spread his arms wide, like a shield engraved with a cross, blocking the light spots. As soon as the light spots touched Mohji's body, they rippled and then disappeared, as if they had vanished into the void!

Meanwhile, Marco, the first division commander of the Moby Dick Whitebeard Pirates, was engulfed in blue flames as he soared through the air, intercepting all the points of light that were about to hit the Moby Dick. The remaining blue flames suddenly enveloped him, giving him a renewed vitality. Marco looked at Kizaru with a forced smile, "I can't let you meet [the King] right from the start!"

Kizaru casually revealed a look of surprise. "A Mythical Logia Mythical Zoan, oh~ how terrifying..."

Watching the battle unfold before him, Shuma was already getting excited. "Buggy, the battle has begun. Should we go in?"

"Wait a little longer..." Buggy said calmly, observing the battle situation before him. "Now is not the time to be the first to act. Let the Whitebeard Pirates' fleet captains open up the battlefield first. If we attack here and there haphazardly, we will only waste our energy for no reason and will also be targeted by concentrated fire. What we need to do is [go with the flow], not [go against the current]... otherwise, we will lose our lives."

Lilina analyzed, "The two sides are almost evenly matched... The Whitebeard Pirates are almost unable to attack the inner harbor, and the Navy cannot suppress them in the slightest. This war will probably last a long time!"

Buggy said noncommittally, "The outcome of the decisive battle will depend on the top combat power of both sides, but the result of this war is not important. What's important is... whether we can save Ace!"

"If you're so capable, then stop it!"

Just then, Diamond Jozu pried up a massive block of ice, comparable to half an island, and hurled it at the densely packed Marine forces. Even the Marine Headquarters' giant force paled in comparison to the ice!

"Seriously, if we all go out, who's going to guard this place...?"

Akainu, his face grim, rose from his chair Execution Platform. His entire right arm transformed into billowing magma, which he swung violently towards the massive block of ice. "Great Eruption!!"

The fist formed from magma, billowing thick smoke, instantly evaporated the entire block of ice, leaving nothing behind!

Not only that, the remaining lava transformed into countless volcanic bombs, crashing down on the pirate ship in the inner harbor with scorching heat!

"Absolute Justice, truly ruthless... If the ship is damaged, it would be a huge loss..."

Life Return. Circus!

Buggy looked up at the volcanic bomb in the sky, his entire body instantly splitting into tens of thousands of tiny, vibrating fragments. In this state, the Awakening power of the fruit would be even more tightly bound to its external form. He hovered his hands, slowly bending and closing them, "Chop-Chop. Cleansing Grip!"

In an instant, all the lava flying towards the Big Top dispersed in mid-air before it even got close, turning into fine dust, leaving only its still scorching heat!

Although the Big Top was safe and sound, Buggy showed no joy, muttering to himself, "The range is still limited after all... Is there really nothing we can do beyond a hundred meters...?"

The "Volcano Bomb" missed the Big Top, but the other pirate ships were caught in the crossfire. Like a dazzling summer fireworks display, it celebrated the sacrifices and deaths of the battle. The fight between the pirates and the navy seemed to become even more intense and fierce, with blood and flying bullets everywhere...

Finally, a gigantic figure appeared, several times larger than a normal giant, immediately attracting the attention of the Marines. "That must be the descendant of [Continent-Puller Oars]..."

"That guy has already surpassed the common understanding of giants!"

"We absolutely cannot allow him to invade the inner harbor!"

Little Oars Jr., who appeared beside the pirate fleet, said with a very serious expression, "Brother Ace is such a good person! I will absolutely not let him die!"

Upon seeing Little Oars Jr.., the Marine Headquarters' Giant Forces immediately mobilized. As they advanced towards Oars Jr., they whispered among themselves, "Having to look up to someone... this is the first time!"

"That's right... stopping that guy is our job!"

"Whoosh!" Little Oars Jr. forcefully lifted a standard warship that had fired a cannonball at him and hurled it at the navy in the inner harbor. The warship crashed into the ice with a thunderous sound, and a large amount of smoke and wood chips instantly obscured the entire area. Even the giants who rushed forward had to stop and raise their hands to protect themselves.

"Brother Ace!" Little Oars Jr. drew his greatsword and roared earnestly, "I'm coming to you right now!!"

"Brothers, we've found a breakthrough in the bay! Let's follow in Little Oars Jr.'s footsteps!!"

Faced with the opening Little Oars Jr. had created in the inner harbor, the pirates of the Whitebeard Pirates advanced with high morale. Originally, the two sides were in a straight line, but Little Oars Jr.'s advance transformed it into an acute-angled triangle dominated by the Whitebeard Pirates. However, this opening did not bring a hint of joy to Whitebeard's face. Instead, he angrily said, "Oars, you reckless bastard, throwing your life away and being brave are two different things!"

Little Oars Jr. swung his sword, cutting through all obstacles in his path. "Pops, don't even think about stopping me! I want to rescue the Ace brothers as soon as possible, even if it's just a minute earlier!"

"... Understood!" Whitebeard immediately and loudly ordered his crew, "You're responsible for cleaning up the mess and covering Oars!!"

"Yes!!"

"The time has come..." Buggy, standing aboard the Big Top, narrowed his eyes slightly. "Titans have far greater vitality and resilience than ordinary people, and this giant moving target can draw a lot of firepower. There's never been a better opportunity. All we need to do is provide cover..." He glanced slightly at the group behind him and said, "Let's move out!"

Having said that, he jumped off the Big Top and followed behind Little Oars Jr..

"Is that Red Nose brat about to make a move...?" Whitebeard's gaze fell on Buggy. "Although I don't know his strength, this gives Oars an extra layer of protection!"

"It's Buggy the Clown, a crew member from [Pirate King]!"

"Take him down! Don't let him get any closer to Fire Fist Ace!"

The naval soldiers in front of them formed a semi-encirclement around Buggy in an orderly fashion, showing no sign of retreat.

"You little minions... don't get in my way!" Buggy quickened his pace, unleashing two powerful Tempest Kick in an instant, clearing away the Marine soldiers in front of him.

"Well done, Buggy the Clown!"

"Since you're here to rescue Ace, then you're our comrade-in-arms this time!"

As the Whitebeard Pirates followed Little Oars Jr.., they shouted to Buggy from afar.

"We'll have to rely on you all a lot more..."

Buggy's face lit up with fervor. "Ace is right there waiting for you. Nothing is more precious than being rescued by your comrades!"

With that, he roared, "Let this battle prove our everlasting friendship! With everyone united, victory will be ours!!!"

"Well said! Our friendship with Ace will never fade. After saving Ace, I, Rumba, will definitely be your friend!!"

"Brothers, let's go! Save Ace!"

Nothing can stop the Whitebeard Pirates!

The morale of all the pirates who heard Buggy's words immediately soared, and they charged into battle with even greater vigor!

"That's it..." A cunning glint flashed in Buggy's eyes. "Let's gamble with our lives; that's the only way to win the war..."

Little Oars Jr..'s continuous advances played a crucial role, creating a significant gap in the navy's formation and forcing many of the forward-deployed naval officers to retreat and strengthen the defense of the inner harbor.

"..."

Standing on the stone wall Bartholomew Kuma watched Little Oars Jr. Ursus Shock towards him without saying a word. He had already compressed his Ursus Shock into the size of a ping-pong ball, held it in his palm, and then expressionlessly hurled it at Oz.

At the very instant of launch, a clean kick landed on Bartholomew Kuma's paw. Although it didn't cause any damage, it deflected his hand slightly, causing the Ursus Shock to veer off course. Even so, the massive Ursus Shock, which instantly expanded and covered an area of hundreds of meters, still enveloped half of Little Oars Jr..'s body. The terrifying pressure and impact weighed heavily on his body, while ice blocks on the ice layer shattered and flew everywhere!

"Aaaaaah!!"

Little Oars Jr. struggled to pull half of his body away from the Ursus Shock, but the immense pressure had already covered his face in blood. He stood there, barely managing to stay upright, while shells from countless opportunistic cannons exploded all over him!

He could no longer hold on and collapsed, his consciousness somewhat distorted, as he used his massive arms to brace himself against the stone wall that he had pressed down on in an instant.

"Huff, huff..." Little Oars Jr.. breathed heavily, looking at Donquixote Doflamingo right under his nose. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on. "I need to at least take down one of the Shichibukai..."

"Hey... stop fooling around. Your goal is to save Ace. Now that you're already here, don't do anything unnecessary."

Buggy arrived just in time, appearing between Little Oars Jr. and Donquixote Doflamingo. "I came all this way, not to watch you fool around here. Ace is right in front of us, go save him... Don't waste that straw hat of yours!"

"Straw hat...!!"

Little Oars Jr. muttered something under his breath, then suddenly perked up. His eyes, which had previously lost their color, focused again. He glanced at Ace on the Execution Platform, gritted his teeth, stood up, and stubbornly walked forward. "Ace, you must wait for me!!"

"Fufufu--" Donquixote Doflamingo, whose face was cold and expressionless, suddenly burst into laughter. "You're a member of the [Pirate King] crew? How interesting! You managed to get that clumsy demon to stand up with just a few words. Your grasp of people's hearts is quite exquisite!"

Buggy's lips curled into a cunning smile, "You've heard the saying, haven't you? He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world."

Never heard of it.

"It's okay... I just made it up on the spot, don't take it too seriously, Donquixote Doflamingo..."

"Fufufufu--" Donquixote Doflamingo laughed wildly, "Your ability to spout nonsense is truly not to be underestimated. Is this something [Pirate King] taught you?"

"No, that's not it. [Pirate King] doesn't need to talk nonsense like I do. He's the kind of person who 'naturally possesses a charm that draws others to him.' You, being so lonely, probably don't understand..."

"What nonsense are you spouting..." Donquixote Doflamingo's face turned cold. He spread his arms wide, his fingers moving nimbly and almost imperceptibly. "Let me see what you're really made of!"

"Controlling things? Forget about it..." Feeling something wrapped around his wrist, Buggy abruptly detached it, his body suddenly leaning forward, his right leg, imbued with Armament Haki, sweeping out like a whip.

Donquixote Doflamingo, who thought he had already controlled his opponent with the strings, did not expect that the opponent's arm could split. Caught off guard, he was kicked in the chest and sent flying into the collapsing stone wall!

The next moment, the piled-up rubble scattered in all directions. Donquixote Doflamingo, veins bulging on his forehead, quickly stood up, glanced at the empty space before him, and muttered, "Damn bastard... he's really something!"

Hehehe--

Seeing Little Oars Jr.. dragging his heavily wounded body into the plaza, Gecko Moria laughed, "Perfect! Just like that, become my favorite corpse... Shadow Horn!"

Countless shadowy bats flew upwards behind him, gathering in the sky, about to coalesce into a gigantic black spear, ready to pin Little Oars Jr. to the spot!

Buggy, who had been following Little Oars Jr.., was about to rush over and interrupt Moria's spellcasting when he heard a lazy yet cold voice beside him, "Buggy the Clown... that's enough!"