The Battle Begins

Newgate was locked in a heated exchange with the strategist Cthulhu, the battle reaching a fever pitch from the very start, though it was clear that Cthulhu was no match for him.

"Fire! Open fire!"

The roar of artillery thundered incessantly as countless bullets descended like a torrential downpour.

"Clang! Clang!"

But it was all in vain. Newgate was not yet in his twilight years; his stamina had not yet begun to wane, and he could withstand the assault of ordinary bullets with his bare flesh alone.

"Gurararara!"

"You lot are becoming quite a nuisance."

"Hum!"

Suddenly, a crescent-shaped blue streak of light swept across the field. Countless soldiers felt their vision spin before their consciousness faded, never to open their eyes again.

For a figure of Newgate's caliber, wounding or killing him with mere firearms was no simple task.

His formidable physique, speed, and defense rendered him immune to such basic attacks.

"Quake Shock!"

Finding that he couldn't secure a quick victory, Newgate wore an excited grin as he unleashed the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. After all, Cthulhu was a worthy opponent, and the best way to show respect was to fight with everything he had.

Cthulhu was sent flying instantly, though he scrambled to his feet immediately after.

His body began to swell, his limbs thickening as his original form vanished, replaced by a ten-meter-tall giant ape.

It turned out that Cthulhu was a user of the Zoan-type Giant Ape Fruit.

"Newgate!"

"Boom!"

In an instant, Cthulhu stomped a massive crater into the ground, appearing before Newgate and swinging a fist the size of a sandbag with lightning speed.

"Clang!"

"Gurarara!"

"Now that's more like it."

Newgate countered with his right hand coated in Armament Haki, while his other hand swung toward Cthulhu's head.

Cthulhu's reaction was no slouch; he leaned back quickly, narrowly dodging the blow.

"Swish!"

"Eat this!"

Unfazed by Newgate's taunts, Cthulhu clasped his hands together and brought them down like a massive hammer toward Newgate.

"Bang!"

Despite his massive frame, Newgate's evasion speed was anything but slow. He stomped his right foot hard against the ground, instantly appearing to the side of his opponent's body.

Simultaneously coating his fist in both Armament Haki and the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he slammed it into Cthulhu's skull. Although Cthulhu quickly raised his arms to block, he was still sent flying, turning several buildings into ruins along the way.

Newgate surged forward at high speed, and the second round of their battle began instantly.

"Elbaf Spear!"

On another part of the battlefield, Charlotte Linlin was the first to unleash one of her signature moves.

Giles sensed that he could not dodge the strike, so he swung his longsword, which shimmered with a faint white light, and slashed fiercely at Charlotte Linlin.

"Peerless Slash!"

"Boom!"

The two energy waves collided, sending a terrifying shockwave rippling through the surroundings, yet Giles's Peerless Slash only managed to stall the Elbaf Spear for a single second.

Moments later, Giles was sent flying by the sheer force of the powerful energy shockwave.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Charlotte Linlin charged forward with heavy, thunderous steps, swinging her massive longsword down toward Giles with lethal intent.

"Boom!"

The earth trembled violently, as if an magnitude-eight earthquake had struck. In the distance, the pirates and the soldiers of the Tyr Kingdom who were still engaged in combat felt the ground shake so intensely they could barely stand.

Charlotte Linlin's longsword was met by Giles's desperate block.

Giles was pushed back dozens of meters by the immense force.

"Cough, cough!"

"You're quite strong!"

Giles stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and glared fiercely at Charlotte Linlin.

"But even so, I will never allow you to trample over this land beneath my feet without consequence."

Giles knew he might not be able to hold out much longer, but the sheer determination in his eyes was enough to make anyone take notice.

Just as the battle raged on, Carl, standing at the edge of the fray, sensed the restless Admiral Snow Lion lurking nearby.

"Found you, Admiral Snow Lion."

Admiral Snow Lion had not expected his concealment to be so effective, yet Carl had discovered him nonetheless.

He had originally intended to ambush Charlotte Linlin, as she was the only one on the field whose strength was slightly inferior to the rest.

His most important mission now was to stall the members of the Rocks Pirates, especially since he had already sent Norse away with the Devil Fruit.

As long as he could drag out the time, Norse would be that much safer.

He just hadn't expected to be discovered before he could even make his move.

"Thunderbolt Fist!"

Carl didn't waste any words; the moment she spotted him, she dashed rapidly toward Admiral Snow Lion.

"Lion Claw!"

Admiral Snow Lion roared.

Knowing he could no longer hide, he had no choice but to engage, though he deliberately let his roar echo across the entire island.

He swung his arm, which was covered in Armament Haki and partially transformed into a beastly claw.

"BOOM!"

Though it was a brief clash, the shockwave generated by their collision was no less intense than those produced by the others on the field.

"So that's where you were hiding."

Rocks wore a smile as he whispered from his ship.

He hadn't expected Admiral Snow Lion's stealth abilities to be so refined; even he hadn't noticed him.

However, based on Rocks's perception, there were no particularly strong presences on the island.

Could it be that the Navy had no ulterior motive this time?

In truth, Rocks was being somewhat arrogant. His Observation Haki only registered the top-tier powerhouses on the field, while those with slightly less strength were beneath his notice, allowing Norse to slip away right under his nose without him ever knowing.

"Admiral Snow Lion, you must hold on."

Far away, having already set sail, Norse felt the roar of Admiral Snow Lion immediately. He knew this was the Admiral buying him time, and he had to get as far away from this battlefield as possible.

"I will definitely deliver these things perfectly to Marine Headquarters."

Norse looked down at the parcel in front of him. He knew that if these items didn't reach Marine Headquarters safely, Admiral Snow Lion's efforts would have been in vain.

Norse had no choice but to row faster.

Kid, why do you think you joined the pirates in the first place?

On the battlefield, Admiral Snow Lion and Carl separated after a brief exchange. Admiral Snow Lion stepped back a few paces and voiced the question in his heart.

"At the beginning, it might have just been to witness the pinnacle of power, but now, I only want the people to obtain the freedom they deserve."

Admiral Snow Lion's pupils constricted. He certainly understood what Carl was talking about, but such a thing would be incredibly difficult to execute.

"I didn't expect you to be so idealistic!"

"I have underestimated you."

"Clang!"

The two fought as they spoke.

Carl knew that it was unlikely for Snow Lion to walk off this island alive today.

Under her perception, Rocks's gaze had been fixed on this spot the entire time.

In fact, she was absolutely right. Rocks's ultimate plan was to wreak havoc at God Valley, so he would naturally weaken the Navy's forces whenever he could. He was certainly not going to let Admiral Snow Lion leave this island today.

After all, there were only a limited number of Admiral-level powerhouses on the sea right now.

In this era, the Navy couldn't simply replace them within a few short years.

"Although your ideals are grand, you will never be able to realize them."

Admiral Snow Lion naturally admired Carl, but he knew certain inside information; someone like Carl could never hope to make a ripple.

"Then just wait and see."

She knew that saying anything now was useless; she could only prove it by doing it herself. This was the path she was determined to walk.

"I truly hope you live to see that day."

Carl also wanted Admiral Snow Lion to live to see that day, because in her view, most Navy Admirals—with the exception of someone like Akainu—were symbols of justice and kindness to the common people.

"Yes, to live."

"If I could really see that day..."

Because Snow Lion knew he might not make it off this island, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

He knew Rocks would never let him leave alive.

He only hoped that what he had sent away with Norse would be worth it.